Tech Repository: November 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

Vaio to return to the Indian laptop market with a new licensing deal

Laptops have become a crucial part of our life this year, acting as the hub for how most of us report to work. Aiming to get a piece of this growing pie, Vaio will be returning to the laptop segment of India with a new partnership.

About a decade ago, Vaio used to be Sony’s PC arm, till it split into an independent brand in 2014. It was one of the earliest proponents of sleek laptops with a focus on design and functionality. The breakup also brought along a new business model where it relied on regional partnerships and facilities instead of a central hub. A similar partnership is now in place for India.

Hong Kong-based Nexstgo has now acquired the licensing rights for the manufacturing, sales and marketing of Vaio laptops in India. Nexstgo already takes care of a lot of other Asian markets for Vaio with similar arrangements in place for Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and other Middle East markets.

“We at Nexstgo are thrilled to reintroduce Vaio to Indian audiences, with a wide range of finest-quality laptops in coming 3 months. The brand has previously witnessed unrivalled demand from the Indian market, and we believe that the country’s burgeoning tech-enthusiasts and young business professionals will be elated to experience Vaio’s premium solutions once again. With the launch, we aim to expand our distribution network in India and clock a phenomenal growth by 2020. We are honoured to be Vaio’s key partner, and work together with Vaio to rebuild her brand position in India”, said Alex Chung, CEO, Nexstgo Company Limited.

As for the products, the first laptop, based on AMD’s Ryzen platform, will launch in India in January. It will be a premium offering which will be “designed for the modern office”. Flipkart will be the sales partner for Vaio’s comeback. No other details were shared.

Nexstgo has a similar licensing agreement with Singapore-based laptop startup Avita for India. Since Avita primarily plays in the budget segments, we expect Vaio to focus on the premium segment with high-end machines. It remains to be seen how well it will fare in the competitive market that India is, where multiple new players such as Xiaomi and Honor have recently found success.

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Brushing: When Amazon packages arrive that you didn't order

Zoe Kleinman looks at the sneaky way some sellers are trying to boost their products on Amazon.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55117037

Facebook and Google 'complicit' in Vietnam censorship

Rights group Amnesty has accused Facebook and Google of increasingly blocking criticism and dissent.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-55140857

Currys PC World apologises after gift cards wiped

The company is still assessing how many customers may have been affected.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55131507

Zoom boosts sales forecast as pandemic drags on

The pandemic has transformed the fortunes of the video conferencing firm, once a niche tech name.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55139083

China-US trade war: Beijing escalates tit-for-tat with Washington

Beijing has introduced tough new laws which restrict the export of "controlled items".

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55132425

How AI is helping rural African farmers

An AI-backed mobile app is helping farmers in rural areas gain critical information for their crops.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55138290

Using tech to prevent car theft in Cameroon

A Cameroon startup is using mobile and satellite communications to track down stolen cars.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55138291

Why shops are going over to the 'dark' side

Some retailers are converting stores into mini-distribution hubs in response to Covid-19.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54935326

Facebook News will pay UK outlets for content in 2021

Starting in January, Facebook will pay UK publishers for some - but not all - of their content.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55137096

DeepMind 'solves diseases science mystery' with AI

The advance is expected to accelerate research into a host of human diseases, including Covid-19.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55133972

One of the last Cyber Monday iPad deals still live is on these discounted iPad Minis

The Cyber Monday iPad deals are ending thick and fast, with Walmart's deals mostly over, and Amazon repeatedly running out of stock on the top models. But at Best Buy a deal on the iPad Mini (2019) is still live, for an unspecified amount of time.

So if you were meant to look for a new iPad in the Cyber Monday deals but totally forgot, you can make the most of this last-minute sale and pick up Apple's smallest-size iPad for $100 off.

Not in the US? Scroll down for prices in your region.

We're not saying there aren't any other Cyber Monday iPad deals still out there, but it can be hard to reliably find a model on discount at the various retailers. So we'd recommend picking up the below iPad Mini if you don't have your eyes on a particular model.

Cyber Monday iPad Mini deals

iPad Mini (2019) - 64GB: ~~$399~~ $299.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
Apple doesn't make a mini iPad very often, and the mini 5 is a good mix of the latest tablet tech in a much more portable form factor. It's great if you've got a child in the house and also supports Apple Pencil. With a discount this hefty, it's likely to be one of the winners of Cyber Monday already.
View Deal

iPad Mini (2019) - 256GB (Wi-Fi /cellular): ~~$549~~ $449.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
Want the iPad Mini with a little bit of mobile data on board as well? This is the best option around right now, as others are sold out - but we advise really thinking about whether you want that extra connection, as it adds a premium.
View Deal

The 2019-model iPad Mini is the newest entry to Apple's small-size tablet line, with a size sitting between a large iPhone and the entry-level iPad.

This iPad is easily totable, and it'll easy fit in a bag or even a big pocket, without taking up too much space. Despite its little form factor, the tablet has pretty good specs for its price.

In our iPad Mini (2019) review we praised the tablet's size, its compatibility with the Apple Pencil 1, and its surprisingly powerful specs, while criticized its antiquated design and relatively high price for its specs.

Our final rating was four stars out of five, but many if this Cyber Monday deal was around to reduce the price further, we would have given it an even higher rating.

More iPad Mini (2019) deals

If you're not in the US, you can check out iPad Mini deals and prices in your region below:

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Microsoft files patent to record and score meetings on body language

Facial expressions and how long staff speak for would contribute to a score given to a meeting.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55133141

Italy fines Apple €10m over iPhone water-resistance claims

Italy's competition authority has fined Apple €10m for misleading claims about the iPhone.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55133144

This surprising iPad Air 4 deal is the best price you'll find on Cyber Monday

Loads of the Cyber Monday iPad deals cover Apple tablets that are several years old, but the risk of buying one of these is that it could quite quickly become outdated and miss out on future software updates.

You can get around this problem by making your Cyber Monday tablet purchase the iPad Air 4 deal that started on Black Friday. It knocks $30 / £20 off the asking price of the slate – and while that doesn't sound like much, this tablet is brand new, so any money off in the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals is a big surprise.

Not in the US or UK? Scroll down to see iPad Air prices in your region.

We've listed this deal below, but f you don't think the iPad Air 4 is for you, we've also got roundups on the Cyber Monday iPad deals, Black Friday tablet deals and Cyber Monday smartwatch deals you can check out too.

Cyber Monday iPad deals

2020 iPad Air 64GB: ~~$599~~ $569.99 at Amazon (save $30)
Stock is moving fast on these discounts on the iPad Air 4, and we're only seeing this model left so you'll need to act quickly to secure yours for less. This is an excellent discount on the latest iPad to hit the market – if you can grab it in time.
View Deal

2020 iPad Air 64GB: ~~£599~~ £579 at Amazon (save £20)
Amazon's timid iPad Air 4 reduction in the UK saves you enough money to buy a good few apps, or a fair few coffees to sip as you pensively work away somewhere.

View Deal

The iPad Air 4 has Apple's top-end A14 Bionic chipset as well as a 10.9-inch screen, side-mounted Touch ID button and single rear camera.

It's Apple's newest tablet, having released in late October, which is why a Cyber Monday discount is so surprising.

To really make the most of it you might need to buy a Magic Keyboard or Apple Pencil 2 – neither of which have many Cyber Monday iPad deals on them – but the money saved here can help you afford any accessories you might need.

Not in the US or UK? Check out iPad Air prices for you below:

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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This $1,155 Dell workstation laptop has the world's fastest mobile CPU

For all gamers and creative users out there looking for value and performance this Cyber Monday, Dell has perhaps the best reason for anyone to ask their employer for a gaming laptop, in the guise of the Dell G5 15 5505 Special Edition.

At just over $1,155 (use the code WEEKEND10 to get this price), it's arguably far more powerful than ALL mobile workstations in its price range, plus it comes with up to $77 back in rewards. You also won't have to pay interest on installments, provided the full fee is paid within 12 months (subject to terms and conditions).

This is a stunning deal given the specifications; the special edition model houses an 8-core/16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 4800H CPU with Radeon Graphics clocked at 2.9GHz. It also has a separate AMD Radeon RX 5600M GPU with 6GB GDDR6 and AMD’s Smartshift technology, which “dynamically shifts power in your laptop to help boost performance for gaming, video editing, 3D rendering, content creation and productivity”.

Dell G5 15 SE laptop - $1,155
This Dell laptop might be designed for gaming, but we think it's up there with the best mobile workstation deals around - and it's currently far cheaper than ever before. An 8-core AMD Ryzen CPU, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage make this quite the machine indeed. Use the code WEEKEND10 to get this price.View Deal

Check out our list of the best business laptops out there
We've built a list of the best workstations on the market
Here's our list of the best business computers available

The machine also boasts 16GB memory (two 8GB modules), a 1TB PCIe NVMe M2 SSD and a 15.6-inch FHD LED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and rated at 300 Nits.

Dell's device comes with a 3-cell 51Whr battery, Windows 10 Pro, two speakers with Nahimic 3D Audio, plus Intel’s Killer Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity - and you get a 12-month subscription to McAfee LiveSafe security software to boot.

In terms of connectors, there's a Mini DP, USB-C DisplayPort (Alt-Mode only), two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector, an SD card slot, headphone jack and an Ethernet plug. In theory, you should be able to connect up to three 4K monitors at once.

We've built a list of the best laptops for programming out there

Bear in mind

If the Dell G5 15 SE is not available in 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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These are the best cheap Cyber Monday laptop deals for less than $500

Cyber Monday is here, and one thing that's stood out to us while hunting for the best Cyber Monday laptop deals is how many excellent devices are currently on sale for less than $500.

Times are tough these days, so not all of us can afford ultra-expensive laptops, even if they have seen big price cuts as well. However, as the laptop deals we've highlighted below prove, you can get some amazing devices on Cyber Monday without having to spend a fortune.

Not in the US? Scroll down for today's best laptop deals in your region.

Best of all, these cheap Cyber Monday laptop deals have cut the cost of some more expensive laptops to under that magical $500 mark. So, for today only, you're getting more laptop for less.

Lenovo Chromebook 3 11.6-inch laptop: $199 at Best Buy
You'll also find the Lenovo Chromebook 3 available for $199 at Best Buy right now. You're getting 4GB RAM / 32GB storage under the hood, and picking up an Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core processor here as well.
View Deal

HP Chromebook 14: ~~$269.99~~ $199.99 at HP Direct
Save $70 - This is a brilliant Chromebook for students thanks to its large 14-inch display, decent specs and low price. Its speakers are tuned by B&O sound specialist and its 47WHr battery will last ages.View Deal

HP 14t 14-inch laptop: ~~$459.99~~ $359.99 at HP
Save $100 - This 14-inch HP laptop is sporting 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 10th generation i3 processor. That's a fine spec sheet for a sub-$500 laptop ready for working from home.
View Deal

HP 17z 17.3-inch laptop: ~~$659.99~~ $399.99 at HP
Save $260 - HP's latest laptop deals are offering up a massive display for a great display in this HP 17z. That's a full 17.3-inch screen - perfect for streaming and multi-tasking. Inside, you'll find a Ryzen 5 processor, 12GB RAM, a 256GB SSD and Radeon Vega 8 graphics as well, and the price of this deal has dropped further!
View Deal

HP Pavilion x360: ~~$499~~ $399.99 at Best Buy
The HP Pavilion x360 is a laptop that punches way above its price range, with a sleek chassis, and competent components. At just $399 with this Cyber Monday deal, you're getting a Core i3, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD - probably the fastest laptop you'll get at this price. View Deal

Gateway 14.1-inch Ultra Slim: ~~$699~~ $449 at Walmart
Save $250 - Gateway is back, with some super-budget-friendly laptops. Right now, you can get this laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for just $449. Now, we don't know about you, but that's what we'd call a bargain.
View Deal

Buying a cheap laptop can sometimes be tricky, as while you want a low price, you don't want to end up buying an underpowered laptop that simply cannot keep up with what you need it to do.

All the laptops we've highlighted here are brilliant devices that offer superb value for money, and perform brilliantly for the price. However, after Cyber Monday, you may see prices begin to climb again.

If you're not in the US, we've listed the best laptop deals where you are below.

TechRadar is rounding up all the top deals over the Cyber Monday sales period, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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Ransomware halts classes for 115,000 Baltimore pupils

Baltimore County public schools shut after a cyber-attack knocks lessons offline.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55129564

These Cyber Monday laptop deals from Dell need to be seen to be believed

Some of the best Cyber Monday laptop deals we've seen so far have come courtesy of Dell and its daily Mega Deals, which have been running all week long.

At the weekend, Dell knocked a massive £450 off the price of its new Dell XPS 15 - one of the best laptops in the world, and that deal is still live on Cyber Monday.

Not in the UK? Scroll down for today's best Dell XPS 15 deals in your region.

This is the latest XPS 15 model with a powerful 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, plus a gorgeous 15.6-inch screen.

Dell has also cut the price of some other great laptops for Cyber Monday as well, and we've listed the best ones below.

Each day we'll highlight the best Dell Mega Deals as they go live. You can also save 15% on selected laptops and desktops over £699, and 12% on selected products up to £699 by using the code BLACK15 or BLACK12 at checkout.

Dell XPS 15, Intel Core i5, 512GB, 8GB RAM: ~~£1,618.99~~ £1,169 at Dell
Save £450 - The Dell XPS 15 is one of the best laptops in the world, and this amazing laptop deal cuts the price of the model with a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD on Cyber Monday.
View Deal

Dell G5 13, Intel Core i7, Nvidia RTX 2060, 512GB, 16GB RAM: ~~£1,218.99~~ £989 at Dell
Save £230 - If you're after an affordable gaming laptop, then this is a great choice with a big saving for Cyber Monday. It comes with a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, plus a powerful RTX 2060 GPU, which is perfect for 1080p gaming.
View Deal

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1, Intel Core i7, 512GB, 16GB RAM: ~~£1,148~~ £949 at Dell
Save £200 - This brilliant 2-in-1 laptop can be used as both a laptop and a tablet, and packs some incredibly powerful hardware, including a new Intel 11th gen Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and a 1080p touchscreen.
View Deal

Dell Inspiron 17 3000, Intel Core i7, 512GB, 8GB RAM, Nvidia MX230: ~~£898.99~~ £719 at Dell
Save £180 - This large-screen 17-inch laptop is a brilliant day-to-day performer for the whole family, offering a powerful 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia MX230 graphics card for a bit of light gaming as well. All for a huge Cyber Monday discount!
View Deal

Dell Inspiron 13 5000, Intel Core i5, 256GB, 8GB RAM: ~~£748.99~~ £609 at Dell
Save £140 - This is a great price for this excellent mid-range laptop from Dell. It packs some great specs, including a new 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM, which makes it ideal for day-to-day task. It's selling out fast, though.
View Deal

Dell Inspiron 15 5000, Intel Core i5, 256GB, 8GB RAM: ~~£668.99~~ £549 at Dell
Save £120 - Save a hefty amount with this brilliant laptop that's ideal for day-to-day use. Featuring a new 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, and 8GB RAM, plus a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor, this is a joy to work on.
View Deal

Dell Inspiron 13 5000, Intel Core i3, 256GB, 8GB RAM: ~~£648.99~~ £529 at Dell
Save £120 - This model of the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 with an 11th generation Intel Core i3 CPU is a great choice for people wanting a real budget bargain. It features some great specs for the price.
View Deal

These deals run throughout Cyber Monday, but many of them could sell out quickly. After today, it looks like there won't be any more Dell Mega Deals, so now's your last chance to grab a bargain.

Also, check out our roundup of the best Cyber Monday laptop deals for more great offers, as well as our Dell Cyber Monday deals guide as well.

If you're not in the UK, we've listed the best Dell XPS 15 deals where you are below.

TechRadar is rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday sales period, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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Apple’s M1 chip embarrasses Microsoft’s Surface Pro X by running Windows 10 on ARM much faster

Windows 10 on ARM actually runs faster – a lot faster – on Apple’s new M1 ARM-based chip than it does on Microsoft’s rival SQ2 ARM CPU which powers the Surface Pro X.

This feat was achieved by developer Alexander Graf (as spotted by Notebookcheck), who tweeted at length about the results, and some Geekbench 5 results were provided (by other Twitter denizens) to illustrate the difference between the Apple and Microsoft ARM processors.

Who said Windows wouldn't run well on #AppleSilicon? It's pretty snappy here 😁. #QEMU patches for reference: https://t.co/qLQpZgBIqI pic.twitter.com/G1Usx4TcvLNovember 26, 2020

Graf notes that he used virtualization (so this wasn’t emulation) via QEMU (plus some patches) to get Windows 10 on ARM running on the M1 chip. Graf said: “It’s native ARM. Running the Windows ARM64 Insider Preview virtualized through Hypervisor framework. No emulation involved.”

Using this setup, Apple’s M1 managed to hit around 1,300 in single-core on Geekbench 5, and about 5,400 or so in multi-core. Microsoft’s Surface Pro X, on the other hand, pitches in at about 800 and 3,000 respectively, so it’s not just a bit slower, but a lot slower at running Microsoft’s own OS here.

M1 magic

Obviously that’s a tad embarrassing for Microsoft, but then the M1 is a cutting-edge piece of silicon, and perhaps more to the point, the results underline this, and how far forward Apple has pushed with this chip which powers its new MacBooks (both Air and Pro, plus let’s not forget about the revamped Mac mini PC).

We’ve been very impressed with the performance of Apple’s new hardware ourselves, and indeed the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) took the top spot on our list of best laptops upon its release – it’s that good.

The M1 machines use Rosetta 2 tech to effectively translate applications written for Intel chips (in existing MacBooks) so they can run on the new ARM hardware, and this works very well. In our review of the new Air, we tried both older and new apps coded for Intel CPUs, and they worked fine running on the M1 with no noticeable difference in performance levels.

Remember also that the successor to the M1, which could be called the M1X, is purportedly already in the pipeline too...

Check out all the best laptops around

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Find the best Acer AMD laptop for you

If you're in the market for a new laptop that can supercharge your studies or remote work, or looking for the perfect gaming laptop to buy somebody this Christmas, look no further than Acer's AMD-powered lineup.

The PC maker currently offers a wide range of devices that feature AMD's super-fast Ryzen CPUs, from thin-and-light laptops for flexible working to souped-up machines to level-up your online gaming performance.

We've rounded up some of the best of Acer's AMD-powered laptop lineup below.

Acer Nitro 5

Take your gaming to the next level

With its powerful AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and Nvidia GTX graphics and, the Acer Nitro 5 will take your gaming to the next level.

The machine's Ryzen 5 3550H processor and GeForce GTX 1650i GPU come paired with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, which means it is sure to power through even the most demanding of games, while Acer's CoolBoost technology will ensure the machine never gets too hot.

The Acer Nitro 5 will ensure games look visually impressive too thanks to its 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen with 144Hz refresh rate, which means you'll enjoy smooth, blur-free gameplay in even the most action-packed of games.

Audio will also pack a punch as a result of the onboard Waves MaxxAudio and AcerTrueHarmony, ensuring punchier bass, clear dialogue and richer sounds for a fully-immersive gaming experience.

It's not just your games that will look great, as with its bezel-free chassis and red-backlit keyboard the Acer Nitro 5 will look right at home in any gaming setup.

The Acer Nitro 5 is available at Amazon for just £768.45

Acer Swift 3

The ultimate laptop for flexible working

The Acer Swift 3 is the ultimate laptop for flexible working. Despite its impressively thin magnesium-aluminium metal chassis, the laptop packs a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor, which will ensure the Swift 3 can handle anything you throw at it.

This CPU comes paired with 8GB RAM and a massive 1TB SSD, plenty of room for storing all of your work files and media.

The Swift 3 is long-lasting too, delivering 11.5-hours of battery life will see you through an entire working day. If you find yourself caught short or in an emergency, the laptop's fast charging technology will give you four hours of battery life after just 30 minutes.

The laptop's screen is just as impressive. The near bezel-free 14-inch IPS FHD panel ensures everything looks crisp and clear with eye-popping colours, while its built-in features Acer BlueLightShield technology, allowing you to use the Swift 3 in comfort for longer.

This solid all-rounder also boasts support for super-fast Wi-Fi speeds, USB-C for speedy data transfer, and a built-in Precision Touchpad that's more responsive than traditional touchpads and ensures every click, swipe and gesture registers quickly and accurately.

The Acer Swift 3 is available at Currys for just £699

Acer Aspire 3

Supercharge your home office setup

With its AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor, the Acer Aspire 3 is the ultimate laptop for those looking to supercharge their home office setup.

The laptop will breeze through any task, no matter whether you’re working on a creative project or a big presentation, and its 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD means it’s also great for multitasking and has plenty of storage for all of your files.

The Acer Aspire 3 looks the part, too. It boasts a stunningly-slim design, and its delicate cross-hair brush pattern delivers an inviting tactile finish.

This professional-looking chassis houses a super-sharp Full HD 14-inch display, a Precision Touchpad that more responsive than traditional touchpads, and a hefty battery that delivers up to 9.5 hours of battery life.

The Acer Aspire 3 is available at Currys for just £499

Acer Aspire 5

The do-it-all laptop

The Acer Aspire 5 is a do-it-all laptop; its AMD Ryzen 7 3700U CPU means it's ready to tackle everything from light gaming to heavy multitasking to movie marathons, and its 15.6-inch screen with narrow bezels ensures content looks vibrant and immersive.

To further enhance your visual experience, the screen features Acer's Colour Intelligence and BlueLightShield technologies.

The AMD-powered laptop also packs a 512GB SSD that gives you plenty of space for all of your media and more, three super-fast USB ports for catering to all of your connectivity needs, and support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, which means the Aspire 5 supports up to 3 times faster speeds and reduces latency by 75%.

This all comes packed in a sleek, premium aluminium chassis. The Aspire 5 measures in at a backpack-friendly 17.95mm-thick, and its ergonomic hinge design improves airflow from the bottom of the device.

The Acer Aspire 5 is available at Currys for just £599

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Applying for IPOs? You can now use Paytm Money - Here are the details

India's popular digital financial services platform Paytm today announced that its subsidiary Paytm Money will now facilitate investments in Initial Public Offers (IPO) in India.

The company said the new facility will help retail investors with wealth creation opportunities through an easier application process. It further said that the process of IPO application on Paytm Money is completely digital for investors across the country.

Paytm Money will enable investors to instantly apply for all the latest IPOs via UPI ID, linked to their bank accounts to quickly complete the IPO application process.

The company is leveraging the convenience of UPI infrastructure to offer a faster turnaround time reduced to 3-4 days for completion of the entire process.

Paytm Money to tap into growing IPO market

In a press statement, Paytm said the platform offers a seamless interface to make changes, cancel or reapply the bidding application within the IPO window.

"It is equipped with features enabling investors to track upcoming IPOs, view company history & details, download prospectus, and also check the performance of past IPOs," the company said.

This service is available on both the Paytm Money app and website.

Varun Sridhar, CEO - Paytm Money said, “The Indian start-up ecosystem has a growing appetite for entering the capital market, now more companies want to raise capital from a broader set of investors with a public listing. Likewise, investors are also increasingly willing to diversify their portfolio. This presents a big opportunity and we intend to make the process more accessible to our fellow citizens."

Paytm also plans to launch IPO funding, derivatives trading, margin finance and a host of other value-adding features to make investing seamless and convenient.

Paytm Money-Zerodha competition will be interesting

According to National Stock Exchange, 97.5 percent of its total 2.78 crore participants are individual investors. Also, as per the data data available with the Indian stock exchanges, 12 initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2020 so far raised around Rs 25,000 crore, significantly higher than Rs 12,362 crore mopped up through 16 initial share-sales in the entire 2019. This figure is expected to rise further as Burger King's Rs 810-crore initial share-sale is scheduled to open on December 2.

Paytm Money’s competitor will be the market leader in this segment, Zerodha. The latter is one of the largest digital brokers based on the number of IPO applications.

Zerodha has also launched a new platform that will help users to gift stocks, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and gold bonds to others. The company also said that it will enable gifting of mutual funds to minors.

Other digital wealth management platforms that allow users to participate in IPOs are Groww and Upstox.

Paytm Money, the wealth management arm of Paytm, is said to have reached a customer base of 6.6 million

Zerodha, for its part, claims to have 3 million users, of which 65% are first-time investors.

Paytm Money started offering stock-broking service in August. Zerodha has been in the space for nearly a decade. The Bengaluru-based company was recently valued at $1 billion. It says it facilitates 5 million orders daily. This accounts for almost 15% of India’s daily equity transaction volume.

Want to know about the latest happenings in tech? Follow TechRadar India on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

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Sunday, November 29, 2020

Today only: Aussie Broadband slashes NBN 250 and 1000 plan prices

Today is Cyber Monday, and it marks the end of the month’s hectic sale period. After surprising us with a rare NBN 100 discount on Black Friday, Aussie Broadband is back with another limited-time deal that ends at midnight tonight (November 30).

The home-grown ISP is cutting the cost of its fastest speed tiers. Aussie Broadband’s NBN 250 plan is down to AU$109 a month for your first six months, discounted from the regular AU$129p/m price. That’s a saving of AU$20 each billing, or AU$120 in total.

If you want lightning-quick 1Gbps broadband, there’s better news still. The provider’s NBN 1000 is discounted by an incredible AU$30 each month for the first half-year, so you’ll be paying AU$119p/m instead of the usual AU$149 – that’ll save you AU$180 all up.

This is the only time we can recall Aussie Broadband discounting these NBN plans, and you’ll have to be quick to sign-up as the sale ends at midnight tonight. You’ll need to enter the code CYBER20 to save on the NBN 250 plan, or CYBER30 to discount the NBN 1000 tier.

Compare NBN plans: best-value options from Telstra, TPG, Optus and more
Fastest NBN plans: top 1000Mbps, 250Mbps and 100Mbps plans
Telstra vs Optus NBN: who has better broadband?

These super-fast speed tiers are only available to those with a fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection. While all FTTP homes will be able to sign up for 1000Mbps speed, only a limited number of HFC addresses can – you can check your address on the Aussie Broadband website to see if you’re eligible.

Aussie Broadband’s NBN 250 tier has a typical speed of 222Mbps in the busy evening hours. On the other hand, because the NBN 1000 tier is relatively new, the ISP states it’s yet to determine definitive peak evening speeds for the tier. It’s currently advertising it as 215Mbps, but it’s likely to be higher in real-terms – we've seen it as high as 940Mbps.

If you want to cancel your NBN before the price bumps up, that’s not a problem either. Each of Aussie Broadband’s plans come with no lock-in contract, so you’re free to leave anytime without facing a fee.

Cyber Monday deals: we're rounding up the best deals on the final day

November 30, 2020 at 07:50AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3mnADaf
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Could Cornwall see a Lithium-ion battery revolution?

British Lithium is prospecting in the county to find economically viable seams of the element.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55062767

Utah monolith: Has the mysterious metal object disappeared?

Utah officials and images on social media suggest the shiny desert structure has been taken down.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55119940

Facebook to stream cricket content, partners with Sony Pictures

Social media platforms, along with streaming networks, are getting serious about sports telecasts, which hitherto had been dominated by television channels.

Recently we had Amazon Prime Video walking away with the India territory telecast rights of cricket from New Zealand.

And now we have Facebook signing a digital content partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) for the Indian national cricket team’s tour of Australia.

The partnership will involve exclusive video-on-demand match content being showcased on Facebook Watch, across three ODIs, three T20Is, and four Tests.

Sony, of course, has the telecast rights for the series in India.

The tour began on November 27, and will run till January 19, 2021.

What the partnership means for Facebook and Sony?

The content will include match highlights, in-play moments with best catches, best wickets, and man of the match among others and will feature on Sony Sports India’s Facebook page.

Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, said, “At Facebook, we are committed to deepen and enhance engagement with cricket fans across the globe by bringing best-in-class, premium action to them in ways that ignite conversations, build connections and enhance affinity towards the sport. We are delighted to work with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) to bring some of the most exciting moments from one of India’s most awaited overseas tours to cricket fans on Facebook Watch.”

Manish Aggarwal, Head, Growth and Monetisation, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “We are excited to partner with Facebook as the exclusive social media platform for the India tour of Australia. This association will enable us to offer interesting match content to a host of cricket enthusiasts and drive further engagement for the much-hyped tournament, across the Indian subcontinent. This collaboration will surely get the fans closer to the game.”

Not the first tryst with sports for Facebook

Facebook is already the rights holder for the telecast of the popular La Liga (Spanish football league) in India.

Facebook also tried, albeit unsuccessfully, for the telecast rights of the IPL for the 2018-2022 season. It was ready to put in Rs 3900 crore. But it was pipped by the Star Network.

The Disney-owned Star platform is the one that dominates the cricket telecast/streaming segment in these parts. It has the rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) until 2022. Star also has the rights to telecast/stream the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) matches until the 2022-23 season.

Star and Sony have been duopolising the field.

The arrival of deep-pocketed players like Amazon and Facebook, if not anything, will at least keep Star and Sony in check.

Want to know about the latest happenings in tech? Follow TechRadar India on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

November 30, 2020 at 06:55AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2JaYmMN
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Zappos ex-boss and Las Vegas entrepreneur Tony Hsieh, 46, dies after house fire

Tony Hsieh led online retailer Zappos, acquired by Amazon, and helped transform central Las Vegas.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55115544

Get $150 off Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 in this super Cyber Monday tablet deal

While most of the Cyber Monday tablet deals from Samsung have been on its 2020 slates, we're also seeing a very hearty discount on the Galaxy Tab S6 from 2019, which actually constitutes the biggest saving on one of the company's slates.

Amazon is listing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 with $151 off if you opt for the 256GB version – that's the lowest price we've seen for the tablet, though it's sat at this price for a short while now. The 128GB version is also seeing a big discount, though only $130 off.

If you're browsing the Cyber Monday deals for a new tablet for work or creativity, but don't need the absolute newest tech, this could be a great buy for you. There are deals on the newer Samsung tablets though, like loads in the Best Buy Flash Sale.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Wi-Fi 256GB: ~~$729.99~~ $579 at Amazon (save $151)
Samsung's 2019 tablet has a beautiful 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display, a powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset and an S Pen stylus bundled in. It's not the newest top-end Samsung tablet but at this low price it's easy to overlook that.
128GB: ~~$649.99~~ $519.99 at Amazon (save $130)View Deal

More Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 deals

If you're not in the US, here are Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 prices in your region:

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One of the best iPad Pro Black Friday deals makes a Cyber Monday comeback

iPad deals don't last long during the Black Friday deals period – but if you're lucky, they can make a comeback with the Cyber Monday deals that act as the encore to a weekend of sales. That's exactly what you're getting with this US iPad Pro offer.

The 2020 model has been as low as $729 during the Black Friday sales, but most retailers, including Amazon, are now only taking back orders as they await more stock fulfilment. If you can't wait to get your hands on the tablet, and can afford a little more cash, $749 at B&H Photo will nab you the tablet immediately.

Hands on: iPad Pro (2020)

That's down from $799, meaning a $50 discount on the 11-inch 128GB model – and you won't have to wait until the start of 2021 to get it, either.

While the early deals were on all storage sizes, not all of them have returned, so stock is clearly limited. For more such deals, check out our Black Friday iPad deal page or our Black Friday tablet roundup.

Cyber Monday US iPad Pro deals

iPad Pro 11-inch (128GB, 2020): ~~$799~~ $749 at B&H Photo
The most portable iPad Pro comes with Apple's super-fast A12Z Bionic CPU and all the same specs as the larger 12.9-inch version, but it's cheaper if you don't need the larger Retina display. 128GB is enough storage for working, streaming, and gaming on the move - and with a $50 discount it's currently cheaper than ever.
View Deal

Want a UK iPad Pro deal? Check these...

2020 iPad Pro 11-inch - 128GB: ~~£769~~ £706.70 at Amazon
The 2020 11-inch iPad Pro is available for £706 at the moment at Amazon. That's a price drop of over £50, and it's near the lowest price we've ever seen for this model. It beats the price of the 128GB model at John Lewis you'll see below.

256GB: ~~£869~~ £816 | 512GB: ~~£1,069~~ £990 | 1TB: ~~£1,269~~ £1,179.20

View Deal

2020 iPad Pro 12.9-inch - 128GB: ~~£969~~ £895.69 at Amazon
This isn't a record low price on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. We've seen this price flopping over the last few days, though, so be quick to grab it before it rises again. Of course, you can save more on bigger configurations this week as well.

256GB: ~~£1,069~~ £990 | 512GB: ~~£1,269~~ £1,179.20 | 1TB: ~~£1,469~~ £1,368.20
View Deal

Apple's iPad Pro line is the best of the best when it comes to tablets, with the pen-equipped slates offering the best processors, screens and graphics capabilities.

The price cut isn't huge here, but considering they've only been available for a few months, seeing any discount at all on these premium products so early on is a great find.

Not in the US or UK? Check for iPad Pro (2020) prices in your region below.

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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Huawei ban from UK 5G network brought forward

The cut-off date of September for the installation of new equipment is earlier than expected.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55124236

The tech allowing thousands of students to sit exams at home

Machine learning is helping firms across many industries more quickly solve difficult challenges.

source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54881746

Cyber Monday deal: you must check out this $179 Lenovo Chromebook in Best Buy’s huge laptop sale

Best Buy may have just dropped one of the best deals we've seen on a Chromebook so far in this year's early Cyber Monday sale. You can now pick up the Lenovo Ideapad Flex 3 Chromebook for just $179, a notable mention we saw whilst hunting through Best Buy's laptop deals.

Not in the US? Scroll down for today's best Chromebook deals in your region

The Lenovo Flex 3 is an 11.6-inch little wonder that doubles as a touch-screen tablet, making it the perfect choice for leisurely searching the web or checking emails on the go. It can also be propped up to watch films or shows whilst traveling and weighs in at just 2.46lbs, so you can throw it in a bag and not feel the bulk of a heavier machine.

It's so good, it's easily one of the best Cyber Monday laptop deals we're likely to see as well.

Make sure you also check out our roundup of the best Chromebook deals on Cyber Monday as well for more great picks.

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 3: ~~$279~~ $179 at Best Buy
Save $100
Sometimes you just need a cheap Chromebook that's going to let you check your email without any flashy features. And, that's exactly what you're getting with the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 3. It's a utilitarian little Chromebook with modest specs, but it gets the job done. View Deal

With Cyber Monday creeping in tomorrow, we may not see a better offer than this for a brand new machine, especially from such a renowned and reliable manufacturer. We can't see this offer being available for very long, so don't hesitate if you're in the market for a Chromebook.

If you're not in the US, we've listed the best Chromebook deals where you are below.

TechRadar is rounding up all the top deals over the Cyber Monday sales period, and we’ve put all the best early Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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If you love Star Wars, these Cyber Monday tablet deals are must-buys

Star Wars fans assemble, as Amazon has a Cyber Monday tablet deal you might find interesting. The brand puts out special Star-Wars-themed cases for its Amazon Fire HD 10 slates, and there's a Cyber Monday deal on both the cases and the tablets themselves.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a good affordable entertainment-centric tablet, designed as a portable screen for streaming movies, reading books and playing music. It's not designed as a productivity slate. It normally costs $150 but it's just $80 in the Cyber Monday deals, which is a big saving.

Not in the US? Scroll down to see prices in your region below.

There are four Star Wars cases you can buy for the tablet - one is a Light Side / Dark Side designed themed around the original trilogy, and another is a similar version but based on the sequel trilogy. There's also a Millennium Falcon blueprint one and a Mandalorian case.

Thanks to Cyber Monday deals, you can save nearly $80 if you buy both a tablet and a case together, which is enough to buy loads of apps (or pick up Disney Plus to watch those movies). We've also dropped a link to Disney Plus prices below in case you want to sign up to stream all the movies.

Cyber Monday Star Wars tablet deals

Fire HD 10 tablet, 32GB: ~~$149~~ $79 at Amazon
Pick up a Fire HD 10 tablet for $70 off with this Cyber Monday Amazon deal. The Fire HD 10 has a 10-inch Full HD display with 32GB of onboard storage, up to 12 hours of battery life, and front-and-rear 2MP cameras. This model is ad-supported, but the $70 discount still applies for the ad-free version, resulting in a $95 pricetag.View Deal

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet case: ~~$44.99~~ $35.99 at Amazon
Save $9 on one of Amazon's Star Wars cases for the Fire HD 10. It comes in a variety of designs, each of which has the same saving.
View Deal

Other Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet deals

If you're not based in the US, that Amazon Fire HD 10 deal won't apply to you - instead, check out prices for the tablet below.

TechRadar has been rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday sales period, and we’ve now put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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The Cyber Monday Samsung tablet deals are off to a strong start at Best Buy

We're seeing loads of Cyber Monday deals already, even the day before said Monday, and in particular the Best Buy Flash Sale has brought along loads of tablet deals.

There are plenty of Samsung Galaxy Tab price cuts included, on new tablets like the Galaxy Tab S7, Tab S7 Plus and Tab S6 Lite, all of which were launched in mid-late 2020. They're some of the best price cuts in the Cyber Monday tablet deals, great for people looking for a powerful new Android tablet.

It's worth pointing out all these price cuts match ones Best Buy already showed us over Black Friday, but the company has extended its deals to run for a bit longer. So if you missed your chance to get a tablet before, you've got a second wind in the Cyber Monday sales.

Not in the US? Check out Samsung Galaxy Tablet prices in your region below.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (64GB): ~~$349.99~~ $249.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
With a 10.4-inch screen, 64GB of expandable storage, and generous 7,040 mAh battery, the Tab S6 Lite is a fantastic mid-range tablet if you want an everyday slate for casual and work use. And all Galaxy Tab's on sale right now at Best Buy comes with a free S-Pen – a great little gadget for drawing and handwriting.
128GB: ~~$429.99~~ $329.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (128GB): ~~$649.99~~ $549.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
Alternatively, get the newest, latest, and hottest Samsung tablet currently on the market, the Galaxy Tab S7 right now for $100 less at Best Buy. With a 120hz refresh rate display, redesigned S-Pen, and 8GB of RAM, the Tab S7 is the perfect Android answer to a certain line of Pro tablets from a well-known company beginning with A.
256B: ~~$729.99~~ $579.99 | 512GB: $829.99 $679.99View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus (128GB): ~~$849.99~~ $749.99 at Best Buy (save $100)
Or, really push the boat out with a $100 discount on the top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus today at Best Buy. These gorgeous 12.4-inch slates have an AMOLED display that's capable of bringing a tear to the eye of the most jaded of tech aficionados. Plus, an upgraded S-Pen and 128GB of internal storage will make sure you've got plenty of room and utility for all your casual, business, and gaming needs.
256B: ~~$929.99~~ $779.99 | 512GB: ~~$1,029.99~~ $879.99
View Deal

More Samsung Galaxy Tablet deals

If you're not based in the US, we've got more Samsung Galaxy Tab Cyber Monday prices for you to check out below:

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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