Gaming

Working with PDF files in the cloud just got a whole lot easier as Adobe has announced that Adobe Acrobat is now integrated with Google Drive.

This means that the over one billion people who use Google's cloud storage solution to store more than 2tn digital files can now use Acrobat's PDF tools to create, view, annotate, modify, share and sign PDFs right from within Google Drive.

Existing Acrobat users who also use Google Drive benefit as well as they'll no longer need to switch between apps just to use Adobe's PDF tools.

• What is Adobe Cloud Storage?
• How to combine PDF files
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Acrobat for Google Drive integration

With Adobe's new Acrobat for Google Drive integration, anyone can view, search and annotate PDFs for free.

Acrobat DC subscribers though, will be able to crate PDFs in Drive, modify and organize existing PDFs, combine multiple file types into a single PDF, send a document for e-signature and track its progress, export PDFs into editable Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or RTF files and more.

Google Drive is not only popular with individuals but many businesses rely on Google's cloud storage service as well. If you have an IT admin at your office, they can easily flip the integration switch on for you and your team so you can begin working with PDFs directly from Drive.

According to Adobe, in just a few short weeks, IT admins have already enabled the integration for over 200,000 employees at both large and small businesses.

Interested users can install the Adobe Acrobat for Google Drive integration from the G Suite Marketplace now.

• We've also highlighted the best cloud storage

Google will introduce one-time permissions for location data in the upcoming release of Android 11 but the search giant also plans to roll out a new Google Play policy which will require developers to get approval if they want to access a device's location data in the background.

Even users whose devices won't receive the update to the latest version of Android will benefit from the policy change as it is aimed at older versions of the mobile operating system and will be applied across the Play Store.

In a post on the Android Developers Blog, director of product management and trust & safety at Google Play, Krish Vitaldevara explained the reason behind the policy change, saying:

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“As we took a closer look at background location usage, we found that many of the apps that requested background location didn’t actually need it. In fact, many of these apps could provide the same user experience by only accessing location when the app is visible to the user. We want to make it easier for users to choose when to share their location and they shouldn't be asked for a permission that the app doesn't need.”

Getting approval from Google

Going forward developers will be required to get approval from Google if they want their apps to be able to access a user's location data in the background.

To assess whether or not an app will be granted authorization to access a user's location data, the company's app store review team will consider whether the feature delivers clear value to the user, if users would expect the app to access their location in the background, is the feature important to the primary purpose of the app and if an app can deliver the same experience without accessing location data in the background.

In his blog post, Vitaldevara pointed out that apps which send emergency or safety alerts as well as social networking apps would have a strong case to access location data in the background while an app with a store locator feature would be better of only accessing location data when opened.

The new Google Play policy will go into effect in April but enforcement for new apps won't begin until August and existing apps will have until November to comply.

• We've also highlighted the best VPN services

Via 9to5Google

When discussing alternative operating systems to Microsoft’s Windows or Apple’s macOS, Linux often comes to mind. However, while Linux is a recreation of UNIX, FreeBSD is more of a continuation. The free and open source operating system was initially developed by students at the University of California at Berkeley which is why the BSD in its name stands for Berkeley Software Distribution.

FreeBSD runs on its own kernel and all of the operating system’s key components have been developed to be part of a single whole. This is where it differs the most from Linux because Linux is just the kernel and the other components are supplied by third parties.

To learn more about FreeBSD and its ongoing development, TechRadar Pro spoke to the executive director of the FreeBSD Foundation, Deb Goodkin.

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• Also check out our roundup of the best alternative operating systems

With all of your subscriptions combining together to drain your bank each month, any bit of extra saving can be a real saviour in your life. And if you need to renew your broadband deal, adding another monthly cost, Plusnet has an offer to help ease the pain.

The deal looks like this – £22.99 a month, nothing to pay upfront and speeds averaging 36Mb. That alone makes Plusnet relatively average. But when you include the fact that Plusnet will also include £75 in cashback, this becomes one of the UK's cheapest plans.

You're effectively paying just £18.82 when you include the cashback, making this the cheapest fibre brodband deal around right now, despite some pretty competitive other options.

• Still want something different? Check out our best broadband deals guide

This cheap Plusnet broadband deal in full:

What other broadband deals are available right now?

Not a fan of the Plusnet broadband deal above? Not to worry, there are a number of other great options if you're willing to spend a bit more.

Vodafone's Superfast fibre 2 plan seems like the obvious choice for anyone needing fibre, coming in at just £23.95 a month with speeds averaging 63Mb, it's a speed upgrade for not a whole lot more each month.

Or if you want to go even cheaper and don't mind a drop in speeds, the Post Office can cost you just £15.90 a month. However, you will only get speeds averaging 11Mb.

• Read more: You can go all out on a broadband and TV deal

True wireless earbuds – like the Apple AirPods – may be fairly new on the personal audio scene, but they're getting better by the day, with cool specs like noise cancellation, great design, and fantastic sound becoming as commonplace as they are with over-ear headphones. 

As popular as they are, we're betting that you can't top up your AirPods' battery life with pure sunshine, can you?

That's where Pearl Audio's latest true wireless earbuds come in. Having met and exceeded their crowdfunding goal, these innovative solar-powered earphones could launch as soon as April 2020, providing an intriguing alternative to the likes of the AirPods and other class-leading models like the Sony WF-1000XM3. 

• Read our review of the Apple AirPods 
• Looking for noise cancellation? Try the AirPods Pro
• These are the best true wireless earbuds you can buy in 2020

It's the first time we've heard of solar-powered true wireless earbuds, although JBL is currently crowdfunding it's own sun-chugging over-ear headphones, the JBL Reflect Eternal.

According to the crowdfunding page, the new Pearl earbuds can also be charged via USB-C or wirelessly with a Qi-compatible charging pad, with six hours of battery contained within the buds themselves, and a further 24 hours provided by the charging case. 

A sunny outlook

Like the Apple AirPods Pro, the Pearl true wireless earbuds come with active noise cancellation, as well as an IPX5 water resistance rating, which means they could be suitable for working out, without the worry of a little sweat damaging them.

Looks-wise, they couldn't be more different from the AirPods, however, with hammered metal housings that come in three reflective colors; black, silver, and gold. 

The crowdfunding page also claims that these true wireless earbuds come with "AI active loss prevention" – in other words, they come with a feature similar to Apple's 'Find My' technology, which can help you to locate your earbuds if you lose them.

A claimed frequency range of 5-40,000Hz puts the earbuds on a level with high-fidelity over-ear headphones, while the use of beryllium drivers, like the ones seen in the Master & Dynamic MW07, should provide a rich sound with plenty of bass.

That all sounds good, but don't get too excited just yet. Pricing and availability are still to be confirmed, and while early bird backers of the crowdfunding campaign can get the buds for £116 (about $150 / AU$220), this isn't necessarily reflective of the final price when (and if) they come to market.

• Why 2020 is the year you should finally buy true wireless earbuds

48 clubs from across the continent started out down long road to UEFA Europa League glory last summer. Back after the winter break, we're down to 32 – but with some of the sport's biggest names involved. Now comes the straight knockout games and you can see every game, no matter where you are, by following this Europa League live stream guide.

Hoping to replicate Chelsea’s exploits in the competition last year are Premier League clubs Manchester United, Arsenal (last season's losing finalists) and Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Scotland still have both Old Firm sides involved, too.

Other European glamour clubs involved at this stage include Roma, Inter Milan, Sevilla, Benfica and Ajax, with the early departed from the Champions League joining the Thursday night fun.

Scroll down for your guide to getting a live stream of all the UEFA Europa League matches you want to see, no matter where you are in the world.

• Rugby fan too? Here's how to live stream every game of the Rugby World Cup

Use a VPN to watch Europa League football when away from home

Scroll down to find out your football viewing options in some of the major Europa League watching countries around the world. And if you're out of the country for this game week and are worried that you won't catch the game, don't sweat. With the option of using a VPN service, you can tune into those fixtures no matter where you are in the world. And best of all, it's really easy to do.

Stream every Europa League game live in the UK 

How to live stream UEFA Europa League in the US

• Catch all your favorites with our guide to the best sports streaming sites

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After the somewhat controversial ban of Huawei from Android and Google services, we were unsure what the future of the brand would hold. But now here we are, with the next device in the Mate series…completely void of a Google presence.

We already knew that the Huawei Mate 30 Pro wouldn't come with the Google apps but now it is actually available to buy, with SIM-free deals costing £899.99 at Carphone Warehouse, and it is time to question if that is worth paying.

Obviously, Huawei is really trying to make the case, offering up both a free smartwatch and a pair of wireless earbuds to anyone who buys the phone. That's, in Carphone Warehouse's estimates, a value of £348.99 in just the gifts.

Head straight to Carphone Warehouse to buy the Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Whether or not this will be worth it to you depends on how important the Google apps are. You'll be losing the likes of Google Maps, Chrome, Google Pay, YouTube, the Google Playstore and Google Photos and even though Huawei has promised to provide alternatives, there is no telling how close they will be to Google's.

With specs similar to that of the new Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and Apple's iPhone 11 Pro Max, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is a fair bit cheaper than its competing devices and does offer a double up on freebies – rarely seen on phones. If you can live in a life post-Google apps, this could be the right flagship phone for you.

• Discover all of today's best mobile phone deals

What's the Huawei Mate 30 Pro like?

Any review you read of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro (including our comments above) will be quick to point out the lack of Google – it is a pretty big deal after all! However, the Mate 30 Pro is actually an incredible device past that.

It has a class-leading low light camera and following on from the Huawei P30 Pro, an impressive zoom functionality and even a time of flight fourth camera. That paired with the 4500mAh battery and 6.5-inch curved AMOLED display puts this amongst the best smartphones around right now.

Read our hands-on Huawei Mate 30 Pro review to get a full picture

Read more:

• Compare the prices to all of the UK's best iPhone deals
• See the best Samsung Galaxy S20 deals
• Going SIM-free? Find the best SIM only deals to pair with it

Android dark mode is proving a pretty popular new feature on Google's operating system, but it's often quite annoying remembering to turn it on and off every evening and morning – and you have to navigate your way through some bright menus to do so.

It seems, however, that might not be a problem for much longer, as Android 11 code suggests a lovely new feature will relegate the aforementioned problems to the history books. This code comes from the Android 11 developer preview which shows a few new features for the upcoming operating system.

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One of the features present here, spotted by 9to5Google, is dark theme scheduling ('dark theme' is what dark mode is called on Android phones), which seems to let you set hours dark mode is enabled, as well as simply 'from sunset to sunrise'.

With this, it seems dark mode will turn on automatically during the hours you'd typically do so yourself, saving you the hassle of finding the mode in the menu and toggling it.

Currently lots of Android phones have 'Night Shield' modes or equivalent, which remove blue hues from the phone display, making the screen easier to look at during night hours. This can be scheduled for certain hours or 'from sunset to sunrise', very similar to how dark mode appears.

These modes are useful, but some are laden with problems (when we tested the Realme X2 Pro with its black-and-white night shield, we found pictures taken were also black and white, even after Night Shield was turned off). Hopefully the scheduled dark mode solves these problems.

Android 11 will likely be unveiled at Google IO 2020 in May, but we'd only expect it to actually roll out to phones in late 2020 to early 2021 (depending on the brand of phone) so you might have to wait a while for this useful feature to come to your phone.

• What makes a good dark mode, and which apps get it wrong

Going for both Samsung and Apple's latest devices will leave you with a pretty bare wallet right now. But, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Google Pixel 4 deals just keep getting cheaper and cheaper.

The latest proof of this comes from a deal from Mobiles.co.uk. Offering up a Google Pixel 4 with 21GB of data for just £24 a month and £40 upfront (with the code 10OFF), this plan comes at a price below the device's RRP.

The Google Pixel 4 launched with a price of £669 while this deal costs a total over the two years of just £626. That's a pretty impressive saving considering the data cap alone would cost upwards of £15 a month when buying a SIM only deal.

We've listed everything you need to know about this Google Pixel 4 deal below and some more information about the handset itself if you're still not sure.

• Not the right plan for you? Check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals

The Google Pixel 4 offers a number of innovative features and major upgrades. It's the first phone to fully implement motion sense features, allowing you to use the phone with gestures.

The processor has gotten a major upgrade, finally bringing the Pixel range up to competitive standards of RAM, and the OLED screen has seen major improvements, now capable of 90HZ refresh rates and offering ambient EQ technology that lets you adjust the screen to your environment.

Read our full Google Pixel 4 review and Pixel 4 XL review

Read more:

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• Need a new SIM for your handset? See today's best SIM only deals

By now, you may have heard that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has officially been announced for release on Blu-ray and digital streaming, alongside a massive boxset encompassing the entire Skywalker Saga on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Following on from that news, we now have images showing what the Skywalker Saga boxset will look like, along with information on what will be included inside it, how much it will cost and where you'll be able to purchase it.

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In terms of the films included, the boxset will be comprised solely of the nine main entries in the Skywalker Saga – The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker – meaning Star Wars spin-offs Rogue One and Solo are not part of this collection.

The boxset will hold a staggering 27 discs in total, with 18 discs reserved for each of the nine movies on both 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray, along with an additional nine discs that hold 26 hours-worth of in-depth special features.

Where can I get it and for how much?

In the US, Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga boxset is exclusive to Best Buy, and will be available from March 31, 2020 for $249.99.

As for the UK, customers can now pre-order the boxset exclusively from Amazon.co.uk, which is priced at £199.99 with a release date of April 20, 2020.

Unfortunately, we don't have pricing or availability information for Australia yet, but don't fret – the first eight films in the Skywalker Saga are currently available to stream in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos audio on Disney Plus.