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The computer scientist Larry Tesler, who is famous for inventing the computer concepts cut, copy and paste, has passed away at age 74.

Tesler was born in New York in 1945 and he studied computer science at Stanford. After graduation, he worked in the university's genetics and computer science departments before becoming a research assistant at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

In 1973, Tesler joined Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and this is where he developed cut, copy and paste. These concepts were instrumental in the development of text editors and early computer operating systems.

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While cut, copy and paste were developed at PARC, the research center is more well known for its early work on graphical user interfaces and using a mouse to navigate them because Apple co-founder Steve Jobs used many of its ideas as inspiration for Apple's products. In fact, Tesler was even part of some of Jobs' visits to Xerox.

Modeless computing

In addition to creating cut, copy and paste, Tesler was also a big proponent of a concept called “modeless” computing. Basically modeless computing revolves around the idea that a program should not have different “modes” where a user's input works differently depending on which mode they're in.

According to Tesler's personal website, he and a colleague named Tim Mott developed the idea while working on the Gypsy text editor back at PARC. He was such a big believer in modeless computing that the URL of his site is actually nomodes.com.

Tesler joined Apple in 1980 and he worked at the company until 1997 where he eventually rose to the role of Chief Scientist. During that time, he worked on a number of products including the Macintosh, QuickTime, Lisa and even the Newton tablet. The Macintosh and Lisa were the first personal computers ever to include cut, copy and paste functionality as a result of Tesler's involvement in their development.

After leaving Apple in 1997, Tesler had several short stints at a number of other big companies including Amazon, Yahoo!, 23andMe and others. 

Tesler's contribution to computing won't be forgotten any time soon as the concepts of cut, copy and paste have become fundamental to how we use computers and even smartphones today.

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Via The Verge

Microsoft is beginning the rollout of changes to the way updates work in Windows 10, with a new system of optional updates now being implemented for drivers which aren’t a compulsory installation.

Bringing in optional updates has been in the works for quite some time, and what Microsoft is doing here – as explained in a Techcommunity blog post – is giving hardware makers a way to deploy drivers as automatic (delivered as normal) or manual (the latter meaning as an optional update).

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Microsoft explains: “Driver publishing can be complicated. Optional drivers have various methods of acquisition, which creates confusion. Starting now we are making changes to streamline things a bit.

“All partners will now be able to publish drivers as automatic! This grants access to driver flighting, and gradual rollout. Which will allow Microsoft, and our partners to detect issues earlier and take corrective action if necessary.”

So Windows 10 users will see an Optional Updates area which can be clicked through to, containing drivers that can be manually installed, or simply left alone if the user prefers. Much like things were with Windows 7 and 8, of course, which also featured optional updates that could be left aside.

Justification isn’t optional

If a hardware manufacturer wants to choose optional (manual) delivery, they must “explain the business justification for the choice.”

With automatic delivery – which is the default – Microsoft notes that all driver manufacturers will now be able to benefit from “Microsoft’s quality and reliability processes”.

Which of course sounds like a good idea in theory, but when you look at the way Microsoft’s quality assurance has been going with updates this year – and indeed in 2019 – we’re not sure all that many Windows 10 users are going to be particularly reassured by those words.

Windows 10 has been continually hitting problems with cumulative updates, damaging Microsoft’s reputation considerably, and indeed actively damaging user data as we’ve recently seen.

Microsoft concludes its blog post by stating: “We believe that this new effort will enable our collective customers to get the highest quality, and most reliable drivers faster and with less friction.”

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Via Betanews

E3 2020 may still be a few months away, but the chatter around this year’s biggest gaming show is already starting. With Sony deciding to duck out of the show for the second year running, and two next-gen consoles set to launch not long after, there’s plenty of change afoot – and E3 is at the heart of it.

Why is E3 2020 so important? As a place where the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo – both of whom will be in attendance this year – tend to announce new hardware and titles, alongside countless third-party publishers showing off their wares to the fans, players, and media gathered for the event, E3 tends to hold some massive announcements that shape the conversation around the year’s games for many months after.

The future of the show looks increasingly uncertain, especially as the biggest publishers look to keep fans updated with their own dedicated live streams like Nintendo Direct or Sony's State of Play, and big industry names like Geoff Keighley – who hosted the E3 Coliseum showcase for the previous few years – step away from the event.

We have a few officially confirmed exhibitors, who we've detailed below – but for now E3 2020 is still something of a question mark, for both hardware and software, and that likely won't change until the event itself.

What can you expect to see at E3 2020? Here's everything confirmed, rumored, and likely to be shown off.

• E3 2020 could be massively different from previous game shows

Ok, but what exactly is E3?

The E3 name stands for ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’, and it’s been running in some form since 1995. Hosted by the Entertainment Software Association, E3 is a three-day convention to celebrate and showcase all things gaming, usually to publicize upcoming games and consoles – with a smattering of panel discussions and keynotes alongside the excitement of the show floor. E3 2020 will be the 26th time the event has happened.

While traditionally only an industry-only event, the ESA has been more willing to allow members of the public into the event, and is increasing the number of available of public tickets from 15,000 (in 2019) to 25,000. There’s also been chatter about an extra day exclusive to industry members, to minimise disruption and queuing times, but that’s yet to be confirmed.

E3 dates: when is the expo?

The E3 expo lands every year in June, and will this year be running from June 9 (Tuesday) to June 11 (Thursday) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (E3’s home since 2009). 

It kicks off on a Tuesday, but the weekend beforehand will see the major console-makers and publishers hosting their own press conferences where the majority of announcements will take place.

E3 2020 exhibitors: who's going?

The E3 website has a confirmed list of exhibitors, which we've listed below. (A few other names have been floating around after the ESA apparently leaked a wider exhibitor list early, including Activision, Amazon Game Studios, Epic Games, THQ Nordic, and Tencent – but they're yet to commit to the event in an official capacity so far.)

• Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Bethesda
• Capcom
• Hori
• Microsoft
• NDreams
• Nintendo
• Nvidia
• Oculus
• Sega
• Square Enix
• Take-Two Interactive
• Ubisoft
• Warner Bros. Interactive

Industry veteran Geoff Keighley also made waves when he announced his decision not to attend E3 2020, despite hosting the E3 Coliseum conference for the past few years. 

Keighley cited a "ton of factors", but the absence of certain publishers, a greater focus on "special guest gamers [and] celebrities", ongoing concerns about ESA's security – the leak of thousands of journalists' personal information being a major one – and the uncertain place for such an event in today's online media landscape may have played a part.

Sony at E3 2020 – or not?

Sony didn’t make it to E3 2019, and it won’t be doing so in 2020 either. The makers of the PS5 seem content to showcase their wares at other events throughout the year – like the limp logo reveal at CES 2020 – rather than compete for attention at an event also hosting Xbox and Nintendo.

It’s clearly a different strategy to the PS4 console, which had its design formally unveiled at E3 back in 2013. Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier has suggested Sony’s doing this due to disagreements with the ESA, but for whatever reason, PlayStation won’t have a presence – beyond third-party devs and publishers working on PS4 and PS5 games.

Xbox at E3 2020

Don’t worry, though – Xbox will still be there. Phil Spencer was quick to reassure fans they wouldn’t be taking the same route as Sony, and you can expect to see a lot of the Xbox Series X at the event. It's likely we'll get more information on those rumored sibling consoles, Lockhart and Anaconda, possibly offering cheaper or disc-less alternatives to the mainline offering. (They'll probably be called something boring, though.)

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We expect to hear some new game announcements – particularly exclusives, which are being aggressively courted for the Xbox brand – and possibly more third-party studios brought under the Xbox umbrella wholesale. It’s likely we’ll get more gameplay footage of the upcoming Halo Infinite, and more information on its multiplayer and story, though a playable demo (sadly) may be a bit further off.

Their press conference was on the Sunday last year, making June 7 a likely date this time around.

Nintendo at E3 2020

What of Nintendo? The House of Mario will be jumping and chortling into E3 as usual, though hopes for a new Switch Pro model have sadly been dashed, meaning we'll have to content ourselves solely with game announcements.

We also got the first trailer for the Zelda BOTW sequel at E3 last year, so we’re hoping to get more of a formal unveiling, perhaps with a title and an idea of when the game is scheduled to release. Metroid Prime 4, too, only got the briefest of teasers last year, so a better understanding of what the game will actually look like, and when we’ll get to wear Samus’ suit again, would be much appreciated.

We fully expect Super Smash Bros Ultimate to continue dominating Nintendo's press channels, possibly with information on new DLC fighters to come down the line.

Nintendo doesn't host a press conference any more, but it usually releases a video presentation on the Tuesday (June 9), right before the E3 show floor opens.

E3 2020 games: what will be on show?

Outside of the big three, there’ll be plenty to keep those on the show floor, in the keynotes, or spectating from a distance occupied. 

In terms of upcoming games, there are a lot of titles with vague 2020 release dates, so it’s very possibly we’ll see more footage, trailers, announcements, or release dates for the likes of Ubisoft’s Gods and Monsters, Little Nightmares 2, No More Heroes III, Bayonetta 3, Super Meat Boy Forever, Everwild, and Hollow Knight: Silksong (which releases the day after E3, on June 12). 

Bethesda always has a decent showing, and will likely resume its Sunday (June 7) press conference, though what it will be showing post-Doom Eternal is anyone's guess. The sci-fi RPG Starfield? Elder Scrolls VI? Given neither were shown off last year, either would be great this time around – both, if we're incredibly lucky.

With Google Stadia – announced just before E3 last year – now available to play, too, we may well see a bigger presence from Google this time around. Maybe some more games aside from Destiny 2 to play?

We’ll no doubt see some brand new announcements too – but you can see a full list of the ones we know about in our best upcoming games guide.

E3 2019: what went down last year?

Even without Sony on show, there was still plenty to make 2019 a great year for E3. We had that wonderful Keanu Reeves appearance, and the news he was appearing in Cyberpunk 2077, new specs for the Xbox Series X, and that brilliant BOTW 2 teaser. We also got a full unveiling of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and updates on Apex Legends Season 2 from EA, and the announcement that Dark Souls dev From Software and Game of Throne's George R R Martin were collaborating on the upcoming game Elden Ring.

Square Enix had one of the better press events we've yet to see at E3 2019, packing in tons of new information on Marvel's Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake and the remastered version of Final Fantasy 8.

it wasn't all good news, though, with Animal Crossing: Horizons getting delayed, and the long-awaited Dragon Age 4 not getting so much as a mention. Ubisoft also didn't show off a new Splinter Cell game (cowards!) or its much-delayed Beyond Good and Evil 2 – though it did find time for Just Dance 2020, and the announcement trailer for Gods and Monsters.

Here's a slideshow of the 15 best E3 2019 games, and the full list of everything that was announced beneath that:

Nintendo

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (new game and trailer)
• Luigi’s Mansion 3 (new trailer and release window)
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (new trailer, but delayed)
• Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield (new release date)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (new release date)
• Super Mario Maker 2 (new trailer)
• Astral Chain (new trailer)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (new trailer)
• Cadence of Hyrule ~ Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
• Dragon Quest Builders 2 (coming to North America via Nintendo)
• No More Heroes 3 (announced for a 2020 release date window)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
• Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6

Microsoft

• Halo Infinite (release window, coming to Xbox Project Scarlett)
• Gears 5
• Blair Witch
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Xbox One and PC)
• Bleeding Edge
• Battletoads
• Age of Empire II: Definitive Edition (PC)
• Wasteland 3
• Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC first, Xbox One later)
• Minecraft Dungeons
• Spiritfarer (coming to Xbox Game Pass)
• 12 Minutes (Xbox One and PC)
• Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions Expansion
• Crossfire X
• Gears Pop!

Take-Two Interactive/2K Games

• Borderlands 3
• The Outer Worlds

Electronic Arts and EA Sports

• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
• Apex Legends Season 2 (PC)
• Battlefield 5: Chapter 4 (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
• The Sims 4 Island Living (PC)
• FIFA 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC) 
• FIFA 20 Legacy Edition (Nintendo Switch)
• Madden 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC)

CD Projekt Red

• Cyberpunk 2077
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Konami

• Contra Rogue Corps (Xbox One PS4, PC and Switch)
• Contra Anniversary Collection

Bethesda

• Deathloop (Platforms unknown) (Trailer)
• Doom Eternal (Xbox One PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch)
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades (debuting on Nintendo Switch; iOS, Android updates)
• Fallout 76: Nuclear Winter (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC sneak peek)
• Ghostwire: Tokyo (Platforms unknown)
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood (PS4, Xbox One and PC)
• Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (VR)
• Commander Keen (iOS and Android)

Square Enix

• Final Fantasy 7 Remake (PS4)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (PS4, Nintendo Switch and mobile)
• Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
• Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers (PC)
• Circuit Superstars (Square Enix Collective, developer Original Fire)
• War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
• Romancing Saga 3
• Scarlett Grace
• Dragon Quest Builders 2
• The Last Remnant Remastered (coming to Nintendo Switch)
• Trials of Mana: Collection of Mana (coming to Switch)

Ubisoft

• Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• The Division 2 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• For Honor (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
• Watch Dogs Legion (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia) (game play available)
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (game update)
• Roller Champions (PC download available now, other platforms unknown)
• Gods & Monsters (Xbox One,PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia and Switch)

Sega

• Panzer Dragoon: Remake (Nintendo Switch)
• Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One)
• SEGA Genesis mini console coming September 2019 with mini games like Mega Man:The Wily Wars, Earthworm Jim, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Ecco the Dolphin and 35 more classic games.

Bandai Namco

• Tales of Arise
• Dragonball Z: Kakarot
• Code Vein
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
• RAD

Various

• Elden Ring (via FromSoftware)
• Dying Light 2 (from Techland)
• Way to the Woods (Team 17)
• Dauntless (coming to Nintendo Switch via Phoenix Labs)
• The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics (En Masse Entertainment)
• Dead by Daylight (coming to Nintendo Switch via Koch Media)
• New Super Lucky’s Tale (coming to Nintendo Switch via Playful Corp.)
• Empire of Sin (John Romero multi-console game)
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Playtonic)
• Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (via Edelweiss and XSEED Games)

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After a tumultuous few months, HTC has three new products coming that it hopes will put its flagship VR headset back on the map – well, make that headsets, plural.

Today, HTC has introduced three new variations of the HTC Vive Cosmos VR headset – the Vive Cosmos Elite, Vive Cosmos XR and Vive Cosmos Play – that trade the original headset’s inside-out tracking faceplate out for one of three new faceplates, each of which offer a new, distinct feature.

What’s neat here is that each of these headsets can be purchased as a one-off product in the form of a standalone VR headset, or you can buy one of them and swap out the faceplates to get the feature set that you want.

Most importantly, all three of the new faceplates / VR headsets will be compatible with the original Vive Cosmos and Viveport App Store, as well as SteamVR, which means all of your purchases up to now are still safe. 

Three faceplates, but not thrice the price  

When speaking to the company’s CEO Yves Maitre, he emphasized the fact that these faceplates are meant to open the door to more experiences without the need to reinvest in a new headset every few years. The external faceplate can be swapped out as tracking hardware grows and evolves or as developers shift from full VR to AR to Mixed Reality and Augmented Virtuality, HTC’s term for experiences that are 80% digital and 20% based on objects in the real world. 

That’s the premise of the Vive Cosmos XR that brings high-quality XR passthrough cameras to Vive Cosmos for the first time. Using Vive Sync, HTC will be able to bring virtual objects into real world spaces – like the boardroom or collaborative work environments – where they can then be tweaked and interacted with. 

Of course, for gamers looking for a better tracking experience, Maitre is pushing the Vive Cosmos Elite that uses an external tracking faceplate and base stations to more accurately track hand movement – an issue some reviewers have cited when writing about the HTC Vive Cosmos. To that end, HTC says the faceplate by itself will be available for $199 (around £150, AU$299) later this year, or as a complete package with the HTC Vive Cosmos headset for $899 (around £699, AU$1,350). 

The last headset / faceplate HTC cooked up is the Vive Cosmos Play, an entry-point for first-time VR buyers that’s supposed to bridge the gap between standalone VR headsets and PC systems with a four-camera inside-out tracking system (unlike the base Cosmos that uses six cameras) and should be more affordable than the current Vive Cosmos on the market right now. 

The idea, Maitre says, is that you can start at the bottom of the food chain with the Cosmos Play, and then upgrade to the Cosmos Elite and Cosmos XR when you’re ready while still getting a great VR experience along the way.

Is three a crowd? 

When Maitre and GM of North America Dan O’Brien explain it, HTC’s thinking makes sense – why should you box people in to one experience when users’ needs are so vastly different? Why not make something affordable at first and then upgrade-able over time if the technology is out there? 

These are certainly good points, but you could also argue that three headsets / faceplates – on top of the Vive Pro and Vive Pro Eye for enterprise customers, plus the Vive Focus and Vive Focus Plus that have done better overseas than they have in the US and Europe – might be heading into particularly muddy waters. 

All these headsets attack different price points and customer bases, but they're also dividing a really niche market with ever-more niche hardware: each of those platforms that need support, specs that need keeping up and customer education that has been, up to this point, vague at best. It’s a lot of spinning plates. 

That's not to say this idea doesn't have its merits but, with so many options already out there, one has to wonder if fragmenting the market even further is the solution VR needs right now…

Project Proton – the XR Headset of the future

What HTC wasn't as ready to talk about in great detail but brought up during our chat was a new product called Project Proton.

Details are sparse but HTC says it will be a new mixed reality headset (think Augmented Virtuality again) and looks similar to ski goggles with a tinted front face. 

Inside the front shield, two cameras will be able to track real-world objects and, from the images we were provided after the interview, the headset appears to offer both PC-powered and wireless modalities.

This probably would've been something HTC would've shown off at MWC 2020 this week had it not been cancelled, and for now we'll just have to wait to next month's Game Developers Conference or even E3 2020 to learn more.

• Not sure where to start with VR? Here's our list of the best VR headsets in 2020

If you’re planning to buy one of the best budget tablets then, well, your options are limited. Most of the best tablets – such as the iPad Pro 11, which tops our best tablets list, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, which tops our best Android tablets list – are decidedly expensive.

But it’s not so much that budget tablets are bad, as just that not many are being made. That does mean there are fewer that you’ll need to consider though, making it easier to choose one.

And to make things even easier we’ve crafted this guide, highlighting the very best options, including the likes of the iPad 9.7 (2018) and the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019).

All of our picks come complete with specs, pros, cons and key features, so you can see at a glance whether each tablet sounds right for you.

You shouldn’t go too wrong with any of the options below though, as while they’re ‘cheap’ they also offer a lot for the money, and scored well in our reviews.

But make sure to check out our best cheap iPad deals and best cheap Android tablet deals pages too, to make sure you're getting the best price for your new slate.

• Best tablet 2020 | Best iPad | Best Android tablets

Best cheap tablets 2020 at a glance:

1. Apple iPad 9.7 (2018)
2. Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus
3. Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5
5. Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)
6. Amazon Fire 7 (2019)

The iPad 9.7 (2018) is the best cheap tablet you can buy right now.

It may not be the newest entry-level iPad on the market (that's the iPad 10.2) but the iPad 9.7 2018 still has an awful lot going for it – not to mention a lower price tag, which makes it a candidate for this list, while the newer model isn’t quite.

You get a 9.7-inch display, making it marginally smaller than its successor for better or worse, plus plenty of power under the hood for your apps and games, and it's been updated to Apple's newest software – iPadOS 13 – ensuring it's right up to date with the latest features and security patches.

The iPad 9.7 also supports the Apple Pencil for all your sketching needs, and has a high-quality display. And while it’s no longer the newest basic iPad, being an Apple device it’s still likely to be supported with updates for years to come.

Read the full review: iPad 9.7 (2018)

In a sea of slates and smartphones, crafting a device that has enough personality to stand out and enough quality to be worth caring about is a difficult proposition.

With the Tab 4 8 Plus, Lenovo has succeeded in producing something with a flavor of its own, and something that makes the mid-range Android tablet market worth attention once again.

If you already have an Android device, commute regularly and want something a little nicer than an Amazon tablet, this is the obvious next step.

Read the full review: Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) is the latest and best of Amazon’s big tablets. Having a 10.1-inch 1200 x 1920 screen makes it a good budget option for media in particular, especially if you have an Amazon Prime subscription.

It’s built to last too, and has decent battery life, so this is a slate you can happily take with you wherever you go – as long as the size isn’t an issue.

Its biggest issue is the same issue all Amazon tablets have, namely the software, which is big on pushing Amazon products and services, and lacks access to the Google Play Store. But if you can live with that then the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) is a strong cheap choice.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 is the South Korean firm's answer to Apple's best cheap tablet, which you've seen above.

If you're looking for an Android iPad rival on a budget, this is the slate you should consider. With Google's Android operating system providing plenty of flexibility, coupled with a large HD display, the Tab A 10.5 is great for movies and web browsing.

It also benefits from long battery life, so you can indulge in a movie marathon. It’s not the most powerful slate around and its size makes it slightly less portable than some, but for media and basic app use around the house it’s a strong choice.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 (2018)

The Amazon HD 8 was rebooted for 2018 with a slightly updated look, better front facing camera and a larger storage option. They are useful upgrades and ensure it remains in our best budget tablet list. 

It's no tablet king, but it does what it sets out to well. Its crazy low price tag means it's perfect to hand off to the kids without the fear that they're wielding an expensive bit of kit around.

It may be too small for some, and the cameras aren't up to much, but the Fire HD 8 gives you the core tablet experience for not very much outlay, making it a budget tablet worth buying.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 8

Notice the lack of 'HD' in the name of the Amazon Fire 7, compared to the other Amazon slates on this list? That's because the screen quality of the tablet is, well, not HD.

That's a compromise you'll have to make if you're wanting Amazon's latest super-cheap device, as it won't grace your eyes with a stunning display or slick performance. However there is enough power under the hood to get you through basic tasks, like streaming content or shopping.

It's also great as a Kindle device, if you want your Kindle to also come with Alexa and the internet and the best books of all, movies.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire 7 (2019)

• Got a bit extra to spend? Here are the best tablets in the world right now

Having enjoyed a successful away day at the weekend with their 2-0 win over Chelsea, Man United will be hoping to continue their on the road form in this Europa League clash against a flying Club Brugge. Sound like a good way to spend your Thursday evening? Then you'll want to follow our advice on getting a Club Brugge vs Manchester United live stream, no matter where you are in the world.

While United's opponents this evening may have dropped out of the Champions League at the group stage, but they've been installed by many pundits as one of the favourites to lift the Europa League trophy in Gdansk in May.

Philippe Clement's side memorably held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu back in the Champions League back in October and they're currently sitting pretty at the top of the Belgian League with a nine point cushion. Currently unbeaten in 13 games, the home side will tonight welcome back Clinton Mata and Krépin Diatta from suspension.

United's win over Chelsea made it three wins in a four-game unbeaten run. With Marcus Rashford still injured, tonight's match looks likely to provide a further chance for another young Red Devil Mason Greenwood to shine upfront. Greenwood has so far relished his outings in the Europa League this season, having bagged four goals in five appearances in the competition.

With new signing Odion Ighalo likely to jump in front of him in the pecking order once match fit, 18-year-old Mason will be hoping for start tonight and serve a reminder to boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær of his pace and instinctive finishing. 

Read on to find out how to watch what looks set to be fascinating Europa League encounter, no matter where you are in the world, with TechRadar's guide to getting a Club Brugge vs Manchester United live stream.

• Premier League fan too? Here's how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season

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.

How to stream Club Brugge vs Manchester United live in the UK 

How to live stream Club Brugge vs Manchester United in the US

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How to live stream tonight's Europa League in Canada for FREE

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Hackers have published the details of 10.6 million guests of MGM Resorts hotels to an online hacking forum.

The data was acquired in the summer after attackers gained access to MGM servers, though the breach went under the radar at the time.

The leaked files contained data relating to regular patrons, but also contact information for celebrities and government officials. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and pop star Justin Bieber are just two of many high profile individuals affected.

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MGM Resorts operates US premises in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Detroit, and further resorts in China and Japan.

MGM data breach

The majority of data stolen by attackers was “phonebook information”, such as names, telephone numbers and email addresses, some of which was publicly available prior to the breach.

However, 1,300 guests were also informed more sensitive information had been lifted, including passport numbers.

“Last summer, we discovered unauthorised access to a cloud server that contained a limited amount of information for certain previous guests of MGM Resorts,” confirmed MGM. 

“We are confident that no financial, payment card or password data was involved in this matter.”

Though no financial information was leaked, the information made available on a public hacking forum is sufficient for cybercriminals to perform other varieties of attack, including spear-phishing emails and SIM jacking.

The company has expressed regret over the incident, and claims it will introduce measures to ensure another breach of this kind does not occur in future.

“At MGM Resorts, we take our responsibility to protect guest data very seriously, and we have strengthened and enhanced the security of our network to prevent this from happening again,” it said.

• Keep your precious data safe with the best antivirus services of 2020

Via ZDNet

Restaurant reservation start-up Eat App is riding the wave as the hospitality sector continues to grow and wants to be what Airbnb has done to hotel booking.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dubai, Eat App is cashing in on the paradigm shift happening currently in the food tech space and has raised $5m in Series B funding.

The funding round was led by 500 Startups and Derayah VC with follow on investments from MEVP, FA Holdings, and many international VC’s and regional angel investors.

Nezar Kadhem, CEO and Co-Founder of Eat App, told TechRadar Middle East, that they sell restaurants the software with a monthly fee.  

“We collect available table inventory via our in-restaurant software and distribute in real-time to customers for online bookings. Visitors to the TripAdvisor, Time Out, Zomato, Google and about 30 other local platforms are now able to make instantly confirmed bookings through the integration of Eat’s real-time table booking technology,” he said.

Moreover, he said that Eat App supports 1,000 restaurants, hotels and hospitality groups in the Arab World.

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Growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia

The startup has tie-ups with 600 restaurants in the UAE, 100 in Bahrain, 100 in Lebanon and rest is spread among Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, etc.

Originally from Bahrain, Kadhem said that in the UAE, 80% of its business comes from Dubai, 15% from Abu Dhabi and the rest from other emirates.

“The business keeps exciting us as table reservations over the phone is time-consuming and frustrating,” he said.

In 2019, he said that Eat App has generated over $32m in revenue for its restaurant partners and had over 46m monthly active users on its app.

With offices in four countries, UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and its online marketplace cover 21 countries globally; Kadhem does not want to rest on its laurels.

“With the $5m fund, we intend to invest in technology, IP and double our R&D team. We plan to scale our sales team across the region. We have just entered Saudi Arabia and there are a lot of growth opportunities with many new restaurants, hospitality groups and the market is completely underserved in terms of technology,” he said.

The startup had raised $2.2m in Series A funding, inclusive of seed funding till last year.

“We have succeeded at building a scalable and predictable restaurant acquisition model and we have an impressive product roadmap focused on new verticals including online restaurant payments, guest loyalty, PoS integration and HR management to differentiate from the crowd,” he said.

Moreover, instead of competing on the consumer side with all other websites, he said: “we gave our technology to the websites and we make revenue. We are the largest distributor of online booking technology.”

O2’s recent renaissance shows no signs of slowing down after the operator reported a third consecutive year of growth.

Full year revenues increased by 3.8 percent to £6.24 billion, while profitability rose by 2.3 percent to £1.86 billion.  

The company attributed the strong showing to its commitment to customer fairness and transparency, citing the success of its flexible custom plans and an industry-low churn rate of one percent.

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O2 results

An increase in the number of MVNO users also contributed to the increase. Across all operators that use the O2 network, including O2 itself, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff and Sky Mobile, there were 1.73 million net contract additions over the year as the number of total connections reached 34.5 million.

“Today we’re marking 18 years of serving UK customers, and our business has never been stronger. Our third full year of consecutive topline growth, profitability and rising customer numbers is something our teams can be proud of,” said O2 CEO Mark Evans.

“From the very beginning, we’ve had a relentless ambition to champion customer fairness, investing to provide the best possible experience for those using our network. But customers who aren’t with O2 are still being penalised for their loyalty to their phone networks.”

In 2016, parent company Telefonica wanted to merge with rival operator Three, claiming the transaction was necessary to compete in a UK market moving towards convergence. However, O2 has thrived since the deal was blocked, leading to plans for an IPO at some point in the future.

The past year has seen O2 get its hands on valuable high-capacity spectrum and launch a 5G mobile service.

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The Realme X50 Pro, the company’s first 5G flagship will be unveiled in India next week. A new report suggests that it will be the most expensive smartphone from the company by a big margin.

The Realme X50 Pro was originally slated for unveiling at MWC 2020, but after the show got cancelled, Realme moved the launch to a livestream-only format from Madrid on the same date. In a turn of events that nobody saw coming, the phone will also be unveiled in India on the same date and will now take the crown for being India’s first 5G smartphone.

According to an anonymous official who told this to PTI (Press Trust of India), the Realme X50 Pro will be priced at around Rs 50,000 in India. This will make it the most expensive smartphone from Realme by a big margin, overtaking the X2 Pro Master Editions which are priced at Rs 34,999.

Most of the internal specifications of the X50 Pro are already known, with a Snapdragon 865 SoC, up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. There will be a total of six cameras, with four on the back and two on the front, in a hole-punch. The display will have a refresh rate of 90Hz. It will also support 65W Super Dart charging. All of these are in line with other recent flagships.

However, Realme has historically been a company that has often brought chipsets and designs to never-before-seen price points. A price tag of around Rs 50,000 could put many potential consumers off, but this increase in the price could be inevitable with the inclusion of the Snapdragon 865 and the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. If the suggested price is indeed true, and the chipset is the reason for it, then 2020 will be a pretty expensive year for Android flagships.

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