Mobile computing

Social distancing at home just got a whole lot easier thanks to Sling TV. The TV streaming service is currently offering 14 days FREE of its Sling TV Blue plan – but this fantastic freebie ends on Sunday, April 5.

This isn't a free trial and there's no commitment, contracts or payment details required – you can simply get 14 days free access to its Sling TV Blue service without paying a penny.

– Head straight to the Sling website to take advantage of this offer 

As well as allowing simultaneous viewing on three screens, Sling TV Blue gives you access to over 45 live channels, free cloud DVR, over 50,000 on-demand titles.

The Blue plan is ideal for anyone needing more news and kids orientated channels, some of which include Fox, NBC, USA, Bravo, TBS, FX, Syfy, Bloomberg TV, Fox News, Headline News and MSNBC. So ideal for anybody without cable or has recently cut the cord.

But the offers don't stop there, the provider is also giving a $10 discount on all of its plans and offering a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months.

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Is Sling TV any good?

It's definitely got TechRadar's approval! We love the fact that it allows you to customize your favorite channels on the app, and it's on-demand programming along with movies that you can rent is pretty handy.

Not to mention that you can watch it on any device that can stream the app – this includes your tablet, phone, laptop, smart TV etc. 

What we also find it quite refreshing that there are no sneaky fees or long-term contracts – you just pay a flat fee for the this TV streaming service. 

Want to find out more? Make sure you check out our Sling TV review. 

Marvel's Black Widow is finally coming to theaters in November 2020, Mulan is coming in July 2020, and Jungle Cruise has been delayed until midyear 2021 as Disney has officially reset its cinematic release calendar for its most eagerly-anticipated films.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak and government bans on social gatherings in countries around the world, theaters closed in the US, China, Europe, and elsewhere for the foreseeable future. Many studios delayed their film releases, though apparently Disney is confident enough in the reopening of the theaters that the company has laid out a schedule for its biggest anticipated releases. 

But to make space in its release calendar, Disney has punted other films to even later dates, resulting in cascading delays that’s pushed some blockbuster Marvel superhero film sequels to 2022, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

• How to watch all the Marvel movies in order
• Disney Plus: where all of these films will end up – some sooner than others
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All the new Marvel superhero and Disney release dates

Mulan gets the most ambitious release date of July 24, 2020,  a slot that was previously held for Jungle Cruise, which is now pushed back a full year to July 30, 2021. Black Widow is coming out on November 6, 2020, which had been the opening date for Eternals, which is now releasing on February 12, 2021. 

That date was reserved for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Rings, which moves to May 7, 2021 – the original date for Doctor Strange 2, pushing that film back to November 5, 2021. That date was saved for Thor: Love and Thunder, which is nowcoming out February 18, 2022. 

Black Panther 2 will still come out on May 6, 2022, but Captain Marvel 2 is being shifted up two weeks to July 8, 2022. (Phew!)

For all the Artemis Fowl fans eager for its May debut, the film will now be coming to Disney Plus – and apparently keeping its original release window. (We don’t have an official date yet.)

• A breakdown of all the Disney Plus Marvel TV shows and movies

Zoom's recent surge in popularity as a result of the coronavirus outbreak has made the video conferencing platform a prime target for hackers.

Security researchers at Check Point have observed a sharp uptick in new domain registrations that contain the company's name since the public health crisis began. 

According to the company's research, there have been 1,700 new Zoom-related domains registered since January of this year. However, of these domains, 25 percent of them were registered in just one week during mid-March.

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Check Point was also able to confirm that at least 70 of these 1,700 domains were being used maliciously by cybercriminals as phishing websites designed to steal users' personal information.

Brand impersonation

In addition to using Zoom-related domains to launch phishing attacks, Check Point also discovered malicious executables that contained Zoom in their file names. Opening these files causes the InstallCore PUA to be installed on a victim's computer which could potentially lead to additional malicious software being installed on their machines.

However, according to Check Point, hackers aren't just targeting Zoom as the cybersecurity firm found similar files that contained Microsoft Teams in their file names. 

The researchers also discovered fake domains for other popular services such as Google Classroom which is being used by teachers that have to conduct their classes virtually. In this case, hackers tried to trick users by misspelling the sites official name to lead them to phishing websites.

To prevent falling victim to these and the other coronavirus-related scams making their way around the web, Check Point recommends that users check all of the emails they receive carefully, avoid opening unknown attachments or clicking on links in emails and check to make sure that the domains of the websites they visit are spelled correctly.

• Also check out our roundup of the best video conferencing services

Via Mashable

Making the transition from the office to your home can be difficult, especially if you lack the tools to do your job efficiently. Luckily, Microsoft is currently holding its Spring Sale, which includes fantastic deals on essentials and at-home entertainment. For a limited time, you can save on a selection of laptops, noise-canceling headphones, X-Box One consoles, smartwatches and more. 

Microsoft's top deals include savings on best-selling laptops like the HP 14-inch laptop on sale for just $349 and up to $200 off the 2-in-1 Surface Pro 7. If you're looking for headphone bargains you can get the Samsung Galaxy Buds on sale for $99.99 and save $50 on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Interested in Xbox deals? You can get the Xbox One X Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundle on sale for $299 and score a $100 discount on the NBA 2K20 Special Edition bundle.

Shop more of Microsoft's top Spring Sale discounts below, and keep in mind, these incredible deals end on April 13.

• Shop the rest of Microsoft's Spring Sale here

Microsoft 'Spring Sale' deals:

• Shop more laptop deals here

• Shop more headphone deals here

• Shop more Samsung smartwatch deals here

• Shop more Xbox One console deals here

See more offers with the best cheap laptop deals and the best Xbox One prices, bundles, sales, and deals.

If you're looking to snag a price cut on the Apple iPhone, then you're in luck. For a limited time, Apple is having a sale on its iPhone lineup, which includes deals on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, XR, and iPhone 8.

Apple is offering up to $250 in savings when you trade-in an eligible iPhone. After you purchase your new phone, you'll get a trade-in email that explains how to get your old device ready to ship. Apple will send you a trade-in kit that includes a box, prepaid shipping label, and instructions on how to prep your old device. After you ship your phone within 14 days, Apple will credit your original payment.

You can buy the iPhone unlocked or choose from a carrier like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. This is a fantastic offer if you're shopping for a new iPhone and have an eligible device to trade-in.

• Shop more Apple deals here

iPhone deals:

Shop more iPhone offers with our roundup of the best iPhone 11 and 11 Pro deals.

You can also see the best iPhone XR prices and the best iPhone 8 deals.

If you're after cheap 4K TV deals to send a gorgeous display your way for less, you've come to the right place. There are some fantastic 4K TV sales events going on right now across the US and UK, with B&H Photo leading the pack in the US and Currys offering big savings on the other side of the pond. 

You'll find cheap 4K TVs available for as little as $229 / £379 this weekend, with a range of display features and sizes on offer. All of that means you're saving a wad of cash on your new display – perfect if you're looking to make the most of this time at home with an upgraded setup.

In the UK, we're seeing discounts on the popular Samsung 2019 RU7470 range. While not as premium in display (or price) as the 8-Series, this is still a high-quality lineup. With fantastic picture quality and special Ultra-HD Dimming technology for higher contrast and detailing, you can save anything from £50 – £100 on these powerful TVs. 

These cheap 4K TV deals will help you secure a premium display for less this weekend. Plus, with so much content offering 4K streaming and broadcast at the moment, there's more opportunity than ever to push your display to its limits and enjoy stunning picture clarity. 

Cheap 4K TV deals in the US

• Shop all cheap 4K TV deals at B&H Photo

Cheap 4K TV deals in the UK

Currys are holding a fantastic 4K TV sales event this weekend, and new subscribers can also grab a free 6-month subscription to Spotify with their new TV to boot. 

• Shop all cheap 4K TV deals at Currys

We're keeping tabs on all the latest 4K TV sales right here on TechRadar, but if you really want to upgrade you might also want to check out the best OLED TV deals from around the web. You can also make the most of your new TV with these Amazon Fire Stick deals.

Microsoft’s new version of Edge is now the second most popular desktop browser in the world behind Google Chrome, according to the latest figures from one analytics firm.

NetMarketShare’s statistics for March show that Chrome is still the top dog by a long way, of course, with a market share of 68.5% of desktop browser users, but Microsoft Edge has moved up into second place with 7.59%.

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That means it has now overtaken Firefox, pushing Mozilla’s browser back into third place on 7.19%. Internet Explorer is in fourth position on 5.87%, with Safari behind that on 3.62%.

Firefox dropped from 7.57% last month, losing 0.38% market share, so it’s possible that this downward movement involved some Edge defectors. Although Internet Explorer dropped further, so the additional users for Edge could have come from Microsoft’s other browser.

Going up in the world

Edge gained 0.21% in March, so not a massive uptick, but still upward movement nonetheless – and to see it secure second place and overtake Firefox is obviously a major milestone, particularly when you consider that the old (non-Chromium) Edge was dwindling away at the bottom of the browser league before Microsoft revamped it.

Edge doing well won’t really be a surprise if you’ve been following the reaction the new browser has received online, which is generally pretty favorable, and we were certainly impressed in our review. We felt Chromium-powered Edge boasts impressive levels of customization and performance, and of course much better all-round-compatibility with websites than the previous Edge.

It’s now a strong contender, in other words, not to mention available across multiple platforms (instead of being Windows 10-only, as it was before). So even though there’s a long way to go, perhaps Google will now be sitting up and taking notice; if not being unduly worried yet.

• Surf the web on one of our best laptops of 2020

GoDaddy has suffered an embarrassing phishing attack that affected one of its most high-profile customers.

A customer service agent at the web hosting giant was targeted by a spear-phishing attack which enabled hackers to gain access to the account of escrow.com, according to security site KrebsOnSecurity.

Escrow.com is one of the US' leading brokering websites, enabling thousands of customers to make secure transactions online, however the hackers were able to change its homepage to a profanity-laden message.

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Phishing attack

Hackers were able to change escrow.com's DNS records to redirect to a third-party web server based in Malaysia, one identified by KrebsOnSecurity as hosting phishing scams.

Matt Barrie, the CEO of freelancer.com, which owns escrow.com, confirmed that none of its systems were compromised, and no customer data, funds or domains were breached or accessed.

Barrie told KrebsOnSecurity that no-one in his business had been affected, with the breach instead coming from their GoDaddy representative.

The web hosting site confirmed that an employee had fallen victims to a spear-phishing attack, and that a "thorough audit" had revealed five other customer accounts could also potentially be affected.

“Our team investigated and found an internal employee account triggered the change,” a GoDaddy statement given to KrebsOnSecurity said.

“We immediately locked down the impacted accounts involved in this incident to prevent further changes. Any actions done by the threat actor have been reverted and the impacted customers have been notified. The employee involved in this incident fell victim to a spear-phishing or social engineering attack. We have taken steps across our technology, processes and employee education, to help prevent these types of attacks in the future.”

Anyone fearing such attacks is urged to boost their security through implementing systems such as two-factor authentication, and strong passwords governed by password manager tools.

• Best web hosting services for your website in 2020

Via KrebsOnSecurity

Plusnet is usually an obvious choice if you're looking for a broadband deal, but currently the provider is blowing the competition out of the water.

So if your broadband contract is about to expire why not get one of the UK's cheapest broadband deals, courtesy of Plusnet.

This Plusnet broadband deal offers average download speeds of 10Mb for just £17.99 a month, and an included £60 Mastercard!

As the speeds only average 10Mb, you will be slightly limited in what you can do. So this plan is best suited for people who just need basic streaming, emails or general internet searches rather than a busy household.

For those who need something faster, Plusnet also has the cheapest fibre plan in the UK. It costs £22.99 a month for speeds averaging 36Mb and like the offer above, it comes with a Mastercard – £70 this time.

Need more information before you make a decision? Keep reading, although we will say that if this isn't for you, make sure to check out our best fibre broadband deals guide.

This cheap Plusnet broadband deal in full:

What other broadband deals are available right now?

Is the above deal not for you? Don't worry, there are plenty of other options for you too. 

Vodafone's Superfast fibre 2 plan seems like the obvious choice for anyone needing fibre, giving you average download speeds of 63Mb and costing you just £22.95 a month. And if you're a Vodafone customer, it will be £3 less – just watch the 24 month contracts.

Looking for something from BT instead? its Fibre 1 plan will get you speeds averaging 50Mb at a price of £28.99 – a cost below what we usually see from BT.

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

We are currently facing one of the greatest challenges in a generation, which has brought life as we know it to a halt. COVID-19 has infected hundreds of thousands of people, tragically taken the lives of many, and continues to spread at an alarming rate. It has caused markets to crash, countries to lockdown, and businesses to close. 

All over the world, in the few stores that have been allowed to stay open, customers are panic-buying supplies, stockpiling on items, leaving little for those who cannot afford to buy in bulk. Needless to say, the implications of COVID-19 are wide-reaching, affecting us physiologically, economically and emotionally.

It’s in times like this, when facing a global humanitarian crisis, that weaknesses in diplomatic relations are exposed. We see a sheer lack of uniformity in the way governments respond to these challenges, as well as the absence of any real attempt at global collaboration to hamper the spread or worsening of these issues that affect us, and our economies, on a worldwide level. COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a severe and long-lasting impact on the global economy, plunging us into a worldwide recession – unquestionably a downside to having such an interconnected and global economy.

Dealing with crises

When staring a global humanitarian crisis in the face, we cannot simply hope for it to be over quickly. We need to look for answers as to how we can prevent or tackle future pandemics one such approach, that would leverage current cloud computing and cloud storage technology and apply AI to the data collected. 

Already, in the UK alone and across the globe, we are witnessing ways in which AI can help to address the current health crisis. From the creation of a common data set – available on the Google-owned Kaggle, an online community for data scientists, in which researchers and hobbyists from all over the world can access tens of thousands of COVID-19-related resources, in order test their prediction models – to the NHS partnering with tech giants to help slow down the spread of fake news. 

We’ve also seen the creation of databases containing the cases of illnesses. These databases enable the sharing of anonymized and aggregated information on cases across the globe, focusing on data trends rather than the specific details of individual cases. Acquiring such information is clearly possible as crowdsourced data becomes more commonplace. Every day, people and businesses use platforms for sharing information, such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, or Google-owned Waze. 

In both cases, information is crowdsourced for the common good. In future humanitarian crises, the ability to acquire this information will prove vital, as often governments have a delayed access to data. Being able to source this information, and then make it accessible globally will be pivotal in limiting the spread of future health pandemics, as the availability of these insights can provide governments with the data needed to make decisive, and potentially life-saving, decisions quickly.

Platforms

Already, we’re seeing the existence of platforms for the sharing of information, in order to directly tackle COVID-19. COVID Symptom Tracker, an app, created and published by a consortium consisting of ZOE, the Welcome Trust, and Guy’s and St Thomas Biomedical Research Centre, is available for people, with or without symptoms, to share valuable information with researchers and the NHS. 

In a world that has experienced an explosion in information, we need to see more governmental and state organisations utilizing AI and Big Data if we’re to hope to curb future humanitarian crises. We have the skills and the resources to develop technologies that can help track and analyse illnesses, which will prove incredibly useful in the diagnostic process. Global health crises like this highlight the pre-existing market for health-tech innovators, which could both speed-up and lower the cost of the diagnostic process. 

Outside of aiding the tracking of COVID-19, AI has been fundamental in tackling the spread of fake news, published on social media to cause panic. A number of tech giants have partnered with bodies, such as the previously-mentioned NHS, to moderate information. RavenPack, a leading big data analytics provider for financial services, has been monitoring the spread of news around COVID-19, providing key information around detected fake news levels, as well as media exposure to the virus.

AI at work

Moreover, even before the outbreak of COVID-19, organisations such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook have been using AI to tackle fake news. For example, the Microsoft-owned Bing, alongside a number of other search engines, have altered their algorithms so that when a user searches the answer to a question, a variety of views and answers are given. 

This provides the user with a sense of perspective that wouldn’t have previously been offered, and demonstrates the role AI can play in helping in the slowdown of wider predatory behavior of hackers and scammers, preying on the fear caused by COVID-19. AI can also be used to assist in the management of risk around humanitarian crises, in the same way that it’s currently used manage risk within the financial services sector. 

Being able to assess the risk of a future pandemic, or global crisis, is becoming all the more important as human-driven environmental changes increase the likelihood of natural disasters, and influence the recurrence of health pandemics. Climate scientists have access to data and technologies to accurately record and monitor weather patterns. 

If we’re to prevent, or at least limit the impact of future humanitarian crises we need to make these datasets and technologies more quickly available to epidemiologists to allow for real-time predictions on the movement of contagion patters. Health sensors could be of great help here.

Future health pandemics

If we're to respond and prevent future health pandemics, and other major pandemics, AI is likely to become part of the decision making toolkit of policy makers and executives. AI can augment humans skills by applying say non-parametric methods to identify complex patterns in high-dimensional data — which is hard for a human being to do. We have the resources and technologies to monitor the spread of diseases in much the same way that we track the weather; are able to collate information taken from cases across the globe to help in the diagnostic process; and have already seen the role that AI can play in tackling fake news. However, if the use of AI and Big Data analytics is to be successful, it needs to be used as part of a globalized response to the crisis. 

There will undoubtedly be political barriers to this globalized response – governments will need to act with unfettered transparency. Nonetheless, considering the roll it has played so far in helping to tackle COVID-19, AI is well positioned to help curb the impacts of future global crises.

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