Kik Interactive has hit back at the Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit that claims a $100 million token sale was illegal. The company, which owns Kik Messenger, filed a 130-page response today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that the SEC is “twisting” the facts about its token, called Kin, and asking for an early trial date and dismissal of the complaint.
One of the key issues in the case is if Kin was just an in-app token used to buy games, digital products and other services in Kik Messenger, or if it was meant to be an investment opportunity, as the SEC alleges.
Kik’s general counsel Eileen Lyon said in a press statement that “since Kin is not itself a security, the SEC must show that it was sold in a way that violates the securities laws. The SEC had access to over 50,000 documents and took testimony from nearly 20 witnesses prior to filing its Complaint, yet it is unable to make the case that Kik’s token sale violated the securities laws without bending the facts to distort the record.”
The SEC alleges that the token sale, announced in 2017, came at a time when the company had predicted that it would run out of money after Kik Messenger had been losing money for years, and that it then used proceeds from that sale to build an online marketplace for the app.
In the filing, Kik’s legal team denied that charge, claiming that the SEC’s allegations about its financial condition “is solely designed for misdirection, thereby prejudicing Kik and portraying it in a negative light” and that Kik began working on a cryptocurrency-based model after exploring monetization options that would help it compete against larger tech companies.
They added that “Kik’s Board and Executive Team alike believed that Kin was a bold idea that could solve the monetization challenges faced by all developers (not just Kik) in the existing advertising-based economy, by changing the way people buy and sell digital products and services.”
The SEC also alleges that the sale of digital tokens to U.S. investors was illegal because Kik did not register their offer as required by United States law, even though it claims that Kik marketed Kin as an investment opportunity whose value would increase. In its response, Kik denied that it offered or sold securities, or violated federal securities laws.
In the company’s press statement, Kik CEO Ted Livingston said, “The SEC tries to paint a picture that the Kin project was an act of desperation rather than the bold move that it was to win the game, and one that Kakao, Line, Telegram and Facebook have all now followed.”
The Sims 4 launched in 2014, but the game is constantly evolving thanks to its expansion packs. Not to be confused with game packs or stuff packs, The Sims 4 expansion packs are larger and designed to enhance gameplay in drastic ways. But are The Sims 4 expansion packs worth buying?
In this article we take a detailed look at all of The Sims 4 expansion packs, give you the pertinent information about each one, and help you decide whether or not they’re worth buying.
Sending your Sims to work has always been a part of The Sims experience, but always a passive one. Your Sim heads off to work and you don’t get much of a say in what happens there. The Get to Work expansion changes that.
You can become a doctor, dentist, or scientist, and actively control your Sims in their profession—like being able to treat patients, discover clues, or invent something. It’s fun to take part in these, though much like real life you will find it draws you away from everything else.
This expansion also gives you the ability to create your own business. Open for Business for Sims 2 is one of the best expansions and this is a spiritual successor to that—though it doesn’t quite reach the same heights. Considering that, if you’re wondering why you should bother with The Sims 4 over older iterations, check out our analysis of the difference between the Sims games.
In Get to Work you can create your own store, manage employees, keep track of your finances, and more. It’s a bit limited, though, and annoyingly if you want to open a restaurant then you’ll need to buy the Dine Out game pack too.
Should I Buy It? The new jobs get repetitive after a while, but running your own business is fun. If you like growing your Sim’s career then get the Get to Work expansion pack, otherwise give it a miss.
One of the great parts about The Sims is seeing how your characters interact with others. Whether it’s telling stories, cracking jokes, or falling in love, one of the game’s core components is your relationships. The Get Together expansion capitalizes on that, introducing a new club system that brings together a group of Sims with a shared passion.
Whether it’s hanging out at a coffee shop, dancing at a nightclub, or creating your own group around a niche interest, this expansion is perfect for those who like sending their Sims out of the house with others. The addition of the Windenburg world is one of the best parts, with a stylish European vibe that is perfect to spend time in.
Should I Buy It? Creating and managing a club is fun, and it’s great for Sims to interact without micromanagement. Plus the new world looks amazing. If you like the social side of The Sims, get the Get Together expansion pack.
The base game of The Sims 4 is good, but there’s no denying that the world feels a little empty. City Living resolves that. In fact, it makes it feel like you’re living in an episode of Friends, since your pals can now get a key to your abode and pop over whenever you want. This expansion just makes the game feel a lot more alive.
The main addition is a world called San Myshuno. Here you can have your Sim rent an apartment, which brings new challenges like landlords, rent, and pests. Most importantly, though, is that it puts you in close contact with your neighbors, forcing natural encounters. Festivals have also been added, so your Sim can mingle with others at things like Geekcon and the Flea Market.
Should I Buy It? This almost makes The Sims 4 feel like an open world and adds some much-needed culture to the game. If you want your Sims to live a modern lifestyle, the City Living expansion pack is well worth buying.
Some people will need no convincing on this. As you can guess from the name, Cats & Dogs adds pets to the game. It’s been an expansion for every The Sims title and it’s an equally great addition here. While it’s disappointing you can’t directly control your pet, they still have their own traits and require you to clean them, play with them, and train them.
You can also customize your pets in more ways than you’d think possible. Not just in design, but in silly outfits too. It’s wonderfully charming. Sadly, your animal pals can get ill, so there’s also the addition of a veterinary career where your Sims must perform well to increase the rating of their clinic.
Should I Buy It? Unless you have a heart of stone, what are you waiting for? The Cats & Dogs expansion pack adds cats and dogs! Making it a necessity. Especially if you use cameras to monitor your pets in real-life, as you can now do it in The Sims 4 too.
It’s very easy to lose track of time when playing The Sims, but it must feel a bit like that for your characters too. The Seasons expansion pack turns that on its head, letting your Sims celebrate holidays. You can mark them on the calendar to build anticipation, plus create your own special day.
Of course, the big addition here is weather. Crisp snowfalls and sweaty heat not only changes the aesthetic of the world, but it also impacts on your Sims’ emotions too. It’s a game changer to see the seasons transition, and being able to let your Sims splash in puddles, go ice skating, or run around in the sprinkler is awesome. All of this plus a new gardening career, which is perfect for those with green fingers.
Should I Buy It? This is a must-buy The Sims 4 expansion pack. It’s worth it just for the changing weather, but the new seasonal activities make it even better.
Have you dreamed of turning your Sim into the next Brad Pitt? Or maybe Kim Kardashian? The Get Famous expansion lets your Sims become celebrities, build up a fan base, and become an oh-so-trendy influencer. You get to choose how your Sim gets achieves fame and how much influence they have over the other people living in the town.
As your Sims get famous, fans and paparazzi will want a piece of them. It’s also important to keep up that fame level, by doing things like posting selfies or being spotted in local hot spots. It’s all good fun and offers you a lot of content to delve into.
Should I Buy It? If you’re looking to break the normal Sims gameplay cycle, Get Famous is a great expansion to get since it’s packed with new interactivity.
Most of The Sims 4 expansions expand the base game and can be enjoyed through normal day-to-day gameplay. Island Living is almost entirely focused on the new Sulani world, letting your Sims explore and relax on an island. Your Sim can be productive and help conserve the local environment or chill out and sail on a canoe. You can even meet mermaids and dolphins!
Sulani is full of tradition and culture. It’s nice to gather your Sims around a barbecue to learn about local folklore, and it’s amusing to see how they react to tasting some local delicacies. Island Living is a nice break from the ordinary and gives your Sims a more laid-back life.
Should I Buy It? If you want to send your Sims on a new adventure, away from their normal neighborhoods, the Island Living expansion is perfect for escapism.
Looking Beyond The Sims 4 Expansion Packs
Buying all of The Sims 4 expansion packs isn’t cheap, so hopefully we’ve helped you decide which ones are worth buying.
Artificial Intelligence is influencing almost all the business verticals today. For e.g. AI is profoundly used in self-driving cars, financial trading, education & personalized services to consumer. The bulk of data created from social media and connected devices have helped tremendously in building new data models and improving the accuracy of these models. We have also built data models where machines can listen, see & respond. Two important implications can be:
·Now that they can speak, read text format, process & use previous training, it can help humans on myriad topics and at considerable depth
·Now that they can identify spatial objects & optical patterns, they can exit the virtual world & join us in the real world
In short, machines can solve problems where humans are great (parallel processing, for e.g. pattern recognition) and humans are slow (sequential processing, for e.g. logical reasoning).
Using AI for Competitive Advantage
AI in today’s world is helping business to reframe their traditionalstaticcompetitive advantages (distribution network, capability, market share etc.) into moredynamicone. For e.g.
·Customer:AI has redesigned both the physical stores as well as high-traffic online portals by generating important customer insights. Retailers & e-tailers can run point-of-sale, loyalty, weather, locality, demography etc. data through their AI algorithms to create personalized promotion & marketing offers. They can learn about the customer & provide them with familiar, complementary or even new purchasing options for a complete new WOW experience. These WOW moments can help tailers to up-sell or cross-sell their products at negligible marginal cost.
·Capabilities:Traditionally any enterprise has three-core foundation: People, Process & Technology. By integrating new ways of working, say agile, the time to market product or services quickens as enterprises build prototypes and take them to market.
Add another layer of AI, and the whole gamut of insights it can provide based upon the data, can help you make your product right even in such small prototypes.
Beginning the Journey
Executives are responsible for deciphering activities, processes & tasks, which can give maximum ROI & is scalable. From top level, things may look complex, but as almost all complex activities can be broken down into smaller manageable tasks, executives needs to think fast, act smart. It is always better to analyses the use case of AI from these four parameters.
·Customer needs: Finding out the problem statement, which you want AI to solve from your customers, their implicit or explicit unmet needs.
·Technology: Use technology to capture data, signals & pain points from different sources and exploit the technological & computational advances to work towards a resolution. Find out ways, using which you can optimize your processes and services
·Data: After finding needs & exploiting technological advances to working towards a resolution, it is imperative, that executives do a sanity check. Using external data sources and feeding your algorithm can help you better your chances of finding out a potent business solution
·Divide & Rule:This step is mostly inclined towards aligning yourself to breaking down the complex, tested & proven resolution into simple tasks, which can then be followed and scaled.
These four steps, though may be intuitive, may have their own hurdles in terms of capabilities of enterprises and the required investment in hardware.
However, eventually, AI belongs to those enterprises & people that must put it to use. Any business (using AI) will be successful only if humans & machines work together!
Twitter has disclosed more bugs related to how it uses personal data for ad targeting that means it may have shared users data with advertising partners even when a user had expressly told it not to.
Back in May the social network disclosed a bug that in certain conditions resulted in an account’s location data being shared with a Twitter ad partner, during real-time bidding (RTB) auctions.
In a blog post on its Help Center about the latest “issues” Twitter says it “recently” found, it admits to finding two problems with users’ ad settings choices that mean they “may not have worked as intended”.
It claims both problems were fixed on August 5. Though it does not specify when it realized it was processing user data without their consent.
The first bug relates to tracking ad conversions. This meant that if a Twitter user clicked or viewed an ad for a mobile application on the platform and subsequently interacted with the mobile app Twitter says it “may have shared certain data (e.g., country code; if you engaged with the ad and when; information about the ad, etc)” with its ad measurement and advertising partners — regardless of whether the user had agreed their personal data could be shared in this way.
It suggests this leak of data has been happening since May 2018 — which is also the day when Europe’s updated privacy framework, GDPR, came into force. The regulation mandates disclosure of data breaches (which explains why you’re hearing about all these issues from Twitter) — and means that quite a lot is riding on how “recently” Twitter found these latest bugs. Because GDPR also includes a supersized regime of fines for confirmed data protection violations.
Though it remains to be seen whether Twitter’s now repeatedly leaky adtech will attract regulatory attention…
Twitter may have /accidentally/ shared data on users to ads partners even for those who opted out from personalised ads. That would be a violation of user settings and expectations, which #GDPR makes a quasi-contract. https://t.co/s0acfllEhG
Twitter specifies that it does not share users’ names, Twitter handles, email or phone number with ad partners. However it does share a user’s mobile device identifier, which GDPR treats as personal data as it acts as a unique identifier. Using this identifier, Twitter and Twitter’s ad partners can work together to link a device identifier to other pieces of identity-linked personal data they collectively hold on the same user to track their use of the wider Internet, thereby allowing user profiling and creepy ad targeting to take place in the background.
The second issue Twitter discloses in the blog post also relates to tracking users’ wider web browsing to serve them targeted ads.
Here Twitter admits that, since September 2018, it may have served targeted ads that used inferences made about the user’s interests based on tracking their wider use of the Internet — even when the user had not given permission to be tracked.
This sounds like another breach of GDPR, given that in cases where the user did not consent to being tracked for ad targeting Twitter would lack a legal basis for processing their personal data. But it’s saying it processed it anyway — albeit, it claims accidentally.
This type of creepy ad targeting — based on so-called ‘inferences’ — is made possible because Twitter associates the devices you use (including mobile and browsers) when you’re logged in to its service with your Twitter account, and then receives information linked to these same device identifiers (IP addresses and potentially browser fingerprinting) back from its ad partners, likely gathered via tracking cookies (including Twitter’s own social plug-ins) which are larded all over the mainstream Internet for the purpose of tracking what you look at online.
These third party ad cookies link individuals’ browsing data (which gets turned into inferred interests) with unique device/browser identifiers (linked to individuals) to enable the adtech industry (platforms, data brokers, ad exchanges and so on) to track web users across the web and serve them “relevant” (aka creepy) ads.
“As part of a process we use to try and serve more relevant advertising on Twitter and other services since September 2018, we may have shown you ads based on inferences we made about the devices you use, even if you did not give us permission to do so,” it how Twitter explains this second ‘issue’.
“The data involved stayed within Twitter and did not contain things like passwords, email accounts, etc.,” it adds. Although the key point here is one of a lack of consent, not where the data ended up.
(Also, the users’ wider Internet browsing activity linked to their devices via cookie tracking did not originate with Twitter — even if it’s claiming the surveillance files it received from its “trusted” partners stayed on its servers. Bits and pieces of that tracked data would, in any case, exist all over the place.)
We are committed to providing you meaningful privacy choices. You can control whether we operate and personalize your experience based on browsers or devices other than the ones you use to log in to Twitter (or if you’re logged out, browsers or devices other than the one you’re currently using), or email addresses and phone numbers similar to those linked to your Twitter account. You can do this by visiting your Personalization and data settings and adjusting the Personalize based on your inferred identity setting.
The problem in this case is that users’ privacy choices were simply overridden. Twitter says it did not do so intentionally. But either way it’s not consent. Ergo, a breach.
“We know you will want to know if you were personally affected, and how many people in total were involved. We are still conducting our investigation to determine who may have been impacted and If we discover more information that is useful we will share it,” Twitter goes on. “What is there for you to do? Aside from checking your settings, we don’t believe there is anything for you to do.
“You trust us to follow your choices and we failed here. We’re sorry this happened, and are taking steps to make sure we don’t make a mistake like this again. If you have any questions, you may contact Twitter’s Office of Data Protection through this form.”
While the company may “believe” there is nothing Twitter users can do — aside from accept its apology for screwing up — European Twitter users who believe it processed their data without their consent do have a course of action they can take: They can complain to their local data protection watchdog.
Zooming out, there are also major legal question marks hanging over behaviourally targeted ads in Europe.
The UK’s privacy regulator warned in June that systematic profiling of web users via invasive tracking technologies such as cookies is in breach of pan-EU privacy laws — following multiple complaints filed in the region that argue RTB is in breach of the GDPR.
While, back in May Google’s lead regulator in Europe, the Irish Data Protection Commission, confirmed it has opened a formal investigation into use of personal data in the context of its online Ad Exchange.
Amazon now lets you opt out of having your Alexa voice recordings reviewed by humans. In other words, you can now stop human beings employed by Amazon from listening to your communications with Alexa. In this article we explain how to do so.
Amazon Answers Alexa Security Questions
In July 2019, Amazon admitted it retains Alexa voice recordings and transcripts until customers delete them. The company also admitted that even after customers delete these voice recordings, transcripts may remain on “other storage systems”.
These admissions came in response to questions posed by US Senator Chris Coons. Since then, customers have become concerned about the way Amazon is dealing with their communications with Alexa. And Amazon is now trying to allay those fears.
How to Opt Out of Manual Reviews
As first spotted by Bloomberg, Amazon has added a new opt-out to Alexa’s privacy settings. This allows you to opt out of having your voice recordings “manually reviewed” by real-life humans. And all you need to do is move the slider across to “Off”.
Make sure Amazon Alexa doesn’t do anything with your data by using these settings. It’s good they are providing more control to users about their privacy pic.twitter.com/BT94qNwQDk
To do this, open the Amazon Alexa app. Click the horizontal lines in the top-left, and then click Settings. Then click Alexa Privacy and select Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa. Alternatively, visit the Alexa privacy settings on the Amazon homepage.
Amazon will inform you that it uses voice recordings to “improve Amazon services and develop new features”. But for that to happen, some voice recordings are “manually reviewed”. Just slide “Help Improve Amazon Services and Develop New Features” to Off.
How to Delete Your Alexa Voice Recordings
Amazon has taken a lot of criticism for the lack of information surrounding the way it accesses and retains Alexa voice recordings. And it took a US Senator asking the right questions for this to happen. Still, any opt-out is welcome, even at this late stage.
Anyone with an Apple Watch almost certainly has important and personal information stored on the wearable device. Thankfully, Apple provides many security features to protect that data.
Today, we’ll take a look at one of the most important security features available and show you how to lock and unlock the Apple Watch.
How to Lock Your Apple Watch
Passcode Lock for Apple Watch is just like the feature used on an iPhone or iPad. You’ll need to enter a passcode on the screen of the wearable device to unlock it for use.
The first opportunity you’ll have to select a passcode is during the Apple Watch setup process. If you’ve added any credit card information for Apple Pay, picking a passcode to keep your Apple Watch locked while not in use is required. This can be a simple four-digit passcode, or anywhere from five to 10 digits long.
If you ever want to add or reset your PIN, just head to Settings > Passcode on the Apple Watch. You can also head to the companion Apple Watch app on your iOS device and select Passcode in the My Watch tab.
First, you’ll enter the current passcode, if applicable. Enter the new passcode on the screen of your Apple Watch twice for confirmation.
In the same menu, you can also find the setting to disable passcode lock. That’s not recommended though, as all your data will be available to anyone with access to the watch.
Make Sure Your Apple Watch Is Locked
With a passcode set, you have two ways to make sure your Apple Watch is locked.
The most secure option is with the automatic Wrist Detection feature. To enable that, go to Settings > Passcode > Wrist Detection on the Watch, or Passcode > Wrist Detection on the Apple Watch app.
With this setting, the Apple Watch automatically locks when you’re not wearing it, thanks to its built-in sensors. Unlock your Apple Watch by putting it back on your wrist and entering the passcode. The big advantage of the feature is that you’ll only have to enter the Apple Watch passcode once per day when putting it on in the morning.
Even better, turning on Wrist Detection will help improve battery life. It also must be enabled for the watch to track background heart rate readings and the Stand activity ring.
If you choose to not activate that feature, you still have a way to manually lock your Apple Watch. Slide up from any watch face to bring up the Control Center and select the Lock icon.
After setting a passcode, you can unlock your Apple Watch by simply entering the passcode on the screen of the device.
Alternatively, there is an easier way to always have an unlocked Apple Watch ready to go. You’ll need to head to the Apple Watch app, navigate to My Watch > Passcode, and select Unlock with iPhone.
With this setting on, unlocking your iPhone (even with Touch ID or Face ID) will always unlock your Apple Watch—as long as you’re wearing it.
What to Do When Your Apple Watch Won’t Unlock
You also may run into a situation where the Apple Watch won’t unlock. The most likely reason is that you’ve forgotten the passcode you set for the device. But don’t despair: there is some hope in this situation.
Maybe you’ve stored the passcode in a safe location; using a password manager is a great way to do this. Make sure to take a look at some of the best password managers for your iPhone if you haven’t set one up yet.
If you can’t find the correct passcode, you’ll need to take a more drastic step. It’s time to completely erase your Apple Watch and then restore the information from a backup.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Go to the My Watch tab and select General > Reset.
Choose Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
If there isn’t a recent backup of the Apple Watch, you’ll see a dialog box to update an iCloud backup. Select Backup Then Erase. That will ensure you have the most recent Apple Watch settings and other information.
You’ll then have to turn off Find my Watch to completely delete the contents of the device.
Anyone with a cellular-enabled Apple Watch should select Keep Your Plan to retain all carrier information on the watch.
After the Apple Watch is erased, power it back on and place it near your iPhone to start the pairing process. You’ll see a dialog box on the iPhone to help begin the process.
During setup, make sure to select Restore From Backup. That will restore all the settings and other information on your Apple Watch. The only exception is Apple Pay credit card information, which you’ll need to enter again in the Wallet & Apple Pay section of the My Watch tab.
Making the Most of Your Apple Watch
Passcode lock is an important security feature that is easy to use, and does a great job protecting important data stored on your Apple Watch. Hopefully, with these tips, you fully understand how to both unlock and lock an Apple Watch.
Cloud computing has changed the way that businesses think about their IT infrastructure. No longer do you need to invest in expensive hardware or maintain your own server rooms. You can now have access to computing power and storage as and when you need, thanks to cloud services.
There are two dominant players in the cloud computing game: Amazon and Microsoft. We’re comparing them in this epic showdown between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure to find out which cloud service is the best.
AWS vs. Microsoft Azure: Storage
You can’t have cloud computing services without storage solutions in mind. Let’s run through what cloud storage solutions Amazon and Microsoft have to offer.
Amazon Web Services
There are no less than nine different storage products on offer from Amazon. Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is the most flexible storage solution. It can be used as the storage for cloud-based apps, disaster recovery, media hosting, or as a plain-old cloud store for your files. You could use an S3 store as a back up for your Linux devices, for instance.
If you’re looking for a low-cost solution for your backups (and to use with AWS Backup), then Amazon S3 Glacier is a better option. You sacrifice regular access for a lower storage fee. The retrieval fees differ depending on how quickly you want to access your data.
There are some more specialist storage products on offer from Amazon, like Cloud Data Migration Services, which will securely move files between other AWS storage services or from an external provider. Other products like Amazon FSx or Elastic File System will give you optimized storage for your specialist cloud projects, like machine learning applications or enterprise databases.
Microsoft Azure
In a direct Azure vs. AWS comparison, Azure Blob is a lot like Amazon S3. It’s structured a little differently, however. Azure Blob comes in three flavors—Hot, Cool, and Archive.
Blob Hot is for general purpose storage, intended for frequent access. Blob Cool is optimized to store data you might storage for a long-term—at least 30 days. Amazon’s S3 Infrequent Access product has a minimum storage period of at least 30 days.
There are no prizes for guessing that Blob Archive is Microsoft’s archiving storage product. It’s the best option for data you need to store long-term. Azure Archive has a minimum storage duration of 180 days, which is twice as long as the 90-day minimum for Amazon Glacier.
Microsoft also offers Azure Backup, a service intended for backing up and restoring your data in the cloud, storing data in “Recovery Services vaults” which you can access from the Azure Portal. If you want to mount your cloud storage like you would a network drive, Azure Files should cover your requirements.
There’s also Azure Disk, Microsoft storage products for virtual machines. Azure Disk is useful for specialist operations you might have involving high-performance computing, similar to Amazon FSx.
AWS vs. Microsoft Azure: Computing Power
Both cloud computing services have an impressive array of products offering the widest selection of compute power for customers, whether it’s to host a simple web server or an enterprise database cluster.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon’s flagship compute offering is Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which offers scalable virtual machines using pre-provided Amazon Machine Images. Each AMI is a virtual machine you can run, including an operating system like Linux or Windows and any extra software you might need.
You can set up automated scaling of your AMIs, so you’ll never run out of the system resources you need. Amazon offers hundreds of different variations of EC2 for you to try. They range from the general purpose and cheap to the niche and expensive.
To give you an idea of the range, you could spin up an “a1.medium” EC2 instance with 1 virtual CPU and 2GB of RAM. Alternatively, you could go for an “r5ad.24.xlarge” memory-optimized EC2 instance with 96 virtual CPUs and 768GB of RAM.
The choice is yours—the flexibility means that it’s unlikely that you won’t find an EC2 instance that isn’t ideally matched to your needs. While you can switch between instance types, you can’t customize them (for example, by increasing RAM on an “a1.medium” EC2 instance from 2GB to 4GB).
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft’s compute instances are simply called Virtual Machines, and you can opt to run either Linux or Windows.
Looking at Azure vs. AWS, Azure’s Virtual Machines are categorized in a similar way to AWS EC2 instances. They come with optimized alternatives for your specific storage, memory, and GPU requirements. If you need to render a lot of 4K videos, for instance, you might rent a GPU-optimized Azure NV instance. These come with 24 virtual CPUs, 224GB RAM, and 4 GPUs with 48GB graphics RAM each.
For standard users, the Azure B-series will cover you. B-series VMs come with virtual CPUs ranging from one to 20 virtual CPUs, and RAM ranging from 0.5GB to 80GB. Like AWS, while you can switch between instance types, you can’t customize them. You have to choose from the pre-set configurations already available.
Microsoft also offers the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to make it easy to deploy containers using the Kubernetes management tool. If you’ve got complex web apps you need to quickly deploy, AKS can get you up and running quickly.
AWS vs. Microsoft Azure: Pricing and Value
The biggest decision in choosing a cloud service could be the price. Unfortunately, there are thousands of different product variations, with everything from location to resource allocation having an impact on pricing.
Let’s look at things more generally, covering some of the most common services, whether you choose AWS or Azure.
Amazon Web Services
Starting with Amazon, there are a few different pricing models for AWS, which can affect the price you pay. You can pay less for resource usage, how often you access your data, and how much data you use. You can also receive discounts for paying in advance, rather than paying for your use on-demand.
Prices are usually displayed per-hour or per-GB. Amazon S3 Standard storage, for instance, is $0.023 per GB for the first 50TB, compared to $0.00099 per GB for Amazon Glacier. If you wanted to rent an EC2 instance, you’re billed per second. A reasonably powered “t2.medium” instance, with 2 virtual CPUs and 2GB RAM running Linux, would cost around $0.046/hour, or around $33.97/month.
The good news is you can try some AWS products out for free. New customers can receive 12 months free use of a general-purpose EC2 “t2.micro” instance, with one virtual CPU and 1GB RAM.
Amazon’s AWS simple monthly calculator can give you a clear, up-to-date estimate of the monthly fee you might pay for any AWS service.
Microsoft Azure
Like AWS, Microsoft also offers 12 months free to trial certain Azure services. You also get $200 credit to try any service for 30 days.
You’re also charged by the second for the services you use unless you’re prepared to pay upfront for one to three years, for a large discount. In a like-for-like comparison, while a “t2.medium” AWS instance cost $0.046/hour, a similar Azure “B1MS” instance (with 2 virtual CPUs and 4GB RAM) costs $0.04/hour, or around $30.36/month.
If you want scalable storage using Azure Blobs, it’ll cost you from $0.0208 per GB for Blob Hot, down to $0.0010 per GB for Archive. You may also have to pay extra for your data access, such as a $0.02 per GB data retrieval cost for Archive storage.
The short and honest answer, based on the criteria we’ve looked at, is that there is no clear winner. Both services offer similar features and performance. Although Amazon pioneered cloud services, Microsoft has done a good job of catching up in recent years. If the price is your biggest concern, Azure is slightly cheaper per-hour when you look at Azure vs. AWS directly.
You’ve also got Google using their vast resources trying to compete in the same market, with customizable virtual machines and an impressive $300 in free credit for new users. Of course, you might want to build your own cloud storage with a Raspberry Pi if you’d rather go for the DIY approach instead.
Amazon is killing off its Dash buttons. Having already stopped selling them earlier this year, Amazon is now set to stop taking orders placed using its physical Dash buttons. Which means you have until August 31, 2019 to place an order using your Dash buttons.
What Is Amazon Dash and How Does It Work?
Amazon Dash is an effort to simplify the ordering process. You would purchase a physical button tied to a brand, and place it somewhere convenient. Then, when you run out of that item, you would simply press the Amazon Dash button to order it from Amazon.
Amazon launched Dash in 2015, and the buttons soon caught on. Since then, people have used them to order all manner of branded items. However, in March 2019, Amazon stopped selling physical Dash buttons, and now it’s stopping accepting orders from them.
Amazon Ends Support for Dash Buttons
When Amazon stopped selling its physical Dash buttons it said it would continue supporting existing buttons. Unfortunately, six months on, and that’s no longer the case. So, from August 31, customers will no longer be able to place orders using Dash buttons.
According to CNET, Amazon claims usage of Dash buttons “has significantly slowed” in recent months. Hence Amazon ending support for physical Dash buttons. The company also claims other ways of ordering, including Virtual Dash buttons, provide other options.
Virtual Dash buttons do the same thing as their physical counterparts, but without the physical element. Instead of sitting next to the toilet or washing machine, Virtual Dash buttons live in the Amazon app, allowing you to order items in an instant.
To be fair, Virtual Dash buttons make infinitely more sense than their physical counterparts. However, this isn’t going to help appease Dash button users upset that Amazon is ending support for their method of ordering household essentials.
Other Ways to Use Amazon Dash Buttons
So, if you’re currently using physical Amazon Dash buttons they’ll stop working on August 31, 2019. At which point you’ll have to either switch to using Virtual Dash buttons or use Alexa Shopping to order items by barking orders at your Amazon Echo.
And what about those physical Dash buttons that are now useless? You could recycle them, or, if you’re the more adventurous type into tinkering, you could always try one of these Amazon Dash hacks and hope they still work after Amazon ends support.
Headphones are great. They let you listen to your music, podcasts, or audiobooks without annoying the people around you, and our review of the Jabra Elite 85h shows that there are still ways to improve on headphones.
But what if the people around you want to listen to your music with you? Well, you’d need to carry around a separate speaker in order to make that happen.
However, a new pair of headphones from Buoq called Axis actually switch from a pair of personal headphones into a powerful Bluetooth speaker, which could be quite convenient in a number of different situations.
Buoq Axis Headphones and Speaker Features
At first glance, these might look like any pair of Bluetooth headphones, but they can actually be used in two different modes. There’s the standard headphone mode, which keeps the volume to a safe level for close quarters with your ears. When you rotate the headphones out, they become a set of portable speakers that can either be worn or set down for a louder experience.
Switching modes looks to be pretty simple. You just rotate the ear cups out, and then the amplifiers will kick in and allow the volume to reach much higher levels. Going further, if you’re listening at mid-volume while in headphone mode and you rotate the ear cups into speaker mode, the volume will scale up while remaining at the mid-level.
As for battery life, the creators promise 18 hours of runtime while in headphone mode and 11 hours of time while in speaker mode (obviously, louder volumes from the speaker will use the battery more quickly).
One thing the headphones don’t have is active noise canceling technology. The creators cite higher costs, faster battery drain, and potential nausea and headache, but if you’re looking for a pair with active tech, you may want to look elsewhere.
Buoq Axis Price and Availability
Buoq is seeking funding for its new headphone/speaker hybrid on Kickstarter. It has vastly exceeded its funding goal already, so the devices should make their way to market by the estimated delivery date of October 2019.
If you’re interested in snagging a pair for yourself, you’ll need to pledge €79 ($88 USD) while the early special lasts. Once those are sold out, you’ll need to pledge €99 ($110 USD) to get a device.
There’s an endless stream of games released, and it can be difficult to know what game to buy next. Whether you’re starting from scratch or have several titles in mind to choose from.
To help you sort the wheat from the chaff, and prevent you buying a dud, we’ve rounded up a list of ways to help you decide what game to buy next.
1. Read Game Reviews
Reviews are subjective. They are the opinion of the single person who played the game. Nonetheless, they are still a helpful indicator of a game’s quality. Try finding a reviewer whose tastes align with your own. That way, if they recommend something, you will likely enjoy it too.
You can use a review aggregator like Metacritic. This collates reviews from publications across the web to provide a weighted average. The higher the Metacritic score, the more positive reviews that game received. Users can also score games and it is helpful to see how the public favor a game compared to the critics.
2. Watch Gameplay Videos
One of the best ways to see if a game takes your fancy is to watch gameplay videos. Trailers are fine for giving you a flavor, but obviously these are going to be edited to make the game seem as enticing as possible. With gameplay videos, you get a full taste.
YouTube is a great source of gameplay videos. Depending on the game’s popularity, you’ll find all sorts of different types: complete walkthroughs, Let’s Plays, compilations, and more. Check them out and see if the game looks good in motion.
3. Engage in Twitch Streams
The next level up from gameplay videos are live streams. These are when people across the globe play a game and stream it online for others to watch. The best source for these is Twitch.
Find someone streaming a game you’re interested in and watch them play it. If it’s a smaller stream, they are more likely to engage with the audience, so try talking to them in the chat box. This way you can ask them questions about the game or get them to show you a specific feature.
4. Check How Long a Game Is
Perhaps you want a game that gives you the best bang for your buck. Something that you can sink hours into, like The Witcher 3 or Dark Souls. On the other hand, perhaps life is hectic and you want games that you can play in short bursts or that don’t take long to complete.
Whatever the case, check out How Long to Beat. This is a database of games that collects user data on how long it took them to finish a game—both the main story and the completionist route. Simply type in the name of the game and you can see how many hours you’re likely to lose to it.
5. Track the Prices of Games
Game prices fluctuate constantly. There are always discount sales. If often pays to be patient, to not buy the game when it first comes out, and instead wait for the inevitable price drop.
If you want to get the best deal on a potential game purchase, use a site like IsThereAnyDeal or Price Charting. These map the historical prices of games, which is helpful to see if that current sale really is such a good deal. The former also lets you import your wish list from Steam and it will notify you when the price drops.
6. See Who the Developer Is
Some developers are known for always producing quality games. Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption), Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us), and Valve (Half-Life, Portal) are just some examples.
If you’ve played a game that you loved, see who the developer is and explore their other games. Obviously, it is possible for a developer to produce a dud or to have a fall from grace, but the chances are you will like their other work too.
7. Talk to Friends
If you have friends who play games, they can be a great recommendation source. They’ll know your tastes, so should be able to suggest something likely to be up your alley. Plus, if they live nearby, you can go round and try it out first-hand.
You could also coordinate buying the same game with a friend. If it’s a single-player experience, you can catch up and share your opinions. If it’s multiplayer, you can connect and have fun together. Our list of the best local multiplayer PS4 games might help.
8. Use a Recommendation Engine
If doing all of this research and talking to humans gets you down, why not turn to the robots to lend a hand? You can use a recommendation engine to get suggestions on new games based upon those you’ve played and liked.
Try the Steam Recommender, which looks at games you have played and uses machine learning to compare this against other people. Alternatively, there’s the Video Game Recommendation Engine, where you can input up to three games you like and it will give you more in that vein.
9. Check the Status of Each Game
Ever since the dawn of things like Early Access and crowdfunding, a lot of games are being released in incomplete states. For some, this is fine—it can be exciting to play a game before the full release and potentially help shape its future.
However, there are various things to be aware of. Read forums and check user reviews to see if a game is actually playable and not full of bugs. If the game is episodic, check that all episodes are released. A developer could go bust and leave the game incomplete. Also, you might want to check how much DLC there is and whether it’s considered a necessary purchase for the best experience.
10. Play Game Demos
Demos used to be much more prevalent than they are nowadays. It was a common sight to see the shelves lined with gaming magazines, each with a free disc packed with the latest demos. But in the age of digital distribution, demos are rare.
That said, demos do still exist for some games, and they’re an excellent method of seeing whether a game is worth buying. What can be better than playing it for yourself? One place you can get demos from is the Microsoft Store. You should also see if you have any local game stores with demo stands, as console publishers often set up their latest releases for the public to try.
Organize Your Games
It can be a difficult decision knowing what game to buy next, especially if you’re on a limited budget. However, hopefully, our tips will help you decide what game to buy next.
