Ragnar Locker has claimed another victim. BleepingComputer reported yesterday that the ransomware group forced Adata to take its systems offline in May. Even though Adata says it has since resumed normal operations, the group claims that it was able to steal 1.5TB of data before the company detected its attack.
It’s not clear how the ransomware attack affected Adata’s ability to manufacture its storage, memory, and power solutions. The company told BleepingComputer that “things are being moved toward the normal track, and business operations are not disrupted for corresponding contingency practices are effective.”
Ragnar Locker has reportedly claimed that it was able to “collect and exfiltrate proprietary business information, confidential files, schematics, financial data, Gitlab and SVN source code, legal documents, employee info, NDAs, and work folders” as part of this attack. But those files have not yet been shared with the public.
The ransomware group has been operating since at least November 2019. Sophos offered some insight into how the ransomware itself operated in May 2020, and the FBI said in November 2020 that it has targeted “cloud service providers, communication, construction, travel, and enterprise software companies.”
It seems Ragnar Locker isn’t bashful, either, with Threatpost reporting in November 2020 that it took out Facebook ads threatening to leak the 2TB of data it stole from Campari Group unless it was paid $15 million in Bitcoin. Other high-profile attacks have targeted Energias de Portugal (a Portuguese electric company) and Capcom.
Ransomware doesn’t necessarily get as much attention as it used to, but attacks are still common, and they’re still able to affect large companies like Adata or Quanta Computer. The attacks often follow the pattern set by Ragnar Locker by attempting to block access to data while simultaneously threatening to leak it to the public.
Attacks continue to target consumers, too, with a recent example being Android ransomware that masqueraded as a mobile version of Cyberpunk 2077 to find its victims. Companies have even started to sell their “self-defending” SSDs to consumers to ease concerns about being targeted by these kinds of attacks.
Adata told BleepingComputer that it is “determined to devote ourselves making the system protected than ever, and yes, this will be our endless practice while the company is moving forward to its future growth and achievements.” Somebody’s gotta make sure those efforts to capitalize on Chia aren’t disrupted again.
Motorola has announced the Moto G Stylus 5G, a new version of its very good, non-5G budget-friendly stylus phone. It offers broadly similar hardware to the 4G version, with notable exceptions in the new Snapdragon 480 5G chipset with sub-6GHz 5G connectivity and a bigger 5,000mAh battery. Priced at $399, it’s at the higher end of the budget range and will go on sale June 14th.
Like its 4G peer, the G Stylus 5G features a large 6.8-inch 1080p screen, ready for your notes and doodles courtesy of a built-in stylus. It includes 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and ships with Android 11. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a charging brick is included in the box. The Stylus 5G is a little bigger and heavier than the 4G version, but not by much — it’s about four grams heavier and 0.3mm thicker.
The G Stylus 5G offers a rear triple-camera array that’s very similar to the 4G G Stylus’, with a 48-megapixel f/1.7 standard wide, 8-megapixel ultrawide, and 5-megapixel macro, plus a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Around front, there’s a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The G Stylus 5G isn’t the most aggressively priced 5G phone in the budget market. OnePlus says its upcoming N200 5G will cost less than $250, and Samsung’s Galaxy A32 5G is currently selling for $279. It’s also surprising to see the Snapdragon 480 5G chipset used here, since it’s intended for more affordable 5G devices well under the Stylus 5G’s $400 price.
On the other hand, the G Stylus 5G is quite a bit cheaper than the other prominent 5G phone with a built-in stylus, the $999 Galaxy Note 20, if you want to look at things that way.
Google is changing how its Android search engine choice screen works in Europe, following complaints from rivals about its pay-to-play model, the company has announced in a blog post. The selection screen appears for users when they first set up an Android device, and is designed to offer a choice of search engines after Google was hit by a record $5 billion antitrust fine in 2018. From September, the search giant is making it free for search engines to be included, and is increasing the number of services that’ll be shown on the selection screen.
Currently, the selection screen includes a choice of just four search providers. One is Google, and the other three are chosen through a sealed-bid auction process. Search providers each “state the price that they are willing to pay each time a user selects them from the choice screen” and Google then selects the three highest bidders over a minimum bid threshold, and displays them in a random order on the screen.
After the changes, which will apply to all devices sold in the European Economic Area and the UK, Google will display up to 12 providers on its search selection screen, and none will have to pay to be included. The first five will be the most popular search engines in a given country, as determined by the web analytics service StatCounter, displayed in a random order. Below these, Google will show up to seven more providers in a random order. If there are ever more than seven other providers to choose from, then Google says it’ll randomly display a selection of seven whenever the choice screen in shown.
Although providers won’t have to pay to be included, Google has detailed a number of eligibility requirements here. Providers must offer a “general search service,” which means results can’t be limited to a single topic, they need to offer a free app on Google Play, and they need to be correctly localized in a country to be visible on its selection screen.
Google is now doing what it should have done 3yr ago: a free search preference menu on Android in the EU: https://t.co/M9XmB1VuGr
However, it should be on all platforms (e.g., also desktop Chrome), accessible at all times (i.e., not just on factory reset), and in all countries. https://t.co/HcIrE8KJx3
— Gabriel Weinberg (@yegg) June 8, 2021
Responding to the news, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg cautiously welcomed the changes, but criticized Google for not having made them three years ago. He said they should also apply to more devices and in all countries, and that the selection screen should not be limited to the first time a user sets up or factory resets an Android device. In its FAQ Google confirmed that users will only see the choice screen once per device, during setup. Last year, Weinberg criticized the auction process, and called it “fundamentally flawed.”
But in comments given to Bloomberg, EU officials welcomed the “positive” move that addressed complaints from rivals. “Users will have even more opportunities to choose an alternative,” the European Commission said.
Google may have shied away from a Pixel Watch, but a Pixel Fold still very much seems to be on the way — following a leak last August that revealed the company was planning to release its first folding Pixel phone in late 2021, Korean industry site TheElec is now reporting that Samsung will begin production of folding OLED panels this October for Google, Vivo and Xiaomi’s upcoming folding phones, all of which will reportedly be revealed late this year.
Google hasn’t exactly kept its folding phone ambitions a secret; in 2019, it published patent applications for its own folding screens and admitted it had been prototyping them for quite some time, telling CNET that it didn’t have “a clear use case yet.” But now, it appears Google has a foldable, codename “Passport,” that could be nearly ready to announce. 9to5Google even spotted a new reference to it last month in Android 12’s code, alongside other codenames believed to be the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 5a 5G. TheElec says it’ll have a single 7.6-inch panel that folds inward, while Vivo’s upcoming phone will have a 8-inch main screen and a 6.5-inch outer display. It didn’t mention the size of the new Xiaomi phone’s screen.
It’s not clear whether a Pixel Fold would actually come with a display designed by Google itself, though it’s possible; Samsung acts as a contract manufacturer for many other companies, producing some of Apple’s homegrown processors. Either way, one portion of the screen’s sandwich may still largely belong to Samsung itself: ETNews reports that Samsung will supply its proprietary ultra-thin cover glass (which is technically made by German manufacturer Schott) to other smartphone manufacturers, and Google is expected to use it.
Xiaomi already announced a folding phone earlier this year, the Mi Mix Fold, but it sounds like it’ll have a second one. TheElec also reports Oppo will be delaying a new foldable phone to 2022, with a 7.1-inch main screen and a smaller one between 1.5 and 2 inches diagonally.
Google’s Locked Folder feature, which allows you to password-protect specific images or videos to keep them from showing up in your main photo library, is available in the latest Pixel update, according to 9to5Google. Google’s page explaining Locked Folder says the feature is only currently available on Pixel devices, starting with the 3. When it announced the feature at its I/O conference, Google said that it would be coming to other Android phones “throughout the year.”
If you’ve got an updated Pixel, you can set up the Locked Folder by going to Photos, then to Library > Utilities > Locked Folder. Once it is set up, this is where you’ll be able to see your secret stuff.
You’re able to move existing photos to the Locked Folder, which will remove them both from your regular library and from any existing Memories that the picture may appear in. It’s worth noting that, according to Google, you can’t back up any photos or videos in the Locked Folder, so there is some amount of trade-off between privacy and convenience. Anything in the Locked Folder can, however, be moved out of it if you no longer need to keep it private.
Google’s support page also explains that you can even set the camera to save captured images directly to the Locked Folder, keeping them from ever going into your normal library. This could be useful if, for example, you were at a protest and wanted to make sure any pictures you took weren’t available to anyone else who might get hold of your phone. Or, for a more obvious example, if you were taking some spicy selfies you wanted to keep private.
Locked Folder is included as part of the June Pixel update, which is rolling out to phones now. According to 9to5Google, the update also includes the ability to ask Google Assistant to answer or reject a call, take astrophotography videos (on the Pixel 4 and newer), and an improvement to Gboard that places key details (like a phone number) in your keyboard’s suggestion strip after you’ve copied the text to your clipboard.
You won’t find many true wireless earbuds that come close to matching the all-round brilliance of the Sony WF-1000XM4
For
Clear, detailed bass performance
Wonderful sense of musicality
Comfortable
Class-leading battery life
Against
Missing Sony’s Multipoint feature
Lacking ear tip choices
No aptX HD
How do you improve on arguably the best all-round true wireless earbuds on the market? Sony has gone back to the drawing board and designed a brand new pair that look nothing like their predecessors – and the result is the WF-1000XM4. Is it a brave move? Definitely. Crazy? Quite possibly.
Sony’s WF-1000X range of wireless earbuds has been a dominant force in this category over the last few years, and the last pair to emerge from its stable, the WF-1000XM3, are two-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winners.
But instead of making the odd refinement here and there, Sony’s engineers have gone to town on the WF-1000XM4 with an all-new design, a new charging case and a new audio processor. They have even found time to develop a new eartip material, which here is appearing on a pair of Sony earbuds for the first time. What could possibly go wrong?
Luckily for Sony, very little does. In fact, the WF-1000XM4 are one of the most feature-packed, user-friendly and sonically gifted pair of wireless earbuds we’ve tested.
Pricing
Unsurprisingly, the Sonys sit at the premium end of the market, coming in at £250 ($280, AU$500). That places them right in the firing line of other five-star rivals such as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (£279, $299, AU$499), Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (£249, $280, AU$399) and, of course, the Apple AirPods Pro, which at the time of writing range in price between £199 ($199, AU$300) and £249 ($249, AU$329).
Build
(Image credit: Sony)
Your initial contact with the WF-1000XM4 is a surprising one. Sony has ditched the usual glossy box for recycled packaging made from a special blend of paper. This makes for a more compact box (34 per cent smaller than the WF-1000XM3’s), and one that’s plastic-free. That’s great news for the environment, though it doesn’t really give off the vibe that you’ve just bought a pair of premium noise-cancelling headphones.
Sony WF-1000XM4 tech specs
(Image credit: Sony)
Bluetooth version 5.2
Noise-cancelling Yes
Battery life 8 hours (BT + ANC), 24 hours (total)
Voice control Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
Finishes x2
Weight 7.3g (x2)
Once you’ve liberated the WF-1000XM4 from their packaging, you’re greeted by a small, black charging case. It’s smaller than the case that comes with the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds, and positively tiny (40 per cent smaller) compared with the charging case that comes with their predecessors.
The case charges via USB-C and also introduces wireless charging to the WF-1000X range for the first time – all you need is a compatible Qi charging pad. You can even battery share with compatible smartphones and piggyback off their power supply, too.
You shouldn’t have to worry too much about the battery life. Sony’s new buds might come with a smaller case, but the XM4’s battery life is actually up compared with the XM3. You now get eight hours of play from the earbuds with noise-cancelling and Bluetooth turned on, and Sony claims the case can supply a further 16 hours of charge. That places their battery life from a single charge above all major rivals. The AirPods Pro can only manage five hours, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless seven hours and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds six hours. Turn off noise-cancelling and the Sony’s life is extended to 12 hours from a single charge and 24 hours with the case. A five-minute quick charge is good for one hour of playtime, too.
You can see the life remaining in both the buds and the case through Sony’s Headphones Connect app, which will also give you a reminder when the case drops below 30 per cent charge.
As with all wireless earbuds, battery life can vary due to a number of different factors, such as the quality of files you’re listening to, how hard the internal processor is working, and the volume you’re listening at. During our testing, we found the battery life consistently good enough to get us through a day of mixed use.
Comfort
(Image credit: Sony)
Flip open the magnetic case and you’ll see the all-new earbud design of the WF-1000XM4. Based on a combination of customer feedback about the XM3 and research about the human ear, Sony has settled on a rounder body that sits more inside the ear opening.
The matte finish on each earbud gives the headphones a premium feel, while the small accents around the microphone and sensor holes add a tiny splash of colour. Speaking of colour, the XM4 come in a choice of black or silver.
If you want your XM4 to double as sports or running headphones you’ll be pleased to know they boast an IPX4 rating, making them resistant to “splashing from any angle” – a big improvement on the old model.
Besides the new-look earpieces, the XM4 also have brand new eartips. Made from polyurethane, which feels like a cross between silicone and foam, Sony claims they help secure a tighter, more stable fit. The thousands of tiny bubbles in the tips are also supposed to help reduce and dissipate noise.
The only downside here is that you only get a single set of small, medium and large-sized tips to choose from. Sony says you will get years of use out of one pair, and naturally extra tips should be available to purchase if you need them.
We don’t have any major problems sliding the earbuds in and twisting them into place. If you are struggling for a seal, you can pinch the tips and slide them into your ear canal, until they expand. We find they sit snugly in your ear opening, but they are comfortable over longer listening sessions.
To make sure you have the perfect fit, Sony has introduced a new air-tightness test, accessible through its Headphones Connect app. The app fires out a test tone and reports back on whether or not you need to make any adjustments. It’s worth trying out, especially if you feel the sound is lacking bass or there is outside noise leaking in.
In fact, we’d recommend installing the Headphones Connect app when you first connect the XM4. It gives you direct access to all the key features and functions of the earbuds so you can choose which ones to enable and disable. It also helps you get set up for listening to music in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format from compatible streaming services such as Tidal and Deezer.
Features
(Image credit: Sony)
The circular outer surface of each earpiece is a touchpad and, by using the Headphones Connect app, you can customise the functionality of each one. They can control volume and playback or switch between noise-cancelling and ambient sound modes through the usual combination of taps, presses and long holds – and the headphones are quick to respond to these actions. Switching between sound modes, changing volume and activating and deactivating features such as Quick Attention (which drops the volume of what you’re listening to, so you can have a quick conversation without having to remove the earbuds from your ears) happen with minimal fuss.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 borrow the Speak-to-Chat function that debuted in the WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones. This feature allows you to talk to someone while the earbuds are still in place and is triggered when you start talking. It works well, although as is the case with the over-ears, it’s only triggered a second or so after you start talking.
This slight delay can be frustrating, as can the tendency for the feature to be triggered by a cough or an impromptu karaoke session while sat at your desk. You can reduce the sensitivity of the feature, or you can turn it off completely and either use Quick Attention or remove an earbud completely (which pauses playback automatically).
On the inside of the XM4 is plenty of new technology. The earbuds feature an improved DAC and analogue amplifier and are powered by a new Integrated Processor V1. Sony claims it provides a clearer sound and even better noise-cancelling than their predecessor. The new model also gets Sony’s DSEE Extreme audio processor with Edge-AI, which we have already experienced in the WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones, and is designed to upscale low-bitrate music files to near hi-res quality.
The 6mm driver used inside the XM4 is similar in size to the one used in the previous model, but it’s made from a new material and features a bigger magnet, which Sony claims helps improve sound quality and noise-cancelling, especially with certain low frequencies.
There’s no aptX HD support onboard, but the XM4 support Sony’s LDAC file format, which, streamed over Bluetooth from a compatible source, allows hi-res audio files up to 24-bit/96kHz to be transmitted at data rates of up to 990kbps.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has also aimed to deliver clearer call quality with new features, including beam-forming and the use of a bone conduction sensor that stops the mics from picking up distracting ambient sounds while you’re talking. There’s even an automatic wind noise reduction mode which attempts to cut out swirls of noise passing through the headset and into your ears.
All of this works with Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology, originally introduced in the WH-1000XM4. The net effect is an impressive call quality for a pair of wireless earbuds. The technologies all combine to do a solid job of dampening down outside noise and interference, especially for the person on the other end of the line.
The general level of noise-cancelling is excellent, especially for a pair of wireless earbuds. Not everyone likes that ‘vacuum’ feeling you get when it’s turned on, but it’s extremely effective through the Sonys and you’ll struggle to find better noise cancellation at this level.
Android users will be pleased to hear the Sonys are compatible with Fast Pair so you can get up and running with minimal fuss. You receive a battery notification pop-up on your smartphone when they power up and you can even track their location down using the Google Find My Device app.
Unfortunately, iOS users don’t get any such pairing perks, but all you need to do to start pairing is open the case and take the headphones out. It’s a shame Sony hasn’t carried across the ‘Multipoint’ feature enabled on the WH-1000XM4 over-ears. This allows you to connect the headphones to two different Bluetooth devices simultaneously, which can come in handy if you’re working on a laptop but still want to be connected to your phone. Here’s hoping it can be added at a later date.
In terms of stability, we use an Apple iPhone 12 and Macbook for the bulk of our testing and find the connection to be rock solid with no dropouts, even in more built-up areas.
Sound
(Image credit: Sony)
Before we get to the WF-1000XM4’s immense musicality and expressive dynamics, we should note the way the headphones handle bass. The quality of bass and the clarity of low frequencies is stunning. There’s such a fantastic level of detail on display that it makes rival headphones, such as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, sound congested in comparison.
We’re keen to hear how the earbuds handle one of our favourite bass-heavy test tracks, Massive Attack’s Angel – and we’re blown away by the confidence with which the song is dispatched. Every element of that pulsing bassline is precisely deployed and dripping in texture. It’s the clarity around the notes that really grabs you – it allows the WF-1000XM4 to communicate intricacies in the bass notes that other headphones struggle to uncover.
But it’s not a sound that purely favours low frequencies. There’s clarity across the board and a sense of rhythmic precision that allows the Sony’s to switch pace effortlessly. They sound as at home keeping up with, and succeeding in not being tripped up by, Radiohead’s 15 Step as they are dispatching the slow, deliberate swagger of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.
Simone’s effortless vocal oozes class and sophistication, with every nuance in her delivery laid bare for the listener. Combine the emotion in her voice with the impact of the piano, percussion and wind section and the Sony’s create a captivating sound you can’t help but be swept away by.
If you were wondering whether the WF-1000XM4 would be a step up from the WF-1000XM3, we can confirm that they are. The newer model sounds more informative and uncovers more subtle detail. Bass notes are better defined and the overall sound is better balanced. Even the much-admired Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 struggle to match the Sonys for tonality and refinement.
You can hear that refinement and natural tone shine through as we listen to Ludovico Einaudi’s Experience. From the delicate, deliberate piano strokes at the start to the soaring strings at the song’s climax, the Sonys bring the individual personalities to life and mix them together like the ingredients of a fine cocktail.
Verdict
We’re quite taken by the Sony WF-1000XM4. Given all the design changes and new features in these wireless earbuds, it must have been a real challenge to get them right. But Sony has absolutely nailed it. The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality. Put simply, this is a new benchmark for premium true wireless earbuds.
(Pocket-lint) – There’s no beating around the bush, the Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless in-ears are exceptional for their price. And, while there are one or two competitors that offer slightly better sound quality, they are usually more expensive and cannot match these for adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC) tech.
Sony has taken an already excellent pair of ANC headphones – the WF-1000XM3 ‘buds, in this case – and improved almost every aspect, resulting in a class-leading product. Sure, some will likely bemoan Sony’s lack of support for Qualcomm’s aptX, but the XF-1000XM4 are still among the best all-round in-ears we’ve had through the test labs. Here’s why.
Design and comfort
Bluetooth 5.2 to each ear
Four NC microphones
Bone conduction sensor
Custom Polyurethane eartips
The first thing that’ll strikes you when unboxing the headphones from Sony’s new totally biodegradable packaging is just how much smaller the charging case is from the previous generation. It is, according to Sony, 40 per cent smaller – and it notices.
To be fair, the last model has one of the biggest charging cases in the business – especially when compared to its near competitors – so the latest brings the XM4s into line. However, its lightness and pocket-sized girth are both very welcome.
Pocket-lint
As is the Qi charging and the matte plastic finish. The latter makes it nice to hold in the hand and will disguise minor scratches, we expect. The former wireless charging feature will make it much easier to just plonk the case onto a mat, ready to pick it up again when you are about to leave the house.
The ‘buds themselves are smaller than before – 10 per cent, it is claimed – with a familiar bulbous design, matte finish, some neat design touches such as small gold elements (rose gold on the black version we tested).
There are two noise-cancelling mics on each ‘bud, one behind the (almost) Mod symbol on the front, another behind a little slot facing rearwards. Both are accented by gold.
Three different sized eartips are included in the box, which are made from soft polyurethane rather than the usual silicone. This allows for a more comfortable, secure fit that also aids noise isolation greatly.
You do have to fiddle around with each ‘bud a bit more than with most brands in order to get it into the right position in your ear, but the audio quality merits it. The Sony Headphones Connect app even helps each ‘bud analyse the shape of your ears for even better audio personalisation.
Pocket-lint
We were pleased to note that after a decent period of use these ‘buds were just as comfortable as they were at the start. That’s not something we could comparatively say about their predecessors.
They also stay in better during exercise. We haven’t worn them on a full run yet, but have aggressively used an exercise bike and jogged on the spot a few times to make sure they don’t wobble much. They are also IPX4 certified, so are sweat- and water-resistant.
Setting up the WF-1000XM4 earphones is a doddle. They support both Android and Windows’ easy pairing modes, while our iPhone found them instantly in the Bluetooth list. The Sony Headphones Connect app also found them straight away.
It is here that you get to customise just about every nuance, including the ANC modes, touch controls, and sound equaliser (EQ). Sony provides many more options than a lot of rivals we’ve tried, so you can spend a while tweaking all the options to suit you best. However, the defaults are generally decent too, if you don’t want to get bogged down in minutiae.
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The ‘buds themselves have touch options on each ear: noise cancelling/ambient sound controls on the left; play/pause on the right. Touch both at the same time for seven seconds and you can set them back into pairing mode.
These touch options can be changed in the app though, such as adding voice assistant activation or volume. Both Alexa and Google Assistant can be enabled by voice instead – with wake-word support – so you are probably best sticking to the original setup.
You will need to turn on Speak-to-Chat though, if you want to use it. This stops any playback as soon as you talk – handy for speaking to cabin crew on an aircraft, for example. And, you might want to adjust the Bluetooth connection too – if the priority on sound quality is causing too many dropouts.
DSSE Extreme is also available in the app on a slider. This is said to enhance standard audio – MP3/AAC – to a higher bitrate through artificial intelligence.
Sony’s tried and trusted ANCtech is on board too, of course, which is one of the last customisable options. Again, default will be perfect for most as it will assess the best sound mode based on your current location and circumstance – whether you are sitting, travelling, and so forth.
Pocket-lint
We did find that we had to go into the app to force ANC on when we wanted to use it in the garden, for example, as it thought the ambience was tranquil enough – and we didn’t.
This generation of in-ears come with a new integrated V1 processor, which better handles ANC duties, you just have to make sure certain options are tuned to your own preferences first.
Sound performance and battery
Up to 24 hour battery life (8hr in buds, 16hrs in case)
Qi wireless charging
New integrated V1 processor
LDAN and Hi-Res Audio Wireless support
There are a number of reasons why the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds outperform their predecessors. A new 6mm driver with increased magnet volume, plus enhanced amplifier is one. A high compliance diaphragm is another. The latter is more flexible, so can reduce latency and therefore more accurately reproduce certain frequencies.
In short, these ‘buds sound great. We tested them mainly on an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which means we couldn’t feed them with lossless audio that way. However, we also ran a few lossless tracks over LDAC (which is Sony’s own high-res streaming codec – but nobody has any idea what the acronym means) on a supporting Android handset, so feel we got a good grip on their capabilities.
Pocket-lint
The ‘buds are Hi-Res Audio Wireless capable and support LDAC themselves, although they do not come with support for Qualcomm aptX or any of its guises. As we’ve said above, that might irk some, but many handsets are LDAC-enabled these days and we’d imagine these will be used with lower bitrate tracks for the vast majority of the time anyway.
To that end, DSEE Extreme is provided. This is a newer version of Sony’s own AI-driven software. It essentially upscales lower quality audio to around CD quality – filling in the gaps as it imagines. It’s a bit like watching a Blu-ray on a decent 4K TV – it will look better, but don’t expect miracles.
Still, unless you are an audio purist, you will likely love the richness and grunt of these ‘buds. Even basic AAC versions of The Beatles’ She’s Leaving Home and Liam’s Gallagher’s Once exhibited great detail and staging, especially with DSEE Extreme activated. While the thumping bass hits in Elbow’s Dexter & Sinister grab you by the nethers.
That’s in either noise cancelling and ambient sound modes. Speaking of the former, the improvements made to the tech are quite impressive. ANC on in-ears has been somewhat hit-and-miss in the past, but the new implementation here is jaw-dropping at times.
Pocket-lint
Considering how the world is right now, flying anywhere to test its prowess, even taking a train have been difficult, but we wore the ‘buds with ANC on while mowing the lawn as part of our tests. We didn’t hear the mower. At all. Some might think that dangerous, but it’s certainly staggering.
What’s more, the Bluetooth connection held up well. We’d like to find out how it would act when thousands of wireless technologies are all bouncing around and competing – on a packed London Tube concourse, say – but that’s not really feasible right now.
Battery life might be tested a little more then too. As it stands, Sony quotes eight hours for the ‘buds, a further 16 in the case, and that seems reasonable based on our experiences – if a little stingy compared to some competitors. We do love that addition of Qi wireless charging though – it makes life so much simpler.
Verdict
Sony has sure hit its stride now, first with the superb WH-1000XM4 over-ears, now followed-up by these exemplary WF-1000XM4 in-ears. There are so many new features in these true wireless earbuds that they’re even worth considering as an upgrade over the last generation – something that we rarely recommend.
Above all it’s the excellent audio performance and, in particular, active noise-cancelling (ANC) talents. Yes, we couldn’t really try them out in as many real-world settings we would usually wear ANC ‘buds in, but in homelife equivalent tests they hold up superbly.
So sony has done it again: it’s truly taken every tiny quibble anybody had with the XM3s, tweaking and improving along the way to make a class-leading pair of in-ears that will take some beating. The WF-1000XM4 are fairly pricey, of course, but we think worth every penny.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
A very strong competitor in the active noise-cancelling game, offering similar sound isolation, comfort, and longevity for a very similar price. Talk about battle of the best!
Microsoft is getting ready to announce the biggest update to Windows since Windows 10’s debut in 2015, and even though the company hasn’t officially revealed anything about this update, all signs point to it offering a significantly different experience for PC users. In fact, the update is supposed to be so radical that it could lead to a new version number, Windows 11. Though Microsoft hasn’t confirmed the name change, it has strongly hinted at it, both in the artwork for its June 24th press event and the 11 am time.
What follows is everything we know so far about the update that will likely be called Windows 11.
When Will Windows 11 Be Announced?
Microsoft started teasing Windows 11 on June 2 with an invitation to a digital event called “What’s Next for Windows” scheduled for June 24 at 11am ET. The invitation featured a GIF showcasing a redesigned Windows logo that defies the laws of physics by casting just two shadows that, if you squint, look a bit like “11.”
Join us June 24th at 11 am ET for the #MicrosoftEvent to see what’s next. https://t.co/kSQYIDZSyi pic.twitter.com/Emb5GPHOf0June 2, 2021
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Why Do We Think It Will Be Called Windows 11?
Those shadows probably would have been enough to inspire speculation about Windows 11 on their own, but scheduling the event for 11am ET also helped. Many of Microsoft’s events are held later in the day — especially since the pandemic forced those events to be online-only — because the company is based on the West Coast. The working theory is that Microsoft wouldn’t have scheduled an event so early in the day without a good reason; synchronicity with the new version number would qualify.
As for why everyone thinks Microsoft is moving on from Windows 10 even though it was supposed to be “the last version of Windows”: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the Build 2021 developer conference in May that the company planned to “share one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade,” which he called “the next generation of Windows,” some time “soon” after the conference. So the speculation is supported by more than just a GIF and an event’s start time.
Nadella didn’t reveal many details about this Windows update at Build 2021, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Windows 11 is a black box. A number of reports, rumors, and ruminations based on the scrapped Windows 10X operating system have offered some clues as to what we might expect from the next generation of Windows, and by all accounts the changes will be significant enough to warrant that moniker.
Also, consider that changing the name of Windows is a great way to generate interest and even spur more PC sales. Everytime there is a new version of Windows, consumers want to buy computers with that OS pre-installed, even if upgrading is easy.
How Windows 11 Could Change the User Experience
Reports indicate that Microsoft has been planning many changes to the Windows 10 user experience for a while now. Windows Central reported in October 2020 that the company was looking to “update many top-level user interfaces such as the Start menu, Action Center, and even File Explorer, with consistent modern designs, better animations, and new features” via a project known internally as “Sun Valley.”
Sun Valley wasn’t supposed to replace the Fluent Design language Microsoft introduced at Build 2017 and expanded to iOS, Android, and the web in 2019, Windows Central said, but was instead meant to expand the design language to additional parts of Windows. This would likely result in a more cohesive user experience than the hodgepodge of design languages present in Windows 10.
User Interface Tweaks
Some of these small-but-notable design problems were pointed out by Microsoft program manager Yulia Klein in the public GitHub repository for WinUI in November 2020. Klein said that “XAML controls are inconsistent with how web and mobile apps are evolving” and that her proposed changes were “part of the work to refresh Xaml UI to align with other platforms while looking familiar on Windows.”
The proposal included changes to toggle switches, sliders, and rating controls used throughout Windows. These user interface elements are nearly ubiquitous; changes would likely have a greater-than-expected effect on the operating system’s design. Klein’s post also made it clear that Microsoft was indeed looking to update Windows’ design, lending credence to the Windows Central report from a month prior.
(Image credit: Github)
Microsoft’s plans to modernize the Windows user experience were all but confirmed by a job listing in January that said:
“On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.”
Looking for Clues from Windows 10X
It wasn’t hard to connect the dots between Sun Valley and that job listing. As for what this “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows” might look like, well, those also came from Microsoft itself. The company planned to make several changes to the user experience for Windows 10X, the operating system meant for foldable devices that was repurposed to single-screen devices and eventually cancelled altogether.
Microsoft released a Windows 10X emulator for developers at Build 2020 that showcased a few user experience changes such as a redesigned app switcher, a new Start menu, and a Quick Settings menu for commonly used controls. Now that the changes originally meant for Windows 10X are reaching Windows proper instead, it would make sense for some of these elements to make their way to Windows 11.
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
These user experience changes probably won’t be as stark as the jump from Windows 7 to Windows 8. It seems more like Microsoft is fully committing to the Fluent Design language it revealed four years ago, looking to improve the Windows experience on touchscreen devices, and making seemingly inconsequential changes that culminate in a familiar yet noticeably different way of using Windows.
How Windows 11 Could Change the Microsoft Store
Windows 11 might not just change the way the operating system looks—it could also change the way people find, purchase, and install software. That seems to be what Microsoft is hoping, at least, because the company is reportedly working to make the Microsoft Store more important to Windows users and developers alike.
An Appeal to Developers
Windows Central reported in April that Microsoft plans to make three developer-facing changes to its software distribution platform: allowing unpackaged Win32 apps into the Microsoft Store, letting developers host apps and updates themselves, and permitting the use of third-party commerce platforms. All three of those changes would make it easier for Windows developers to offer their products via the Microsoft Store in addition to (or instead of) other distribution options.
The company is also appealing directly to developers’ wallets. It announced at Build 2021 that it would only take a 12% cut of revenues from game sales via the Microsoft Store instead of the 30% cut it was taking before. That change isn’t groundbreaking — the Epic Games Store offers a similar arrangement—but it does make the Microsoft Store more competitive with platforms like Steam. It’s also less than the cut Microsoft takes for other apps sold via the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft currently takes a 15% cut of the revenues from many apps sold via its platform. It also takes a 30% cut from app and in-app purchases made via the “Microsoft Store for Business; Microsoft Store for Education; Microsoft Store on Windows 8 devices; or Microsoft Store on Windows Phone 8 devices” per the App Developer Agreement that was last updated in July 2020. Maybe the new rate for game sales hasn’t been added because similar changes are coming to other apps.
An Appeal to Consumers
The Microsoft Store is also expected to receive a visual overhaul similar to the rest of Windows 11, according to the Windows Central report, as well as updates meant to provide “a more stable download and install experience for large apps and games.” Both could improve the experience of finding software via Microsoft’s storefront. (Even if many Windows users are likely to continue installing apps via the web or competitive platforms simply because that’s what they’ve gotten used to doing.)
This is also a symbiotic relationship. Right now Microsoft has to figure out how to get developers to ship their apps via the Microsoft Store even though it’s not popular among consumers, which means it has to get consumers to download apps via the Microsoft Store even though many developers aren’t invested in the platform. A new version of Windows (aka Windows 11) provides the perfect opportunity for Microsoft to address both of those problems, without carrying the baggage associated with the store’s current iteration.
When Windows 11 Should Arrive
This might be the biggest question mark ahead of Microsoft’s event. The company usually releases major updates to Windows 10 twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, and the Windows 10 May 2021 Update’s release last month makes a September or October launch window for Windows 11 seem like a possibility.
It can be hard to predict operating system release dates, however. Microsoft announced Windows 10X in February 2020 with a planned fall 2020 release date, then announced in July 2020 that the operating system wouldn’t arrive until 2021, and then finally said in May that it was being shelved for the foreseeable future. Major updates to Windows 10 have also been delayed in the past, with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update only starting its automatic rollout in January 2019.
The safe bet would probably be for Windows 11 to arrive sometime between September and December. Microsoft will likely release preview builds before then, however, so those curious about the future of Windows should probably sign up for the Windows Insider Program if they’re comfortable using unstable software.
How to Find Out What Comes Next
Microsoft plans to reveal Windows 11 — or at least the update everyone has taken to calling Windows 11 — during the “What’s Next for Windows” virtual event on June 24 at 11am ET. The event will be live streamed via the Microsoft website and has been given the designated #MicrosoftEvent hashtag for use on social platforms.
Apple’s WWDC event always feels like roulette when it comes to whether or not the company will announce any new devices or big software updates. For the past few weeks, rumors have been swirling that Apple might announce new MacBooks or the follow-up to its successful M1 chip today, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. We did get news on the latest incarnation of MacOS, called Monterey, but the rest of today’s stream was mostly spent on new iOS and iPadOS features (many of which are already present in Android).
(Image credit: Apple)
Monterey, the latest version of MacOS, was today’s biggest announcement outside of the mobile space, although it’s not shaping up to be as major of an update as last year’s Big Sur. It mostly focuses on bringing continuity across your MacBook and other Apple devices, including the ability to control an iMac, iPad and iPhone all with your MacBook’s keyboard and touchpad (or vice versa, presumably). It’ll also introduce new features that are coming to iOS and iPadOS to MacOS devices, but these are the most concrete details we know for now.
Apple did discuss that it’s going to be moving away from Automator and towards interspersing manual task shortcuts throughout the OS. Sort of like Windows Tiles, these shortcuts will let you open different apps from panels, but they’ll also take the form of buttons that show up in other programs and let you easily perform certain tasks. For instance, you might be able to make a gif straight from a photo editing program with a shortcut. It’s unclear exactly how intrusive or useful these shortcuts will be, especially since Apple said Automator would still be supported.
Safari is also getting tab groups, similar to the latest versions of Chrome and Firefox, and will also add Chrome Sync-like features to allow you to browse more easily across your MacBook and your iPhone (which will also get a tab redesign).
(Image credit: Apple)
Speaking of iPhones, iOS 15 is adding a bunch of new features to the device, mostly focused around sharing content. These include spatial audio that tries to cancel ambient noise around you on video calls, plus grid and portrait mode options for FaceTime. FaceTime is also getting links you can send to participants that they can click on to join future calls, much like Zoom or Google Meet.
What’s more interesting are the new content-sharing features. Facetime will now let users watch content from a streaming app together, each having control of the play and pause functions for perfect, automatic syncing. This also applies to music, plus FaceTime will be adding screensharing support as well. While we don’t normally cover phones, these functions are worth nothing as they will be coming to MacOS, too.
Aside from these features, there was a lot of talk about privacy promises, more niche updates like changes to iCloud (iCloud+) and the health app, and sections covering Apple Watch and smart home devices. Plus, iOS will be introducing translation features and other quality-of-life changes that are similar to what’s already on other platforms.
But if, like me, you were hoping for more substantial information on what’s next for Apple Hardware, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. Still, if you want to check out any of these OS changes, a limited developer beta starts today and a public beta starts next month.
The Google Stadia could gaming service is finally branching out to more devices. It will arrive on the excellent Google Chromecast with Google TV streaming dongle on 23rd June, as well as a number of TV sets running the Android TV operating system. And, all you’ll need to enjoy the service is a compatible Bluetooth controller (and a Google Stadia subscription, of course).
Here’s the full list of supported devices, as of 23rd June:
Chromecast with Google TV
Hisense Android Smart TVs (U7G, U8G, U9G)
Nvidia Shield TV
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Onn FHD Streaming Stick and UHD Streaming Device
Philips 8215, 8505, and OLED 935 / 805 Series Android TVs
Xiaomi MIBOX3 and MIBOX4
If your Android TV isn’t supported, you might be able to sign up for Google’s experimental support – this lets it run on a wider range of devices, though the experience won’t have been optimised, so “not every Android TV OS device will work perfectly”, Google warns. To do so, install the Stadia app from the Google Play Store, and opt in when asked.
Many have seen the lack of Stadia support on Chromecast with Google TV a major oversight – though it didn’t stop the streaming dongle earning five stars in our review – so this wider rollout will be welcome news for many. And as well as adding some much-needed gaming skills to a handful of Android TVs, it makes an already excellent media streamer even better.
MORE:
Read our guide to the best video streamers
Check out the competition: Amazon Fire TV 4K review
Find out how to watch Apple TV on your Android TV device
Google is expanding the availability of its Stadia game streaming service to more TVs and streaming devices later this month. The first version of Stadia on Chromecast with Google TV is launching on June 23rd, more than eight months after the device launched without official Stadia support.
Alongside Chromecast with Google TV support, Stadia will also be available on a number of Android TV devices on June 23rd. Not every Android TV device is supported, but Nvidia’s Shield TV devices have made the list. Here’s the official support list:
Chromecast with Google TV
Hisense Android Smart TVs (U7G, U8G, U9G)
Nvidia Shield TV
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Onn FHD Streaming Stick and UHD Streaming Device
Philips 8215, 8505, and OLED 935 / 805 Series Android TVs
Xiaomi MIBOX3 and MIBOX4
If you don’t see your Android TV device listed, you may still be able to get Stadia running. You can opt into experimental support to play Stadia, just by installing the Stadia app from the Play Store and hitting continue on the opt-in screen. Android TV devices will need a compatible Bluetooth controller or Google’s own Stadia Controller to play Stadia.
Twitter announced earlier this year it was working on a Super Follows feature that would allow some users to charge followers and give them access to extra content. On Sunday, app researcher Jane Manchun Wong tweeted screenshots of what she says it will look like.
According to Wong’s research, which is typically very accurate, the Super Follows program will be limited to Twitter users with at least 10,000 followers, who have posted at least 25 tweets within the past 30 days, and are at least 18 years old. As Twitter has referenced, one of the main features of Super Follows will be bonus content, such as exclusive tweets for Super Followers.
Wong also discovered a list of content categories that Super Follows users would choose from to describe their content (such as “sports” or “podcasting”), and notes that “adult content” and “OnlyFans” are listed as “content platforms” along with Facebook, Substack, Patreon, Twitch, and YouTube.
Twitter is working on Super Follows application
Requirements: – Have at least 10000 followers – Have posted at least 25 Tweets in past 30 days – Be at least 18 years old
notably, “Adult content” and “OnlyFans” are mentioned in the category and platform sections https://t.co/qSEjh0ohm8 pic.twitter.com/yvkzx672V2
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 6, 2021
Twitter declined to comment about Wong’s latest research on Sunday. But It’s previously described the Patreon-like Super Follows feature as a kind of subscription, providing an example where a Super Follows user charged $4.99 per month for users to get access to “perks.”
It’s the latest direct payments feature Twitter has introduced in recent weeks; in May it began testing Tip Jar, which lets users make one-time payments to creators directly on Twitter by clicking a dollar bill icon on their Twitter profile. Twitter doesn’t take a cut of Tip Jar donations, which supports several payment options including Cash App, PayPal, and Venmo. It’s not clear how payments would be structured for Super Follows, but it seems likely Twitter would take a percentage.
Twitter’s product team has been busy this year, introducing several new features including its Twitter Blue subscription service which is testing in Canada and Australia. It’s also reopened, then closed, then reopened again its verification program, updated its warnings for potentially offensive tweets, improved its photo cropping algorithm to allow “taller” images to fully display in users’ feeds, added the ability for Android users to search their direct messages, and acquired Scroll, the $5-per-month subscription service that removes ads from participating websites.
Fossil executives Greg McKelvey and Steve Prokup said in an interview with CNET that the company’s existing Wear OS watches won’t get upgraded to the new combined Wear software platform from Samsung and Google. Instead, Fossil is planning a premium watch that Prokup said would have “pretty major hardware upgrades,” and existing watches will probably be discounted as budget options.
According to CNET, Fossil’s Gen 6 watch should have features similar to upcoming watches from Google and Samsung, with faster performance, longer battery life, new chips, and LTE cellular options. “All of the software benefits that Google’s talking about and launching with the unified platform is something we’ll be building into that as well,” McKelvey said.
Google and Samsung announced last month at Google I/O that they would combine Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen into a new platform, creating one central smartwatch OS for Android.
The Fossil execs didn’t give much insight into what buttons or crowns the company may use in its next Wear OS watch. ”I think you’re still going to see a variety of offerings across even our products, as well as manufacturers,” Prokup said in the interview, “not so much that you’re going to have a watch that ends up having four, five, six dedicated buttons or no buttons.”
Nvidia does not have plans to bring its ray tracing-enabled GPU architectures to smartphones or other ultra-mobile devices right now, CEO Jensen Huang told journalists at a Computex meeting this week. The statements come just days after AMD confirmed that upcoming Samsung smartphones using AMD RDNA2 GPU architecture will support ray tracing.
According to Huang, the time for ray tracing in mobile gadgets hasn’t arrived yet.
“Ray tracing games are quite large, to be honest,” Huang said, according to ZDNet. “The data set is quite large, and there will be a time for it. When the time is right we might consider it.”
AMD, meanwhile, has licensed its RDNA2 architecture, which supports ray tracing, to Samsung for use in the upcoming Exynos 2200 SoC expected to power its laptops and other flagship mobile devices. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su said this week that the SoC will indeed support ray tracing.
“The next place you’ll find RDNA2 will be the high-performance mobile phone market,” Su said, as reported by AnandTech. “AMD has partnered with industry leader Samsung to accelerate graphics innovation in the mobile market, and we’re happy to announce we will bring custom graphics IP to Samsung’s next flagship SoC, with ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. We’re really looking forward to Samsung providing more details later this year.”
Currently, Samsung’s Exynos-powered smartphones use Arm Mali-powered graphics; whereas, Qualcomm Snapdragon-based handsets use Adreno GPUs.
Nvidia is in process of taking over Arm, which develops general-purpose Cortex CPU cores as well as Mali graphics processing units for various system-on-chips (SoCs). Nvidia has long tried to license its GeForce technologies to designers of mobile SoCs and devices without any tangible success. If Nvidia’s acquisition of Arm is approved by various regulators, Nvidia will be able to offer its latest GeForce architectures to Arm licensees. Yet, it appears Nvidia has no immediate plans to bring GeForce RTX to smartphones.
Nvidia’s Ampere and Turing architectures seem to be too bulky for smartphone SoCs (and even for entry-level PC graphics) anyway. For now, the company will have to use its GeForce Now game streaming service to address demanding gamers on smartphones and tablets.
“That’s how we would like to reach Android devices, Chrome devices, iOS devices, MacOS devices, Linux devices — all kinds of devices, whether it’s on TV, or mobile device or PC,” said Huang. “I think that for us, right now, that is the best strategy.”
Yet, ray tracing is nothing new on mobiles. Imagination Technologies architectures since the PowerVR GR6500 introduced in 2014 have supported ray tracing, so it’s up to hardware designers to decide on implementing the capability and game designers to leverage it. Imagination’s PowerVR ray tracing implementation is currently supported by Unreal Engine 4 and Unity 5, but it’s unclear whether it’s primarily used for eye candy, performance increase and/or power reduction.
Floyd ‘Money Man’ Mayweather is set for a blockbuster showdown with YouTube ‘personality’ Logan Paul at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday 6th June. Mayweather has called the eight-round exhibition bout “legalised bank robbery”. It’s a $50 pay-per-view in the US but only £17 in the UK. Follow our guide on how to watch a Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream from anywhere in the world.
Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream
Date: Sunday 6th June 2021
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, USA
Start time: 1am BST / 8pm ET / 10am AEST
Mayweather vs Logan Paul: 4am BST / 11pm ET / 1pm AEST
UK stream: Sky Sports Box Office (£16.95)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN
US stream: Showtime ($49.99)
AUS stream: Main Event ($49.99)
Rest of world: Fanmio($49.99)
So, can one of greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time beat one of social media’s biggest stars? Mayweather vs Logan Paul: Bragging Rights certainly got off to a spicy start this week when Mayweather allegedly punched Logan Paul’s brother at the press conference.
“It’s one thing to sell a fight, and people can say what they want, but one thing no one is going to do, is disrespect me,” Mayweather fumed. “The boxing was the mashed potatoes. I guess these guys now are the gravy.”
Mayweather is undefeated (50-0, 27 KOs) having ended his professional career with a 10th-round stoppage of UFC star Conor McGregor back in August 2017. The Money Man might be a 44-year-old dad of five, but his famous speed and accuracy makes him clear favourite to take this bout.
That said, 26-year-old Logan Paul will be 30lb heavier when he steps into the ring and has a 4-inch reach advantage over his opponent. Paul returns to the ring for the first time after losing to fellow social media star KSI in November by split decision.
It’s an exhibition, so there will be no judges and no official winner. Knock outs will be the referee’s decision. The eight three-minute rounds will be boxed without headgear. The packed undercard features former NFL star wide receiver Chad Johnson making his boxing debut against Brian Maxwell.
Sunday’s unmissable PPV is much cheaper in some countries than in others. Here’s how to find a Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream from anywhere in the world…
Watch Mayweather vs Logan Paul for only £16.95
(Image credit: Sky Sports Box Office)
UK boxing fans can catch this weekend’s big fight live on Sky Sports Box Office for £16.95. Some have grumbled at the price but it’s less than half what it costs in other countries. So, in that sense, it’s a bargain.
If you’re a UK citizen trying to watch from the US or Australia, you can always use a VPN to access a Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream from anywhere in the world. We recommend ExpressVPNas it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
You don’t have to be a Sky subscriber. You can watch Mayweather vs Logan Paul online through the Sky Sports Box Office app and website. Simply set up a Box Office account, buy the fight, and you’re good to go.
Mayweather vs Logan Paul: Get the big fight for £16.95
Sky Sports has the rights to the epic Mayweather vs Logan Paul exhibition boxing match. Non-Sky customers can stream the event live for only £16.95 across a range of mobile devices including the iPad. Order in advance and ready for the big fight!
Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream anywhere in the world using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Mayweather vs Logan Paul rights holders, you won’t be able to access these streaming services when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN.
Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch Canelo vs Saunders on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There’s 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up.
US: Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream
(Image credit: Showtime)
US boxing fans looking for a Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream will need to pay-per-view. Showtime has the exclusive and is charging $49.99. Ouch.
UK boxing fans who find themselves in the States this weekend can use a VPN to watch the boxing via Sky Box Office for only £16.95. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Brian Custer, the veteran sportscaster, will host the Showtime event and will be joined by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, hosts of the hit late-night Desus & Mero show. The duo will provide their brand of off-the-wall commentary throughout the night.
The Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream will be available through Showtime’s website and apps (iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Apple TV 4th Gen+, Xbox One).
Australia: Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream
Aussie boxing fans can order a Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream through Main Event. The price? A one-off fee of AU$49.95.
UK boxing fans who find themselves in Oz this weekend can use a VPN to watch the boxing via Sky Box Office for only £16.95. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Rest of the World: Mayweather vs Logan Paul live stream
Not in the UK, US or Australia this weekend? Fanmio has you covered. The streaming site is charging $49.99 for pay-per-view access. It’s not cheap but the price does include a limited edition Mayweather vs Logan Paul T-shirt (you have to the pay the shipping, though, so it’s not entirely ‘free’).
Mayweather vs Logan Paul free live stream
Sadly there are no opportunities for get yourself a Mayweather vs Logan Paul free live stream. The cheapest option is Sky Sports Box Office in the UK (£16.95)
Mayweather vs Logan Paul fight card
(Image credit: Sky Sports Box Office)
Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul – Exhibition
Badou Jack vs Dervin Colina – Light Heavyweight
Jarrett Hurd vs Luis Arias – Middleweight
Chad Johnson vs Brian Maxwell – Cruiserweight
Jean Carlos Torres vs Zack Kuhn – Junior Welterweight
Adrian Benton vs Pedro Angel Cruz – Lightweight
Micky Scala vs Adam Ramirez – Junior Middleweight
Dorian Khan vs Jonathan Conde – Featherweight
Jalil Hackett vs Angelo Diaz – Welterweight
Viddal Riley vs Quintell Thompson – Cruiserweight
Mayweather vs Logan Paul tale of the tape
Name: Floyd ‘Money Man’ Mayweather – Logan ‘The Maverick’ Paul
Nationality: American – American
Date of birth: 24th Feb 1977 – 1st April 1995
Height: 5ft 8 inches – 6ft 2 inches
Reach: 72 inches – 76 inches
Total fights: 50 – 1
Record: 50-0, 27 KOs – 0-1, 0 KOs
Floyd Mayweather on Logan Paul
“It’s going to be fun. It’s what I do. There’s a difference between being a YouTube fighter and an elite fighter. I’m a fighter, and I don’t worry about anything. I’ve been a professional for 25 years, and I’ve fought the best and seen every style, and I always came out on top.
“Why not fight Logan Paul? He’s huge on YouTube. He has a huge following. Before I even knew about YouTube, I was huge in boxing. And when you bring his world with my world, man, it’s going to be crazy.
“I never worry about the height or size. It’s all about the skills. That’s one thing about Floyd Mayweather. I’ve got skills.
“The boxing was the mashed potatoes. I guess these guys now are the gravy. I retired from boxing, but I didn’t retire from entertainment or from making money.”
Logan Paul on Floyd Mayweather
“I didn’t choose boxing; boxing chose me. I got challenged to box, and I answered that challenge. I kind of fell perfectly into the sport. Truthfully, boxing is easier on the body than MMA. MMA is hard. I got bad knees. I’m old now. I’m ageing. My upper body is strong, and I have dense bones. My strength is all in my upper body.
“I’m going in there with that energy, and he’s got everything to lose. There’s a lot on the table for him, not a lot on the table for me, and that’s a dangerous man… It’s a fight, so anything can happen.”
Box clever with the best TVs: budget to premium
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