Samsung reports Q2 profit slowdown, says Galaxy S9 sales were lower than expected

Struggling against competition from Chinese smartphones, Samsung Electronics posted a lackluster second-quarter earnings report with its slowest profit growth in more than a year. On the bright side, the Korean tech giant said its semiconductor business is doing well.

Operating profit rose 5.7% year-over-year to 14.9 trillion won (about $13.3 billion), representing Samsung Electronic’s slowest quarterly profit growth since the first quarter of 2017. Net income was 11 trillion won (about $9.8 billion), almost the same result Samsung posted in the same period a year ago. Sales revenue dropped 4% to 58.5 trillion won (about $52.3 billion).

Samsung blamed lower-than-expected sales of the Galaxy S9, its flagship smartphone, seasonality and competition from lower-priced handsets. Two Chinese companies in particular, Xiaomi and Huawei, have emerged as formidable rivals, putting pressure on Samsung in China and India.

As in previous quarters, Samsung’s semiconductor business posted strong performance even as its smartphones suffered. Samsung reported that second-quarter operating profit for its chips rose 45% year-over-year to 11.6 trillion won. The company said it anticipated strong demand for chips during the second half of the year thanks to demand from high density data centers. It expects smartphone and tablet demand to continue lagging, however, thanks to competition from lower-priced devices with strong specifications.

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Apple Pay to account for 1 in 2 contactless mobile wallet users by 2020

The number of mobile payments users who tap to pay using a contactless payment solution provided by their mobile device’s maker will grow to 450 million people worldwide by 2020, according to a new forecast from Juniper Research. This includes mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and others. By this time, Apple Pay will have amassed the largest audience, with Apple accounting for 1 in 2 of these “OEM Pay” users globally – meaning those using wallets provided by the original equipment manufacturer, as opposed to a third-party app.

The forecast includes newcomers to the market, like Fitbit’s odd entry with Fitbit Pay, offered with select editions of its Versa smartwatch, for example. But not surprisingly, the analysts don’t believe these alternatives will amass much market share over the next few years.

“We believe that growth over the next five years will continue to be dominated by offerings from the major OEM players,” said the research’s author Nitin Bhas, referring to companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung. “Additionally, we now have the likes of Huawei Pay and Fitbit Pay launching in several markets; this is now included in Juniper’s contactless forecasts,” he noted.

By 2020, “OEM Pay” wallets will account for over $300 billion in transactions, representing 15 percent of the total number of contactless in-store transactions.

However, the contactless payments market will still be dominated by contactless card payments, not mobile wallets. Contactless card payments are most popular in parts of Asia, including China, where they account for nearly 55 percent of global contactless payments. Combined, all contactless payments in-store will reach $2 trillion by 2029, which is 15 percent of the total point-of-sale transactions.

Notably, contactless payments will exceed $1 trillion for the first time in 2018 – one year earlier than previously estimated.

Meanwhile, by 2022, Juniper forecasts nearly 10 billion mobile contactless ticketing transactions will take place, with North America leading other regions, followed by parts of Asia, including China.

What’s interesting about this new research report is that Apple Pay has such a large following, given how it’s Android-based smartphones, not iPhones, that dominate the worldwide smartphone market. Android’s scale is thanks to Google’s carrier partnerships and the lower cost of some Android phones, which have allowed Android to make inroads in developing regions as well. Android today accounts for around 85-86 percent of the global smartphone market, compared with Apple’s iOS’s 14-15 percent, according to various measurement firms.

Of course, Android has to contend with something Apple does not – OEMs like Samsung running their own mobile wallets to compete with Google Pay (previously called Android Pay.) That fragmentation could account for, in part, why Apple Pay will soon account for 1 out of every 2 contactless mobile wallet user.

 

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Samsung’s new flexible display can withstand a lot of drops

There are those who will almost certainly take Samsung’s declaration of an “unbreakable” display as a challenge. That’s just human nature. For every one else, there’s something undeniably appealing in the idea of a phone that can be dropped from up to six feet, without a any sign of damage.

As far as when (or, rather, if) Samsung’s new flexible OLED tech will actually appear in devices, that remains to be seen. Before you get your hopes up too much, Samsung and LG are in the habit of showing these kinds of technology previews all the time, regardless of economic feasibility. That’s just one of the many cruel jokes that comes with paying attention to this sort of stuff.

That said, a new round of rumors point to a “foldable” display device coming at some point next year, so who knows, maybe all of our wildest dreams are about to come true then. In the meantime, the tests certainly point to an impressive component.

UL’s drop testing (no doubt the funnest part of that person’s day) involved letting the display go from around four feet up, 26 times in a row. The phone was also exposed to extreme temperatures and — as mentioned above — dropped from around six feet, just for kicks. None of which appear to damage the screen.

Here’s Samsung GM Hojung Kim on the tech, “The fortified plastic window is especially suitable for portable electronic devices not only because of its unbreakable characteristics, but also because of its lightweight, transmissivity and hardness, which are all very similar to glass.”

In addition to phones, the tech may also be used in cars, gaming consoles and tablets.

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Samsung teases Note 9’s extended battery life in new video spot

Based on the many, many Galaxy Note 9 leaks we’ve seen in the past few weeks and months, it seems like a pretty safe bet that the upcoming phablet won’t look all that different from its predecessors. The phablet does, however, appear to have a lot going under the hood.

The most recent piece of news hinted at a massive 4,000 mAh battery — marking a 700 mAh jump over its predecessor. That’s some pretty rarified on-board battery air right there. The first in a series of quick video spots for the handset does appear to confirm an increased capacity, without going into any specifics. And, naturally, it takes Apple to task in the process. That’s just Samsung’s M.O. these days. 

A sizable jump in battery is notable for one key reason, of course. Samsung’s been pretty cautious on that front ever since all of those Note 7s started exploding a few years back. The company apologized profusely, before instituting a bunch of new safety mechanisms in the process. Since then, it hasn’t…played with fire, so to speak.

From the looks of it, however, the company’s August 9 event could change all of that.

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Computer vision researchers build an AI benchmark app for Android phones

A group of computer vision researchers from ETH Zurich want to do their bit to enhance AI development on smartphones. To wit: They’ve created a benchmark system for assessing the performance of several major neural network architectures used for common AI tasks.

They’re hoping it will be useful to other AI researchers but also to chipmakers (by helping them get competitive insights); Android developers (to see how fast their AI models will run on different devices); and, well, to phone nerds — such as by showing whether or not a particular device contains the necessary drivers for AI accelerators. (And, therefore, whether or not they should believe a company’s marketing messages.)

The app, called AI Benchmark, is available for download on Google Play and can run on any device with Android 4.1 or higher — generating a score the researchers describe as a “final verdict” of the device’s AI performance.

AI tasks being assessed by their benchmark system include image classification, face recognition, image deblurring, image super-resolution, photo enhancement or segmentation.

They are even testing some algorithms used in autonomous driving systems, though there’s not really any practical purpose for doing that at this point. Not yet anyway. (Looking down the road, the researchers say it’s not clear what hardware platform will be used for autonomous driving — and they suggest it’s “quite possible” mobile processors will, in future, become fast enough to be used for this task. So they’re at least prepped for that possibility.)

The app also includes visualizations of the algorithms’ output to help users assess the results and get a feel for the current state-of-the-art in various AI fields.

The researchers hope their score will become a universally accepted metric — similar to DxOMark that is used for evaluating camera performance — and all algorithms included in the benchmark are open source. The current ranking of different smartphones and mobile processors is available on the project’s webpage.

The benchmark system and app was around three months in development, says AI researcher and developer Andrey Ignatov.

He explains that the score being displayed reflects two main aspects: The SoC’s speed and available RAM.

“Let’s consider two devices: one with a score of 6000 and one with a score of 200. If some AI algorithm will run on the first device for 5 seconds, then this means that on the second device this will take about 30 times longer, i.e. almost 2.5 minutes. And if we are thinking about applications like face recognition this is not just about the speed, but about the applicability of the approach: Nobody will wait 10 seconds till their phone will be trying to recognize them.

“The same is about memory: The larger is the network/input image — the more RAM is needed to process it. If the phone has small amount of RAM that is e.g. only enough to enhance 0.3MP photo, then this enhancement will be clearly useless, but if it can do the same job for Full HD images — this opens up much wider possibilities. So, basically the higher score — the more complex algorithms can be used / larger images can be processed / it will take less time to do this.”

Discussing the idea for the benchmark, Ignatov says the lab is “tightly bound” to both research and industry — so “at some point we became curious about what are the limitations of running the recent AI algorithms on smartphones”.

“Since there was no information about this (currently, all AI algorithms are running remotely on the servers, not on your device, except for some built-in apps integrated in phone’s firmware), we decided to develop our own tool that will clearly show the performance and capabilities of each device,” he adds. 

“We can say that we are quite satisfied with the obtained results — despite all current problems, the industry is clearly moving towards using AI on smartphones, and we also hope that our efforts will help to accelerate this movement and give some useful information for other members participating in this development.”

After building the benchmarking system and collating scores on a bunch of Android devices, Ignatov sums up the current situation of AI on smartphones as “both interesting and absurd”.

For example, the team found that devices running Qualcomm chips weren’t the clear winners they’d imagined — i.e. based on the company’s promotional materials about Snapdragon’s 845 AI capabilities and 8x performance acceleration.

“It turned out that this acceleration is available only for ‘quantized’ networks that currently cannot be deployed on the phones, thus for ‘normal’ networks you won’t get any acceleration at all,” he says. “The saddest thing is that actually they can theoretically provide acceleration for the latter networks too, but they just haven’t implemented the appropriated drivers yet, and the only possible way to get this acceleration now is to use Snapdragon’s proprietary SDK available for their own processors only. As a result — if you are developing an app that is using AI, you won’t get any acceleration on Snapdragon’s SoCs, unless you are developing it for their processors only.”

Whereas the researchers found that Huawei’s Kirin’s 970 CPU — which is technically even slower than Snapdragon 636 — offered a surprisingly strong performance.

“Their integrated NPU gives almost 10x acceleration for Neural Networks, and thus even the most powerful phone CPUs and GPUs can’t compete with it,” says Ignatov. “Additionally, Huawei P20/P20 Pro are the only smartphones on the market running Android 8.1 that are currently providing AI acceleration, all other phones will get this support only in Android 9 or later.”

It’s not all great news for Huawei phone owners, though, as Ignatov says the NPU doesn’t provide acceleration for ‘quantized’ networks (though he notes the company has promised to add this support by the end of this year); and also it uses its own RAM — which is “quite limited” in size, and therefore you “can’t process large images with it”…

“We would say that if they solve these two issues — most likely nobody will be able to compete with them within the following year(s),” he suggests, though he also emphasizes that this assessment only refers to the one SoC, noting that Huawei’s processors don’t have the NPU module.

For Samsung processors, the researchers flag up that all the company’s devices are still running Android 8.0 but AI acceleration is only available starting from Android 8.1 and above. Natch.

They also found CPU performance could “vary quite significantly” — up to 50% on the same Samsung device — because of throttling and power optimization logic. Which would then have a knock on impact on AI performance.

For Mediatek, the researchers found the chipmaker is providing acceleration for both ‘quantized’ and ‘normal’ networks — which means it can reach the performance of “top CPUs”.

But, on the flip side, Ignatov calls out the company’s slogan — that it’s “Leading the Edge-AI Technology Revolution” — dubbing it “nothing more than their dream”, and adding: “Even the aforementioned Samsung’s latest Exynos CPU can slightly outperform it without using any acceleration at all, not to mention Huawei with its Kirin’s 970 NPU.”

“In summary: Snapdragon — can theoretically provide good results, but are lacking the drivers; Huawei — quite outstanding results now and most probably in the nearest future; Samsung — no acceleration support now (most likely this will change soon since they are now developing their own AI Chip), but powerful CPUs; Mediatek — good results for mid-range devices, but definitely no breakthrough.”

It’s also worth noting that some of the results were obtained on prototype samples, rather than shipped smartphones, so haven’t yet been included in the benchmark table on the team’s website.

“We will wait till the devices with final firmware will come to the market since some changes might still be introduced,” he adds.

For more on the pros and cons of AI-powered smartphone features check out our article from earlier this year.

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Samsung is probably keeping the headphone jack around for the Galaxy Note 9

Let’s be real — the latest batch of Samsung ads are more about the company’s perception of Apple than its own devices. But hey, that tact has worked for the company in the past, so who can blame ‘em? They do, however, offer at least one key bit of insight into the company’s on-going plans.

In a spot titled “Dongle” that takes aim at the easiest possible joke in the smartphone world, Samsung takes Apple to task for the iPhone for its lack of headphone jack. A conversation ensues between a customer and Genius Bar employee, the term “double dongle” is coined and the former grimaces like someone just explained the plot of Human Centipede to him for the first time.

Again, the ad’s less about what Samsung has, than what Apple doesn’t, but it does appear to reaffirm the company’s commitment to the headphone jack. Granted, we’ve seen companies do about-faces on the issue before. The most notable instance is probably Google, who called Apple out one year and dropped the jack the next.

But releasing such an openly mocking ad a month or so before dropping the headphone jack would not, as the kids say, be a great look for the company. The inclusion of the port has been a selling point for Samsung ever since Apple dropped it way back in 2016 for the iPhone 6. It’s an easy win for Samsung. All the company has to do is literally nothing.

And from the leaks we’ve seen of the Note 9, it appears that the 3.5mm will once again be returning.

Of course, what felt like an act of aggression to some two year back has become increasingly common amongst the competition. I’ve talked to a number of manufacturers who’ve retained the jack over the past two years, and nearly all have acknowledged that it’s simply a matter of time before they go that route as well.

It’s tough to say how much of the decision to keep the jack around is Samsung simply giving customers what they want, and how much is the company simply trying to distance itself from Apple. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Samsung can continue to use its (admittedly pretty nice) wired AKG headphones as a selling point, while making all the “double dongle” jokes its hefty ad budget can support.

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The best free cloud storage service 2018

Now this… this is an ultra-wide monitor

I’ve been working with an ugly but functional lopsided two-monitor setup for years, and while it has served me well, I can’t say the new generation of ultra-wide monitors hasn’t tempted me. But the truth is they just aren’t wide enough. Or rather, they weren’t.

Samsung has just blown my mind with a monitor so wide it will serve as a ramp that you can trick off of in the summer. It’s so wide that when it puts on a pair of BVDs they read BOULEVARD. It’s so wide that the Bayeux Tapestry got jealous.

Actually it’s a little less wide than a couple of the monitors Samsung announced at CES — but those had two problems. First, they were 3840×1080. And I just need more vertical pixels than that. Second, they were 49 inches wide. That’s a BIG monitor! Not just big, but with those pixels spread out that far, it’s not going to be sharp at all.

On the other hand, this new one not only adds an extra 120 pixels, bringing it to the far superior 1200 vertical (for a total of 3840×1200), but it is 43 inches corner to corner. Forty-three inches… would that be too big, too small, or would it be…

Just right?!

(Yes, my left monitor is a bit warmer than my right, but it’s not as bad as it looks — that’s a viewing angle issue.)

One of the downsides of a giant monitor is that it can be a pain to separate workspaces or, say, have a movie playing “full screen” on one half while you browse Etsy for vintage kettles on the other. But Samsung has a “picture-by-picture” mode and some other useful features that help with this. So I’m going to give it a shot.

It’s also got 120Hz refresh (though no word on sync tech), a bunch of USB ports, and even a headphone jack. I don’t know why you would want built-in sound on a thing like this, since you clearly are a media freak if you buy it, but they felt the need to add in speakers.

The Samsung C43J89 monitor will cost $900 when it comes out, which admittedly is two or three times what I would normally pay for a monitor — I’m more of a Dell Ultrasharp guy, IPS all the way. But my whole workflow could change when this thing goes on sale.

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Best dating apps: straight, gay or bi, find love whatever your orientation

Back in the day dating services were considered by many as a last resort in the long, arduous hunt for love - and something of a shameful secret. 

But fast-forward to 2018 and nowadays if you’re young (or not-so-young) free and single it’s weird if you don’t have Tinder, Bumble or the hottest new dating app around snuggled up between staples like Instagram and Deliveroo on your homescreen. 

Now dating apps are more popular than ever, the demand for better experiences, better connections and more diversity is more important than ever. That’s why we’re here to help you before you begin your swiping spree. Take a look at our pick of the best dating apps - catering to a wide range of preferences and orientations. 

We’d also like to add that we didn’t just look at the app stores to come up with this list, we also quizzed a wide range of dating app guinea pigs, from those who used them once and found a soulmate to those who use them regularly for everything from relationships to flings.

So whatever your preferences, and whatever you’re looking for, check out our selection of the best dating apps.

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay, bisexual, other

In a time where Tinder reigns supreme in the dating app world, it can be hard for other apps to really stand out, which is why OKCupid has turned its focus to matching people up on a ‘deeper level.’ 

By filling out your profile and answering questions, the app’s algorithm will suggest potential matches who share your interests in the hope you’ll build deeper connections, which you can easily see from a ‘compatibility’ score displayed next to other users. You can also link up your Instagram profile if you think it gives potential matches a better picture of what you’re all about.

Nick said: “The OKCupid dates I went on were often the most interesting, with people I could genuinely chat to.” 

The app is free and, unless you use its ‘quickmatch’ Tinder-style option, it’s all about browsing through many profiles and breaking the ice with a message. But this focus on messages can lead to some clear downsides. 

Sarah said: “The fact you can easily message for free comes with the downside that you might get a fair few unwanted messages.”

• Free
• iOS (Android coming soon)
• Straight, gay, bisexual, other

Now is, as its name implies, focused entirely on meeting up right now. For some, that might sound romantic, thrilling even. For those that prefer to plan, it can cause some pretty serious anxiety.

Once you’ve created an account, you select a window of time when you’re available and then decide what you’d like to do, like ‘coffee’ or ‘drink’ or ‘entertainment’. This immediacy is refreshing in the dreary world of ‘will we ever meet or just awkwardly flirt for weeks before getting bored?’ online dating woes. 

Dating blogger Paul Thomas Bell tells us: “I did a lot of research into online dating and Now is the solution to what I found to be the single biggest complaint of women on Tinder - no more pen pals.”

But it turns out that an app designed for instant dating gratification doesn’t necessarily attract those searching for a long-term partner. 

Louise told us: “It could just be because of the area I live in, but in my experience most of the guys on Now are only after one thing right now, and it isn’t romance or a coffee...”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay, bisexual

Here it is, Tinder. The app that’s apparently the cause of everything, from the rise of STDs and breeding promiscuity to global warming (okay, we’re messing with you with that one). But regardless of who you ask, it has become synonymous with casual dating and hookups rather than those looking for their soulmates. 

It’s perfect if you’re looking for something not so serious, but that’s not to say that it’s impossible to find a more long-term love. After all, we’ve all got a friend-of-a-friend who married someone they matched with on Tinder, right? Unless we’re all just referring to the same couple…

The core concept is simple enough. You see someone’s photo. If you like it, swipe right. If you don’t, swipe left. And then repeat a couple of hundred times. If you’ve swiped right on someone and they’ve swiped right on you as well, you’ll be notified and can begin messaging one another. 

Hayley Minn says: “I used to love it, it's so easy to use and fun, but it now feels like a game more than anything and I've never had a date lead to anything serious.” 

Despite the fact it seems to be losing its edge, we included it because it’s still popular, and the large user numbers mean the more chance of dates.

Louise said: “I’m sick of it, but most people are on it. And I’ve had a few good, well, mediocre, dates.”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay, bisexual

In many ways, the Bumble experience is pretty much identical to the Tinder style of swiping, but rather than either party making the first move, it’s up to the girl to say something witty and impressive first within a day. 

For many women that we chatted to, this was a breath of fresh air in the often seedy and overwhelming world of online dating and cringe-worthy first messages. 

Hayley told us: “I LOVE it! The woman speaks first, and it means guys are way more likely to speak to you if you're not just one of many.” 

It also seems that the higher quality experience and focus on women being in control attracts a slightly better standard of men. 

Louise told us: “The men are better, looks and personality.” 

Paul agreed: “It’s Tinder, but better.” 

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight

Calling itself “the relationship app”, Hinge is aimed at those who are tired of Tinder, or just have really sore thumbs from all the swiping. 

You’re prompted to ask a series of questions, but you can choose which you answer. The idea is you can build an authentic picture of yourself, with answers, photos, details about what you’re reading or listening to and even video. So you’re more likely to find someone with genuine shared interests, rather than just a nice face.

The biggest difference is there’s no ‘hot or not?’ style swiping. You can like someone’s activities and photos, which reminds us more of Facebook-style interactions, but packaged up within a dating app. 

Does this all sound a bit too good to be true? That’s maybe because it is. 

Sarah said: “Hinge definitely sounds good in theory. But I haven’t had a date through it yet. I’m trying to stay patient and positive, but I think the instant buzz of Tinder might have ruined me.”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay

Plenty of Fish is another app that allows you to create a profile, answer questions or just upload your favorite selfies. It’s got a large user-base and when it comes to success rates, it really divides opinion. The huge choice of, erm, fish, tend to mean there are a few long-term love stories and lots of “okay I guess” dating anecdotes.

Louise said: “It’s a totally mixed bag. Be ready to hunt for people through the droves and droves. I’ve had a few fun dates through it, you just have to put the time in to weed through the rubbish.”

Paul said: “All I ever hear from men is that women never reply, and all I ever hear from women is that they get too many messages.”

That said, we know personally of one real world couple that are now married having met through Plenty of Fish, so love can be found here!

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay, bisexual

Match.com is another older dating website that’s evolved over the years to become one of the most popular apps. The profiles are detailed (if people fill them in), which means you can find out more about someone before you speak to them, and location-based searching means you’re shown people who live or work nearby. 

One of the most interesting developments to Match.com’s proposition is group dating events, which sound weird but could set it apart from the rest.

Paul said: “I love that match are evolving by introducing dating events. They have the potential to be the future of dating and it's nice to see one of the top online companies acknowledging that, without losing their original identity.”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Gay

If you're serious about finding long-term love as a gay man, Chappy may well be the best app option on the market. Built from an idea by Made In Chelsea's Ollie Locke (stick with us...) it's a respectful community with a higher quality user than some of the sleazier apps.

Letting you choose between "Mr Right" and "Mr Right Now" it's fun and playful if you're in the mood for some quick company, while offering a bit more depth for those looking for a bit more.

According to Basil it's greatest feature is "a slider at the top, where you can indicate what you're after, so only like-minded guys will populate your feed," but the app experience "from that point onwards, is basically Tinder."

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight

Another app, another promise to provide more meaningful connections. Meet Coffee Meets Bagel. Ladies, you’ll be served up a Bagel (that’s what the app calls men) each day at noon, which are only the Bagels (or... erm... men?) that have already liked you. The idea is it’ll cut out time wasting and lead to a greater chance of a connection. 

The app also has a recently launched premium feature, which serves up more information about your matches, like how likely they are to reply to you. 

It’s another idea that sounds good, but does it really work? We’re yet to find anyone who has found what they’re looking for through the app. 

Louise told us: “It’s a great idea and I like the fact I don’t have to sit alone in an evening and swipe for hours, but I haven’t had a date through it yet.” 

Paul said: “I like it but I'm not yet convinced. It hasn't captured my imagination quite yet but I do hope they prove me wrong as it has some really good elements to it.”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Gay

After a hairy hookup? Scruff takes the basic dating app experience, and tailors it to gay guys looking for burly, furry men, also known as bears, polar bears, cubs and otters.

Scruff quotes over 12 million worldwide users, and has recently expanded into AirBnB style travel accommodation, with a gay-friendly slant, also letting you know if fellow travellers from out of town are looking for some company. Paid tiers unlock additional features for committed users, but the free experience is worthy of inclusion here.

Basil enjoyed the "instant messaging, whether you've been highlighted for a positive match or not. It means there's not instant rejection, but be ready for unsolicited messages too." He encouraged using the private gallery feature to have more meaningful interactions with would-be dates.

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Straight, gay, bisexual

Do you ever daydream that you’ll experience a romantic movie moment when you lock eyes with someone and then you’re together for all of eternity? But then you glance at someone in the street in real life and instantly look away again because you’re shy and awkward and not a fictional character? Well, Happn wants to try and resolve that and turn every walk down the street into a dreamy chance to find love. 

You fill in your details like you would with any other app, but then your phone’s location smarts kick in and you’re shown people who are nearby. Whether that means they live near you, work near you, have the same Sunday morning routine, or anything else. 

Nick said: “I met a lot of great people through this app. You’re bound to have similar lives if they keep showing up near you. Plus, it takes the pressure off because you’re already in each other’s proximity - you can easily go for a drink.”

But there are drawbacks to the “find people nearby” USP. 

Nick continued: “The problem is, if you go on a bad date, you’ll see the same person again and again.”

Hayley said: “I used to love this. But then it keeps bringing up the same people over and over if you're doing the same commute everyday as other people.”

• Free
• iOS
• Straight

Taste Buds wants to connect you up with people who share your music interests, which is why it calls itself “Tinder for music lovers”, as if everyone on Tinder doesn’t love music? 

If someone’s music tastes are a dealbreaker, this app will weed out anyone who isn’t destined to sit and listen to your favourite artists with you. 

Paul said: “It’s a really nice idea. But I’m not sure if it has any longevity. I hope I’m proven wrong, as it's quite innovative.”

• Free
• iOS, Android
• Gay, bi, other

Formerly called Dattch, Her claims it's the "most popular lesbian app" and that's hardly a surprise considering its fresh approach to connecting people. It's mostly about dating with its "Meet" tab, with a bit of platonic social networking thrown in for good measure via its Facebook-like "Feed" area.

To set up a profile you answer some simple questions and then sync it up with your Facebook account. A lot of the people on the app say that's REALLY appealing because it stops men from seeking out lesbian and queer people in an attempt to chat them up and somehow change their orientation... Yeah, it makes no sense to us either, but its an all-too-common problem on some of the more straight-focused dating apps. But Her puts a stop to it before you've even signed up. Phew.

It doesn't just cater for lesbians – the app is for lesbian, bi, pansexual, trans and queer people, too. It just makes a big deal of its "most popular lesbian app" creds in its marketing materials.

• Free
• iOS

Have you ever been texting someone lovely or on a great date with someone to then find out the next time you meet that you’ve got absolutely zilch in common? Sure some people can build relationships from differing interests, but it’s often easier if you have at least one hobby to share.

That’s why Sweatt seems like a kinda silly, kinda great idea. It’s essentially like Tinder, but for those who love fitness and working out. The aim is you’ll find someone who loves exercise just as much as you do so you can become one of those cringe-worthy couples who lifts weights together or does complicated acrobatic yoga poses and then posts them to Instagram.

Like Tinder, Sweatt isn’t interested in getting you to fill out lengthy questionnaires, instead profiles are simple. This is great for those who are pushed for time, but it does mean it’s likely your matches will be based solely on how you both look - a fact some will love and others will hate. 

Also like Tinder, you can search through potential matches by swiping and if you both like each other you’re matched and can begin the cat and mouse game. Except in this case the mouse loves running and the cat is so toned it looks like it’s been moulded from clay. 

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Singapore succumbs to massive data breach in 'state-sponsored' attack

Singapore has been hit by a major cyber attack that saw a database containing the personal information of about 1.5 million people, more than a quarter of the population, stolen.

The attack was first detected on July 4th and came weeks after SingHealth, the entity managing the state's health service, declared that it was going to cut off staff access to cloud storage (such as Dropbox, and OneDrive) on July 1st.

It is unknown whether the two are related but the reason given back in May 2018 was that these platforms were increasingly being used by cyber criminals to store malware.

Who was behind the attack?

The systematic siphoning of the SingHealth database went undetected for nearly three years and Singapore's government has confirmed that the records haven't been tampered with but only copied.

The attackers, an official press release highlights, "specifically and repeatedly targeted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s personal particulars and information on his outpatient dispensed medicines" adding, "It was not the work of casual hackers or criminal gangs".

While a VPN service wouldn't have stopped such an attack, it will provide with an additional layer of anonymity to those who use it, preventing hackers from mass collecting more data to build a better persona of their victims and ExpressVPN is our recommended VPN.

Via Singapore Ministry of Health

• Best business antivirus

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Microsoft is exploring new ways to seriously bolster its app line-up ahead of Surface Phone

Microsoft is exploring potential new avenues to remedy its issues with a lack of applications in the context of its rumored dual-screen mobile Surface device – which will allegedly utilize a custom version of Windows 10, referred to as Andromeda – beyond initial app expansion plans driven by Progressive Web Apps.

At least that’s the word from sources at Microsoft who have talked to Windows Central about the so-called Surface Phone, which as we’ve reported in the past, won’t be marketed as a phone as such, but appears to be some manner of phone-laptop hybrid. Indeed, it’s billed as a new category of ‘pocketable’ device Microsoft intends to push, running the streamlined and tailored Andromeda OS (which is designed to still deliver a full Windows 10 experience on a smaller device).

The grapevine reckons that the device has been delayed until next year, and Windows Central also believes this to be the case. Part of the reason for that delay is the software side of the equation, and Microsoft’s concerns about the number of apps that will be available to users.

Progressive potential

Now, as we’ve also talked about before, a major part of the solution will be Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which are web-based apps that act like native applications rather than browser-bound software – but it sounds like Microsoft is worried that this might not pan out effectively enough to provide a complete solution.

Windows Central observes: “It probably goes without saying that UWP [universal apps] is also something Microsoft is actively pushing on Andromeda, and apps like WhatsApp are a possible contender for this, but progress on the UWP front is slow, hence the focus on PWAs.

“Furthermore, I'm told there are other ideas that the company is also considering to help improve the app situation on Andromeda, but I'm still digging for information on that. For now, we know that Microsoft is betting big on PWA, and rightly so.”

Apparently part of the reason for the delay of Andromeda and the related dual-screen device is wrapped up in getting more PWAs on the boil and into the Microsoft Store (and also optimizing the Edge browser to get better performance out of these web apps, and perhaps more importantly, to ensure they are suitably power-efficient so as not to drain too much battery on mobile devices).

As to what alternative ideas might be used to bolster apps with Andromeda, it’s evidently unclear exactly what Microsoft’s plans are, although one obvious Band-Aid would be to draft in Android apps.

Although there could be an argument that if Microsoft does resort to this particular Google-powered shortcut, as it were, it would almost be like admitting (another) defeat in the long-running battle to get more apps into its ecosystem. Still, the average user may not care much, as long as all the popular big-name apps are actually there – and, most crucially, they perform well under Andromeda OS.

As a final note, we must remember that all this is based on conjecture about a rumored device, so as ever, be liberal with those condiments.

• These are the best laptops of 2018

Via MS Power User

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Samsung and Xiaomi had record smartphone shipments in India

India has quickly become ground zero for the smartphone wars. Last year, the country surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s No. 2 smartphone market, and manufacturers are falling over themselves to plant a flag.

Samsung and Xiaomi have been the two biggest winners in recent quarters, battling it out for the top spot. Earlier this year, the latter edged out the former, but the battle has remained neck and neck for the huge — and growing — market. According to new numbers from Canalys, both companies shipped 9.9 million smartphones for Q2 2018.

Xiaomi held onto the top spot — though just barely, with Samsung growing 47 percent year-over-year. That’s the Korean manufacturer’s biggest growth spurt in the country since late-2015. Look, here’s a graph.

Combined, the two manufacturers comprise 60 percent of shipments in India for the quarter. Vivo and Oppo round out the top four, making Samsung the only non-Chinese company vying for a top spot. The company announced recently that it will be doubling down its efforts in the country with a factory it’s deemed the world’s largest.

ASUS has seem some growth in the country, as well, tripling since the previous quarter. Apple’s shipments, meanwhile, have dipped around 50 percent year-over-year, according to the firm, as the company adjusts its strategy in the country.

“Apple’s paring back of distributor partners and move to a ‘brand-first, volume-next’ strategy will reap rewards as it will ensure better margin per device,” says Rushabh Doshi of Canalys. “Getting priorities right will be important to smartphone vendors, and it will be a choice between profitability and volume growth.”

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Best small business software of 2018

Best Linux remote desktop clients of 2018

This article has been fully updated, and was provided to TechRadar by Linux Format, the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more. It appeared in issue 220, published February 2017. Subscribe to the print or digital version of Linux Format here.

SSH has been the staple remote access tool for system administrators from day one. Admins use SSH to mount remote directories, backup remote servers, spring-clean remote databases, and even forward X11 connections. The popularity of single-board computers, such as the Raspberry Pi, has introduced SSH into the parlance of everyday desktop users as well.

While SSH is useful for securely accessing one-off applications, it’s usually overkill, especially if you aren’t concerned about the network’s security. There are times when you need to remotely access the complete desktop session rather than just a single application. You may want to guide the person on the other end through installing software or want to tweak settings on a Windows machine from the comfort of your Linux desktop yourself.

• These are the best Linux training providers and online courses in 2018

This is where remote desktop software comes in handy. Using these nifty little applications you can remotely access and operate a computer over the network from all sorts of devices. There are various protocols and while the clients we’ll cover in this article support multiple ones, we’ll focus on Virtual Network Computing (VNC) which is amongst the most popular.

Specifically, we’re going to evaluate and compare five clients: RealVNC, Remmina, TigerVNC, TightVNC and Vinagre.

How we tested

A remote desktop sharing session involves a server and a client. The server component is installed on the remote machine that you want to access and the client is installed on the local machine or even on a mobile device such as a tablet. For this feature, we’ll use three servers – the RealVNC server built into a Raspberry Pi, the default Vino server in Ubuntu and TigerVNC server for accessing Windows PCs.

A good remote desktop client should be responsive, and as such we've rated responsive clients higher than those which do a wonderful job of replicating the remote desktop in true colour but take ages to register clicks and key presses. We’ll also keep an eye out for any related features that are included, such as the ability to encrypt connections. The clients and servers are also all running inside our network connected via Wi-Fi.

So, without any further delay, let’s move on and compare these clients across a broad range of aspects – from available features, to the interface, multimedia capabilities and more – before we round things off with our final verdict.

Nate Drake also contributed updates to this article

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All the clients in this article are rather equally matched in terms of features. That said, Remmina and Vinagre are the only ones that can sniff and discover a VNC server running on the network. Additionally, Vinagre can tunnel VNC connections through SSH and enables you to easily take screenshots of the remote machines.

However, with RealVNC and Remmina you can manually tweak the quality of the connection to make good use of the available bandwidth. Best of all Remmina lets you alter the colour depth of the remote desktop on the fly. The application encrypts VNC connections with the AES256 algorithm and also offers a button to send all keyboard commands to the remote server.

TigerVNC and TightVNC are both very similar since the former is a fork of the latter. TigerVNC uses TLS encryption by default. While the application encrypts traffic, it cannot verify the identity of the server. However, TigerVNC supports various other encryption schemes, such as X509Vnc, that do allow this.

Furthermore, TigerVNC offers users controls to manually tweak the encoding and colour level and a couple of other parameters depending on the available bandwidth. You can also use it to create view-only sessions and run a full-screen session on the guest. TightVNC offers pretty much the same features as TigerVNC, but some distinguishing features like the ability to transfer files are available only to Windows users.

Sound is not supported by any of the clients. Only RealVNC has the ability to transfer files. However, the file transfer feature along with several others such as the ability to exchange instant messages with the person on the VNC server are available only when you connect to a RealVNC server, e.g. the one pre-installed on Raspbian for the Raspberry Pi.

Furthermore, the client only encrypts connections to the RealVNC server (now known as VNC Connect). The client allows multiple sessions and can run sessions full-screen and scale the remote display to fit the current window on the client computer. It can also remember remote access credentials so you don’t have to enter them each time which is a definite plus, especially if you need to remotely manage a handful of machines. Simply double click on a machine from the RealVNC window to connect automatically.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 4/5
• Remmina: 4/5
• TigerVNC: 3/5
• TightVNC: 3/5
• Vinagre: 3/5

If you’re a fan of using multimedia on your remote desktop, we suggest you give TightVNC a miss. Using the default settings you can perform simple actions like viewing PDFs but videos are barely watchable and games which rely on rapid keyboard presses such as snake4 performed horribly, with a delay of over two seconds.

Remmina performed better and games were playable without any delay even at the best quality on the remote Ubuntu server. However, we couldn’t watch video playback at any quality setting. At the lowest quality level the video was less jerky but the colours were wrong. At the other end of the quality setting the colours were perfect but the video skipped frames. The application could also easily scroll through lightweight PDFs at best quality, while scrolling through PDFs worked best at lower quality levels.

Similarly, you can easily scroll through PDFs and perform regular desktop tasks with RealVNC. You can get more mileage from your Pi using the experimental hardware acceleration mode which allows you to run applications such as Minecraft Pi, and watch videos with the built-in omxplayer, without any issues. 

TigerVNC and Vinagre delivered the best performance. You can use either application to play games without any delays even at the best video quality setting. Video playback was also surprisingly good and we could easily scroll through all sorts of PDFs at the best quality.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 4/5
• Remmina: 3/5
• TigerVNC: 4/5
• TightVNC: 2/5
• Vinagre: 4/5

There are several facets to the usability aspect of the client. First up is the interface for establishing the connection to the server. To score points for usability, the client has to offer the right number of features to define the connection without inundating the user with a sea of toggles and checkboxes.

Also, the client’s role doesn’t end when the connection is established. The post-connection interface plays a crucial role in helping you interact with the remote desktop. In this article, we’ll only rate applications based on the accessibility of post-connection features. The fact that some applications offer more controls than others, once the connection has been established, will be compared in a separate section.

We’ll break this slide down into mini-reviews of the interface and user experience, starting with…

RealVNC

You’ll have to define a new connection before connecting with the RealVNC client by manually entering the IP address of your VNC server. You can then either use the default settings or tweak them from the New Connection window. The General and Options tabs list common parameters while the Expert tab lets experienced campaigners modify the default values of various parameters. You can access these options during an active connection either by using the hidden menu at the top of the connection window or by pressing the F8 key.

By default, the RealVNC client also saves screenshots for connections. During an active connection the client also gives you the option to transfer files to and from the remote server and exchange instant messages. However, these options will only work when connected to a RealVNC server.

Score: 3/5

Remmina

Before you can establish a connection, Remmina asks you to create a profile to define parameters for the connection. At the very least, you’ll have to select a protocol from a drop-down list and enter the server’s IP address. Optionally, you can define other parameters that vary depending on the protocol being used, e.g. for VNC connections, you can optionally choose the colour depth and quality of the connection as well as encryption. You also get checkboxes to toggle some quick settings like starting a simple View Only session and disabling encryption etc.

Remmina has an intuitive tabbed interface that enables you to manage multiple remote desktop sessions from a single window. There are a bunch of buttons for common tasks such as switching to full-screen mode or to the scaled mode in case the remote desktop doesn’t fit.

Score: 3/5

TigerVNC

TigerVNC has a rather straightforward interface. However, unlike some of the other clients in this feature, it lacks the ability to automatically sniff VNC servers on the network and you’ll have to manually enter the IP address of the remote VNC server to establish a connection. While the default options work for most users, various connection parameters can be customised.

Besides the options to choose the encoding, colour and compression levels for the connection, you can also elect to only view the remote computer screen. Furthermore, TigerVNC enables you to share the clipboard with the remote VNC server and the application also makes it possible to choose the remote session screen size.

Score: 3/5

TightVNC

TightVNC is the only software in this feature to use a Java viewer. It also uses a simple textbox interface similar to TigerVNC’s. You’ll have to manually enter the IP address of the remote VNC server since the client cannot detect VNC servers running on the network. Again, you can either connect with the default option or customise any of the available settings. However, TightVNC lists all of the available options in one window unlike TigerVNC’s tabbed interface.

The differences between the two continue once a connection has been established: While TigerVNC uses a hidden menu, the TightVNC viewer lists a row of buttons at the top of the interface, and you can use these to customise any of the parameters for the connections – as well as sending various special keys to the remote VNC server.

Score: 3/5

Vinagre

Vinagre has a minimal interface that’s very much like Remmina. However, there aren’t nearly as many advanced options behind Remmina’s simple GUI. To connect all you need to do is pick a protocol from the pull-down list and enter the IP address of the remote VNC server. What makes Vinagre more intuitive and user friendly than Remmina is the very helpful Find button that hunts for active servers on the local network.

Also much like Remmina, you get optional checkboxes to start a full-screen session, a view-only or a scaled window. You also have the ability to select a colour depth from 24-bit true colour to 3-bit ultra-low colour, plus you can also enable JPEG compression if you have the resources to bear the processing overhead. On the downside, you can’t change the quality settings of an active connection.

Score: 3/5

TightVNC won’t be much help if you’re new to VNC. The website has a single PDF guide on getting started for Windows users. It's easy to see from this – and the handful of screenshots – that this is a product mainly aimed at Windows users. If you need dedicated tech support, you can also pay for an annual subscription. 

TigerVNC isn’t much better. There’s next to no documentation on the website with just HTML versions of the main pages of the various utilities. The website also points to the project’s three mailing lists – one of which is meant for resolving user queries as well as the TigerVNC forum. 

Vinagre is a little better with pointers to the project’s IRC channel along with a Bugzilla page and the lead developer’s email address on the project’s homepage at Gnome.org. The client has a Help section that will familiarise users with the key features and basic operations. You can also discover more information about its features and usage on external sources such as the Ubuntu wiki.

Similarly, Remmina’s website lists the features of the main client along with those that are added via plugins. There’s also a handful of screenshots, a barebones FAQ, and a slightly more extensive Wiki which all answer some of the commonly asked questions on usage.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 5/5
• Remmina: 3/5
• TigerVNC: 2/5
• TightVNC: 2/5
• Vinagre: 2/5

VNC isn’t the only protocol in town for accessing the remote desktop and you can use a few applications in this feature to connect to other ones. However, RealVNC, TightVNC and TigerVNC only support the VNC protocol. Both TigerVNC and TightVNC have a server as well but the latest version of the TightVNC server is only available for Windows, and along with the desktop client, the version for Linux is for an older, unmaintained incarnation.

Similarly, RealVNC only supports the VNC protocol which it can tunnel over SSH, but it’s the only client in this feature that has its own dedicated branded clients for the Android and iOS mobile platforms.

However, GlavSoft, the developer of TightVNC, has created the app Remote Ripple for use with its VNC servers both for Android and iOS.  

Unlike some of the other clients, RealVNC has a multiplatform server component and works best when its own clients are paired with the server.

Vinagre by contrast can connect using the SPICE, RDP and SSH protocols as well as VNC. The client doesn’t run on any other platform besides the Linux desktop and neither does it have any clients for mobile platforms. It also has no server component of its own but works best when paired with the default VNC server for Gnome, Vino.

Similarly, in addition to VNC, Remmina supports other common protocols for accessing remote desktops including SSH, RDP, XDMCP and NX. It too doesn’t have a server of its own, nor any clients for mobile platforms.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 4/5
• Remmina: 3/5
• TigerVNC: 2/5
• TightVNC: 1/5
• Vinagre: 3/5

Some of the applications in this feature offer several tweakable options to help you get the most out of your connection. Some, like TigerVNC, TightVNC and Vinagre, don’t offer any real configurable parameters besides the ones that are available during an active connection. For what it’s worth though, TigerVNC enables you to save configuration information for individual connections into separate files that can be loaded on subsequent connection, or from a different client computer.

The TightVNC interface makes passing VNC connections via SSH tunnels very straightforward. Similarly, you can use Vinagre to enable JPEG compression if the VNC server supports it. The application also enables you to specify the colour depth to be used for the connection.

In contrast, both Remmina and RealVNC offer a good amount of control over the respective application’s behaviour. Remmina houses default remote connection settings under its Preferences window. Here you’ll find options to tweak some auto-save settings for the connections, and define custom hotkeys for common tasks. You can also alter a few aspects of the client’s behaviour and define a list of resolutions for the remote desktop.

RealVNC allows you to change several aspects of the viewer. You can share the printer on your local machine as the default printer on the remote VNC server which is a very useful feature. Security conscious users will also appreciate the privacy options where you can set a master password for the viewer to protect it from unauthorised use. The Preferences window in RealVNC also gives you access to the Expert parameters to tweak the server’s behaviour.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 4/5
• Remmina: 3/5
• TigerVNC: 2/5
• TightVNC: 2/5
• Vinagre: 2/5

During an active remote desktop session, you can ask Vinagre to stop sending keyboard and mouse input to the remote desktop to turn it into a view-only session. Vinagre’s interface also includes a keyboard shortcut to send (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and another to take a screenshot. You can also bookmark an active connection for quick access on subsequent connections, but you can’t alter the colour depth during an active connection.

RealVNC is a little better as it enables you to tweak some connection options via a dedicated window. Like some of its peers, RealVNC uses a panel for accessing features such as the file transfer and chat which hides itself when not in use. Alternatively, you can press the F8 key to display these options. Expert users can alter aspects of the VNC connection by going to the Expert tab.

The other three clients all allow you to change the encoding and colour format on the fly. TightVNC includes a toolbar at the top of the window with buttons to send keys such as Alt and Ctrl to the remote server. You can also disable clipboard transfer and alter how the mouse cursor is traced, and the shape of the local cursor.

As with RealVNC, you can press the F8 key in an active session in TigerVNC to bring up a menu for viewing connection data and toggling the Ctrl and Alt special keys. You can also change the colour level and encoding of the connection and convert the session into a view-only one.

Finally, Remmina has a tabbed interface for managing multiple remote sessions from a single window. When connected, there are buttons for common tasks, such as switching to full-screen or scaled mode. You can also change the quality of the connection on the fly and send keyboard commands to the remote desktop.

Verdict

• RealVNC: 3/5
• Remmina: 4/5
• TigerVNC: 4/5
• TightVNC: 4/5
• Vinagre: 2/5

Rating applications with very similar features and capabilities is never an easy task. Instead of picking an outright winner, we have tried to work our way to the top by a process of elimination. TightVNC is the first to rule itself out as the Java-based client feels out of place on the Linux desktop – even more so as its corresponding server is available for Windows only.

Next up are Remmina and Vinagre which are very similar in that they both offer support for multiple protocols besides VNC, and don’t require specific server software. Vinagre just gets the job done without much ado and performs surprisingly well. However, the client doesn’t offer the same flexibility as the others during an active session which is a shame.

Similarly, Remmina scores decently in the performance department and gives you the flexibility to change connection quality settings on the fly. The client supports the widest range of protocols and will connect to all kinds of remote desktop servers. Remmina doesn’t have its own server software, but you can use it for all sorts of remote connections to all kinds of servers. Sadly, Remmina lacks some extra functionality that you get with other clients such as the ability to transfer files.

If transferring files is imperative to your remote access, then there’s no better option than RealVNC. The client performs decently with other servers but works best when paired with its own. We recommend it for remotely accessing all kinds of graphical work on the Pi, especially if you use Raspbian, as the server software now comes preinstalled.

That leaves us with TigerVNC. The client performs well irrespective of what type of VNC server is at the other end. Its only downside is a lack of mobile clients and the fact it doesn’t allow you to copy files. This said, ferrying files and instant messages aren’t the primary functions of a VNC. TigerVNC’s open source credentials, intuitive interface, and exemplary performance during an active connection make it a very capable VNC client for all kinds of remote desktop tasks.

1st Place: TigerVNC – its open source credentials and performance are its hallmark.

Overall score: 5/5

Web: www.tigervnc.org

2nd Place: RealVNC – the go-to solution for remote desktop access on the Raspberry Pi.

Overall score: 4/5

Web: www.realvnc.com

3rd Place: Remmina – multi-protocol remote desktop client that performs well.

Overall score: 3/5 

Web: www.remmina.org/wp

4th Place: Vinagre – a multiple-protocol client that lacks the control offered by its peers.

Overall score: 3/5

Web: http://bit.ly/ProjectVinagre

5th Place: TightVNC – its biggest turn off is the focus on those Windows platforms.

Overall score: 2/5

Web: http://tightvnc.net

There are several other remote desktop clients and solutions that you can use besides those we've discussed. While we’ve only covered the most popular and actively developed VNC clients, there are other alternatives such KDE’s Krdc, TurboVNC, and x11vnc. Also as previously noted, VNC isn’t the only remote desktop protocol in town. Another popular one is the proprietary protocol NoMachine NX.

If you aren’t averse to proprietary solutions there’s also the TeamViewer client and Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop tool. 

Veyon (‘virtual eye on networks’) is also an open source solution for remotely accessing, controlling and managing classroom computers using VNC’s RFB protocol.

If you care more about security than sheer nippiness then you can just enable X11 forwarding over SSH. This will display only one application at a time.

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The best VPN for torrents and torrenting in July 2018

Volunteers translate the most popular Firefox extensions into seven languages

Over 100 multilingual volunteers have translated nine of the most popular Firefox add-ons from English to simplified Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish.

The newly localized extensions are: Adblock for Firefox, Download Flash and Video, Greasemonkey, New Tab Override, NoScript Security Suite, Pinterest Save Button, signTextJS plus and (understandably for a global audience) To Google Translate.

A translated version of  1-Click Youtube download is coming very soon too. If you want to use it in a language other than English, install it now and the localization will be added with the next update.

Local heroes

Firefox itself is available in 90 languages, but translating extensions is no easy task. Many plugin developers don't have the resources to hire a professional translator, and although translation software is improving, it doesn't compare to a human – particularly when technical terminology is involved.

Firefox developer Mozilla – a nonprofit organization – put out an open call for volunteers. After signing up, volunteers were invited translate pieces of text from the various extensions, and upvote and downvote other people's work. The finished translations were approved by an experienced team of software localizers to iron out any wrinkles before release.

The method is similar to that used in Mozilla's Common Voice Project, which "aims to teach machines how real people speak" to improve voice recognition. Volunteers can 'donate' their voices to an open source database, and vote on the accuracy of spoken sentences.

• Check out our guide to the best translation software of 2018.

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The Galaxy Note 9 is leaking out all over the place

The Galaxy Note 9 won’t be announced until August. You wouldn’t know it by reading the internet, however. Every nook and cranny of the upcoming phablet has been bared for the world, in a series of leaks over the past several weeks.

Sure, not all of them will pan out, but plenty have come from leakers with established track records, and enough of the details line up so as to paint a wholly believable portrait of the phone we’ll finally get an official look at early next month.

And then there’s this:

That’s a picture of Samsung CEO DJ Koh using what appears to be the Note 9 at a media event. The differences are subtle, but they’re there in the camera housing, which is among a few small visible changes to the upcoming device. Like, good on DJ Koh for using the company’s products, S Pen and all, but even by Samsung’s traditionally leaky standards, that’s a little silly.

Maybe Samsung doesn’t mind. Maybe it’s just happy to have everyone talking about the Note 9, while it’s hard at work on that folding phone we’ve heard so much about.

The above camera housing is in line with another recent post from perennial leaker, EVLeaks, which shows off a full front and back render of the upcoming handset:

S Pen? pic.twitter.com/xizmWw9J2W

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 17, 2018

There’s also an S Pen, with a yellow coat of paint that’s in line with the image the company sent out with the invite to the August event. The fingerprint sensor has been moved below the camera there, rather than next to it as it was on the Note 8. That was a clear mistake, and Samsung fixed it for the S9. Logic follows that they would do the same on the new Note.

That, in turn, appears to confirm this photo of an actual unit from Slashleaks, which bears an extremely effective “No photo allowed/Do not leak info” sticker. At least Samsung tried, I guess.

#Samsung – #GalaxyNote9 – Samsung Galaxy Note 9 live images leaked https://t.co/WEgJIsWtEy pic.twitter.com/kMwHm7kpBc

— /LEAKS (@Slashleaks) July 17, 2018

More (but not that much more, from the looks of it) will be revealed on August 9.

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Samsung rumored to be releasing a folding screen smartphone in early-2019

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Samsung’s working on phone with a folding screen. And it’s arriving soonish. You’d be entirely forgiven if you rolled your eyes at that one, or at the very least took the whole thing with a sufficiently massive grain of salt.

This particular rumor has been floating around for about as long as Samsung’s been in the smartphone game, but The Wall Street Journal appears to have it on good authority that such a device may finally come to fruition early next year.

What’s more, those “people familiar with the matter” say the seven-inch handset is currently sporting the codename “Winner,” which sounds a bit like something Donald Trump would nickname his smartphone.

The design sounds more like a classic clamshell handset than the novel — though not particularly practical — dual-screen ZTE Axon M that arrived late last year. To be fair, that was more two screens fused together, rather than a “folding screen.” When the Samsung device is closed, on the other hand, it apparently sports cameras on either side and “a small display bar on the front.”

The phone will reportedly be released in smaller quantities than most Samsung smartphones/tablets at first, with wider availability later in the year. A lower than expected demand for the company’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S9 is said to be a driving force behind Samsung’s push to get this product out the door.

The category has long been a white whale for a smartphone industry intent on cramming the largest screen into the smallest footprint possible. The ability to fold it up and shove it in a pocket would certainly be a way to accomplish this. There have, however, been all manner of technical constraints along the way. 

A representative for the company offered TechCrunch a fairly boilerplate statement in response to the rumors, “ “It is Samsung’s policy to not comment on rumors and speculation.”

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Protect all your devices for two years with AVG Internet Security for just £18.99

Amazon is releasing some special software Lightning Deals for Amazon Prime Day, including this fantastic discount on AVG Internet Security Unlimited.

For a mere £18.99, you can protect all your Windows, macOS and Android devices from online threats for two whole years. That's a saving of 46% off the regular price while stocks last, or until 7pm – whichever comes first.

- Get AVG Internet Security Unlimited for £18.99

This is no ordinary security suite – it offers comprehensive protection from viruses, malware, ransomware, phishing and spam. There's also webcam protection to prevent spying.

To take advantage of this and other Prime Day deals you need to be an Amazon Prime member, and if you're not already then you can sign up for a 30-day free trial when you click through to a deal.

• Check out our roundup of the best antivirus software

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Best Linux distro for developers in 2018

More popular versions of Linux such as Ubuntu focus on enhancing the user experience by automatically updating packages and providing flashy, resource-heavy GUIs.

While user-friendly distributions (distros) certainly have their place, in this guide, we've tried to get back to the glory days when developers would customise their Linux build. These Linux distros allow you to fine-tune your development environment so whether you're a veteran programmer or relative newcomer, you can get on with your coding. 

In short, whatever your programming preferences, you’ll find a distro to suit your needs in this top 10 roundup.

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• 10 best Linux distros: which one is right for you?
• What's the best Linux distro for beginners?
• How to choose the best Linux distro for laptops
• 10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros

1. Arch Linux

Arch Linux offers a powerful level of customisation during setup, allowing you to download and install only the packages you need. While this is definitely not for newbies to coding, the fact you can install only a minimal number of programs on your machine using the Arch Build System and Arch User Repository, reduces the possibility of anything interfering with your coding.

This means, for instance, that you can install a barebones window manager like i3 to be certain your system will respond quickly when using your chosen text editor. If you run into difficulty, the Arch Linux Wiki offers a helpful installation guide.

• You can download Arch Linux here

2. Debian

Debian is one of the oldest Linux distros and is built with stability in mind. All programs included with Debian have to meet the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Packages are carefully selected and tested for inclusion in the 'Stable' branch of Debian meaning that while some may be dated, there's very little chance of system instability, making this OS ideal for programmers.

The Debian website has extensive manuals, including a chapter on programming talking you through the basics of creating a script, compiling it, and using Autoconf to allow your scripts to be compiled on other Linux distros.

• You can download Debian here

3. Raspbian

Raspbian is the default operating system which is included with the Raspberry Pi. As the Pi was designed as an educational tool, Raspbian is the perfect OS for those interested in getting started with coding.

The Raspberry Pi website hosts some impressive guides on using the visual programming tool Scratch, which is used to create animations and games. There's also an excellent section on getting started with Python, which is supported out of the box.

Younger coders might prefer to learn to use the programming language for Minecraft Pi, a mini-version of the highly popular sandbox game.

• You can download Raspbian here

4. Gentoo

Named after the fast-swimming penguin, Gentoo is sometimes called a 'meta' distribution as users download and compile its source code manually according to their needs. This not only makes it a perfect match for the hardware requirements of your machine, but it allows you to decide exactly which versions of packages can be installed.

Gentoo suffered a minor setback a few years ago when its comprehensive Wiki went offline. Fortunately, it has since been restored and now includes the official Gentoo handbook. There's also a small diehard Gentoo following on Reddit if you need further help.

• You can download Gentoo here

5. Ubuntu

Unlike barebones distros like Arch Linux and Gentoo, Ubuntu is designed to be ideal for beginners, complete with a desktop interface and automatic updates. 

Ubuntu is the chosen distro of the Android Open Source Project for building source files. The Android build is regularly tested using the most recent versions of Ubuntu. 

You can also install other development environments using Ubuntu Make.  

Ubuntu now supports the 'snaps' application packaging format, using the Snapcraft tool, which allows you to write apps in the programming language of your choice and package them with all the required dependencies. Visit the Ubuntu Developer portal here.

• You can download Ubuntu here

6. Fedora

Fedora is a community supported derivative of the commercial distribution Red Hat Linux. It also enjoys the distinction of being the distro of choice of Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds.

Aside from being very easy to set up and install, Fedora has a dedicated Developer Portal. Simply click 'Start a Project' to see dedicated guides on developing web, command line, desktop and mobile apps. There's also an excellent section on working with hardware devices such as Arduino. 

If this wasn’t enough, the Fedora repositories also include Eclipse, a fully featured and multi-language IDE. Eclipse is probably best known for Java, but also has a C/C++ and PHP IDE. You can expand its functionality even further with plugins. 

• You can download Fedora here

7. OpenSUSE

OpenSUSE (formerly SUSE Linux) is a distribution specifically designed for software developers and system administrators. Installation and system configuration is a breeze with the integrated YaST tool. This allows you to install all the '-devel' packages needed by developers with one click.

OpenSUSE comes preinstalled with all the basic tools a software developer needs, such as the Vim and Emacs text editors, build automation tools such as CMake and packaging tools like RPM. The operating system also comes with OBS (Open Build Service), a tool for developers to build software for various distros and platforms.

• You can download OpenSUSE here

8. CentOS

Like Fedora, CentOS is a free, community-based variant of Red Hat (a commercial version of Linux). Many of the packages are the same and theoretically it's possible to build a version of CentOS which is functionally identical to Red Hat itself, although this is difficult to achieve in practice. 

This results in a highly stable system. The CentOS repository also contains the Developer Toolset, which boasts a range of essential programming tools. 

For developers, the Xen virtualisation platform offers a way to compartmentalise your projects and run applications safely inside a virtual machine. 

You can find instructions on how to do this and other developer tips in the excellent CentOS Wiki.

• You can download CentOS here

9. Solus

Solus is special in that it's one of the few Irish Linux distros, and also because it follows a curated rolling release model. The advantage of this is that once you've installed the OS, you can keep running updates rather than a major upgrade. Solus, however, tries to avoid installing extremely recent packages and beta software to maintain system stability.

Solus supports several editors and IDEs such as Atom, Idea and Gnome Builder, as well as the Git GUI, GitKraken. The Solus project website also claims that the OS supports a number of programming languages such as Go, Rust, PHP, Node.js and Ruby.

• You can download Solus here

10. Puppy Linux

Puppy Linux is an extremely lightweight distro based on either Ubuntu or Slackware. The entire OS is only around 330MB in size, meaning it can be run entirely in RAM as well as installed to an ordinary hard disk. It comes with a minimal number of packages, although you can add more, such as 'devx' which contains various development tools.

The Puppy Linux 'Wikka' details the programming languages supported by the OS. One notable language is BaCon, which can convert code written in BASIC to C.

The Wikka also has an extensive selection of tutorials on writing Bash scripts and getting started with Python.

• You can download Puppy Linux here

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