If you like the idea of gaming on your TV in your living room the Shadow Ghost (£109.95), a new streaming box that brings the power of a high-end Windows PC to your home office or living room without any of the hardware, feels specifically made for gamers like me, those who want to play on PC without having to do any of the technical work.
Shadow Ghost works with all your peripherals and makes connections easy via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It supports resolutions up to 4K UHD 60Hz through HDMI 2.0.
HDMI 2.0 4K UHD 60Hz / 1080p 144Hz
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Dual Band
Bluetooth 4.1
Ethernet Gigabit
2 USB 3.0+ 2 USB 2.0
Audio in/out Jack 3.5 mm
Dimensions : 182x123x50 mm
Like the review of the Shadow service, you don’t need the Shadow Ghost to use the cloud service.
Shadow Ghost contains only the necessary hardware to log you into your Shadow account and connect your favourite accessories (gamepad, keyboard, mouse,etc.).
You just plug your power and HDMI cable and the internet cable or login via WI-FI if you like. The whole device is completely silent when running at all times, its good value for the money but only if you need it.
So for this time, I won’t give it a score because you don’t need it to use the service but it is a beautiful design device.
Cloud Gaming has come a long way in a short time with the now dead Onlive service, now Shadow cloud computing has come to help.
Not only does Shadow give you full access to a Window 10 Home PC, with the following specs.
The Shadow PC has an Intel Xeon e5 2667 v3, accompanied by 12GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GTX 1080 with 16GB of VRAM. Sadly, storage space is limited. It comes with 256 GB as standard, but you can upgrade the storage to 1TB for an extra £2.95 with the service costing Pricing is £29.95 for the cancel anytime option, or £26.95 if you sign up for 12 months.
Shadow gives you access to very fast internet connection, it’s said to have a 1Gbps download with 100Mbps upload speed.
The connection on the Shadow serversMy home internet connection speed
But given the fact that Shadow connects you to a 1Gbps internet connection from the data centre, you can download games at lightning speeds. And it doesn’t matter what connection you’re using to dial into your Shadow either – all that connection needs to do is transmit your inputs and send you the video – the link between the cloud-based Shadow and the internet remains a solid 1Gbps.
As such you only need internet bandwidth between 5 and 25Mbps to get a decent Shadow experience. Though for the best gaming performance you want a low ping, stable connection, with low packet loss. That’s why fibre and cable connections are preferred for the best gaming experience, but you can game on your phones using there Shadow app or iOS and Android.
But why would you want Shadow instead of your own dedicated gaming PC? As much as we love our gaming rigs we can’t deny there’s one significant barrier to entering the high-performance PC game, and that’s money. It costs a huge amount of cash to build yourself a serious gaming rig, even if you get your hands dirty, carefully source all the parts, and build it all yourself.
With the cost of an equivalent PC being around £1,000 it would take you more than three years to spend the same amount on your Shadow account.
Here’s the big kicker though, all that time later the physical gaming rig you would have spent £1,000 on three years ago will have become increasingly behind the times in performance terms and that’s about the time when you’d have to start seriously thinking about some expensive CPU or GPU upgrades.
From my laptop specs
To the Shadow Specs
Here is me playing Fortnite using Shadow on my rubbish laptop
For the time I used the service I had no problems at all, I even used the service when I was travelling to Paris I even used it on my phone using an Xbox One controller linked via Bluetooth.
All I can really say is I hope more hard drive space is added as normal as 256GB is used very quickly indeed, I really like this service.
Vodafone is the first company to live test 5G in Birmingham as part of its UK-wide trial, with Birmingham New Street becoming the first train station to test the new, faster mobile technology.
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, tested the region’s new technology on the New Street concourse. Passengers at the station were also invited to test 5G speeds using a 5G router.
When compatible 5G handsets and devices arrive later this year, commuters in busy locations will be able to load a web page or a video instantly. Thanks to super low latency, they will be able to stream a movie or download a work file over 5G seamlessly without buffering or lag. Vodafone is rolling out 5G to a number of key commuter locations across the UK during 2019; and will switch on the new network in 19 towns and cities, including Wolverhampton, by the end of the year.
The introduction of 5G services supports the West Midlands Combined Authority’s strategy to give consumers and businesses in Birmingham and the surrounding area the very latest digital communications.
Live testing is now also taking place at a number of sites across the city. The sites are all connected to Vodafone’s multi-billion-pound single optical fibre converged network, which is already providing customers in the city with fast 4G mobile, home broadband, Internet of Things (IoT) technology and business services.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “I am delighted that Vodafone has brought 5G to Birmingham; and that New Street is the UK’s first 5G-enabled rail station. When I was Managing Director at John Lewis, we saw online shopping transform the retail industry. I believe the West Midlands 5G project will enable our businesses, hospitals, public transport and universities to explore new services and stay ahead of their competition.”
Anne Sheehan, Director of Vodafone Business said: “We are delighted to bring 5G to the West Midlands, giving businesses, residents and visitors fast and reliable connectivity even in exceptionally busy locations such as train stations and airports. 5G will enable new applications and experiences and support the development of connected cities and smart transport solutions. It will help businesses to implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT and robotics. We look forward to continuing to work with Andy Street and his team to deliver the vision of a more prosperous and digitally connected region.”
Leader of Birmingham City Council Cllr Ian Ward said: “The West Midlands wants to lead the way in 5G and this is an exciting step forward. 5G will help us supercharge the West Midlands economy; and the possibilities for businesses, individuals, investors and innovators are huge.”
The West Midlands Urban Connected Communities 5G Project (UCC), initiated and jointly funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will create the UK’s first region-wide 5G test bed and will roll out later this year.
Huawei is bringing the Northern Lights to the skies of London this weekend, with a mesmerising laser art installation to mark the UK launch of the new Huawei P30 Series and new ‘Aurora’ colour.
Lighting up the night sky above the iconic Tower of London, the global technology leader commissioned immersive artist Dan Acher to recreate a bespoke installation of the Aurora Borealis, which occurs most prominently near the Northern and Southern poles; the result of the sun’s influence on the Earth’s magnetic field, using a series of breath-taking lasers and haze.
Huawei brings the Northern Lights to London to celebrate the launch of the Huawei P30 Pro. Overlooking the iconic Tower of London, The Aurora Borealis was staged to showcase the superior photographic capabilities of the new handset, which allows users to capture incredible detail and colour in even low light. (installation created by Immersive artist Dan Acher)
The installation will be open free to the public on both Friday evening and Saturday evening from 8pm to 10:30pm.
DJ and model Vogue Williams and long-standing star of Made in Chelsea and fashion designer, Oliver Proudlock, were among those who attended the exclusive VIP preview of the dance of the Aurora Borealis on Thursday 4th April.
Vogue Williams and Oliver Proudlock attended Huawei London Lights event to mark the launch of the new Huawei P30 Pro. The unique installation was created by immersive artist, Dan Acher, who recreated the Northern Lights over the Tower of London with a series of lasers and haze. The spectacle was captured on the Huawei P30 Pro, showcasing its unparalleled photography capabilities, even in low level light.
At the event, guests drank specially curated cocktails to reflect the new Huawei P30 series colour palette, including the new Aurora, Breathing Crystal and Amber Sunrise and snapped photos of the spectacle on the new Huawei P30 Pro handset, which features unparalleled photography capabilities that can capture stunning detail and vibrant colour, even in low-level light.
According to research carried out on behalf of Huawei, witnessing this natural phenomenon is top of UK millennials’ ‘experiences’ bucket list, with 34% citing this as something they want to see before they hit 40. This was followed by Niagara Falls (24%), going on safari (23%) and walking along the Great Wall of China (20%).
“Featuringthe Leica Quad Camera System, the Huawei P30 series is rewriting the rules of photography,’’ said Anson Zhang, Managing Director, Consumer Business Group, Huawei UK.
‘’What better way to showcase the unparalleled photography capabilities of our flagship smartphone than to recreate the breath-taking natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights in London. Featuring technology that allows you to capture every detail and vibrant colours, even in the darkest of conditions, you’ll be sure to capture our London Lights in all their glory with the Huawei P30 Pro handset. ’’
Open to the public on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 April between 8pm and 10.30pm, the Huawei P30 Pro handset will also be available for attendees to try out in order to photograph the faux aurora.
The best vantage point is in front of the Tower of London ticket office, where visitors are encouraged to share their images with the hashtag #Huaweilondonlights, tagging @Huaweimobileuk.
To celebrate the launch of the P30 series, HUAWEI will bring a range of mobile services benefits to every HUAWEI P30 device including increased cloud storage, elegant mobile themes, and exclusive AppGallery gifts.
The all-new HUAWEI P30 device will be equipped with up to 50GB of free Cloud storage enabling users to have enough space to synchronise, backup and restore their data. Users can easily transfer data across all HUAWEI devices, as well as store and access files safely anywhere, anytime.
HUAWEI Themes enables users to customise the display on their smartphones through a selection of beautiful and wide ranging artistic images. HUAWEI P30 users have first-hand access to ten new art masterpieces themes. These themes will be free exclusively for P30 users and include representations of works from acclaimed art masters worldwide.
In addition, HUAWEI P30 users will be able to access welcome gifts worth €150 from the Huawei AppGallery including special in-game events, prize draws, rewards and travel coupons.
To sign up for all added benefits, P30 users simply need to log into their Huawei ID in their device settings.
Yesterday Mr. Richard Yu, Executive Director, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG has announced the company’s new strategic goals.
Huawei will become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer
HONOR will become the 2nd largest smartphone manufacturer in China, and 4th in the world
The company will support HONOR in the development of cutting-edge products and continue its investments in technology innovation, channel distribution and retail strategies while maintaining a firm dual-brand strategy between HONOR and Huawei. Both brands will maintain a forward-thinking mindset and help create an intelligent, fully-connected world.
According to Mr. Richard Yu, he believes that “Huawei Consumer BG has arrived at a brand new stage,” and that “Huawei and HONOR are likely to become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer this year.”
These new goals come after the company has achieved all seven strategic goals set by Mr. Richard Yu in 2012, including:
Transform from ODM non-branded operator customization to an independent OEM brand
Upgrade from low-end to mid- to high-end smart terminals
Stop selling ultra-low-end feature phones with high sales volume but low profit
Incorporate the HiSilicon quad-core processor and Balong chip
Develop an e-commerce business
Design an Emotion UI user experience
Become the top performer in the global hardware industry
Huawei’s consumer business leads the company’s revenue with an increase of 48.4%, outperforming Huawei’s carrier network business. Last year, Huawei’s consumer business achieved sales of RMB 348.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 45.1%, making it the largest contributor to the company’s revenue.
Honor View 20
HONOR has cemented its leading position with strong growth, despite a global industry downturn. According to IDC, the global smartphone market recorded a 3.1% year-over-year decline in shipments in the first three quarters of 2018, but HONOR bucked that trend and achieved a 27.1% increase. Also, HONOR achieved a year-on-year (YoY) increase of over 170% in international sales in 2018. HONOR ranked No.2 in global online sales volume with a 29.4% increase YoY in 2018 [Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, 2018].
HONOR has launched a number of new technologies this year that showcase the brand’s pioneer position in the industry, including:
3D TOF: The HONOR View20 includes a TOF (Time of Flight) 3D sensor in its rear camera system. With the added depth sensing, skeletal tracking, and real-time motion capturing capabilities enabled by this new sensor, the HONOR View20 is a remarkably slim-bodied 3D transformer with functions like 3D Motion-Controlled Gaming, 3D Shaping, and Magic AR.
All-View Display: The HONOR View20 uses a 6.4-inch 2310p x 1080p display with 398 PPI. The new All-View display adopts an innovative in-screen camera design; it abandons the widely used notch design which occupies a relatively large area of the front panel and creates a very small hole with a diameter of only 4.5mm for the front camera. As a result, the HONOR View20 provides a striking viewing experience with an extraordinary 91.8% body-to-screen ratio. The 19.5:9 widescreen of the HONOR View20 is also close to the aspect ratio used in cinemas, providing an immersive movie-watching experience.
5G: Huawei and HONOR have been deeply involved in all three levels of network progress, from 3G to 4G, and now 5G: the first involves standard and core patent initiators; the second are those who provide and verify solutions that promote network development; the third are smartphone brands based on 5G solution providers as well as manufacturers of 5G application services who create all kinds of apps. HONOR has a head start in the tactical planning of 5G devices and plans to launch its first 5G mobile phone this year, according to Mr. George Zhao, President of HONOR, at Mobile World Congress 2019.
“HONOR is on the brink of yet another breakthrough and there is no slowing down for us. As the going gets tough, the tough get going. We’ll treat each day as an opportunity to deliver greater value to our fans. For HONOR, the best is yet to come,” said Mr. George Zhao.
Do you think Huawei and Honor can get to Number 1 by this time next year?
Black Shark 2 is now available in the UK. there are two versions of the phone are being released in the UK via the official website https://eu.blackshark.com/.
The pricing is as follows:
£479 for 8GB RAM +128GB storage
£559 for 12GB RAM +256GGB storage
Providing a gaming experience, the Black Shark 2 boasts a pressure sensitive 6.39-inch AMOLED display. Specifically designed to reduce screen flicker at low brightness, improve colour accuracy and reduce touch latency, it also allows players to achieve differing on-screen actions depending on how hard they press.
Befitting a device dedicated to gaming on the go, the Black shark 2 also packs a fast-charging 4,000 mAh battery, the latest Snapdragon 855 processor and Adreno’s new 640 GPU; offering a 20% performance increase over the Adreno 630. Along with the best chipset available in the market, the Black Shark 2 also utilizes an innovative liquid-cooling system to ensures maximum performance from both the CPU and GPU – 20x more effective than traditional cooling.
David Li, VP of Black Shark Global commented: “With this launch, and by providing cutting edge technology and innovation, we want to embody and accelerate the expansion of the gaming ecosystem by providing an unmatched experience for European gamers.”
Hillingdon Carers has been awarded a £1,000 donation from Vodafone UK. The charity collected the Vodafone Community Connection Award after the store team in Uxbridge chose the deserving cause.
Launched in 2014, Vodafone’s Community Connection Awards have already made a difference to more than 170 local communities across the UK. Selected by local Vodafone staff and aimed at supporting local causes with a £1,000 donation, the awards have been used to help fund everything from new equipment for soup kitchens and day centres for the elderly to helping people with disabilities take part in sporting activities.
Hillingdon Carers work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone caring for an ill, disabled or elderly family member. The £1,000 award will help fund a range of services including free counselling sessions and a range of ‘Carer Cafés’ across Hillingdon.
Sally Chandler, Hillingdon Chief Executive said, “Hillingdon Carers is delighted to receive this £1,000 donation from Vodafone, it will make a big difference to the lives of some of the carers we support. We deliver a range of services that are paid for entirely by donations across Hillingdon and it’s kindness like this that really makes the difference.”
Dhina Pillay, Vodafone Store Manager in Uxbridge said, “We are thrilled to be able to help the Hillingdon Carers with a £1,000 donation – the people they support are some of the many “unsung heroes” of this community. Their ‘Carer Cafés’ are amazing initiatives that will hopefully offer them support, comfort and a little respite.”
Hi Vault Hunters! 2K Games and Gearbox Software today announced that Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition and the Ultra HD Texture Pack for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Borderlands 2 are now available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC across all regions.
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is the brand new definitive version of the award-winning 2009 first-person shooter/role-playing game, loaded with additional content and enhancements. With brand new weapons, substantial visual upgrades, numerous quality of life improvements, and all four content add-on packs, this updated edition breathes new life into the co-op shooter-looter that started it all.
Players who already own the original Borderlands on Steam will be able to upgrade to Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition absolutely free. The game is also available digitally and at retail on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, marking the first time the original Borderlands has become readily available on current generation consoles. All players will be able to import their existing Borderlands Vault Hunters into Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition, provided they’re transferring saves within the same console family (e.g. Xbox 360 to Xbox One)
The Borderlands Ultra HD Texture Pack increases the visual fidelity of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection and its DLC on consoles, and provides a visual upgrade for Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and all their DLC on PC! Installing the pack will upgrade game textures such as characters, vehicles, weapons, and environments. Players will best appreciate all the added detail at 4K resolution, but improvements can be enjoyed on other displays as well.
The Ultra HD Texture Pack is free to both new and existing product owners. On PlayStation 4 Pro, the texture pack will appear as downloadable content on the digital product page for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. On PC and Xbox One X, players will have the option to download the texture pack for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2 separately. (Note: the texture pack is not a mandatory update – it’s optional for all players.)
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition and the Ultra HD Texture Pack are out today, The Year of Borderlands is just beginning! Check out today’s official Borderlands 3 announcement and tune in the Borderlands 3 Hands-On Livestream Event on May 1
Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition – EXCLUSIVE IN THE UK TO GAME
The Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition includes all the bonus digital content and pre-order bonus of the Deluxe Edition PLUS the Borderlands 3 Season Pass, which includes:
Four (4) campaign DLC packs featuring new stories, missions and challenges;
Butt Stallion weapon skin, weapon trinket, and grenade mod.
Borderlands 3 Steelbook case: A gorgeous metal case for any collector’s shelf.
Borderlands 3 Diamond Loot Chest Collector’s Edition – EXCLUSIVE IN THE UK TO GAME
Celebrate the return of the original shooter-looter with the Diamond Loot Chest Collector’s Edition, a swag-splosion of collectibles digistructed straight from the worlds of Borderlands 3.
This edition includes the full game, season pass, and all bonus digital content and pre-order bonus of the Super Deluxe Edition, plus:
Diamond Loot Chest Replica: Featuring a functional retractable lid, this chest is perfect for storing your real-world loot;
Borderlands 3 character figurines (x10): Make room on your shelf for the whole crew, including the four new Vault Hunters, the fanatical Calypso Twins, and some of your favourite characters from the Borderlands universe! (Approximately 3” tall.);
Sanctuary 3 snap model: Construct your very own Sanctuary 3 model ship and display it proudly on its included stand;
Vault Key keychains (x4): Because you never know when you might stumble across an unopened Vault;
Cloth galaxy map: Discover new worlds beyond Pandora with Typhon DeLeon’s map of the Borderlands;
Character art lithographs (x5): Unique character prints starring the new Vault Hunters and fanatical Calypso Twins;
Pre-orders of Borderlands 3 placed with GAME will come with a free Psycho Mask, while stocks last.
