Sony has confirmed the much-requested PSN ID change feature will arrive very soon for PS4 users. Players in North America can change their IDs from today, April 10, while those in Europe can do so from tomorrow, April 11.
"We're excited to announce that the online ID change feature on PSN is officially launching to all PlayStation 4 owners later today," Sony's social media director, Sid Shuman, stated on the PlayStation Blog. "You'll also be able to change your online ID via a web browser, and that feature will also be available starting today."
Shuman goes on to state that ID changes can only be done through a web browser or your PS4--so PS3 and PS Vita users are out of luck. As was previously confirmed, the first change is free, but any subsequent changes to your PSN ID will cost $10 / £8, or $5 / £4 for PS Plus subscribers.
There are no limits on how many times you can change your ID, and you can always revert back to any previous version of your ID for free by contacting PlayStation support. Nobody else can take your old IDs, even after you change, and if you choose to you can display your old ID next to your new one on your profile for up to 30 days, in order to help your friends notice the change. Child accounts cannot change their online ID, Sony says.
Sony warns not all PS4 games will support ID changes: any title published on or after April 1, 2018 should display your new ID in-game, but the platform holder has discovered one instance "where a [recent] game did not fully support the feature." A full list of games that support PSN ID changes can be found on the PlayStation website, showing that many hundreds of titles fully support name changes, while a handful of games have "critical issues" and a few more have "known issues which we did not consider critical to the gameplay experience."
PS4 users might also be interested in April 2019's PS Plus games, The Surge and Conan Exiles. Both titles are available at no extra cost for PS Plus subscribers right now, but they'll go back to their original price at the end of the month.
The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a fun party piece. It not only has a pop-up triple camera system, those three lenses also rotate to act as seflie snappers. When it comes to showing off the latest kit to your friends, the A80 will certainly get some positive feedback.
But having been hands on with Samsung's latest top-of-the-range of its mid-range series, there's much more to the Galaxy A80 than its party-piece camera.
It also packs a 6.7-inch Full HD+ display, octa-core chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 3,700mAh battery and an in-display fingeprint scanner.
Samsung Galaxy A80 release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy A80 release date is set for May 29, at least in some regions. It won't arrive everywhere at the same time, but Samsung is yet to reveal which regions will be first to get their hands on the A80.
We're also in the dark as to the price, but it will be cheaper than the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus. However, whether it will also undercut the Galaxy S10e remains to be seen, as that rotating camera can't be cheap.
Image Credit: TechRadar
Design and display
The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a premium glass design, with a metal frame running around its circumference which feels good in the hand.
It is however big and thick at 65.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm, making it difficult to use one-handed, and the mechanics behind the pop-up camera means it's also a little top heavy. This is certainly a phone you'll want to use both hands for most of the time.
The power switch is on the right of the phone, while the volume is on the left and both are easy enough to hit - as long as your hand is big enough to wrap round the A80. It'll be available in black, gold and white when it goes on sale.
There's no headphone jack here, with the base of the Galaxy A80 featuring the SIM tray, USB-C port and single, down-firing speaker.
This biggest design point here though is the pop-up camera, which sees a section the same width as the phone rise up when you switch to selfie mode in the camera app.
Image Credit: TechRadar
The smooth rise, and the subsequent spin of the triple camera block is a fun novelty, which we raised and lowered again and again during our hands on time with the Galaxy A80.
It's likely the novelty of this feature will wear off after a while, but we reckon it'll still raise a smile each time the cameras pop up and flip round to face you.
There is a little bit of worry with this though. As with the Oppo Find X which as a similarly sized pop-up camera section, we wonder just how durable the moving bodywork is if you were to drop the A80. Plus with the added complexity of the spinning camera, there's even more things to potentially break.
The moving section also means it would be difficult to fit a case which properly protected all of the phone, so you may need to handle with care if you do opt for a Samsung Galaxy A80.
What the pop-up camera does provide, however, is an all-screen display which isn't uninterrupted by a notch or punch-hole camera for an eye-catching overall look.
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Samsung has squashed the bezels to as narrow as possible all the way round the 6.7-inch display, which makes for a striking finish - although it's not bezel-less.
With a Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2400) and Super AMOLED panel the display on the Galaxy A80 is bright, clear and colorful which should bode well for gamers and Netflix bingers alike - although we'll put it to the test in our review.
Finally, there's an in-display fingerprint scanner too, a feature which has generally been reserved for flagship devices, so it's good to see the technology filter down to the next price tier.
We were unable to test out its accuracy and speed during our hands on time, so keep an eye out for our Samsung Galaxy A80 review where we'll put it through its paces.
Image Credit: TechRadar
Cameras
The whole point of the rotating cameras on the Samsung Galaxy A80 is so you can utlize the same great cameras on the rear of the phone, on the front. Most smartphones tend to give you excellent rear cameras and inferior front snappers.
With Samsung aiming the Galaxy A80 and the rest of its A series at young people who like to create, share and send live video content, it makes sense to give them the best camera experience no matter which way they're using the phone.
The main 48MP (f/2.0) sensor is the default camera available to you when you open the camera app, but it's easy to switch between it and the 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide (123 degree) camera which allows you to fit more into your shot.
Image Credit: TechRadar
Quality isn't as high as the main camera, but its good to have the option to open up your field of view so readily available. Samsung isn't the first to do this - there are plenty of other Android manufacturers offering similar - but it's good to see a feature packed camera.
The third camera is a 3D depth sensor, providing excellent background blur for the Live Focus mode which de-focuses the background of your shots while keeping the foreground in focus. It's Samsung's answer to Apple's Portrait mode on iPhone.
From our brief hands on time Live Focus seemed to work well, allowing us to adjust the level of blur and showing us live results before hitting the shutter.
It also gives you Live Focus Video, for real time background blurring when you're shooting video for a more striking visual experience. This mode is only available when using the setup as rear cameras - not selfie - and the same can be said for the super slow motion mode as well.
Image Credit: TechRadar
Battery and specs
The Samsung Galaxy A80 comes with a reasonably sized 3,700mAh battery and support for 25W fast charging.
Under the hood you'll find an octa-core chipset, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, giving you plenty of power and space for all your apps, games, photos and videos.
There isn't any expandable storage option here though, so if you're someone who downloads big apps and videos, you may want to keep an eye on the space.
The Galaxy A80 runs Android 9 with Samsung's One UI over the top, giving you a very similar look and feel to the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. It's a light Android skin which doesn't require too much of a learning curve to get used to (if you're moving from another Android device that is).
Android felt smooth under finger, but the handset we got hands on with was running final software so you'll have to wait for our A80 review to find out just how well it performs.
Image Credit: TechRadar
Early verdict
It's the rotating, pop-up cameras which will draw attention to the Samsung Galaxy A80, but this phone isn't just a one-trick pony. Samsung has packed in plenty of features to make the A80 a compelling device.
Ultimately the success of the phone comes down to price, and for now we don't know how much the Galaxy A80 will cost. With a large display and motorized camera block the price may be quite high - too high and it'll clash with the S10 line.
It certainly didn't take long for Best Buy to offer some sweet deals on Apple's 2017-released iPad Pro 10.5 and the even older iPad mini 4 on the heels of the two's disappearance from their manufacturer's official US e-store, but if you're looking to maximize your savings, Woot is here with a killer one-day-only refurbished sale.
This is good just for the 10.5-inch forerunner of the recently unveiled iPad Air (2019) in a 64GB configuration with no LTE support. Coincidentally, this entry-level variant of the iPad Pro 10.5 is currently listed as out of stock over at Best Buy in several different paint jobs. Meanwhile, Woot allows you to pick up the Apple A10X Fusion-powered tablet in one of three snazzy colors, including silver, gold, and rose gold.
Obviously, all three flavors are available at the exact same price, namely $429.99. That's down from $649.99 for a brand-new unit back in the day, as well as $469 for certified refurbished devices purchased directly from Apple right now. The $40 discount compared to the manufacturer's refurb price comes with no compromises, mind you, as Woot advertises the same 1-year Apple warranty as included with its marked-down iOS slates.
That means you're actually looking at Apple certified refurbished 10.5-inch iPad Pros here, guaranteed to work and look as good as new and sold alongside brand new accessories in new white boxes. That's a lot of new for an almost two year-old product with extremely similar specifications to the $500 and up iPad Air (2019). We're talking the same screen size and resolution, same design language and build quality, a front-mounted Touch ID fingerprint sensor, excellent battery life, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard (sold separately).
Granted, 2017's iPad Pro 10.5 packs an older processor, but 2019's iPad Air lacks a number of "Pro" features, including ProMotion screen technology, while also cutting a few corners in the camera, audio, and memory departments. If you care about stuff like that or you simply want to buy a slightly cheaper 10.5-incher, today's deal is not to be disregarded.
PlayStation customers can finally update their PlayStation Network IDs, a long-awaited feature that Sony announced in October, starting Wednesday. As previously noted by Sony, the option to change your PSN name comes with a few caveats.
The PSN online ID change feature is supported by games “originally published on or after April 1, 2018,” but the company warns that it cannot guarantee that all games “fully support the feature.” According to Sony, at least 10 games have known “critical issues” as a result of the change, including Sony-published titles like Everybody’s Golf, LittleBigPlanet 3, and some MLB The Show games. Those critical issues include losing PlayStation Trophies or in-game currency (earned or paid) associated with those games.
Other games that don’t work fully with PSN online ID change feature include Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Grand Theft Auto 5, The Last of Us, NBA 2K19, and Warframe. The issues related to those titles and others include less serious problems like previous online IDs displaying and games initializing to their default state.
Changing your PlayStation Network ID is free the first time. Sony is charging $9.99 to change a PSN ID beyond that initial change (PlayStation Plus subscribers will pay $4.99). More details about the feature are available at the PlayStation Blog.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy A80, a new midrange phone with a camera that not only slides up from the rear of the device, but also automatically rotates so it can function as both a selfie camera and a rear-mounted camera. That novel camera allows this to be the first phone to feature Samsung’s new Infinity display, which it announced last year.
The A80’s automated pop-up mechanism contains a triple-camera array consisting of a main 48-megapixel f/2.0 camera, flanked by an ultrawide 8-megapixel f/2.2 camera and a third ToF (time-of-flight) sensor. The sliding camera mechanism means there’s no sight of a notch or a hole-punch in the phone’s 6.7-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2400) Super AMOLED display.
We’ve seen swiveling cameras and slider mechanisms used in smartphones before, but never together like this. Oppo’s 2014 N1 smartphone had a rotating 13-megapixel camera, although both orientations produced similarly underwhelming photos. Pop-up cameras have also appeared on a number of notchless devices over the past year, including the Vivo Nex and Oppo Find X. More recently, slider phones have also made a comeback on devices like the Honor Magic 2 and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3.
Along with its camera setup, the Galaxy A80 also includes a 3,700mAh battery that supports fast charging at 25W. It also has 8GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage, and it includes an in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone is available in three colors: gold, white, and black.
Along with the Galaxy A80, Samsung also announced an April 26th release date for the Galaxy A70, which it first announced last month. The A70 has a teardrop-notched 6.7-inch display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it also includes an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has a triple-camera array on its rear featuring a main 32-megapixel sensor along with a 5-megapixel depth sensor and an ultrawide 8-megapixel sensor. The Galaxy A70 will be available in four colors: coral, blue, black, and white.
The Galaxy A80 will launch on May 29th, joining the Galaxy A10, A20, A30, and A50, which have all been announced in recent months. Pricing for the Galaxy A80 and A70 is yet to be announced.
If someone repeatedly enters the wrong password on your iPhone or iPad over and over again, it will eventually start to delay the amount of time before you can try to enter the password again. That's what allegedly happened to one man's iPad, according to CNN. The man's iPad was accidentally locked by his 3-year old until 2067.
If this happens to you, there's an easy fix to get your iPad back up and running, and you won't lose any data if you've been backing it up regularly. If you didn't back it up, at least you'll be able to use your iPad or iPhone again without having to wait a few decades.
Here's what to do if you get locked out of your iPad or iPhone.
If you have an iPad Pro 12.9 or iPad Pro 11, or an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, do this:
Download and install iTunes on your PC. (Mac users will already have iTunes installed.)
Plug your iPhone into your PC or Mac.
Tap the volume up button, tap the volume down button, then tap and hold the side button until the recovery screen pops up on your iPhone.
iTunes will send a pop-up notification on your computer. Choose "Restore."
Set up your device as new. If you have a backup, select it during the setup process.
If you have an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus:
Download and install iTunes on a PC.
Plug your iPhone into your PC or Mac.
Hold the side and volume down buttons until the recovery screen pops up on your iPhone.
iTunes will send a pop-up notification on your computer, choose "Restore."
Set up your device as new and, if you have a backup, select it during the setup process.
If you have an iPhone 6s or any iPad with a home button, do this:
Download and install iTunes on a PC.
Plug your iPhone into your PC or Mac.
Hold the home button and the power button until the iPhone or iPad shows a recovery mode screen.
iTunes will send a pop-up notification on your computer, choose "Restore."
Set up your device as new and, if you have a backup, select it during the setup process.
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