When disaster strikes, you’d better be prepared

Best disaster recovery services

The best Disaster Recovery (DR) services and Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) make it easier to take care of and recover company data within the event of knowledge loss through software or hardware failure, or maybe from a ransomware attack.

DR and DRaaS became key for contemporary business as both a backup and recovery solution also as a business continuity service. this is often not surprising thanks to the increasing danger of knowledge loss through software or hardware failure, which could cripple applications, workflows, and sales. 

However, not all disaster recovery solutions are equivalent. Some companies provide backup software with file syncing for your systems, so as to make sure data loss prevention. 

However, business data can often be fragmented between different systems, applications, and IT infrastructure, making data recovery a challenge within the event of an IT failure. 

This is where disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) providers can work with the foremost complex sets, often working with native or hybrid clouds to make sure business continuity within the event of loss or failure not just of knowledge, but also critical systems.

While can have a debilitating effect on a business, good continuity and recovery planning can make sure that the impact of even the foremost severe failure may result in minimal disruption.

Here then are the simplest Disaster Recovery (DR) and DRaaS service providers.

• Best data migration tools
• Best disk cloning software
• Best free backup software

• Microsoft Azure Site Recovery
• Zerto IT Resilience Platform
• Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct
• Carbonite Server Backup
• Ekco Disaster Recovery
• CrashPlan

Best DR and DRaaS: Microsoft Azure Site Recovery

Microsoft's cloud DRaaS solution

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+Powerful cloud-based DR system

+Replicates IT environment

+Microsoft integrations

When it involves software, Microsoft may be a veritable titan, and it offers a disaster recovery solution for enterprises. The Azure Site Recovery platform boasts automated protection and disaster recovery within the cloud.

The software automatically replicates your IT environment supported policies you set beforehand and can suit larger firms well. It can protect Hyper-V, VMware, and physical servers, and you'll also use Microsoft Azure or a secondary data center for your recovery site.

Azure Site Recovery fully integrates with System Center and SQL Server AlwaysOn. All communication made within Azure is encrypted, and you'll also develop sophisticated recovery plans within the Azure portal.

Best DR and DRaaS: Zerto IT Resilience Platform

A sophisticated disaster recovery solution

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+Powerful automation facilities

+Comes with multiple integrations

+Single cloud management

Zerto IT Resilience Platform aims to guard data and IT assets, helping companies simplify disaster recovery and reduce their storage costs by backing up data to one cloud.

It stands out as a disaster recovery solution by providing orchestration and automation of the entire recovery process, and it does this no matter the storage or hypervisor you employ. 

Like Microsoft’s offering, the Zerto product comes with some useful integrations. It’ll work with VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V out of the box. the answer will protect multi-TB SQL, Exchange, Oracle, and digital computer VMs, and you'll transfer workloads and assets between public, private, and hybrid clouds.

Best DR and DRaaS: Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct

A DR solution promising swift recovery

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+Swift ‘push-button’ recovery

+Simple and effective

+VPN access

-Lacks integrations

Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct may be a DRaaS offering that has been built to supply the type of performance and security an enterprise requires, boasting swift ‘push-button’ recovery. the answer replicates your network within the cloud, and you’re given VPN access to your recovered environment (at no additional expense).

If your business was hit by an outage, you’d still be ready to access applications like email, SQL, and business productivity software. There are built-in security protocols and encoding here, too, so you don’t need to worry about information stepping into the incorrect hands.

Best DR and DRaaS: Carbonite

A neat and streamlined system

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REASONS to shop for

+Flexible solution

+Central hub for straightforward management

+Custom backup policies

As the name suggests, Carbonite Server Backup will allow you to recover files and full systems with the press of a button. the good thing about this solution is that it’s so flexible. you've got the choice to backup anything from a file to an entire business application, either locally or to the cloud – or indeed both. Carbonite can protect system state, OS, applications, files, and settings in one pass.

There’s also the power to revive to existing or new hardware, without the necessity to put in additional software. Using the system, you'll create custom backup policies taking into consideration group, role, and device. All this is often stored within a central hub, which is handy if you would like a more streamlined recovery operation.

Best DR and DRaaS: Ekco Disaster Recovery

(Image credit: Ekco)

A secure and supportive DR tool

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+Instant recoveries

+Specialist assistance on hand

+Impressive on the safety front

Originally referred to as Plan Disaster Recovery, Ekco Disaster Recovery aims to still provide an equivalent if not improved level of service with a cloud-based DRaaS solution that’s been tested to application-level for fast recoveries. 

The software will identify outages that hit your business and provide you full access to your systems while repairs are made.

Unlike other DR services, your files and systems aren’t only protected, but you furthermore may get access to specialist engineers who can provide all manner of tech support and help. Obviously, that’s quite a bonus if you struggle with complex technology like disaster recovery.

The solution creates a snapshot of your data and systems, and they instantly become virtual environments so you'll get work wiped out the moment(s) of crisis. Your replica systems are tested a day for flaws, and you’re given secure VPN access.

You can check-in for Ekco Disaster Recovery here

Best DR and DRaaS: CrashPlan

The solution in use at TechRadar towers

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+Combines data backup with recovery

+Competitive pricing

+Mobile access

-Doesn’t copy by file type

Once the darling of free backup solutions for the house user, CrashPlan has since shifted its focus to the enterprise arena with its CrashPlan for little Business offering.

And CrashPlan is certainly a favorite around here – actually, our official company machines here at TechRadar all run Crashplan, and it's saved our bacon on quite one occasion. it isn't quite an equivalent because of the traditional file recovery apps that we've covered during this article – it is a backup service first and foremost – but it is so comprehensive that it almost counts.

Crashplan, you see stores absolutely everything. It chugs away within the background and makes full, detailed backups of your entire machine starting with the most recent files first. It then sifts everything into virtual buckets so you'll get quick access to the files that matter most.

Critically, though, Crashplan even stores files you've deleted. you'll switch this feature off, but we wouldn't: your backups are fully encrypted, so even those deleted files are going to be safe from prying eyes, and you never know once you might get to retrieve that long-discarded (or virus-removed) file.

Also, consider these DRaaS solutions

While business continuity and disaster recovery services are a long-established market, the arrival of cloud services has made these services easier to access, simpler to manage, and far less expensive. it's also led to an outsized number of providers competing for customer attention, from huge multinationals to smaller SMEs. Here we'll cover a number of the opposite DRaaS providers worth considering:

AWS CloudEndure provides a DRaaS as a part of Amazon's huge cloud-based service offering. A distinction of AWS is that it's non-disruptive, meaning it uses minimal resources to supply a service that will not impact your existing infrastructure efficiency. Additionally, you simply pay anything if you discover yourself actually having to use your disaster recovery environment. Even then, with sub-second Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) and automatic orchestration, you'll achieve recovery time objectives (RTOs) in minutes. CloudEndure is out there as a part of the AWS ecosystem.

Acronis AnyData Engine may be a DRaaS service that uses backup images to supply storage and recovery data for any hardware or virtual machine. These are then saved to a proprietary Unified Backup Format, which may be stored within the cloud or on-premises. one server management panel allows you to watch and check reports, with restore available at a granular level so only the info that needs recovering must be swapped in, instead of quite is important. 

StorageCraft Cloud Services provides a disaster recovery cloud where all of your backed-up data and recover tools are often hosted. There are three main tiers provided, with Cloud Basic providing offsite backups and a full-system restore, while Cloud Plus allows for immediate file and folder recovery by downloading directly from your cloud. Cloud Premium uses Virtualization of your systems and data, and within the event of a disaster are often used as a failover.

Sungard AS delivers a number one DRaaS and business continuity solution, as a part of its cloud and physical infrastructure recovery service. the corporate also provides infrastructure and resilience consulting, also as managed colocation services. For Sungard's DRaaS, the main target is in working with complex hybrid systems, where a number of the IT infrastructure could also be during a private cloud, some running on-premises, while other legacy systems are tacked on. the method involves starting with data protection, then restoring environments, and therefore the process is fully managed. 

Veeam Availability Suite provides an all-round back-up and replication solution through one management console. Veeam uses a cloud repository to store and replicate all data and IT infrastructure, so it is often called upon to be used for any disaster recovery purposes. The DRaaS solution itself is provided not just with the supply Suite, but also other packages like Backup and Replication, also as Backup Essentials. the corporate also provides free resources, not least a Dummies Guide to DRaaS. 

DataBarracks may be a British company that has provided online backup services since 2003. Their main products are Disaster Recovery as a Service, Backup as a Service, Business Continuity as a Service, also as Email Continuity. the corporate also provides public cloud management, including designing, building, and migrating to Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.

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TSMC will increase the cost by almost 50% in 2021

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is planning a record-breaking spree in 2021.

On an earnings call, the corporate announced plans to spice up capital expenditures (CapEx) by up to $28 billion this year, during a push to expand production capacity and further develop its technology.

The chip giant said the heavy investment is required to deal with the worldwide semiconductor shortage, created by a spike in demand among car and electronics manufacturers, and to maximize opportunities around 5G and high-performance computing (HPC).

On an equivalent call with investors, TSMC also announced record-high revenue and profit for Q4 2020; gross sales reached $12.68 for the quarter, up 22% year-on-year, while net income rose by 23% to succeed in $5.1 billion.

The company said it had benefited handsomely from a surge in demand for electronics caused by the pandemic and remote working explosion, also because of the rise of 5G-enabled devices. Despite vaccine rollout and prospects of a rather more normal 2021, TSMC believes demand will remain high as suppliers seek to stockpile components.

To meet demand, TSMC had previously begun plans to create a $12 billion foundry in Arizona, USA. Mark Liu, TSMC Chairman, confirmed the goal remains in situ but will depend upon the economic situation and other factors.

The firm is additionally preparing to bolster the assembly capabilities of its facility in Nanjing, eastern China, despite announcing in May that it might terminate its relationship with telecoms and electronics giant Huawei.

In Q1 2021, TSMC said it expects to require between $12.7 billion and $13 billion in revenue, a rise of just about $3 billion over forecasts for an equivalent quarter last year.

“Moving into half-moon 2021, we expect our business to be supported by HPC-related demand, recovery within the automotive segment, and a milder smartphone seasonality than in recent years,” said Wendell Huang, TSMC CFO.

According to Liu, demand for semiconductors within the HPC industry will soon outstrip the smartphone sector, becoming the most driver of growth for the corporate within the years to return.

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Maze ransomware group is liable for the cyberattack that occurred back in August

After suffering a cyberattack back in August, Canon has finally publicly confirmed that the attack was caused by ransomware and therefore the cybercriminals responsible stole data from its company servers.

The camera manufacturer's IT department issued a notice to staff on August 5 explaining that the corporate was suffering “widespread system issues affecting multiple applications, Teams, email, and other systems”, but didn't offer further explanation.

Canon then conducted an investigation into the incident and located evidence of unauthorized activity on its network between July 20 and Transfiguration. consistent with the corporate, the attackers had managed to access its file servers which also hosted “information about current and former employees from 2005 to 2020 and their beneficiaries and dependents”.

Based on a partial screenshot of the ransom note obtained by BleepingComputer, it had been clear that the Maze ransomware group was responsible. Then shortly after the attack, the group reached bent the news outlet to tell them that that they had stolen 10TBs of knowledge from Canon.

Stolen employee data

In a recent notice of knowledge security incident, Canon confirmed that data accessed by the cybercriminals behind the August cyberattack included the names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, checking account numbers, and electronic signatures of its current and former employees.

Although the corporate is simply making this information public now, it did inform its employees of the matter via an indoor security notice that was sent out just after the attack on Transfiguration.

The Maze ransomware group is liable for a variety of cyberattacks against large organizations including LG, Xerox, Allied Universal, Southwire, City of Pensacola, and Canon. However, earlier this month on All Saints' Day, the group formally pack up its operations which had began a few years and a half earlier in May of 2019.

Current and former Canon employees suffering from the incident can reach bent Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion as they're all providing fraud protection services for victims of the cyberattack.

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The overall PC market is in rude health

The latest reports from market intelligence firms IDC (International Data Corporation) and Gartner show that Lenovo continues to lead when it comes to PC sales (which includes desktops and laptops) – but it looks like Apple could be catching up.

The PC industry as a whole appears to be having a great 2019 so far, with IDC reporting that 64.9 million units were shipped in Q2 2019, which is a 4.7% year-on-year increase.

IDC notes that this is “notably higher” than its previous estimates, thanks in part to Intel’s processors being more readily available.

“Supply for Intel's processors improved markedly during the quarter, allowing most PC vendors to fulfill old orders while also shipping a healthy supply of new PCs into the channels,” said Jitesh Ubrani of IDC.

The trade standoff between the US and China also appear to have caused a surge, with Ubrani noting that “the threat of increased tariffs led some PC makers to ship a surplus of desktops and notebooks, thereby artificially propping up the PC market during the second quarter.”

It also looks like the looming arrival of Windows 7’s End of Life is boosting sales, as companies and individuals upgrade their Windows 7 machines ahead of January 14, 2020, which is when Microsoft is ending support for the elderly operating system.

Lenovo is still king

According to IDC, Lenovo remains the top company when it comes to PC market share, with 25.1% of the market and a growth of 18.2%.

HP is next, with a 23.7% market share, followed by Dell with 17.9% and Acer with 6.6%. Apple just makes it into the top five with 6.3% – but IDC estimates the Cupertino company saw growth of 9.6% – which is the largest growth seen by a company apart from the seemingly-unstoppable Lenovo.

'Estimates' is a key word here, as Apple no longer reports Mac unit sales, which makes it tricky for market analysts to confirm just how many computers Apple is selling.

Differences of opinion

While IDC’s report paints a rather rosy (if possibly brief) picture for the PC industry in general and Apple in particular, Gartner’s report tells a different story.

According to Gartner, PC shipments also grew in the second quarter of this year, but only by 1.5% compared to Q2 2018. Again, Gartner points to the fact that Intel’s processors are now more readily available.

“There are signs that the Intel CPU shortage is easing, which has been an ongoing impact to the market for the past 18 months,” said Mikako Kitagawa, senior principal analyst at Gartner. “The shortage mainly impacted small and midsize vendors as large vendors took advantage and continued to grow, taking market share away from the smaller vendors that struggled to secure CPUs.”

A bigger difference between reports is that Gartner suggests that Apple had a far worse year than IDC estimates, with the company having a negative growth of -0.2%. According to Gartner, Apple’s Mac shipments were the lowest they’ve been since 2014.

The stark difference in reports for Apple shows how difficult it can be to estimate sales when the company doesn't provide information. Only Apple itself will really know how well (or how badly) it did this year.

However, Gartner’s report does correlate with IDC’s findings in some regards. It puts Lenovo at the top of PC manufacturers with a 25% market share, with HP next at 22.2% and Dell third with 16.9%. That largely matches up with IDC’s report.

However, Gartner puts Apple fourth with 5.9% market share and Acer fifth with 5.4%.

With these differing results, it’s hard to get a firm idea of how well Apple’s computing division is doing, but it seems like the company is at around 6% market share.

We can be more certain that Lenovo continues to lead PC market share, and that the PC market has been growing this year. However, with the US/China trade war still looming, who knows how long that will last.

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According to a patent

Microsoft could be planning on designing a future Surface Pen stylus that can be wrapped around your ear and used as a Bluetooth headset.

The plans were spotted in a patent, which suggests that when the stylus isn’t being used to draw or sign documents, it can be attached to a user’s ear and used as a Bluetooth communication device.

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According to the patent, the device – which is called “Flexible Carpenter’s Stylus with Dockable Earpiece” in the document – is a stylus with a capacitive nib and an earpiece dock.

The patent explains that “the earpiece includes a speaker, an earpiece battery, and a wireless radio configured to communicatively couple with a host device”, and that the earpiece will charge when docked.


A diagram of how the device could work (Image credit: Microsoft Technology Licensing)

Will it see the light of day?

The patent points to a bendable stylus that can go over the user’s ear. For people – such as carpenters, which might be where the name comes from – who like to tuck their pens, pencils and styluses behind their ears when not using them, turning the stylus into an earpiece is a pretty cool idea.

We’d love to see this come to a future Surface Pen stylus, but as this is just a patent at the moment it could be a long time before we ever see this device for real. Sadly, like many patents, it might never see the light of day at all.

Still, it’s good to know that Microsoft is looking at innovating its peripherals. Another patent spotted by Windows Latest suggests that Microsoft could look at creating a stylus that has a built-in display that can be used to show notifications, battery status and more.


What a stylus with a built-in display could look like (Image credit: Microsoft Technology Licensing)

Hopefully we'll see some sort of innovative new stylus from Microsoft in the near future.



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Keep a company efficient by maintaining the engine

It’s imperative that organizations position one of their keys focuses on energy consumption to help them reduce their carbon footprint and lower overall operating costs.

Too many businesses aren’t optimizing their energy usage, resulting in poor efficiency, inadequate cooling, and poor power management. These can all have such detrimental effects on the running of the center which knock-on to employees, customers, and costs (not to mention the environmental impact).

Therefore, now is the perfect time for businesses to understand how data center infrastructure management (DCIM) in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and analytics can work together to take advantage of collecting, harnessing and understanding all of the data from the facilities and IT stack to help improve the efficiency of the whole technology infrastructure. After all, the first place to start is at the core.

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• What is Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM)?

DCIM allows a data center to effectively manage its entire network and assets without wearing out shoe leather or counting off spreadsheets lists – a terribly labor-intensive manual way of proceeding in the digital age. This solution automates the management of all assets, resources, processes, and people - supplying a rich set of information for the computer infrastructure.

A DCIM solution will monitor resources and processes feeding through information on:

Capacity – is there enough space? Where is there flex?

Power – do all the resources have sufficient power? Where are spikes predicted?
Workflows – are the provisioning, remediation, and decommissioning workflows correct? What could be smarter, quicker, better?
Efficiency – is the overall running of a data center efficient? Where are the pinch points?

All of this happens in real time, all the time, and is fed back to the data center manager to not only inform them of where money could be saved but also to identify potential failures before they happen. For example, if a rack is becoming overheated, the software can tell where and how the cooling system is failing. Once identified, the fault can be fixed with a limited hassle – and limited client impact.

It really has no bounds within the data center as AI and machine learning solutions become part of the DCIM package and add predictive capabilities to the mix, improving efficiency and peak performance rates. One example comes from the team at Alphabet with Google using AI to monitor its data center environment with a reported 40 percent reduction in its cooling bill.



Keeping it cool

With a DCIM solution, you can easily monitor a data center’s current power usage for cooling and heating which allows you to see where in the network energy is being used and wasted.

From here, it’ll be clear which racks are hotter or cooler than others and action can be taken to ensure they’re all being kept at a correct, consistent temperature. It’s not just a case of simply turning down the thermostat - as cooling the entire data center will result in a massive volume of air being cooled for no good business reason. Data center managers need to be strategic and analyze the data a DCIM solution provides to plan out a containment strategy that elevates the business.

Once collated you can make your air distribution more targeted. Two popular ways of doing so is through hot aisle/cool aisle cooling and in-row cooling.

Hot aisle and cold aisle cooling involve lining up server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes facing one way and hot air exhausts facing the other. Typically, cold aisles face air conditioner output while the heated exhausts hot aisles face air conditioner return ducts.

In-row cooling technology is a type of air conditioning system commonly used in data centers in which the cooling unit is placed between the server cabinets in a row for offering cool air to the server equipment more effectively.

As well as where the air is blown, what air you’re blowing can make a difference to your energy output - pulling in natural air from outside to cool the data center saves money and reduces your carbon footprint at the same time if you can.

Power management

It’s no mystery that data centers consume a mighty amount of power, but a DCIM solution allows facility managers to target the data they hold to run the system more efficiently based on hard facts. They can forecast and predict the future state of the data center’s physical capacity based on consumption management. “What if” models forecast the exact capacity impact of data center projects on power as well as cooling, space, and networks.

The solution can then use machine-learning capabilities (in next-gen DCIM) to extract predictive models and send the analysis to a visual dashboard, displaying the potential vulnerabilities, such as future hot server rows leading to power outages, or simply picking up pieces of hardware that are generating energy but are not in use.

Green energy is becoming bigger and better across all industries as we collectively strive to save our planet’s resources and environment. Many methods used across sectors are being used in data centers such as on-site wind generation and solar panels for generating own energy – which also saves on buying from a supplier!

Another great trick is to purchase low power hardware. Given the right workflow, they’re proven to be effective as well as just as effective. That is because using low power hardware is becoming increasingly more important with many manufacturers building high-efficiency servers and other pieces of hardware that use the latest power-efficient technology – saving energy and costs.

For the data good

All the above can help your infrastructure become more financially and environmentally friendly whilst becoming more effective – the prime business goal. Not only will you be doing your bit for the world and the corporate bank balance, but you’ll also appeal to future customers and investors as smart and responsible business.

This is all possible thanks to AI and machine learning technologies which are starting to predict everything from the causes of server room temperature surges to racks losing power and advising on how to deal with these situations - in some cases stepping in to resolve them automatically. Who knows what AI will do for us next… Whatever it is, it’s likely to be highly efficient!

Mark Gaydos, Chief Marketing Officer at NIyte Software

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Intel’s proprietary data transfer tech opens up

Soon, the incredible speeds of Thunderbolt 3 ports in laptops and computers will be available to all future USB Type-C (USB-C) ports, thanks to the brand-new USB4 standard.

Hot on the heels of releasing the USB 3.2 specification – and the abject confusion it’s likely to cause consumers – the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced that the 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps) data transfer rates and multiple 4K display support that are exclusive to Intel’s latest proprietary Thunderbolt 3 port will be made available to generic USB-C ports.

Currently, more than 50 companies are reviewing the final draft of the USB-IF’s new specification, which is on track to be published by the middle of 2019, according to the organization.

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The fastest generally available USB port until then will be USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 at 20Gbps, which isn’t even available yet. Unfortunately, it’s unclear how long after publishing the specification will we see laptops and other computers sporting USB4 Type-C ports with 40Gbps transfer rates.

A faster future for all – with a catch

This move is a long time coming, as Intel has intended on making its technology available free of license since 2017. Until now, Thunderbolt 3 was only available on the most premium laptops and computers, as device makers had to work with Intel directly to source the technology.

However, this expansion of Thunderbolt 3 into USB4 won’t be as hugely democratizing as it first sounds – at least at first. While the specification will be backward compatible with devices as far back as USB 2.0 (using adapters, of course), those faster transfer rates will require “40Gbps certified cables.”

This will likely cause some growing pains at the onset not unlike the forthcoming USB 3.2 debacle, but eventually, all USB ports will use the Type-C form factor and USB4 standard. That broadening of access to the technology could see a proliferation of today’s more fringe technologies, like high-resolution displays and higher-fidelity virtual reality – not to mention even faster power delivery.

Our expectations of common screen resolution and the fidelity of connected experiences ratchet up every day, but USB4 could very well accelerate those to the point where 4K or even sharper displays are the norms and file sizes in the gigabytes just aren't that big anymore.




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MWC has seen an influx of high capacity memory cards

If for some reason, you need absolutely loads of storage on your smartphone or tablet, then you’ll be pleased to know that two microSD cards have been announced at MWC 2019 with 1TB of storage – making them the highest capacity microSD cards in the world.

Micron’s c200 1TB microSDXC UHS-I card comes with a 96-layer 3D quad-level cell (QLC) and NAND technology to bring such a large capacity to a small memory card. According to Micron, this card has been designed specifically for high-performance mobile applications and is certified for the A2 App Performance Class specification.

This means it will perform better at running applications and games that are installed on the card. It has read speeds of 100MB/s and write speeds of 95MB/s. It will be available in the second quarter of 2019, but we don’t currently have an exact release date or price for the memory card.

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The competition

Micron’s claim to the world’s first 1TB microSD card was short-lived, however, with Western Digital announcing its own 1TB UHS-I microSD flash memory card, the 1TB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC, which the company claims is the world’s fastest 1TB microSD card.

Considering the competition is so slim, that claim isn’t hard to verify, and on paper at least it seems Western Digital has the performance edge over the Micron, with reading speeds of up to 160MB/s, which Western Digital claims allows you to transfer 1,000 high-resolution photos and 30 minutes of 4K video in less than three minutes.

Write speeds, however, are slightly slower than Micron’s card, at 90MB/s. As with Micron’s card, the SanDisk microSD card meets the A2 App Performance Class specification.

If you’re worried that this kind of high capacity won’t come cheap, then you’d be right, with the 1TB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC costing $449.99 (around £340, AU$630) when it hits shops in April.


While both of these cards are aimed at drastically expanding the storage space of smartphones (those which still have microSD slots, that its), the high capacity and fast transfer rates will make these cards very attractive to photographers as well.

Plus, if you own a Nintendo Switch console, you’ll be able to store plenty of downloadable games if you slot one of these cards into it. However, at around the cost of the entire games console, some people may find these 1TB microSD cards a little too expensive.

Best microSD cards of 2019: a flash memory for cameras, drones and more

MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest showcase for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2019 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone.




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Is Windows Mixed Reality going the way of Windows Phones and the Microsoft Band?

Windows Mixed Reality had huge potential when Microsoft added support for the virtual reality platform to Windows 10, but that big potential hasn’t translated into big sales, and it now seems that even Microsoft is begging to lose faith.

A report by WindowsUnited.de suggests that Microsoft will no longer pay commission on Windows Mixed Reality headsets sold on the Microsoft Store. Listed as ‘No longer commissionable product’, it looks like Microsoft is ending the incentive to sell more of those devices.

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What’s particularly worrying is that this means the Windows Mixed Reality devices now join Windows Phone devices and the Microsoft Band – all long-dead products – which does not bode well for Windows Mixed Reality.

As MSPowerUser reports, Microsoft has sent an email saying that “With this reclassification, we will focus our investment activities on Surface and Xbox products rather than on the following product categories.”

It certainly sounds like Microsoft is moving away from pushing Windows Mixed Reality.

Mixed results

If this is the case, then that is disappointing, as Windows Mixed Reality was a way of offering consumers a wider choice of virtual reality headsets made by a range of different manufacturers, including Samsung, Dell and Acer.

These headsets were usually more affordable than the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and are easier to set up (thanks to support being baked into Windows 10).

Crucially, many of the headsets offered comparable specs and experiences to the two more expensive VR devices, and with support for Steam VR, it means Windows Mixed Reality was a great way to get into virtual reality gaming on PC.

We’d been hoping that we’d see a new generation of more powerful Windows Mixed Reality devices soon, but with middling sales and Microsoft going rather quiet for a while now, it seems that Windows Mixed Reality’s days could be numbered..



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Pick up a bargain on previously used gadgets

Around Christmas, there's a lot of present buying, but also a lot of gadget selling – particularly after Christmas Day as people try and unload the phones, tablets, laptops and other gear that they've just been able to replace thanks to a visit from Santa Claus.

While many will be heading to the nearest mall or shopping center for the New Year sales, finding the product you're looking for can be pretty hellish when you're up against hundreds of other shoppers.

So, whether you're buying a post-holiday gift for a friend or you want to pick up a bargain for yourself, you can get some great value deals on gadgets that aren't brand new after the holidays– but you do need to know where to go and what you're looking for, and that's where our guide can help.

The benefits of used tech


First of all, you need to go in with your eyes open when it comes to knowing what you're getting from used tech – gadgets that have had one or more previous owners come in a whole range of conditions and you can expect to pay accordingly. If these gadgets were just as good as brand new ones, they'd be at the same price.

You've got everything from the broken, six-year-old Samsung Galaxy phone someone is trying to flog on eBay, to a refurbished MacBook direct from Apple that comes with a warranty: the more money you save the more of a risk you're taking. It's important to check and then double-check the condition of the item as well as any included extras.

If you get it right though – and we're here to help you do just that – the savings can be considerable and the difference between new and used can be pretty negligible. Even if you're a complete newcomer to the idea of buying second-hand gadgets, you should soon find yourself learning the ropes and picking up a few tricks of the trade.

Of course, if you want factory fresh, shiny new gadgets that have never before been touched by human hands, then buying brand new is the way to go. But if you're more budget conscious and fancy making some significant savings then previously owned hardware could be a brilliant way of getting your hands on some great products.

Do your research


When it comes to used tech, you've got a range of options: refurbished items direct from the manufacturer, official second-hand tech sellers like Cex, and random members of the public through portals like Gumtree and eBay. It's those last two where you can perhaps make the biggest savings, but it's worth noting that you're also getting less of a guarantee that everything is going to work as advertised.

Whichever one of those options you take, do your research. Check the specs and model name of the device listed – make sure it's actually the model you want and not one that's similar, or similarly named. If in doubt, look up the model on a different site, and check out as many reviews as you can (we've got a few to get you started).

To get an idea of the price you should be paying, check out how much the device is selling for as new. You can also run a search on eBay and tick the box on the left-hand side labeled "Completed listings" to see how much other people are paying – just remember to take into account the condition of the item, because this will vary between listings (and can have a significant impact on the price).

Speaking of condition, make sure you check this too, especially on eBay and other similar sites. Read through the small print so you're aware of any damage, scratches or marks, and weigh up any extras that are included, like a warranty – this is usually worth looking out for, even it's only for 12 months, as it protects you against damaged goods.

Get the timing right


When it comes to getting the lowest prices on the best of the used tech out there, timing can be more important than you think. Is a new model of the device you're weighing up about to come out? When did the gadget first go on sale? How popular is it? The answers to all of these questions can all have an impact on how much you can expect to pay.

For example, iPhones come out like clockwork every September – if you're wanting to pick up a used iPhone as cheaply as possible, you're better off trying your luck when a new model has just arrived and a bunch of used iPhones are being offloaded. Actually, iPhones hold their value very well, which is good news if you're wanting to sell one but not so good if you're trying to get one at a discount.

Not every gadget has such a regular launch schedule as the iPhone of course, but a lot of other flagship phones are updated once a year as well. At the very least you can check up on when the device you're interested in was first launched – it's then just a question of getting the balance right between price and age. You want to pick up a bargain of course, but you don't want something that's going to be obsolete soon after you've bought it.

It's not an exact science but the more time and effort you put into your research, the better your chances of picking up a winning deal on a phone, a camera, or whatever it is you're shopping for. The very worst time to take the plunge on some used tech is right before a new model of the same device comes out, as the asking price is likely to plunge quite significantly as soon as that happens.

Always be patient


If there's one bit of advice we'd want you to take away from this article it would be this: be patient. One of the benefits of shopping for used tech is that there are always new deals turning up, so if you miss out on one, another one will be along very quickly. Don't rush into paying over the odds because you're desperate to pick up something quickly.

Of course, your hands might be tied a little bit if you're shopping for someone for Christmas or a birthday, but if you're not on a fixed schedule then take your time. Wait for an item to come along that has the specs, the condition, and the price that you want – or something very close to it.

Remember that as soon as a new gadget hits the market, its price immediately starts going down – so whatever type of device you're shopping for, you're never going to run out of options as new hardware arrives and old hardware gets replaced. The longer you wait, the better the device you're going to end up with, usually.

Fire up as many tabs as your browser can take, weigh up a variety of different models and specs from a variety of different sources, and don't rush into anything. The longer you take over your purchase, the better you'll be able to see the long-term fluctuations in used prices on whatever it is you're shopping for.



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