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All eyes are on Sin City tonight! Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has the chance to make history and become a four-weight world champion against Sergey Kovalev tonight. And you can watch all the action as it happens, no matter where on Earth you are, with our Canelo vs Kovalev live stream guide.
The Mexican born fighter has already won titles at light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight and will be stepping up two weight divisions for this clash.
Known as 'Krusher', Canelo's opponent in Vegas this time out will be 6ft tall Russian champ Sergey Kovalev. Best known for his trademark quick combos, Kovalev retained his belt in August following a stoppage win over Britain's Anthony Yarde , bringing his record to 29 knockouts in 34 victories.
Canelo's mastery of boxing has seen him notch up a fearsome pro record a fearsome 51-1-2, but can he make the leap up two weight divisions and score a victory over an experienced performer at this level?
Read on to find out how to live stream Canelo vs Kovalev fight from absolutely anywhere. Or, if you're in North America, you can head straight to learn about the DAZN coverage of the big fight.
Live stream the Canelo vs Kovalev fight from outside your country
In the US, UK or Canada? Then scroll just a little further down this page and we'll tell you who's broadcasting the boxing from where you are.
But if you're abroad this weekend then you'll need another way to watch and avoid possible geo-blocking. That's where using a VPN comes in.
How to watch Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev: US live stream
How to get a Canelo vs Kovalev live stream in Canada
How to stream Canelo vs Kovalev live in the UK
How to watch the Alvarez vs Kovalev fight: Australia stream
It seems like only yesterday when AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su promised that high-end 7nm Navi-powered graphics cards are on the way. Now, signs of such premium graphics cards are starting to pop up.
As reported by Tom’s Hardware, 3DCenter forum member Berniyh recently spotted Navi 22 and Navi 23 graphics cards (GPUs) show up for the first time, and in a Linux driver. So naturally, people are speculating that they may be the premium GPUs that Dr. Lisa Su was talking about back in August.
We don’t know much about these high-end graphics cards just yet, and we can’t say for sure if these are what she referring to specifically. After all, she also said that “we have a rich 7nm portfolio beyond the products that we have currently announced in the upcoming quarters.” And, Twitter user KOMACHI_ENSAKA did leak a Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) registration document, published in June, that proves this.
However, if they are, AMD might just be poising them to rival Nvidia’s premium cards like the GeForce RTX 2080 Super or RTX 2080 Ti, which are currently dominating the high-end gaming GPU market. As you know, AMD is currently focusing on the budget to mid-range sphere in which the AMD Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT cards are king. While both deliver mind-blowing performance, they still can’t quite compare to Nvidia’s most powerful RTX cards.
The current word on the street is that both Navi 22 and 23, as well as Navi 21, might possibly use the Radeon DNA and be based on an even better 7nm+ process node.
In addition, people are speculating that AMD could put them inside the RX 5800 and RX 5900 series, which Navi 21 showing up inside the Radeon RX 5800 series and Navi 22 inside the Radeon RX 5900 cards.
There’s no word yet, however, on when these cards will hit the streets. If we were to go by AMD’s recent roadmap, which shows that the manufacturer is in the design phase of its RDNA 2.0 architecture, we won’t likely see these cards until the later half of 2020 at the earliest.
In this video by Jacques Gaines, he looks at Portrait editing in Luminar 4 using the artificial intelligence features.
Luminar 4 is a stand-alone software or works as a plugin in Adobe Photoshop (which is great if you like working in Photoshop and don’t want to completely swap to new software).
This video uses the plugin version with Photoshop.
Jacques uses a retouched, flattened image in Photoshop and then opens the Luminar 4 plugin and does further editing work on his portrait.
He discusses the different portrait enhancement options that Luminar 4 offers.
Within Luminar, there is a section called “Portrait.”
This is the section that consists of:
AI Skin Enhancer
Portrait Enhancer
High Key
Orton Effect
AI Skin Enhancer
Smoothes out the skin on a portrait and does it realistically. You can decide how much you want to apply it from 0-100%. If you don’t want it to apply to certain sections, you can also mask it out using a brush tool.
Portrait Enhancer
The Portrait Enhance panel consists of:
Face Light
Red Eye Removal
Eye Whitening
Eye Enhancer
Dark Circles Remover
Slim Face
Enlarge Eyes
Eyebrow Improve
Lips Saturation
Lips Redness
Lips Darkening
Teeth Whitening
Jared shows the effects these settings have on a portrait.
When you apply the changes in Luminar, it makes the image as a new Photoshop layer. You can then use a mask to paint out any areas in the image that you don’t want the effects applied to.
Have you done portrait editing with Luminar 4? Share with us your thoughts in the comments!
Welcome to our pick of the best tablets with keyboards in 2019. If you don’t want to go to the expense of buying separate laptop and tablet devices, there’s an easy and obvious money-saving shortcut, and that’s to purchase a tablet which comes with a detachable keyboard (or is sold as a bundle with an optional keyboard accessory, which you don’t have to take if you don’t want it).
So, if you’re in the market for such a 2-in-1, which are the best hybrids currently out there? Naturally, that rather depends on what you intend to use your convertible device for. Do you want a great all-round hybrid? Or a 2-in-1 suitable for creative pros, or perhaps a device which is as wallet-friendly as it is versatile?
Whatever your needs, you’ll find something to suit in the following roundup of the best tablets with keyboards.
Microsoft introduced a very tempting 2-in-1 when it first unleashed the Surface Go, which can essentially be thought of as a far more affordable version of the Surface Pro.
Sadly, just like the Surface Pro, you have to shell out separately for the detachable keyboard, but you can buy this bundled when ordering the Surface Go. And for not a lot of money, you get quite a lot of tablet here, with a very impressive 10-inch display, high-quality keyboard, and laudable performance levels (with even enough oomph to tackle some light gaming – it’ll run Minecraft very nicely indeed, for example).
In short, this is a great all-rounder in terms of power, portability, and relative affordability, making it our top overall pick. There is, of course, a limit to the performance you’ll get in this price bracket, but if money is no object, then check out our next entry for a high-end Surface device which is a truly supercharged portable.
If you’ve got deep pockets, then this is our favored Windows option for a power-packed high-end hybrid with a detachable keyboard. The 15-inch model can sport a Core i7 CPU backed with a GTX 1060 graphics card for some serious portable computing power – and it’s even capable of tackling contemporary games.
Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 has a truly high-quality display with plenty of screen real-estate in this 15-inch version, yet it’s still surprisingly light when used as a standalone tablet. The other thing you’re getting with this hybrid is excellent battery life, which is obviously a major boon when out and about.
The Surface Book 2 also benefits from an excellent build quality, and there’s very little wrong here, save for some minor niggles – like the trackpad being a bit small – and of course that very hefty price tag. But if you want a truly premium Windows 10 tablet with a detachable keyboard, if your budget can stretch, it really doesn’t come any better than this.
Our favorite Android tablet plus keyboard option is the S6 for several reasons. This is a premium slate which boasts excellent performance levels thanks to its Snapdragon 855 chip, and has a gorgeous Super AMOLED display. As a result, it’s fantastic for media playback in particular, and an added bonus is the inclusion of high quality AKG-tuned speakers.
Note, however, that the keyboard must be purchased separately, and is an optional accessory (although some retailers sell it in bundles with the tablet, so you might want to look for one of these). The Book Cover, as Samsung calls it, is built in much the same vein as the Surface Pro’s detachable keyboard, using a sturdy magnetic connection, and even providing a kickstand via a cover that attaches to the rear of the Galaxy Tab S6.
On the whole, it’s a pretty decent keyboard, but the downside is the accessory is pricey. Indeed, the tablet is on the expensive side itself, so the complete setup is far from a budget option.
And indeed, Samsung’s interface still isn’t the best and holds the S6 back a little, but despite that quibble – and those pricing issues – this remains hands-down the top pick for those who want an Android slate with a keyboard.
Those who want an ‘always connected’ 2-in-1 Windows 10 laptop with a Qualcomm CPU, quite possibly for the huge battery longevity that these machines boast, would do well to check out Lenovo’s offering.
The Miix 630 is powered by a Snapdragon 835 chip which gives it just about enough power under the hood – more than previous rather feeble Snapdragon laptop efforts – and you get a rather staggering claimed 20 hours of battery life for when on the go (plus LTE connectivity, too).
It’s a very smartly designed 2-in-1 with a great 12.3-inch display, and Lenovo provides the Miix 630 with not just a detachable keyboard cover, but also a stylus as well. There’s no paying extra for accessories here.
There are caveats with Qualcomm-powered Windows 10 machines, in that you can’t expect the earth with performance, but the 630 is solid enough with general everyday computing. Also, it runs Windows 10 S Mode by default, but this can be easily switched away from.
Note that there are more powerful ‘always connected’ machines, like Samsung’s Galaxy Book 2, but we felt that the extra power gained from the Snapdragon 850 didn’t translate into all that much difference in terms of real-world performance, particularly not when comparing the price of that Samsung product to the Miix 630.
This could be an entirely different story for hybrids using the newest Snapdragon 8cx chip, but they aren’t out yet – although they may prove a much better bet for those hungering after a Windows on Snapdragon hybrid with some true grunt. Again, though, their price tags won’t be comparable to the reasonable asking price that Lenovo’s 2-in-1 is available for online these days (with all accessories bundled).
Finally, note that you can buy versions of this machine with a traditional Intel Core i3 or i5 processor.
Microsoft’s Surface range is, of course, heavy with hybrids that have detachable keyboards, and we’ve already mentioned two of them. But if you want a middle-ground between the fully-loaded Surface Book 2 and the affordable Surface Go, then that’s where the Surface Pro 7 is pitched.
Now, in our review, we did fire a fair amount of flak at the latest iteration of the Surface Pro – mainly because Microsoft didn’t do all that much with it. The tablet, with rather thick bezels, is starting to look dated, and there wasn’t much different with the refreshed version of the hybrid, which simply gained a USB-C port (but with no Thunderbolt 3 support) and an improved faster processor (with better integrated graphics).
So the Surface Pro 7 was disappointing in some respects, but it’s still a quality convertible at heart, and the beefier CPU certainly helps on the performance front (although sadly, battery life is diminished compared to its predecessor).
From an overall perspective in the hybrid world, the entry-level Surface Pro 7 still represents a good pick for a mid-range 2-in-1, and can even cope with gaming decently enough. As a balanced tablet with keyboard – although remember you must pay extra for the keyboard, which can be bundled at the time of purchase – there remains a lot to like here.
That said, there is quite possibly more to like about the Surface Pro 6 when you consider that it’s still being sold, and is likely to receive some tempting discounts as an outgoing model. Particularly as Black Friday is rapidly coming into view now, with the potential of major price-cutting therein…
It may be a touch heftier than the Surface Pro, but the third incarnation of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Tablet is a sterling option for business users. It comes with a really well-built removable keyboard which is nicely comfortable to type on, and it’s another hybrid which bundles a stylus into the bargain (Lenovo’s ThinkPad Pen Pro).
The tablet itself is built to a high standard featuring a superbly vivid 13-inch 3K touchscreen, and connectivity is impressive for a 2-in-1 in terms of the device being equipped with a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports. If there’s a flaw, it’s that battery life is only okay rather than good. Unsurprisingly, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet isn’t cheap either, but it still represents good value for money given what you’re getting here.
If you’re a creative professional, there’s an obvious choice of tablet to go for, and that’s the iPad Pro. It’s not cheap, but the iPad Pro 12.9 is a fantastic device on the creative front for many reasons, and it can be combined with the detachable keyboard – which Apple calls the Smart Keyboard Folio – as you check out when buying your iPad (so make sure you add this, and the correct language for the keyboard).
The detachable keyboard is solid enough effort, but what really sets the iPad Pro apart from the competition for creative types is the fantastic display which is impressively bright, and boasts support for the P3 wide color gamut (meaning it’s great for professional design work or the likes of photo editing). The Apple Pencil stylus is also a dream to use on this display, and highly responsive.
The downsides are that you don’t get a full desktop experience, compared to say Windows, although Apple is trying to provide that with iPadOS to move the tablet away from its mobile (and iOS) roots. The iPad Pro 12.9 is also eye-wateringly expensive if you want a decent amount of storage, with the detachable keyboard and stylus adding a considerable dollop of extra cost. This isn’t a hybrid combo for the financially faint of heart.
We should say upfront that Google’s Pixel Slate is a pretty niche proposition, but if you do want a tablet plus keyboard combo that runs Chrome OS, then this is the best pick (out of a vanishingly thin field, admittedly).
The Slate is a nicely designed piece of hardware with a beautiful display that really makes colors pop, plus it benefits from good battery life, and the keyboard cover itself is a palatable enough accessory. It’s a solid tablet offering, then, on the face of it, but one of the major drawbacks here is the price – you’re paying a lot for ‘solid’ performance.
You can buy the Pixel Slate bundled with the keyboard at some online retailers, but the price tag is, frankly, pretty exorbitant – even for the base model, which only has a Core m3 processor. So this is something to definitely bear in mind: to fork out this much, you’re going to need a serious hankering to have Chrome OS on a tablet 2-in-1.
A rugged 2-in-1 is another niche area, but for those who need a tablet with keyboard which can take some punishment, this Panasonic product is king of the rough-and-tough hill.
Panasonic’s Toughbook CF-33 is sold standalone as a tablet or can be bundled with the keyboard – be sure to add it upon purchasing. The keyboard is well worth the extra outlay, because this is an excellent accessory, giving you a nice typing experience with a good level of travel (for a detachable unit).
Battery life is superb, which is obviously great for those using the CF-33 in the field, plus you get a high quality display, and a 2-in-1 capable of surviving drops and shocks, rain, extreme temperatures and humidity. The CF-33 meets the military-grade MIL-STD-810G standard for toughness, and perhaps the biggest downside for those wanting a truly rugged hybrid is that it won’t save your wallet from a pretty severe beating.
We’ve touched on some relatively affordable tablets with detachable keyboards above, but if you really want to spend as little as possible on your 2-in-1, then Linx makes a great product which you’d do well to consider.
With the Linx 12 x64 you get the tablet and keyboard in one package which costs less than Apple’s detachable keyboard for the iPad Pro – yes, less than the keyboard itself, never mind including the expense of the actual iPad.
The caveat is that this is an older device which was released a couple of years back, but it’s still perfectly serviceable, and the price has now been cut to under £200 in the UK (at the time of writing). And that’s quite incredible value, really, because this is a decent enough hybrid which represents a good cheap alternative to the Surface Pro, as we observed when we reviewed the device.
It’s nicely thin, has a decent-sized Full HD screen, and great battery life too. Yes, the build quality isn’t the best, and performance levels are rather sluggish – a lot of which is due to the eMMC storage – but in this price bracket, you’re obviously going to encounter compromises. The Linx can cope with basic tasks, though, albeit with some slowdown at times.
For the money – particularly now you can get it even cheaper than when the device first launched – this is an excellent wallet-friendly option. Those in the US may have to import a model, but even with that cost on top, it’s still a highly affordable solution for a tablet with a detachable keyboard.
Alternatively, for a similar bargain basement model, check out the Chuwi Hi10 Air (just remember that this is another tablet where the keyboard is optionally bundled, so be sure you’re getting the accessory as well when purchasing).
Price drops, free gifts and promotions seem to have become rife in the past few days – it's a sign that Black Friday is just around the corner. But for the Apple devotees of the world, looking to score a discount on Apple's latest and greatest, this will be the deal you'll want to find out more about.
Despite only gracing the market for a few months, we're now seeing iPhone 11 deals get cut in price. Considering this is the cheapest (and arguably the best value) of Apple's latest trio, seeing those prices come down is nothing but remarkable.
And, thanks to retailer Mobiles.co.uk, those price cuts are occurring across networks. EE and its super fast speeds? Cut in price. Big data O2 offers? Prices cut. There's even a reduced Vodafone offer which is looking like one of the cheapest iPhone 11 contracts we've seen yet.
Of Apple's latest trio of phones, the iPhone 11 is the most affordable. But that by no means makes it a bad phone in comparison to its two bigger brothers, in fact the iPhone 11 is one of our favourite phones around right now.
Through its dual camera lens set-up boasting impressive wide angle shots, the fastest CPU in any phone on the market right now and an impressive 3110mAh battery, the iPhone 11 is a phone more than capable of keeping up with the competition.
Often looked over or discarded altogether, blurry and unfocused photos are usually dismissed as a waste of space on the hard drive.
Upon closer inspection, however, these photos can actually be beautiful and highly engaging.
Here are four ways in which blurry and unfocused photography can be great!
Blurry or unfocused…What’s the difference?
Blur occurs during an exposure when the camera and/or subject moves.
Unfocused imagery, on the other hand, is affected by aperture, focus, and distance.
Blurry images are directional or streaky, while unfocused images are fuzzy.
To achieve intentionally blurred images, photograph a moving subject and/or move the camera during an exposure.
To make unfocused photography, use a wide aperture for a very shallow depth of field and/or use distance and manual focus to keep sharpness down.
Of course, there are degrees of unfocused or blurry imagery. An unfocused image could still have elements nearing sharpness. Likewise, a blurry image could have aspects of near-stillness.
How blurry or unfocused an image is will be up to you and the incidental whims of the photographic process.
1. Color and light
We spend a lot of our photographic lives trying to achieve perfect sharpness, so why create intentionally blurry/unfocused imagery?
The first reason is color and light.
Color photography came into mainstream use in the 1930s. Since then, the incredible variety of colors in our world has been encapsulated both digitally and on film.
Blurry and unfocused imagery strips a photograph back to the bare bones of color and light, generating an abstracted visual study of the environment around us.
We assign specific properties to different colors too. For example, yellow is paired with joy and blue with sorrow.
Because of this, blurred and unfocused depictions of color and light draw connections with viewers through powerful emotional associations.
2. Reflections on art history
In looking back over famous contributions to art history, many tend to think about literal subjects like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans.
But many artists have transcended the rigidity of the representative, instead, focusing on the event of light, color, and form.
For example, Mark Rothko generated highly emotional responses from audiences with dreamlike forms and colors.
Blurry and unfocused photography makes images that are rooted in the history of visual art.
This history strengthens a blurry or unfocused image, giving it form and a conceptual standing of its own.
3. Abstraction
Also known as non-objective or conceptual photography, abstract photography depicts imagery free from an immediate association to the objective subject matter.
Photographers like Eileen Quinlan and Barbara Kasten work within the realm of abstract photography to elicit a unique visual response.
Without the presence of immediately identifiable subject matter, the experience of the ineffable filters through.
Both incidental and intentionally blurred and unfocused imagery can take on the life of the abstract. Like an abstract painting, unfocused and blurry photography reflects the viewer’s own impressions and associations.
In addition, abstract photography is subjective. Blurry or unfocused abstract photography encourages a viewer to imbue a photograph with their own meaning and experience.
4. Fun!
Nowadays there is a lot of emphasis on pin-sharp photography.
Letting loose and allowing unfocused of blurry photography to come through can be a lot of fun.
Unfocused or blurry photography is a little like finger-painting; part of the fun is in relinquishing the paintbrush and allowing the artistic impulse to guide your fingers.
Fresh color combinations, new approaches to the subject matter, engaging camera motions…experimenting with blurry and unfocused photography is a great way to discover new angles to incorporate into your future photography.
Conclusion
Blurred and unfocused photography may seem like a strange approach to photography, however, letting go and experimenting with your camera is one of the most enjoyable and educational parts of photographic practice.
Blurry photography introduces dynamic movement to an image, while unfocused photography distributes soft renderings of light and color.
Moreover, blurry or unfocused photography can create engaging visual experiences that reflect the physical nature of seeing.
By experimenting with blurred or unfocused photographic practices, you can generate an abstract perspective that is both engaging and unique.
What are your thoughts? Do you think there is a place for blurry and unfocused photos? Share with us in the comments your thoughts, or your photos!
It’s been over seven years since the initial release of Diablo 3, so obviously we're champing at the bit to start another monstrous loot hunt in Diablo 4.
After months of rumors, the title has been officially confirmed by Blizzard at Blizzcon 2019 – and we now know that Diablo 4 is an isometric action RPG which sees the return of Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto.
It will feature an open world map with five regions, day/night cycles and a non-linear campaign. You'll smash and loot your way through this world with one of five customizable classes, three of which are already announced.
Finally, it's being designed in a brand-new engine for PS4, Xbox One and PC, with plans to simultaneously release it on all platforms.
Want to know more? Here’s everything to know so far about the long-awaited Diablo 4.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next instalation in the veteran action-role playing dungeon crawling series, Diablo.
When can I play it? We're not entirely sure, but 'not soon' is what Blizzard says.
What can I play it on? Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Diablo 4 trailers
Diablo 4 was officially announced at Blizzcon 2019 where we got the chance to see both the announcement story cinematic, and the first gameplay trailer.
Diablo 4 release date
Bad news here: Diablo 4 probably won't be released anytime soon. At a Blizzcon deep dive on the game, the game's director said that he doesn't expect the game to be finished anytime soon, "even by Blizzard's standards of soon."
That said, the fact that the team is developing the game for PS4 and Xbox One heavily implies that the game will be released within the next two to three years – as the lifespan of those consoles will be coming to an abrupt end after the launch of new consoles in late 2020.
Diablo 4 news, previous leaks and features
Blizzcon 2019 Unveiling Diablo 4 was officially confirmed at Blizzcon 2019 on November 1, where it was revealed the game would focus on Lilith – the daughter of Mephisto.
Like its predecessors, the game is an isometric, action RPG and will have PVP zones in the overworld – with the first three classes being barbarian, sorceress and druid. It's also being developed for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Story and setting
For those who haven't been following along in the in-game events, Diablo 4 will be set after Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls. At this point, the gates of heaven have been closed afterMalthael, the Angel of Death, destroyed much of Sanctuary.
It's through Heaven's ignorance of the events transpiring in Sanctuary that Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto and canonical mother of humanity, is set lose from her prison.
What we know about the overworld right now is that it's all open, with five unique regions and both a day/night cycle and ever-changing weather. Missions are non-linear and according to the game's director, you're free to take them on however you'd like.
Dungeons and loot
Like previous entries, you're going to spend a lot of time in dungeons – all of which will be randomly generated in a similar way to Diablo 3. According to the game's director, there will be 'hundreds of dungeons' in the game to explore 'in which you'll find hundreds of legendary items to equip'.
Which classes are available?
At launch, Diablo 4 will feature five classes – three of which we already know about. The Barbarian, a series staple will return in Diablo 4 and will be available to wield both double- and single-handed weapons in a single build, and will have four weapon slots.
The Sorceress, another returning favorite, will have AOE attacks that control the battlefield and will be able to turn into a ball of energy to incinerate enemies, while the Druid has both animal companion NPCs and the ability to shapeshift.
The Art of Diablo may have revealed Diablo 4 – confirmed German magazine Game Star found a listing for a glossy new book called The Art of Diablo. Taking a behind-the-scenes look at the art of the franchise, it's set to contain “more than 500 artworks from Diablo 1, Diablo 2, Diablo 3 and Diablo 4.” Yep, Diablo 4, being mentioned in relation to a book officially associated with the developer Blizzard. Though the book is a little way off from release yet, the mention (likely unintentional) all but confirmed that Diablo 4 was on the way.
New hires – confirmed Tongues started wagging after nine job listings for an "unannounced project" in the Diablo franchise were spotted on the Blizzard Entertainment careers page. The company was looking for key roles, including lead character and concept artists, software engineers, a lead narrative designer and an executive producer.
While it's not certain that the listings were for Diablo 4, the game has since been announced.
More development focus Reports have stated that Blizzard is no longer working on a StarCraft shooter and has decided to shift development focus over to Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. This is good news for those waiting with bated breath for Diablo 4 updates as it shows Blizzard is entirely focused on the game. With a larger team behind it could we see more updates soon? Given Blizzard didn't attend Gamescom 2019, it could still be some time.
Blizzard wasn't at Gamescom 2019 We knew Blizzard wouldn't be attending Gamescom 2019 as, in a news post from Blizzard Entertainment, the developer confirmed that it wouldn't be attending. But why?
"As part of a renewed effort this year to maintain our focus on development, for our current games and our future projects, we won’t have a booth at Gamescom 2019," the post reads. "The show is an important one for the European and global gaming community, and we’re going to miss meeting players in Cologne this year.
"We’re also looking forward to sharing more details about the projects we’re currently working on when the time is right."
Diablo Hades and / or Diablo Fenris
Game development is often iterative. Diablo 3 was in the works for many years and prototyped in many different ways before becoming the game we know today – and even then, it’s changed dramatically since its (somewhat shaky) initial launch.
Diablo 4 will likely be no different, and an incredibly interesting report from Kotaku back in 2018 pointed to multiple iterations of Diablo being in the works at Blizzard – one that has now ceased experimentation and has been shelved, the other what is reportedly now the foundation of Diablo 4.
Note that these rumors come from sources we’ve not been able to independently verify, but, working alongside the Kotaku UK team and being able to vouch for their integrity, we’d say there’s legitimate information here that could point to the direction that Diablo 4 is headed towards.
Diablo 3, modified to play from an ‘over-the-shoulder’ perspective. (Image Credit: Mr Monstrosity / Diablo Fans)
– Hades (or ‘Diablo as Dark Souls’
The first of these projects was codenamed ‘Hades’. Sources speaking to Kotaku described a game not dissimilar in approach to Dark Souls – an over the shoulder, hardcore dungeon crawler. Work on Hades spanned 2014-2016 reportedly, and included top Blizzard talent including Diablo 3 director Josh Mosquiera. Given the popularity of Dark Souls, broadly similar RPG mechanics and the shared gothic aesthetic of the two, this would have been an interesting and fresh direction for the series to take. However, sources state that the game just wasn’t gelling, with the team eventually going on to make the excellent Rise of the Necromancer DLC for Diablo 3.
– Fenris (a return to Diablo 2’s darkness)
The second (and reportedly ongoing) effort to make Diablo 4 was codenamed ‘Fenris’, and was worked on by the same team that canned Hades. It would be a more traditional isometric Diablo title, and would see the caricature, colorful aesthetic of Diablo 3 ditched in favor of a darker, grimier, more horrifying look that bring the creepy dread of the first two Diablo games up to date.
"There’s a lot of people who felt like Diablo 3 got away from what made Diablo Diablo in terms of art style and spell effects," one unnamed Blizzard employee told Kotaku. "They want to make [Fenris] gross, make it dark, [get rid of] anything that was considered cartoony in Diablo 3… Make what people were afraid of in Diablo 2, but modern."
Fenris is also discussed in highly social terms, taking cues from the likes of World of Warcraft and Destiny. While it wouldn’t be an MMO, it could well be a ‘live game’, with social areas that players can meet in before heading out into instanced dungeon raids.
Could it be that the Diablo franchise is about to experience a schism? One that sees the more approachable stylings of the Diablo 3 era be carried as the mobile Diablo Immortal experience, freely monetizable away from the ire of the hardcore Diablo fan, while Diablo 4 goes back to the horror-infused roots of the earlier games in the series, as being worked on with the Fenris project? It’s a reasonable idea.
Whatever happens, we’ll have all the most up to date information on Diablo 4 here. So keep checking back as we delve deeper into the growing darkness at the heart of Sanctuary.
The main challenge with portrait photography is, without a doubt, producing a portrait that does not leave the subject looking rigid, anxious, or just simply uncomfortable.
“Untitled” captured by MOTOKI Plasticboystudio
A portrait photographer must gain his or her subject’s trust to help them loosen up and become actively involved in the sitting. The results will be more natural and the subject will be pleasant to work with. The result will be portraits that are not only attractive but also vibrant with the subject’s true nature memorialized in the image.
“People – The Joy of Happiness” captured by Daniel Condurachi
How can the portrait photographer involve their subject in such a way that they will be their most natural self and the photo session completed in an easy and natural manner?
Here are five tips for a productive portrait photography session:
Occupy the Hands
Portrait photography primarily involves a head and shoulders shot. One of the primary stressors for the subject is what to do with the hands. Giving the person something to hold will keep their mind away from concentrating on their posture, resulting in a much more relaxed piece of work. Since some portraits may be full body photos, including an object that is comfortable but not distracting can put the subject at ease.
“Maggie #295” captured by Peter McConnochie
Use a Chair
For some reason, people are uncomfortable standing in front of a camera. Consequently, portrait photographers will usually have a chair available. A chair could possibly be the handiest tool a photographer can have when taking portrait images. With this prop, there exists more of a casual atmosphere.
“RC Chair” captured by Oscar Rethwill
Know Your Subject
Your subject has an idea in their mind what a portrait should look like. It is the portrait photographer’s responsibility to utilize their professional skills to bring the subject’s ideas to reality. Allow some interaction time so you can talk about subjects of interest or about the things your model is passionate about. You will be amazed how that special glint in the eye will come through and their face will light up.
“Rebecca ’13 | First Chair” captured by Sean Molin
As the portrait photographer, you and your subject will interact to create that special mood and ambiance. You will discover that using a handheld camera will allow you to capture unique angles and expressions that you cannot achieve with a fixed location camera. Using these techniques, you will be shifting the attention away from the lights and equipment to concentrating on the person photographed.
Involve Your Subject
The portrait photographer needs to remember that this is the client’s portrait and not that of the photographer. Respect for the individuals involved is mandatory. You should be aware of any time constraints the client might have. And you should also have a good understanding as to what the subject wishes.
If you are trying something the subject does not understand, be sure to explain why you are taking such actions. You do not want to catch your clients off guard, as that confusion will end up appearing in the final product.
Be Prepared
Be sure all equipment is set up and in good working order prior to your subject’s arrival. Nothing will raise the level of anxiety more than having the client suffer through times of setting up proper lighting and ensuring everything is working. Find out some general information about the subject of the shoot. What are they anticipating from this session? Is the scene free from external distractions? Allowing the appropriate amount of time for the shoot will prevent rushing to complete the task at hand and will leave the photographer with a much happier customer.
In portrait photography, all five tips above are essential if you desire your subjects or clients to be more at ease in front of the camera resulting in the most natural portraits possible.
About the Author: Raleigh Conrad has always had a fascination for consumer electronics. His site is at rockingchairwisdom.com. The purchase of his first digital camera opened up a completely new world of interest.
Inspired by our Black and White Photography e-book sale, I decided to make this weekly photography challenge Black and White. Black and white offers so much depth and emotion and has a timeless nature to it.
So go out and capture anything in black and white. You can use Monochrome Mode on your camera, or turn them into black and white with your favorite post-processing application.
Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.
Share in the dPS Facebook Group
You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.
If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSblackandwhite to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.
WhatsApp has finally introduced biometric locking of chats for its Android users, months after iOS got the feature.
WhatsApp took to its blog to announce that fingerprint lock for Android users is now available, adding another layer of security for users. All chats and notifications can now be lock by using the same fingerprint that is used for the screen lock, and even the time duration of the unlock can be customized. Options include every time, 1 minute and 30 minutes.
How to enable Fingerprint lock on WhatsApp
The process is pretty straightforward, especially for users who already have a fingerprint registered for unlocking the phone. Before starting, you need to be on the latest version of WhatsApp. For Android, the current latest build number is 2.19.308 on the PlayStore.
Once updated, go to WhatsApp’s Settings screen from the 3-dot menu on the top. Head to Accounts and then to Privacy. Scroll down to the bottom, and tap on Fingerprint lock. It will give you a toggle to turn on ‘unlock with fingerprint’, after which you will get further options to customize the time duration for how long an unlock will last. There’s an additional option to hide the contents of the notifications.
The feature has rolled out for all Android users, and works well for phones with physical fingerprint scanners as well as in-display scanners. For iPhone users, only Face ID is supported, which includes the iPhone X and 11 families. 3D Face Unlock is not supported on Android, so phones without a fingerprint scanner (such as the Google Pixel 4) are out of luck.
