Launch day isn’t the end of video game development anymore, rather it’s just another step in the process of supporting the product. Developer EA Tiburon supports its Madden titles with patches, roster updates, new commentary, and Ultimate Team content, but that won’t be all for Madden 20.
Here’s a quick look at some of the other currently announced additions coming down the road.
Playbook Additions
Creative director Mike Young told us that this is the first year that the developer is able to update the game’s playbooks from week to week. While EA hasn’t committed to a specific cadence, this could offer great flexibility and is necessary. One thing EA Tiburon has announced is that the defensive playbooks will be refreshed during the year.
5th Yr. Contracts for First-Round Picks
Teams like the fifth-year option for first-round picks because it lets them kick the tires on the rookie for four years, with the fifth year adding extra time to sort out a possible new contract before the player tries to cash in on the free agency market. Or the team can decline the fifth-year option and let the player walk if it’s just not working out. During a livestream, the developer announced the game would be adding fifth-year options during the season. It’s about time.
X-Factors/Superstar Abilities Updates
These new abilities are one of the cornerstones of the game, and it only makes sense that, like a normal roster update, the list of who is and isn’t deserving of them would change during the season. Although the NFL season hasn’t started yet, EA Tiburon has already given abilities to some offensive linemen. For the future, the developer says the release cadence of these changes won’t be the same as the roster updates, but will likely come out after the game’s larger eSports tournaments.
New Scenarios
The new scenario engine is a key part of the franchise and QB1 modes, and updating through the year to freshen things up is something the company has wanted to do for a little while now. It’ll be interesting to see if the developer creates new scenarios to try and mirror what drama we may see in this year’s real-life NFL, which we know there will be.
MUT Superstar Ability Tiers
X-Factors and Superstar abilities are going to make Ultimate Team an interesting beast as players pick which ones they want to use. At launch upgradable players can only get three Superstar abilities, one per tier. Afterwards, the team says it has plans to offer more choices for each tier, diversifying the possibilities.
MUT Power Up Pass Reminder?
The MUT Power-Up pass is a great way to boost your Power Up player a level, as it fills that tier’s requirement for a specific card (like a Core Elite, for example). The first-world problem for users is that it’s easy to forget you have them in your binder. While EA Tiburon says you might want to keep a pen and paper by your couch in the meantime, during a livestream it said some kind of in-game reminder might come later in the year.
The Persona series might not be as globally recognised as Mario or Pikachu just yet, but it’s certainly grown in popularity over the past number of years. In fact, it recently reached a significant milestone in its history.
According to Atlus, in a blog post over on the official Japanese Persona website, the entire series has now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. This reportedly includes every single game, since it debuted in 1996 as a spin-off to Shin Megami Tensei. We’re talking about the main role-playing adventures and every other game with the Persona name attached to it.
Not long after Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for multiple platforms including the Nintendo Switch at its E3 2019 live presentation, there were murmurs about a possible physical release.
DotEmu, the developer helping out with the remastered version of the game, even responded to a fan question asking about a hard copy. This followed with sites such as Play-Asia opening pre-orders for a physical release. Despite looking increasingly likely, Square Enix has now confirmed via its Japanese website, that the game will be digital-only. And here’s the news from Play-Asia (thanks to Nintendo Life reader Taylor):
As the multiplayer scene continuously finds ways to increase its player count, be it a 64-player round of Battlefield V or a 100 participant strong game of Fortnite, it’s perhaps interesting to consider that the next big hit may only require a fraction of that. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s alpha test gives you access to its all-new Gunfight mode this weekend for free, and it needs just four players to excite us.
Gunfight is a 2-vs-2, round-based multiplayer mode that asks you to eliminate the enemy team. It sounds basic enough, but it’s the amount of strategy that simplicity can bring about when combined with its map design which has impressed us the most. It feels like the most lethal version of Paintball possible, taking place on tiny maps where just sticking your nose out and taking a look at the area around you could result in a flurry of bullets coming your way.
You may be forgiven for missing the news, but the PlayStation 5’s devkit casually leaked this week. Corroborated by a Codemasters employee, the blueprints show a ridiculously shaped system, decorated with a ventilated ‘V’ symbol on its hood. It’s unlikely that the final consumer product will look anything like this over-engineered monstrosity, but it’s still fascinating to consider how it looks in real-life.
There has never been a better time to be on the market for the best graphics cards. Whether you’re updating an older PC or researching the upgradable options on that new PC you’re about to buy, you’re going to be looking at options like the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2060, powered by Nvidia Turing architecture or AMD’s recently unveiled next generation of AMD Navi GPUs or even the new Super RTX cards.
However, the best graphics cards for some people might not be the best for you. Do you want to drop the equivalent of a new PC on just the GPU, like top-of-the-line flagships, or do you want a budget card that will just get the job done, like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660? It all depends on what your priorities are. Whatever that might be, the best graphics cards will still handle the best PC games from Rage 2 to Sekiro Die Twice.
And yes, finding that perfect GPU available right now can be a confusing process so let us make it a bit easier. Each of the best graphics cards we’ve listed has been thoroughly tested here at TechRadar. So take a look at our recommendations for the best graphics cards before you break open that piggy bank.
Image credit: TechRadar
This absolute behemoth of a graphics card is still basically brand new, and it’s already topping our list of the best graphics cards, booting former reigning champion and its direct rival, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, off the top spot. At $349, this powerful mid-range card brings 1440p gaming at Ultra or Max settings to the masses, making it affordable and accessible to everyone. At that price point, it doesn’t need to be perfect – those looking for ray tracing will have to wait. But, for what it offers and how much it costs, it’s well-deserving of its title as the best graphics card of 2019 for most people.
If you need the best graphics card, and you don’t want to settle, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti may be one of the best graphics cards for you. This is the most formidable graphics card you can buy without jumping for a professional graphics solution. And, now that games like Battlefield V, Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider actually implement the RTX features, there’s never been a better time to jump on the ray tracing bandwagon. Just prepare yourself for that sky-high price.
The souped up Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super isn’t just remarkable because it’s a supercharged version of the very popular RTX 2070, offering exceptional 1440p gaming. It’s also striking because it offers all that power at a very reasonable price, making it a compelling buy for most users, even for those on a budget. Plus, if you’re wondering about ray tracing, here’s the best card to jump in – you don’t have to break open that piggy bank for the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti anymore.
While the GeForce RTX 2060 Super is now taking the 1440p gaming world by storm, its predecessor, the RTX 2060, is still king of 1080p gaming. This mid-range GPU will get you in the door with ray tracing maxed out at 1080p. Plus, it is more than capable of handling 1440p experiences, as well as 4K ones, if you don’t mind the less remarkable frame rate of 30 fps. And, while this card was more expensive at launch than the one it replaced, its fantastic 1080p performance should be enough to make that price tag irrelevant.
We’ve been longing for a new top-of-the-line graphics card from AMD since 2017’s Radeon Vega 64, but things have drastically changed in the graphics market since then – most notably Nvidia Turing. With the AMD Radeon VII, Team Red has attempted to reclaim a piece of the high-end graphics market, and it largely triumphed. The AMD Radeon VII holds its own in 4K gaming, but it particularly excels in content creation. Packed with 16GB of HBM2 memory, the AMD Radeon VII can keep up with much more expensive creative-focused competitors, making it one of the best graphics cards 2019 has on offer.
If you’re all about the best VR games, you’re going to need the best graphics cards to do that job. And, nowadays, that honor goes to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super. VR-ready and filled with the latest Turing architecture, you won’t have to worry about a rough VR experience that will make you sick. Outside of VR, it should also be able to handle all your favorite PC games at 1440p and 4K without any issue. The best part might just be that it’s a lot cheaper than the RTX 2080, offering a much better value.
Looking to put together a microATX or a mini-ITX gaming PC? You shouldn’t need to settle for a low-end GPU. Take a look at mini graphics cards like the Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini instead. It’s not the latest and greatest GPU out there now, but the 1080 Ti still has a lot of juice, and it’s among the best graphics cards to power your microATX. And, when you can get that power in a card that’s only 211 x 125 x 41mm, the tiny loss in performance is absolutely worth the beautiful mini PC you’ll get.
Image credit: Gigabyte
With all those fancy (read: expensive) graphics cards cornering the market, the budget-friendlier ones sometimes fly under the radar. That’s unfortunate, particularly since cards like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 deserve a spot in the limelight for delivering excellent 1080p performance at a very affordable price. With the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G, you’re also getting a healthy factory overclock and all the outputs you’ll ever need, so you can play all your favorite games with several monitors attached. We’d call that a bargain, maybe even the best we’ve ever had, and it certainly warrants a spot in our best graphics cards list.
When Nvidia first revealed its Turing lineup, it was hard to find a model that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Nonetheless, with the launch of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti – especially the PNY XLR8 Gaming OC model – next-generation performance became accessible to everyone. You won’t have access to 4K 60 fps gaming with this card, but it’s one of the best graphics cards for anyone still using a 1080p display, and it can handle most esports games well above 60fps. At that resolution, you’ll have trouble running into any title that it can’t handle.
Having one of the best routers in your home is more important than you might think. It’s essential in fact. Whether you’re working, gaming or just connecting with friends, our computer lives exist almost entirely online. Having a less than stellar router can really hold you back.
You don’t want to experience constant buffering with your favorite programs on Netflix, or to not be at your full potential when playing the best PC games. And while your first impulse might be to call up your internet provider, consider picking up one of the best wireless routers. After all, it doesn’t matter how fast the internet service is if the wireless router can’t keep up. You’ll want to get the best wireless router you can get your hands on.
That might mean different things to different people. The best routers might look like the most cutting edge wireless mesh router pumping signal into every corner of the house or an epic gaming router providing the signal. It might mean upcoming Wi-Fi 6 capabilities that may make this list in the near future.
So if you’re looking for the best router on the market right now, you should keep a couple things in mind. MU-MIMO is a must for anyone with multiple devices, and considering that most homes will have multiple people with multiple devices, that’s probably everyone on the market for the best router. Check out the speed rating of the router as well as a rated speed of AC1900 should cover all your bases.
There are so many wireless routers to choose from, hundreds in fact, that getting the one that does everything you need might not be easy. Therefore, we’ve collected the best routers we’ve tested recently. You might be looking at the Good WiFi or maybe the TP-Link Archer C5400. Either way, know that you’ll be getting a quality router, possibly the best router for your home and your needs.
The days of traditional wireless routers is basically over – the age of the wireless mesh routers is here. Google Wifi, alone, is proof that we are in the midst of this mesh revolution. You can finally say goodbye to the days when the only way to attain wireless freedom was to install a bunch of wireless extenders. The idea of Google Wifi is simple – buy a set of points and position them in strategic places around your home. Then, simply scan a QR code, and you’re good to go. It’s no coincidence that this wireless mesh router tops our best routers list of 2019, as it’s also the one that’s easiest to set up and get going.
If you’re acquainted with Asus, especially its gaming products, you’ll know what to expect with the Asus RT-AC86U. This wireless router may look like the lovechild of Doritos and Mountain Dew, if they spent a night together in a router manufacturing machine. But inside that gaudy gamer-centric design is a piece of hardware that, for its price, easily beats out almost all the wireless routers on the market. You’re also not paying a premium here for a gaming device, so if you’re in the market for a high-speed connection with a reasonable price tag, the Asus RT-AC86U is an exceptional option.
When the Netgear Orbi was first unveiled, it completely reshaped the wireless routers scene. Then, in 2019, Netgear unleashed the Netgear Orbi AC2200 RBK23, a cheaper option for casual users who don’t have a stately manor to cover, making it a worthy contender for the best wireless routers. Sure, it comes with fewer antennae and ethernet ports than its forerunner, but it also offers more than enough to provide very solid network coverage. Plus, the small form factor means that it will easily blend in, and you won’t feel the need to hide it.
Now that smart homes are quickly becoming standard, more and more people need wireless routers that also double as smart home hubs. This doesn’t only make things much more convenient, but it also helps reduce all the clutter created by having multiple routers, modems and hubs. The Samsung Connect Home isn’t the most feature-rich wireless router out there today, but it can definitely hold its own against the Google Wifi, while also packing in the SmartThings hub. It’s still easily one of the best routers – especially if your home is filled with smart devices.
This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Google Wifi.
Are you in the market for one of the best routers of 2019, with a quirky aesthetic to boot? If a ‘90s-inspired sci-fi design sounds like it’s right up your alley, then the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 might be a fantastic choice for you. It’s not really the most modern-looking mesh router. Despite that, it’s unique in that it can bridge consumer and enterprise users by offering high-end functionality at a reasonable price point and with an easy setup. It’s odd looking, yes; but if you’re searching for a wireless router that can cover a largish home, you can’t go wrong with this.
If you’re wanting to bring your office’s networking into the modern age with one of the best routers of 2019, then you should sincerely consider the Netgear Orbi Pro. It’s a modular Wi-Fi mesh router that takes some design and performance cues from its business-grade counterparts. It’s on the more expensive side, but if you run a business where you can’t afford to have anyone slow down due to poor Wi-Fi, it’s definitely worth every cent.
The market is now flooded with wireless mesh routers, but it’s hard to complain when the level of coverage these routers offer tops anything we’ve experienced in the past. With devices like the TP-Link Deco M9, one of the best routers of 2019, we can see how they only keep improving. By incorporating IoT smart home support, on top of industry standard speeds and coverage, the TP-Link Deco M9 is, undoubtedly, an excellent choice for a smart home supporter. Fair warning, it is a little pricey. However, you’re also getting all these features and excellent performance in exchange.
Hoping to jump on the mesh wireless router bandwagon without going broke? You’re in luck with the affordable D-Link Covr C1203. It’s among the best wireless routers for you, if you’re wanting to upgrade and save at the same time. Not only does it offer similar coverage to that of the Google Wifi while being less expensive, but it also looks futuristic in a good way. It’s a little slower than Google’s legendary router, but it will still be fast enough for the typical user. And, that’s why the D-Link Covr C1203 gets our vote for one of the best routers of 2019.
If you’re looking for a wireless mesh router that gives you a lot of control over your network, then the Eero Home Wi-Fi system might just be the ticket. It’s more expensive than your standard router, yet it offers users complete control over their network, while still touting a secure connection through AI. Even better, the Eero Home Wi-Fi System comes with subscriptions to 1Password, MalwareBytes and Encrypt.me VPN, which should keep everyone connected to your network secure.
The Amplifi HD is one of the most expensive wireless routers on this list. Yet, thanks to its clean, modern look, it should find a dedicated audience without a problem. While aesthetic doesn’t top everyone’s priorities when choosing the best router for them, it does help encourage users to install and showcase it in central locations, which will help boost the router’s signal. This wireless router boasts excellent performance and a stylish design to match, as long as you’re willing to spend a little more than necessary.
The US Department of Justice has indicted dozens of individuals for their involvement in a massive business email scam and money laundering operation.
Over a dozen individuals were arrested during raids carried out in the Los Angeles area but a total of 80 defendants are allegedly involved in the scheme.
The 145-page indictment which was recently unsealed, revealed that 80 people have been named and charged with conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud in addition to aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
While arrests were made in the US, most of the people alleged to be involved in the scheme are based in Nigeria. At this time, it is still unclear as to whether the Nigerian nationals will be extradited to the US but the two countries do have a treaty that would make extradition possible.
Combating online fraud
US authorities are taking a hard stance on business email scams and other fraudulent activities online according to US Attorney Nicola Hanna who explained how this indictment is intended to send a message to fraudsters, saying:
“Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use [business email scam] schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims. This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators — no matter where they reside — and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains.”
Prosecutors said that Valentine Iro and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe have been accused of running the operation. The indicted individuals allegedly carried out acts of fraud against over a dozen victims which generated millions of dollars worth of stolen funds over the course of several months.
The operation’s leaders acted as brokers of fraudulent bank accounts according to the prosecutors who allege that they fielded requests for bank account information and then laundered the money obtained from their victims. Several of the fraudsters’ bank accounts also contained over $40m in stolen funds.
The case will still need to go to trial before anything is decided but the indictment is a step in the right direction when it comes to showing cybercriminals that they can be held responsible for their crimes online no matter where they reside.
It’s been six long years since Nintendo last released a game in the Luigi’s Mansion series, and with fans beginning to give up hope of another, the announcement that a sequel will hit Nintendo Switch in 2019 is very welcome news indeed.
Announced with a trailer during a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018 the tentatively named Luigi’s Mansion 3, is set to be released on Switch this Halloween – very spooky indeed.
During Nintendo Direct at E3 2019, we got a bunch of new details about what we can expect from the next game in the spooky series. Here’s everything we know so far about Luigi’s Mansion 3.
[Update:Gamescom 2019 has truly brought the Luigi’s Mansion 3 goods. Not only has 30 minutes of brand new footage of the game been released, we managed to get some hands on time with the game too. Keep scrolling to see the new footage.]
Cut to the chase
What is it? The third entry in Nintendo’s spooky series
When can I play it? October 31st, 2019
What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
Image credit: Nintendo
Luigi’s Mansion 3 release date
Luigi’s Mansion 3 will launch for Nintendo Switch on October 31st, 2019 (AKA Halloween!). It’s a very fitting release date for such a spooky title.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 trailers
Gamescom 2019 brought us our longest look at Luigi’s Mansion 3 yet. 30 whole minutes of gameplay showing both single-player and co-op in a brand new garden-themed level. Watch it for yourself below.
Nintendo dropped a more in-depth gameplay trailer for Luigi’s Mansion 3 during E3 2019. Check it out below:
Although the first trailer doesn’t give away much, it does give us a sneak peek at the high quality graphics and gameplay. Check it out below:
Luigi’s Mansion 3 news and rumors
Puzzles There are plenty of puzzles in the haunted hotel to keep you occupied (as well as a few hidden secrets). It’ll take a combination of Luigi’s Poltergust, plungers and Gooigi to solve them.
Gamescom 2019 We got a short amount of time with Luigi’s Mansion 3 at Gamescom. Check out our hands on: Luigi’s Mansion 3 review. If you want a further in-depth look at the game, don’t forget to check out the brand new 30 minutes of footage released during Gamescom above. It gives a look at single-player and co-op in a brand new level of the game.
Releasing this Halloween Nintendo has confirmed Luigi’s Mansion 3 will launch on October 31st, 2019 (AKA Halloween).
ScareScaper mode This co-op and competitive mode sees you clearing rooms, taking on ghosts and completing challenges to collect coins. Can be played online or couch co-op.
Lots of rooms in the hotel Including a greenhouse, film studio, and theatre stage.
Gooigi
Luigi can now summon a flubber-like version of himself that can slip through bars and walk over spikes. Even better, a friend can control Gooigi and you can co-op.
Image credit: Nintendo
New functions Including Slam (which slams ghosts on the ground), Suction Shot (which attaches the plunger to an item before pulling it away, destorying it), and Burst (an air pressure group attack).
Story Luigi’s Mansion 3 sees Luig being invited to stay in a hotel alongside his friends Mario, Peach and co. But unfortunately the hotel isn’t quite what it seems and things take a dark turn when he arrives. There are some ghost guests who refuse to check out and they’re not exactly friendly.
Poltergust G-00 Luigi’s got a brand new vacuum, in the form of the Poltergust G-00. This new super sucker can fire plungers, use jet propulsion to increase jumping, and use the Strobulb.
Getting hold of an email account is easy – sign up with an ISP, register with Google, buy a web hosting account – but free and standard packages won’t always deliver the quality that professional users need.
Email hosting plans are an easy way to get a more efficient and reliable service. Exactly what’s included depends on the provider, but you might get support for larger attachments (up to 50MB), 50GB or more storage space for your inbox, online storage for easy file sharing, bundled apps like Microsoft Office online, Exchange and Active Directory support for business users – not to mention 24/7 support if anything goes wrong.
Your email will work with a custom domain (address@yoursite.com), and it’s typically straightforward to set up. You can use an email hosting plan to effectively replace your web host’s service, or you can try one without having any hosting at all.
With quality services priced under $1 per month per user, and free trials available, it’s easy for anyone to check out the email hosting market. Whether you’re after an individual account or would like to cover your entire business, read on for five great providers that you might want to check out first.
Bluehost has an exclusive email hosting offer for TechRadar readers
If you are a small business with a small headcount and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on email accounts, then consider this. From EIG-owned Bluehost comes an exclusive business email package for TechRadar readers where you get unlimited email accounts and email storage for as little as $2.95 when paying for three years; that’s a mere $106.20 for the duration of the term. Is it truly unlimited though?
Bluehost says that they do not enforce any official limitations. Furthermore, they add “while email account creation is unlimited, these rely on the file storage available on the account. Therefore customers need to be operating within the Terms of Service to ensure resources are available to fully enable email functionality. Customers operating within the Terms of Service have yet to come up against technical boundaries for email, domains, or websites”.
What’s the catch then? For a start, while you get POP3 and IMAP4 plus 24/7 support, this is more of a barebone solution. You get to choose between three webmail applications (the equivalent of Outlook.com or Gmail.com); Horde, Roundcube or Squirrelmail.
You can of course configure an email client like Mail for Windows 10 or Mozilla Thunderbird to read your emails offline. Creating a new email address is a doddle thanks to an easy user interface.
Rackspace remains one of the top email hosting providers in the market
Texas-based cloud computing giant Rackspace has a wealth of hosted business-oriented email products for all levels of users.
Even the bottom-of-the-range Basic plan is well-specified, with 25GB mailboxes, spam and virus filters, and it’s accessible via Outlook, webmail, or by mobile users. Mailboxes are priced at $2.99 each per month with a minimum of four required per order, but there are no long-term contracts, just monthly bills which you can cancel whenever you like.
The next-step-up Plus account brings 30GB of cloud storage, ActiveSync support, Office-compatible apps and instant messaging for $3.99 a month, which is also better value than most.
An extended Plus account adds unlimited storage space via archiving. That might be handy if you think a 25GB inbox is too small, but we’re unsure if it’s really worth the $6.99 price tag.
More demanding users can check out Rackspace’s Hosted Exchange 2016 plans. Specs include 100GB inboxes and support for 50MB attachments, and the starting price is $10.99 per mailbox per month.
There are cheaper services around, but quality matters, too, and Rackspace does better than most. All plans include a 100% uptime guarantee, and top-quality 24x7x365 support via chat, ticket or phone to quickly solve any issues that might crop up.
Fasthosts is part of the formidable United Internet family which also includes 1&1
Email hosting can seem expensive, and that’s largely because the big companies are forever competing to offer the largest amounts of inbox and file storage space. That’s great if you need it, but not so much for light email users looking for a bargain.
Fasthosts Standard Email plan is a stripped-back email hosting plan which offers the bare essentials for a very low price.
Signing up gets you five Mail Lite accounts with a tiny 100MB inbox and a maximum of 10MB attachments, and two Mail Extra accounts with 4GB inboxes and support for attachments of up to 15MB. Both products give you webmail access only. That’s limited, but look at the price: just $2.60 (£1.99) a month on the annual plan (at the time of writing, you can get 50% off). If your users genuinely don’t need the gigabytes available elsewhere, Fasthosts more basic package could make a lot of sense.
Fasthosts also offers a more capable Exchange Email product with a 50GB inbox, access via Outlook’s web app, and even a free domain for the first year. It’s priced at $5.8 (£4.49) per month for 5 or more users with the annual contract. You can also choose a 100GB inbox for $13 (£9.99). As before, Fasthosts is focusing on price more than power, but if you only need a basic Exchange account, there’s plenty of value here.
Office 365 BE is a surprising third in our email hosting provider shortlist
Microsoft Office 365 isn’t just a powerful suite of productivity apps. It also throws in a very capable email package, and for less money than some providers charge for email alone, which could make the service worth a place on your shortlist.
Microsoft Office 365 Business Essentials offers support for 150MB attachments, for instance, three times the size allowed with even some premium competitors. 50GB of storage per user (and a custom email domain address) means you’ll be able to keep your messages for a very long time, and there’s 1TB of online storage available in your OneDrive account.
Access to Office Online enables working with Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint documents from within your browser, and there’s a whole range of business-friendly extras: calendars, online conferencing, intelligent search, workflow automation and more.
If you don’t have Office 365 already, the Business Essentials price of $5 a month (for annual billing) looks like good value to us. If you’re solely interested in business class email, though, Microsoft’s Exchange Online Plan 1 provides Exchange accounts for $4 per user per month on the annual plan.
India-based Zoho might not be a household-name but its offerings pack a lot of punch.
Zoho Mail – now known as Zoho Workplace – is a hosted email service with a bundled online office suite, and a stack of other extras.
A free plan gives you 25 mailboxes with up to 5GB per user, a 20MB attachment limit and webmail access. A referral scheme could get you support for a further 25 mailboxes (at the time of writing the referral program wasn’t available due to remodeling).
If that’s too basic, the Standard plan gets you IMAP and POP support, 30MB attachments and 30GB of storage, 5GB file storage space, and support for working with multiple domains. That’s more capable than some of the premium competition, and includes the same productivity tools as the free suite, yet still only costs $3 per user per month, billed annually.
Zoho’s Professional plan gets you 100GB of storage (per user), 40MB attachments, support for Active Directory groups, and more. It’s yours for $6 per user per month (billed annually), not bad at all for the storage space and features you’re getting. Also, Lite plan is available with less features, but it’s only $1 per user per month, billed annually.
Liquidweb is based in the US and provides with an attractive low price for its offering.
Liquid Web is probably best known for its comprehensive managed and dedicated server packages, but the company also provides an interesting email hosting service for what could be a very low price.
Note that you will need to buy LW’s Premium Web Hosting in order to get their email service. They do not sell it as a stand alone service.
The baseline Standard plan offers POP, SMTP and IMAP access, supports 50MB attachments and gives you a decent 25GB of storage space. The ability to import contacts from Gmail, Outlook and more gets you set up quickly, spam protection is handled via top quality Cloudmark technology, and you’re able to set up custom email filters and rules as required.
Liquid Web charges a flat $10 a month fee for your account, but after that, each Standard plan mailbox costs only $1 more. If you need five or more mailboxes, that’s going to be very good value, especially for the high level of support on offer.
The Plus plan enhances the service with 30GB of cloud storage, mobile sync for contacts and calendars, and online editing of spreadsheets and documents. This also includes a one-off $10 service fee and is $3 per mailbox, potentially a very good deal if you’re catering for a lot of people.
A final Microsoft Exchange plan gets you 100GB mailboxes, ActiveSync compatibility and Active Directory support, and even throws in a free copy of Outlook.
Its price of $10 a month isn’t quite as impressive value as its low-end cousins, but Liquid Web does allow you to include Exchange and Starter or Plus accounts in the same order. You could have 10 Starter mailboxes and two Exchange for only $40 a month, for instance, and that competes well with even big-name budget providers.
10 things to look for in your next email hosting
If you want to host email accounts together with your website, then you should look at these email features before signup.
Most hosting companies will offer the ability to host your own email (something like email@yourdomain. com). Your package will include a number of email accounts – usually between 1-10 for basic hosting.
You’ll be given access to your own email control panel to set up your accounts. Using email requires two things: an email server and an email application, this could be an email client such as Outlook, or alternatively access to Webmail like Gmail or Yahoo.
The email server is a piece of software that runs on the server and is constantly connected to the internet. It receives and processes any mail sent to it and sends out any mail you send.
The email client is an app that runs on your PC, phone or tablet and enables you to send, receive and organise your emails, e.g. Microsoft Outlook. The client checks the mail server for messages and downloads them for viewing. It is a control panel for reading and writing messages.
The good news is that most email clients can connect with most email servers, you can even connect multiple email servers to work with multiple email accounts.
So your work and personal emails can be accessed from the same email client. The more popular email clients such as Outlook give you more features (calendars, tasks etc.) than using webmail.
Webmail is a web-based email interface that can be accessed in a web browser is often faster and more convenient because it accesses the stored data more directly without the user having to download software locally.
Emails can be checked from any device with access to the internet. Email protocols are a set of rules that help the client to send the information to or from the mail server. Two of the most common email protocols are POP and IMAP:
1. POP (Post office protocol) Applications like Outlook will use POP to download emails from the server to your computer and then delete them on the server.
2. IMAP (Internet message access protocol) IMAP is more advanced than POP, with IMAP, emails are stored in the mail server and can be accessed from any clients anywhere if they all use IMAP.
Mail data is kept on the server as well as your computer, until you delete the mail. When comparing hosting packages, be sure to choose one with full IMAP support.
Exchange Exchange is the gold standard email protocol – the most expensive option of the three, but for good reason. It’s a Microsoft protocol that gives you the power to sync tasks like IMAP does, but with the added ability to share contacts and calendars among employees.
If you can afford to pay the extra cost (around $9.99 per month per mailbox), you will reap the benefits of its advanced functionality and tools which can be used even when you are on the move.
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