Latest news with #JamieHarris
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Disney+ viewers could be slapped with whopping £1,000 fine if they tune into huge new sports boost – don't take the risk
DISNEY+ viewers should be wary of an upcoming boost in sports content that could land them a £1,000 fine just for watching. Earlier this week, the streaming giant announced it had 2 The UEFA Women's Champions League trophy Credit: Getty 2 Being caught without a TV Licence can result in a hefty £1,000 fine Credit: PA Photos It means that from October, fans will be able to watch every match live through their Disney+ subscription - at no extra cost. However, sports fans should be cautious of TV Licensing rules. Households require a TV Licence to watch live content - even through a streaming platform like Disney+. And being caught without a TV Licence can result in a hefty £1,000 fine. READ MORE ON STREAMING On-demand content - shows you can watch at any given moment - don't require the extra fee. It only applies if you tune into live shows and matches. In the days when streaming services hosted exclusively on-demand content, they were safe to use without a TV Licence. But with an increasing number of streamers picking up live TV content, particularly in the realm of sports, the chances of households breaking TV licensing rules has jumped. Most read in Tech Households were given similar warning last year, when Netflix took over rights to WWE with live broadcasts taking place on the app more than ever before. TV Licensing previously reiterated the rules to The Sun in November ahead of Netflix's "A TV Licence is needed to watch live content on streaming services, watch or record a TV programme on any channel and when using BBC iPlayer," a rep said at the time. "Further information is available on the TV Licensing website or via the customer services team, who can help with any queries." The TV Licence fee was recently increased by £5 , jumping from £169.50 previously to £174.50 since April 1. What are the TV Licence rules? Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun, explains : A TV Licence currently costs £169.50. Some people mistakenly believe that you only need a TV Licence if you have a TV or watch BBC channels. You aren't breaking the law if you own a TV without a licence, as long as it's not hooked up to an aerial or other live broadcasting equipment - so you can use it with your PS5 for gaming for example. The basic principle is, that if you are accessing any live broadcast from any channel, whether it be through a TV or online, you must have a TV Licence. If you are recording a live broadcast to watch later, you also need a TV Licence. Watching on-demand content does not require a TV Licence - except if you're watching BBC iPlayer. Image credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Beloved PlayStation and Xbox game played by 11 million closes forever in DAYS – Ubisoft is offering some a ‘full refund'
A MUCH-LOVED game is shutting down next week on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S after only a year. The free-to-play first person shooter had 11million players across the world at its height. Advertisement 2 Ubisoft has already dished out refunds to some players Credit: Alamy 2 The team behind XDefiant were let go by Ubisoft after the game's closure was revealed Credit: Ubisoft Publisher Ubisoft - known for making The game in question is XDefiant, which was set in the Ubisoft universe with map locations based on several of the firm's biggest titles. It appears the decision to axe the title was because it failed to become profitable. "Many free-to-play games take a long time to find their footing and become profitable," Mark Rubin, the game's executive producer said. Advertisement Read more on gaming closures "It's a long journey that Ubisoft and the teams working on the game were prepared to make until very recently. "But unfortunately, the journey became too much to sensibly continue." He also tweeted in April that the whole team behind it were laid off. New downloads and purchases were already blocked in December when news of XDefiant's closure was first announced. Advertisement Most read in Gaming Existing users have been able to continue playing on PlayStation, Xbox and PC but now the final nail in the coffin is here. Ubisoft is switching off the servers on Tuesday ending the game forever. PS5 owners can slash gaming bills with a two-tap trick that takes seconds – but two other hacks also save you money Fans have shared their sadness on social media. "Man this game was so fun, its sad to see it go so early, already have nostalgic feelings," one person wrote on Reddit. Advertisement Another commented: "Thank you xDefiant for bringing me back to fps-arcade shooters and actually having a fun game." Ubisoft is offering a full refund to anyone who bought a Ultimate Founders Pack. OTHER GAME CLOSURES COMING UP Here's what to watch out for... The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31 Image credit: Alamy Those who bought a VC or DLC since November 3, 2024, will also be fully refunded. These refunds should have already been automatically processed. Advertisement See the full list of purchases eligible for refund below: XDefiant Gold Pack XDefiant Starter Pack DLC XDefiant Combat Pack DLC XDefiant VC Pack - 500 XCoins XDefiant VC Pack - 1000 XCoins XDefiant VC Pack - 2100 XCoins XDefiant VC Pack - 5750 XCoins XDefiant VC Pack - 12000 XCoins WHY ARE GAMES CLOSING DOWN? By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun With most games online these days, tech companies need to maintain quite hefty servers to manage everything. It's no cheap business to operate with millions of gamers across the world. Naturally, people move on, leaving older games behind in the process. There comes a point where it's no longer viable to continue offering server access so studios shut them down. For some games that are entirely online this can render it completely useless. But others may have a way for you to continue playing solo still. You should usually see a prominent notification in the game warning you with instructions on what to do - provided you're still playing the game of course.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I received urgent WhatsApp alert meant to save me from horror text-stealing attack – check your own messages right now
WHATSAPP is warning people to upgrade their account security to keep out fraudsters and other snoopers. I received an alert from 1 This important alert popped up on my WhatsApp Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun Passkeys are an alternative to These rely on your face, fingerprint or a simple passcode to login. As such, passkeys can't be guessed and they're impossible to re-use too. And passwords can be leaked online - whereas a passkey can't. Read more about WhatsApp People mistakenly re-use passwords as well, because they're easy to forget. Re-used passwords make it all too easy for hackers to break into multiple of your accounts, and simple log-ins are easy to guess. Passkeys have none of these problems, making them much more secure. A number of tech companies such as Google are pushing people to switch from passwords to passkeys. Most read in Tech If your phone ends up in the wrong hands they could use it to raid your messages - and even text family to scam them out of money by pretending to be you. " We send you a registration code to confirm that you own the phone number you want to use on WhatsApp ," Meta explains. WhatsApp reveals exacty how to block one of your contacts " After registering your phone number with WhatsApp , you can choose to set up a passkey for future verification. " "You can use your fingerprint, face, or screen lock to verify it's you with a passkey. When you register, you can use the passkey instead of an SMS." How to setup passkeys on WhatsApp To start setting up a passkey on your WhatsApp account, do the following: Go to your WhatsApp Settings Tap Account Tap Passkeys Tap Create passkey (skip this step if you're on Android) Tap Continue Best WhatsApp tips and hacks Wondering how to get the most out of WhatsApp? Read on to find out about all the hidden features, tips and hacks for the social media platform... How to know if someone What does How to How to What happens when you How to What does How to use
The Irish Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Two major games enjoyed by 35 million players are shutting down in DAYS – spend currency now before it's lost forever
A PAIR of games enjoyed by more than 35million players at their peak will go dark in a matter of days. Servers for the two titles are set to be switched off, making it impossible for people to continuing accessing them online. 2 Dauntless will no longer be available from May 29 onward Credit: Phoenix Labs 2 MultiVersus is also going offline Credit: Warner Bros Games At its peak, the free-to-play action role-playing game enjoyed 15million active players. But six years after launching, developers said there had been a "decline of active players". They blamed the drop off on "negative public reception of TK" (team kill). Read more about game closures But players have pointed the finger at changes in ownership of the company behind Dauntless which they say "ruined the game". "The game is nothing like I remember it when it first launched," one previous fan wrote on Reddit. As such, servers will close on all platforms - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, , Nintendo Switch and PC - on May 29. But it's not the only gaming casualty in May. Most read in Gaming On May 30, the MultiVersus title will also go offline. The free-to-play crossover fighting game features characters from popular Warner Bros franchises, including Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and At its height, the title had 20million players but only a year later numbers waned leading to MultiVersus's online functionality being discontinued. While the servers are closing, players who already have the game installed will still be able to use it offline instead. "After careful consideration, our next Season will serve as the final seasonal content update for the game," developers said. "All online features will continue to be available until Season 5 concludes on May 30 at 9 a.m. PDT. "At that point, there will be an option to play MultiVersus offline via the local gameplay mode, either solo against A.I. opponents or with up to three friends." Watch trailer for doomed Ubisoft shooter game set to close down in weeks More game closures this year Online games are routinely shut down as user numbers drop. Here's a list of other games closing this year to take note of: xDefiant - June 3 The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31 WHY DO GAMES CLOSE? By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun With most games online these days, tech companies need to maintain quite hefty servers to manage everything. It's no cheap business to operate with millions of gamers across the world. Naturally, people move on, leaving older games behind in the process. There comes a point where it's no longer viable to continue offering server access so studios shut them down. For some games that are entirely online this can render it completely useless. But others may have a way for you to continue playing solo still. You should usually see a prominent notification in the game warning you with instructions on what to do - provided you're still playing the game of course. Image credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Sky TV customers finally receive access to FOUR major sports channels including football after years of waiting
SPORT fans with Sky TV can finally access four major channels that have been missing for years. The broadcaster's internet-based TV platforms Advertisement 1 Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers haven't had any Premier Sports at all Credit: Alamy But on this occasion, Sky Q has had a slight upper hand for sometime now. Sky Glass and Although Sky Q customers have Premier Sports 1 and Premier Sports 2, there's some extras for them too, as they can watch the dedicated LALIGA channel and the But you won't find the channels on the usual TV guide. Advertisement Read more about Sky Instead, it's all available via the Premier Sports app which has just launched across all three platforms. Premier Sports is home to a number of competitions, including: LALIGA UEFA 2024 Qualifiers & International Friendlies 20 Scottish Premier League games The Scottish Cup and Premier Sports Cup Coppa Italia and DFB Pokal (live games from every round) The Investec Champions Cup United Rugby Championship game for the 2024-25 season TOP 14 (up to 4 games per round) and Playoff coverage The NHL (500 games, 15 games a week) IIHF World Championships NASCAR Monster Energy series (all 38 races) And it's just in time for some big finals. Most read in Tech The ECPR Challenge Cup Final is today and on Saturday there's the nvestec Champions Cup Final and Scottish Cup Final. Advertisement Of course, Premier Sports is a premium service so you'll have to pay extra to watch. Sky Offers Free Movie Gift and More You can pay £99 for a year upfront or commit to a 12 month contract at £11.99 a month. Alternatively, you can pay a rolling monthly contract of £15.99. It's also important to point out that you don't need a Sky Sports subscription to watch Premier Sports. Advertisement The Premier Sports app should appear on the apps rail of your TV or box. Future of TV channels Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun A number of channels could disappear from TVs in face of competition from streaming. The BBC announced in 2022 that CBBC and BBC Four would disappear as traditional linear channels in a few years and go digital only via iPlayer. However, the pair may have had a bit of a reprieve for now, after the BBC's head of children's programmes, Patricia Hildago, recently said "it's really important… that if children still need us on a linear network, we're going to be there for them". When Channel 4 announced the closure of The Box and other music channels it owned in January, the broadcaster hinted that more could come. At the time the company said it was proposing to "close small linear channels that no longer deliver revenues or public value at scale, including the Box channels in 2024 and others at the right time". So which could the "others" be? It really depends what Channel 4 considers "small" but its other channels include More4, E4, E4 Extra, Film4 and 4Seven. And more recently, ITV announced that its ITVBe channel will come off-air - though it's being
