Twitch today is introducing a suite of tools called Twitch Extensions that will allow its streamers to customize their channel pages with interactive features, including polls, leaderboards, tickers, schedules, overlays, and even virtual pets, among other things. Beyond simply personalizing their channel to make it more engaging to fans, the extensions in some cases will help streamers… Read More
Best Smart TV Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best smart TVs and smart TV platforms you can buy in 2017.
One of the biggest concerns when buying a new TV is its smart platform. Now that pretty much every TV we buy has some form of smart TV platform in it you want to make sure it works for you – hence why you're searching for the best.
The best smart TV platforms ensure they never get in the way of you and your content - these are still TVs after all, not giant wall-mounted tablets. They should be fast to start up, easy to keep updated and, if they're really good, help you locate new shows and movies to watch.
Where once it was about how many apps you had, the Internet connected television is now just as much about what OS is being used.
All smart TVs give access not only to top-tier services like Netflix and Amazon Instant, but to the various digital TV catch up services available, too. Separate apps are one thing, but increasingly the services formally offered by apps are being integrated into the user interface (take LG's webOS 3.5, for instance).
For better or worse, there's no one industry standard. Smart TV platforms tend to change every year or two among the big TV brands. Here in 2017 we've seen a new focus on operating systems, with the likes of LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony all opting for webOS, Tizen, Firefox and Android, respectively.
Let it be said that all of these platforms are usable, functional and most of the time downright enjoyable to use. But while they may look alike on the surface, under the hood there are a plethora of differences between them.
So, what's the best smart TV platform? We've ranked the the world's major connected TV platforms in descending order, putting just as much emphasis on ease of use as app selection, to help you as you buy into a whole new generation of online television. Plus, once you've found a smart TV platform, we've included five of our favourite TVs that use it – that way you'll have a good starting point when it comes time to find the right TV for you.
Just want to know to know the Best Smart TV on every platform? Here you go!
Android TV OS has now become a familiar sight on Sony sets.
If you've never used it before, Android TV is organized into tiers, of which the upper-most is tutorials and ads (the sort of stuff you really don’t need to see that often). This is followed by rows of apps, games, inputs and settings.
Overall, the Sony X900E is a great HDR TV that occupies a sweet spot between performance and price. UHD image clarity is excellent, color performance luscious and its HDR delivery adds just the right level of zing.
With superb 4K image clarity, powerful SDR-to-HDR remastering, and a smooth direct LED backlight, Sony is offering something very different with the X900E.
Read our full review: Sony BRAVIA XBR-55X900E
The 65EZ1002’s smart TV system is pretty to look at, easy to use, and effortless to customise - everything, in other words, that a smart TV interface ought to be.
It’s not the most content rich system in town, perhaps, but I don’t actually think that’s a bad thing. Most of the key TV-centric apps are there (Netflix in 4K HDR, Amazon in 4K HDR, the catch up TV services for the main terrestrial broadcasters via an integrated Freeview Play app), and it’s actually kind of nice not to wade through mountains of dross just to find all the good stuff.
It’s worth adding that since the 65EZ1002 uses Freeview Play to provide its broadcaster catch-up TV services, you can search for shows you’ve missed via an intuitive electronic programme guide that scrolls back as far as seven days.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-65EZ1002 OLED TV
It’s taken awhile to get there, but Samsung can now claim a really strong smart TV engine with its latest ‘Eden’ interface. For starters, it manages to deliver swift and logical access to a healthy amount of content from a home screen that takes over impressively little of your screen real estate.
As well as letting you customize the row of icons on the home screen at will, the addition last year of a second tier of ‘contextual’ links that changes depending on what app you’ve got chosen in the main tier has transformed the system’s speed and simplicity. It’s good to see, too, that Samsung has tried harder this year to add live TV features to its Eden interface.
As for the TV itself, compared with rival OLED technology there are still occasional backlight distractions, and effective viewing angles remain limited. However, the Q9F also sets new HDR-friendly standards for brightness and color response, while its new panel structure and state of the art screen filters enable it to combat ambient light better than any other TV, making it uniquely watchable in a typical day to day living room environment.
While it might not make the ‘OLED or QLED’ argument redundant, it certainly does a hell of a job of showcasing the latter’s strengths.
Read the full review: Samsung Q9F QLED TV
LG’s webOS smart TV interface was the first one that really felt like it had been developed from the ground up for TV rather than smartphone or PC users: It’s graphically rich, incredibly straightforward and logical in its layout, easily customizable, slick to navigate and sensibly focussed on the sort of TV-centric apps most users actually want a TV to deliver.
These apps include (4K/HDR-capable) versions of Amazon and Netflix, Youtube, NowTV, plus all of the catch up services for the main terrestrial UK broadcasters courtesy of the Freeview Play service, which lets you search for shows you might have missed via an electronic program guide that scrolls back through time as well as forwards.
The latest version of webOS built into the OLED55C7 only really delivers a couple of relatively minor enhancements over previous versions: support for ‘360’ VR clips navigated by waving LG’s magic remote control around; and the option to use the number buttons on the remote control to directly access favorite apps. But there’s no need to fix something that isn’t broken.
Read the full review: LG OLED C7
The smart TV version of Roku both looks and acts like the platform used on streaming video devices like the Roku Ultra and Roku Premiere+: The Home section contains all the apps in your library, while My Feed tracks movies and TV shows you’re interested in and shows you where they can be found. We're also pretty big fans of Roku's universal search feature that rifles through 300+ apps to find movies and TV shows and displays them with the cheapest option first.
Overall, Roku TV is simple, efficient and straightforward enough for most people to pick up and use without a problem.
New for platform in 2017 is the ability to label inputs (labeling one input as Xbox or DVD Player instead of Input 1, etc…), some additional smartphone features and, for the first time, Dolby Vision support. Dolby Vision allows you to get the absolute most from the TV in terms of performance and while tracking down Dolby Vision content is a bit of a hassle, Roku does a good job highlighting all the available content in a new row in the 4K UHD Spotlight app.
Read the full review: TCL P-Series 55P607
It's official; Sony has the best smart TV platform for the year of 2017. The mere mention of the word Android in relation to a TV will automatically alienate half of all smartphone owners, but Sony is not alone in hoping that the other half will want to go Google in the living room.
Sharp and TP-Link's Philips have also joined Sony in embracing the Android TV OS from Google, so it's hardly an industry standard just yet, but Android TV is polished enough to put it in the running.
It's not just in TVs though, you'll find connected boxes, like the Nvidia Shield and Razer Forge TV sporting Google's TV OS too.
Unlike other new smart TV platforms, Android TV services are not built around icons along the bottom of the screen. Press the Home button on the remote and up pops a full-screen page that's dominated by a carousel of videos from YouTube and from Google Video.
Scan down and there's a row of Sony Select services (a mix of the main apps, such as Netflix and Amazon Instant, which naturally differ between Sony and another manufacturer like Philips), links to the Google Play Store, Google Play Music, Google Play Movies and TV, YouTube, Netflix and many more besides.
Further down is a list of the TV's inputs and settings; it's all fairly conservatively done.
Sony Android TVs are also unique in having some serious storage; 16GB is the default for 2017, which is far more than most smart TVs.
Owners of Android phones/tablets can use their device to control Android TVs via the TV SideView app, which comes complete with a plug-in for voice search, while Google Cast allows video and photos to be natively streamed to the TV (iOS users can download the AirBuddy app to Google Cast). Controllers from Logitech and Razer also promise console-less gaming.
However, aside from Android TV's interface exhaustive content that TVs from Sharp and Philips will match, there will soon be a Sony-only add-on. All UK Sony Android TVs now have built-in YouView services, too.
With Android TV and YouView, Sony has at last got smart TV right – thanks to Google.
Five Sony TVs with Android TV:
Three Philips TVs with Android TV:
If you live in the UK, Panasonic's My Home Screen 2.0 is the best-looking and most easily customisable smart TV platform around.
Panasonic's smart TV interface has had a complete overhaul (then known as Firefox OS) and the new interface has been renamed to My Home Screen 2.0, though it bears no resemblance to version 1.0 from 2014.
Much like Samsung and LG, Panasonic has abandoned the concept of having a separate smart TV homepage in favor of pop-up icons. However, these colorful, circular and very large icons appear stretched across the middle of the screen in a dynamically responsive carousel.
It's simple stuff, with icons for my TV, apps, devices, inputs, and specific TV channels all presented. It's also by far the easiest smart TV interface to customize, with apps or services can be 'pinned' to the carousel in seconds.
There is also a Home page, but it's a lot less cluttered than in previous years, containing just 14 apps, though the range is still limited.
Up front is a link to Panasonic's apps market, alongside pre-loaded apps like Netflix, Amazon Instant, YouTube, AccuWeather, and links to the TV's internal features and services including a calendar, inputs, TV channels and a web browser provided by – you guessed it – Firefox.
However, it is a fairly basic browser.
Panasonic also has a UK-centric digital TV; the aging ace up its sleeve.
Just as Sony unleashed YouView to its Bravia TVs, the Viera instead got Freeview Play, which integrates catch-up TV services the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 into the core user interface.
Without Google Play, the My Home Screen 2.01 doesn't compare to Android TV on content, but Panasonic's OS is less prescriptive and much easier to customize. It's the best-looking, simplest smart TV interface yet.
Five Panasonic TVs with Firefox OS:
It may still be called Smart Hub, but Samsung's smart TV platform for 2017 is completely new.
It's based around the Korean manufacturer's Tizen OS now being rolled-put on all of its gadgets. That may be so, but the layout of smart TV services bear more than a small than a passing resemblance to LG's webOS interface.
That's largely because icons, apps and shortcuts are all accessible via dynamic icons on a horizontal strip across the bottom of the screen.
Replacing the separate, rather boring grids of app icons from 2014, the Tizen interface monitors what you watch/use, suggests new sources, and allows some customization. A dynamically changing "Recent" box in the far-left corner cycles between recently used apps, TV channels etc.
A featured section in the centre promotes apps you haven't used lately, which can feel like irrelevant adverts, and they keep returning (Twitter on a TV?). This isn't based on your activity or habits, which is a shame.
However, the chance to customize the on-screen icons is the highlight; a sense of permanence is welcome when it comes to some AV inputs and key apps you use everyday.
This is all an effort to dodge clutter, and it mostly works well, though there are plenty of occasions when it's necessary to go hunting for a specific app. Thankfully that's made easier by a Smart Hub multimedia page that divvies-up content from apps and from your own USB sticks/home network.
In may no longer be front and centre, but there remains a Samsung Apps panel that lists all downloaded apps, too.
It may not have Freetime or Freeview Play, but what Samsung does boast is access to all UK catch-up TV apps; BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD, Demand 5 are all here, as is Netflix, Amazon Instant and YouTube. In fact, the only significant app that's missing from Smart Hub is Sky's Now TV.
In the US, there's Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, HBO Go / HBO Now, YouTube, Spotify and Vudu. (Want even more apps? Check out our 10 best Samsung Smart TV apps gallery.)
There are a few nice extras in the Tizen version of Smart Hub, too, such as a split-screen option for watching live TV while browsing an app, but Samsung's effort can't quote match Android TV or the Firefox OS.
Five Samsung TVs with Tizen OS:
With the arrival of webOS in 2014 , LG's smart TV offering was completely refreshed. All LG smart TVs from 2014 and 2015 got webOS 2.0, and 2016 and 2017 saw the release of webOS 3.0.
That was then, but now you can expect to see webOS 3.5 here in 2017.
Much like Samsung's Smart Hub, webOS 3.5 is built around a taskbar that pops-up from the bottom of the screen. Apps, whether a content hub like Netflix or simply a HDMI input on the TV, are treated the same, with a dynamically changing roster across the bottom of the screen. The app icons pop-up, they jig about, they drop-down, and they change order.
It's fast – really fast – but locating something not on this Launcher Bar is actually very difficult. Nor is customising WebOS as easy as it could be.
Content-wise, it's pretty good, with a line-up that includes Netflix, Amazon Instant, Freeview Play, the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the ITV Player, All 4 and Sky's Now TV.
For US folks there's your standard Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Google Play TV and Movies, as well as Hulu, VUDU, MLB.TV, and FandangoNow.
Unfortunately, as of webOS 3.5, Spotify is no longer available.
There's a nice flicker panel for scrolling through 'live' sources and apps, and a Today panel across the middle of the screen that gives one-flick access to scrolling cover art for live TV programs and movies.
Dynamic, colourful, but often rather dizzying to use, WebOS is inconsistent in design and dynamics, and takes a while to get to know; all but the tech-savvy can find themselves baffled.
Five LG TVs with webOS:
But while webOS and Android TV are established players in the TV space, there's a new kid on the block that wants to shake up the industry: Roku TV.
Announced back in 2014 for TCL TVs, Roku TV has quickly grown into the go-to pick for many of the low-cost TV manufacturers. In 2017, you can find Roku TV on some Haier, Hisense, Insignia, Sharp and TCL TV models with more partnerships in the works for next year.
We're already up to Roku OS 7.5 which brings live TV pausing to the table, alongside the dedicated 4K Channel for anyone with a UHD screen.
As a platform, Roku TV borrows the interface and feature set from the company's set-top boxes, the Roku 2, Roku 3, Roku 4 and Roku Streaming Stick.
What that means is that you'll find a robust universal search function that will scan over 30 different apps like Netflix, Google Play TV and Movies, Amazon, VUDU and more to find you the lowest price on the TV show or movie you want to watch, as well as around 4,500 channels of content to watch.
Add to that some neat features like a dedicated app that helps you keep track of upcoming movies and TV shows via the My Feed section and a private listening mode when you want to watch TV without disturbing the whole house, and you have all the trimmings of a very bright up-and-coming star.
Two TVs with Roku TV:
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Facebook’s latest push into video is now live. On Thursday, the new Watch tab popped up for U.S. users as the feature begins its proper roll-out. The Watch tab sits in some premium Facebook real estate, just under the News Feed and Messenger buttons on the main desktop navigation menu. On mobile, the feature hangs out at the bottom of the navigation bar where users can launch it with… Read More
Microsoft’s mobile game streaming app Mixer Create is launching out of beta testing today on iOS and Android, allowing gamers to broadcast the games they’re playing right from their phone. This feature works on Android with all games, but is more limited on iOS. On iPhone, select games that have enabled Apple’s ReplayKit functionality will work, the company notes. That… Read More
More details have emerged about a controversial 2015 patient data-sharing arrangement between Google DeepMind and a UK National Health Service Trust which paint a contrasting picture vs the pair’s public narrative about their intended use of 1.6 million citizens’ medical records. Read More http://ift.tt/2xPYBRT
Microsoft’s mobile game streaming app Mixer Create is launching out of beta testing today on iOS and Android, allowing gamers to broadcast the games they’re playing right from their phone. This feature works on Android with all games, but is more limited on iOS. On iPhone, select games that have enabled Apple’s ReplayKit functionality will work, the company notes. That… Read More
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Back in July, Niantic introduced a new concept to Pokémon GO: Legendaries. Meant to be some of the hardest to catch, Legendary Pokémon are ultra-strong, appear only for a limited time and require players to form “raid groups” take them down. Later today, the first set of Legendary Pokémon are leaving — and, perhaps a bit surprisingly, three new ones are already prepped to… Read More
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Instagram Stories, its Snapchat clone now used by daily more people than Snapchat itself, is coming to the web. Initially, the feature will allow desktop and mobile web users to view Stories posted by their friends and others they follow. But it in the months ahead, the web version will allow you to post to Stories, too. Instagram Stories has been only one of an array of attacks on rival… Read More
In case you hadn’t heard, Force Friday II is coming and that means you’re about to see a lot of Star Wars-themed tech, from drones and toys to TVs.
Yes, at IFA 2017 in Berlin, Toshiba has announced that it’s teamed up with Lucasfilm to create an exclusive Star Wars inspired TV.
The set doesn’t boast much in the way of specs given that it’s only offering a 24-inch HD Ready screen. It's retro alright - you'll almost feel like you've gone back to the era the films were first released. This is almost certainly a TV dedicated to Star Wars, rather than a TV dedicated to watching Star Wars.
But what it lacks in high-end tech, it makes up for in sheer Star Wars. The TV’s white frame is emblazoned with X-wing Starfighters and the Star Wars logo sits squarely in the center of the bottom frame, pushing Toshiba's own name to the top left-hand corner.
Just in case that wasn’t enough to make it clear this is a TV intended to take you to a galaxy far far away, it also flashes Star Wars across the screen every time you turn it on, and every time you turn it off, it shows a montage of familiar Star Wars sights and sounds, including a First Order Stormtrooper and the hum of a lightsaber. Yes, it does this every time.
The TV will support Toshiba’s Smart Portal so you’ll be able to access a variety of apps such as Netflix and YouTube and its two HDMI ports will allow you to plug in Blu-ray players and games consoles so you can watch and play all the Star Wars content you need. It also doubles up as a PC monitor, which actually appeals to us more as a suggested use.
To make it clear this is a collector’s item, the TV comes in a Star Wars themed box featuring a host of famous characters from the franchise. If nothing else, this would be a great gift for a keen Star Wars fan to open on Christmas morning.
The TV will only be launched in Europe, with European Sales and Marketing Director for Toshiba TVs, Bart Kuijten saying that the collaboration with Lucasfilm “has been the perfect way to celebrate our return to Europe’s TV market” and brings “the fun back to general TV viewing.”
At the moment exact pricing and release information isn't available but we'll update here as soon as it's confirmed.
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Disruptor Beam has already created games based on Star Trek and Game of Thrones. Next up is The Walking Dead, with the launch of The Walking Dead: March to War. To create the game, which was first announced last year, the company partnered with Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment. That means the game is technically an adaptation of the comics, but the… Read More
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During IFA 2017 Philips unveiled its first even Quantum Dot TV, following hot on the heels of the company’s entry into the OLED segment last year.
The Philips 8602 comes in 55 and 65-inch versions, and features the company’s Ambilight technology, which projects colors onto the wall behind it.
Additionally, the set features an integrated soundbar.
Quantum Dot has emerged in recent years as a competitor to OLED. Whereas OLED is capable of much deeper blacks than conventional LCD TVs, Quantum Dot is capable of going much brighter.
So far only Samsung has embraced Quantum Dot techonolgy, making Philips the second company to do so.
But this doesn't mean the company is moving away from OLED. Indeed, Philips announced a new flagship OLED TV which will join its 9 Series. This also means Philips is the only brand that supports both OLED and Quantum Dot simultaneously.
We’re looking forward to getting our hands on the Philips 8602 to see if Philips’ own P5 processing engine is able to give it the edge over the existing Samsung sets.
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De-cloaking today is a new startup from two of the founders of defunct food delivery company Take Eat Easy. Dubbed Cowboy, the company is building a new electronic bicycle that it claims will address issues that have historically stopped e-bikes from becoming a “fully fledged mobility solution”. Read More http://ift.tt/2wkJMJc
If you still have a functional SNES console, or one of the myriad third-party devices that plays actual SNES cartridges, you probably want to rush out and pre-order this Street Fighter II SNES cartridge, which is a limited edition to celebrate Street Fighter’s 30th anniversary. The newly manufactured cartridges will number only 5,500 in total, including 4,500 in ‘Opaque Ryu… Read More
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At some point in the last couple of years it was apparently decided that the bezel is the final aesthetic frontier to be overcome in the quest to make truly great TVs. The Samsung Galaxy S8's infinity display is currently leading the charge on mobile handsets, but LG and Xiaomi have also been waging the fight against TV bezels. At this year’s IFA in Berlin Toshiba decided it was time to show off its own attempt.
There's still a small bezel of course, but the aim at the moment seems to be to make it as thin and unnoticeable as possible rather than to eradicate it completely. Baby steps.
To do this, Toshiba has used a special injection molding technique in the manufacturing process and has then applied a laminate film finish which disguises the line between the screen and the frame.
According to Toshiba, this laminate finish has the dual-purpose of eliminating any possible screen glare meaning you won’t have to do strategic lamp placement and curtain closing every time you settle in to watch a film.
If you’re going to offer a lot of screen, you’d best make sure what you’re offering is high quality, so unsurprisingly Toshiba’s bezel-free model has Ultra HD 4K resolution with a built-in upscaler to improve even non-4K content.
To make sure you don’t miss out on any HDR content,Toshiba has included support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision which means no matter which format wins out in the end, you’re covered.
There’s actually support for a new third HDR format here, HLG, which will be the one used by broadcasters such as the BBC to transmit HDR content live.
As ever with Smart TVs, you’ll find a Smart Portal with access to popular apps such as YouTube and Netflix (where you’ll probably also source most of your 4K content). However, if you’re on board with Ultra HD Blu-rays or considering picking up a high-powered 4K games console like the Xbox One X, there are also 4 HDMI ports for you to use.
At the moment there’s no pricing or release information for Toshiba’s bezel-free TV but we’ll update here as soon as it becomes available.
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Toshiba has announced it’s diving into the connected home with its new range of Alexa-enabled TVs.
At this year’s IFA in Berlin, Toshiba revealed that it’s collaborated with Amazon for the new 4K Smart TV range which will make it possible to control your TV by speaking to an Echo or Echo Dot device.
With the inclusion of the Alexa Smart Home API, these TVs will make it possible to perform simple actions such as turning your TV on and off, changing channels and inputs, adjusting volume and rewinding and fast-forwarding what you’re watching without the need for a remote control.
To get your Toshiba Smart TV and Echo device in sync you simply have to connect to Alexa via the Alexa app once and keep both devices connected to your home WiFi.
According to Toshiba, Alexa-integration will make watching TV “a more inclusive and social affair” as it’ll now be possible for everyone in the home to contribute to the TV schedule as long as they’re within earshot of Alexa. In some senses this is great, but we imagine democratisation of TV control will bring chaos to some homes more than others.
We also find our existing Amazon Echo is frequently activated when it thinks it overhears our television as it is, so in theory there could be a risk of the television controlling itself.
The Alexa-enabled TV models will offer Ultra HD 4K resolution but also come with a built-in upscaler feature which will mean that even if you’re watching non-4K content, its quality should be enhanced.
It should, however, be fairly easy to find 4K content as the TVs’ Smart Portal makes it possible to access the Netflix and YouTube apps which both have ever-growing libraries of 4K videos.
The range of TVs is expected to release in Q4 2017, though no exact pricing has been revealed just yet. We’ll be sure to update here with the screen sizes that are expected to be offered as soon as the information becomes available.
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When we ask you to name us a high-end television manufacturer, Toshiba probably isn’t the first name that comes into your head. It seems, however, the company is trying to change that with its new range of OLED HDR TVs announced at IFA 2017 in Berlin.
According to Toshiba, this is the range that will make OLED and HDR affordable and that’s something we’re certainly not averse to hearing.
The new OLED range will come in 55 and 65-inch models, both of which will feature Ultra HD 4K resolution with a built-in upscaler to enhance any non-4K content you might deign to watch.
Unlike the affordable Toshiba OLEDs we saw earlier this year, this range will also support HDR, an increasingly essential feature in most televisions these days and therefore particularly important in a range that wants to distinguish itself more as a high-end value offering and less as a grudging compromise.
Both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported here and the sets will show 99% of the DCI-P3 colour space which means you should see depth, color and realism to rival even the high-end TV brands.
The broadcaster standard of HDR, Hybrid Log Gamma, is also supported here so you won’t be stopped from enjoying HDR content when it comes to broadcast television in the future.
The TV will run Toshiba’s own Smart Portal which is says will give access to apps such as Netflix, YouTube and the Opera TV Store. If you run through all the 4K content on your streaming services, there are also 4 HDMI ports to plug in your Ultra HD Blu-ray player or 4K games console.
This is all very well and good, but we imagine you want to know the pricing of these supposedly affordable OLEDs. We’ve been told that pricing will start at €1699 (around £1560) for the 55-inch model when it launches in Q4 2017. UK pricing and the price for the 65-inch model has still to be confirmed but we will update here as soon as it becomes available.
For reference, LG's cheapest 2017 OLED, its 55-inch B7, is currently retailing for £1,985 on Amazon UK although there's a good chance Toshiba's set will be making use of an older model of OLED panel.
When a TV costs over a grand it still feels wrong to be calling it 'affordable', but with a premium technology like OLED we're willing to take any price decreases we can get. We look forward to testing out Toshiba's OLED in person when it releases later this year.
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A wide-ranging, UK government-commissioned industrial strategy review of the life sciences sector, conducted by Oxford University’s Sir John Bell, has underlined the value locked up in publicly-funded data held by the country’s National Health Service — and called for a new regulatory framework to be established in order to “capture for the UK the value in algorithms… Read More http://ift.tt/2x8M52I
Strontium Technology today launched the NITRO Plus On-The-Go (OTG) Type-C USB 3.1 Gen1 flash drive in India.
NITRO Plus promises to store and transfer data between new generation USB Type-C compatible devices at a speed of 100MB/s and 150MB/s respectively. The compatible devices include smartphones, tablets and PCs having a Type-C port.
Most of the devices launched in recent time come with a USB Type-C port, which is believed to be faster and efficient. And, if such devices are made, then there has to be the connectors for transferring data from them. Here comes the need of OTG USB drives which not only helps in transferring the data between OTG compatible devices but also stores the same. Their built-in storage capacity eliminates the need of microSD card slot by providing enough space to the users who faces storage issues in their mobile devices.
Strontium has launched similar devices in the past as well. This includes NITRO OTG USB 3.0 and NITRO Plus OTG USB 3.0 that allows fast transferring of data among OTG compatible devices using their dual micro-B and standard Type A USB 3.0 connectors.
Coming back to the Nitro Plus OTG Type-C USB 3.1, it comes in full zinc alloy body and has both USB Type-C (USB-C) & traditional USB-A connector which means it can connect with devices having USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connection ports.
The device is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage capacities and is said to be priced at Rs 1599, Rs 2799 and Rs 4999 respectively. The company is also offering a five-year warranty on the same. The buyers will be able to grab this USB drive from all the retail stores including Amazon and Croma.
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Libratone, a Danish maker of snazzy high end wireless speakers, has announced its existing Zipp and Zipp Mini speakers will get support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant via a free app update, slated to arrive this fall. Read More http://ift.tt/2elgRL9
A bug related to an Instagram API allowed at least one unscrupulous individual to access the email address and phone number of an unspecified number of “high-profile” users of the app. No other personal information, like password or what have you, seems to have been exposed. Read More
We’re only part of the way into the era of HDR televisions, and we already have way too many standards to be dealing with. First came HDR10, then Dolby Vision, and more recently Hybrid Log Gamma and Advanced HDR.
If you already thought the situation was confusing then buckle up, because you’re going to have to get familiar with another standard pretty soon. It’s name is HDR10+, and it wants to bring the same advanced functionality of Dolby Vision to an open standard.
Essentially what this means is that the players behind HDR10+ want to get the same Dolby Vision goodness without having to pay a licensing fee to Dolby, and what that, in turn, means is scene-by-scene HDR mastering to get the best out of an entire film or TV show.
We first heard about HDR10+ back in April when Samsung announced it was partnering with Amazon Prime Video to support the new format, but the format took a big step forward in August with the announcement that 20th Century Fox and Panasonic were joining forces with Samsung to develop the format.
This is important, since it marks the shift of HDR10+ away from being Samsung’s proprietary toy and towards being something that might one day become a standard on all TVs.
But do we even need another standard of HDR? Well a side-by-side comparison of Dolby Vision and HDR10 suggests the more premium format can have a transformative impact when used correctly.
The early signs for HDR10+ are looking positive. Panasonic is bringing the technology to all of its ‘4K Pro’ televisions, which includes the newly announced 77-inch model of its Panasonic EZ1002, and Samsung will presumably also support it across its range.
But the biggest sticking point at the moment is content. With Amazon on board at least one of the streaming services is covered, but Amazon’s just one of the many streaming services available at the moment, and there’s no word yet on whether the standard will be integrated into future Blu-ray discs. HDR10+’s backers want this to be the case, but it’s tough to know what stance the Blu-ray committee will take.
Even if it does find some content, Dolby Vision still has the slight tech advantage with support for 12-bit color and up to 10,000 nits of brightness, but the lack of licensing fees with HDR10+ could end up being mightily tempting for manufacturers and content creators alike.
Far from being another pointless standard then it looks like HDR10+ might have a place in the world of home cinema after all. Just don’t expect it to kill off Dolby Vision anytime soon.
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A new Samsung patent suggests the firm might be gearing up to release a new series of Quantum Dot TVs called the Q6 series.
The patent was unearthed by LetsGoDigital on the first day of IFA 2017, leading some to speculate that the televisions were due for a reveal at the company's IFA press conference.
However, the sets failed to materialise at the show.
The patent suggested that there would be at least two varients of the Q6, a Q6C curved version, and a Q6F flat version. However the patent does not reveal any screen sizes.
Given Samsung's naming convention, it seems reasonable to assume that the Q6 would be a cheaper version of Samsung's Quantum Dot TVs, but without an announcement we can't be certain.
Samsung's lineup is currently split between more traditional LCD displays and its high-end quantum dot panels. The latter currently consists of the Q9, Q8 and Q7.
We've been impressed with Samsung's lineup so far, and consider the Samsung Q9F to be the best television in the world right now, so we're excited by the potential for the company's quantum dot technology reach a more mainstream price point.
We've reached out to Samsung for confirmation on the TV's existence and will report back here once we've heard from them.
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Painting software typically falls into two categories: tools designed for serious artists and hobbyists that can be tricky to master but offers lots of advanced tools, and simple apps that let kids enjoy fingerpainting without destroying your soft furnishings.
Artweaver Free is a rare exception, offering highly customizable, realistic media to work with, and an interface that won't be off-putting for youngsters who just want to play.
It works brilliantly with a mouse or touchscreen, with support for layers and a huge range of pens, brushes, pencils and other tools.
Download here: Artweaver Free
Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com.
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This is the Republic of Gamers Zephyrus by ASUS. Zephyrus for short, it’s a gaming-oriented ultrabook-style laptop with an NVIDIA GTX 1080 graphics card living inside. The twist? The card is slightly underclocked, using a new design spec NVIDIA is calling Max Q, which allows a thinner, lighter chassis to be used with a top-tier card, instead of the usual seven pound metal behemoths… Read More
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Bang and Olufson has revealed its first 4K OLED TV at IFA 2017 and is making some big claims about it being “the ultimate TV experience.”
Created in partnership with LG, the BeoVision Eclipse is both a 4K OLED TV and a 450 Watt, 3 channel SoundCentre with built-in internet radio and wireless music streaming support.
When it comes to TVs, looking good is obviously important and whether you choose the 55 or 65-inch model, you’ll be getting a 4K LG OLED screen with HDR support for Dolby Vision.
Being customizable to suit the consumer seems to be a big focus for the BeoVision Eclipse.
In supporting LG’s WebOS 3.5 software, it gives you the ability to pick and choose between apps like Netflix, Amazon and YouTube for your video streaming, Spotify Connect, Chromecast, AirPlay audio or even simple Bluetooth streaming for your music, and it supports any Blu-ray player brand you may want to plug in.
Aside from customisable software, the speaker system can also be expanded to enable surround sound; simply connect some of BeoLab’s wireless speakers and set the TV’s speaker as the center channel and you’ll be ready to go.
Not content to stop there, B&O has also made it possible to easily move where the TV is located in your home with a motorized stand. Unhappy with the way the light is hitting the screen? Simply use a remote control and make the screen move across the room.
Though this sounds great, we're not entirely sure how comfortable we are with the idea of an expensive TV trundling around the room on wheels. More likely than not, we'd use the remote and follow closely behind the TV with our hearts in our throats and our arms hovering protectively.
If you prefer your TV wall-mounted, there’s also a motorized bracket which gives you control over which direction the TV is facing and sounds much more safe.
The Bang & Olufsen BeoVision Eclipse will be available from September, with the 55-inch model with wall bracket priced at £8,290/ $10,990. The 65-inch model will be more at £11,590/ $15,990.
TechRadar is attending IFA right now, where we’ll try to get hands-on with the BeoVision Eclipse and give you our first impressions as soon as possible.
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WhatsApp is preparing to enter the business arena, with the chat giant apparently readying a mobile app for businesses and implementing a system of verified accounts for companies.
The firm is allegedly currently working on an Android mobile app aimed at businesses, which was mentioned in a job listing (spotted by Business Insider) for a ‘technical specialist, SMB – product operations’, which states under job responsibilities: “Become an expert in the WhatsApp Business app for Android and a source of information to the Market team members.”
Other sources have also talked about the incoming app, although there’s not much detail on exactly what functionality it will incorporate. However, speculation points to the ability for businesses to send automated customer support messages.
So it would seem that Facebook – which owns WhatsApp – is trying to find a new angle to leverage the popularity of this chat service, and that angle appears to revolve around businesses and customer support.
WhatsApp has over a billion users across 180 countries, so clearly there are major monetization opportunities here.
And as mentioned, the company is also readying a system of ‘verified business accounts’ that does exactly what it says, meaning that WhatsApp will verify that a contact phone number is indeed tied to a specific business, clearly displaying its validity with a big green tick icon.
The support page which clarifies this information further notes: “WhatsApp will also let you know when you start talking to a business via yellow messages inside a chat.”
Users will be able to block businesses if they so wish, and prevent organizations from communicating with them.
The business verification system is currently limited to a small number of companies, as it’s just a pilot program right now, but we’re guessing it might not be long before this sees a wider rollout.
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Messaging giant WhatsApp is experimenting with giving businesses verified accounts on its platform. In an FAQ on its website the company notes that some business accounts will be displayed with a green tick badge next to them. Read More
Tinder has globally rolled out Tinder Gold, a service that gives you a head-start in the race to find love, but at a premium.
After a successful test in Mexico and Australia, Tinder Gold is now available anywhere in the world, as long as you have an iOS device; an Android rollout is in the works and should happen in the coming weeks.
Tinder Gold builds on the services already available on Tinder Plus, which allows you to boost your profile, rewind left swipes that you regret, and gives you unlimited likes.
The feature that makes Tinder Gold really stand out, though, is the ability to see if someone has swiped right on you before you have to make a decision – great for those lacking in confidence, or just short on time.
Of course, we could get into a situation where everyone has Tinder Gold and no one is swiping right on each other because they think no one is swiping right on them. But apparently that’s not likely.
According to Tinder: “Tinder Gold subscribers received more than 60% more matches after joining the paid experience.” Who says money can’t buy love?
According to The Verge, in the US this service will cost $4.99 per month on top of the standard Plus subsciption. We've reached out to Tinder to find out what the service will cost in the UK and Australia.
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