YouTube heats up fight against channel impersonators

Spam comments on YouTube have been getting worse recently and the platform has decided to fight back.

Via a Twitter thread, YouTube revealed it’s working on three new tools to combat spam comments and the bad actors who impersonate content creators. As it currently stands, the update includes removing the ability to hide subscriber counts, improving comment moderation, and changing the rules on special characters in a name.

Cleaning up comments

YouTube states removing the ability to hide subscriber counts will make it more difficult for people to impersonate creators. Copycats have become so prominent that big-name YouTubers like Marques Brownlee have published videos showing the severity of the problem. In his video, you’ll see, in what is obviously a scam, spam comments with Marques’ channel logo telling people to message him on Telegram to get a prize. The subscriber count change releases on July 29. It’s unknown if the other tools will release on that date too. We asked YouTube if they could tell us when they’ll launch, but we didn’t get a response. We’ll add an update if they do respond.

For comment moderation, creators can turn on “Increase strictness” in their channel settings to place inappropriate comments, in up to 100 languages, under a new “Held for review” tab. Comments in this tab must be manually approved by the channel before they can show up on the video. Channels have up to 60 days to review comments, according to a YouTube Help page.

As for special characters, YouTube is restricting the amount that can be placed in a channel name. Apparently, impersonators would get around YouTube security by swapping out letters for a symbol. For example instead of “TechRadar”, you might see a copycat with “T€chR@d@r”. Spam accounts may be more subtle, however, like exchanging the letter “B” with “Ḃ”. That tiny little dot above the "B" can fool people into clicking a scam link. We also asked YouTube how many special characters will now be allowed in a name, but we’ve yet to hear back.

Analysis: Fighting spam

While these changes are fairly small, it’s still good to see YouTube actively working on the spam problem. The platform did say it's working on improving its systems and tools to better detect spam but didn’t go into detail about what they are. Best of luck to YouTube, because like the Hydra, you cut down one scam campaign and another pops up.

The platform has been actively fighting comment spam as far back as 2017. Back then, the platform implemented a new feature that held comments with URLs for review. But now they’ve taken to putting URLs in channel names. And in 2021, Google squashed a massive phishing campaign that targeted YouTubers. 

If you’re curious to know what you can do to protect yourself, we recommend getting a VPN. TechRadar has a list of the best YouTube VPNs for 2022 to help narrow down your decision.

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Google Workspace is losing its top executive

Google Workspace boss Javier Soltero is set to leave the division after three years, it has been revealed.

The veteran executive is scheduled to leave the role on July 15, according to an internal email sent by Google Cloud President Thomas Kurian, reported by Protocol.

Prior to joining Google, Soltero spent over four years at Microsoft, where he rose to the rank of Corporate Vice President, Cortana, after starting off as General Manager, Outlook Mobile.

Aparna Pappu, who currently works as VP of Engineering at Google, is set to replace Soltero. He has well over 14 years of experience at the company and has held several senior engineering roles in different areas.

Evolution of Google Workspace

Soltero’s tenure was certainly a successful one for the suite of productivity software and collaboration tools. The monthly active users of Google Workspace have grown over 50 per cent over the last three years.

And Google hasn’t slowed down in terms of rolling out new features throughout Soltero’s reign.

For example, Google Workspace recently received a new sharing interface in a move to make online collaboration easier for users. This streamlined approach brings together controls that were previously more separated into one easy-to-use panel.

READ MORE:

> Our list of the best identity theft protection software

> This Google Workspace update will help you avoid all meetings for good, if you want

> Google Workspace will now at least explain why you’ve been locked out of your apps

Although the latest data shows Google is still some way off Microsoft in the office software market, Soltero suggested he is leaving the project well-positioned to further challenge its rival.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many talented people, on incredible products that are truly helpful to billions,” said Soltero on Twitter. “I am proud of what we've accomplished during this time and confident the Workspace team, its leaders, and our strategy”.

• Interested in trying out alternatives to Google Meet? Checkout out guide to the best video conferencing software

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1Password's latest feature might solve your biggest password frustration

There are plenty of password managers out there to choose from – services that can remember all the passwords you use online – and some browsers like Google Chrome even have this feature baked into them. But most of them have a flaw that 1Password is hoping to fix.

When you sign up for something you can go down one of two routes. There’s the typically longer process where you give the site your email address, a password, and possibly some other data to make an all-new account. Alternatively, you can choose to sign up using your account details from another service, a generally faster option. Unfortunately, the second option won’t be remembered by your password manager.

Sometimes it’s easy to remember which account you signed up with. If you have the option to choose between logging in to a service with either your Google account or an Apple one, you probably signed up using the one tied to the smartphone you use every day (either Android or an iPhone respectively). 

But other sites might force you to remember if you used Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Steam, or one of a number of other options. Only one of these will log you into the account you want, while the rest will set up a brand new account.

1Password wants to end this confusion (via The Verge). When you sign into a service using your Google account (or one of the many others) 1Password's new beta feature can remember this was the option you chose. The next time you go to log in, 1Password will remind you which account you used and can authenticate your details just as easily as it can with a regular password and email logins.

If you want to try out 1Password's new tool there is one downside: you’ll need to pay for the service. A basic personal subscription costs $2.99 per month when billed annually and a Families plan costs $4.99 per month for five people when billed annually. If you want to try it out first, there is a free 14-day trial. It will give you a sense of how much more useful the updated 1Password is compared to free options before spending anything on it. 

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When is Top Gun: Maverick coming to streaming services?

To the surprise of everyone (except perhaps leading man Tom Cruise), Top Gun: Maverick blew apart the global box office to become the biggest movie of the year (so far) and one of the most accomplished Hollywood sequels in recent memory. 

Director Joseph Kosinski’s action-packed tale of an ageing flying ace won over critics and audiences alike – we gave the movie five stars in our glowing review – and served as a timely reminder that Netflix and Marvel movies aren’t the only order of the day in 2022. 

It’s no wonder, then, that Top Gun fans are eager to learn when they can enjoy the long-awaited return of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from the comfort of their own homes. Details surrounding the film’s release on streaming services are still thin on the ground, but below, we’ve rounded up everything we know so far. 

Let’s kick off with what know for sure – which is, admittedly, not a lot at this stage.

Right now, Top Gun: Maverick is not available to stream anywhere in the world, mainly because the movie only released in theaters on May 27. It’s likely to continue playing exclusively on the big screen until late July at the earliest, at which point its parent studio, Paramount, will make a call on its physical and video-on-demand (VOD) release dates.

The post-theatrical release schedule for the movie’s Paramount stablemate, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, does, however, provide a useful blueprint for when we can expect to enjoy the thrills of Top Gun: Maverick at home.

(Image credit: © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 became available to buy and rent on-demand around three months after its release in cinemas – if Top Gun: Maverick follows that pattern, we’d expect it to hit the virtual storefronts of Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play and a handful of lesser-known platforms sometime between August and September. If and when it does, it’s likely to cost somewhere in the region of $7.99 / £4.49 to rent and $19.99 / £13.99 to buy.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is getting a DVD and Blu-Ray release at the beginning of August, some four months after its theatrical release, so, again, Top Gun: Maverick could follow that pattern with a physical release sometime between September and October.

Will Top Gun: Maverick come to Paramount Plus?

As for when Top Gun: Maverick is coming to streaming services, the jury is still out. The movie will almost certainly make Paramount Plus its exclusive home, but it’s not yet clear when it’ll become available to stream on the still-young platform. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hit Paramount Plus the very same day as its VOD release (i.e. three months after its theatrical debut, in keeping with the studio’s other recent projects), but Top Gun: Maverick isn’t likely to follow this pattern given its stratospheric box office success. 

As part of his bespoke movie deal, the film’s star, Tom Cruise, has the final say on when Top Gun: Maverick makes the jump to Paramount Plus – and reports suggest that Paramount are pushing him to agree to shorten the film's 120-day exclusivity window in a bid to capitalize on its popularity (i.e. to drive more subscribers to Paramount Plus).

(Image credit: © 2019 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved)

On the flip side, Cruise may lobby to extend Top Gun: Maverick’s theatrical release window in light of the movie's stellar performance. He is, after all, a big believer in the cinematic experience, and it’s hard to see him signing off on a move that would bring his beloved big screen project to streaming services any sooner than absolutely necessary. 

At present, then, we just don’t know when Top Gun: Maverick will come to Paramount Plus. As mentioned, Paramount movies have, for the most part, been hitting the streamer 120 days after their theatrical debuts, but Top Gun: Maverick could arrive earlier, on time, later – or potentially not at all. We’ll share more details when we have them. 

Incidentally, Paramount Plus is now available in more regions than ever. The service recently launched in the UK, having debuted in the US last year, and costs $9.99 / £6.99 per month (or $4.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, if you’re in the US). 

For our money, though, Paramount Plus isn’t yet able to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus – and studio executives will be hoping that Top Gun: Maverick changes that reality sooner rather than later. 

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Netflix cancels yet another animated show after one season

Netflix's slate of animated series has grown a little smaller once more with the cancelation of Q-Force. 

Q-Force, or Queer Force to give its full title, followed a group of LGBTQ superspies – led by Steve Marywhether, better known as Agent Mary, a James Bond-esque figure – as they try to prove themselves to their colleagues and government. 

One day, Mary takes the decision to prove himself to his employers, the American Intelligence Agency, and presents a case for his team to solve. The agency approve, but there's one catch – Q-Force must add a new member to their team, i.e. a straight guy.

The 10-episode series, which debuted in September 2021, had a starry voice cast, with Steve Hayes, best known for his role as Jack on Will and Grace, voicing Agent Mary. Stranger Things' David Harbour, The Good Fight's Gary Cole and Brooklyn Nine Nine's Stephanie Beatriz among the rest of the voice cast. 

The news of Q-Force's cancelation actually came last month, but was recently uncovered by What’s On Netflix who reported that Matt Rogers, one of the show’s writers and voice actors, revealed that “it did not get a second season” while speaking on the Attitudes! podcast back in May. All of which means it's yet another Netflix cancelation.

Q-Force joins a slew of recent Netflix animated cancelations, with both Midnight Gospel and Adventure Beast both being axed in recent times. Netflix's commitment to animated projects is clearly on the wane, too, with Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation, Phil Rynda, leaving the company at the end of April. Since then, it has been a bloodbath for planned and current projects. 

Roald Dahl's The Twits, which had been announced with great fanfare, was axed, as were new series based on Jeff Smith's beloved comic book series Bone, Lauren Faust's Toil and Trouble and Wings Of Fire, which was being overseen by Selma's Ava DuVernay. Meghan Markle's animated epic Pearl, the first offering from Netflix's hugely-expensive team-up with the Duchess, also got canned.

As well as that, the streamer decided to shelve more education-orientated animated programming with Antiracist Baby, an animated series aimed at very young children, and With Kind Regards From Kindergarten, which was a movie pointed towards the same demographic. Both projects were canceled before they left development. 

Why was Q-Force canceled?

Well, for one thing, when the show's first trailer first aired, it came in for a lot of criticism around its perceived stereotypical portrayals of the LGBQT+ community and a number of petitions were started to cancel the show before it even aired. 

Critics didn't take to it either, with a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers criticised Q-Force for being lazy, dated and unfunny, which will not have helped its cause. Though. it is worth saying that the audience score for Q-Force is 78%, so it must have found an audience somewhere. 

But, with Netflix still in belt-tightening mode, the poor reviews and controversial start Q-Force enjoyed will not have helped its case for a second season. As with everything Netflix cancels, its audience must simply not have been big enough. 

Catch-up on everything Netflix has canceled in 2022 in our helpful guide. 

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Windows 11 continues to struggle to attract new users

Windows 11 is still hampered by a lackluster pace of adoption, looking at the latest figures gauging the market share of Microsoft’s desktop operating system.

The report on Windows versions and their respective market share compiled by AdDuplex for June 2022 shows that Windows 11 is now on 23.1% of the PCs included in the firm’s figures. (Those are Windows machines running Microsoft Store apps that display AdDuplex’s advertisements).

As AdDuplex points out, in the last two months, only an extra 3.4% of Windows PCs have upgraded to Windows 11, which represents a somewhat sluggish overall rate for migration to the newest OS.

Windows 10 versions represent the lion’s share of the market, of course, with the most popular version being Windows 10 21H2 on 38.2%, and the 21H1 feature update in second-place behind that on 23.9%.

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Analysis: Painfully slow progress over most of 2022

While a 3.4% gain over two months is not anything to shout about, it is at least better than the two-month period previous to that, where Windows 11 only put on a feeble 0.6% in terms of market share.

Windows 11 did witness a 3.2% surge back in February, mind, which capped off a fairly chunky adoption spike where the OS doubled its share at the close of 2021. But since then, everything has fallen very flat going by AdDuplex’s stats.

We should never read too much into just one set of figures – they provide a snapshot of just a single facet of the popularity of Windows 11 – but the stats do appear to broadly indicate that there was an early adoption spike of keenly interested and more curious computing types, but since then, things have really slowed down.

With still a good deal of road to go before Microsoft brings down the curtain on Windows 10 support (later in 2025), we can’t imagine the pace of Windows 11 adoption is likely to speed up any time soon, although new desktops and laptops shipping with the newer OS pre-installed will gradually help adoption.

That said, there are some key technologies that could eventually spark wider adoption, and one that quickly springs to mind is DirectStorage on the gaming front, which is set to be a major boost for Windows 11. And not just for SSD loading times, but for smoother open world games (loading assets more quickly on-the-fly), the caveat being that games need to support it, and none do yet. (Although the first title with DirectStorage, Forspoken, is due to arrive on the PC later this year).

Via Betanews

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Windows 11 update copies popular Android feature - and we couldn't be happier

After taking it away in a previous build, Microsoft has brought back the redesign of the 'Open With' dialog box for Windows 11, letting you open files in a different app to the one you've set as default.

This new design finally removes the confusion that surrounded the message box  had since Windows 8, with dialog boxes not making it clear whether the file would open with a new default app in the future, or if it was just for that one time.

There's usually a moment when you need to play a music file in an audio editing app, instead of Windows Media Player for example. This is where the 'Open With' feature comes in, allowing a different app to open a file.

It was taken away in Insider build 22563 in April, but has made a re-appearance in Build 25151. While the Insider program allows you to test out features that aren't ready for a final release, it looks as though Microsoft is happy for this redesigned box to finally debut in Sun Valley 2, Windows 11's first major update, later this year.

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Analysis: A dialog box that needed the most love

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Once again, we're seeing Microsoft further tinker with parts of Windows to make it more modern and fresh for new and existing users, mainly thanks to its design features - Fluent Design and WinUI.

Already we're seeing the fruits of these efforts, with Paint and File Explorer getting new looks and useful features that users have been wanting for years. However, this is clearly expanding to certain menus and boxes, such as the 'Open With' box.

In this fresh update, we're finally going to see clearer language that has two options - 'Just Once' and 'Always'. If you've used an Android smartphone or tablet, then this may sound familiar, as Google's mobile operating system will ask you those same questions if you have several apps that can open the same type of file. It's a quick and easy way to open files in the app you want, and set default apps for certain types of files if you'd like, and we'd like to see something similar in Windows 11.

This will help users who just want to open files in a different app for just that one time, without being confused. We're expecting this to arrive in Sun Valley 2, but we wouldn't be surprised to see similar redesigns appear in future builds, as we approach its release.

Via WindowsLatest

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New Apple TV 4K (2022): everything we know so far

The Apple TV (2022) is the expected follow-up to the current Apple TV 4K – a new version of Apple's streaming set-top box – not to be confused with Apple TV (the app on Apple devices and smart TVs) or Apple TV+ (the streaming service).

Rumored new Apple TV (2022) features

- More powerful A14 chip with more memory
- New Siri remote spotted in iOS 16
- Cheaper model may be coming

There's growing evidence for a new Apple TV 4K being in the works, partly from analysts and leakers who've revealed possible info about it, but also from a stray mention of a new remote in iOS 16.

Whether that means a replacement for the Apple TV 4K (2021) will arrive any time soon remains to be seen – we would be surprised if it appears in 2022, frankly, since the current model was only released in spring 2021 and is very up to date on the hardware involved, such as HDMI 2.1 support. But it's certainly not impossible if Apple has a good reason to create a new box.

The big question right now is what kind of price to expect: one rumor says that Apple's working on a much cheaper and smaller version, more like a streaming stick than the current boxy model. But another rumor says that Apple is planning on using a higher-end processor, which suggests that the current design would stick around with upgraded innards – and that probably means no price drop.

We think Apple should make a cheaper streaming stick – and we talk about why here – but until that becomes official, let's go through what we know so far.

New Apple TV (2022) news and updates

June 28 2022 – Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a new Apple TV model with an upgraded A14 processor and more memory.

June 24 2022 – Developers testing iOS 16 discover code relating to a new version of the Siri Remote used for the Apple TV.

June 7 2022 – As WWDC comes and goes without any major tvOS announcements, we worry about the future of the Apple TV platform.

May 25 2022 – Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple is working on a new cheaper model of Apple TV, due for launch some time in 2022.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Peter Kotoff)

New Apple TV (2022): price and release date

If the Mark Gurman rumor that the new Apple TV will feature a more powerful A14 chip is true, then it seems likely that we shouldn't expect a new version of the Apple TV 4K to be cheaper than it is now – that sounds likely to be a straight replacement.

However, the rumor from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple is working on a cheaper version – perhaps one that would be more like a simple streaming stick, without as many elaborate apps and games as the main Apple TV – might mean the option of a cheaper version.

A cheaper version could make sense not because Apple especially wants a cheap TV box (it already offers the Apple TV app on many TVs for free, so that would seem to be the company's route to reach more people cheaply) – but rather, as a support device for Apple Fitness+. If you want to use this service on your big TV, where it works best, you need both an Apple Watch and an Apple TV – it adds up. A cheaper TV stick might help push people to use Apple's paid fitness service.

As for a release date, we'd be surprised to see it appear in 2022 if it's just an upgrade of the existing box, because Apple last updated it only in 2021, and nothing meaningful has changed in terms of features it really needs.

However, a cheaper version might make sense to release before Christmas, so if that version exists, we wouldn't be shocked to see it late in 2022.

New Apple TV 4K (2022): features

There's no reason to expect major new features from the new Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K (2021) was updated with HDMI 2.1, and is already much more powerful than just about any other streaming box on the planet.

There are some software features that the Apple TV doesn't have yet (such as HDR10+ support, though that is coming soon), but these wouldn't require new hardware.

The upgrade to its processor might allow for more advanced gaming features, but these will only be used sparingly, most likely.

What we'd be really interested in is a Siri Remote that includes the Ultra Wideband communication technology from Apple's AirTags, so that you could use an iPhone to literally point you towards which couch cushion the remote is hiding under when you lose it.

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Microsoft Edge's latest update feels so much like Pinterest

Microsoft is taking Collections in a rather Pinterest-like direction.

A new Microsoft Edge update promises several new organization features, an inspiration feed, and the ability to directly follow creators.

In fact, Collections is getting the lion’s share of enhancements in the update. For those unaware, Collections allows you to pull together web pages, pictures, or videos from across the internet and stuff them into folders. The inspiration feed will show you tangentially related ideas from other websites. For example, you might have a series of food recipes saved. The new feed will show you other recipes to inspire you.

Making collecting easier

The announcement notes that the update will be released soon, but it appears some features are already live.

Alongside the inspiration feed, users will be able to directly save images and videos to Collections by hovering over them and clicking the add button. It appears this feature only works on Bing search results. We tried saving YouTube videos, but there was no option.

Bing’s Visual Search is also expanding in Microsoft Edge to work on other websites. The feature allows users to search via images rather than text. Hovering over an image will make a Visual Search icon appear. Selecting the icon begins the search. At this time, the feature seems to only work on certain pages. We discovered the Visual Search icon on images from Google’s and Microsoft’s official blogs and even TechRadar. So, support is rather sporadic.

And the last update lets users follow content creators from some video-sharing websites. The list includes YouTube, TikTok, and the Chinese website Billibilli. A new “Follow” button will appear at the top of the browser that you can click on. The list of creators you follow will appear next to Collections as a new menu. From there, you’ll get a feed of the creator’s latest videos. 

Aside from the few features that worked, the inspiration feed didn't appear nor did the new Follow button. It appears that the updates are rolling out in pieces. We asked Microsoft if they could tell us when the Collections transformation will fully launch and for the complete list of supported websites. We'll update this post with its response. 

Analysis: Still losing ground

While these sound like welcome changes, the question remains: Will it be enough to boost Edge’s popularity? Recent numbers from Statcounter show the browser is losing users. It’s not clear why, but Microsoft burying Internet Explorer and forcing people to use the browser probably didn’t help. And with browsers like Firefox boosting their security by preventing websites from tracking users, people may understandably jump ship.

If you’re thinking of ditching Edge, TechRadar recently updated its best web browsers list.

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The Stranger Things cast want to watch the season 4 finale with you – here's how

Stranger Things fans, rejoice! Netflix has announced a star-studded online watch party for the hit sci-fi show’s season 4 finale – and everyone’s invited. 

In partnership with livestream service Scener, the streaming platform is hosting a virtual screening for the worldwide premiere of Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 on Friday, July 1, with stars David Harbour (Hopper), Brett Gelman (Murray), Joe Quinn (Eddie) and Jamie Campbell Bower (Peter) in attendance as A-list guests.

Kicking off shortly before the global release of the fourth season's final two episodes, Netflix subscribers across the world will have the opportunity to join those cast members for a live Q&A, before the event morphs into a real-time virtual screening.

Harbour, Gelman, Quinn and Campbell Bower will be holed up in a custom-built theater with thousands of real-life fans for the event, while online attendees will be able to dial in over live chat messenger and stream both new episodes through synchronized playback. 

The watch party is free to join for Netflix subscribers all over the world – simply head to strangerthings4.scener.com to get involved. You’ll need to download the Scener Chrome extension, create a free Scener account and visit the brand’s page at the time of the event (June 30 at 11:15 PM PT / July 1 at 02:15 AM ET / July 1 at 07:15 AM BST) for access. Guests in the US will also be able to use the Scener mobile app to automatically sync their TVs to watch proceedings on the big screen. 

We were mightily impressed with volume 1 of Stranger Things' long-awaited fourth season, describing it, in our review, as “an absorbing, action-packed and horror-fuelled entry” in the series. The show’s cliffhanger ending did, however, leave us with 11 questions that we hope volume 2 will answer, and we’re excited to see how showrunners the Duffer brothers intend to tie up these loose ends.

Check out the full-length trailer for season 4 volume 2 below:

Stranger Things’ upcoming episodes won’t mark the series’ last, mind you. We know for sure that a fifth and final season is currently in development, which will bring the story of the Hawkins gang to a close – officially, anyway. 

Rumors have suggested that the Stranger Things universe could continue in future feature films and spin-off shows, though no upcoming projects have been confirmed as yet.

As mentioned, the series' return is just days away, but if you're in desperate need of an entertainment fix to tide you over until then, our pick of the best Netflix shows is packed to the rafters with binge-worthy recommendations to enjoy. 

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Sony TV update solves annoying graphics problem for PS5 and Xbox owners

There's great news for people who bought one of Sony's 'Perfect for PlayStation 5' LED TVs from 2021 or 2022 and who game on it using a PS5 or Xbox Series X – you'll now be able to get both full video quality and VRR at the same time!

Until now, activating variable refresh rates on Sony's LED TVs that use its XR Cognitive Processor turned off the localized dimming feature of the backlight, meaning that you didn't get as good HDR contrast if you had VRR on. We still ranked some of these TVs as being among the best gaming TVs due to their great other features, but this was definitely a major frustration.

But now an update is rolling out to relevant TVs that fixes this issue, so VRR and local dimming can live in harmony. It affects the Sony X90J, Sony X95J and Z9J 8K TV from the 2021 models, and the Sony X90K, X95K and Z9K from its 2022 models. The change was spotted by TV reviewer Vincent Teoh.

The update appears to be available now, but some TV software upgrades take time to roll out, so check in the settings to see whether v6.5929 is available for you yet.

Sony's rolled out firmware update v6.5929 to enable local dimming in VRR mode on BRAVIA XR LED LCDs from 2021 (X90J, X95J, Z9J) & 2022 (X90K, X95K, Z9K), thus improving contrast performance during VRR gaming. I don't have any of these TVs to test, but let me know how you get on! pic.twitter.com/NwIFsjGrTOJune 29, 2022

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The update doesn't affect Sony OLED TVs that support VRR, such as the Sony A90J, because these don't use the same kind of local dimming tech. It also doesn't change anything for the Sony X85J and Sony X85K, which also support VRR and use LED backlights, but these don't have XR-processor-powered local dimming, so it wasn't an issue there.

Opinion: Sony needs to talk through its problems more

It was strange that this was a problem in the first place, considering the lengths Sony has gone to make sure that its own TVs are very tempting to PS5 owners. One of the key features of the 'Perfect for PlayStation 5' TVs is 'Auto HDR Tone Mapping', where the PS5 is able to recognise which Sony TV model you have, and tune its HDR output to make the most of your set's maximum brightness and deepest dark tones.

At around the same time, Sony finally added VRR to the PS5, which means that games can have framerates that shift and up down without causing screen tearing, giving more flexibility to developers.

So to have your TV's specially-supported HDR capabilities hobbled by the other fancy new graphical feature felt like a major oversight. We approached Sony at the time to find out if a fix for this issue was on the cards, but Sony declined to comment about possible future plans.

This communication has been an on-going annoyance with Sony TVs and gaming features: at launch, the X90J didn't support VRR, for example, despite Sony saying that it would come. So we waited and waited, but there's was no indication of when to expect it, leaving buyers who'd bought it assuming the feature would come to wonder if they'd been duped. It did arrive, eventually, of course.

By comparison, LG has commented on feature updates and problems in the past as they occur – even if it's been unable to give any specifics, we've seen the company say that it's aware of issues and is working on a fix. That's helpful and reassuring!

Sony TVs remain massively popular, and for good reason – it makes some of the best 4K TVs around. I would happily recommend the X90J as one of the best 120Hz TVs for gamers. And we're in the process of reviewing the new Sony A80K OLED TV, and its performance matches more expensive TVs.

But as TVs rely more and more on updates to add features as time goes on, I think Sony needs to become a bit more open customers.

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Apple launches a new program for its App Store to help lesser-known developers

Apple has launched a new campaign for developers in its App Store called Founders, which aims to put certain developers in the spotlight with editorial support across Europe, alongside celebrating the apps that are currently available from them.

There are nine developers taking part in this new initiative, such as Turborilla, Snowprint Studios, and nada studio, all of whom were picked by Apple due to their potential for growth, innovation, and how their apps can reflect the countries they're based in.

It also means that these will be given editorial support for the App Store, so you may spot some stories or additional content featuring them in the 'Today' tab when you open up the store on your iPad, iPhone or Mac, or perhaps through a newsletter and social media handles.

Encouragingly, this looks to give smaller developers their due on the App Store, to help shine a light on projects where their budget for marketing could be next to nonexistent. This is a great start, and there's plenty more that can be done for this program for other developers.

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Analysis: more support for developers is always welcome

(Image credit: TechRadar)

If you go to the App Store, you'll most likely see something akin to the above, where footballers, Call of Duty, and icons of popular games featured throughout the years will shine. But for someone merely starting out in the store, it's going to be difficult to break through.

Since the App Store's launch in 2008, it's gone from a respectable market stall to a supermarket of stratospheric proportions, but this doesn't mean Apple forgot the up-and-coming developers. This is where Founders can do a lot of good here, especially for Europe.

Having extra support and exposure in Apple's curated newsletters, social platforms and obviously, the App Store is going to help these thousands of developers, not just the three featured above.

(Image credit: Apple)

However, while this is a great start it would be good to see others feature in areas where Apple is trying to help under-represented users, such as accessibility. As iOS 16 and the other software updates are scheduled to arrive later this year, let's see other barely-represented developers that can take advantage of what's coming for visual and hearing-impaired users.

Currently, when you're in the Apps tab of the App Store, you have to scroll past the featured charts of many categories until you almost reach the bottom, where Accessibility apps are.

Let's see that be more prevalent, and also have developers in the new Founders program who are showcasing this category in every aspect.

Regardless, it's a great start for developers with this program and encouraging that a behemoth like Apple is clearly trying to take care of other developers who just want to make their apps more widely known.

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New Netflix comedy defies critical mauling to hit number one in the charts

Critics be damned! New Netflix comedy The Man From Toronto has shot to the top of the streamer’s weekly popularity charts, despite scathing reviews.  

The assassin-themed action flick, which stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in the lead roles, was described as "dreadfully unfunny" and “another unimaginative piece of content” by critics ahead of its release on June 24 – but that hasn’t stopped the movie racking up almost 50 million Netflix viewing hours in just two days. 

As per the film's synopsis, The Man From Toronto sees "the world's deadliest assassin" (Harrelson) and "New York's biggest screw-up" (Hart) mistaken for one another when the latter arrives early to an Airbnb rental. Naturally, chaos ensues, and the pair embark on a cat-and-mouse adventure involving cops, criminals and car chases.

To nobody’s surprise, that seemingly algorithmic premise didn’t win over reviewers. The movie currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics rating of just 28%, which puts it in the miserable company of other recent Netflix blockbusters Spiderhead (42%), Interceptor (44%), Red Notice (37%) and Senior Year (24%).

Interestingly, though, all five certified ‘Rotten’ flicks made it to the summit of Netflix’s weekly popularity rankings during their respective first weeks of release. The Rebel Wilson-starring Senior Year, for instance, racked up a whopping 62.4 million viewing hours in defiance of its critics, who claimed it was "hard to imagine a more unpleasant movie.”

The streamer’s weekly performance reports, which track the total number of hours that subscribers around the world watch titles in a seven-day period, appear to consistently add fuel to the fire of a growing trend for Netflix: critically-lambasted movies seem to rake in the viewers week-in, week-out. 

Analysis: another shallow success for Netflix?

On the surface, that doesn’t make much sense – why would audiences regularly turn out for terrible movies? – but there are several logical reasons why the likes of The Man From Toronto and Senior Year have performed so well for the streamer. 

The most obvious is the question of taste: critical reactions are not the be-all and end-all of any movie’s success. As TechRadar’s Senior Entertainment Editor, Tom Goodwyn, explained in his recent defence of panned Netflix action epic Interceptor: sometimes, audiences just want to switch off their brains after a long day. 

Elsa Pataky stars as a no-nonsense army officer in the critically-maligned Interceptor (Image credit: Netflix)

Not every movie has to be Citizen Kane, and there’s nothing wrong with the occasional paint-by-numbers comedy or uninspired thriller if Netflix continues to produce awards-worthy projects – Stranger Things, The Power of the Dog and so on – elsewhere.

What’s more, these unoriginal blockbusters seem to be doing the business for the streamer. If Netflix can profit from movies that audiences are clearly engaging with en masse, it’s hard to criticize its conveyor belt approach to producing them. 

On the other hand, there’s the question of choice: are Netflix subscribers – those who have so openly criticized the platform’s recent content output – only watching these movies because of a lack of quality alternatives? Without conducting a large-scale customer survey, this is a difficult conundrum to unravel – but the possibility is certainly there. 

It also doesn’t help the cause when movies like The Man From Toronto defy their lack of quality to become – in the eyes of Netflix’s statisticians – successful productions. When these safe, shallow projects rake in 50 million viewing hours in just two days, their success risks justifying the streamer’s decision to cancel other genuinely interesting projects (like those previously in development at its animation department) that would immeasurably improve the quality of the service as a whole. 

Still, Netflix bosses won’t be complaining if the company’s stock price is on the up, and millions of subscribers seem happy to consistently embrace its blockbusters irrespective of their IMDb standing. And with a cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier heading to the streamer very soon, there could be much more room at the table for all types of Netflix movies and TV shows in the near future. 

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Netflix has a new number one show – but don't expect it to stay there

After four weeks of reigning supreme in the Netflix TV charts, Stranger Things has finally be dethroned by another of the streamer's big hitters.

The hugely successful Netflix show, whose fourth season was initially released on May 27, has spent the past month dominating the streaming giant's in-house TV charts. And, given its popularity, Stranger Things' domination of Netflix Top 10 TV show list won't have come as a shock to anyone.

Now, though, there's a new kid on the block – and it's wrestled the crown from Stranger Things, even it's only for a brief period of time. The Umbrella Academy, another big Netflix original series, returned for its third season on June 22, and it didn't take long for the superhero-style show to topple Stranger Things 4 in Netflix's TV series rankings.

According to the latest data compiled by Netflix's in-house analytics team, The Umbrella Academy season 3 amassed a total of 124.53 million hours viewed in the week running June 20 to June 26. That figure was enough for it to earn the number one spot on Netflix's Top 10 TV show English language list and relegate Stranger Things 4 to second spot.

Stranger Things' latest entry still held its own against The Umbrella Academy's new season – the Duffer brothers-developed show accumulating 76.9 million hours viewed across the same seven day period. For the first time since season 4 volume 1's release, though, such viewing figures weren't enough for it to continue reigning over other TV shows, such as The Lincoln Lawyer and Peaky Blinders season 6.

You did it, guys! You earned top spot – well, for now anyway. (Image credit: Netflix)

Don't expect The Umbrella Academy to dominate the Netflix charts for a number of weeks, though. Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 arrives on the streamer on Friday, July 1. Volume 2 only contains the final two episodes in the show's latest season, but it's sure to be another major hit among Netflix subscribers. 

Volume 1 has proven to be immensely popular – its viewing figures are proof of that. And, with the last two entries billed as the darkest, most thrilling, action-packed, and highly emotional episodes in the entire series, season 4 volume 2 should catapult Stranger Things back to the top of Netflix's TV charts.

Sure, The Umbrella Academy season 3 will give as good as it gets in the never-ending battle for the number one spot. But, with July 2022 looking like a lean month for new Netflix TV show releases, Stranger Things is likely to dominate the standings for a few more weeks once season 4 volume 2 arrives.

If you previously missed them, check out our spoiler-free reviews of The Umbrella Academy season 3 and Stranger Things 4. Alternatively, read our Netflix ads explainer to get the lowdown on what to expect when they arrive on the platform.

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Analysis: where will Netflix's next big hit come from?

The Sandman is likely to be Netflix's next big TV hit. (Image credit: Netflix)

As we mentioned, July isn't exactly loaded with new shows or the return of fan favorite TV series. Okay, Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 officially arrives on the first day of July but, after that date, there's little in the way to get excited about.

While a number of enticing new Netflix movies are on the way, such as The Gray Man and The Sea Beast, its TV offerings are notably slim by comparison. A couple of intriguing documentary series aside, Netflix's best bets for a big TV hit in July are the Lana Condor-starring Boo, Bitch, plus its live-action take on Capcom's iconic Resident Evil video game series. Not exactly a gripping line-up, is it?

So, what's likely to be Netflix's next major TV success? Right now, it seems Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman's legendary graphic novel series, is the prime candidate. Anticipation levels are high for the TV show's arrival, though it won't land on the streaming service until Friday, August 5.

Unless Resident Evil or Boo, Bitch become unexpected overnight hits for Netflix, or one of the streamer's upcoming documentaries takes off, it appears that Stranger Things 4's stranglehold on the company's TV charts will continue for a while longer. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing – Netflix won't be too concerned about its other content struggling to succeed if Stranger Things continues to deliver huge viewing figures. But, given the problems that Netflix has faced in 2022, it still needs to keep pumping out new, interesting films and shows to retain its 222 million-strong global subscriber base. If the likes of Resident Evil and The Sandman fail to draw in audiences, it could be a sticky summer for the streamer.

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You can finally update to Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

When Windows 11 launched, the Home version of the update required users to have created or logged in with a Microsoft account in order to finish the installation, but utility software Rufus can finally remove this need for all users.

It's been a frustrating decision from Microsoft, as there's really no need for all users to have an account. You can use Windows 11's apps and services perfectly fine without one, but we suspect it's more to do with its Office and OneDrive packages.

Sun Valley 2, Windows 11's first major update launching later this year, will force Windows 11 Pro users to comply with this requirement as well, so Rufus 3.19 has come just in time to alleviate the frustration with users of both editions.

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Analysis: getting rid of Windows 11's frustrations all at once

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Using the utility is a simple affair, where you can use an installation image of Windows 11 to make a bootable USB drive. So you can insert the stick into a PC, and it will install the operating system without needing an associated Microsoft account.

However, it doesn't just get rid of this frustration - it also removes the TPM requirement for PCs that don't have this chip installed.

If you're unaware, TPM is a chip inside your PC that monitors whether any unsavory code is trying to latch onto your computer. If there is, this chip lets the PC know, and it's essentially quarantined and deleted.

But the majority of PCs don't have the required version of this chip, and coupled with Microsoft's less than stellar messaging about it in 2021, users have been holding off from upgrading to Windows 11.

However, this tool looks to remove a lot of frustrations, and if you've been holding off, Rufus 3.19 looks to be a great opportunity to upgrade your PC from Windows 10.

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Apple's Google Maps rival wants you to ditch your car for an e-bike one day

Apple Maps – the iPhone manufacturer’s version of Google Maps – wants to get you out of your car and onto an electric bike - or e-bike - at least one day.

While looking through the app’s code Steve Moser discovered that several lines reference an “E-Bike” and finding optimized routes for these kinds of vehicles. 

It’s not yet clear how these routes would be chosen exactly but we expect that the routes will be similar to those optimized for regular bikes – albeit with a few more inclines and a preference for following roads than more rugged cycle paths.

The feature’s code still needs to be finished off indicating that it's still in the earlier testing phases and isn’t ready for launch quite yet. 

But the code's existence strongly suggests Apple is getting ready for e-bikes to become increasingly popular as people ditch their cars for cheaper and more environmentally friendly options.

The goal for Apple here could be to integrate the e-bike routing with Apple Watch e-bike detection, meaning any journey begun could initiate an electric bike workout, or vice versa.

An electrifying future

The best electric bikes or e-bikes are awesome for commuting – and they’re great for getting more enjoyment out of your ride in general. They look like a fairly normal bike but are equipped with an electric battery that can propel you forward when you don’t want to put much effort in. 

This motor is especially helpful when paired with a foldable e-bike; the typically smaller wheels on a folding bike mean you have to put a bit more work into travel as far, but that isn’t as much the case with a powered electric bike.

As great as e-bikes are though – they’re much more compact and environmentally friendly than a car – they also cost a fair amount more than a standard two-wheeler. 

Our pick for the best e-bike right now, the Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0, will set you back $4,000 / £3,900 / AU$5,000 – but there are cheaper alternatives out there too.

That being said, with the price of gas as high as it is right now, then it might not take too long before an e-bike would end up saving you money on your daily commute.

(via AutoEvolution)

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One of Discord's best features is coming to Facebook

Meta has announced that it's currently working on a suite of new features for Facebook Groups which are intended to bring communities closer together, and some of them will be very familiar to users of the popular voice, video, and text chat app Discord.

According to the announcement, admins will soon have the ability to create channels within their groups which allow them to interact in "smaller, more casual settings where they can have deeper discussions on common interests or organize their communities around topics in different formats."

(Image credit: Meta)

This will include new Discord-style community audio channels, which will allow admins and group members to "casually jump in and out of audio conversations in real time," along with regular text-based chat channels for those who are shy on the mic.

In addition to the real-time audio and chat channels, Facebook Groups will also offer community feed channels, letting users interact and post comments in admin-approved topics in their own time.

A new and improved sidebar will spearhead the revamp, giving users an easier way to access their groups, which will now be listed in the order of their latest activity, such as "new posts or chats you haven’t yet seen."

(Image credit: Meta)

Users will also be able to pin their favorite groups to the top of the sidebar for quick access, and groups themselves will become more organized thanks to a new menu which will allow members to keep up to date with events, shops and the topics they're most interested in.

Right now, Meta's revamp of Facebook Groups is merely in the testing phase, however, we expect it to roll out to all users in the coming months.

• How to start using Discord as a beginner

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Spotify's new Supergrouper tool lets you create your dream team

Spotify is rolling out Supergrouper, a new feature for creating playlists and living out your supergroup fantasy.

The idea behind Supergrouper is for users to imagine what it would be like if their favorite musical artists came together to form one giant band. But Songs aren’t going to be melded together to form a new song as you might think -- Stairway to Heaven merged with Adele? No thanks. Instead, the feature is essentially just an easier way to create playlists without having to pull together songs one by one.

To create a playlist, you first have to go to the Supergrouper website on your mobile device. (Visit on a desktop or some other device and Spotify will just tell you to use your phone.) You can choose between three to five musical artists to make up the group.

From there, name your newly christened supergroup and share it on social media. And if you’re stuck on what to include in the playlist, Spotify has a randomizer button near the top that’ll throw in an artist based on the choices made. 

Supergrouper is currently available to users living in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. We did ask Spotify if they have plans to expand support for the feature. A representative for the company told TechRadar they're sticking to those five countries for now.

New community features

The addition of Supergrouper is really a continuation of Spotify’s efforts to roll out more personalization features. On June 23, the platform replaced its Concert Hub section with the Live Events Feed. It allows music fans to find concerts and other live events happening in their local area according to their tastes. The platform states it’s teaming up with major ticketing partners, like Ticketmaster, to make the service work.

Spotify is also working on bringing the fan-favorite Community desktop feature to mobile. Currently it’s being tested, but according to the reports, Spotify Community is slated to be a new tab for the smartphone app. When it launches, the tab will display what songs your friends are streaming and let you listen to any newly created new playlists.

If you’re interested in seeing what else Spotify has been cooking up, TechRadar recently wrote about the new Karaoke mode on the mobile app. You don’t even have to be a premium member to start belting out the lyrics to your favorite song -- but you will need to update the app.

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You can now check if your PC can install Windows 11's first big update - here's how

Microsoft is making the finishing touches to Sun Valley 2, Windows 11's first major update since its release back in 2021, but users have been unsure of whether their PC would be able to support it.

According to Windows Latest, there's a way of going into the Registry Editor, and checking if your PC can update to 22H2 once it's available (supposedly later this year).

Called Sun Valley 2 internally by the company, there still hasn't been a clear indication of what the update will involve, but there have been announcements of tabs in File Explorer, and further updates in the look of Windows Media Player and Paint for example.

We're expecting these to come to the major update, but of course, it's no use to you if your PC can't update to it. With this in mind, here's how you can check.

Checking the Registry

The Registry is the backbone of Windows, and has been for decades. It's a series of values that will determine the settings for every app and every aspect of the operating system.

Based on a certain value, the PC will follow that command from the Registry. But due to its design, there's always a danger of mistaking the wrong registry, making parts of your PC show errors, or simply not working as it's intended to.

However, when it comes to this short guide, it's only a matter of finding a registry value, not changing anything.

• On your Windows 11 PC, open Windows Registry Editor by going to Start Menu > then type in 'regedit'.
• In the Registry Editor, select the address bar at the top and clear it.
• Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\TargetVersionUpgradeExperienceIndicators
• Once you've arrived, open the NI22H2 registry.
• If you double-tap on this value, it should display “RedReason“. If the value is NONE, it means your device is ready for the feature update.
• However, if this value shows anything else, your PC won't be eligible for 22H2.

While this won't give the reason as to why your PC won't be able to update to 22H2, you can quickly check a few things and see if your eligibility changes. Not installing the most recent Windows updates, or having low storage could cause you to be ineligible, so changing these could be all you need to get your PC ready for 2H22.

If all of these are all in order then it could be, unfortunately, due to the fact that your PC is too old to update itself.

We still don't know when this update will arrive, but with Microsoft's aim to release these big updates every year, we suspect it will be around November, to line up with Windows 11's original release around that time in 2021. If you want to use the latest Windows release at launch then you likely have until around then to upgrade your PC.

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Toshiba TVs combine technology and aesthetics to deliver exceptional viewing experiences.

In many places these days, TVs seem to be a dime a dozen. Every commercial you see and every electronics store you enter seems to be touting the “latest” and the “best” in TV technology. 

But with all the talk about color gamuts, viewing angles, and resolutions, it can be easy to get lost and end up settling for a less than exceptional TV.

Toshiba TV started its journey in 1952, which means it has 70 years of history in TV production with many world’s first features. Toshiba TV has built up its formidable reputation as a brand that provides professional theater quality and a better viewing experience.  

As one of the world's leading TV brands, Toshiba TV, with an uncompromising passion for innovations and technologies, always provides excellent functionality, reliability, durability, and environment-friendly features for quality time.

Most recently, it has taken its design inspiration from some of the world’s most celebrated master craftsman as shown in the #BeRealCraftsmanship campaign. 

(Image credit: Toshiba)

Renowned Japanese architect Shuhei Aoyama strives to see the most simple and elegant design elements in everything he creates, his own inspiration coming from the world around him. He admires the simplicity and serenity of nature and always tries to design his buildings in a way that connects people closer to nature and the world around them. 

Toshiba TV carries this same philosophy into its design language by crafting TVs with edges that melt away from the viewers, and simple, non-reflective borders that do nothing to distract the viewers from whatever they are watching. 

Italian chef Giuseppe Tino firmly believes that a good dish should be creative and visually appealing and uses technology to develop his unique dishes. Much like Chef Tino, Toshiba TV strives to leverage the latest technologies to bring immersive experiences to viewers. 

(Image credit: Toshiba)

Toshiba TV is driven by the principle of creating something “real, beyond imagination.” This means everything it does is driven by crafting a truly immersive experience for viewers with its Regza Engine that enables smoother images, greater contrast, and refined 4K upscaling. 

But this commitment to delivering exceptional viewing experiences goes just beyond the display.  

A perfect example of this is the “Time-Shift” feature the company pioneered over a decade ago that lets viewers record up to six channels at a time for a 24 hour period so they never have to worry about missing out on their favorite shows. 

It recognized that viewers were frustrated by missing weekly episodes of their favorite shows so Toshiba TV developed a unique technology to ensure they got the best experience. 

A good viewing experience is more than just what’s on the screen. Taking inspiration from Lianjun Yu, curator and leading authority of the ancient Chinese Xun instrument, Toshiba TV combines the best technology and uncompromising craftsmanship to deliver the best audio experience. 

For over 70 years, Toshiba TV has been dedicated to crafting immersive, unbeatable viewing experiences for its customers. Follow Toshiba TV on social media to learn more about its commitment to master craftsmanship.

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Your Apple TV streaming device just lost a popular video platform

Your Apple TV has just one of its applications as Facebook Watch – a version of the social media platform dedicated to TV, videos, and live streams  – is no longer supported by tvOS.

As first spotted by 9to5Mac, when Apple TV 4K users try to access Facebook Watch they'll get a message saying, “The Facebook Watch TV app is no longer available, but you can still find lots of videos on Facebook at www.facebook.com/watch.” 

Interestingly though the app is still available to download on the tvOS App Store. Plus, at the time of writing “Apple TV (4th generation or newer)” is still listed on the Facebook Watch TV app’s official list of supported devices.

Because of this, it's unclear if Meta has decided to abandon Apple TV for good or if this is merely a bug causing the error message to appear. 

While Facebook Watch isn't thought of in the same vein as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video it is still a popular streaming service. When it last shared details about its popularity Meta said that about 1.25 billion users are using Facebook Watch each month.

We reached out to Meta and Apple and an Apple representative got back to us and explained that only Meta will know why the app is unavailable. Hopefully, the social media tech giant can explain when Apple TV users will be able to tune into Facebook Watch again.

Has Apple forgotten about Apple TV? (Image credit: Future)

If Meta has abandoned Apple TV, we can't really blame it as Apple hasn't been giving the platform much love either.

The most recent Apple TV device – the Apple TV 4K – launched fairly recently in 2021, yet at this year's WWDC 2022 keynote, tvOS was absent from the main stage. A new tvOS16 beta would materialize, but you'd have to actively look for it on Apple's website to find it.

It's a shame because Apple TV is a really good streaming device. Sure, it's a bit expensive but the picture quality it delivers is great and the updates coming in tvOS 16 sound awesome. There'll finally be HDR10+ support and new integrations with watchOS 9, iOS 16, and iPad OS 16 will help bring upgrades to your workouts and introduce new second-screen enhancements to what you watch.

But if Apple isn't going to care enough to celebrate its own platform's features, why should third-party developers care about it either?

Hopefully, other Apple TV services won't follow Facebook's lead and leave the platform, but we won't be surprised when they do based on how things are going.

If you're thinking about picking up an Apple TV you might want to reconsider and grab a deal on a streaming stick like Roku instead. And if you already own one then make sure to get as much use of it while you still can.

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Browser wars veteran accuses Apple of 'sabotaging the web'

An engineer who has spent the last decade working across web browser projects at Google and Microsoft has ridiculed the characterization of Apple as a champion of choice.

In a new blog post, Alex Russell argues that in reality the opposite is true; he claims Apple has deliberately wielded its influence in the hardware and mobile OS markets to “undermine browser engine diversity”.

“Contrary to claims of Apple partisans, iOS engine restrictions are not preventing a ‘takeover’ by Chromium - at least that’s not the primary effect,” he wrote. “Apple uses its power over browsers to strip-mine and sabotage the web, hurting all engine projects and draining the web of future potential.”

The case against Apple

According to Russell, Apple stands in the way of diversity in the web browser market in a variety of ways, each of which he unpacks in turn.

The main criticism is that the company continues to force developers to reskin its inferior WebKit engine if they want to put out a browser on iOS, a platform used by more than a billion people worldwide.

Although Russell nods to the quality of the developers working on WebKit, he claims Apple has significantly underfunded the browser engine, which is maintained by a “skeleton staff” and is therefore incapable of competing with the likes of Blink (based on Chromium).

The result, he says, is that third-party developers incur significant additional costs associated with building their apps for multiple engines and the iOS browser market is simultaneously starved of innovation. Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, is cited as having delayed its entry to iOS by “around seven years” as a result of Apple’s stringent requirements.

“Today, Apple doesn’t compete outside its home turf, and when it has agency, it prevents others from doing so. These are not the actions of a firm that is consciously attempting to promote engine diversity. If Apple is an ally in that cause, it is only by accident,” said Russell.

Read more

> The inside story of the browser wars

> The success of Brave is a bad sign for Google - here's why

> The billion-dollar startup with a plan to break to browser monopoly

“Theories that postulate a takeover by Chromium dismiss Apple’s power over a situation it created and recommits to annually through its budgeting process.”

Russell also took aim at the reluctance with which Apple introduced the ability to change the default browser in iOS. Only once antitrust regulators began sniffing around did Apple take these steps in 2020.

In some cases, iOS would still override the new default when links were opened from within certain apps, which Russell says created a split browser experience that had a negative impact on users, developers, and publishers alike.

“The pantomime of browser choice on iOS has created an anaemic, amnesiac web. Tapping links is more slogging than surfing when autofill fails, passwords are lost, and login state is forgotten. Browsers become less valuable as the web stops being a reliable way to complete tasks.”

“By simultaneously taking a massive pot of cash for browser-building off the table, returning the least it can to engine development, and preventing others from filling the gap, Apple has foundationally imperilled the web ecosystem by destroying the utility of a diverse population of browsers and engines.”

TechRadar Pro has asked Apple for a response to Russel’s arguments.

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