Hisense’s super-bright 85-inch QLED TV is ready to take on OLED TVs

TV maker Hisense held an event in NYC this week to announce its new partnership with the National Basketball Association. Along with the NBA sponsorship news, the event gave the company a chance to announce that they are now the number two TV brand in North America based on unit share according to data supplied by the Circana retail tracking service.

Hisense has made great strides in the North American TV market over the past few years, heightening its visibility with a lineup of affordable QLED sets. Last year’s U8H series, the first model with mini-LED backlighting to arrive from the company, impressed us with its high brightness and rich contrast, earning a spot on our list of the best 4K TVs and best 120 Hz TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Mini-LED in general has given QLED tech a shot in the arm, with top new Mini-LED backlit TVs like the Samsung QN95C starting to rival the best OLED TVs when it comes to performance aspects like shadow detail and black uniformity. As it previously announced at CES, Hisense will offer four series of mini-LED TVs in 2023, starting with the budget U6K line and topping out with the flagship limited edition UX series.

As part of its NBA partnership, Hisense will sponsor X-Factor Moments, a weekly series of game highlights from the 2023 postseason on the NBA’s social media channels. The NBA League Pass live game subscription service will also be available in the NBA TV app on Hisense smart TVs.

ULED X: The Official Television of the NBA 

While the sponsorship arrangement extends to all Hisense TVs and appliances, the flagship ULED X model has been designated as The Official Television of the NBA.

The limited edition ULED X, which will only be available in an 85-inch screen size, boasts impressive specs. Its backlight consists of over 20,000 mini-LEDs that are controlled by 5,000-plus local dimming zones. Peak brightness is 2,500 nits, according to Hisense, with a claimed two times higher contrast range than OLED TVs. The ULED X also features a built-in 4.1.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X speaker system powered by 80 watts.

The other new mini-LED models in the Hisense lineup are the U8K, U7K, and U6K series. These are all available in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes and have a peak brightness spec ranging from 600 nits on U6K series up to 1,500 nits on the U8K series. Both the U8K and U7K also have 144Hz-capable panels, making them a good choice for gaming, while all models feature a built-in ATSC 3.0 digital TV tuner.

Hisense's L9H laser TV ultra short throw projector comes with 100 and 120-inch screen options. (Image credit: Future)

L9H Laser TV ultra short throw projector 

Hisense’s top ultra short throw projector for 2023 is the L9H. This comes paired with either a 100- or 120-inch ambient light rejecting screen and uses an RGB laser light engine that’s capable of 107% BT.2020 color space coverage. Dolby Vision high dynamic range is supported by the L9H and it runs the Google TV smart interface for streaming and voice control.

Other features of the L9H include a built-in 40-watt Dolby Atmos sound system and an ATSC 3.0 tuner for viewing next-gen digital TV broadcasts.

Hisense was also showing its L5H ultra short throw projector at the event, a step-down model that uses a blue laser light source with reduced BT.2020 color space coverage.

Hisense USA CEO David Gold announcing the brand's NBA sponsorship. (Image credit: Future)

TVs and sports: a winning combination 

There’s no surprise in Hisense becoming the official partner of the NBA, because the high visibility that sports sponsorship nets a brand literally brings it into the living room of millions of viewers. That’s why TCL, Hisense’s main competitor in the budget TV space, is the official partner of NFL football, and OLED TV maker LG is an official partner of NCAA basketball.

For Hisense to compete with TCL it needs to expose its brand to as many eyeballs as possible. And while this sponsorship should do precisely that, the upside to Hisense’s competition with TCL for consumers is that the company’s TVs are seeing year-over-year picture quality improvements, while their prices remain affordable. 

Hisense hasn’t yet announced specific pricing for its new TVs, all of which should arrive around June. At that time, we’ll see just how good they look when we get the new U8K model in for review.

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7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV Plus and more this weekend (March 31)

Apple TV Plus has made serious gains in stature (if not necessarily subscribers) over the last year or so, and if this week’s list of streaming recommendations is anything to go by, the burgeoning platform's cultural footprint looks set to continue growing in 2023.

Headlining the latest crop of new arrivals is Tetris, Apple’s fictionalized take on the creation of the famous video game, which is joined by new series The Big Door Prize and Eva the Owlet on Apple TV Plus. Also streaming this weekend is Murder Mystery 2 on Netflix, The Power on Prime Video and Rye Lane on Hulu. 

Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows to catch on streaming services over the next few days. 

Tetris (Apple TV Plus)

Hot on the heels of The Last of Us and Dungeons and Dragons, Tetris arrives on Apple TV Plus to add to 2023’s already-stacked plate of video game adaptations.

Okay, that’s not strictly true: Tetris isn't an adaptation of its titular (and plot-less) puzzler. Instead, this Taron Edgerton-led drama tells a fictionalized story of how entrepreneur Henk Rogers (Edgerton) risked it all to bring inventor Alexey Pajitnov’s (Nikita Efremov) groundbreaking video game to the world in 1988. Think The Founder, but Tetris instead of McDonald's.

Critics have described Tetris as “clever, crafty and shockingly entertaining,” so the new film could make its way onto our list of the best Apple TV movies very soon. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix) 

One of several star-studded new Netflix movies heading to the streamer over the next few months, Murder Mystery 2 is now available to stream. 

A sequel to the (not-so-good) 2019 comedy about a couple whose vacation is turned upside down when they’re framed for a billionaire's murder, Murder Mystery 2 sees Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler reprise their roles as Audrey and Nick, respectively, for more wise-cracking whodunit action – this time on the streets of Paris. 

Unfortunately, despite praise for its lead stars’ chemistry, critics have called this Netflix follow-up “an object lesson in descending from mild enjoyment to none at all” – so we’re not expecting it to feature on our list of the best Netflix movies any time soon. 

Now available to stream on Netflix. 

The Power (Prime Video)  

Following the release of Swarm and Daisy Jones and the Six, Prime Video bosses will be hoping that The Power, which begins streaming this weekend, continues the platform’s March hot streak.

Set in an alternate world where all teenage girls suddenly gain the power to electrocute people at will, this 10-part adaptation of Naomi Alderman's mega-popular novel of the same name stars Toni Collette, Auli'i Cravalho, Josh Charles, Eddie Marsan, John Leguizamo, Rob Delaney and Alice Eve. Suffice to say, that’s an extremely promising setup. 

The first three episodes of The Power are available to stream on Prime Video now, with the remaining seven installments set to arrive weekly every Friday. Don’t miss this one, folks – it has the makings of being one of the best Prime Video series of 2023. 

Now available to stream on Prime Video. 

The Big Door Prize (Apple TV Plus) 

Tetris isn’t the only Apple TV Plus production in the offing this weekend – new series The Big Door Prize has also begun streaming on the platform. 

Based on the book of the same name by M.O. Walsh and adapted by Schitt's Creek scribe David West Read, this 10-episode drama centers on Dusty (Chris O’Dowd), a seemingly unremarkable man who stumbles across a mysterious, photobooth-sized machine that predicts the destinies of those who observe it (rather like the Zoltar machine in Big). 

Critics have called The Big Door Prize “funny, friendly and beautifully light,” with particular praise being bestowed upon O’Dowd’s “immaculate” comic timing – so this could certainly be among the best Apple TV shows of 2023. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus. 

Unstable (Netflix) 

Rob Lowe stars opposite his real-life son, John Owen Lowe, in new Netflix comedy series Unstable. 

This eight-part show centers on Ellis (Lowe Sr.), an eccentric biotech entrepreneur who struggles to keep his company afloat following the death of his wife and the unexpected re-emergence of his estranged son (Lowe Jr.).

Sure, that all sounds remarkably bleak, but Unstable is most definitely a comedy – and one which has earned wildly mixed reviews from critics. Some have called the series “painfully funny,” while others have branded it “staggeringly joke-free.” As such, we’d suggest checking this one out for yourself to make your own judgment.

Now available to stream on Netflix.

Rye Lane (Hulu) 

Following a short-but-sweet theatrical run on both sides of the pond, Rye Lane is now streaming on Hulu in the US. 

Starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah, this colorful South London-set rom-com – from first-time director Raine Allen-Miller – follows two twenty-somethings, Dom and Yas, who bond over the messiness of their respective recent breakups. 

Critics loved Rye Lane when it debuted at Sundance earlier this year, so this “fresh and charming rom-com” is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for a dose of saccharine storytelling this weekend. UK viewers will have to wait until May for the film to arrive on Disney Plus. 

Now available to stream on Hulu in the US.

Eva the Owlet (Apple TV Plus) 

Here’s one to enjoy with the (younger) kids this weekend. Arriving only a few months after Apple’s Oscar-winning children’s book adaptation The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, another page-to-screen series, Eva the Owlet, is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.

Based on Rebecca Elliott's Owl Diaries books, this eight-episode animation follows Eva, a creative owlet who keeps a record of her high-flying adventures in a colorful journal. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus. 

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Microsoft is changing Windows 11 to help you save money on power bills

Windows 11 has received another preview build in the Dev channel, and it brings in a number of tweaks and additions, including beefing up a feature that should help your PC use a bit less electricity.

That would be Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC), which as of preview build 23424, works not just with laptops on battery power, but when they’re plugged in – and indeed with desktop PCs too.

What CABC does is intelligently dim (or lighten) certain parts of the screen depending on what content is being displayed, the idea being that it can cut back power usage without hampering the ‘visual experience’.

In other words, the tweaking on the dimming front shouldn’t make any noticeable difference to the image you’re looking at on-screen, and it should save you a bit of power (and therefore cash, over time).

The feature can be set to be always on, or it can be disabled, or alternatively you can choose to have CABC kick in only if you’re on battery power (on a laptop of course).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

What else is new for build 23424? There’s a new widget board which is now bigger, so it’s three columns wide (rather than two) and much roomier (assuming the device’s screen has enough real-estate to cope).

Along with this, there’s the usual gamut of fixes and minor tweaks, all of which are detailed in the usual blog post published with every preview build.

Notable pieces of minor tinkering include improving the speed of running searches within the Settings panel, and a change to produce better performance when playing games with a high polling mouse (a super-precise fancy gaming mouse, basically).

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Analysis: Small savings that could add up (we hope)

Bringing adaptive brightness control to a desktop PC might sound a bit daft, considering it’s really more a battery-saving feature for laptops. But if like us, you have your PC turned on for about 60 or 70 hours a week, tiny little power savings will add up across the year – especially with energy pricing being what it is these days (sky-high where we are).

So, this is a useful addition we think, providing that as Microsoft asserts, there’s no noticeable hampering of the quality of the monitor image when the feature is turned on. Of course, you don’t have to switch it on if you don’t want to.

Microsoft’s work with widgets seems to be progressing at a speedy pace, too. The more expansive widget board was previously seen in limited testing in the Canary channel, which is the earliest test channel, just a week ago. Now it’s already in the Dev channel and more widely rolled out.

There are other widget-related changes theoretically in the pipeline that we might see soon, too. That includes Microsoft’s experiments with animated icons for widgets (which we have to say look quite nifty), and the rumored possibility has been floated that users may eventually be allowed to drop widgets onto the desktop. It seems fairly clear that widgets are quite a big thing for Microsoft, so expect to see more of them in Windows 11 down the line.

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With Citadel and White House Plumbers, the race for 2023's best spy show is on

It's a good time to be a fan of the spy genre. Superhero, sci-fi, and high fantasy shows have dominated the television scene for a while now. And, even though some espionage-based TV series have made their way onto our screens during that time, fans of the genre have been feasting off morsels rather than full-blown meals.

The arrival of three potentially big spy shows in the first half of 2023, though, is set to change that. Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max have come out swinging – or, in the latter pair's case, will eventually come out swinging – in the battle to secure the 'best spy show' of 2023. Fans of spycraft and thriller TV shows, then, will have plenty to enjoy, and debate about which series is best, over the next couple of months.

So, what are these so-called top-tier shows that spy fans will want to, well, keep an eye on?

First up is The Night Agent. Unless you've been locked in a dark room for the past week, you'll know that The Night Agent has become Netflix's new TV show darling. The Shawn Ryan-developed espionage series accrued an impressive 168.7 millions hours viewed in its first week post-release – viewing figures that make it the second most-watched Netflix show of 2023 so far. Given its unexpected success, Netflix has unsurprisingly renewed The Night Agent for a second season.

Launching to little fanfare, The Night Agent is everything you'd want in a spy series. It's well acted, comes equipped with a tension-filled plot with multiple twists and turns, and has just enough action to break up the potential monotony of watching characters stand around discussing what to do next. With few other excellent spy-based shows available on Netflix – Treason and The Recruit also landed in recent months, but struggled to appeal to the streamer's fanbase – The Night Agent plugged a huge gap in Netflix's back catalog to stunning effect. Expect it to join our best Netflix shows guide in the interim.

The Night Agent is the spy show on everyone's lips right now. However, two big-budget series, which are set to launch within days of each other in late April and early May, will look to usurp it in the fight to be crowned 'best espionage TV series' of 2023.

Amazon Studios' Citadel will be the first to challenge The Night Agent when it's released on April 28. Produced by Marvel alumni in The Russo Brothers, created by Hunters showrunner David Weil, and starring Game of Thrones' Richard Madden and The Matrix Resurrections' Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Citadel is positioning itself as James Bond-styled TV series that'll look to corner the spy genre market on the small screen.

There's good reason to believe it will, too. As the above trailer shows, it looks as action-packed, stylish, narratively thrilling, and even slightly witty. Amazon has clearly thrown plenty of cash at Citadel with the aim of turning it into another expensive franchise show. 

Like The Rings of Power, Amazon will hope Citadel commands viewers' attentions. If nothing else, at least we'll get to see Madden go full James Bond in Citadel – something fans of the Scottish actor have wanted to witness for a while. Expect it to be part of our best Prime Video shows article very soon.

It won't be long until Citadel is given a run for its money, however. White House Plumbers, a prestige politically charged spy-drama, debuts on HBO Max just three days later on May 1. And, while it might not have the immediate appeal of Citadel or The Night Agent, it could become the surprise contender for 'best spy show' by the year's end.

There are plenty of reasons why it might achieve that aim, too. For starters, it's been created by Alex Gregory and Peter Hyuck, the writers behind some of the best episodes of Frasier, Veep, and King of the Hill. David Mandel (The Simpsons, Curb Your Enthusiasm) is on directorial duties, so we'll get plenty of cringe-inducing and slapstick humor as part of the story, too. Some of Succession's executive producing team, including Frank Rich, are also on board.

Then there's White House Plumbers' absolutely stacked cast. Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, Domhnall Gleeson, F. Murray Abraham, Judy Greer, Kiernan Shipka, and Ike Barinholtz are just some of the big names attached to this project. Add in the fact that White House Plumbers is based on the shockingly true story concerning the Watergate scandal and, of this trio of spy-centric shows, HBO's offering could be the most dramatic and historically appealing of the lot. You can bet it'll be part of our best HBO Max shows list soon.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Citadel and White House Plumbers will crash and burn. Maybe they'll be critically panned pre-release. Maybe they won't resonate with a wider audience. With other highly anticipated TV shows launching around late April/early May, such as Dead Ringers and Sweet Tooth season 2, they might not perform as expected.

Regardless that happening, fans of the spy genre have three high-quality shows to look forward to (or, in The Night Agent's case, to enjoy right now). It's been a long time since we can say that. Maybe, just maybe, this is a huge turning point for espionage fare on the small screen. Heaven knows we've been waiting a while for such a watershed moment.

For more spy genre-based coverage, read about the latest Star Wars espionage drama in our Andor review. Additionally, check out our ranking of every Daniel Craig James Bond movie, or watch these seven bloodpumping spy thrillers while we wait for The Night Agent season 2.

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Microsoft’s ad plan for Windows 11 is its worst idea since Windows 8 – but all is not lost

Microsoft’s leaked plans to add even more ads into the Windows 11 Start menu has not gone down well, and the less-than-positive reaction could hopefully make the company think twice about implementing the change.

As we reported on March 29, Microsoft has added 'notifications for Microsoft accounts' into a new option update for Windows 11. Despite its rather coy-sounding name, many people saw this as meaning more adverts for Microsoft’s services, such as OneDrive.

However, as Neowin reports, a hidden setting has been spotted in Windows 11 build 23419 that allows you to turn off those adverts. This build of Windows 11 is only currently available to people who are signed up to the Windows Insiders programme to help test early versions of Windows 11, but it could hint that Microsoft is considering adding the option to an upcoming version of Windows 11 for everyone.

Good news and bad

The discovery of this setting could be seen as good news. It means that Microsoft may have anticipated that its move to add more adverts to the Windows 11 Start menu wouldn’t be popular, and decided that adding the option to turn ads off could address some people’s concerns.

Somewhere in the bowls of Microsoft, then, there may be a voice, no matter how faint, that’s saying “maybe we shouldn’t keep trying to push our services so aggressively onto our users.” That gives me hope that not all is lost.

However, it’s not all good news. For a start, when I say this option to turn off adverts is hidden – I mean really hidden. Not only is it supposed to be buried deep in the menus (you have to go to Settings > Personalization > Start), but it won’t even appear unless you use a third-party app called ‘ViveTool’ to make it appear.

Messing around with this app, and using the powerful Windows PowerShell application to make the option appear, isn’t recommended (visit Neowin’s page above for instructions if you are keen), and forcing this hidden option to appear and disable adverts could have unanticipated consequences.

Even if Microsoft doesn’t hide it so completely, it’s pretty obvious that Microsoft wants to have the adverts turned on by default, and hopes that many users won’t know how to turn them off.

We’ll keep an eye on how this develops, but if Microsoft keeps filling Windows 11 with adverts for services its users don’t want, we could soon see an even more vocal pushback against its plans.

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Netflix's Scott Pilgrim TV show reunites the film's cast – and I couldn't be happier

Get your Sex Bob-omb shirts out of storage, Scott Pilgrim fans, because the fan-favorite graphic novels are being turned into a Netflix anime series.

Bryan Lee O'Malley's beloved comic book series, which was turned into a cult classic live-action movie in 2010, is set to be adapted once more. 

Well, we already knew that Scott Pilgrim was getting the anime treatment. In its latest announcement, though, Netflix has confirmed it's turned the graphic novels into an anime TV show alongside Universal Content Productions (UCP), a division of Universal Studios Group, who also co-produced Netflix's live-action take on The Umbrella Academy. O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) are also on board as co-showrunners and co-writers.

In even more crowd-pleasing news, the cast of the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World film are all returning to voice their characters in the Netflix series. That includes – deep breath – Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Marvel star Chris Evans and Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, Ellen Wong, Brandon Routh, and Alison Pill among many others.

🚨🚨THIS IS NOT A DRILL!🚨🚨Announcing Scott Pilgrim, an anime series voiced by the cast of the 2010 film!It comes from executive producers Edgar Wright, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and BenDavid Grabinski and is animated by Science Saru. pic.twitter.com/8iyZuaj6eLMarch 30, 2023

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Netflix's Scott Pilgrim series doesn't have an official title (publicly, at least), nor has a release date been announced. In a press release, the world's best streaming service simply revealed that news on both fronts would be "coming soon". Will it be a while before we see Scott Pilgrim's anime show grace our screens? Hopefully not. I reported on the fact that the Netflix anime series was in development in January 2022 (see the link above), so it's been in the works for over a year. Fingers crossed it'll be here quicker than I can say "I'm in lesbians with you".

Regardless, I'm delighted we're getting more Scott Pilgrim content. O'Malley's graphic novels are timeless. They capture the awkwardness of being a teen trying to navigate this magical thing we call life, and act as a nostalgic time capsule of an era where indie rock was big and video games were just starting to be publicly viewed as cool among other culturally significant landmarks. Suffice to say, I'll be watching the show on day one.

It sounds like the series' executive team is delighted to get another run at adapting Scott Pilgrim, too. In a statement released alongside the announcement, O'Malley and Grabinski gushed: "We’re getting the band back together! And, with Science SARU leading the phenomenal animation, we couldn’t ask for a better team for this adventure. We can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to see what we and our partners at Science SARU have been cooking up. It’s going to be a wild ride."

Edgar Wright, who directed and co-wrote the 2010 movie, and who returns as an executive producer on Netflix's adaptation, added: "One of the proudest and most enjoyable achievements of my career was assembling and working with the dynamite cast of Scott Pilgrim. Since the film’s release in 2010 we’ve done Q&A’s, remembrances, and charity read throughs, but there was never the occasion to reunite the whole gang on an actual project. Until now. 

"Original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, along with writer BenDavid Grabinski have conjured up an anime series of Scott Pilgrim that doesn’t just expand the universe, but also…well, just watch it. I’m more than happy to announce that I have helped coax the entire original cast back to voice their characters on this epic new adventure. You are in for a treat."

Scott Pilgrim received a video game adaptation to coincide with the 2010 film's release. (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Interestingly, it doesn't sound like Netflix's anime series will be a direct adaptation of O'Malley's works. Speaking in a Netflix Tudum article post-reveal, Wright said: "Our brilliant creator Bryan Lee O’Malley had an idea that was way more adventurous than just a straight adaptation of the original books."

What do O'Malley, Wright, the cast, and everyone else have in store? I have no idea, but I'm excited to see what changes they could make to embolden one of my favorite comic series. Maybe we'll see some elements of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game – such as each character's unique move set – translated into the anime, or a slight reworking of any outdated elements from the books themselves.

I'm equally confident that Science Saru, the aforementioned Japanese animation studio, will do a wonderful job of recreating Scott Pilgrim's glorious universe, and wacky and offbeat sensibilities, in anime form. The company has worked on numerously well-received anime-like shows, such as Adventure Time and Star Wars: Visions, so I know the series will look visually stunning and capture the essence of what makes Scott Pilgrim so great.

Oh, and in even more fantastic news, Anamanaguchi, who penned the music for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game, and Joseph Trapanese (Straight Outta Compton) are composing original songs and the series' score. All in all: color me excited.

For more Netflix and anime-based coverage, read up on the best anime shows around. Additionally, find out what the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies are.

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HBO Max's streaming successor will be revealed very soon

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has announced when it'll unveil its new so-called super streamer, which is set to replace HBO Max and Discovery Plus this year.

In a press release, WBD confirmed that it'll host an online event on Wednesday, April 12 to reveal its brand-new streaming platform, which is believed to be called Max. The video webcast, which is open to the press and the general public, will begin at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (Australian viewers can tune in at 3 AM AEST on Thursday, April 13).

Responding to TechRadar's question about whether this event will show off WBD's new streaming product to audiences worldwide, a WBD spokesperson simply replied: "Yes". Expect an official name, potential launch date, price plans, how it'll impact HBO/HBO Max deals with UK and other worldwide streamers (more on this later), and more to be discussed during the webcast, then.

We've known that a WBD super streamer was on the cards since the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger was completed in April 2022. Four months after the entertainment companies joined forces, we reported that HBO Max and Discovery Plus would form a new super streamer sometime in 2023. Since then, the two streaming platforms' days have seemingly been numbered.

Discovery Plus will still exist as a single streaming service after the two platforms merge (Image credit: Discovery Inc.)

However, in February, it was revealed that HBO Max and Discovery Plus wouldn't fully merge after all. Instead, Discovery Plus will continue to be offered as a single streaming service to US-based users who don't want to subscribe to WBD's new super streamer. Per The Wall Street Journal, WBD is concerned that it'll lose large swathes of its Discovery Plus user base if it forces consumers to sign up to its combined platform, hence the small change of heart.

It's unclear whether HBO Max's extensive library of movies and TV shows will migrate to WBD's new streaming service when it launches. We're likely to find out more information on April 12 but, for now, the best HBO Max shows and best HBO Max movies are still available to watch on that service, provided you own an HBO Max account.

We'll hopefully find out when the super streamer will be released in the US – and potentially other territories, such as Latin America and parts of Europe – during the event, too. During WBD's Q2 2022 earnings call, executive JB Perrette suggested it could launch stateside in summer 2023. The service would then be rolled out to other world regions – where HBO Max is available, mind you – in 2024.

Analysis: a big question answered, but many more remain

HBO Max and Discovery Plus will be combined sometime this year (Image credit: Shutterstock / rafapress)

After months of speculation, we've finally learned when WBD will officially unveil its new streaming service. While that big questions has been answered, though, there are many more that still require a response.

As well as the aforementioned concerns around HBO Max content, when and where the service will be rolled out, and how much it'll cost, there are doubts about how this super streamer will impact deals that WBD has with other streaming services globally.

For one, there's the question of how it might impact the HBO Originals that are shown on Sky Atlantic in the UK. Popular TV shows including The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, and Euphoria are broadcast exclusively on Sky Atlantic on British shores, thanks to a four-year licensing deal between HBO and Sky that allows the latter to show these series (and many more) in the UK.

That deal is due to expire this year, but it's expected that Sky and HBO will renew the agreement. WBD's new super streamer could theoretically impact any deal renewal – the aforementioned shows are available on HBO and HBO Max in the US – though, especially if its new streaming platform beams The Last of Us and company into US households. Will, for instance, Sky be asked to pay more for the privilege of showing those shows on Sky Atlantic?

Will The Last of Us be transferred to WBD's new streaming service? (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Then there's the HBO Max add-on feature that Hulu users can bolt onto their subscription plan. Currently, Hulu subscribers can add HBO Max as an extra channel (for an additional monthly fee) to their plan, meaning they gain access to the streamer's suite of content, as well as the best Hulu shows and best Hulu movies around. Will this offer be extended for WBD's new super streamer? Or, with the streaming wars hotting up, will WBD prevent Hulu – one of Disney's streaming platforms, with Disney Plus being the other – from offering WBD's super streamer as a bolt-on option for Hulu customers?

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we're unsure if WBD's new streaming plan will help it to close the gap with Netflix, aka the world's best streaming service. Right now, Netflix is the most popular streamer around, with around 231 million subscribers to its name. By contrast, the combined user base of HBO Max and Discovery Plus sits at a less impressive 96.1 million. For comparison's sake, Disney Plus is the second-most popular service, with 161.8 million users – that's despite Disney Plus suffering its first subscriber loss ever in Q1 2023.

WBD will hope, then, that its mega-streaming service, with its huge back catalog and potentially competitive price point(s), will give it a boost in the battle against its rivals. Until April 12 rolls around, however, we're all in the dark about WBD's super streamer – and how much the entertainment behemoth actually wants to win the streaming wars.

For more HBO Max-based coverage, read about all of the new HBO Max movies that have debuted on the service since December 2022. Alternatively, see if there's a free HBO Max trial in your world region before WBD unveils its new streaming platform.

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Google denies that Bard AI copied ChatGPT’s homework

Google’s Bard AI has found itself at the center of controversy again, this time over allegations that the Bing rival was trained using data pulled from OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

As you may be aware, ChatGPT is the power behind the throne of Bing AI, and the accusation of nefarious activities behind the scenes comes from a report by The Information.

We’re told that Jacob Devlin, a software engineer at Google – an ex-engineer, we might add, having departed the firm over this affair – claims that Google used ChatGPT data (scraped from the ShareGPT website, apparently) to develop Bard.

Devlin notes that he warned Google against doing so, as this clearly went against OpenAI’s terms of service.

According to the report, Google ceased using the mentioned data after the warnings from Devlin (who left Google to join OpenAI, we’re informed).

Google denies any of this, though. A company spokesperson, Chris Pappas, told The Verge: “Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT.”

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Analysis: A denial amid some desperation

There we have it, then – a clear denial from Google in no uncertain terms that nothing underhand was going on data-wise with Bard. And to be fair, there’s certainly no evidence that Bard’s answers are remotely like the ones given by ChatGPT. (Devlin had further warned that the alleged data hoovering could mean just that, and it’d be obvious enough what had gone on as a result).

We suppose the trouble with this episode is that it very much feels like Google has rushed Bard to release – dropping clangers while doing so – as it was forced to play catchup with Microsoft’s Bing AI. Given that the latter is now successfully pushing search engine adoption to Bing, already at this early stage, all this could make it easy enough for some to believe that Google might be getting a bit desperate with tactics behind the scenes.

Whether or not the tale about poached data is true – we’ll take Google’s word that it isn’t – the report still makes an interesting revelation that Google’s Brain AI group is now working with AI firm DeepMind (both of these existing under the Alphabet umbrella, the parent company).

DeepMind has seemingly been recruited into the mix to swiftly hone and power up Bard, and it’s notable because the two AI outfits are big rivals and are very much being forced to collaborate on this.

This again sketches a picture of a rather desperate scramble to get Bard steadier on its feet, while Microsoft’s Bing AI keeps getting updated with new features at a fair old rate of knots. (Although fresh rumblings about one of the potential next ‘features’ for the Bing chatbot have us very concerned, it has to be said).

You may also recall alarm bells being rung on the privacy front when Bard itself made an apparent revelation that it used internal Gmail data for training, again prompting Google to tell us that this is not the case and that the bot got things wrong. Bard getting things wrong, of course, is very much part of a bigger issue.

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Netflix Games could be coming to your TV, and I can’t believe I'm excited about it

Netflix is looking to expand its gaming offering, with reports indicating that you might soon be able to enjoy its titles on your TV as well as on the Netflix phone app.

In between its less-than-well-received announcements that free Netflix password sharing will soon be a thing of the past – with password-sharing rules that are tricky to wrap your head around – the streamer has also been expanding its catalog of services to include games.

In the Netflix mobile app subscribers won’t just find hit video content; they can also access a pretty solid lineup of free games they can play on their smartphone. Playing games on a phone screen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, however – particularly on more budget handsets where the screen isn’t the biggest or best quality.

Now developer Steve Moser has discovered code in Netflix’s apps that reference games being played on a television (via Bloomberg).

What’s more, there’s apparently also code that suggests you’ll be able to use your phone as a controller to play them, with one line of code reading 'A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?'

All leaks like this should be taken with a pinch of salt – there’s a chance that Netflix is only testing these features and has no plans to launch them to the public – but Moser has a decent track record with leaks of this kind. He previously revealed that Netflix’s ad-supported tier wouldn’t allow you to download shows for offline viewing, which Netflix later confirmed.

Opinion: I’m excited about better Netflix gaming 

When I first heard that Netflix had plans to expand its catalogue into games I was not at all enthused about the idea. Rather than spending its money on mediocre-at-best mobile games, I would have preferred to see it invest in its shows, and give my favorite series an extra season rather than unceremoniously cancelling them in their prime.

Oxenfree is a fantastic game in Netflix's library (Image credit: Night School Studio)

But its current game library is good, great even. Alongside tie-in titles for hit Netflix shows like Stranger Things and Narcos, it also includes some of the absolute best indie games out there – the likes of Oxenfree, Moonlighter, and Spiritfarer (all of which you should play, especially if you’re a Netflix subscriber).

And this latest leak has me pretty excited about how the streaming platform is developing. While I don’t mind gaming on my phone while I'm on the go, when I’m at home I much prefer lying back on my couch and watching the action unfold on my large TV screen; so I’m much more likely to play a Netflix game through to completion on my TV.

If Netflix can continue to develop its gaming services, both in terms of its infrastructure and its catalog of titles, it could be a force to be reckoned with in the streaming space – and I can’t wait and see where it takes the service next.

If Netflix games aren't convincing you to subscribe to or stay with Netflix, check out the other best streaming services.

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Chatbot or adbot? Microsoft could bring adverts to ChatGPT-powered Bing AI

Don’t look now, but Microsoft is exploring the idea of pushing adverts with its Bing AI chatbot.

The ChatGPT-powered AI hasn’t been around for long, but has already achieved a measure of success driving more traffic to the Bing search engine, which is one of Microsoft’s main aims with the chatbot, naturally.

However, another target Microsoft is now sighting up is the addition of advertising to monetize the chatbot in a more concrete way, as evidenced by a freshly written post on the Bing blog site.

The content makes for worrying reading – though it’s a predictable avenue for Microsoft to assess, and we should note that this is very much early days still. The blog post talks about “exploring” the use of ads and that it’s mulling over “some early ideas,” so we shouldn’t get too carried away at this point.

The ideas Microsoft is toying with include making it so that if the user hovers over a link, it’ll pop up a panel containing further links to a publisher’s content. And also placing a “rich caption of Microsoft Start licensed content” next to a chat answer, meaning driving traffic to these Microsoft Start partners (and sharing ad revenue with that partner).

Microsoft further states: “We’re also exploring placing ads in the chat experience to share the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response.”

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Analysis: A case of greed before need?

Oh dear, oh dear. And another oh dear for good measure. Microsoft seems to be losing sight of the purpose of its ChatGPT-fueled AI here. It’s supposed to be a useful tool, a smart addition to Bing to let people search in a new way, and do a whole lot more to help them besides, with a bunch of other tricks up its sleeve (from knocking up artwork or poetry, to providing swift aid to gamers, kind of).

So, Bing AI is all about helping folks, right? Well, nobody believes Microsoft is doing this out of the goodness of its own heart. Of course there’s an agenda, and that’s to push Bing search to compete better with the highly dominant Google. Fair enough: Bing needs some kind of secret weapon, you can’t argue with that, and finally, it looks like the AI chatbot might be the answer.

Google is even worried, having rushed its rival AI, Bard, onto the stage, fumbling its lines in the process (and not getting nearly the same amount of attention as Bing AI, which is already well underway with updates being applied regularly by Microsoft).

But a measure of early success appears to have left Microsoft with dollar signs flashing before its eyes, perhaps blinding it to Bing’s original purpose. So now, we have Microsoft thinking about getting greedy (there’s evidence of this with the company’s attitude elsewhere regarding the AI, too). Bing traffic isn’t enough in the way of monetization, perhaps, so why not do adverts, too?

We’ll tell you why not – because people are tired of you trying to jam adverts into everything, Microsoft. Like your online services, or the Windows 11 interface, over and over, with the latest example coming earlier this week in the form of (veiled) ads for the Start menu. And now the Bing chatbot?

We’re not surprised, really, but we are getting fed up with the condition Microsoft seems to suffer from, the main symptom of which is a sickening and relentless compulsion to cram in adverts with its products and services. Let’s call it ‘ad nauseum’, and let’s further hope a cure can be found.

Via Neowin

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This Siri replacement may be the closest thing to having ChatGPT on your iPhone

Siri’s 11-year reign may be drawing to a close as a new generative AI rival called Perplexity has just landed on the Apple App Store.

Note that Perplexity is not based on ChatGPT and has its own AI. However, it does function in a similar manner to ChatGPT. You ask it a question, like who designed the Golden Gate Bridge, and it’ll churn out a response in a few seconds. From there, you can either type in a follow-up question, use the voice command feature to verbally ask questions, or choose one from the generated selection. Responses can then be shared via a messaging app or social media platform. It’ll even save “your thread history so you can pick up where you left off,” according to the App Store listing. But unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity actually provides the sources it used to generate content. Underneath, you will see citations from Wikipedia, local news sites, and national newspapers like NPR accompanied by a brief piece of text providing context. 

To use Perplexity, you will need an iPhone supporting iOS 16 or later to install the app or an M1 Mac sporting macOS 13.0 or later.

As for an Android version, it doesn’t appear the developers behind Perplexity have any plans to make one at the time of this writing. We reached out to the team via the official PerplexityAI Discord channel, but haven’t heard back yet. The closest thing you can do is use the AI through a web browser on your Android device or Windows computer. There’s also a Chrome extension available if you prefer more direct access.

Perplexity on an iPhone (Image credit: PerplexityAI/Twitter)

Siri's future

With the introduction of Perplexity on iPhone, you essentially have some form of ChatGPT-like AI on every Apple platform and we don’t mean accessing the generative AI through a web browser. Mac computers have MacGPT, a native app offering quick access on desktops that saw a big update recently. A couple of weeks ago, the Apple Watch got Petey as an easily accessible, on-device assistant to replace Siri.

So we can’t help but wonder what’s cooking behind the scenes at Apple Inc. The company has been suspiciously quiet, allowing the likes of ChatGPT to roam on its platform unfettered as third-party apps. It's unlike Apple to just leave this new trend in the tech industry alone so it must be up to something. The closest indication we currently have is Apple enacting some new rules on its App Store for generative AI. According to a report by CNBC, it recently rejected an update to the BlueMail app due to concerns about the software’s ChatGPT feature not including a filter to protect minors from inappropriate content.

The date for Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2023 has been set for June 5. We’re looking forward to seeing what changes, if any, Siri may get. It'll be interesting to see if the long-standing virtual assistant will get a revamp allowing it to go toe-to-toe with its newfound rivals or be thrown out for a brand new AI model. 

Until then, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best virtual assistants for 2023. 

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AutoCAD finally gets native Apple silicon support

AutoCAD 2024 has dropped - and it’s official: the top 3D modeling software now natively supports Apple silicon chips. 

According to developer Autodesk, Mac users should see overall performance upped to twice the overall performance compared to the last version. 

Alongside performance enhancements on Apple’s M-series chips, the latest update for Windows and Mac also adds improved machine learning and design automation across computers and laptops for AutoCAD.  

What’s new in AutoCAD 2024? 

Users have long wanted Autodesk’s popular software for architects and interior design to add native support for the M1 and M2 chips, But it’s not just Apple users benefitting from faster workflows. Windows users will see up to 9x faster switching between layout tabs, and increased stability and fidelity compared to AutoCAD 2023. 

With an eye on improving online collaboration, users can now view activity insights, which detail any file changes and user activities. The 2024 edition also includes better markup support. Not only do users have the option to annotate and share drawings, but it’s now quicker to implement feedback into drawings. 

Read more

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On the improvements, the company stated: “AutoCAD uses machine learning to detect certain instructions in the markup text enabling shortcuts to commands like Move, Copy, or Erase.”

The placement and replacement of blocks has also become smarter and faster. Imbued with those new machine learning capabilities, users are able to more easily find and replace blocks. Adding blocks, meanwhile, has also been streamlined. The software is able to infer the likely position of the next block based on the placement of previous blocks in the DWG file. 

“AutoCAD 2024 introduces new machine learning capabilities to push the boundaries of productivity and speed up our customer’s workflows. AutoCAD for Mac 2024 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2024 deliver incredible, new performance improvements with the ability to run AutoCAD natively on Apple silicon. It’s exciting to see how customers can now take full advantage of the latest hardware and M-series chips for faster ways to work,”  said Dania El Hassan, Director of Product Management for AutoCAD. 

• Best laptops for graphic design: For designers on the move

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Google Chrome will soon get a nifty feature to cut through clutter on the web

The Chrome browser and Chromebooks are getting a smart new feature in the form of a Reading Mode, Google has revealed over at BETT.

The education tech show is currently underway in London, and Google unveiled plans for this Reading Mode to come to ChromeOS (meaning Chromebooks) as well as the Chrome browser.

The idea of the Reading Mode is it pops up a separate panel to the side of the web page in the browser window, enabling the viewing of that page in a cleaner format and offering greater clarity for simply reading the content.

In short, it strips away the clutter on the web page, so you can wave goodbye to distracting pictures, videos, icons, and buttons to concentrate purely on reading the actual text.

As 9 to 5 Google, which spotted this, points out, Reading Mode is inbound at some point later this year for the Chrome browser, and will debut on Chromebooks with ChromeOS version 114.

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Analysis: Closer to the Edge

This is a welcome option for both ChromeOS and more widely the Chrome browser, as making web content more accessible has got to be a good thing – even if the Reading Mode took a long time to arrive (which it most certainly did).

Cutting out clutter to help focus on the core written content of a web page will be helpful in a range of scenarios, and clearly one of those is in the classroom for those who live with learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD (which as Google points out, is one in five children in the US).

The Reading Mode will come with plenty of customization options so users can fine-tune it to their own needs, too. That’ll include the ability to change the font, and make the size larger if necessary, as well as adjusting elements such as character and line spacing, or the background color. For example, if you want a dark background rather than white, there’s a menu option to make that happen.

If this functionality sounds familiar, that’s because Google is playing catchup in this case, and you may have already played with this kind of streamlined browsing experience in Microsoft Edge (or other browsers).

The Edge browser has an Immersive Reader feature sporting a lot of similar capabilities to those announced by Google here (and more besides), and it was introduced some three years ago.

Immersive Reader can be kicked into gear by clicking the appropriate icon at the far right of the URL bar. (Although it may not be supported with every web page, you can still pull content out of a page by selecting the text and using the right-click context menu to invoke Immersive Reader).

The big difference between Google and Microsoft’s respective takes here is that Edge transforms the web page into its reading-friendly mode, whereas Chrome pops up the Reading Mode version in a panel next to the web page which is still displayed (side-by-side). Quite why Google has adopted this approach, we’re not sure, but as noted, you can expand the Reading Mode panel to be wider.

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Microsoft could be working on an AI-powered Windows to rival Chrome OS

Microsoft is reportedly working on a new version of its ever-successful Windows operating system - but we’re not talking about Windows 12, no sir. Instead, this is ‘CorePC’, a new project from Microsoft designed to take on Google’s ultra-efficient Chrome OS.

That's according to the good folks at our sister site Windows Central, whose sources claim the idea is to create a modular iteration of Windows, which Microsoft could then tweak and customize into different ‘editions’ that better suit specific hardware. This new version of Windows would be less resource-intensive than previously, hopefully.

CorePC (bear in mind this is a codename, and will likely not be the name of the finished OS) is rumored to also have one more trick up its sleeve: AI. Of course it’s AI - we shouldn’t be shocked, given Microsoft’s current hyperfixation on shoving popular chatbot ChatGPT into everything from the Microsoft 365 suite to the Bing search engine. Details are thin on what exactly artificial intelligence will bring to the table here, but it’s claimed to be a focus of the CorePC project.

Opinion: This could actually be really good - if Microsoft stays the course

Though this is no more than a rumor at this stage, it makes a lot of sense. For starters, this wouldn't be the first time Microsoft had experimented with building a lightweight version of Windows. 

The Windows 10X program, for instance, was supposed to be a stripped-back version of Windows 10 that cut down on features in favor of faster operation and better system security. Unfortunately for us, it was eventually canceled in 2021 and the OS never made it to our devices. There was also Windows Lite, a 2018 effort to build a lightweight Windows, which also never really saw the ‘lite’ of day.

I genuinely hope that CorePC doesn’t meet the same fate; the idea of a low-system-requirement version of Windows is an attractive one right now, with Chrome OS slowly encroaching in the budget hardware space. Hell, half of the products on our best cheap laptops list are Chromebooks at this point, and I’m a lifelong Windows devotee - I even owned a Windows phone back in the heady days of 2015 (this one, for anyone interested).

If the CorePC project specifically has the aim of creating a modernized version of Windows that can be easily adjusted to run smoothly on any device, that would be welcome. While I don’t think it will lead to the glorious return of Windows phones (a man can dream though, right?), it’d be great to see Chromebook-esque Windows laptops and tablets.

What exactly can we expect from CorePC?

Digging into the details a bit, it seems that Microsoft has an internal version of CorePC Windows already in testing. It’s barebones, running only the Edge browser with Bing AI, the Microsoft 365 suite, and Android apps - similar to how Chrome OS got access to apps from the Google Play Store back in 2016. This version of Windows is designed for super-affordable PCs and laptops designed to be used in educational environments.

That might not sound very exciting, but here’s the good part: this test build supposedly uses as much as 75% less storage space than Windows 11 and uses a split-partition install process that allows for faster updates, safer system resets, and better security thanks to dedicated read-only partitions the user (or any third-party apps) can’t access. It’s unclear at this point whether this new version runs on a conventional 64-bit structure or if it’s a more limited ARM-based build.

Considering that Windows 11 already uses between 20 and 30 gigabytes of storage space and Windows 12 looks to be jacking up the system requirements even further, the idea of a super-compact Windows edition is quite attractive - especially for use cases in education and enterprise spaces, where security is vital and a limited feature set won’t be a hurdle to everyday usage.

We’ve already seen Windows 11 scaled down for low-end hardware in the unofficial ‘Tiny11’ OS, so it’s not entirely surprising that Windows is seemingly working on an official version. Though there’s no projected release date, speculation points to 2024 so the release can coincide with the expected launch of Windows 12. In any case, I've got my fingers crossed!

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Google Chrome will soon get a nifty feature to cut through clutter on the web

The Chrome browser and Chromebooks are getting a smart new feature in the form of a Reading Mode, Google has revealed over at BETT.

The education tech show is currently underway in London, and Google unveiled plans for this Reading Mode to come to ChromeOS (meaning Chromebooks) as well as the Chrome browser.

The idea of the Reading Mode is it pops up a separate panel to the side of the web page in the browser window, enabling the viewing of that page in a cleaner format and offering greater clarity for simply reading the content.

In short, it strips away the clutter on the web page, so you can wave goodbye to distracting pictures, videos, icons, and buttons to concentrate purely on reading the actual text.

As 9 to 5 Google, which spotted this, points out, Reading Mode is inbound at some point later this year for the Chrome browser, and will debut on Chromebooks with ChromeOS version 114.

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Analysis: Closer to the Edge

This is a welcome option for both ChromeOS and more widely the Chrome browser, as making web content more accessible has got to be a good thing – even if the Reading Mode took a long time to arrive (which it most certainly did).

Cutting out clutter to help focus on the core written content of a web page will be helpful in a range of scenarios, and clearly one of those is in the classroom for those who live with learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD (which as Google points out, is one in five children in the US).

The Reading Mode will come with plenty of customization options so users can fine-tune it to their own needs, too. That’ll include the ability to change the font, and make the size larger if necessary, as well as adjusting elements such as character and line spacing, or the background color. For example, if you want a dark background rather than white, there’s a menu option to make that happen.

If this functionality sounds familiar, that’s because Google is playing catchup in this case, and you may have already played with this kind of streamlined browsing experience in Microsoft Edge (or other browsers).

The Edge browser has an Immersive Reader feature sporting a lot of similar capabilities to those announced by Google here (and more besides), and it was introduced some three years ago.

Immersive Reader can be kicked into gear by clicking the appropriate icon at the far right of the URL bar. (Although it may not be supported with every web page, you can still pull content out of a page by selecting the text and using the right-click context menu to invoke Immersive Reader).

The big difference between Google and Microsoft’s respective takes here is that Edge transforms the web page into its reading-friendly mode, whereas Chrome pops up the Reading Mode version in a panel next to the web page which is still displayed (side-by-side). Quite why Google has adopted this approach, we’re not sure, but as noted, you can expand the Reading Mode panel to be wider.

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The Night Agent is Netflix's new TV show darling – but it won't surpass Wednesday

Every so often, a new Netflix series comes out of nowhere and blows the competition away to stunning effect. Think Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Squid Game, and you'll get the idea.

Three months into 2023 and Netflix has another unexpected TV-based success to add to that roster. Step forward The Night Agent, a politically-charged action thriller that stormed to the top of the Netflix TV charts less than a week after it debuted on the world's best streaming service.

Based on Matthew Quirk's book of the same name, The Night Agent stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy at the heart of the US government. Cue a race against time to stop the mole leaking intel and potentially causing US society from collapsing in on itself.

As plot synopses go, it's a simple one. Clearly, though, audiences have lapped up what's on offer in The Night Agent, with millions of viewers becoming absorbed in its cat and mouse-style narrative, shocking revelations, and suspense-filled teases that have left many on tenterhooks.

Ginny and Georgia season 2 is the only Netflix show to perform better than The Night Agent this year. (Image credit: Netflix)

In fact, The Night Agent has proven so popular that it's only the second Netflix show to debut this year with a whopping 100 million-plus hours streamed. The Night Agent only premiered on March 23 but, six days post-release, it's accrued 168.7 million hours viewed (per Netflix's Top 10 website).

Ginny and Georgia season 2 is the only English-language TV show to rack up more hours viewed in its first week this year – the comedy drama series amassing 180.4 million hours streamed during its opening week. On the non-English language front, revenge thriller The Glory (125.3 million hours streamed in its first week) is the only series to come close to matching The Night Agent's impressive tally.

Considering that The Night Agent has outperformed fan-favorite series like You (season 4 part 2 accumulated 92 million hours viewed in its first week) and Outer Banks (season 3 earned 154.9 million hours streamed during opening week), its success shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Expect The Night Agent to join that duo on our best Netflix shows list shortly.

Even more impressively, The Night Agent's opening week viewing figures were three times bigger than its nearest rival. Shadow and Bone season 2, which landed on March 16, collected 55 million hours viewed in its second week on Netflix (read our Shadow and Bone season 2 review while you're here). Love is Blind season 4 and Waco: American Apocalypse, which debuted alongside The Night Agent, performed terribly compared to the spy thriller – the pair racking up just 25.5 million hours and 21.5 million hours streamed respectively.

Analysis: a tough challenge to reach the top

The Night Agent has got a job on its hands to surpass Wednesday (Image credit: Netflix)

Unexpected as The Night Agent's, well, overnight success has been, it's unlikely to trouble Netflix's most-watched original shows of all-time.

Stranger Things season 4, Wednesday, Squid Game, and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story racked up one billion-plus hours viewed each in the weeks after their respective launches. With Stranger Things season 5, Squid Game season 2, and Wednesday season 2, and a new installment in Netflix's Monster series all in development, the next entry in each of these global hits is likely to surpass their predecessor in the viewership stakes.

The Night Agent might be the latest TV darling to grace Netflix, but it's got a huge fight on its hands to even come close to matching its contemporaries' viewing figures. Of course, the series could enjoy a bumper second week at the top of the charts, especially if Netflix users recommend The Night Agent to their families, friends, and co-workers. Even with that word of mouth aid, though, we'd be surprised if The Night Agent makes a major play for the Netflix TV show throne. Yes, it'll continue to perform well for a couple more weeks, but it'll need more traction among viewers to stand a chance of tackling Netflix's most-streamed shows ever.

For more Netflix coverage, check out our new Netflix movies, best Netflix movies, and best Netflix documentaries guides.

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Pixar's new movie Elemental looks like a flaming good time in gorgeous official trailer

Pixar is renowned for being a boundary pusher in the animation space – and Elemental, the studio's next movie, looks like it'll continue that tradition.

The 27th Pixar movie, which follows hot on the heels of the Disney subsidiary's two 2022 releases – Turning Red and Lightyear – is set to arrive in theaters on June 16. It's high time, then, that we were given a better idea of what its plot will be.

Luckily, Pixar as duly obliged, releasing an official trailer for Elemental – one of our most eagerly anticipated new movies of 2023 – that not only provides some new details about its story, but also gives us another look at the film's jaw-dropping visuals. Check it out below:

Honestly, we can't stop watching the satisfying fluidity of Wade's water-y make-up or the constantly burning, fiery aesthetic of Ember's design. It's a seriously impressive feat to get these contrasting visuals to operate in the same VFX engine and look as beautifully natural as they do. Anybody else expecting Elemental to be a shoe-in for a Best Animated Feature nomination at the 2024 Oscars?

As for the movie's story, it seems it'll center on a platonic or romantic relationship between the fire-based Ember and water-styled Wade. Right now, we only have a simple plot synopsis, courtesy of Pixar, to go on, which reads: "In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common". This new trailer, then, reveals how Ember and Wade's worlds collide and thematically explores the notion of how opposing races and forces can co-exist. A noteworthy message for our times, eh?

Elemental will star Leah Lewis (Batwheels, The Half of It) as Ember and Jurassic World: Dominion's Mamoudou Athie as Wade. Newcomer Mason Wertheimer has been cast as Clod, a young, street smart Earth-based character, while Wendie McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!) will portray Gale, an air-based individual. Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) voices Wade's mom Brook.

Pixar's latest feature film has been directed by veteran employee Peter Sohn, whose only other directing credit came on 2016's The Good Dinosaur. Sohn has voiced numerous characters in the Pixar-Verse, though, including Sox in Lightyear, as well as executively producing, writing, animating, and acting as a story consultant on many other Pixar flicks. John Hoberg and Kat Likkel (My Name Is Earl, Black-ish) are joined by Brena Hsueh (How I Met Your Mother) as the film's main writers.

Turning up the heat in the animation genre

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will push the animation boundaries later this year, too (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

With the animation genre proving to be a popular medium for audiences and creators alike in 2022 – Turning Red, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish were all stunningly gorgeous films – it seems that 2023 is set to follow in its predecessor's footsteps.

Given its penchant for breaking ground in the animation space, Pixar is helping to lead the pack with Elemental. However, the film isn't the only new release from the studio that's set to wow cinephiles with its visually arresting animation style, hues, cityscape backgrounds, and technological innovations.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the follow-up to 2019's Into the Spider-Verse, is also set to disrupt the animation medium with its own revolutionary art style and eye-popping colors – and it'll arrive just two weeks before Elemental on June 2, meaning the sixth month of 2023 will be an animated showdown for the ages.

Throw in The Super Mario Bros. Movie – the joint Universal, Nintendo, and Illumination animated flick based on Nintendo's legendary video game series – as well as Paramount's visually striking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie and Netflix's stop-motion animated sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and this year could be the one where animated movies are taken far more seriously than before. Let's hope the Academy and other film award organizations take note.

For more Pixar-based content, read up on why Pixar's chief creative officer thinks Lightyear flopped at the box office. Alternatively, find out which Pixar films made it onto our best family movies and best Disney Plus movies lists.

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Windows 12’s RAM demands could spell doom for older PCs

Windows 12’s system requirements are the latest speculation to be aired on the grapevine regarding the next version of Microsoft’s desktop OS, and the news is kind of good and bad.

Let’s start with the positive aspects here, which are that most of the recommended specs should stay the same compared to Windows 11, at least if a rumor from German tech site Deskmodder is correct (as flagged by Neowin).

The site’s unnamed sources – as ever, add your own seasoning, and maybe tablespoons rather than teaspoons in this case – claim that there should be no change on the security front. Specifically, the stipulation for the PC’s security needs will call for TPM 2.0 as is the case with Windows 11 currently.

Deskmodder clarifies that it’s too early to bring in Pluton, Microsoft’s security chip that has been included with some devices since last year, but not nearly enough to be requiring its presence.

Processor support, too, should remain unchanged according to this new info, so if your CPU is good enough for Windows 11, it’ll remain able to cope with any demands placed on it by the next-gen OS.

What may be different is that the RAM requirement could be upped to 8GB. We should note at this point that even the rumor couches this as a possibility, and as such it may not happen – the minimum spec could remain at 4GB, as with Windows 11.

However, it’s possible Microsoft could double up that RAM spec, and the reason for 8GB would apparently be the new ‘Cloud PC’ feature we’ve been hearing quite a bit about lately. The latter may be one of the key new features that Windows 12 is built around.

Other specs aren’t mentioned in the leak, but we can guess that the primary missing piece of the puzzle, namely storage, will probably be pretty much in line with Windows 11.

(Image credit: Tobias Dahlberg from Pixabay )

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Analysis: But RAM, it’s an easy upgrade anyway, right? Well…

It’s not a big surprise that TPM 2.0 would remain in place and security demands won’t be beefed up, but it’s good to hear this nonetheless (even if it’s just rumored – all of this info should be treated with some caution, as we’ve already touched upon).

Similarly, it’s no shocker that the CPU requirements would stay the same. Windows 11 already set a pretty high bar here, and to raise it further definitely wouldn’t be well received.

The RAM is the fly in the spec ointment, though, with that potential ask of 8GB. The trouble with this is that there are still a lot of folks out there motoring along with Windows 11 and 4GB of RAM, the current minimum spec. Well, maybe not motoring, but certainly plodding along happily enough accomplishing basic tasks like emailing and web browsing without breaking a sweat.

It's true that for multi-tasking apps and more demanding work, ideally, you want 8GB of system memory these days anyway – heck, lots of Chrome browser tabs can be pretty demanding still (although Google has taken action on that front). But plenty of users out there won’t be happy about being frozen out of Windows 12 if it does raise the minimum RAM bar to 8GB.

But RAM is easily upgraded, you say? Well, yes, true enough. It’s one of the easier upgrades to carry out on a PC for sure, but it’s still something that might intimidate the less tech-savvy. And remember, it’s more complicated on some PCs, such as in cases where the CPU fan overhangs the RAM slots, thereby requiring the cooler to be removed to perform the upgrade, so the process then becomes a somewhat fiddlier affair.

There’s also the small matter of laptops, too – some of them can’t have their RAM upgraded, as it’s soldered on.

If Microsoft really is mulling a move to 8GB minimum, and perhaps soon – with Windows 12 rumored to be set to arrive next year – this could cause some bad feeling in terms of forced upgrades (or maybe devices locked out totally, in the case of laptops), pretty soon after the launch of Windows 11. Let’s face it, the majority of folks still haven’t made the jump to Windows 11 yet, and the next iteration of the OS is on the horizon already (maybe).

In a relatively short space of time – certainly in the world of operating systems – we’ve gone from needing 2GB of RAM for Windows 10 in 2015 (indeed, 1GB for a 32-bit installation originally), doubling up to 4GB for Windows 11 in 2021, and then potentially just three years after that, doubling again to 8GB? That feels like a steep rise when all other specs are remaining the same.

Is it time to upgrade your 4GB PC, then? Well, maybe – if that’s possible – but of course, let’s not get carried away quite yet. The theorized 8GB requirement may evaporate into the rumor ether, and we’re guessing there are a fair few folks that are hoping for such a vanishing act to happen.

If 1 in 20 gamers still have 4GB of RAM according to the latest Steam survey – with those who game typically being highly conscious of needing plenty of this particular system resource so frame rates run smoothly – we can only imagine how many everyday users remain in this boat.

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