The Rings of Power season 2 is already primed to start filming

The Rings of Power's first season has only just debuted on Prime Video, but the show's cast and crew are already turning their attentions to season 2.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar at The Rings of Power's UK junket, the Prime Video series' cast were hesitant to confirm an exact date for when filming would begin on the epic fantasy show's next installment. Given the level of secrecy around season 1 of Amazon's Lord of the Rings, and the show more generally, that's to be expected.

"I'm not sure what we can say about it," Robert Aramayo, who portrays Elrond in the show, said. However, Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, teasingly added: "We start filming soon – and we're very excited."

Despite the cast's reluctance to reveal any concrete news about when The Rings of Power season 2 will start filming, executive producer Lindsey Weber was more forthcoming. And, based on what Weber told us, principal photography on the show's next season is nearly ready to begin.

Discussing season 2's start date as part of an answer she gave surrounding Embracer Group's recent acquisition of The Lord of the Rings IP, Weber said: "We're totally consumed with this [production on season two]. And in a few short weeks, we start filming season two, which is all the brain space any of us have right now."

The Rings of Power will run for five seasons – if it proves to be a hit with fans. (Image credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video)

It won't be a major surprise to anyone following The Rings of Power's development that a second season is on the way. Amazon Studios greenlit a second season in November 2019 (per Deadline) – not only a sign of how confident the company was in its Lord of the Rings adaptation, but a decision that would have allowed the cast and crew to film seasons 1 and 2 back to back.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 put paid to those plans. The show had only been in full production for a month in New Zealand before it was placed on indefinite hold, in March 2020, because of the global pandemic. Principal photography started back up in May 2020 – under new safety guidelines issued by the New Zealand government – with filming eventually wrapping in August 2021.

As long as there are no similar complications, or a resurgence of Covid-19, in the coming weeks, The Rings of Power season 2 will enter production shortly. According to Time magazine, filming is likely to start in October 2022 – a time frame that lines up with what Weber confirmed to TechRadar about a filming start date. 

Unlike the first season or previous live-action Lord of the Rings projects, though, the Prime Video series' next installment won't be filmed in New Zealand. Instead, production will move to the UK, with Variety reporting Bray Film Studios, Berkshire and Bovingdon Airfield, Hemel Hempstead will be primarily used for set-based filming. 

Meanwhile, co-showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay told Entertainment Weekly that they had been scouting filming locations in the UK as recently as June. According to The Guardian, Scotland was viewed as a frontrunner for shooting sequences on location, but it's unclear if this is still the case. Regardless, expect Amazon to confirm that filming has begun on The Rings of Power season 2 in the near future.

For more content surrounding The Rings of Power, check out our spoiler-free review of the first two episodes. Alternatively, find out why Amazon's Lord of the Rings will be a treasure trove of secrets just waiting to be found by diehard Tolkienites.

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DTS Play-Fi gets turbo-charged for 7.1.4 surround sound

Xperi, parent company of DTS, is at IFA 2022 demonstrating the latest updates to its Play-Fi wireless audio streaming platform. Play-Fi, which is found in products ranging from wireless speakers to the best soundbars, AV receivers, and TVs, lets listeners stream up to 24-bit/192kHz high-res audio with under 1ms latency over their home’s Wi-Fi and also allows for tunes to be simultaneously streamed to 16 separate devices at once.

The main update that Xperi demoed at IFA was wireless playback of immersive movie soundtracks over a  7.1.4 speaker configuration. The source for the demo was a Play-Fi-compatible Philips TV, which streamed audio to a Philips Fidelio FB1  7.1.2 soundbar. Along with the FB1, that company’s F1 wireless speakers were used for both surround and height effects and its W1 wireless subwoofer for low-frequency effects.

Play-Fi can support dual subwoofer setups – something I wasn’t previously aware of. But we made do with a single sub for Xperi’s 7.1.4 demo, which needed to be loud enough to compete sonically with loud construction equipment being used to assemble a nearby booth. (Ah, the perils of IFA press day.) 

What most impressed me about the Play-Fi demo was the TV’s easy Home Theater Setup menu. With this, viewers with a Play-Fi-enabled TV – currently limited to sets from Philips – can access an onscreen menu to add soundbars and speakers and configure settings like speaker channels, levels, and delays exactly as you would in an AV receiver’s menu.

But you don’t necessarily need a Play-Fi-enabled TV to set up your 7.1.4 surround system since the Play-Fi app also gives you access to those same settings. If you do have a Play-Fi TV, however, it can be designated as a “speaker” within a multiroom setup, providing you with yet another end point for whole-house music.

A second Play-Fi feature Xperi announced at IFA is gapless music playback. This mainly matters for classical music where listeners might not want to experience audible gaps between the sections in a symphony. Extended DJ mixes will also benefit from Play-Fi going gapless.

The new DTS Play-Fi Home Theater Setup menu lets viewers easily add multichannel wireless speaker outputs to their TV. (Image credit: Future)

The DTS Play-Fi product ecosystem now supports 400 products from 30 brands and the company’s licensee list keeps growing. At first Play-Fi worked primarily as a way to stream stereo music to wireless all-in-one speakers, but with the addition of multichannel audio support, first 5.1 and now scaled up to 7.1.4, the Play-Fi platform is starting to look like a viable replacement for hardware like AV receivers.

Using a TV as the source for wireless playback to a Dolby Atmos soundbar plus surround speakers and subwoofer is an easy and affordable way for viewers to step up to higher-quality, fully immersive sound. And as DTS demonstrated at IFA, the simplicity of that process will make the setup undaunting even for casual users. Just power up the TV, select which wireless speakers you want to get sound from an onscreen menu, and away you go.

Along with the updates, Xperi announced a new partnership at IFA with Vestal, maker of Toshiba and JVC-branded TVs, to bring Play-Fi wireless audio streaming technology to its sets. Other partnership announcements included TCL and Hisense for those company’s soundbars. Both of those are fast-growing TV brands as well, so if we see Play-Fi also embedded in their sets sometime in the future, it could mean the beginning of the end for the A/V receiver – and the start of a new era where immersive audio is made easier, more affordable, and generally more accessible.

IFA 2022 is Europe's biggest tech show, and TechRadar is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and announcements, plus our hands-on first impressions of the new TVs, wearables, audio devices and other gadgets on show.

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Cloudflare responds to criticism over relationship with far-right websites

Cloudflare has suggested it will continue to provide its services to websites that may host “reprehensible” content, despite controversy around the company’s ongoing relationship with troll forum Kiwi Farms.

Although the CDN and DNS provider declined to name the forum, which is widely known for harassing marginalized social groups, a new blog post addresses the issue indirectly, offering a rationale for continuing to provide security services to sites reported as offensive. 

In the past, the company has terminated relationships with customers seen to have a negative impact on broader society, including a neo-Nazi troll website in 2017 and consipiracy theory forum 8chan in 2019.

Uptime for troll sites 

According to Cloudflare, although some websites may host abhorrent content, it is not the correct approach to withhold security services, which have effectively become an essential internet utility.

“Just as the telephone company doesn't terminate your line if you say awful, racist, bigoted things, we have concluded in consultation with politicians, policy makers, and experts that turning off security services because we think what you publish is despicable is the wrong policy,” Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO, and Alissa Starzak, Vice President, Global Head of Public Policy of Cloudflare, wrote in the blog post.

“To be clear, just because we did it in a limited set of cases before doesn’t mean we were right when we did. Or that we will ever do it again.”

Read more

> Cloudflare says it was almost fooled by a phishing attack

> Cloudflare says it stopped the largest HTTPS DDoS attack ever

> Cloudflare to offer all customers a significant security boost 

The blog post also mentions Cloudflare’s acceptable hosting policy, which gives the firm the right to remove or disable access to content that it believes contains displays, distributes, or encourages the creation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or promotes the exploitation of minors.

The company will also take action against websites that infringe on intellectual property rights, sites that have been determined by appropriate legal process to be defamatory or libellous, amongst other examples of that nature.

Since Cloudflare’s announcement, some of its users have expressed their frustration on Twitter, with a few choosing to migrate their sites to a new hosting provider. 

TechRadar Pro has reached out to Cloudflare for a comment, but the company is yet to respond.

• The best web hosting services usually include top quality security add-ons for your website 

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Lots of new shows and films are coming to Paramount Plus, but not for free

Your Paramount Plus app is about to get a whole load of new films and TV shows from Showtime – though to watch them you’ll have to pay extra.

Paramount Plus has gone through a lot of changes since its inception. At first, it wasn’t even known as Paramount Plus – instead it carried the name CBS All Access – and more recently it was announced that the Essential Plan would soon be bundled in with Walmart Plus subscriptions (likely in an effort to bring Amazon Prime down a peg or two).

However the service is about to get another change, as the catalog of content available on the Showtime app will now be streamable through the Paramount Plus app instead.

Unfortunately, this won’t be a free upgrade. If you want the privilege of watching Showtime’s content you’ll need to pay $12 per month for the Essential plan (with ads) or $15 per month for Premium (ad-free) – both plans will also include Paramount Plus.

Yellowjackets is one of the best TV shows on Showtime, and Season 2 is now on its way to Paramount Plus. (Image credit: Showtime)

But if you’re reading this before October 2, 2022, you’re in luck as there’s a limited-time offer where the bundles will instead only cost $8 and $13 for Essential and Premium respectively. Even once the deal ends in October you’ll continue to benefit from the cheaper price (until you cancel your plan or Paramount decides to end the special price).

Alternatively, you can keep paying $11 per month to get Showtime on its own, and you’ll still be able to get Paramount Plus for $5 per month for Essential and $10 for Premium.

Most likely this bundle is an effort to help make Paramount Plus and Showtime appear more appealing following the news that rival streaming services HBO Max and Discovery Plus will be merging in 2023. 

We’ll have to wait and see if the gamble pays off, but either way Showtime and Paramount fans now have a more convenient way to stream their favorite TV shows and films.

Looking for other content to stream? Check out our picks for the best Netflix shows, and best Prime Video shows.

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You'll be able to edit tweets on Twitter soon - here's how

Twitter has confirmed that edited tweets are in testing, and will be rolling out to some Twitter Blue subscribers within the next few weeks.

Edited tweets are something of a holy grail for Twitter users. We've all been in a situation on the platform where we've tweeted something out quickly, but there's a big typo. But by the time we've realized it, it's too late to delete it.

Edited tweets look to change this, with Twitter explaining in a blog post how the feature will work. With the feature still in testing some things may change – the 30-minute time limit might be shortened or extended based on feedback – but for now it will allow users to edit a tweet for up to 30 minutes after it was posted, with a label being added to tweets that are changed.

A user can also click on this label to view the tweet's history, so you can read what the tweet looked like originally for clarity.

if you see an edited Tweet it's because we're testing the edit buttonthis is happening and you'll be okaySeptember 1, 2022

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The company has explained that it will be rolled out to some Twitter Blue subscribers in the coming weeks, but with this subscription service only available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for now, users in the UK and other countries will miss out on the test.

Regardless, to see more confirmation that edited tweets are being worked on and will soon be available to some users is a welcome sight, and could be the biggest change to how we use Twitter that's come in recent years.

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Software giants may use eco projects as a cover for price rises

If you’re using dedicated collaboration software or productivity software for your business, chances are you’ll be paying a third-party to supply it. A new Gartner analysis suggests that significant price increases could be on the way, citing eco projects as a key contributor.

Over the next 36 months, software as a service (SaaS) vendors are said to be planning a significant increase in their prices, by as much as 20%.

The Gartner document, titled “3 Reasons Why SaaS Vendors Are Raising Prices and What You Can Do About It” suggests sustainability regulations could be introduced worldwide, meaning that many vendors will need to tweak the way they work to remain compliant.

Software prices rising: energy prices

With a global focus on energy usage in a time where unit costs are higher than ever, companies are likely to become more reliant on reducing their carbon footprint, by using green data centres for example. While this could receive part of the blame for increased prices, green data centres are specifically designed to use less energy. Because they are more efficient, running costs should be lower (after a potential capital outlay, which may be reflected in any software price hikes). 

The solution? Gartner recommends chatting with your supplier to investigate its eco-credentials and to rule out greenwashing. It says that around two in five companies’ statements about sustainability were “exaggerated, false, or deceptive”, which could give you grounds to question the company’s pricing.

Software prices rising: labor costs

Read more

> Check out the best free office software

> How IT leaders can optimize cloud and SaaS spending

> SaaS platforms are facing more phishing attacks than ever

The past two years have been especially challenging, and a further turbulent period caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added further stress on global supply chains. The same source suggests that the invasion has reduced the worldwide tech talent pool by as much as 5%.

The solution? Gartner suggests looking into the company’s workforce, and better still, its use of automation. Check whether it’s committed to maximising efficiency, which could help reduce its labor costs.

Software prices rising: inflation

The third reason in the study places an emphasis on inflation, which is soaring globally. Unfortunately, there’s very little for bargaining here. That said, check the percentage of increase somewhat matches the percentage of inflation, or that it’s not drastically disproportionate.

If you’re committed to your current SaaS vendor, consider locking in for a longer time by renewing your contract early, rather than waiting for an auto-renewal price.

• This is the best project management software around

Via The Register

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Philips’ Fidelio FB1 Dolby Atmos soundbar is ready for the spotlight

Philips is offsite at IFA 2022 in Berlin showing a range of AV gear – everything from OLED TVs to soundbars, headphones, and speakers. One highlight is its EISA award-winning Fidelio FB1 ($899 /  €899 EUR / $1,316 AU), a powerful integrated soundbar capable of delivering 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos audio.

Up close, the FB1 has a stylish design (my picture doesn’t do it justice) with a metal mesh grill and Scottish Muirhead leather accents on both the cabinet and top control panel. A front LED display provides visual feedback in response to remote control commands for input switching, volume adjustment, and processing mode selection.

Each of the soundbar’s front left, center, and right speakers use a traditional D’Appolito configuration to create a wider listening arc, and there are also two side-mounted speakers for enhanced surround plus a pair of upfiring speakers for Atmos height effects. When used as a standalone unit, the FB1’s dual woofers deliver bass down to a specified 50Hz.

Along with Dolby Atmos, the FB1 supports DTS:X immersive sound and can stream music wirelessly via DTS Play-Fi, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect. Siri, Google, and Alexa voice assistants are also supported for hands-free voice control.

An exploded view of the FB1 soundbar showing its D'Appolito front driver array plus side- and top-mounted speakers. (Image credit: Future)

Fidelio expanded 

While the FB1 is already a complete package, Philips was displaying it as part of an expanded 7.1.4 system with its W1 wireless subwoofer and S1 wireless speakers – all of it paired via DTS Play-Fi. 

The compact W1 packs an 8-inch woofer and double suspended passive radiators. One cool feature noted in the presentation I caught was that, when paired with the FB1, the soundbar’s crossover automatically pushes up to 75 Hz, allowing for the sub to take most of the low bass chores off of the soundbar’s hands.

Aside from being capable of adding both surround and Atmos effects to a 7.1.4 system, the S1 wireless speaker is outfitted with LED lights to extend the Ambilight experience when paired with one of the company’s similarly featured TVs. 

The effect of that in demos that included the S1 was to create a subtly psychedelic lightshow – one accompanied by dynamic visuals from the company’s TVs, and powerful cinematic sound from the FB1 bar and accompanying wireless sub. Judging from what I heard (and saw), the FB1 could easily be a contender for our list of the best soundbars for 2022.

The Fidelio FB1, W1, and S1 should all be available in October.

IFA 2022 is Europe's biggest tech show, and TechRadar is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and announcements, plus our hands-on first impressions of the new TVs, wearables, audio devices and other gadgets on show.

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