QD-OLED looks to have taken a step closer to becoming the display technology to beat, with 8K TVs and higher-res monitors featuring the next-gen panels about to hit production lines for the first time.
As reported by FlatpanelsHD, Samsung Display has likely just taken order of machinery that would enable it to start to the mass manufacture of high-density panels that could appear in the best 8K TVs or super-detailed monitors.
Built by American industrial inkjet equipment manufacturer Kateeva, the machine, which is nicknamed “Jarvis” will allow high-volume production of 8K TVs and high-resolution monitors. Kateeva’s machines are reported to have set Samsung Display back $14.5 million.
Samsung Display is currently the only manufacturer to produce QD-OLED panels, but it hasn’t yet officially announced any plans for production of 8K displays featuring the screen tech, however many industry experts have predicted the South Korean company will likely announce its intentions do so at CES in January 2023, though we wouldn't expect the TVs themselves to become available until later in 2023.
QD-OLED panels use a quantum dot layer instead of color filters, meaning TVs using the tech can theoretically achieve higher peak brightness than regular OLED models can deliver, as well as being capable of better saturation.
The Samsung S95B was an impressive debut for QD-OLED, but it didn't follow Samsung's trend towards 8K.(Image credit: Samsung)
Analysis: Machine purchase means it may be worth holding fire on that new QD-OLED
Anyone who has recently been in the market to buy one of best 4K TVs will have done their homework on the latest TV tech and will probably be aware of QD-OLED.
Combining the best performance characteristics of quantum dot LED (QLED) TVs – high brightness and color saturation – with the rich blacks and pixel-level image precision of traditional OLED, it's an extremely tempting option. We rate the Sony A95K, one of the two TVs to use it so far, as the best TV on the planet for sheer image quality.
In short, its looking like the display tech to beat in the future. But anyone on the brink of stumping up the sizable asking prices for cutting-edge flagship QD-OLED TVs like the Samsung S95B or a Sony A95K may be hesitant, knowing that they aren’t capable of 8K, despite their premium price tags.
The news of Samsung Display’s outlay on manufacturing tools shows the company’s commitment to QD-OLED, and we would anticipate that an announcement on 8K panels is likely coming soon – though you should expect any early TVs that use the tech to be massively expensive, just as the few regular OLED TVs that come in 8K are.
The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 has finally been released publicly – and it looks like an emotionally fitting end to the current team's MCU saga.
Debuting online after its latest showing at the 2022 edition of Brazil Comic-Con, aka CCXP, the first teaser for the Marvel Phase 5 movie packs plenty into its 90-second runtime. Not only do we catch a couple of glimpses at Will Poulter's Adam Warlock, we also see a six-armed Groot wielding multiple guns during a shoot out alongside Star-Lord. Oh, and a extremely cute looking baby Rocket, which confirms we'll see how he becomes to be the cynical, cybernetically enhanced creature we know and love.
Take a look at the trailer for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 below:
The third and final Guardians of the Galaxy film will pick up events after the group's Holiday Special, which was recently released on Disney Plus as part of MCU Phase 4.
In the forthcoming superhero movie, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord will still be searching for the 2014 version of Gamora – not the one who died in Avengers: Infinity War – who departed the scene after Thanos' defeat in Avengers: Endgame.
Alongside that, the group will also have to contend with Poulter's Adam Warlock, who has seemingly been sent after them following the Guardians' double-crossing of the Sovereign race in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Oh, and there's also the small matter of Chukwudi Iwjui's High Evolutionary – the film's big bad and the individual responsible for turning Rocket into the tramautized and damaged anthropomorphic raccoon he is today.
Elsewhere, we get more of the Guardians' signature-style humor (mainly courtesy of Dave Bautista's Drax), a number of emotionally weighted scenes involving Rocket (and his sapient otter soulmate Lylla), tons of action and sweeping sci-fi shots and, of course, a perfectly selected playlist from director James Gunn.
The video calling experience for some virtual machine (VM) users is about to get a whole lot better thanks to a new Google Meet upgrade.
In a post on the Google Workspace blog, the company noted, “If you use a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) such as Citrix or VMWare to join Google Meet calls, you’ll notice an increase in video and audio quality.”
Going forward, the platform will detect whether a user is joining from a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) like Citrix or VMWare, and then automatically adjust for better performance.
Google Meet on VMs
It’s not just video and audio quality that are getting a handy boost, but the stress placed on your VM should also notably drop.
“This optimization will also help cut down on the demand put on your VDIs, such as CPU, GPU, and memory usage, helping improve meeting quality and overall performance," Google added.
To benefit from the new optimization, admins will need to complete some setup steps, including enabling the Enterprise Hardware Platform API policy in Chrome, which will allow Meet to detect that it’s running inside a VM. Once set up, end users won’t need to do anything extra.
The rollout has already begun, but will be a gradual process that means some users may need to wait up to 15 days to get access.
Virtually all enterprise users with a VM will be able to notice a difference, because every Google Workspace customer (including legacy G Suite accounts) are included in this update.
This is just one update that joins a number of improvements to the Meet video conferencing platform aimed at improving the experience for business users. The company recently announced a cooperation with Zoom that would see Meet users able to join Zoom calls from within the Meet interface, and vice versa.
Amazon Fire Stick sales regularly drop the prices of the retailer's streaming sticks, so you can completely reinvent your TV's offerings without breaking the bank. You'll have access to hundreds of apps and, in turn, thousands of shows and movies, all with a handy HDMI plug-in. Not only that, but you'll also be able to bring your TV into your wider smart home ecosystem with Alexa support running all the way through.
We're rounding up all the latest Amazon Fire Stick prices right here, bringing you the best deals across the web on all the newest (and cheapest) models. Whether you're after a particularly budget-friendly device like the Fire Stick Lite or an all-in-one powerhouse, you'll find plenty of offers just below. We've also included the powerful Fire TV Cube, which acts as a combination of an Echo speaker and Fire TV device, and the US-exclusive Fire TV Recast, which allows you to record free over-the-air content - one for all you cord-cutters out there.
The main advantage we've seen with the Amazon Fire TV devices over competitors like Roku and Now TV is the now-standard inclusion of Amazon's Alexa smart assistant, thanks to the voice remote that comes with every Fire TV device. Several available apps and games just can't be matched by competitors either. So if you want the smartest of smart TV experiences for less, these Amazon Fire Stick sales are the way to go.
The best cheap Fire TV Stick sales and deals
1. Amazon Fire Stick Lite
Amazon's cheapest streaming device
Picture quality: Up to 1080p Full HD | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 8GB | Ethernet port: No - requires aditional adapter | Launch price: $29.99/£29.99
Alexa Voice Remote
Affordable
Full HD
No TV controls
The Fire TV Stick Lite was released in 2020 to the Amazon Fire TV family, and it's the cheapest device that Amazon has put out yet. The budget streaming stick allows you to stream your favorite content from apps like Hulu, Amazon Video, Netflix, and more. You'll get access to tens of thousands of channels, Alexa skills, and apps, and the Alexa voice remote allows you to browse shows, launch movies, adjust the volume, and more completely hands-free.
2. Amazon Fire TV Stick
A super cheap option for making your basic TV smarter
Picture quality: Up to 1080p (Full HD) | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 8GB | Ethernet port: No - requires aditional adapter | Launch price: $39.99/£39.99
Easy to navigate
Alexa well-integrated
Speedy interface
No 4K
Amazon's 3rd generation Fire TV Stick was released last year as an updated version and retails for $39.99/£39.99. The 2021 Fire TV Stick now includes an Alexa voice remote allowing you to use your voice to launch movies, apps, shows, and more. While this model only supports HD streaming, the Fire TV Stick is 50% more powerful than the 2nd generation, and the Alexa remote includes all-new preset buttons, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and Disney Plus, allowing you to get your apps faster.
If you're wondering the difference between the FIre TV Stick Lite and the Fire TV Stick - you're getting Dolby Atmos with the Fire TV Stick delivering a more immersive audio experience. If this isn't important to you, we suggest going with the Fire TV Stick Lite, which comes with a much cheaper price tag.
3. Amazon Fire Stick 4K
The best for streaming 4K content
Picture quality: Up to 4K HDR10+ | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 8GB | Ethernet port: No - requires aditional adapter | Launch price: $49.99/£49.99
Alexa Voice Remote
4K and HDR 10+
Dolby Atmos Audio
Amazon's 2021 Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device packs a wealth of features into a thumb-drive-sized stick for $49.99/£54.99. The updated Fire TV Stick features 4K Ultra HD capability with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+. You're also getting a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, and Dolby Atmos Audio—something very few streaming sticks have. Plus, you also get Alexa, Amazon's smart assistant, and its voice control capabilities.
4. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Amazon's most powerful streaming stick
Picture quality: Up to 4K HDR10+ | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 8GB | Ethernet port: No - requires aditional adapter | Launch price: $54.99/£54.99
Wi-Fi 6 support
Fast performance
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support
Expensive
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max was released in October of last year with a starting price of $54.99/£54.99. The Fire TV Stick Max is Amazon's most powerful streaming stick, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. Unlike the Fire TV Stick 4K, the 4K Max supports Wi-Fi 6 and features the new quad-core 1.8 GHz processor that Amazon claims offers 40% more power than the previous generation.
5. Amazon Fire TV Cube
Like an Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick in one
Picture quality: Up to 4K Ultra HD with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 16GB | Ethernet port: Yes | Launch price: $119.99/£109/AU$160
Hands free streaming
Supports 4K content
HDR10+ support and Dolby Vision
Amazon's Fire TV Cube is a hybrid between a smart speaker and a streaming media player. Calling itself the "first hands-free streaming media player with Alexa." Amazon seems to be betting on this combined functionality to sway consumers away from rival Chromecast or Apple TV devices.
Like the Amazon Echo speakers, customers can navigate Fire TV and play/pause/fast-forward content without the need for a remote while still using Alexa for all their weather/shopping/trivia concerns. Don't worry, you get an actual remote control too.
The Cube comes with its own Ethernet port, 16GB of storage, a built-in speaker, and top-of-the-range picture quality, as long as your TV can display it. Users can also control other compatible smart home devices, including additional speakers, soundbars, thermostats, and security cameras. Compared to Amazon Fire Stick prices, the TV Cube doesn't come cheap, retailing for $119/£109.99. You are getting complete control of your Amazon smart home in one neat little black box, making it the easiest way to combine all your connected tech.
6. Fire TV Recast
Watch and record live TV with Alexa
Picture quality: Up to HD | Tuners: 2/4 | Voice remote: Yes | Alexa-enabled: Yes | Storage: 500GB/1TB (up to 75/150 hours of HD TV content | Ethernet port: Yes | Launch price: $229.99/$279.99
Amazon's own DVR
75/150-hour capacity
Compatible with Alexa-enabled products
Only available in the US. Amazon has released its own DVR (Digital Video Recorder) to record free over-the-air content and watch it via an Amazon Fire TV device or Echo Show (so you'll need one of those too). There are no subscription fees here, so it's a tempting option for all you cord cutters out there and with a 500GB capacity on the cheapest model, you're looking at around 75 hours of storage, so there's no need to pick up an external drive to save content, which is an issue with some DVRs.
There's a larger 1TB capacity version if you want to double down. Hook it up to a HD antenna and you'll be able to watch and record content from the likes of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, and The CW. Better yet, just ask Alexa to do it for you if you've got a modern Fire TV device with a voice-remote.
Which Fire Stick prices are right for you?
The Fire Stick and the Fire Stick 4K prices are fairly similar to begin with ($39.99/£39.99 and $49.99/£49.99 respectively. So, when the sales do come around, you may well find that the more popular 4K model is cheaper than the original HD-only version. Even if you don't own a 4K TV, there's little point in picking up the older version when this happens (and it seems to regularly). In fact, even if the original Fire Stick prices are cheaper than the 4K offering, if there's a sale on both regardless you might as well pick up the latest model and future-proof your purchase.
Windows 11 users who have run into a problem whereby they’re finding that large files are copying really slowly will be pleased to hear that Microsoft has now fixed the issue.
This issue affects Windows 11 22H2, and note that the fix is in place in the freshly released preview build 25252. So in other words, those testing the OS now have access to the fix, to run it through its paces and ensure all is working correctly.
Naturally, it will come through to the release version of Windows 11 eventually. As Bleeping Computer reports, Ned Pyle, who is Microsoft’s principal program manager in the Windows Server engineering group, informed us: “The final fix for Windows 11 22H2 production computer will come in a normal monthly Cumulative Update through Windows Update once validated in Insider builds.”
Performance being considerably reduced when copying larger files – which simply means they’ll take a lot longer to copy over than they should, and going by some reports, they might take twice as long in fact – kicks in “when copying larger files from a remote computer down to a Windows 11 computer or when copying files on a local drive,” Pyle explained.
Pyle added that PCs on home networks or small offices were less likely to encounter this bug, but it’s still possible, clarifying that: “You are more likely to experience this issue copying files to Windows 11, version 22H2 from a network share via Server Message Block (SMB) but local file copy might also be affected.”
Analysis: Not long now for the full release of the fix, we’d hope
Obviously, this resolution will be more than welcome, as copying big files can be a painful enough time-sink, without having to tap your fingers on the desk for up to twice the length of time as normal.
That said, it’s still in testing right now, so that’s not going to help those running the release version of Windows 11. When will the fix actually arrive on PCs in the real world? That’s a tricky one, as it depends on how testing goes, naturally.
However, what we do know is that this won’t be here this month, as the cumulative update for December has already been pushed out (in preview), and so is too close on the horizon (it’ll be released in under two weeks now). What we can hope for is a smooth path with testing means we’ll see this cure bundled with the Windows 11 update for January, which will be unleashed on January 10 – which still isn’t too far away.
We could still be waiting longer if testers uncover any wonkiness with the fix, of course, or indeed other unforeseen problems introduced elsewhere (it wouldn’t be the first time a patch for one issue caused another flaw to pop up, as we’ve all seen in the past when Microsoft plays bug whack-a-mole).
Windows 11 is slowly but surely becoming a smoother experience in that respect, though in an ideal world we wouldn’t see so many major bugs coming through in the first place.
His Dark Materials season 3 may conclude HBO's TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy, but it's unlikely to the last HBO adaption of the author's work, according to one of the show's executive producers.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar ahead of the HBO Max series' return, Jane Tranter revealed that its creative team wanted to adapt other stories in the His Dark Materials' universe.
However, she added that future installments in the franchise wouldn't come in the traditional form of a fourth season, or even wholly original content. Instead, Tranter wants to bring more of author Philip Pullman's works to life on the small screen – including The Book of Dust, Pullman's sequel series to the His Dark Materials book trilogy.
"I have made no secret of that," Tranter said when asked if she'd like to adapt more of Pullman's novels. "I'd absolutely love us to do The Book of Dust. We've talked to Philip about it and we're really keen to do it. [Showrunner] Jack Thorne has made no secret of wanting to adapt Once Upon a Time in the North as well, the origin story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison. We'd love to keep those conversations going – we don't want to stop."
Will's journey won't continue after His Dark Materials season 3(Image credit: HBO)
Of course, bringing Dafne Keen and Lin-Manuel Miranda back as Lyra Silvertongue and Lee Scoresby – for The Book of Dust and Once Upon a Time in the North respectively – to star in these potential projects depends on their availability.
Keen has started filming a new Star Wars TV show, The Acolyte, for Disney Plus, which Keen has described as being about "how the Sith infiltrate the Jedi order". Meanwhile, Miranda was recently cast as Hermes in Disney's Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show, which has been shooting since June.
Other factors will also play a role in determining whether more His Dark Materials stories are converted into live-action series, according to Tranter.
"We do need Philip to finish writing them [The Book of Dust novels]," she explained. "And we need season three to be as successful as it needs to be for everyone to think 'Yes, we want to see Lyra's journey continue' or 'Yes, we want to see the origins of Lyra's journey.'"
Since The Amber Spyglass – the final book in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy – was released in October 2000, the award-winning author has written multiple spin-offs that could be adapted into their own show or TV special. Alternatively, some of Pullman's short stories or novellas, such as Lyra's Oxford, could be folded into a series based on The Book of Dust's plot. There are plenty of His Dark Materials books, then, that are ripe for adaptation.
As Tranter noted, though, much will depend on the success of His Dark Materials season 3. The first two seasons were received positively by fans and critics alike, although they weren't without their faults. His Dark Materials season 3 follows a similar trajectory; in our review, we called the TV show's third chapter a "fairly entertaining if somewhat disappointing final entry", whose "wonderful fan service-y moments are balanced out by some wildly inconsistent creative decisions".
So it's also up to general viewers and diehard His Dark Materials fans to decide whether more of Pullman's seminal works will transition from the page to the screen.
Major spoilers follow for Willow’s Disney Plus series.
Willow actor Ellie Bamber has spoken of the “pressure” of being cast as a vitally important character with a big secret in the Disney Plus fantasy series.
Bamber – who starts the series playing Dove the kitchen maid – is eventually unmasked by Willow (Warwick Davis) as the grown-up version of Elora Danan, the baby found by the side of river in the original 1988 film who sparks the quest to return her to a Daikini family.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar about whether she knew about her character’s secret when she first auditioned for the role, Bamber says: "I had an inkling. There was quite a lot of secrecy around the first round of auditions, then I spoke to Jon [Jonathan Kasdan, who developed the story] and it became a bit more clear. He said ‘Something happens and there’s a reveal’. My agent had a weird suspicion that maybe it was to play the baby, then I found out I was going to play the baby, so of course I was super-excited about that prospect.
"It was really hard keeping it a secret from friends and family,” she adds. “I’ve had a couple of slip-ups!"
Searching for that big secret like...(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)
In the film, the evil queen Bavmorda says that the marking on Elora Danan’s arm proves that she will try to overthrow her and demands that she is killed. However, in the sequel series, we find out that after Willow gave the baby to Madmartigan (Val Kilmer, who is sadly not part of the new production) and Bavmorda’s warrior daughter Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), they hid her with a new family and gave her a different identity to keep her safe from prying eyes.
Given the fact the movie is a cult classic with a legacy stretching more than three decades, Bamber – who has recently appeared in The Serpent and The Trial of Christine Keeler – says that she felt the weight of expectation on her.
"There really was a pressure," she admits. "I think just going onto the set and seeing the scale of it and the costumes and seeing that everyone was at the top of their game was something that became very daunting. I was like, 'Wow, here I am among some of the best creatives in the industry and I’ve also got to be on the top of my game as well. But I often turn anxiety into excitement as they’re so closely related, so I just tried to get really excited about it."
The 10-part TV show sees the grown up Elora Danan reunite with Willow, who has to teach her of her own sorcerer powers as they go on their own quest in a bid to save a kidnapped Prince Arik (Dempsey Brik). And Bamber says some of her favourite scenes to film in the whole series were with the eponymous star of the new series. “The scenes where I’m learning magic with Warwick (Willow) were so fun to film,” she adds. “We really got to really improvise and build this rapport.”
