Monthly Archives: December 2017

Amazon's YouTube App on Fire TV Stops Working Ahead of Schedule

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Amazon has already deactivated its YouTube app on Fire TV devices, four days before a planned blockade by Google. Instead of opening YouTube directly, the app now encourages users to install Silk or Firefox, and will open a link to the site once either browser is installed. From a report: Google has said it will cut off YouTube access on Fire TV starting January 1, citing Amazon’s unwillingness to support Prime Video on Chromecast, or to sell Google hardware (including Chromecast) on its website. The companies say they’re having productive discussions, and Amazon now has a product listing up for Chromecast, but the YouTube app’s deactivation suggests an agreement isn’t imminent.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Amazon’s YouTube App on Fire TV Stops Working Ahead of Schedule

Dealmaster: Get a pair of Sennheiser noise-cancelling headphones for $200

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Greetings, Arsians! Courtesy of our friends at TechBargains, the Dealmaster is checking in from his cozy vacation spot to bring you another round of discounts. While the deals have slowed a bit now that Christmas has come and gone, there are still a handful of bargains worth noting.

Those include the lowest price we’ve seen on Amazon for Sennheiser’s wireless, on-ear, noise-cancelling HD1 headphones, as well as discounts on Sonos speakers, several Dell laptops, and Amazon Echo devices. You can have a look at the full list below.

(credit: TechBargains)

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

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Source: Ars Technica – Dealmaster: Get a pair of Sennheiser noise-cancelling headphones for 0

Watch the Grand Canyon Fill With Clouds in This Timelapse of a Rare Weather Phenomenon

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Clouds form when warm, humid air rises into the cooler atmosphere, and all that water vapor condenses into tiny floating water droplets. But sometimes that process can be inverted, like when cold air trapped in the Grand Canyon causes it to fill with clouds as warm air passes over the massive gorge. And sometimes,…

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Source: Gizmodo – Watch the Grand Canyon Fill With Clouds in This Timelapse of a Rare Weather Phenomenon

Cheap 75-144Hz FreeSync: AOC Unveils G90 Gaming Monitors from €179

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AOC has introduced its new family of entry-level displays that offer a refresh rate up to 144 Hz, a 1 ms response time, and AMD’s FreeSync technology. The G90 monitors do not belong to the premium AGON lineup designed for serious gamers, but they still take some pages from the AGON book when it comes to design and firmware.


The AOC G90 family consists of three models: the 24.5-inch G2590VXQ, the 24.5-inch G2590PX, and the 27-inch G2790PX. All three are based on TN panels featuring an FHD resolution, 250-400 nits brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 1 ms GtG response time, and 170°/160° horizontal/vertical viewing angles (which is just what you come to expect from inexpensive TN LCDs). All three monitors share a similar design with rather thin bezels and “gaming red” inlays, but there are some differences when it comes to how the stand adjusts. All three support AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology with low framerate compensation (LFC), with a 30-144 Hz range for the G2590PX and G2790PX as well as 30-75 Hz for the cheapest G2590 VXQ. Finally, all three support AOC’s low input lag feature as well as Shadow Control enhancement to make dark scenes brighter.



The G90 lineup from AOC is aimed at a wide audience of gamers and support a variety of inputs, including D-Sub, DisplayPort, HDMI (two of these, probably to simplify connection of game consoles) and even MHL for the 24.5” models.































Specifications of AOC’s G90 Series Gaming Displays
  G2590VXQ G2590PX G2790PX
Panel 24.5″ TN 27″ TN
Native Resolution 1920 × 1080
Maximum Refresh Rate 75 Hz 144 Hz
Dynamic Refresh Tech AMD FreeSync with LFC
Range 30 – 75 Hz 30 – 144 Hz
Brightness 250 cd/m² 400 cd/m²
Contrast 1000:1
Viewing Angles 170°/160° horizontal/vertical
Response Time 1 ms GtG
Pixel Pitch 0.2825 mm² 0.3113 mm²
Pixel Density 90 PPI 81 PPI
Color Gamut Support sRGB
Inputs 1 × DisplayPort 1.2

2 × HDMI 1.4

1 × MHL

1 × D-Sub		 1 × DisplayPort 1.2

2 × HDMI 1.4

1 × D-Sub
USB Hub – 4-port USB hub
Audio 2 W × 2

headphone output
Proprietary Enhancements AOC Low Input Lag

Shadow Control
Power Consumption Idle 0.5 W
Operating 25 W 28 W 32 W
Stand Adjustments Tilt -3.5º/19.5º
Swivel – -20º/20º
Height – 130 mm
Pivot 90º
VESA Mounts 100 × 100 mm
Launch Timeframe January 2018 February 2018 December 2017
Launch Price €179 in Europe

£159 in the UK		 €279 in Europe

£249 in the UK		 €349 in Europe

£309 in the UK
Additional Information Link Link Link
Check Availability Amazon.com Amazon.com Amazon.com

The AOC G2790PX is already available from select retailers in Europe for €349/£309; the G2590X, its younger brother, will hit the market in February and will cost €279/£249. The most affordable G2590VXQ will ship next month with a €179/£159 price tag.



Pricing of the new AOC G90-series monitors in the USA is to be announced at a later date. In the meantime, AOC’s partners are selling off previous-gen gaming monitors with discounts right now. For example, the AOC G2460PF that strongly resembles the G2590PX (24” TN, FHD, 350 nits, 1000:1, 144 Hz, 1 ms GtG, FreeSync, DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, adjustable stand, no Shadow Control) can now be purchased for $205 from Amazon.


Buy AOC G2460PF on Amazon.com


Related Reading




Source: AnandTech – Cheap 75-144Hz FreeSync: AOC Unveils G90 Gaming Monitors from €179

Gigawatts of planned natural gas plants despite low electricity prices

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Enlarge / SMITH TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 25: A view from private farmland shows a natural gas cryogenic processing plant under construction October 25, 2017 in Smith Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. The cryogenic plant is owned by Energy Transfer Partners, ETP, one of the nation’s largest natural gas and propane companies. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images) (credit: Getty Images)

Despite plummeting wholesale electricity prices in some areas of the US as well as essentially flat electricity demand in recent years, natural gas and renewable capacity is still being built.

In 2016, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) notes, natural gas-fired electric generation in the US increased by 3.4 percent; non-hydroelectric renewables like wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal increased by 15.7 percent; and conventional hydroelectric power grew by 7.5 percent. Coal electric generation, on the other hand, fell by 8.4 percent in 2016.

Those numbers only reflect the share of electricity generated by a certain type of fuel, not necessarily how many new power plants came online in 2016. But the natural gas expansion looks like it’s still gaining ground in certain areas of the country. According to The Wall Street Journal, at least two power plant companies—Invenergy and Calpine—are going all-out on building natural gas capacity in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Between those two states, Invenergy and Calpine are set to increase natural gas capacity by 8.6 gigawatts between 2018 and 2020.

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Source: Ars Technica – Gigawatts of planned natural gas plants despite low electricity prices

UK Enjoyed 'Greenest Year For Electricity Ever' in 2017

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The UK has achieved its greenest year ever in terms of how the nation’s electricity is generated, National Grid figures reveal. From a report: The rise of renewable energy helped break 13 clean energy records in 2017. In June, for the first time, wind, nuclear and solar power generated more UK power than gas and coal combined. Britain has halved carbon emissions in the electricity sector since 2012 to provide the fourth cleanest power system in Europe and seventh worldwide. In April, the UK had its first 24-hour period without using any coal power since the Industrial Revolution. The government is committed to phasing out unabated coal by 2025 as part of efforts to cut the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions in line with legal obligations.
Separate findings from power research group MyGridGB show that renewable energy sources provided more power than coal for 90% of 2017, figures up to 12 December show.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – UK Enjoyed ‘Greenest Year For Electricity Ever’ in 2017

1:24 Scale LEGO Crane Almost Takes Up A Whole Room, Can Pick Up A Chair

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lego-crane-1.jpg

This is a video demonstration of the 1:24 scale Liebherr LR 11000 crane built by Youtuber Dawid Szmandra. It’s “99.9% LEGO, exceptions are PRINTED pulley wheels, stickers, strings.” It weighs around 60-pounds (27kg), is 24-feet long (picture proof after the jump), and operates using 4 LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Intelligent Bricks, 9 motors, 7 light sensors and 1 touch sensor. It’s slewing ring bearings are even made out of minifig heads! As shown in the video, it’s strong enough to lift a chair. Now that’s a marvel of engineering. You think this is how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids? “No.” Aliens? “Is there any way they weren’t?” I knew you were a logical thinker.

Keep going for the video, chair pickup is at the end.

Source: Geekologie – 1:24 Scale LEGO Crane Almost Takes Up A Whole Room, Can Pick Up A Chair

Not Every Hobby Has to Become a 'Hustle'

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I love a side hustle. My hobbies—blogging, podcasting, making comedy videos, even tweeting—have all become my job. I even contributed to a book called The Hustle Economy: Transforming Your Creativity Into a Career. So believe me when I tell you: Your hobby is also allowed to be completely useless.

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Source: LifeHacker – Not Every Hobby Has to Become a ‘Hustle’

Apple's iPhone Apology Penance Promises $29 Battery Replacements And iOS Battery Health Meter

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Apple's iPhone Apology Penance Promises $29 Battery Replacements And iOS Battery Health Meter
Late last week, Apple issued its first official statement on the brewing controversy over iPhone throttling. Today, it has greatly expounded upon those comments with an open letter to its customers.
Apple starts off by addressing customers directly, writing, “We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been

Source: Hot Hardware – Apple’s iPhone Apology Penance Promises Battery Replacements And iOS Battery Health Meter

PSA: Internet Fame Isn’t Worth the Burns from This Boiling-Water-Into-Snow Trick

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Three years ago, it seemed like everyone experiencing near-zero temperatures stepped outside with a pot full of boiling water and flung it into the air to make instant snow. Not surprisingly, many of those same people—including a pair of Kentucky meteorologists—scalded themselves in the process! Even on a frigid…

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Source: Gizmodo – PSA: Internet Fame Isn’t Worth the Burns from This Boiling-Water-Into-Snow Trick

Fire TV users lose access to the YouTube app earlier than expected

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Amidst the ongoing disagreements between Google and Amazon, the version of YouTube currently accessible on Amazon Fire TVs was scheduled to be disabled starting January 1st. But TechCrunch reports that at least for some users, that appears to have ha…

Source: Engadget – Fire TV users lose access to the YouTube app earlier than expected

There’s still time to donate for a chance to win our Charity Sweepstakes

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In addition to that sweet mixtape, here are just some of the prizes you could win by entering this year’s sweepstakes.

As we transition from the Christmas season to the New Year’s season, more than 300 Ars readers have already teamed up to give nearly $19,000 to the EFF and/or Child’s Play in this year’s Ars Technica Charity Drive Sweepstakes.

That means we’re still a long way off from the more than $38,000 we raised last year. Luckily for those charities, there’s still time for our readers to dig deep and set a new giving record for the site. Luckily for you, that also means you still have time to get an entry in for a chance to win a piece of our massive pile o’ swag, which we can’t keep anyway (no purchase necessary for entry).

If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, follow the instructions below to get your donation counted and your entry logged for the sweepstakes. If you have given already, our deepest thanks from everyone here at Ars.

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Source: Ars Technica – There’s still time to donate for a chance to win our Charity Sweepstakes

Amazon Updates Fire TV's YouTube App to Redirect Users to a Web Browser Instead

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The animosity between Amazon and Google is heating up again, as the YouTube app has been modified so Fire TV users can’t get their usual experience. Google suggested that this wouldn’t happen until the new year, but I guess someone thought it’d be harder hitting during the holidays.



Google hasn’t been happy about Amazon’s anti-competitive nature when it comes to allowing rivals to sell their own hardware items — like smart speakers and media players — on Amazon.com. The retailer has long refused to stock devices that competed with its own, including Apple TV, Chromecast, Google Home, and others in an effort to promote its products like the Echo and Fire TV.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Amazon Updates Fire TV’s YouTube App to Redirect Users to a Web Browser Instead