I assume most of you reading this have played at least a few video game sequels in your life and while you might have enjoyed them all, this week at Kotaku we want to know: What do you think is the best video game sequel of all time?
Source: Kotaku – Kotaku Asks: What Is The Best Video Game Sequel?
Enlarge / It’s not a Razer device unless it’s posed next to a bunch of custom RGB lighting, right? In great news, the Razer Kishi V2 includes zero glaring lights, which we prefer here at Ars Technica. (credit: Razer)
With smartphones getting more powerful processors and integrated graphics, gaming on mobile is a firmly established thing at this point. However, while the touchscreen on most smartphones is great for doing phone things, it’s not always the best gaming interface (and having your hands obscure the screen can make playing some games particularly difficult). If you find yourself spending serious time gaming on your device, a dedicated gaming controller can make a huge difference, leaving you with something similar in form factor to a Nintendo Switch.
Sure, you could also pack a dedicated handheld gaming device like the Lenovo Legion Go, Valve Steam Deck, or Nintendo Switch—but that’s just another piece of gear you’ll need to remember to charge and pack into your gear bag each day. Gaming on a mobile phone brings convenience and eliminates the need for a separate, standalone device, and with mobile silicon getting faster every year—especially on the iOS side, where this year’s iPhone 15 gets you ray tracing—you’re getting rich graphics in a pocket-friendly form factor.
The Backbone One gaming controller. (credit: Simon Nguyen)
The Backbone One mobile gaming controller is a solid accessory. The buttons are crisp and satisfying to press, and they provide console controller-like responses. While playing a game (in my case, Chrono Trigger for iOS), the D-pad allows for easy maneuvering and doesn’t munge inputs together like some cheap controllers do. A removable piece also allows the Backbone One to fit a phone with or without a case, which is a nice addition. (We tried out the USB-C version of the controller for this guide, although it also supports Lightning devices.)
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Source: Ars Technica – Guidemaster: Game controllers to turn your smartphone into a mobile gaming machine
Economist, in an interactive post: In 2024, countries with more than half the world’s population — over four billion people — will send their citizens to the polls. But many elections are not fully free and fair. Some of these will have no meaningful influence on governments. In the most democratic countries, such as Britain, elections will decide the next government or cause a substantial change in policy. In Russia, one of the least democratic, the vote is very unlikely to weaken Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.
For countries in between, such as India or the United States, elections still matter, and may even be free and fair. But other aspects of democracy, such as participation or governance, have weaknesses. Some places, such as Brazil and Turkey, will not hold general elections in 2024 but have local or municipal elections in which the whole country will participate. Similarly, the European Union’s 27 member states will elect the bloc’s next parliament. More people will vote in 2024 than in any previous year. But this great march to the ballot box does not necessarily mean an explosion of democracy.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – 2024 is the Biggest Election Year in History
While holiday content is rotating on (and off) Max in December, there’s quite a bit of original programming streaming throughout the month. Catch the season finales of Max original comedies Bookie, Julia, and Rap Sh!t (all of which premiered in November) on December 21 and of HBO original dramas 30 Coins and The Gilded Age on December 11 and 17, respectively.
There are two new specials for stand-up comedy fans: HBO original Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! (Reich’s first solo special) on December 16 and Max original Gary Gulman: Born on 3rd Base on December 21.
On the documentary side, there’s the three-part Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (December 4), a Max original about the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart and the racial tensions surrounding the investigation of the case as well as Oprah and The Color Purple Journey (December 28), an Oprah-hosted, behind-the-scenes look at the classic story that’s being adapted as a movie musical coming to theaters on December 25.
Finally, Max is adding a few classic film franchises to its library in December, including Jack Ryan, James Bond, and The Pink Panther.
Here’s everything else coming to and leaving from Max in December.
9 (2009)
Anna and the King (1999)
Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
The Biggest Little Farm (2019)
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
The Box (2009)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The Color Purple (2023)
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
Cut Bank (2015)
Denial (2016)
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)
Die Another Day (2002)
Doomsday (2008)
Elektra (2005)
Eye in the Sky (2016)
Flipped (2010)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
From Russia with Love (1964)
Goldfinger (1965)
Hereafter (2010)
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
How To Eat Fried Worms (2006)
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
I Am
The Informant! (2009)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
Jurassic World (2015)
License to Kill (1989)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Longest Ride (2015)
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
The Lovers (2017)
Low Tide (2019)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Meet the Batwheels, Season 1D (Cartoon Network)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Necessary Roughness (1991)
Notes on a Scandal (2007)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Over Her Dead Body (2008)
Paranormal Activity (2009)
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
Patriot Games (1992)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
The Pink Panther (1964)
Prancer: A Christmas Tale (2022)
Ramona and Beezus (2010)
Red Dawn (1984)
Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
Semi-Pro (2008)
Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America (2022)
A Shot In The Dark (1964)
Skyfall (2012)
Son of the Pink Panther (1993)
The Souvenir (2019)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Timeline (2003)
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
Trainwreck (2015)
A View To Kill (1985)
Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy (2022)
The Women (2008)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Holiday Party with Andrew and Zoe (Magnolia Network)
Maori Kuhawa And The Floating Worlds Time Forgot
OWN Holiday Movie: A Christmas Serenade (OWN) (2023)
Pets and Pickers, Season 2 (Animal Planet)
Teen Titans Go!: Great Holiday Escape & Christmas Magic (Cartoon Network)
Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (HBO Original)
Great Photo, Lovely Life (HBO Original) (2023)
Real Time Crime, Season 2 (ID)
Street Outlaws vs. The World: After Hours (Discovery Channel)
Boom Boom Bruno (Max Original)
Elmo & Tango Holiday Helpers (Max Original)
Vlad & Niki, Season 2C
OWN Holiday Movie: A Christmas of Yes (OWN) (2023)
White House Christmas (2023) (HGTV)
Peltz Beckham vs The Wedding Planners (discovery+ Original)
1000-lb Sisters, Season 4B (TLC)
sMothered, Season 5 (TLC)
Trees and Other Entanglements (HBO Original) (2023)
The Giver (2014)
On the Tee, Season 1B
Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! (HBO Original)
Mysteries of the Abandoned, Season 8B (Discovery Channel)
OWN Holiday Movie: The Christmas Detective (OWN) (2023)
Good Cop Bad Cop (ID)
Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial (discovery+ Original)
World’s First Battlefield (Science Channel)
Yellowstone Wardens, Season 3 (Animal Planet)
90 Day Pillow Talk: The Other Way, Season 5 (TLC)
Border Control: Sweden
Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 2 (Discovery Channel)
American Masters: Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
Daniel (HBO Original) (2023)
Engineering Catastrophes, Season 5B (Science Channel)
Gary Gulman: Born on 3rd Base (Max Original)
Bering Sea Gold, Season 12 (Discovery Channel)
OWN Holiday Movie: Christmas Revisited (OWN) (2023)
Spirited Away: Live On Stage (2023)
90 Day Fiance: Holiday Special 2023, #1 (TLC)
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! (2023)
90 Day Fiance: Holiday Special 2023, #2 (TLC)
Building Outside the Lines (Magnolia Network)
Superchef Grudge Match, Season 2 (Food Network)
Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?, Season 2 (HGTV)
Married to Real Estate, Season 3 (HGTV)
Oprah and The Color Purple Journey (Max Original) (2023)
In With the Old, Seasons 5 (Magnolia Network)
Restoring Galveston: The Inn (Magnolia Network)
The Established Home, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
Amina’s Way (OWN)
Time Bomb Y2K (HBO Original) (2023)
Stath Lets Flats, Season 3
Long Live the Royals
Stand Up To Cancer (2023) (HBO Original)
Mostly 4 Millennials
Nightcrawler (2014)
Tropical Cop Tales
Frisky Dingo
Hot Streets
Tom Goes to the Mayor
The Heart, She Holler
Entourage (2015)
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks (HBO Original) (2003)
Eagleheart
Delocated
China, IL
Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Spotlight (2015)
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
The Oslo Diaries (HBO Original) (2018)
12 oz. Mouse, Seasons 1-2
The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
The Age of Adaline (2015)
All About the Benjamins (2002)
The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)
American Ultra (2015)
Animal Kingdom (2010)
Annabelle (2014)
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
The Ant Bully (2006)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
The Artist (2011)
At Middleton (2014)
The Avengers (1998)
The Bachelor (1999)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Ballet 422 (2014)
Batman (1966)
Before Midnight (2013)
Bells are Ringing (1960)
Beware the Batman (2013)
Beyond the Reach (2015)
Black Beauty (1994)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
The Book of Life (2014)
Boys’ Night Out (1962)
Brigadoon (1954)
The Bronze (2015)
Bulworth (1998)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Child’s Play (1988)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Story 2 (2012)
A Cinderella Story (2004)
The Circle (2017)
The Comedian (2016)
The Company Men (2010)
Compliance (2012)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)
Cunningham (2019)
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Daphne & Velma (2018)
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year (2016)
DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games (2017)
DC Super Hero Girls: Legends of Atlantis (2018)
Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons (2020)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007)
Detour (2017)
Dim Sum Festival (2009)
Diner (1982)
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991)
Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)
Elf (2003)
Elizabethtown (2005)
Enter The Warrior’s Gate (2017)
Eva Longoria: Searching For Mexico (CNN)
Every Secret Thing (2014)
Fast Color (2019)
Final Destination (2000)
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Final Destination 5 (2011)
The Final Destination (2009)
Flashpoint (1984)
Flawless (2008)
Fool’s Gold (2008)
Four Christmases (2008)
Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005)
Fred Claus (2007)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
The Full Monty (1997)
Funny Farm (1988)
Garden State (2004)
Get Carter (1971)
Ginger & Rosa (2013)
The Golden Compass (2007)
The Good Heart (2010)
Happy Feet (2006)
Happy Feet Two (2011)
The Haunting (1999)
Headhunters (2012)
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
Heaven Help Us (1985)
Holiday Affair (1949)
The Hollars (2016)
Hotel Artemis (2018)
The House (2017)
The Illusionist (2010)
In The Heart of The Sea (2015)
Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)
Inside Job (2010)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
The Iron Lady (2011)
Jack Frost (1998)
The Jellies
Jumanji (1995)
Kill Your Darlings (2013)
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Lean on Me (1989)
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain (2017)
LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High (2018)
LEGO Justice League: Cosmic Clash (2016)
LEGO Justice League: Gotham City Breakout (2016)
The LEGO Movie (2014)
The Letter (1940)
Loiter Squad
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Lost in America (1985)
Love Is Strange (2014)
Love Jones (1997)
Luce (2019)
Lucy, The Daughter of the Devil
Maggie’s Plan (2016)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
Marley & Me (2008)
The Master (2012)
Misery (1990)
Music Within (2007)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
The Neverending Story (1984)
New Year’s Eve (2011)
Nico, 1988 (2018)
Nine (2009)
Out of the Past (1947)
Paddington 2 (2017)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
The Pirate (1948)
Pleasantville (1998)
The Polar Express (2004)
Precious (2009)
The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
Prince Avalanche (2013)
Quartet (2012)
Real Life Nightmare
Restless (2011)
Rock of Ages (2012)
Roger & Me (1989)
Room for One More (1952)
The Rover (2014)
Running on Empty (1988)
Running Scared (2006)
Sarah’s Key (2011)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob! (2021)
Scream (1996)
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream 3 (2000)
The Seagull (2018)
Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)
Shanghai (2010)
She’s Funny That Way (2015)
Shivering Truth
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Shoplifters (2018)
Snitch (2013)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
Son of the Mask (2005)
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
Spartan (2004)
Speedway (1968)
Spinout (1966)
Stan & Ollie (2018)
Step Up All In (2014)
Step Up Revolution (2012)
Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift (1990)
Stephen King’s Silver Bullet (1985)
Stephen King’s Thinner (1996)
Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (2022)
Take Shelter (2011)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse (Cartoon Network) (2022)
Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam (Cartoon Network) (2021)
Teen Witch (1989)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
Three Godfathers (1936)
Tom & Jerry: The Movie (1993)
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007)
Tom And Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers (2014)
Trick ‘r Treat (2009)
Tricky Dick
The Trouble with Spies (1987)
The Turning Point (1977)
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
Tyrel (2018)
Under the Same Moon (2007)
Unmasking A Killer (HLN)
Urge (2016)
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016)
A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas (2011)
Volunteers (1985)
Warm Bodies (2013)
The Wash (2001)
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic
WB 100th Behind the Shield
What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
Where the Boys Are (1960)
White Chicks (2004)
The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
Winter’s Tale (2014)
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
You’re Next (2013)
Source: LifeHacker – What’s New on Max in December 2023
Tails 5.20 releases enhanced privacy with the Tor Browser 13.0.4 update and improved email security with Thunderbird 115.5.0. Here’s what’s new!
The post Tails 5.20 Brings Latest Tor Browser, Ditches AdGuard Filter List appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – Tails 5.20 Brings Latest Tor Browser, Ditches AdGuard Filter List
IKEA isn’t going to be making a play for top tech company anytime soon, but it has kept up an offering of solid smart home devices. Its latest releases are a trio of affordable smart home sensors for everything from open doors to water leakage.
First in the lineup is the Parasoll door and window sensor. You can mount it on your door or window (basically any access point) and receive a notification if they open or close unexpectedly. It also pairs directly with an IKEA smart bulb. Speaking of light, there’s the Vallhorn wireless motion sensor, which activates lights when movement is detected. You can choose what color and amount of light you want, with the sensor controlling up to 10 IKEA smart bulbs. Rounding out the new offerings is the Barding water leakage sensor, which works to alert you about any rogue water before your floor finds out. The device can send you a mobile notification, or trigger an alarm.
The sensors are small and white, lending themselves to blending in better throughout the house (unless you really love color). All the sensors are compatible with IKEA’s Dirigera Hub, but only Vallhorn works with the older Tradfri gateway.
IKEA points to people’s desire to feel comfortable and secure in their homes as motivation for these new products. “Everyone wants to feel safe at home and we feel excited about entering a new smart product area that creates not only a better, but safer life at home,” Stjepan Begic, Product Design Developer at IKEA of Sweden, said in a statement. “We believe these products can provide our customers with peace of mind and a greater sense of control and comfort.” The three new devices follow the release of previous sensors by IKEA, like Vindstyrka, which measures air quality.
The US pricing isn’t available yet, but the Parasoll will be €9.99 in Europe, with the Vallhorn and Barding sensors priced at €7.99 and €9.99, respectively. These numbers could transfer over directly into USD or be slightly higher. The sensors should be available in the US in January (Vallhorn), April (Parasoll) and July (Barding) in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ikeas-new-smart-home-sensors-focus-on-safety-and-avoiding-water-damage-133033586.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – IKEA’s new smart home sensors focus on safety and avoiding water damage
As we head into the peak of 2023’s shopping season, many of you will probably be looking to buy a new TV, especially as sales and deals become available throughout the remainder of the year. If you’ve paid any attention to the TV market as of late, you’ve probably noticed two main types of TVs being offered: QLED and OLED. You wouldn’t be alone in feeling confused at exactly what these terms mean and which is the best choice for your living room. Here’s everything you need to know.
To start, let’s take a look at QLED. This is the biggest mystery of the two, as OLED displays have also appeared on tons of other devices and tech hardware—like smartphones—over the past few years. If you’ve looked at any of the high-end Samsung TVs marketed in the past several years, you’ve probably noticed that QLED label on the end of the TV.
According to Samsung, QLED stands for “quantum dot LED TV.” The best way to look at QLED is to consider it an evolution of the LED LCD TV. It isn’t wholly the same, but it also isn’t wholly different. Instead, it’s essentially an LED LCD TV that adds in a quantum dot film, which is meant to increase the quality of the image while still relying on an LED backlight.
Essentially, quantum dots are microscopic molecules that emit their own differently colored light when another light hits them. The dots are contained within a film in QLED displays, and when light from the LED backlight hits them, it transmits the light through the dots, giving them all their own distinct colors and brightness. Still, it builds off the same technology that powers a standard LED LCD TV.
It is worth noting that Samsung is one of the only brands that uses quantum dots in its TVs and brands them as QLED. Other brands like Vizio also use quantum dots in their LED LCD TVs. However, they do not brand them QLED. As such, the QLED term is more of a buzzword meant to make you feel like you’re getting something higher quality when you’re ultimately just getting a standard modern TV display.
OLED, or “organic light-emitting diode” fundamentally differs from LED LCD TVs. Instead of building off the LED backlight system that QLED displays us, OLED displays work off emissive technology.
Being emissive means that the pixels in the OLED display each emit their own light. This allows them to have individual brightness and contrast, as well as the ability to turn off completely in dark scenes. This is what gives OLED TVs their distinct look: Their infinite contrast ratio, where dark scenes are totally black, is something no LED backlight can reproduce, even when using the quantum dot film that QLED offers.
In fact, an OLED TV is not an LCD TV in any way. LCD TVs are much cheaper to manufacture, especially in larger sizes. While they can still provide great color and visuals, they lack the individual pixel lighting that makes an OLED look so good.
If you’re planning to choose between QLED and OLED, then it’s going to be helpful to know exactly where each option succeeds and where it falls short. For starters, OLED displays offer better contrast and black levels, thanks to the individual lighting that comes from every pixel. This results in an ultimately higher quality image that makes each scene in a movie or television show shine through at its best. It also means you can expect fantastic quality HDR when using an OLED TV.
While that is certainly worth praising, OLED TVs are not without their weaknesses. Because they rely on individual lighting, they’re dimmer than your top-of-the-line QLED displays, which often have a higher overall brightness. Currently, OLED TVs max out at around 1,500 nits on the high-end models from companies like LG. (The LG G2 offers a peak brightness of 1,100 nits, and the LG G3 tops out at 1,500 nits.) The reason that OLED TVs are much dimmer is due to their individual lighting. It’s much harder to make them all brighter effectively than on a TV with a single backlight, like a QLED TV.
This means you’ll probably want to mostly use OLED TVs inside of darker rooms—like home cinemas, or just rooms with blackout curtains over the windows. If you have brighter rooms where you need TVs, then OLED displays might not look as good, as the image will be harder to see overall.
There’s also the possibility of burn-in. If you had a plasma TV back when they were considered the top-of-the-line, then you’re probably already aware of what burn-in is. Essentially, burn-in happens when an image is shown on a display for too long, and the effects of that image become engrained or burned into the display. This can ruin a display by making it impossible to enjoy content without seeing the burned-in image. While OLEDs are susceptible to burn-in, most users aren’t going to have a single image on their display long enough to cause any kind of burn-in. As such, I’d recommend avoiding running any kind of 24/7 newscasts for long periods at a time, as the banners that stay in one place along the bottom of the screen (as well as networks logos) can result in burn-in on the display.
As I noted above, most companies use QLED displays in their LCD televisions. However, they just don’t brand them as QLED. Samsung, on the other hand, has used QLED as a bit of a marketing term to try to make its TVs stand out from the competition, and it has worked in some regard.
QLED displays might not be as contrasting and might not offer the deeper black levels of OLED, but they don’t look bad by any means. Most of your standard QLED displays are more than powerful enough to do what you want them to do. In fact, QLED TVs are exceptionally great for really bright rooms, as some models, like the 65-inch Hisense Class U8 can reach peak brightness levels of 2,000 nits. That isn’t a brightness that you’ll be running the entire time, but it’s something you’re going to be able to take advantage of in really bright situations.
The downside of this extra brightness if that you lose some of the contrast and black levels that OLED TVs offer. For most people that probably isn’t going to be a huge deal breaker, but if you want the highest quality image on your TV, an OLED is going to fit the bill here.
Ultimately, this will come down to what type of quality you’re looking for in your television. Right now, OLED displays offer a better contrast and black level, thanks to the individual lighting that comes from every pixel. QLED displays are often brighter and can get brighter than any of the current OLED models. That said, OLED displays are still more than bright enough to tackle the lighting conditions of most rooms, though they might not have the same high brightness as the QLED.
If you want to pick a new TV for the best overall display quality—counting superior contrast, better blacks, and even better overall HDR image and color quality—then OLED TVs have far more to offer. They also offer better viewing angles and uniformity, meaning you’ll get close to—if not exactly—the same viewing experience from every angle of your living room.
If you’re looking for a great new television that’s big and cheaper, though, QLED still offers a really solid viewing experience that will deliver bright colors and solid contrast, though not nearly at the same level of quality as an OLED display.
Future variations of QLED TVs may offer the same level of contrast and black levels that OLED can hit, but that tech is likely still a good few years off. For now, OLED is the best option for superior image quality, as long as you don’t mind the extra cost.
Source: LifeHacker – Here Are the Differences Between QLED and OLED (and Why They Matter)
In a bid to comply with updated privacy rules in Europe, Meta recently gave Facebook and Instagram users in the region an ultimatum. They either had to agree to receive targeted ads or sign up for a €10 per month subscription for each app (or stop using them altogether). That would give users the choice of opting out of ad tracking, but they’d have to pay a hefty sum to do so.
Now, an Austrian privacy group called noyb has filed a complaint against that Meta’s actions on behalf of a client in financial distress. The group stated that the subscription price is out of proportion to the value Facebook receives, so it’s effectively a false choice for users without the means to pay for a subscription.
“More than 20% of the EU population are already at risk of poverty,” wrote noyb founder noted EU privacy advocate Max Schrems. “For the complainant in our case, as for many others, a ‘Pay or Okay’ system would mean paying the rent or having privacy.”
Today we filed our first (yes, more planned) complaint on Meta’s “Pay or Okay” system. Considering that users have on average 35 apps on their phone, you may soon pay € 8.000+ per year to keep your #GDPR rights – let’s see what the @EU_EDPB will say!https://t.co/5GCCy5jPfJ
— Max Schrems 🇪🇺 (@maxschrems) November 28, 2023
Citing Meta’s own data, noyb said that the company’s average revenue per user in Europe was $16.79 between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, or about €62.88 per user. However, it plans to charge a minimum of €120 per year (more if you sign up on a smartphone), or up to €251.88 ($275.88) to have both Instagram and Facebook.
noyb notes that 3 to 10 percent of users want personalized ads, but 99.9 percent consent, due to the lack of a true choice. “EU law requires that consent is the genuine free will of the user. Contrary to this law, Meta charges a ‘privacy fee’ of up to €250 per year if anyone dares to exercise their fundamental right to data protection,” said noyb’s data protection lawyer Felix Mikolasch.
Meta’s actions are also likely to set off a “domino effect,” according to noyb. “Already now, TikTok is reportedly testing an ad-free subscription outside the US. Other app providers could follow in the near future, making online privacy unaffordable.” It added that if multiple apps took the same approach, data privacy would be available “only for the rich.”
Meta defended its approach, saying it follows EU laws. “The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland. In its ruling, the CJEU expressly recognized that a subscription model, like the one we are announcing, is a valid form of consent for an ads funded service,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch, referring to a post from last month.
However, European courts have stated that any fee charged to avoid tracking on products must be “necessary” and “appropriate.” It also says that consent must be freely given. noyb appears to be targeting those clauses by arguing that the relatively high fees will effectively deter free choice by EU citizens, particularly those in financial difficulty.
“Fundamental rights are usually available to everyone. How many people would still exercise their right to vote if they had to pay €250 to do so? There were times when fundamental rights were reserved for the rich. It seems Meta wants to take us back for more than a hundred years,” Schrems said.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-controversial-ad-free-subscription-is-facing-scrutiny-from-eu-privacy-campaigners-131506495.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Meta’s controversial ad-free subscription is facing scrutiny from EU privacy campaigners
Enlarge / Image of a planet-forming disk, with gaps in between higher-density areas. (credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); C. Brogan, B. Saxton)
Where do planets come from? The entire process can get complicated. Planetary embryos sometimes run into obstacles to growth that leave them as asteroids or naked planetary cores. But at least one question about planetary formation has finally been answered—how they get their water.
For decades, planetary formation theories kept suggesting that planets receive water from ice-covered fragments of rock that form in the frigid outer reaches of protoplanetary disks, where light and heat from the emerging system’s star lacks the intensity to melt the ice. As friction from the gas and dust of the disk moves these pebbles inward toward the star, they bring water and other ices to planets after crossing the snow line, where things warm up enough that the ice sublimates and releases huge amounts of water vapor. This was all hypothesized until now.
NASA’s James Webb Telescope has now observed groundbreaking evidence of these ideas as it imaged four young protoplanetary disks.The telescope used its Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) of Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to gather this data, because it is especially sensitive to water vapor. Webb found that in two of these disks, massive amounts of cold water vapor appeared past the snow line, confirming that ice sublimating from frozen pebbles can indeed deliver water to planets like ours.
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Source: Ars Technica – Data from NASA’s Webb Telescope backs up ideas on planet formation
Many people don’t realize that consistently paying rent on time can positively impact your credit score. Reporting your on-time rent payments to credit bureaus demonstrates responsible financial behavior and allows you to build your credit history. If you’re looking to give your credit score a boost, here’s what to know about reporting your rent to the credit bureaus.
When your rental payment history is included in your credit file, it can do the same helpful things that mortgage or loan payments do. First, it establishes length of credit history, which accounts for 15% of your FICO credit score’s calculation.
But to be clear, simply paying your rent will not help you build credit. You need to actually report your rent using the methods below.
Any renter who pays on time each month should consider reporting payments. Whether you rent an apartment or house, you deserve recognition for this responsibility; even if you don’t have a solid credit history, you probably have a history of paying your rent on time. This is why rent-reporting is valuable for anyone with thinner credit files, as well as those who may need to rebuild credit after issues like bankruptcy.
Many property management companies and private landlords now facilitate rent reporting. Ask your landlord first if they submit payments to credit bureaus on the renter’s behalf. There’s a good chance you were automatically enrolled when you signed your lease, at no additional cost.
Otherwise, look into getting your landlord to enroll in a rent-reporting service like Piñata (which is free to use). This way your rent payments will be reported to all three of the credit reporting bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. All three bureaus will take those payments into consideration, as paying your rent on-time and in full speaks positively towards your financial management skills.
There are rent-reporting services that cost money, but I don’t recommend those. Whatever boost you get to your credit history likely won’t be worth the annual fees from these services, especially when free ones are on the table.
Reporting your proper rent payment history is an easy, no-cost way to get credit for demonstrating financial responsibility month after month. Along with rent reporting, make sure to avoid late payments, maintain low balances on credit cards, and fix any errors on your credit report to raise your scores higher.
After a certain point, having a super high credit score doesn’t actually matter. What matters is that with a little diligence, you can build strong credit to keep your financial options open, even when times get tough. For more actionable tips on improving your credit score, check out this Lifehacker post.
Source: LifeHacker – Make Sure Your Rent Payments Are Being Reported to the Credit Bureaus
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: YouTube is branching out into games — at least for its paid subscribers. The platform is giving Premium users access to a set of online games that can be directly played on either the mobile app or desktop app. Known as “Playables,” the company first debuted the experimental feature to select users in September. As noted by Droid-Life, YouTube sent a notification last week to Premium subscribers informing them of Playables and allowing them to try it out. Those who opt in will be able to play a total of 37 mini-games that effectively live inside YouTube — there’s no need to download or install them.
The selection of games isn’t too challenging or “out there” — they include crowd-pleasers like Angry Birds Showdown, Brain Out, Daily Solitaire, The Daily Crossword, and a number of arcade games. And they may not be here to stay. YouTube Premium’s notification stated that the games would be available until March 28th, 2024. For now, Premium members can find the full library of games under the “Playables” section in the Explore tab.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – YouTube Is Getting Into Games, Too
Microsoft announces Azure RTOS’s transition to open-source, rebranding as Eclipse ThreadX under Eclipse Foundation. Here’s more on that!
Source: LXer – Eclipse ThreadX: Microsoft’s Azure RTOS Goes Open Source
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)
A prolific espionage hacking group with ties to China spent over two years looting the corporate network of NXP, the Netherlands-based chipmaker whose silicon powers security-sensitive components found in smartphones, smartcards, and electric vehicles, a news outlet has reported.
The intrusion, by a group tracked under names including “Chimera” and “G0114,” lasted from late 2017 to the beginning of 2020, according to Netherlands-based NCR, which cited “several sources” familiar with the incident. During that time, the threat actors periodically accessed employee mailboxes and network drives in search of chip designs and other NXP intellectual property. The breach wasn’t uncovered until Chimera intruders were detected in a separate company network that connected to compromised NXP systems on several occasions. Details of the breach remained a closely guarded secret until now.
NCR cited a report published (and later deleted) by security firm Fox-IT, titled Abusing Cloud Services to Fly Under the Radar. It documented Chimera using cloud services from companies including Microsoft and Dropbox to receive data stolen from the networks of semiconductor makers, including one in Europe that was hit in “early Q4 2017.” Some of the intrusions lasted as long as three years before coming to light. NCR said the unidentified victim was NXP.
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Source: Ars Technica – Hackers spent 2+ years looting secrets of chipmaker NXP before being detected
Enlarge / Exhaust plumes from the Ariane 6 rocket’s main engine rise above the launch pad in French Guiana. (credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/P. Piron)
The European Space Agency (ESA) declared success after an Ariane 6 rocket fired its core stage engine in French Guiana for seven minutes on Thursday, clearing one of a handful of remaining hurdles before the new launcher can lift off on its first test flight.
The Ariane 6’s inaugural launch, now scheduled for next year, has been delayed repeatedly since ESA approved the new rocket for development in 2014. The test-firing of the Ariane 6 main engine on a launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in South America last week was the most significant test not yet accomplished on the rocket’s preflight checklist.
The test lasted 426 seconds—a little more than seven minutes—while a full-size test model of the Ariane 6 rocket remained on its launch pad. In order for the rocket to actually take off, it would need to light its four strap-on solid-fueled boosters. That was not part of the plan for Thursday’s test.
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Source: Ars Technica – Seven-minute hotfire test moves Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket closer to flight
According to an experiment conducted by The Wall Street Journal, Instagram’s Reels video service would serve “risqué footage of children as well as overtly sexual adult videos” to its test accounts that exclusively followed teen and preteen influencers, usually young gymnasts and cheerleaders.
While these tests don’t represent real user experiences (as tech companies tend to counter with), aggregating child sexualization content was apparently a known problem internally, according to current and former Meta employees interviewed by the WSJ.
Meta told its advertising clients it was investigating and that it “would pay for brand-safety auditing services to determine how often a company’s ads appear beside content it considers unacceptable.”
— Mat Smith
Rivian’s electric truck is available to lease in 14 US states
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Evernote is reportedly testing a severely restricted plan for free users
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According to Reuters and Bloomberg, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is winding down its gaming arm, including the Nuverse brand, with “hundreds” of jobs likely to be affected. Nuverse, acquired by ByteDance in 2017, is the publisher of notable titles Marvel Snap, Ragnarok X: Next Generation and One Piece: Blood Routes. Despite the apparent success of these games, ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo had reportedly criticized the gaming arm for a lack of focus.
Tesla sued Sweden’s transportation agency and postal service over a union strike blocking the company’s license plate deliveries in the country. The workers are striking to demand the non-unionized automaker sign a collective bargaining agreement, a standard practice mechanics’ union IF Metall describes as “the backbone of the Swedish model.” However, the Swedish Transport Agency says it already received an interim decision from a district court, ordering it to consent within seven days to Tesla’s request to collect license plates or face hefty fines.
There’s never been a better time to own a new camera, as the latest technology means better photos and video than ever. But with all the models out there, let alone the numerous accessories, like backpacks, memory cards, tripods and more, where do you start? Fortunately, we’ve done all the research and found cameras and peripherals at a wide range of prices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-instagram-reportedly-served-up-child-sexualizing-reels-to-followers-of-teen-influencers-121741678.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Instagram reportedly served up child-sexualizing Reels to followers of teen influencers
Eduards Sizovs, founder of software developer conference DevTernity, has already been in the headlines for listing fake female speakers for a conference. Now, it has been revealed that Sizovs may also be behind is also behind Coding_Unicorn, a popular Instagram account supposedly run by a female coder, 404 Media reports.
Coding_Unicorn has 115,000 followers on Instagram and claims to be run by a professional software developer named Julia. The account features photos — many of which are glamour shots — of Julia at a MacBook alongside “no-BS coding, career, productivity tips.”
404 Media has laid out a range of evidence that Sizovs is responsible for the account, such as a YouTube video showing Sizovs having previously logged into the account’s email and photos of Julia’s computer screen that show her logged in as Sizovs. Some of Julia’s Instagram captions are also exact copies of Sizovs’ LinkedIn posts.
Julia also lists herself as a DevTernity fan and links to the company’s upcoming conferences. She was allegedly going to speak at a conference but “switched to helping with the organization.” The event, which was set to start on December 7, has been canceled following the allegations that fake women were added to the lineup in an effort for it to look diverse. Two women — one listed as a staff engineer at Coinbase and another as a Microsoft MVP and WhatsApp senior engineer — were removed from DevTernity’s website and have no online presence or, potentially, existence at all, according to The Register.
Sizovs responded to the conference allegations on X: “The amount of hate and lynching I keep receiving is as if I would have scammed or killed someone. But I won’t defend myself because I don’t feel guilty. I did nothing terrible that I need to apologize for.” Sizovs did admit that one profile listed on the site was a “demo persona” that was “auto-generated, with a random title, random Twitter handle, random picture.” However, skeptics claim removing the person should have been simple and that it didn’t appear to be auto-generated at all, with the picture even changing early on.
Looking to the future, Sizovs said, “I’ll increase efforts 10x to make sure that next year, if one of our ladies drops out, we have a fallback plan.” As for Unicorn_Coding, it’s unclear who exactly the woman is in the photos or how she’s connected to Sizovs. Read 404 Media‘s article to learn more about this wild case.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-popular-female-coding-influencers-instagram-is-apparently-run-by-a-man-115046245.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – A popular female coding influencer’s Instagram is apparently run by a man
Red Hat has formally confirmed what many were thinking: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 will be doing away with X.Org Server support aside from XWayland…
Source: Phoronix – Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Dropping The X.Org Server Except For XWayland
Canonical this morning released Mir 2.16 as the latest version of this open-source software for helping to build out Wayland compositors…
Source: Phoronix – Mir 2.16 Released With Seamless Boot Integration, Improved X11 Client Support
With things getting more and more expensive in Australia, it is paramount to ensure you’re getting the best out of everything you pay for. Life insurance is simply something we see going out of our accounts every month, but what are we actually paying for, and how do we know we need it? No matter how many comparison sites we head to and people we speak with, the only thing that gets you your money’s worth with life insurance in Australia is finding a tailored solution.
We want to walk you through a few things you should definitely consider when purchasing or reviewing your life insurance policy. Firstly, we will start with what a basic policy should cover, discuss some essential additions, and explain how you can avoid paying over the odds.
Standard life insurance in Australia is usually a pretty self-explanatory package. There are always a few things included that may not be essential, but every basic policy should at least include death cover, terminal illness cover, and funeral advancement benefit.
Death cover – This is the single payment that will be paid to loved ones after your passing.
Terminal illness cover – You are entitled to an early payment if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Funeral advancement benefit – This takes a portion of the final payout and releases an advanced payment to cover funeral costs.
While the fundamental components of a basic policy offer security and peace of mind in case of death or critical illness, there are things you can do to comprehensively safeguard yourself and your loved ones. Australians may have some of these additions included in their work insurance policy or Super, but it doesn’t hurt being extra safe.
TPD cover – This cover offers a lump sum payment if injury or illness causes a disability and you cannot work anymore.
Income protection – This can subsidise a percentage of your salary if you cannot work.
Trauma – This cover provides a lump sum payment upon diagnosis of terminal illness or if you suffer from a stroke, heart attack, or something similar.
Dependents – If you have children, it doesn’t cost much more to include them in your insurance package.
To put it simply, the best thing you can do to reduce costs is to get life insurance while you are young and do your best to be healthy. In Australia, multiple things can affect the price of life insurance, but the primary ones are age & gender, health & lifestyle, and work. Of course, the more you want out of your policy, the more the price will increase. It is essential to go with an Australian insurance provider you can trust, so do some research. We hope this article can guide you if you are considering purchasing or reviewing your policy. Remember, it may not always feel worth it, but life insurance may be the wisest purchase of your life.
Source: TG Daily – How To Know You’re Getting The Best Out Of Your Life Insurance Policy
Wim Taymans is a Fedora contributor and the creator of PipeWire, the system service that takes audio and video handling under Linux to the next level. Combining the power of PulseAudio and JACK, and adding a video equivalent of those audio services, allows Linux to become a premier content creation platform for audio engineers and […]
Source: LXer – PipeWire 1.0 — An interview with PipeWire creator Wim Taymans
