Panasonic 4K HDR choices: DX902, DX802, DX750, DX700 TVs explored

Panasonic has refreshed its line-up of Viera televisions for 2016, with a number of models offering Ultra HD/4K, as well as high dynamic range (HDR).

We saw the launch of the DX900 at CES 2016 (appearing as the DX902 in Europe), Panasonic’s first television to carry the Ultra HD Premium tag, meaning that it adheres to the UHD Alliance’s demanding standards for the delivery of Ultra HD and HDR content.

Panasonic is firing into 4K with both barrels, with a full range of devices from capture to viewing, encompassing camera, televisions and Ultra HD Blu-ray players.

Pocket-lint

Panasonic Viera DX900 

The DX900 is the flagship television for Panasonic in 2016. It comes with the Ultra HD Premium tag, the first TV from Panasonic to carry this new badge. It offers direct illumination through Panasonic’s Honeycomb system, so it’s slightly thicker than some of the other flagships out there, but this gives more control over lighting across the panel thanks to hundreds of separate dimming zones. 

This results in stunning contrast, able to deliver deep blacks and bright whites, reducing haloing that’s common on LED TVs. From what we’ve seen of this TV, it’s very capable at delivering a realistic but vibrant colour range, with HDR giving that dynamic boost to look ultra realistic. 

There is a HCX+ processor powering the thing, as well as THX certification. As with Panasonic’s other TVs on this list, it runs on Firefox OS, with Freeview Play in the UK, and both Amazon and Netflix notably providing video content. That’s where you’ll be getting the majority of your 4K and HDR content in the immediate term. 

The Panasonic Viera DX902 is on sale now, and will cost around £3200 for the 65-inch model, or £2700 for the 58-inch.

Pocket-lint

Panasonic Viera DX802

The DX802 makes a greater design statement, sitting on its own A-style frame so the screen appears to float. The speakers are separate as a bar that can sit below the screen, or slightly behind for a more hidden appearance. 

The Panasonic Viera DX802 takes a slight step down in terms of the technology offered through the panel, so this is a 2000Hz display rather than the 3000Hz of the DX902. It doesn’t carry the Ultra HD Premium badge, but it is 4K and HDR capable, with THX certification pending.

It has a HCX processor aiming to give you great realistic colours and like the other televisions in this line-up, it’s powered by Firefox OS with Freeview Play in the UK, and Netflix and Amazon to provide your on-demand video content. 

The Panasonic Viera DX802 will be available in 58- and 50-inch sizes, and from what we’ve seen so far, it’s another really impressive display. There’s no word on pricing yet.

Pocket-lint

Panasonic Viera DX750

Moving down from those top two models you have the DX750 (it will be sold as DX780 in Europe with twin tuners). Technically the DX750 moves down to a 1800Hz panel, but hangs onto the 4K resolution and support for HDR. 

One of the unique features of this TV is that it offers Panasonic’s “switch style” stand. This allows you to move the feet into different positions to suit your room. The feet can be reversed, so there’s a range of different positions and looks, all from the same TV.

As with the other TVs it will run on Firefox OS with Freeview Play (in the UK) and support for online services like Netflix and Amazon. 

The DX750 swill come in 50-, 58- and 65-inch sizes and again the price is still to be released. We like the design and this TV still looks great.

Pocket-lint

Panasonic Viera DX700

The entry point for 4K and HDR from Panasonic is the DX700. This offers the same design as the DX750 with those feet that can be moved into different positions to suit the room you’re standing it in.

The panel however moves down to 1400Hz, but it’s still 4K and HDR compatible. Again it runs on Firefox OS with Freeview Play and offers those on-demand catch-up services from Amazon and Netflix. 

There’s no confirmation of pricing just yet, but it will be available in 40-, 50- and 58-inch sizes. 

Panasonic will offer televisions lower down the scale offering 4K resolutions (DX650 and DX600), but these don’t support HDR, so you won’t be getting the most out of the latest content that you throw at it.

We will update as soon as we have confirmation of all the prices. 

In Sweden, McDonald’s Happy Meals come with VR goggles

Swedish kids (and adults) can get a toy much sweeter than Barbies and Hot Wheels with their Happy Meals this month. Over the weekends of March 5th and March 12th, 14 McDonald’s outlets in Sweden are bundling real, working virtual reality headsets with their Happy Meal boxes. In fact, the boxes themselves were designed to transform into “Happy Goggles.” You just have to cut on the dotted line, fold it a bit, slip in the goggles and your phone to get something similar to Google Cardboard. The best part is, it will only cost you around $4.10, and that includes the grub inside. It most likely won’t be as good as more expensive VR devices, but it sounds like an affordable introduction to the world of virtual reality.

According to AdWeek, Golden Arches came up with the promo specifically for Sportlov, a one-week school break meant to encourage families to go on ski trips. McD’s even developed a ski-themed VR game called Slope Stars to go with the headset. The publication says McD’s will only be selling 3,500 Happy Goggles in all. McDonald’s Sweden exec Jeff Jackett told AdWeek that this is merely “the first trial run globally,” though, so we’re hoping Ronald and friends end up offering this special Happy Meal worldwide.

Via: IGN

Source: AdWeek, Happy Goggles

Gmail can scan images to stop confidential data being leaked

Businesses do a lot to secure their operations, but often it just takes one rogue employee to send themselves confidential files and they’re doomed. Google launched its Data Loss Prevention (DLP) service to help companies avoid such a calamity, and now it’s getting even more powers to avoid data losses. With the update, Gmail will be able to scan documents with optical character recognition to make sure attached images don’t contain sensitive information like social security numbers or passwords.

Google’s business platform already had the ability to scan documents, but it can now match keywords or certain text strings to an admin-approved blacklist. It’s designed to stop someone from sending something by mistake, but it can also potentially identify when an employee is purposely trying to share company secrets.

Currently, optical character recognition is only available to paid Google Apps Unlimited customers. That makes sense given you’re unlikely to need protection from sending credit card details in an image file from your personal account. If you do feel your account could use some additional security, though, make sure that you enable two-step verification and keep training those spam filters.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Apps Blog

Sony’s next big PS4 update brings Remote Play to PC and Mac

Sony surprised a lot of people when it announced you’d be able to remotely play PlayStation 4 games on a PC or Mac back in November. But we’re just as surprised at how quickly it’s turned this around: Remote Play will come with the next big PlayStation software update. Unfortunately, although the beta for the new firmware — version 3.5 — starts tomorrow, Remote Play will not be part of that pilot.

What is included is a number of software improvements. The bulk of the changes relate to PSN and online play.

First, you’ll be able to get notifications for when certain friends sign in. And, perhaps to counter this, you’ll be able to appear offline to your PSN friends. For online play, User Scheduled Events will let you set a time and date for a future play session. Once the time is right, anyone signed up for the event will be added to a party, which sounds pretty useful if you regularly game with a particular group. Once you’re in a party, you’ll be able to see what each member is playing in order to smooth out the process of joining a friend’s game. Bringing up the rear is the addition of the popular and totally relevant video app DailyMotion.

There’s no clear release date for the new firmware coming to the general public. The last major software revision had month-long beta, which gives us a clue as to the timeline, but how quickly 3.5 will arrive depends on the success and stability of the beta test. Those approved for the beta program should get the update tomorrow, sans Remote Play, of course.

Source: Sony

Sony Launching ‘Remote Play’ of PS4 Games on Mac and PC ‘Soon’

Sony has announced that its forthcoming Remote Play app for streaming PlayStation 4 games on Mac or Windows PC will be available “soon.” However, the feature will not be included in PlayStation 4’s latest 3.50 system software update, which launches in beta tomorrow.

Last November, Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida tweeted that it is working on an official Remote Play app for Mac and PC, enabling users to stream and play PS4 games on desktops and notebooks. Physically owning a PS4 will still be required to stream games.

Remote Play is currently limited to various Sony devices, including the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV and newer Xperia-branded smartphones and tablets. All new PS4 games must be compatible with Remote Play, except for games that use peripherals such as PlayStation Move.

Tags: Sony, PS4, PlayStation
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Morgan EV3 is a steampunk dream, plus it’s electric

Morgan is a car manufacturer steeped in history that respects the past. So even when going electric it has managed to remain decidedly old school in its stylings with the EV3.

The Morgan EV3, revealed as a production model at the Geneva Motor Show 2016, is a three wheel, all-electric car that really does look like something out of a steampunk game.

This is the first all electric vehicle from Morgan which will be available to buy. The 500kg machine features a 62bhp electric motor fed by lithium ion batteries. That weight to power ratio should result in a 0-62mph time of 8-seconds, a top speed of 115mph and a range of 150 miles.

Morgan currently has its similarly designed 3 Wheeler which is priced at £25,950. It says the electric EV3 will be similarly priced.

The Morgan EV3 looks like something out of the past with those thin wheels mounted on that round edged bonnet. As for that bronze looking radiator and three lights to match the wheel number, it’s inspired. We really wouldn’t be surprised if someone adapted this to work off steam with a full chimney piping out of the rear above the seat. In fact it might even enhance the car.

Morgan will start producing the EV3 in Q4 of this year so don’t expect to get hold of one until early next year. That gives you plenty of time to pick out a nice white scarf, leather driving gloves and a pair of goggles then.

READ: Porsche Macan Turbo review: The SUV superstar

Android N guide: Notifications explained

It’s been barely 24 hours since the last Android N leak and now another has landed on our desk. This time it’s the notifications panel that had an overhaul, for the better.

Android Police has managed to get a look at an early build of Android N and using that glimpse has mocked up images of what it looks like.

On an aesthetic level the shade of the panel itself will be changed, but on a more functional level settings access is also upgrading.

So what can we hopefully expect in the new Android N?

Android Poilce

Android N: Notifications

The look of the new notifications panel is a cleaner one with more information condensed into full width tiles. Currently there is a space between notifications panels, above and below. This is being done away with for Android N in favour of a more linear approach. The result is more space for a greater amount of information.

One piece of information now included at a glance is the app name which the notification relates to. This was accessible before but required a long press of the notification tile.

The older tiles featured larger app icons. Since the app name is now included, these have been shrunk down. The result is more centralised writing for focus on what’s important – the message itself. Colour also makes an appearance in the notifications, which could make breaking up the more condensed text easier for a clearer view.

Android Poilce

Android N: Quick settings

Google has previously always kept its quick notifications in the top panel. Other companies have skinned the OS and offered more quick options in the pull-down. Now Google appears to want to do the same.

The Android N mock-up shows the new pull-down, which offers full settings options. Gone are the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth expandable menus but added are an edit function and pagination.

Now you’ll be able to pick which apps you want at the top and for those you use less often there’s another page for relegation.

Also there’s apparently a cool new drop-down animation that expands the bar out as you slide it open.

Android N is expected to get shown off at Google I/O in the summer.

READ: Android N appears without an app tray, just like iOS: Fans freak out

Watch Google’s robot ‘Spot’ play with Andy Rubin’s real dog

The US military recently decided that Google’s Alpha Dog and Spot robots weren’t ready for active duty, leaving the four legged robots with nothing to do. In the meantime, Google is doing with its battery-powered Spot robot what we probably would — using it as a dog toy. The company recently unleashed it on Alex, the terrier that reportedly belongs to Android co-founder and Playground Global boss Andy Rubin. The adorable result is that Alex, clearly the boss of this arrangement, sees the hapless robot as an existential threat that must be barked at and harangued (no butt-sniffing, luckily).

The model is reportedly the only one that’s not in military hands, and there’s no word on what Google’s Boston Dynamics plans to do with it now. The military thought Spot could be a potential ground reconnaissance asset, but “the problem is, Spot in its current configuration doesn’t have the autonomy to do that,” says James Peneiro, the Ground Combat head of the Warfighting Lab. It would be shortsighted, of course, to think the robots need to be put to work right away. A lot of the self-balancing tech in Spot (and its ability to take a kick) can already be found in the next-generation humanoid Atlas Robot.

Via: IEEE Spectrum

Source: Steve Jurvetson (YouTube)

The ‘Uncharted 4’ open beta starts this weekend

Sony is likely to open the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End multiplayer beta to everyone in the world this weekend. The offering was previously limited to folks who’d bought the Nathan Drake Collection, but that restriction has now been relaxed. The folks over at Eurogamer found a download client for the beta over in the European PlayStation Store, which has since been pulled. According to the site, the testing will kick off in Europe at 5pm GMT (12PM ET) on March 4th and run through to late in the day on March 6th. Naturally, the beta will be rolled out at different times across the globe, but we’d put good money on you getting in on the action once you’ve eaten your dinner on Friday night.

Source: Eurogamer

Giant virus can protect itself against other viruses

Didier Raoult, a microbiologist at Aix-Marseille University in France, must be some sort of virus whisperer. He’d made various discoveries about the world of viruses over the years. In the latest study that he co-led with fellow microbiologist Bernard La Scola, for instance, they discovered that a type of giant virus called mimivirus has an immune system and can protect itself against other viruses. Raoult believes the study’s findings are proof that mimiviruses, which typically grow inside amoeba, constitute a separate and fourth domain in the Woese system of classification. Under the Woese system, the three recognized domains of cellular life are Bacteria, Archaea (single-celled microorganisms) and Eukarya (cells with membranes and organelles).

Let’s go back a few years to understand the whole picture here. Raoult and his colleagues discovered the existence of complex, gigantic viruses over a decade ago. They’re big enough to be seen under an ordinary microscope, whereas typical viruses require the use of more powerful electron microscopes. Five years later, back in 2008, Raoult and the team he was working with found that those giant viruses can get sick when infected by other viruses now called “virophages.”

When Raoult and La Scola tried to infect mimiviruses with a virophage known as Zamilon, they found that the big viruses were able to fight the infection off. Upon taking a closer look, the team determined that the mimiviruses employ an immune system similar to CRISPR. That’s the immune system found in a lot of bacteria and archaea.

The MIMIVIRE system (as Raoult chose to name it) can store genetic materials from the virophages that it comes into contact with. It then consults this collection whenever it senses the presence of an invader. If it’s a virophage the system remembers, it sics enzymes upon the intruder to chop its DNA up into pieces.

While the researchers still have figure out MIMIVIRE’s mechanism, Raoult thinks its presence inside mimiviruses proves that these big organisms are ancient and deserving of their own domain. He also believes that just like CRISPR, it could be used in the lab to edit genes for research.

Source: Nature (1), (2)