Microsoft’s Windows 10 Creators Update lives up to its name

The Windows 10 Creators Update, which starts rolling out on April 11th, is more than just a mere operating system upgrade. Microsoft wants to make it clear that Windows isn’t just a platform for productivity apps, it’s also an OS where you can produce all sorts of creative things. That could mean building a 3D model with the new Paint 3D app, or kicking off a livestream of your favorite PC game. It’s not like you couldn’t do these things in Windows before, but now it’s easier than ever. And that’s an ideal way for Microsoft to encourage kids and traditional creative types — or, in other words, the people who typically use Macs.

Getting started

Aside from the setup process, which is now narrated helpfully by Cortana, there aren’t many surprises with the Creators Update. Your desktop and apps will still look the same, so don’t go in expecting a major facelift from last year’s Anniversary Update. But given that Windows 10 already looked fairly refined, I don’t think that’s a huge issue.

Instead, you can look forward to the many small improvements. The built-in Night Light mode will make it easier to work after dark by reducing the amount of blue light on your monitor (similar to the popular app Flux and the Night Shift feature on iOS and Mac OS). You can now use Windows Ink to mark up your photos and videos. And you can also upload music to OneDrive and listen to it in the Groove app, which could serve as an easy way to jam out out to your music library on the Xbox One.

The real reason this update is interesting, though, is because of the bigger additions.

Paint 3D

Paint 3D, an evolution of the classic Paint app in three dimensions, is the highlight of the Creators Update. Just like the original version (which is still available in Windows 10), it’s basically just a blank canvas for doodling. But it’s also much more fully featured, since creating 3D objects isn’t as simple as 2D drawings.

The app’s interface is pure minimalism. Along the top, you can choose between brush tools, 3D objects, 2D stickers, text, canvas effects and Remix 3D. The latter is particularly interesting, as it’s being positioned as a community for uploading and sharing 3D creations. On the right side of the screen, you’ve got different options for all of those tools. If you’ve used Paint before, you’ll be familiar with some of them: The brushes include markers, pencils and crayons. This time around, though, you can also give them matte and metal sheens.

Things get more interesting with the newer tools. The 3D models include a man, woman, dog and cat by default, but you can also add more from Remix 3D. There are also geometric 3D objects, and you can turn doodles into sharp and soft-edged 3D objects. While the initial assortment of objects feels a bit generic, I have a feeling kids will enjoy drawing their own, as well as collecting new figures from Remix 3D. As for the stickers, those serve as both 2D objects for your canvas as well as textures for 3D objects. Perhaps the most useful new addition: There’s now a history bar for reversing bad decisions, and it can also generate a video of your creation process.

I didn’t think much of Paint 3D at first, but my mind changed the instant I overlayed a leafy texture on top of a 3D cat. That’s the sort of thing you previously needed pricey and complex 3D modeling software to do — now it’s a free part of Windows 10 that’s simple enough for kids to use. Even manipulating the 3D objects blew my mind a bit. You can rotate any model using the buttons displayed around them, and you can even change their position in relation to other objects on the 3D canvas without much fuss. Paint 3D offers plenty of helpful hints for using these features, but they’re also laid out easy enough for anyone to figure out with a bit of experimenting. That’s simply good software design.

While Paint 3D is intriguing on its own, it’s particularly inspired when taken together with the Remix 3D social network. If you’ve used a Windows machine before, there’s a good chance you’ve sketched out something in Paint, only to have it sit in obscurity on your hard drive. By having a way to quickly share creations, as well as bring in art from others, Microsoft is also hoping to spark a bit more creativity among Paint 3D users. It’s easy enough to search for new items from Remix 3D within Paint 3D, but there’s also a Pinterest-esque website for you to browse community submissions (you can even manipulate items in 3D within Edge).

One big takeaway from the Creators Update: Microsoft is mastering the art of synergy more than ever before. For example, you can take your creations from Minecraft and dump them into Paint 3D. And eventually, you’ll be able to 3D print them from the app, as well. That may not be useful in most homes, where 3D printing never quite took off, but it could be huge for schools that jumped on that bandwagon.

Gaming updates

Expect to hear a lot more about Windows 10’s game bar in the Creators Update. Microsoft is pushing the feature heavily now (you can activate it by hitting the Windows key + G), in part because it’s the way you activate Windows 10’s built-in game broadcasting feature. Clearly, Microsoft didn’t waste any time integrating Beam’s broadcasting tech after snapping them up last summer. The company is targeting less experienced streamers, who might not have the patience to deal with Twitch streaming. Reps tell us Beam’s tech also sports sub-second latency, which allows for near real-time feedback between what you do and what your audience sees.

Your Xbox Live friends are alerted whenever you start a Beam broadcast (there’s that whole synergy thing again), and you can view them from either a PC or Xbox One. And yes, Xbox One owners will also be able to broadcast their games using Beam.

The Creators Update also introduces a new “Game Mode” into Windows 10. Simply put, it prioritizes your system resources whenever you’re playing a supported game. So, if for example you’ve got Photoshop running in the background while you’re playing Doom 3, your PC will focus more CPU and GPU horsepower on the game. Microsoft reps say that by doing so, Game Mode will ensure higher peak performance as well as more consistent frame rates.

I didn’t have a chance to test out the final version of the feature on my gaming rig, but on the Surface Pro 4 I noticed a slight bump of around 5FPS while running Minecraft with Paint 3D and several browsers open. That’s not much, but I’ll take whatever I can get, especially on a machine running integrated graphics.

Intriguingly enough, Microsoft also hinted that Game Mode could eventually apply to other apps. Artists would likely want to allocate as much horsepower to Adobe Photoshop and Premiere while they’re working, for example. While the reps wouldn’t say anything for certain, it sounds like Microsoft has something along those lines in the works. Or perhaps it could simply rebadge Game Mode as “Turbo Mode” or something more generic.

Better Edge browsing

You know things have changed quite a bit when Microsoft’s Edge is beating Google and Firefox to innovative browser features. With the Creators Update, you’ll be able preview tabs by hovering your mouse over them, which could be useful if you’re the sort of person who ends up piling dozens of tabs into a single window. (To be fair, Opera did this first.)

Even more useful for tab-aholics, you can now set collections of tabs aside for later viewing by hitting a single button. (And no, there’s no limit to the amount of tabs you can save.) You can also browse and restore those bundles of tabs easily. Sure, you’ll have to wait a few seconds for them to reload, but it’s a much more useful way for tracking your tabs than saving them to your bookmarks. Because, really, who uses bookmarks anymore? It’s a feature that clearly reflects our changing browsing habits.

Wrap-up

If you were expecting a momentous shift in the way Windows 10 looks and works, the Creators Update will probably disappoint you. What’s more important, though, is how Microsoft is fundamentally shifting its focus towards creativity. Paint 3D could end up showing someone that they have the ability to design things in entirely new ways. And the built-in game streaming feature could end up creating some new online stars. I’ll take that over a minor facelift any day.

Microsoft’s best Surface Book finally comes to the UK

Five months after its grand reveal, Microsoft’s Surface Book with Performance Base is finally coming to the UK. Why it’s taken so long to cross the pond isn’t clear, but never mind — it’ll do until the Surface Book 2 comes along. If you need a reminder, this is the most powerful Surface to date, packing an Intel Core i7 processor and a detachable, 13.5-inch touchscreen. The updated components are in the base, however (hence the name). Prise it open and you’ll find an Nvidia FeForce GTX 965M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and enough battery to last you 16 (yes, 16) hours.

If all of this sounds up your alley, you can pre-order it today ahead of its release on April 20th. Microsoft says the updated Surface Book will also be coming to Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Just be prepared to spend big — the standard model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD will set you back £2,249 in Britain. If money is no object, you can bump it up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £2,699, or 16GB of RAM and a 1TB drive for £3,149. Oh, and if you’re wondering, there’s still no word on when the Surface Studio will be launching in the UK. Boo.

Source: Microsoft Store

Apple’s Stock Soars Past $1,000 Pre-Split Price as Bulls Think ‘Golden Opportunity’ to Buy Remains

AAPL rose over 2 percent on Tuesday to close at $143.80, a new all-time high. The stock also surpassed a per-share price of $1,000 when adjusted for Apple’s 7-for-1 stock split in June 2014. Apple now has a market valuation of over $750 billion on its path towards becoming the world’s first trillion dollar company.

The milestone comes as longtime Apple analyst turned venture capitalist Gene Munster said now remains a “golden opportunity” to buy Apple stock. Munster said his new firm Loup Ventures has a $180 to $200 price range for AAPL, and he expects “clear sailing” for Apple investors in the months ahead.

Apple analyst Brian White of brokerage firm Drexel Hamilton maintained his “buy” rating for AAPL today, with a price target of $185. He continues to believe that Apple remains “among the most underappreciated stocks in the world” and that “Apple has Samsung on the ropes like never before in recent memory.”

An excerpt from White’s latest research note obtained by MacRumors:

With Apple operating on all cylinders and a strong iPhone launch expected this fall, combined with the rise of more China-based competitors, we believe the pressure is on Samsung to deliver a strong upgrade without any missteps. We believe if Samsung stumbles again, the company’s position in the smartphone market could be permanently impaired.

Apple analyst Steven Milunovich of investment bank UBS has maintained his “buy” rating for AAPL as well, with a price target of $151 set in late February. In a bullish scenario where Apple has “caught the next major trend,” he believes the stock’s price could reach $200 within the next two years or so.

Apple is widely expected to benefit from another “supercycle” of iPhone upgrades this year, given a “large than ever” base of existing customers with an iPhone 6 or older device. Apple’s stock price has also been fueled by excitement surrounding a rumored 5.8-inch iPhone with an edge-to-edge OLED display.

Tags: Gene Munster, Brian White, AAPL
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Look, but don’t touch? The watch industry’s old guard needs to smarten up, and soon

The Baselworld 2017 watch show is a concentrated look at a glamorous industry steeped in history. Visitors get a glimpse of some astonishing innovation, incredible quality, and truly exciting timepieces. Except they mostly do so with their noses pressed up against glass cases, like school children outside a sweet shop. For some of the world’s best watchmakers, Baselworld’s motto should be “look, but don’t touch,” which coincidentally is exactly the response it has to technology and the rise of the smartwatch.

It’s a worryingly archaic approach, but it perfectly illustrates a growing split in the industry — where some watch makers are evolving, adapting, and embracing smart technology while the rest stick with how things have always been done, showing little desire to change. If there was a trend at the show, it’s that watch companies who are embracing technology (or are prepared to in the near future), are more open, more social, and better understand the benefits of engaging with people.

More: Tag Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 is a true Swiss-made smartwatch

If your name’s not down …

“I’d like to see (insert name of new watch here) please, just to take a few pictures. I’m with the press.” I repeated this line on many occasions at Baselworld 2017, a watch trade show that celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. It was almost always to a helpful gatekeeper sitting behind a desk, holding the masses back from seeing all the wonderful new products that are contained within some stunning, closed-off booths.

You’d think I would be ushered right in, given the chance to take pictures, perhaps even try the watch on, and eventually sent on my way. Nope. The vast majority of the name brands needed an appointment, almost none had any available — they’re made many months in advance — and there was nothing they could do for me. The rules, it was clear, were the rules.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

However, this wasn’t a universal problem. Tag Heuer, for example, had the Connected Modular 45 out on display and people on hand to talk about them, all without — shock — an appointment. Guess employees were happy to explain the new Connect Touch watch range, and did everything they could to accommodate me, even though I had no prior booking. You could walk right up to Samsung’s booth, and eagerly fondle the Gear S3 and associated one-off concept devices. Casio and Tissot, two more tech-forward watch makers, were also far more open. Visit the independent watch brands, and watches could be photographed, tried on, and discussed at great length.

Do you see the trend?

Communications Manager for Graham Watches, Jessica Jacquot, explained why this happens, and how independent watch makers are different. At least 70 percent of a major brand’s annual business deals are made at Baselworld, she said, therefore having private space to do so is important; but that’s no different for an independent firm. “We want to meet new people,” Jacquot told Digital Trends, “and not just secure old business.”

Traditional watch makers may be more narrow minded, and some see smartwatches as a threat.

This open way of thinking continues when it comes to technology. Although Graham doesn’t produce a connected watch at the moment, Jacquot believes there’s space for everybody in the industry. She said traditional watch makers may be more narrow minded, and some see smartwatches as a threat.

Bizarrely, even brands that have already put out a smartwatch sometimes distanced themselves from the technology, Visiting Porsche Design’s booth, I hoped to get a better look at the new Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2, which was unveiled at Mobile World Congress, but hardly shown at all. Strangely, it wasn’t brought along to Baselworld either, and in a conversation with one representative, I was told it “wouldn’t sit right” with attendees interested in the brand. Odd, given it’s a watch.

Dissent in the ranks

When you do get behind the scenes with a major brand, actually see watches in person, and talk to people, one thing is clear:  everyone is so passionate, so knowledgeable, and so committed to the watch industry as a whole, they deserve to be talking to everyone who will listen. These are people who adore what they do, and there’s nothing more intoxicating than that.

It was interesting to hear what was said about smartwatches behind these closed doors. There was frustration in Cirille Bonini’s voice. He works on public relations and digital marketing for Montres Edox, and was very interested in smartwatches. “I don’t see them as competition,” he told us, and saw their potential for introducing new people to the brand. He even presented an idea for a smartwatch to the company owners, but it was rejected. The company said, “it’s not the right time, and we should concentrate on what we know.” Bonini understood, explaining the family-run business’s history, but did add that he “didn’t want to miss the boat.”

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

We suspect the phrase, “we should concentrate on what we know,” is uttered by a lot of the established watch makers pondering wearable technology. The watch industry loves to talk about history, how long a brand has been going for, and past watches are constantly being re-imagined and reissued as limited editions. Honoring the past is one thing, but sticking rigidly to tradition just for the sake of it is another.

Pressure to change

More than once, major brands like Rolex, Hublot, Patek Phillipe, and Graff were referred to as having a snobbish approach to the show and its visitors. Spending millions on the ostentatious booths — which are really multi-story buildings, with everything from luxurious living spaces to restaurants inside — was essential in maintaining the brand’s exclusivity and status. Inviting in the great unwashed wouldn’t fit in with any of this.

Baselworld is open to the public though and many people visit, so what do they think about the look-but-don’t-touch policy? One attendee told us she didn’t care about going into the major booths, and was content looking at the products through the glass cabinets, just like in a shop. She likened the experience to visiting a museum, where she could spend time absorbing the art on display. In what may not have been a coincidence, she wasn’t a fan of smartwatches either.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

It’s hard to agree. We form relationships with products, especially highly evocative ones like watches or other items of jewelry, by cradling them in our hand or wrapping them round our wrist. Just like caressing the touchscreens on a Tag Heuer, Fossil, or Micheal Kors smartwatch, there are legions of new fans keen to touch, stroke, and wear these watches — and a percentage of them may become buyers in the future.

Why not let them? Where’s the harm? It’s the same thinking that stops major brands from seriously investing in smart technology. It’s not the way things have ever been done. But as the industry is shaken up by Tag Heuer, Montblanc, Casio, Fossil, and other big-name players all taking smartwatches seriously; the pressure for the old guard to change will only increase.

What to expect during Samsung’s 2017 Galaxy Unpacked and how to watch it

Why it matters to you

Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 could be the company’s best smartphone yet and might need to be after the Galaxy Note 7 disaster.

Wednesday is the big day for Samsung. The electronics giant will take the wraps off the Galaxy S8, its next major flagship smartphone, and it is holding flashy press conferences in New York and London to kick things off. A livestream of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2017 will begin on the company’s website at 11 a.m. ET, and we will be covering the event live as it unfolds.

Thanks to a deluge of leaks, we know more or less what to expect. The Galaxy S8 is expected to ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the newest and most powerful in the chip maker’s lineup. The phone’s rumored to ditch a physical home button in favor of a 5.8-inch curved edge-to-edge screen with a WQHD+ (2,960 x 2,400 pixels). It is said to pack an iris scanner that unlocks the phone in the blink of an eye — literally.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors and news leaks

That is not all we might see during the big reveal. Samsung announced that its upcoming smartphone will feature Bixby, an artificial assistant that can be activated with a physical button. It’s capable of analyzing images, identifying objects and text, and tapping into the Samsung Galaxy S8’s native apps.

The Galaxy S8 might ship with a novel accessory, too: A dock that, according to the latest leaks, connects the Galaxy S8 to a computer monitor for a “full desktop experience” replete with mouse and keyboard support. It’s said to be akin to Microsoft’s Continuum feature for Windows.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The company’s embarking on a long, slow road to recovery from the exploding Galaxy Note 7 debacle, which was the largest smartphone recall in history and a 96 percent plummet in the company’s mobile earnings. To win back consumer trust, it will have to convince them that the Galaxy S8 isn’t going to suffer the same fate.

More: Everything we know about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall

To that end, Samsung’s conducted a thorough review into the Note 7’s explosive tendencies, the results of which it detailed at a January press event in South Korea. It has instituted a new eight-point device inspection process, added staff to oversee testing, and made its intellectual property around battery safety and standards freely available.

We’re expecting to hear more about the company’s new preventative measures during Wednesday’s Unpacked event. Follow us on Twitter @DigitalTrends for up-to-the-minute updates.

How to use the page zoom settings in Chrome

You can easily adjust the way your screen looks with Chrome.

Chrome makes surfing the web easier in a variety of different ways from awesome extensions that make your favorite apps accessible, to being able to quickly and easily adjust the settings.

If you’ve ever found yourself squinting while looking at the screen, or thought that the text was way too large, you probably want to adjust the zoom settings on your screen. It’s ridiculously easy with Chrome, and we have the details for you here.

How to adjust zoom settings in Chrome

With Chrome, you have three basic options to adjust your zoom so that you have the view that you want. You can increase the resolution, decrease the resolution, or zoom and activate fullscreen in your Chrome window.

You’ll also be able to what the current zoom percentage is.

First you want to click on the overflow icon: it looks like 3 vertical dots in the upper right hand corner of your screen. This will open up Chrome settings, including the Zoom settings. You can click on the + sign to increase the screen density, or the – sign to decrease the screen resolution. You’ll also see what the current zoom percentage is on your screen. Adjusting the screen resolution this way will let you easily click to find the right size. On the right of the Zoom options, you’ll also see an icon that allows you to fullscreen your Chrome window.

Open Chrome.
Click on the overflow icon in the upper right corner.
Adjust your screen resolution size by clicking the zoom buttons.

Making sure that you can easily read everything on your screen when using Chrome doesn’t have to be complicated. Google has made it easy for anyone to simply adjust the size things in their Chrome window with just a few clicks on your mouse or touchpad.

Do you end up resizing your screen often? Be sure to let us know about it in the comments below!

[custom:chrome]

Why I’m going back to the HTC 10 after using the Pixel

I was so happy when I got the Pixel.

After months of dealing with Bluetooth reception spottiness on my HTC 10, I ordered a Google Pixel. I made sure to get the 128 GB model so that I could use it as a daily driver, something I never felt comfortable doing on the non-expandable 16 GB Nexus 5X. And my shiny silver Pixel has served me well this winter, but Spring has sprung, and with it, I’m going back to my HTC 10.

Here’s why.

Bluetooth blues

When I received the Google Pixel, I was looking to kiss goodbye the problems of my headphones cutting out every time my HTC 10 shifted ever so slightly in my pocket, or every time I turned my head. Well, my headphones still cut out with Pixel, so I guess I’ll be finding a new pair of those for my birthday next month. But rather than just issues with Bluetooth cutting out, I encountered two more Bluetooth issues with the Pixel that I’d never encountered before.

First, and worst, is the way that the Google Pixel treats Bluetooth audio levels. On most phones, I turn the Bluetooth volume on the phone to high then adjust the headphones/speaker volume as needed. On the Pixel, the volume level of the Bluetooth device is tied to the volume level of the phone. This meant that volume control was far less precise on my headphones, too soft in the car, and far, far too soft on the Bluetooth receiver I plugged into my alarm clock. It also didn’t help that the volume level would reset with every Bluetooth connection, so even if I turned up the volume on my phone while connected to the Bluetooth receiver before bed, if Bluetooth disconnected and reconnected during my nightly 6 hours, the volume still might be too low to hear when my morning music played.

I’m not the only user to experience this, but I know that I am absolutely listening at higher volume levels on my headphones and other Bluetooth devices because of this bug masquerading as a feature, and I need to go back to a device that handles Bluetooth volume normally and sanely.

The second Bluetooth bug is a known Pixel bug, and one that a recent server-side error attempted to remedy: Bluetooth randomly shutting itself off. As someone who relies on Bluetooth connections for most of the work day, every morning, and most of her nights, I need Bluetooth to work, and while it’s easy to toggle it back on in Quick Settings, treating the symptom does not cure the bug.

Front-facing fingerprint scanner

I get the arguments for the rear-facing scanners. Your fingers gravitate towards specific spots on the back of your phone when you pick it up, and it means that you can easily unlock your phone while pulling it out of your pocket and up towards your face. Problem is, I spend a lot of time interacting with my phone when I’m not picking it up.

My phone spends a lot of time in docks, mounts, cradled in coffee mugs stuffed with old textbook covers, and a lot of time just laying on the desk next to the video switcher and keyboards in the control room. And with the HTC 10, I can press the fingerprint sensor while the phone lies face-up on the table. With the Pixel, I have to hit the power button or pick the phone up. I can try double-tap to wake, which works for me maybe 50% of the time.

Don’t get me wrong — these are both still a step-down from my good old days waving my hand like an enchantress over my 2014 Moto X’s IR sensors to wake it up — but being able to wake the phone without picking it up or pressing the power button is something I’ve missed dearly on the Pixel. This is especially true when I frequently have to re-wake devices during photo shoots for articles without skewing their angles.

Bigger screen in a similar body

The Pixel’s bezels have long been bemoaned for how ridiculously big they are, especially for a screen lacking a front-facing home button. My HTC 10 sports a 5.2″ screen in a phone that is only 0.08 inches taller than the Google Pixel, which sports a 5″ screen. Those specs aren’t helped any more when you consider that the HTC 10 has capacitive nav buttons while the Pixel does not, meaning that on top of having bigger bezels, the Pixel also has less normally usable screen space because nav buttons are taking up the bottom half-inch of the screen.

I’ve always been one for smaller phones, but I’m for properly utilizing the real estate on a phone no matter the size, and Pixel’s front bezels don’t make sense. For a phone this physically large, there’s no reason for the screen and the UI to feel as small and cramped as they do, especially when typing on SwiftKey’s largest layout.

The Google Pixel is still a fantastic phone. It still has the best smartphone camera on the market — how quickly that will be changing is anyone’s guess — and because it’s a Google phone, it’ll be seeing an OTA Android O beta sometime in late spring or early summer that I fully intend to play around with. The Google Pixel has a screen that can get far dimmer than the HTC 10 (and maybe a hair brighter, too), and while the unlocked US HTC 10 has been getting relatively steady updates, nothing gets updates faster than a Google Pixel. For the latest and greatest of Google’s vision of Android, the Pixel is still perfect. It’s just not perfect for me.

I savor both of these phones, but I bought the HTC 10 because it fit my life, it fit my Android style, and it fit my wallet. And that’s why I’m coming home to it.

Also, dat chamfer.

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Cinemas could replace projectors with massive Samsung 4K HDR displays

Samsung is making a play to replace projectors in cinemas. It has announced a 34-foot 4K HDR LED display that is designed specifically for movie theatre use.

The Samsung Cinema Screen is LED backlit, so does not need front projection. It can therefore offer greater brightness in cinemas so, Samsung states, better pictures. It is claimed to offer peak brightness 10 times higher than conventional cinema projection (146fL over 14fL).

High dynamic range technology will also ensure better contrast than many theatre projectors are capable.

It exceeds specifications set by Digital Cinema Initiatives, a partnership of the major movie studios that ensures picture quality is regulated and matched across theatres internationally.

Samsung

The Cinema Screen is being debuted during the CinemaCon 2017 conference in Las Vegas, it is partnered with an audio solution by Harman Professional Solutions’ Cinema Group. Samsung recently acquired the Harman group to expand its technology business.

“As the popularity of advanced home entertainment systems and streaming platforms increases, theatres must reposition themselves as a destination for an incomparable viewing experience that consumers simply cannot encounter anywhere else,” said Sang Kim, vice president of Samsung Electronics America.

Our only worry is that there is a reason for high levels of brightness in the home, we more often than not view entertainment in rooms with ambient lighting. Would the same levels in a fully-darkened cinema be comfortable? Time will tell.

Garmin Forerunner 935 is do-it-all activity tracker that will get the most out of your training

Garmin has introduced the Forerunner 935 as a top-of-the-range, do-it-all fitness and activity tracker. It’s been designed to be the only companion you need when training for events such as triathlons, as it caters for running, cycling and swimming exercises.

• Garmin Forerunner 35: An affordable, effective running watch

Dan Bartel, Garmin’s VP of global consumer sales, says the Forerunner 935 has many of the same features as the recently announced Fenix 5, but is aimed more towards “athletes focused on performance and results”. “It offers data for every activity, and allows you to automatically upload it to Garmin Connect. It’s also customisable with free apps, data fields, and more from the Connect IQ store”.

• Garmin Fenix 5 brings fitness finesse in smaller sizes

The Forerunner 935’s Training Status feature will analyse all your previous data to let you know if you’re working too hard, or perhaps enough, when out on a run or cycle while Training Zone will give you an overall weekly view of your activity and whether your sessions have been too easy or too hard. 

You can obtain even more information about your runs by using the Garmin Dynamics Pod, which substitutes a traditional chest strap for a module that clips on to your waistband. The Dynamics Pod monitors six different dynamics including cadence, ground contact, time, stride length and more, and will present the information on the Forerunner 935. Alternatively, the Pod will show information on the Forerunner 735XT, Fenix 5 or Fenix Chronos.

The Forerunner 935 wearable can also monitor power zones, time seated and standing, platform centre offset and power phase when you’re cycling, and distance, stroke, pace and personal records when swimming in the water.

A preinstalled TrainingPeaks app can be used to download workouts directly to the watch, for users complete them in real-time, meeting intensity targets and interval durations. Data can then be sent back to TrainingPeaks to be given a report on how well the user did.

Elevate heart-rate tracking is built into the 935 and it even has altimeter, barometer and compass sensors to show real-time elevation information, predicted weather changes and your direction of travel.

The Forerunner 935 isn’t just reserved for running, cycling and swimming, it can be used to track activity in other sports including; golf, hiking, trail running, skiing, paddle sports and more. 

• Garmin Fenix 5 preview: Mapping muscle added to outdoor adventurers’ dream smartwatch

With the 935 connected to a compatible smartphone, all your activity data will be automatically uploaded to Garmin Connect, where it can be shared with friends. You can also use the community to take part in challenges, see all your data, track sleeping patterns, and earn virtual badges.

The rechargeable battery promises up to 24 hours of life in GPS mode, up to 50 in UltraTac battery saver mode and up to two weeks in watch mode. 

• Best fitness trackers 2017: The best activity bands to buy today

The Garmin Forerunner 935 will be available soon, in black for $499.99, or as a tri-bundle pack, which bundles a black watch face with yellow strap, HRM-Tri chest strap, HRM-Swim chest strap, Quick Release kit and an additional black strap for $649.99.

The Morning After: Wednesday, March 29th 2017

Welcome to mid-week. We’ve got sub-$1,000 4K TVs in decent sizes, the US government voted on whether ISPs can sell your browser history, and IKEA is getting into the smart lighting game. You might have heard — the device has been leaked enough — that Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will get its official unveiling later today. We’ll be live from the event, which kicks off at 11AM ET in New York.

Seriously cheap.
Vizio’s latest 4K TVs are dirt cheap

Vizio continues to push TV prices down to the point where it would be crazy not to go 4K on your next TV. With its latest D-Series, a 65-inch 4K (Ultra HD) model costs $900, while the 55-inch Ultra HD model is just $570. These are not fancy HDR-equipped OLED or quantum dot models, but they do have full-array LED backlighting, built-in WiFi and Vizio’s own smart TV system for apps like Netflix. Comparing the price against premium sets from established TV players like LG, Samsung and Sony, and you can see how Vizio might expect to sell plenty of ’em.

Nothing to see here.US House votes to roll back FCC privacy rules

The FCC just tried to implement privacy rules that would prevent ISPs from selling personal info like your browsing history without asking, but Congress is putting a stop to that. In a 215 to 205 vote, the House of Representatives approved S J Res 34, following a vote by the Senate last week. Now, if the president signs it into law — as he says he will — ISPs won’t have to deal with these extra privacy and vulnerability disclosure rules nationwide. Customers will still have to opt-out of any sales of their data, assuming they can figure out how to do it.

No colors, yet.
IKEA launches its own low-cost smart lighting range

Philips is perhaps the most well known smart bulb maker, but that could soon change thanks to a new entrant: IKEA. That’s right, the world’s biggest furniture chain is today debuting its own smart lighting range in the UK. As you might expect, the prices are a lot easier on the wallet. Its Smart Lighting collection consists of TRÅDFRI LED bulbs and remote control, a gateway kit, a motion sensor kit, dimming lights and a selection of LED light panels and doors that can be built into kitchen and bedroom cabinets — enough to light up most homes, but only in differing shades of white.

Colorful mascots are ready for a comeback.
‘Yooka-Laylee’ is at the heart of a 3D platformer revival

Crafted by small team made up of former Rare employees, Yooka-Laylee appears to be at the center of a 3D platformer revival. A few years ago, barring a certain red-capped plumber, the 3D platform genre was on hiatus, replaced by grittier adventure titles. More recently, we saw a rebooted Ratchet & Clank, a Crash Bandicoot remaster collection and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey is due on the Switch this holiday. How is this crowdfunded competitor faring?

Google and Symantec go to war over our internet security
As a result, Chrome may distrust Symantec’s security certificates.

Google and Symantec are engaged in a war about each other’s security practices, with all of us caught in the crossfire. As TechCrunch reports, Google believes that Symantec has been improperly issuing security certificates for tens of thousands of websites. If the search engine follows through with its threat, then Chrome will soon no longer place the same level of trust in Symantec’s certificates.

Cable TV is internet TV.Comcast will be the next cable company to chase cord cutters

A report from Reuters indicates that Comcast is about to unleash Xfinity Internet TV, an expanded version of the Stream service it is already testing in Chicago and Boston. At first, it will only be available to Comcast internet customers, so the company doesn’t compete with any other cable providers. Otherwise, it’s similar to DirecTV Now and Sling TV, with a cloud DVR and value-priced “skinny bundles” of channels put together to chase customers who don’t want a cable box or contract.

Welcome to the internet ageNBC will finally kill tape delay for the 2018 Winter Olympics

Every couple of years, people on the western half of the US tune in to watch the Olympics and find out that a lot of the events are being held up on tape delay. The situation becomes more ridiculous every time, as the internet puts real-time spoilers up everywhere. Now, NBC is finally ready to bend, and says that unlike Rio, its prime time TV broadcasts for the 2018 Winter Olympics will be live in all time zones.

‘Clean’ coal
Trump rolls back Obama-era climate change policies

The latest executive order from president number 45 takes aim at number 44’s Clean Power Plan. Its claimed intent is to create more jobs in the US energy market. What it will do is remove a rule mandating that the government consider how its actions will impact climate change when reviewing new legislation. It also allows energy companies to once again buy the rights to mine coal on federal lands.

But wait, there’s more…

• The Roadie 2 gives you no excuse for an out-of-tune guitar
• Democrats demand the FCC tackle cybersecurity
• Google conquers more of your smart home with Logitech and Wink
• ‘Rain World’ is a strange, ever-evolving take on survival games