Apple Seeds Fourth macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of the upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the third 10.12.2 beta and a month after the public release of macOS 10.12.1.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 4 is available for download through the Apple Developer Center or through the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 includes new emoji, introducing Unicode 9 characters like clown face, selfie, face palm, fox face, owl, shark, butterfly, avocado, pancakes, croissant, bacon and more, plus many profession emoji are available in both male and female genders. Apple has also updated the artwork on many existing emoji, adding detail and design elements to make them look less cartoonish and more realistic.
There are few other outward-facing changes aside from the addition of new emoji, but the 10.12.2 update also likely includes many bug fixes and performance enhancements to address issues that have surfaced since the release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1.
Available since September, macOS Sierra is the latest Mac operating system. It includes Siri support, Apple Pay for the web, Universal Clipboard, Apple Watch auto unlocking, improved iCloud Drive integration, Picture-in-Picture multitasking, and dozens of smaller features that can be found in our macOS Sierra roundup.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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This is Nougat on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
When major versions of Android are announced, it normally takes third-party OEMs a few months to update their devices with the latest version. Motorola and LG are normally two of the first manufacturers to release updates to their devices, while others, such as HTC and Samsung, tend to lag behind a bit.
This year, though, Samsung began rolling out a beta version of Android 7.0 Nougat to its flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge devices before many other manufacturers could. If you’re lucky enough to own one of these devices and are wondering what to expect, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at Android 7.0 Nougat (beta) on the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Don’t miss:
Android 7.0 Nougat review: an Android version for Android fans
October 21, 2016
First thing’s first – want to test out Android Nougat on your S7 or S7 Edge? You can! Just make sure you have an active Samsung account and the Galaxy Beta Program app installed (it can be downloaded through Samsung’s Galaxy Apps store). Alternatively, users can download the Samsung Members app which is available in the Google Play Store or Galaxy Apps depending on the region. Once you’re signed up, just wait for a software update to arrive for your device. That’s it. Once the update is complete, your device will be running the latest version of Android.
Before we get into what’s new in Nougat, let’s first talk about something many users are curious about:
Just how stable is Android 7.0 (beta) on the Galaxy S7 Edge?
Very. Unlike the experience you’d get with other software preview programs, this build (NRD90M to be exact) is extremely stable. Personally, I’ve found day-to-day performance to be a breeze, and I haven’t experienced much lag at all.
With that said, if you do opt to test it out, don’t be surprised if an app crashes here or there.
- Samsung Galaxy S7 review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Now let’s talk about what changes Nougat brings to the table. To start, let’s focus on improvements in the user interface:
UI improvements galore
Nougat on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge brings along with it a good amount of improvements and tweaks throughout the user interface. New animations, a completely revamped settings menu, and a new font are just some of the things you’ll notice right off the bat.
Samsung has been changing the way it approaches its TouchWiz interface for years now, and we’re seeing even more changes to the interface with Nougat. Everything is cleaner, simpler, and much more easy to use, which is a huge step up from TouchWiz in years past.
Pulling down the notification shade for the first time, you’ll notice a lightly-colored row of quick settings below the date and time. Pulling down once more will open the quick settings menu, which is now completely customizable. Why is this good news? If, for example, you don’t want to keep a rarely-used quick settings tile (like Smart View or Ultra Power Saving Mode) front and center, you can now remove it.
Blue Light Filter
Ever since the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, Samsung has been working hard to bring a number of features found in the Note 7’s Grace UX to the S7 lineup. One of the most useful features Samsung was able to bring over to the S7 line is the new blue light filter. In case you’re unfamiliar, blue light filters reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your screen, which allows for less eye strain particularly at night.
You can toggle the blue light filter on and off by tapping the quick settings tile. A long-press of the quick settings tile will take you to the blue light filter settings, where you can change the opacity and set which time you’d like it to turn on or off. You have the option to set a custom schedule for the filter, or it can turn on and off automatically with the sunset and sunrise.
Revamped settings menu
Gone are the days of giant, confusing settings icons.
One other stark change with Nougat is a revamped settings menu. The entire menu is now in list format, which makes the menu much easier to navigate. Each category is listed in bold font with a short description of what you’ll find in that category. For instance, under the Display category, you’ll find “brightness, blue light filter, font” settings and more.
One other notable addition to the settings menu: if you’re looking for a particular setting but can’t seem to find it, you’ll get little suggestions at the bottom of each settings page that will help point you in the right direction. If you’re in the Display category, for instance, and can’t seem to find what you’re looking for, you can find a small prompt at the bottom of the settings page with suggestions. Simply tap on one of those suggestions to jump right to that page.
SamsungOne
You might also notice the font looks a bit different. That’s because the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are now using the company’s SamsungOne font, which was unveiled back in June 2016. Samsung says SamsungOne isn’t just a font; it’s a family of scripts that covers 26 writing systems, more than 400 languages and over 25,000 glyphs. Overall, the font seems clean, legible and Samsung-y. For reference, check out the image of Google’s Roboto font compared to SamsungOne:
New animations
The S7 Edge’s user interface has been quite snappy overall, and that’s thanks to the new animations Samsung threw in with Nougat. Below we’ve attached a short video showing these new animations in action:
Device Maintenance
Samsung also included a new Device Maintenance tool, which can be found in the device’s settings menu. What does it do, exactly? If your phone is running slowly, draining battery too quickly or experiencing any other normal smartphone problems, this new tool will help find the culprit. Once you open it up, it’ll automatically begin running a test. Your device will then be given a performance score out of 100. You can choose the Optimize now button which will fix the errors, or tap on the separate categories at the bottom of the screen to get more granular information.
In my experience, this new Device Maintenance tool has done a good job at finding the obvious things. Most of the time it will offer up suggestions to close background apps, clear cached data, or some other semi-obvious outlier. This feature won’t be for everyone, but it’s there if you need it.
Also, if you need help remembering to clear these things out regularly to help with device performance, you can add a Device Maintenance shortcut to your home screen.
Performance Mode
Since none of us use our phones in the same way, Samsung has added in a few new modes that will cater to those who spend more time gaming, watching videos, and more. Your Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge should be in Normal mode by default, but you can easily switch to a different mode that will better suit your needs by heading to the Device Maintenance app and tapping on Performance Mode.
Depending on which mode you select, your phone’s settings will change to better cater to that profile. For instance, choosing Entertainment mode will result in your display increasing to 100% brightness, your screen resolution increasing to WQHD, and your video enhancer and UHQ upscaler being turned on.
New display settings
Samsung is giving users the option to scale down their displays to a lower resolution
With Android 7.0 Nougat, Samsung is giving users the option to scale down their displays to a lower resolution. Under the Display portion of the settings menu, you can opt for the full WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution, or bring it down to FHD (1920 x 1080) or HD (1280 x 720). This feature first debuted on the Galaxy Note 7, which offered users more screen resolution options as part of the phone’s Power Saving Mode.
It’s worth noting that the latest Android 7.0 beta scales down the display to 1080p by default, so you’ll need to manually change it back to Quad HD if you’d like to take full advantage of the high resolution display.
See also:
Latest Nougat beta for the Galaxy S7 defaults to 1080p display
5 days ago
Improvements to Always On Display
Last but not least, Samsung included some improvements to the Always On Display that makes it a little more functional.
Samsung’s Always On Display has been one of the most customizable implementations among Android manufacturers, though it’s been pretty useless if you need to actually interact with anything on your screen. Previous versions of the Always On Display would show when your phone receives a new notification, but there was no easy way to jump to that notification if you wanted.
Now Samsung’s Always On Display can jump right to a notification with a simple double-tap. It took a pretty long time for this feature to arrive, but I’m really thankful it’s finally here.
Other Nougat goodness
There’s a lot more where that came from. Samsung packed a lot of good stuff in this update, some of which we’ve already talked about in our Android 7.0 Nougat review. With Android Nougat, you’ll see improvements to multi-window and the ability to quickly switch between apps with a double tap of your recent apps key. You’ll also be able to directly reply from notifications without jumping into the app, as well as take advantage of bundled notifications.
Overall, I’ve been enjoying Android 7.0 Nougat on the Galaxy S7 Edge. Not only has Samsung brought its users a solid, feature-rich beta experience, but the company is building this version with user feedback. It’ll be interesting to see what features make it into the final, consumer-ready version of Nougat, and what features are left out.
Are you liking what you see so far with Nougat on the S7 and S7 Edge? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
SwiftKey adds transliteration support for Hindi and Gujarati
SwiftKey works great with Hindi and Gujarati.
SwiftKey already works with 22 Indian languages, and the keyboard is now gaining transliteration for Hindi and Gujarati. The feature is automatically enabled for those that have Hindi or Gujarati language models installed, and SwiftKey will show predictions for words in English as well as the native language script.
For instance, if you’re typing “namaste,” you’ll see the English word along with the Hindi translation (नमस्ते) in the prediction bar. Users can type in English, their native language script, or a combination of the two.
From SwiftKey’s India Product Manager Aarti Samani:
SwiftKey’s aim is to always make typing easier, particularly if you speak more than one language and want to switch seamlessly between them without changing any of your settings. We’re proud to be introducing the feature in Hindi, one of the world’s most spoken languages, and Gujarati, which had previously not been possible to write in a Latin script.
The update also adds five new languages: Tibetan, Swiss German, Yakut, Low German (Plattdüütsch), and Kurdish (Kurmanji). If you’re interested in taking a look, download SwiftKey Keyboard from the badge above or hit up the Play Store.
BLU Vivo 6 UK promo price extended for Cyber Monday
£55 off new mid-ranger from BLU.
Florida-based brand BLU has extended its £55 off deal for the new Vivo 6, a metal-clad mid-ranger that launched on Black Friday at a special price. As part of a Cyber Monday deal, you’ll be able to pick up the Vivo 6 for its discounted price of £184.99, down from the standard £239.99. The “rose gold” model is back ordered to December 2, while the regular “gold” is showing as available for delivery on November 30.
As we’ve seen from our brief time with the phone so far, it’s a decent-looking handset, but one with a few software quirks.
On the outside, the Vivo 6 sports a curved aluminum unibody with a brushed finish, and a subtle curve that fits comfortably in the hand. Chamfers around the front and back give it a premium look and feel, similar to an old favorite of ours, the HTC One M7. It’s a trued and true design that many have emulated over the years, but nevertheless it looks good at any price point.
the phone is incredibly quick in day-to-day use — there’s not a hint of lag or stuttering to be seen when jumping between apps — and thanks to the ample 4GB of RAM, we didn’t notice any multitasking issues either. But there are also changes that may rub Android purists the wrong way, like the aforementioned iOS-style quick settings, and the springboard-style home screen with no app drawer.
See at Amazon
Save big on Cyber Monday with Android Central Digital Offers!
Shopping on Cyber Monday can be chaotic — there are tons of sales around the web and it can be hard to pick which ones you’ll actually benefit from.
Something that many seem to overlook when shopping deals on Cyber Monday is software. From online courses to more information about career-specific topics than you can handle, you won’t want to miss out on these awesome savings.
Luckily Android Central Digital Offers is here to help make sure you don’t miss out! Here are some amazing deals and huge savings that you’ll want to check out.
VPNSecure: Lifetime Subscription
- Retail price: $450
- Our regular price: $39
- Cyber Monday price: $29.25
Using a VPN is the best way to remain secure while surfing the web and streaming, and it’s also an easier way to keep your online activity private. VPNSecure is an awesome cross-platform service that lets you keep your data safe and also gets around geographic restrictions, so you can watch Hulu in Canada or see what’s on Albanian Netflix (if such a thing exists).
See at Android Central Digital Offers
- Check out all of our Cyber Monday VPN deals and be sure to use promo code CYBER25 to get an additional 25% off!
Python Programming Bootcamp
- Retail price: $1,094
- Our regular price: $39
- Cyber Monday price: $29.25
Python is the programming language used to build powerful apps, and if you’re looking to get into the app development game, then the Python Bootcamp is the way you can start from scratch and move your way up to advanced app development and security.
See at Android Central Digital Offers
- Check out all of our Cyber Monday professional development course deals and be sure to use promo code CYBER25 to receive an additional 25% off!
IT Security & White Hat Hacking: CompTIA & Cisco Certifications
- Retail price: $1,395
- Our regular price: $29
- Cyber Monday price: $21.75
Get a jumpstart on your IT career by becoming CompTIA- and Cisco-certified. You’ll get all the prep you need to pass your exams with flying colors and to find a career in IT security, while learning IT fundamentals that aren’t just for the exams, but for the workplace as well.
See at Android Central Digital Offers
- Check out all of our Cyber Monday security deals and be sure to use promo code CYBER25 to get an extra 25% off!
Zoolz Complete Cloud Storage: Lifetime Solution
- Retail price: $3,600
- Our regular price: $39
- Cyber Monday price: $33.15
Cloud storage is perfect if you’re not into physical hard drives and if you want a backup service to make sure all of your data is safe and secure. Zoolz Complete Cloud Storage is perfect because you get 500GB of cold storage and 500GB of instant storage for life! Your data is encrypted; you can schedule backups; and you can store your data in multiple facilities and devices.
See at Android Central Digital Offers
Check out all of our Cyber Monday software deals and be sure to enter promo code CYBER15 to receive an additional 15% off!
Did you pick up a new Android phone on Black Friday?
What did you get?
There were a bunch of amazing deals available to U.S. and international consumers this Black Friday (and some fantastic Cyber Monday deals today, too). For many, it was the perfect time to pick up a new phone.
Some of the most popular phones during Black Friday.
From deeply-discounted Google Pixels at Verizon to unlocked devices like the ZTE Axon 7 and Honor 8, there were some great deals to be had on Android phones this past week. So tell us: Did you pick up a new device, for you or a loved one? And why did you choose that one in particular? Let us know in the comments below!
Today might be the best day to strap a Fitbit to your wrist
Spend today shopping for a fitness future!
Fitbit is a well-known and trusted brand when it comes to fitness accessories. The company’s line-up of tracking wearables are currently discounted by up to a massive 41% so if you’re thinking about getting into a fitness routine, this may well be the best time to pick up a Fitbit.
The best part about Fitbit trackers is the connectivity with supported smartphone platforms. With the wearable strapped to your wrist you’ll be able to monitor various vitals and data throughout the day, such as how many steps you’ve walked, how much you exercised, and more.
The range starts from just $59.46, which bags you a new Fitbit Flex 2. Do act quickly as we’re unsure when this promotion ends.
See at Amazon
Best TVs 2016: The best televisions available to buy today
Looking for a new TV but don’t know what to buy? Then you’ve come to the right place. 2016 saw the rise of 4K Ultra HD TVs and even introduced a new TV technology, HDR, or High Dynamic Range. Big screen events such as the 2016 Rio Olympics may have been and gone, but there’s always a good time to upgrade your TV.
4K TVs may have taken centre stage this year, but there’s still plenty of full HD screens being released if you’re not ready to take the jump in resolution. If you’re baffled when it comes to LCD vs OLED or Full HD vs 4K then, fear not, despite there being enough acronyms to melt minds we condense the basics to make that buying decision even easier.
Here’s a range of TVs to consider, either with Freeview Play built-in or ones that are ideal to hook up to a set-top box, to enhance your living room experience.
Jargon buster
LCD or liquid crystal display is the most common panel these days and is a great solution.
LED is something of a misnomer, as these TVs are still an LCD panel but with LED (light emitting diode) lights to dynamically illuminate the picture. That means more pronounced dynamic range; less illuminated blacks will look deeper, while highlights will be more pronounced. LED-backlit TVs are either lit from the edges or, in fewer (and more expensive) cases, by an entire rear panel array.
OLED, which stands for organic light emitting diode, is a format that’s been doing the rounds for a number of years. It’s popularity is beginning to increase now that prices are coming down, because they produce some of the best pictures available. OLED uses less power and is considerably thinner than other panel technologies, and it also doesn’t have to be produced as a flat panel. A lot of OLED TVs are curved, which claims to offer a more immersive experience, but it’s all down to personal preference.
4K, often termed UHD or Ultra HD, refers to resolution rather than panel type. The “Full HD” standard delivers 1920 x 1080 pixels, whereas 4K delivers 3840 x 2160 pixels. Four times the resolution means a sharper picture potential and now there’s more content available to watch, it’s never been a better time to invest.
HDR or High Dynamic Range is a TV technology that aims to make the picture on screen more realistic to what we see in reality. It works by making the whites whiter and darks darker, and making all the colours in between more accurate. If you can get a 4K TV with HDR and some content to watch on it, you’ll be getting the best possible TV experience currently available.
Freeview Play is Freeview’s catch-up TV service and appears on a rapidly increasing number of televisions. The most recent TVs from Panasonic, LG, Finlux and JVC sport Freeview Play and it gives users the ability to catch-up with their favourite shows by scrolling backwards through the electronic programme guide.
By clicking on shows on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and UKTV channels (which include Dave, Yesterday, Really and Drama), they open in each broadcaster’s respective app automatically, then play for you to enjoy. It makes catching up more simple.
Click here to find out more about Freeview Play.
Best 4K TV
Sony ZD9 4K TV
Sony
Sony’s ZD9 TV arrived in the second half of 2016 with a seriously impressive spec and feature list. It’s designed with HDR in mind and can go even brighter than the Samsung KS9500. Sony has crammed in a whole host of proprietary screen technologies to boost the overall performance, and they really do work.
We were blown away when we first switched it on and continued to be thoroughly impressed with its 4K HDR performance from Ultra HD Blu-rays. The True Cinema processing mode is particularly effective with sports and movies by reducing motion judder to an impressive degree.
SD and HD pictures are handled well too, making the ZD9 an incredibly good all-rounder. In fact, we loved the Sony ZD9 so much, it won the Pocket-lint Award for Best TV 2016.
Price: £3,999
Full review: Sony ZD9 4K TV
Samsung KS9500
Pocket-lint
Samsung is more than happy to take the fight to Sony though, and the KS9500 represents one of the best 4K HDR TVs available today. It’s a curved screen too, but if you’d rather have a flat screen and not sacrifice performance, you can take a look at the KS9000 series instead.
It has a generous selection of connections and runs on Samsung’s Tizen-based platform, which means there’s no backwards browsing that you’ll get from Freeview Play. The Samsung’s built-in EPG is one of the few areas it falls foul, so we’d recommend connecting a box such as the Humax FVP-4000T to get a seamless TV and catch-up experience.
The KS9500 is capable of producing one of the best pictures we’ve seen all year. If you can connect a 4K Blu-ray player or have Netflix or Amazon Video streaming, the 4K HDR picture is incredibly rewarding.
Price: £3,299
Full review: Samsung KS9500 review
Hisense 75M7900 4K TV
Hisense
You may think a 65-inch is plenty big enough, but take one look at a 75-incher and you’ll be making space in your front room in an instant. What makes this Hisense set even more appealing is its low price, considering what you get in return. You get 4K HDR, although it’s fair to say the performance isn’t quite on par with the likes of Samsung and LG because it can’t go as bright, but then this is an incredibly cheap TV for the size.
It’s a dab hand with full HD and SD content though, so you won’t feel short changed when you stick on BBC One HD to watch Planet Earth II. The Hisense TV is also rather accomplished in the sound arena too, so you won’t feel like you immediately need to go out and buy a soundbar or some speakers to connect.
It’s good that Hisense has included HDR for such a low price, but if you haven’t got any HDR content to view on it, instead having to rely on standard 4K, you’ll be pleasantly rewarded.
Price: £2,500
Full review: Hisense 75M7900 4K TV
Panasonic TX-58DX802
Pocket-lint
Panasonic’s DX802 series represents great value for money. You get a few less features than the flagship DX900 set, but what you sacrifice in features you make up for in savings, and a unique design. It runs on Firefox OS, which is one of the more quirky systems we’ve come across and generally it functions well.
There’s Freeview Play built-in too for easy access to catch-up TV and for most people should cover all their TV needs, Sky and Virgin are the only additions you may want to consider, but we don’t feel they’re necessary.
But what good is a TV if the picture isn’t that good? Fortunately, the DX802 is an excellent performer. You’re unlikely to notice the differences between this and its flagship sibling, as you’re still presented with a stunning 4K picture. HDR performance is rather good too, delivering all the extra colour accuracy you’d want from the TV tech.
As an overall package the Panasonic TX-58DX802 is up there with the very best. Great design, stunning performance, a great TV service built-in and a soundbar included too. It’s well worth considering.
Price: £1,049
Full review: Panasonic Viera TX-50DX802
Best OLED TV
LG OLED E6
Pocket-lint
We just mentioned that the Samsung KS9500 has one major rival in 2016 and it’s this TV from LG. We think it represents the best pound-for-pound performance from a screen in 2016. Sure, it’s not cheap, but you can get one for around the same price as the Samsung, making it the ideal competitor.
It’s a 4K OLED HDR screen, so it packs in what many could consider holy trinity of TV technologies. It’s all fitted inside an utterly gorgeous package that’s as much a work of art as it is a TV.
It runs on LG’s webOS interface, which is one of the best around, and includes built-in Freeview Play as well as access to the majority of catch-up and on-demand apps. Turn it on and start playing some 4K HDR content and we guarantee your jaw will hit the floor. The marriage of 4K HDR and OLED is one made in heaven and makes a seriously compelling case for choosing OLED over conventional LCD LED.
LG does have a more expensive OLED G6 model available, but the only real difference between the two is the G6 has a built-in soundbar for better audio. Otherwise the picture is by and large the same, and you’ll probably get a better sound experience by connecting a soundbar or surround sound package.
The best TV available in 2016? The OLED E6 might just be that.
Price: from £2,999
Full review: LG OLED E6
LG OLED C6
Pocket-lint
Curved TVs were everywhere at one point, but manufacturers seemed to catch on that consumers wanted regular flat screens too. LG listened and made three ranges of flat-screen OLED screens, but there are still those that want the curved option. In steps the LG OLED C6.
It’s a lot cheaper than the E6 and G6 series screens, but you still get 4K HDR, and a performance that’s almost on par with its more expensive siblings. It supports Dolby Vision too for use with compatible sources – Netflix’s Marco Polo for example – and in our experience, it performs much better than regular HDR10 that’s found on most other HDR TVs.
Freeview Play is built-in, so you have access to an intuitive EPG with seven-day backwards and forwards scrolling to make it easy to catch-up on anything you’ve missed or schedule future recordings. Our only real quibble with the OLED C6 is the sound performance, which can easily be rectified by adding a soundbar, something we’d recommend anyway.
Price: £1,999
Full article: LG OLED C6 4K TV
Best full HD TV
Samsung UE48J6300
Samsung
There’s still plenty of room in the market for full HD screens. You may not have any 4K content or be too interested in upgrading, or you may simply want a decent second set for the bedroom. Whatever the case may be, Samsung has you covered with this 48-inch beauty.
It will take full HD content from any source, be it Freeview HD, games console, Blu-ray player and deliver a bright, punchy picture that makes a solid case for remaining with ‘regular’ high definition.
To make things even better, it’s been around for a while so it’s become even more affordable.
Price: £519
For more information visit: http://www.freeview.co.uk, on Twitter @FreeviewTV and Facebook at facebook.com/freeview.
7 great reasons to get a Freeview Play box
Freeview Play launched in November 2015 as the company’s new connected TV service. With it you’re able to scroll backwards and forward by seven days to either set recordings for future shows, or catch-up on the ones you’ve missed. Catch-up apps are baked into Freeview Play so there’s no need to go through separate menus, making the whole process much simpler.
Freeview Play is available on a whole host of TVs and set-top boxes, and while the TVs may be great in their own right, a set-top box is undoubtedly a more affordable but just as effective upgrade for your current screen. Here’s seven reasons why you should buy a Freeview Play set-top box.
1. It’s free!
Okay, well, the box isn’t of course, but they’re not that expensive. The cheapest route into Freeview Play is with a 500GB Humax FVP-4000T set-top box at £139. Once you’ve got that, the Freeview Play service itself is entirely free to use, no subscription required.
- Humax FVP-4000T review: Freeview Play’s first set-top box
2. You can record your favourite shows
All Freeview Play boxes available have built-in hard drives so you can record your favourite shows. They come in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB sizes which should be plenty of space for the average telly watcher. A 500GB hard drive will let you store up to 300 hours of standard definition TV, or up to 125 hours of HD content.
3. You can use your phone or tablet as a second screen
Both the Humax FVP-4000T and Panasonic’s range of Freeview Play boxes have the ability to let you use your phone or tablet as a second screen, either to watch live programmes at home or on the go, or to watch recorded content stored on your box.
4. Catch up apps are pre-installed
One of the big draws of Freeview Play is it has integrated access to the major catch-up services: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play. But your Freeview Play box also has access to other apps such as BBC News, BBC Sport, YouTube.
5. You can stream files around your home
Freeview Play boxes have built-on Wi-Fi and DLNA compatibility. This means it can access any files you have stored on a Networked Attached Storage (NAS) drive, or any device that also supports DLNA.
6. They support Netflix and Amazon Instant Video
A Freeview Play box could be the only device you need underneath your TV. Not only does it have the major catch-up apps installed, but all Panasonic Freeview Play boxes have Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, while the Humax FVP-4000T has Netflix.
7. You can play Blu-ray discs on them too
Panasonic has three boxes that support Freeview Play and have a built-in Blu-ray drive, which can upscale full HD Blu-ray discs to near 4K quality. It makes them the ideal one-box home entertainment solution to nestle under your screen.
Get catch-up and on demand TV for £0 per month with Freeview Play. Click here to find out more.
CNN snaps up Casey Neistat’s video sharing app Beme
In the hopes of bringing in a younger audience, CNN has acquired the social video sharing app Beme, which was most notably the brainchild of YouTube star Casey Neistat. Beme, which let you quickly shoot and upload four-second videos, will be shut down, the New York Times reports. Neistat and the app’s 12 other employees will be working on a new project for CNN which will debut sometime next year. While the app only received around 1.2 million downloads, the deal mostly seems to be a way for CNN to bring Neistat aboard, a successful YouTube personality who’s managed to cultivate a desirable millennial viewership.
“By joining forces with CNN, we’re able to give our mission more than just one, startup-budgeted shot,” Beme CTO and co-founder Matt Hackett wrote in a blog post. “We are going to hunker down and create something new. To do that with the full focus it deserves, we have to say goodbye to Beme.”
Beme started out as a Snapchat competitor with a unique hook: Instead of holding your phone up to take videos, you just need it to your chest. The app would then shoot a four-second video clip and upload it to your followers, without any fiddling on your part. It was an attempt to make video sharing even easier than Snapchat, but Beme failed to find much traction beyond Neistat’s faithful followers. While it’s unclear what Neistat’s CNN project would be, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his team working on an app for the network’s iReport citizen journalism initiative.
Source: New York Times
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