Sony will have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player — next year
The PS4 Pro is launching with 4K streaming and only a standard 1080p Blu-ray disc player, but Sony is ready to announce its first Ultra HD Blu-ray device. The UBP-X1000ES will ship in the spring of 2017, however, even then it will be tough to get one since Sony says it will be exclusively available through custom installers at first. The player is ready for “virtually any optical disk format” as well as Atmos and DTS:X audio tracks. From the sounds of things, it will be similar to Panasonic’s $699 DMP-UB900, although we can only guess at the price since it has not been announced yet (if you have to ask…).
Still, if you’re really ready to dive into the highest quality video (and given the tastes of people who pay attention to the CEDIA custom installer show where it’s being announced, you probably do) it also has a new high-end projector. The VPL-VW675ES continues the tradition of Sony’s SXRD projector technology, and will support not only the latest 4K HDR content, but is one of the first devices to support Hybrid-Log Gamma HDR. That will allow content to be compatible with both standard def and HDR-capable technology, but it’s not widely available or supported yet.
Projector fans should note that it’s capable of up to 1,800 lumens of brightness and a claimed 350,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It will be available in November 2016 for a mere $14,999.99. Otherwise, check out the latest additions to Sony’s ES receiver line, which will be ready to deliver high-end audio and video in spring 2017.
STR-ZA5000ES (current model), $2,799.99 msrp, 9 x 130w, 11ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Aluminum panel, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA3100ES (new in 2017), $1,699.99 msrp, 7 x 110w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA2100ES (new in 2017), $1399.99, 7 x 105w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA1100ES (new in 2017), $999.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (5/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA810ES (new in 2017), $799.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet
Source: Sony
How to Use the New Control Center in iOS 10
Although iOS 10 brings with it a few subtle visual and mechanical changes, some of its alterations to the most-used iPhone software features will probably be pretty easy to spot. One of those is the new Control Center, which has not only received a cosmetic upgrade, but has gotten a few new added abilities as well.
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The Control Center, in essence, is no longer a single card stocked with all of the expected iOS features you’ve become used to seeing (like the flashlight, calculator, and timer) — it’s now a sliding collection of three panels. The first is a basic launchpad of settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the second is dedicated to Apple Music, and the third houses your favorite accessories from Apple’s new HomeKit-focused app “Home.”
Control Center in iOS 9 (left) and iOS 10 (right)
Some of these shuffled-around buttons can make Control Center in iOS 10 a bit discombobulating when you first bring it up, so follow this guide to get a general impression of how to use Control Center, and how to find your favorite features that may not be where they were before.
Navigating Control Center in iOS 10
From anywhere in iOS 10 (including the main lock screen), swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone to bring up Control Center. The landing tab of Control Center mirrors a lot of the features from iOS 9 and prior versions of iOS, because it’s there you’ll find Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Portrait Orientation Lock buttons lined up along the top of the tab, all sitting above the brightness toggle.
The second row of buttons brings the first major Control Center change in iOS 10: two medium-sized squares for AirPlay Mirroring and AirDrop, whose locations have been flipped this time around. AirPlay Mirroring lets you mirror your iPhone screen on a connected Apple TV, while the AirDrop button lets you toggle between “Receiving Off,” “Contacts Only,” and “Everyone” for Apple’s media sharing tool.
Night Shift has its own dedicated row, so you can enable or disable the feature before its scheduled on/off times — in iOS 9 it was a small icon between timer and calculator. Lastly, at the bottom of the first Control Center tray, you’ll find the Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera, unchanged from iOS 9. New, however, are 3D Touch shortcuts for each app: the Flashlight can change intensity, Timer includes common interval options, Calculator lets you copy the last result, and Camera has multiple picture options.
Controlling Music
While in the first panel of Control Center, swipe left to switch over to the Apple Music panel. With the iOS 10 update, Apple has moved music playback and volume controls into its own separate panel. The change will undoubtedly be a hassle for many iOS users who listen to music regularly, but with a dedicated section of Control Center a few of the controls have been enlarged and a new feature has been added.
After starting a song in Apple Music, the new panel will come alive with the currently playing track, name of the artist and album, and scrub controls to jump to any section of the song. You can tap on any of these text readouts, and even the album artwork, to jump into the full Apple Music app. In addition to basic play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward buttons, and a volume toggle, Apple has introduced a new broadcast feature in Control Center as well.
The button is located all the way at the bottom of the Apple Music section, and should default to “iPhone,” so tap on it to see a list of potential devices you can connect to in order to expand the listening capabilities of the current track to a larger group. These devices could include any Bluetooth speaker within range that you’ve already set up via Settings, or a 3rd or 4th generation Apple TV. Choose whichever output you prefer to transfer playback to, and you can reset the iPhone as default by returning to Control Center, or simply powering down the connected device.
Controlling Home
If you plan on using Apple’s new HomeKit app “Home,” the third panel of Control Center should prove useful. Once synced up with any compatible HomeKit accessories in the main app, you can swipe left twice from the Control Center launchpad to gain a few basic controls over your smart light bulbs, thermostat, and more.
Before you get started in Control Center, make sure you have your accessories installed in Home. On the main screen in the app, tap “Edit” in the top right corner to rearrange your favorite accessories, the top nine of which will appear in Control Center. You can follow the same process to prioritize your favorite scenes to activate in Control Center.
Within its section of Control Center, Home’s actions are straightforward: you can tap each accessory to either turn it on or off, depending on its current state. More useful is a clever 3D Touch gesture that brings up a brightness toggle that allows for incremental percentage control of a connected lightbulb such as Hue, for example. Tap “Color” at the bottom of this screen to dive into a dynamic color wheel to pick six preset color options, or edit one to jump into a rainbow color selector to truly customize your lights within Control Center.
A “Temperature” wheel further lets you choose from brighter blue light or softer orange light. Although not automatic, this option is similar to Night Shift, letting you generate softer light at night to encourage better sleep. You can tap any empty space in these 3D Touch menus to return to Control Center.
To get a glimpse of your favorite scenes — which are grouped collections of HomeKit accessories — tap the “Scenes” button in the top right of Control Center’s third panel. Here you’ll see your top eight favorite scenes, which offer similar on/off controls for each scene, but without any expanded 3D Touch support. Tap “Accessories” to return to the favorite accessories tab.
iOS 10 is full of new features that you’ll find when you start playing around with the software update. Keep checking back with MacRumors for more helpful how-tos on everything from creating and sending handwritten text messages to avoiding tolls in Apple Maps to using lyrics in Apple Music and more.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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YouTube HDR: What’s the story?
It’s been nine months since Google-owned YouTube announced it would soon support HDR content.
With HDR-compatible televisions bursting onto the market, and several other media companies (such as Netflix and Amazon) announcing they too would support HDR content, many consumers are likely wondering what’s going on with YouTube and when they’ll be able to watch funny cat clips in HDR. Here’s everything we know about YouTube’s HDR plans, including what HDR means.
YouTube HDR: When will HDR be available?
YouTube at CES 2016 in January said it planned to support the latest innovation in video: HDR (or high dynamic range). Robery Kyncl, the company’s chief business officer, quietly revealed the news during on-stage discussion about 360-degree video experiences, which YouTube also supports, with GoPro’s CEO, Nick Woodman, and Chris Milk, the CEO of VRSE, a virtual-reality studio.
In fact, YouTube told TechCrunch that it already showcased YouTube in HDR 4K on CES’s show floor, displaying videos from NASA and Karmin on the latest TV sets from Samsung, LG, and Hisense. Unfortunately, since January, YouTube hasn’t done anything else in regards to HDR. It hasn’t announced when support will roll out, and as of September, it doesn’t appear to offer any HDR content.
YouTube HDR: What does HDR mean?
As we mentioned already, HDR stands for high dynamic range. The technology basically improves video image quality by expanding contrast ratio and colour palette. The result is a more realistic and natural image with richer colours, brighter whites, deeper blacks, and plenty of detail for dark, shadowy scenes. The format is informally considered the next step beyond HD TV.
Keep in mind HDR is sometimes branded differently. For instance, an alternative HDR standard is called Dolby Vision. One of the things that makes Dolby Vision different is that it’s designed as an end-to-end HDR process. Pocket-lint has an in-depth guide that details everything you need to know about HDR and the different standards available, including their technical specs:
- What is HDR, what TVs support HDR, and what HDR content can I watch?
YouTube HDR: What types of HDR content can you watch?
On YouTube, you’ll presumably be able to watch HDR content from YouTube creators who made HDR videos using HDR-capable cameras (just like you can do now with 4K videos and 360-degree videos from YouTube creators), and you may be able to rent HDR movies from YouTube, although the company has not confirmed whether this type of offering will be included with HDR support.
Currently, several HDR 4K movies are available in the market, including Fury, Men in Black 3, After Earth, and so on.
YouTube HDR: How will you find HDR videos on YouTube?
It’s unclear how YouTube will designate which videos are HDR. It’s also unclear how you will be able to find them. We assume you’ll be able to select HDR from an app/site-wide search filter or settings toggle on clips (just like you can do for 4K videos, 3D videos, 360-degree videos, etc).
Keep in mind Netflix, which supports HDR, doesn’t make it clear which TV shows and movies are available in HDR, but it has already started showing HDR content, with the show Marco Polo, for instance.
YouTube HDR: What do you need to watch HDR?
You can only watch HDR on a HDR-compatible TV/display. Vizio, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG, TCL, Hisense, and every other TV manufacturer you can think of now sell HDR TV sets. The new PS4 Pro can also output HDR video. During Sony’s September event, the console maker announced both YouTube and Netflix are making new apps that will play HDR videos on all PS4 models.
Want to know more?
Check out Pocket-lint’s YouTube and HDR hubs for the latest news.
Adblock Plus’ ad network is off to a rough start
When Adblock Plus unveiled its own ad network in a bid to make money from toned-down ads, it raised more than a few eyebrows… including those of its supposed ad partners. While the company said that its Acceptable Ads Platform would supply ads from Google and AppNexus, it turns out that it was merely relying on a go-between company (ComboTag) to get those ads. It hadn’t asked the underlying ad providers about a deal — and now, they want out. Both Google and AppNexus are ending their associations with ComboTag, leaving Adblock Plus without much of a leg to stand on.
Google’s senior VP for ads, Sridhar Ramaswamy, says that his company was caught off-guard by the Adblock Plus announcement. It’s “uncomfortable” watching Adblock Plus transition from purely blocking ads to pushing them, he says, and it would be preferable if the industry simply created less intrusive ads that people didn’t want to block. In a statement to Business Insider, a Google spokesperson added that it had “no knowledge of, or involvement in” the deal between ComboTag and Adblock Plus’ parent company Eyeo. When we reached out to Google ourselves, it outlined in no uncertain terms that “this is not a business we want to be part of.” You can read the full statement below.
“We were surprised by the announcement and learned of it when we were contacted by press. We have no involvement in their program and this is not a business we want to be part of. We are moving to terminate ComboTag’s AdX account. Ad blocking is a symptom of bad ads online and that’s why we believe the industry needs to align around a standard–backed by data and insights from conversations with real consumers–for what constitutes a better ads experience online.”
AppNexus isn’t being diplomatic, either. It’s not only severing ties with Adblock Plus, but insists that it doesn’t work with companies so “fundamentally harmful” to the ad business. Adblock effectively sets up “toll booths on a public road,” taking ad money that should be going straight to the publishers.
Both an Adblock Plus spokesperson and ComboTag CEO Guy Tytunovich insisted in statements that the program would still include Google and AppNexus ads. However, it’s not clear that either was aware of the planned departures at the time they issued those statements. They’ll likely have to change their tune before long — they can’t force Google or AppNexus to supply ads for a program they view as shady.
Source: Business Insider, Ad Age
Samsung guarantees its latest SUHD TVs won’t suffer burn-in
If the constant fear of screen burn-in was keeping you from making a big television purchase, then Samsung’s new guarantee might make you reconsider. The electronics giant announced today that it is providing a lifetime guarantee against the dreaded screen burn-in for all of its 2016 SUHD Quantum Dot TVs. Should your brand-new, ultra high-def, HDR+ set suffer burn-in (from “normal consumer use,” of course) Samsung will replace it for free.
For the uninitiated, “burn-in” happens when a TV is left showing a single image or scene for an extended period of time, leaving the image permanently “burned” into the screen. It is commonly associated with older Plasma and OLED sets, but LCD panels can be prone to it as well.
The guarantee covers all Samsung’s “8” or “9” series SUHD Quantum dot sets sold in the US and proud new owners of those panels will want to be sure to properly register there purchase with Samsung. And while you’re at it, you might want to return that new Samsung phone as well.
Source: BusinessWire
EU digital rules promise 5G, free WiFi and tougher copyright
The European Union isn’t done stepping up its digital initiatives. Officials have outlined proposed policies that are focused on dramatically increasing access to both the internet and the content you’ll find on it. Most of the proposals will be helpful, although not everyone is a fan — there are copyright changes that are rubbing Google the wrong way.
To start, the EU wants to “fully deploy” 5G mobile networks across its member countries by 2025. You’d theoretically get gigabit-class data across the continent. And you might not have to be picky about using it when traveling, either. While the EU has had to shelve its most recent free roaming plan, it still wants to “abolish” roaming charges. You should see a refined take on its plan next week.
However, you might not even have to depend on cellular data to get online. The proposal would also offer free wireless internet access (presumably, over WiFi) in the “main centers of public life” of every EU town by 2020. You wouldn’t get blanket coverage, but this would be particularly crucial in rural areas where cellular networks are spotty or non-existent, and local organizations don’t always have the means to offer free WiFi hotspots. If a €120 million ($135 million) grant receives approval, communities would have access to the funds before the end of 2017.
The EU is committed to its promises of erasing borders for media services, too. It wants to make content accessible across the Union, so you wouldn’t be limited to material offered in your home country. You could watch German Netflix shows while you’re visiting France, for example. You could also buy pay-TV movies and similar material from other countries, some of which might well be less expensive than it is at home. Broadcasters would still have control over whether or not their content is available in other countries.
It’s in the copyright space where things get tricky. The proposal would require better data sharing and transparency for creators, but it would also give press publishers rights that ensure they get a “fair share” of revenues for material they post online. Sound familiar? It should — it’s similar to laws in Germany and Spain that ask search engines like Google to pay up when they show an article snippet in their results. The EU contends that this is necessary to make sure writers are “paid fairly,” but Google unsurprisingly objects. It believes that the German and Spanish laws “failed,” and that these demands for payment ultimately hurt publishers by giving web users fewer reasons to click through to an article.
Moreover, the regulation might be bad news for YouTube. The proposal would require that services offering user-uploaded content take “appropriate and proportionate” steps to protect copyright. While this does include “content recognition technologies” (possibly a reference to YouTube’s Content ID), Google is worried that the measure would require screening content before it goes public, which would demand far more work. Google policy lead Caroline Atkinson claims that it would lead to an internet where every upload would have to be “cleared by lawyers.”
The proposal needs to clear both the European Parliament and individual governments to go forward. It may take a long time before the initiative takes effect, and that’s assuming there are no significant changes. If it does, though, Europe could have a very different digital landscape within the next decade. It would definitely be more connected, but there’s a concern that Google and others like it might scale back their European presence rather than make the effort to comply with new copyright laws.
Via: Ars Technica, Bloomberg, New York Times
Source: European Commission (1), (2)
Google Fiber TV finally gets an interface overhaul
While Alphabet ponders switching its high-speed Google Fiber service to wireless, those subscribers already on the bandwagon are getting the biggest update to their TV box since the network went live in 2012. As Google’s Fiber team notes today, the Fiber TV interface has been redesigned to add more helpful information, a reorganized DVR and new recommendation functions.
The new look and feel includes Rotten Tomatoes ratings in the program descriptions, better show and movie thumbnails to streamline casual browsing and a Smart Search feature that allows for searching by titles, actors, sports teams and other criteria. And, to finally bring Fiber TV up to the contemporary standards, the service can now recommend movies and TV shows based on the shows you currently watch. So if you’ve been binging on all that Walking Dead, don’t be surprised if George Romero flicks start popping up in your recommendations.
The update starts rolling out to Fiber TV subscribers today, although Google’s blog post does mention it could take a couple weeks to reach all current customers.
Source: Google Fiber Blog
NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use
NYC debuted its gigabit LinkNYC program in January of this year to great fanfare. These kiosks, 400 in total dot the city, offered free wi-fi for passing residents as well as dedicated tablets that anyone could use. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out quite as planned. On Wednesday, the LinkNYC program announced that it would be temporarily borking its tablets until officials can figure out how to ensure that they aren’t bogarted by the city’s homeless residents.
Turns out homeless residents were hijacking the kiosks and using the tablets as their personal computers/porn hubs — reportedly preventing others from using them and causing a nuisance for nearby businesses. In response, LinkNYC announced that it will remove the web browser and is considering implementing time limits. Other features like free phone calls, maps, device charging, 911, and the gigabit wi-fi will remain active.
‘League of Legends’ will keep adding new champs for ‘many’ years
League of Legends studio Riot Games is 10 years old, and like a fifth-grader riding his first two-wheeler, it’s just getting started. Riot announced this week that League of Legends boasts 103 million monthly active players, up from 67 million in 2015. Compare that with Dota 2, which had 13.5 million players in the past month, or Overwatch, which has a total player pool of about 15 million. League of Legends is a massive phenomenon, helping pave the way for eSports as it enters mainstream consciousness and partnering with universities to kick off the next generation of competitive gaming.
The game itself is also huge. There are 132 champions in League of Legends, each with individual abilities, personalities, backstories, voice acting and costume choices, and Riot is constantly adding more. Just today, the company teased a new champion, bringing the revised total to 133.
That number is going to keep growing for a long while, Lead Game Designer Greg Street tells Engadget.
“We don’t have to worry about the ‘too many champions’ problem for some time,” Street says. “If you asked me, ‘Is there a magic max number of champions that League can support?’ I’d admit that there probably is, but it’s probably a pretty large number, and we won’t reach it for many, many years. For the next few years, releasing a new champion is one of the most exciting moments for League players and I’d hate to lose that feeling.”
Over the past couple of years, Riot has slowed down its release cadence, Street says. However, this isn’t an attempt to limit the number of champions; instead, it’s a conscious effort to improve the quality of each new playable character.
“I can’t imagine us ever overhauling the game from scratch,” Street says. “We make updates all the time, and that includes updating old champions in need of new visuals, new sound, new backstories or those that just don’t deliver on the depth of gameplay of more modern champions.”
Street hesitates to complain about League of Legends’ massive popularity. After all, the goal of many game designers is to create something that millions, if not billions, of people around the world regularly play. But, with a huge player base comes unique difficulties.
League of Legends is a global game. There are people playing right now across Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, South Korea, Denmark, South Africa and dozens of other countries, and each of these regions has its own quirks. Finding a balance among all of these spaces is one of the toughest aspects of Street’s job.
For example, the champion Jinx riffs on an archetype of the badass female anarchist, something that Western audiences understand. However, that archetype doesn’t really exist in other places of the world, Street says. These are the strange inconsistencies that he has to think about when implementing new champions or mechanics.
“Even within a single region, we have players of vastly different skill levels, going from a true beginner all the way to a professional eSports team member, but they all expect a relatively balanced game,” Street says. “League players tend to be pretty hardcore, so it may be weird to consider how diverse the community can be, but with 100 million players, the diversity is pretty mind-boggling.”
Riot has offices around the world and Street relies on these employees to offer insights about the local atmosphere. Plus, Riot regularly asks its players what they want to see fixed or added to the game. In the end, it’s all about balance.
“As a developer, it’s easy to become paralyzed by fear that your change might ruin the night of so many players,” Street says. “But on the other hand, those players have high expectations, so they aren’t going to accept you not addressing problems. You have to be mindful of the ramifications of the changes you make, but you do have to keep making them.”
Apple Pay now works with Squarespace sites
If you have a Squarespace site that you’re using to sell your wares, your online store can now accept Apple Pay via the iPhone and the upcoming macOS Sierra. Now visitors can buy stuff without digging out their credit card.
To make sure your site accepts Apple Pay, Squarespace notes that you should make sure your site accepts Stripe payments and enable the new online checkout experience in settings.
Shopify is also allowing its customers to add Apple Pay to their retail sites. The move by both companies not only reduces payment friction from Apple devices, it also adds an additional level of security since each transaction has its own unique token.
Source: Sqaurespace
