Geek News

This isn't exactly taking it back to the days of HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, but Samsung's fight to push HDR10+ as an alternative to Dolby Vision is heating up. We have more details on how the two standards compare right here , but one main feature is that both improve on regular HDR10 by allowing content makers to dynamically adjust settings from one scene to another, or even from one frame to another. While Dolby Vision been licensed by many TV manufacturers, Samsung isn't one of them and has chosen instead to push HDR10+ as a royalty-free alternative. Now Warner Bros. is joining Samsung, Fox and Panasonic in supporting HDR10+ on its 4K video releases. We don't have a lot of specific information, but the team insists that other companies are also interested in using HDR10+, and soon they'll have access when its certification and logo program opens up . If it takes off, then that could mean there's an extra sticker/setting to look for on your next 4K TV, Ultra HD...

Zepp Labs' sensors let you analyze your performance across a number of sports, including baseball , softball, golf, tennis and soccer. But some of its performance-tracking products will soon be no more. In 2015, Blast Motion, a company that makes similar products , sued Zepp for patent infringement and today the two companies announce that they've reached a settlement. A US District Court has found that both companies infringed on each other's patents and the two parties have agreed to a settlement that will allow both to keep their products on the market, save for one. Zepp's baseball and softball sensor products will no longer be sold in the US and the court's injunction will go into effect after June 17th of this year. The rest of the agreement has not been released. Zepp says that it will continue to support its existing baseball and softball apps, maintaining the features they currently have, and it will still introduce new features to the Apple Watch an...

Love the Nintendo Switch controllers but tired of only having them in gray? The company will broaden the Joy-Con color palette in the US market when it releases them in neon pink and neon green later this month. While these hues have been out in Europe and Japan for awhile, they were previously available in America only as part of a Walmart-exclusive Splatoon 2 console bundle that launched last summer. Keep your #NintendoSwitch looking fresh when you play #Splatoon2 with these new Neon Pink and Neon Green Joy-Con controllers! Look for them in stores later this month. http://pic.twitter.com/NWZlMIG2q0 — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 5, 2018 Interesting trivia, as pointed out by Polygon: The US Joy-Cons pictured above have their colors flipped compared to the international and original Splatoon 2 bundle, though that could be the result of a mirrored image. If not, then novelty may soothe the wounds of the color scheme's delayed release in the US. Nintend...

In a blog post today, Twitter made an attempt at clarifying its stance on how political figures and world leaders use its platform. Many have called for the site to block Donald Trump as he has repeatedly tweeted violent and threatening posts, and Twitter has often stumbled through its explanations of why it hasn't done so. In its post today, the company says that blocking leaders or deleting their tweets would ultimately limit important conversations. "Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate," it said. "It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions." In other words, it won't be banning Trump. The president has come under fire multiple times for things he's tweeted including violent anti-Muslim propaganda videos and threats against other countries . Color of Change...

Apple has been ordering original shows at a breakneck pace , and now it's branching out beyond big-name dramas . Deadline has learned that the tech giant has ordered a 10-episode documentary from Time Inc. and Matthew Weaver (shown at left), the producer known for his work on the musical Rock of Ages and Jiro Dreams of Sushi . The series, simply titled Home , will take viewers inside "extraordinary" houses and discuss the designers that created them. It's not clear who will narrate the series or when it's expected to premiere. This is the first documentary Apple has ordered since it tapped influential Hollywood execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Amburg to lead its video programming division , and it gives a clearer picture of the programming diversity Apple is shooting for. Drama may be the centerpiece, but it won't be your only choice. There are still many unknowns, though. While Apple is believed to have a $1 billion war chest for original programming, we...

Just one day after Ajit Pai's FCC released the text of its order to gut net neutrality, a lobbying group that represents the largest tech companies in the world has decided to take legal action. The Internet Association represents companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Twitter and other heavy hitters. It will join an existing lawsuit as an intervening party, which lets the group file arguments against the FCC. "The final version of Chairman Pai's rule, as expected, dismantles popular net neutrality protections for consumers," said the group's CEO Michael Beckerman in a statement. This rule defies the will of a bipartisan majority of Americans and fails to preserve a free and open internet. IA intends to act as an intervenor in judicial action against this order and, along with our member companies, will continue our push to restore strong, enforceable net neutrality protections through a legislative solution." This won't be happening very...

Intel is already facing multiple lawsuits over the chip security flaws revealed earlier this week . Gizmodo reports that three have been filed so far -- in California, Oregon and Indiana. All three are class action complaints and note Intel's delay in disclosing the vulnerabilities -- it new about them for months -- as well as reduced performance caused by subsequent security patches. The Register reported that PC slow downs could amount to as much as five to 30 percent, but Intel has said that its solution's impacts are "highly workload-dependent" and won't be noticed much by the typical user . It's still early -- the flaws were only officially revealed on Wednesday -- so Intel could be facing more lawsuits going forward. In the week following Apple's reveal that it intentionally slows older iPhone models to prevent sudden shutdowns, it was hit with a number of lawsuits in multiple countries. Intel says 90 percent of affected chips should be patc...

Internet slowdowns at home aren't just annoying anymore. They can be hazardous to your health or dangerous if you're in an area that freezes. Internet service provider Armstrong Zoom has roughly a million subscribers in the Northeastern part of the U.S. and is keen to punish those it believes are using file-sharing services. The ISP's response to allegedly naughty customers is bandwidth throttling -- which is when an ISP intentionally slows down your internet service based on what you're doing online. In this case, when said ISP believes you're doing something illegal. As part of its throttling routine, Armstrong Zoom's warning letter openly threatens its suspected file-sharing customers about its ability to use or control their webcams and connected thermostats. The East Coast company stated : "Please be advised that this may affect other services which you may have connected to your internet service, such as the ability to control your thermostat ...

You'll have an extra way to watch Netflix handle its nine Golden Globe nominations this year. For the first time ever, the television awards show will be streamed live on NBC's website, its app and other services like DirecTV Now, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV. This is in addition to Facebook's streaming of the red carpet activities before the ceremony. Deadline notes that the live stream acknowledges a sea change in the way people consume television and other media. Many viewers haven't ever had a cable subscription, preferring to pay for things like CBS All Access and HBO Now a la carte. The 75th annual Golden Globes will air and stream live on January 7th at 8 PM ET. Source: Deadline via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2CNUhJR"

CBS' streaming service All Access is now available on Amazon Channels, giving Prime members easier access to the network's online-only hits and backlog. Which is just in time to catch second half of the service's flagship show, Star Trek: Discovery, which will start airing on January 7th. Unfortunately, Amazon Prime users can only connect their higher-tier $10 commercial-free option to Amazon Channels, so those using their $6 limited ads option are out of luck. Which is a shame: CBS All Access may have the hottest sci-fi show out right now, but not much other exclusive programming (though more are on the way, including a new Twilight Zone ). We believe the first half of Star Trek: Discovery made the service worth subscribing to despite how frustrating it is to use, so hopefully bringing it to Amazon Channels will make it easier on customers willing to foot the cost. Source: CBS via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2CyI8Ve"

Usually when you tap the now-playing bar while listening to Spotify on your phone, it brings up a static image related to the song you're playing. But today, Music Ally noticed that one song on the New Music Friday playlist, Superorganism's "Everybody Wants To Be Famous," instead featured a looped video in the background rather than the typical artwork. The video, which multiple Engadget reporters have also now spotted on their Spotify accounts, lasts through the entirety of the song and is credited to Superorganism. We reached out to Spotify to see if this is something we might be seeing more of, but a spokesperson for the company said that they had nothing to announce at this time. So it appears this is just a test. None of the other songs on the New Music Friday US playlist currently has an accompanying video and the feature doesn't seem to extend to the desktop app. Spotify has been pretty proactive in its efforts to engage its users. Its various persona...

Amazon is integrating Alexa with services that help around the house, from turning on the microwave to charging your plugged-in EV. For its next trick, the tech giant wants to push its voice assistant into devices you take on the go. Today, Amazon introduced the 'Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit,' software that lets developers hook up their Bluetooth-equipped wearables and headphones to the voice-controlled service. The kit enables OEM devices to connect over Bluetooth to the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) through the Alexa app on iOS or Android devices. There are already devices that hook up to Amazon's voice assistant, of course, but routing through the app is a lighter-weight option than building in functionality via the AVS Device SDK released last August. Perhaps this easier option will help Amazon keep Alexa adoption ahead of rival services as they try to shorten the lead, with Google releasing an SDK for its Assistant last month. The kit isn't ready to use just yet...

It's not hyperbole to say that Meltdown and Spectre CPU vulnerabilities are a disaster. They affect pretty much every processor used over the past two decades and practically every device. In the right hands, they could reveal things like passwords and other secure information. While many companies have rushed to patch against Meltdown, which specifically affects Intel chips and lets hackers access the memory of apps being used by an operating system, Spectre is more stubborn. It won't be fully resolved until chip makers move to new architectures -- a process that could take years. While these are some of the most critical exploits the computing world has seen, their existence has made it clear that, in extreme cases like this, technology companies have to work together. That's not exactly news to the collaboration-focused security research community, which initially discovered the vulnerabilities and alerted affected companies. But now, even major competitors are being...

While Chelsea Handler's talk show on Netflix is on its way out, the company is taking a different approach with a new attempt featuring David Letterman as shown by its first trailer . My Next Guest Needs No Introduction is scheduled for six 60-minute episodes with George Clooney, Malala Yousafzai, Jay-Z, Tina Fey, Howard Stern and President Barack Obama slated to visit. The first episode, with Obama, will arrive January 12th, with new ones released monthly. The show will take place inside and outside the studio, as Letterman returns to TV for the first time since leaving the Late Show on CBS in 2015. Obama. Clooney. Malala. Fey. Stern. Jay-Z. #MyNextGuestNeedsNoIntroductionWithDavidLetterman @Letterman do you think we need a shorter hashtag? — Netflix US (@netflix) January 5, 2018 Source: Netflix (YouTube) via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2m2BH6h"

By Shannon Palus This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter , reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After walking and running over 45 miles on nine treadmills, we think the best treadmill for most people is the ProForm 505 CST . It has speed and incline features that are comparable to treadmills twice the price, and it adjusts quickly between them, too. The interface was the easiest to navigate of all the treadmills we tested. The belt is 55 inches long—enough space for all but the tallest runners—and there are 18 workout programs, features that a treadmill that costs any less will lack. Who should get a treadmill? If you have established a walking or running habit, having a treadmill in your home might make it easier or more fun. You'll save time and money by not having to commute to the gym, and you have more co...

Google's search engine might be banned in China, but it's been finding more and more ways to establish its presence in the country. Its latest effort is leading a $120 million investment in Chushou, a Chinese online e-sports platform that specializes in mobile game livestreams. The website is already pretty big, with 8 million users and as many as 250,000 livestreams a day, and it's unclear what percentage of total funding came from Google. According to CNBC , though, the big G will help the platform grow even bigger, more international, in order to make it look more inviting to potential users outside China. So far, the number of mobile gamers in China is almost double the number of people in the US, so Chushou definitely has the potential to become a proper Twitch competitor. Livestreaming is immensely popular in China, as well -- Chushou rival Douyu TV , for instance, says it has around 30 million daily active users. That makes Google's new ally look tiny in com...

Fitbit just invested over $6 million in a company called Sano that's working on a coin-sized patch that monitors blood sugar, CNBC reports. The wearables-maker already incorporates other glucose-tracking devices' data into its Ionic smartwatch , but this investment suggests that the company might be looking to more directly incorporate a monitor into its devices. "This fits into our strategy of looking beyond the device and thinking more about (health) solutions," Fitbit CEO James Park told CNBC . "I think the complete solution comes in the form of having some monitoring solution that is coupled with a display, and a wearable that can give you the interventions at the right moment." Fitbit isn't the only one interested in a built-in blood sugar monitor. Reports surfaced early last year that Apple was working on one itself, but while Sano's product uses tiny needles to take its measurements, Apple has reportedly been chasing a device that has so...

Iconic CES devices like the Apple Newton, CD player, VHS VCR , Sony PlayStation and Oculus Rift "Crystal Cove" didn't necessarily seem groundbreaking at the time. Experts and the public often gave prizes to gadgets like the Creative Zen Vision:M and Hitachi's G1000 Pocket PC that we've since deleted from our collective memory banks. With that in mind, here are 10 of the most memorable CES shows that yielded products that were instant hits as well as some that weren't appreciated until later. CES 1970: the VCR comes home CES started in 1967, but it was a sleepy affair until 1970, when Philips unveiled its N1500 videocassette recorder. Until that point, VCRs cost upward of $50,000 and were used mainly by TV stations, but the Philips model with a built-in tuner was just $900 (around $5,000 today). It became the first-ever home VCR, letting folks who could afford it record TV shows for future viewing. CES 1979: Atari and the home-gaming revolution For m...