LG has announced the 2025 refresh for its QNED evo lineup of premium LCD TVs, along with new features coming with the 40 to 100-inch models that include the capability to wirelessly receive and play 4K content. The company introduced its 4K wireless solution last year on its more expensive OLED M-series TVs, but this rollout will give more people access to its technology.
Its True Wireless 4K solution requires the use of the company's Zero Connect Box, so the reality is that it's not fully wireless. But once you plug your devices into that external box, you'll be able to transmit 4K content with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz to the TV from as far as 30 feet away without having to run cables directly into the set. The only thing that needs to be plugged into the TV itself is its power cord.
In addition to the True Wireless feature, the updated QNED evo TVs also use LG's new Dynamic QNED Color Solution that enables them to produce colors closer to how they appear to the naked eye in real life. They come with AI capabilities, as well, such as the ability to upscale images more naturally and to make voices stand out more against background sounds. The new QNED evo models will ship with the new AI Magic Remote that comes with a dedicated AI button. LG says that a long press on the AI button will allow users to make personalized searches for viewing preferences and recommendations. A user can ask the remote to recommend movies for their trip to Paris, for instance, and the AI will be able to suggest films based on the European capital in genres they enjoy based on their viewing habits.
LG has yet to announced the new QNED evo TVs' availability and pricing, but it will most likely showcase them and reveal more information at CES next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lgs-qned-evo-lcd-tv-lineup-for-2025-can-wirelessly-receive-4k-videos-130050376.html?src=rss
OnePlus will launch its new flagship series, the OnePlus 13, on January 7, 2025. Its getting increasingly difficult for smartphone makers to differentiate or push the envelope, but OnePlus is at least trying. Its new phone series will have IP68 and IP69 ratings.
IP68 certification means the device has protection against submerging and dust, the usual stuff, but the IP69 rating takes water resistance a step further, promising the device can withstand high-pressure jets of water for all those high-pressure jet moments. The OnePlus 13 might be the first mainstream smartphone to get the certification.
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The company likes wet phone tech. A few years ago, it introduced a Rain Water Touch feature in the OnePlus 12 and Ace 2 Pro. It used a special chip to algorithmically determine how you touched the screen while operating it in the rain or other wet conditions.
The OnePlus 13 will have three colorways: Arctic Dawn, Black Eclipse and Midnight Ocean, with the latter also being the first phone to use micro-fiber vegan leather. And the Arctic Dawn edition has a new glass coating that resists finger smudges apparently another first in the industry, according to OnePlus.
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Honda and Nissan reportedly open merger talks
Theyre Japans second- and third-largest automakers.
Honda and Nissan are reportedly discussing a merger. The Japanese publication Nikkei said the two automakers are planning to sign a memorandum of understanding to sort out shared equity stakes in a new holding company. The potential merger would combine the assets of Japans second- and third-biggest automakers, giving them a better shot of competing with the nations market leader, Toyota. Bloomberg adds it would also put them in a better position against Tesla and Chinese EV makers.
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Seagate teases its first HAMR-based hard drive
Finally, the Exos M will go on sale after years of anticipation.
The Seagate website announced a new Exos M 30TM and 32TB hard disk drive (HDD), featuring 3TB per platter with three times the power efficiency per terabyte compared to other hard drives. The new hard drive is Seagates first HDD to use heat-assisted magnetic recording. HAMR refers to a magnetic storage process in which localized heat is applied to the disk material during writing, which allows for smaller regions and more space per platter. These and other breakthroughs could someday pave the way to a 50TB HDD.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121242613.html?src=rss
You can now access Apple's answer to Google Street View on the web. As 9to5Mac reports, Apple has enabled Look Around for the beta version of Apple Maps on the web, letting you literally look around and explore the cities where it's available. The company has a full list of "Look Around" locations on its website, and it includes select cities in the US, Japan and several countries in the European Union. To start exploring a place on your desktop, you only have to click on the binocular icon at the bottom left corner of the map. Like on Street View, you'll be able to virtually fly across roads and drag the screen to show more of the place with the feature's 360-degree images.
Apple launched the beta version of Maps for the web in July, with a number of limitations. Access was limited to certain devices and browsers. While you could already use it to look up directions and guides, it didn't roll out with Look Around, though Apple promised to add more features in the coming months. Although Look Around's coverage is pretty limited at the moment, MacRumors previously reported finding clues in Apple Maps suggesting that the company is working on expanding its availability. Apple apparently has plans to add smaller cities and rural areas to the Look Around network, as well as to add more countries, such as Egypt, China and Mexico.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-maps-look-around-is-now-available-on-the-web-035431088.html?src=rss
A new hard drive based on the long-promised heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology is almost here. Toms Hardware reported that a new sales page popped up on the Seagate website announcing a new Exos M 30TM and 32TB hard disk drive (HDD) featuring 3TB per platter with three times the power efficiency per terabyte compared to other hard drives.
The new hard drive is based on Seagates new Mozaic 3+ platform and is its first HDD to use HAMR. HAMR refers to a magnetic storage process in which localized heat is applied to the disk material during writing, which allows for smaller regions and more space per platter. These and other breakthroughs could someday pave the way to a 50TB HDD. Heres a video from our Upscaled series that breaks down the entire process and what it means for the future of HDD storage.
Theres no official release date yet for the Exos M. You can stay up to date by email of its pending release on Seagates product page.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/seagate-teases-its-first-hamr-based-hard-drive-001519503.html?src=rss
Wizards of the Coast is shutting down the online servers for Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance early next year. According to the updated store listings, the game will no longer be available for purchase and its servers will go down for good on February 24, 2025. "The base game and all DLC are still available to play in offline single player by anyone who currently owns it," the notice from the company adds.
Dark Alliance launched in 2021 with a single-player mode and an option for up to four-player co-op. It marked the first time WotC had published a video game from the hugely popular D&D universe. The project was meant to follow in the lineage of the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games that were released in the 2000s, but the title made by Tuque Games didn't receive the same high praise as those predecessors. For some context, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance has an 87 score on Metacritic and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 has a 78. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance sits down at a decidedly middling 53.
At least Larian Studios' excellent Baldur's Gate 3 is still thriving and getting new patches for your D&D-inspired video game needs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dungeons--dragons-dark-alliance-servers-will-shut-down-in-february-233454799.html?src=rss
Grubhub has agreed to pay $25 million to settle charges from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Illinois Attorney General. The company was accused of a laundry list of sketchy behavior, including misleading customers about delivery charges, deceiving delivery drivers about income and listing restaurants on the platform without consent. Last month, the food delivery startup Wonder bought Grubhub for one-tenth of what it was worth during the pandemic.
Under the proposed settlement, Grubhub has to make changes to remedy the problems. The requirements read like a stop doing that list, one per charge. This includes notifying customers of full delivery costs, being honest with drivers about pay and listing restaurants only with their consent.
The FTC says Grubhub, to appear more robust than it was, added as many as 325,000 unaffiliated restaurants to the platform without permission since at least 2019. Customers ordering from those businesses discovered added fees and numerous ordering problems. Meanwhile, the agency says the restaurants bore the brunt of diners ire, leading to damaged reputations and lost money.
The company also allegedly added junk fees after advertising to customers that theyd pay a low-cost, flat rate for deliveries. The FTC says Grubhub labeled them service fees or small order fees, but they were simply delivery fees under another name. The agency quotes a former Grubhub executive as calling it a pricing shell game.
The FTC also accused the company of blocking customers accounts with large gift card balances, leaving them no way to regain access. The agency said diners who complained to the company either werent told their accounts were blocked or werent given any meaningful way to contest the ban.
The false pay allegations include advertising that Grubhub drivers could make up to $40 hourly in the New York area. In reality, the median driver pay in that area was around $10 hourly and only 0.1 percent of drivers are said to have made the advertised rate. And in Chicago, an ad promised earnings of up to $26 hourly when the median was $11.
Grubhub denies the allegations but says it settled to put the matter behind it. At Grubhub, were committed to transparency so that every single day diners, restaurants and drivers can make well-informed choices to do business with us, the company wrote in a statement. While we categorically deny the allegations made by the FTC, many of which are wrong, misleading or no longer applicable to our business, we believe settling this matter is in the best interest of Grubhub and allows us to move forward.
Our investigation found that Grubhub tricked its customers, deceived its drivers, and unfairly damaged the reputation and revenues of restaurants that did not partner with Grubhub all in order to drive scale and accelerate growth, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan wrote in a statement. Todays action holds Grubhub to account, putting an end to these illegal practices and securing nearly $25 million for the people cheated by Grubhubs tactics. There is no gig platform exemption to the laws on the books.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/grubhub-settles-with-the-ftc-over-adding-restaurants-without-their-consent-221006330.html?src=rss
Threads is previewing yet another significant new feature before the end of the year. The app will soon begin testing the ability for users to schedule posts ahead of time, according to an update from Meta exec Adam Mosseri.
Mosseri shared a screenshot of the upcoming feature, which shows a simple tool to set a date and time for a post to go live in Threads post editor. Interestingly, Mosseri said that users will only be able to schedule new posts, not replies to existing posts because the company wants to continue to prioritize real-time conversation. Though he didn't give any indication of when the tool may roll out more broadly, he said that the feature had been in the works for months, so its likely Meta plans on releasing it more widely at some point.
The ability to schedule posts will be particularly useful for brands, creators and others who use the service to manage professional accounts. Though there are already third-party tools that enable post scheduling, many require a paid subscription.
Post scheduling is the latest sign that Meta is looking to add more features geared toward brands, businesses and other social media professionals to the 300 million-user app. The service also began testing post analytics earlier this month. Both features could come in handy when Meta decides to flip the switch on advertising for the platform a change rumored to be coming next month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-working-on-scheduled-posts-215537909.html?src=rss
Elon Musk and SpaceX are under three federal reviews from three different US military departments for allegedly failing to comply with reporting protocols. The New York Times reported that Musk and his private aerospace company have repeatedly disregarded requirements to disclose trips and meetings with foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The three reviews of Musk and SpaceXs suspected activity were opened by the Defense Departments Office of Inspector General, the Air Force and the Pentagons Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. The Air Force also reportedly denied Musks request for high-level security access because of concerns over potential security risks if he were allowed to handle certain pieces of classified information.
Some SpaceX workers with knowledge of the reviews expressed their concerns to the Times about Musks ability to handle sensitive data when he posts openly about meetings on his X account. He already has top-security clearance at SpaceX that allows him to view certain pieces of classified material such as information on the US advanced military technology. Musk is required to disclose certain details about his personal life and travel habits to the Defense Department but some employees allege that he and his company have failed to meet those requirements as far back as 2021.
Sources also told the newspaper that Musk allegedly failed to provide department officials with his full itinerary including meetings with foreign leaders. He also may not have provided reports on his personal and prescription drug use as part of his vetting procedure even though he smoked marijuana with Joe Rogan on his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and talked about microdosing ketamine on his X page. and with former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
America isnt the only country concerned about Musks ability to keep a lid on classified information. Nine other countries including in Europe and the Middle East, raised security concerns about Musk sitting in meetings with US defense officers over the past three years, according to The New York Times. Employees who were concerned about the lax reactions to these vetting requirements failed to report the behavior out of fear of losing their jobs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-spacex-reportedly-under-federal-review-for-undisclosed-meetings-with-foreign-leaders-213817035.html?src=rss
Not content with meddling in politics, Elon Musk's next venture is an attempt to reimagine the United States' education system. The South African billionaire is now funding a Texas preschool called Ad Astra, which recently received a state permit to educate up to 21 students. The Montessori private school's website states that it is open to students aged three to nine, however an in-depth report from Bloomberg said that there are no signs of children or teachers yet at the facility.
The school is located outside of Bastrop, Texas, which is becoming a hub for Musk-owned businesses. The Boring Co. tunneling business is based close by, as is a production site for SpaceX Starlink satellites. Construction is also happening in the area for a building owned by X, formerly Twitter.
Bloomberg noted that Musk has frequently had educational offerings, sometimes with the same Ad Astra name, attached to his businesses, so this new preschool could be meant for the children of his employees. A job posting for an instructor at Ad Astra reads: "While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide."
Musk was a vocal and financial supporter of Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and both have made comments disparaging recent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education.
He's hardly the first tech figurehead to apply his opinions on education onto US schools. Mark Zuckerberg tried to personalize the experience with Summit Learning. Jeff Bezos put his name and resources into a series of preschools. And Bill Gates has a long history of proposing ideas for public education that yielded dubious improvements for students, such as charter schools and the Common Core State Standards.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-is-opening-a-preschool-near-his-texas-business-operations-211430042.html?src=rss
Honda and Nissan are reportedly set to discuss a merger. The Japanese publication Nikkei said the two automakers plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to sort out shared equity stakes in a new holding company for the consolidated rivals.
The potential merger would combine the assets of Japans second- and third-biggest automakers, giving them a better shot of competing with the nations market leader, Toyota. Bloomberg adds that it would also put them in a better position against Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Nikkei says Mitsubishi could join the talks later.
Earlier this year, Honda and Nissan said they would work together on software development, batteries and other EV components. That combine-and-compete alliance followed Toyotas acquisition of stakes in Subaru, Suzuki and Mazda. With todays news that the pair are ready to take the next step, the landscape is clearly heading toward fewer (but bigger) legacy automakers competing for customers.
Bloomberg also reported on Tuesday that Honda is stepping up production of hybrid vehicles as demand for electric / gas vehicles remains high outside of China. The automaker is aiming to double its annual hybrid sales by 2030. The goal is still to become carbon neutral by 2050, but demand for hybrids will remain high for the foreseeable future, Honda Chief Officer Katsuto Hayashi said on Sunday. We see most of that growth happening in North America.
Speaking of North America, US President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to reverse President Bidens EV policies. His transition team is said to have recommended ending government support for EVs and charging stations and focusing instead on blocking cars, components and battery materials sourced from China. Climate scientists have warned that transitioning from gas-powered to electric vehicles is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and head off the most catastrophic projections for our planet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/honda-and-nissan-reportedly-open-merger-talks-205454769.html?src=rss
