Here’s the scenario: You bought a new TV and you’re planning to use it as an AV switcher for a sound bar. It’s a smart move, as most sound bars lack HDMI inputs, so you can simply connect all your gear to your TV via HDMI, and connect your TV’s optical output to the sound …

Netflix’s multi-award winning, star-packed political thriller House of Cards is back with a new series, opening worldwide on the streaming service on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. The Kevin Spacey-led show, which is produced by Netflix, will once more be available to watch all at once, with 13 episodes going live on the same day. A trailer for the new series …

Why the long face? BoJack Horseman, the tale of an alcoholic horse, is the next original series from Netflix, featuring stars of Arrested Development and Breaking Bad. Will Arnett is the mane attraction, providing the voice of BoJack, a washed-up ex-TV star who just happens to be of the equine persuasion. Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul is the voice of …

It’s a Christmas miracle: Sky is knocking a hundred quid off your first bill if you sign up over the weekend. Sign up before 16 December — that’s Monday — and you’ll be credited with £100 on your first bill, which means you aren’t paying anything in January. Handy if you’ve overspent on presents and eggnog and you’re suffering from …

Shutterstock Calls to ‘freephone’ numbers will be free to call from mobiles as well as landlines, Ofcom has ruled — but the changes won’t come into effect until the year after next. The watchdog has decreed that “Freephone will mean free”, which means you won’t be charged to call 0800, 0808 and 116 numbers from your mobile. The changes won’t …

We hear a lot about supply issues prompting tech delays, but Motorola has a new force to deal with: Winter Storm Dion. Motorola has issued letters to those who have ordered a Moto G, saying its fulfillment center in Fort Worth, Texas, was hit hard by Winter Storm Dion, and it’s “still recovering from the storm’s impact.” The letter, obtained …

A little unsolicited advice to tech companies wanting to hold an event: Bring something at least moderately interesting or new to the table. Otherwise, you end up like Instagram, which on Thursday unveiled Instagram Direct, its take on the direct and instant messaging feature that’s available on virtually every other major service. The moment was, to say the least, disappointing. …

It appears the i’s have been dotted and the t’s have been crossed for a new policy that will now let consumers unlock their cell phones more easily. The Federal Communications Commission has reached an agreement with the five major US wireless carriers that requires the carriers to disclose how and when cell phones on their networks can be unlocked, …

Now playing: Watch this: Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery turns your iPhone… 3:56 There are finally universal game controllers that work with Lightning-equipped iPhones and iPods running iOS 7. Both the Moga Ace Power and Logitech PowerShell offer the potential to turn your device into a little handheld game dynamo by adding buttons. But, there’s a problem: it’s not easy …

Meet the new wireless charging technology, same as the old wireless charging technology. It’s called Rezence (pronounced like “reh-zence”), and it is the new brand for the Alliance 4 Wireless Power (A4WP), a group of high-profile technology companies — which counts Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, and Intel as key members — pitching a next-generation form of wireless charging. In fact, it …