October, 2020

• 20 October

  Why iPhone 12’s 5G won’t completely drain its battery

  

  For anyone fortunate enough to get a 5G signal — particularly the super-fast version that Verizon touts — the speeds can be mind-blowing. But the price you pay on battery life is equally jaw-dropping because 5G is a power hog. Fortunately, Apple thought this through with its iPhone 12 family. Apple’s newest phones, all of …

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• 20 October

  Netflix may unlock its catalog free to some nonmembers for 2 days

  

  Netflix will unlock its service free to nonmembers for two days starting Dec. 4, allowing anyone to stream its full catalog as part of a new StreamFest promotion, according to a Protocol report Tuesday. Hints about the promotion were uncovered in code for Netflix’s Android app, but it’s unclear where the promo would be available and whether it would have other limitations.  …

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• 20 October

  Microsoft, Elon Musk’s SpaceX team up on orbital connectivity

  

  Microsoft is partnering with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer cloud computing in spacecraft and fleets of satellites through its Azure service, the tech giant said Tuesday. The move comes four months after Amazon announced that its Web Services unit is expanding into space. The company is also expanding its partnership with Luxembourg’s SES SA, which has a network of larger …

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• 20 October

  Facebook is testing a feature to help you connect with your neighbors

  

  Facebook may soon be moving in on Nextdoor’s turf with a new feature that helps users connect with others who live near them. The feature, called Neighborhoods, lets users display local posts, groups and marketplace items, a Facebook spokesperson said, confirming information in a tweet sent earlier Tuesday by social media consultant Matt Navarra. “More than ever, people are using …

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• 20 October

  iPhone 12 Mini vs. iPhone 12: Inside that $100 price difference

  

  At a virtual event last week, Apple unveiled four models in its iPhone 12 lineup, including the iPhone 12 Mini, a new member of its flagship iPhone family that’s smaller and less expensive than its siblings. The Mini screen measures 5.4 inches, with a price starting at $699 (£699, AU$1,199). The regular iPhone 12, meanwhile, features a 6.1-inch display and …

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• 20 October

  Amazon Luna cloud gaming service early access launches today

  

  After saying it’s received hundreds of thousands of requests for early access, Amazon is granting a limited number of invitations to access Amazon Luna, the company’s cloud-based gaming service, starting Tuesday. Eager gamers can request an invitation by clicking here. Enlarge Image A look at the Amazon Luna dashboard running on an iPad. Screenshot by Lori Grunin/CNET “We are just getting …

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• 20 October

  iPhone 12 failed to address how Face ID is useless in the age of coronavirus

  

  It’s been an exasperating year as almost every aspect of our lives has needed to be rethought due to the coronavirus pandemic. And one minor niggle that nobody could possibly have foreseen going into 2020 is that wearing masks everywhere has made it impossible to unlock your phone — including Apple’s new iPhone 12 — with your face. That doesn’t …

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• 20 October

  Adobe Lightroom gets cinema

  

  You might have noticed how moviemakers try to shape your mood with color: the sickly green tinge of the Matrix, the psychedelic purple and blue of Avatar, the miasmic orange of Blade Runner 2049 or the gritty dulled colors of Saving Private Ryan. It’s done with a technology called color grading, and Adobe has just built it into its Lightroom …

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• 20 October

  LG’s rollable OLED TV is now on sale in South Korea for $87,000

  

  LG’s rollable Signature OLED R television has wowed CES attendees for the past two years, but now you can actually buy the futuristic TV. Well, so long as you’re in South Korea and have $87,000.  On Tuesday LG announced that it’s launched the 65-inch television in its home country. Showcased in “seven premium consumer electronics stores located in major centers …

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• 20 October

  HyperX Cloud 2 wireless gaming headset is comfy but basic for the bucks

  

  HyperX makes some of the most comfortable gaming headsets you can pop on your head, and now the company has taken the tether away from its most popular model, the $100 Cloud 2. The $150 Cloud 2 Wireless is essentially the same — virtual 7.1 surround, great sound powered by 53mm drivers, removable noise-canceling mic — but with the required wireless …

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