Without high-dynamic-range (HDR) content to watch, your brand-new HDR-capable TV is just a regular TV. It might be a huge 4K TV teeming with buzzword features and more smarts than a computer, but without a real HDR source, it’s not going to look its best. Actual HDR TV shows and movies are required to unlock …
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November, 2016
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7 November
Animated GIFs light up WhatsApp for iPhone
My family’s What’sApp chat channel is about to get a little bit more festive. Earlier this week, the popular global chat app quietly added the ability to send and receive animated GIFs to its app for iPhone. The easiest way to get started on the fun is to pick from one of the integrated options (supplied by partners). Or, you …
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6 November
4K HDMI cables (are nonsense)
We’re well into the transition to Ultra HD “4K.” Most mid- and high-end TVs are now Ultra HD resolution, with many also supporting HDR. Not surprisingly, cable manufacturers are jumping at the chance to sell new and more expensive “4K” HDMI cables. But guess what — you probably don’t need 4K HDMI cables, because your current ones can likely do …
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6 November
Samsung to launch AI digital assistant with Galaxy S8
Now playing: Watch this: Samsung’s ‘Bixby’ assistant may have its own button on… 1:55 Samsung plans to launch an artificial intelligence digital assistant with its upcoming Galaxy S8 phone, the company said Sunday according to Reuters. The announcement comes a month after Samsung revealed it had agreed to acquire the artificial intelligence startup behind Viv — a voice assistant that …
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6 November
MyRepublic wants you to lobby for a better NBN, launches unlimited gamer plans
Australian ISPs are lazy, our internet users get speeds so low they’re “criminal” and people across the country deserve a better NBN. That’s the assessment of Australia’s newest ISP, MyRepublic, which has arrived in Australia ahead of November 15 with a range of “NBN-built” plans, including one targeted at gamers. Already an established brand across New Zealand and Asia, MyRepublic …
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6 November
Virgin Media finally launches 4G mobile contracts, with unlimited WhatsApp
Better late than never, Virgin Media has launched 4G mobile phone tariffs, just four years after 4G came to the UK. They start at just £6 per month, which nets you 300 minutes and unlimited texts, but only 300MB of data. That’s not a huge amount, but Virgin’s plans don’t include WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger data in your allowance. That …
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6 November
Freeview launches mobile TV app, but you still can’t have it all
Ever since Australians started getting TV streaming on demand, it’s fair to say we’ve started to expect more from media across the board. But until now, free-to-air TV hasn’t quite met the task. That could change today with the arrival of the Freeview FV app, which lets you stream every digital free-to-air TV channel to your mobile, for free. The …
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5 November
What do I need for 4K?
What do you need to get 4K in your home? I’ll give you a hint: it’s more than just a TV. While the 4K-compatible TV is the most obvious part — and prices on those TVs have never been lower — there’s also content, external devices, cables, and more to consider. So here, in five easy steps, is what you …
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5 November
This Hifiman headphone may be the world’s best
It was in 2009 when I reviewed my first Hifiman headphone, the HE-5, and that headphone in some ways outshined the very best and much more expensive Denon, Grado, Sennheiser and Ultrasone headphones of the time. The Hifiman HE-5 also sounded different, probably because its planar magnetic drivers were lower in distortion and much larger than the conventional drivers in …
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5 November
Are these super
I’m listening to a pair of huge speakers, each one stands nearly 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, and they sound like no other in my experience. The speakers are part of the Wheel-Fi System Medium that’s hand-crafted in Catskills, New York. Shaken and stirred by the sound, I rang up Wheel-Fi owner/designer Jeffrey Jackson to learn more about his unique …
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