March, 2016

• 29 March

  Sony’s new full

  

  Sony follows up on its high-end full-frame lens announcements with more affordable models intended for both its APS-C and full-frame mirrorless cameras. The FE 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G OSS may not seem cheap at $1,200 (£1,150; Australian price not available, but US converts to AU$1,580), but it’s likely more than half the price of the as-yet …

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• 29 March

  The dangers of virtual reality

  

  You set up a room with an advanced VR kit, and wire it to your PC. It all seems fine. Anything to be worried about? Actually, I worry a lot. Virtual reality is amazing, but it isn’t safe. It isn’t easy. And with the complicated hardware being released now, it could end up being a nightmare in the wrong hands. …

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• 29 March

  Samsung Milk Music to close in Australia after just over a year

  

  Samsung has announced it will shut down its Milk Music streaming service by the end of April after just over a year in the Australian market. After quietly cutting off new subscriptions last week and shutting down auto-renewals for existing customers, Samsung announced in an email to customers that it will no longer offer the service as of April 28. …

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• 29 March

  A wireless

  

  If you like streaming “The Walking Dead” to your phone, there’s good news ahead: Wireless carriers are facing off to make sure you can keep watching those videos without a stutter for years to come. Tuesday is the start of the Federal Communications Commission’s so-called Incentive Auction, which will take valuable spectrum away from TV broadcasters and sell it to …

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• 29 March

  Yamaha preps ‘affordable’ Dolby Atmos receivers for 2016

  

  Yamaha has revealed its new entry-level RX-V series of receivers for 2016 — and one of the biggest changes over last year is the inclusion of the surround-sound standard Dolby Atmos in three of the models. Having unveiled the RX-V381 last week, the company has now added the 5.1-channel RX-V481 ($450), and three 7.2-channel units, the RX-V581 ($550), RX-V681 ($650) …

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• 29 March

  This time, Scott Sterling gets a volleyball beatdown

  

  The last time the Internet saw fake Yale athlete Scott Sterling was in a 2014 sketch from BYUtv comedy troupe Studio C. His teammates carried his unconscious, bleeding body off the field after the soccer goalie ensured a big win by blocking every shot with his face. It was just like the end of the movie “Rudy,” except this was …

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• 29 March

  Eyes

  

  The Samsung Gear VR is rapidly shaping up to be the preferred VR headset for folks who don’t have $600-$800 to spend on an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Outfitted with the headset and a compatible smartphone, you can enjoy some Oculus-style experiences for a fraction of the cost. The latest: Hulu. The streaming service just released an app for …

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• 29 March

  Google wants to make your landline phone useful again

  

  Google is adding home phone service to a bundle of services that also includes ultra fast broadband. Fiber Phone includes a Fiber Phone box that works with the phones you already own. Handset not included. On Tuesday, the company announced Fiber Phone, a service that will be sold alongside its 1Gbps broadband service and its video offering in cities where …

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• 29 March

  Is your NCAA bracket on life support? You’re not alone

  

  Here’s my sliver of pride in forecasting this year’s March Madness tournament: I’ve got more teams in the Final Four than Bing Predicts. I’ve got two teams — North Carolina and Oklahoma — still standing as we head into this weekend’s games. Microsoft’s forecasting engine, by contrast, has just Carolina. Of course, that’s cold consolation for one of the wackiest …

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• 29 March

  Microsoft megahit Minecraft to get more powerful on mobile

  

  Part of the appeal of Minecraft, Microsoft’s immensely popular video game, is that its remarkably adaptable. Fans can rewrite the rules to make Minecraft’s blocky virtual world behave any way they want. Well, some fans can. People who play Minecraft on PCs get lots of flexibility compared with those who use Minecraft Pocket Edition, the $7 version for phones and …

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