Most smart TVs and streaming players use a specific tracking feature to snoop on your streaming activities. But Apple’s streaming box doesn’t—or at least, not yet.  Taking an in-depth look at how the Apple TV deals with privacy, Ars Technica reveals that a technology called automatic content recognition, or ACR, isn’t part of the device’s software stack.  A popular feature amongst smart TV and streaming device manufacturers, ACR is a feature that acts like a “detective taking fingerprints,” literally tracking every pixel displayed on the screen and matching them to a massive database of TV programs, all in the effort to find out what you’re watching.  In some cases, ACR is employed in a way that benefits cord-cutters. For example, some Roku TVs will use ACR to find streaming episodes of a show you’re watching via an over-the-air antenna or a cable tuner.   That’s certainly helpful, but here’s the real reason streaming manufacturers love ACR: more cash in their pockets. Advertisers and other third parties will pay handsomely for the viewing data gathered by ACR software, which is often how Amazon, Roku, and other players in the streaming market manage to sell their TVs and streaming players for such low prices.  If the idea behind ACR sounds creepy, it is, and it’s practically everywhere—except in Apple TV streaming boxes, that is.  In its report, Ars Technica notes that Apple doesn’t put ACR in its Apple TV and Apple TV 4K devices, a major plus for privacy-minded cord-cutters.   Ars also praises Apple for being up-front about its Apple TV privacy policies, as well as for giving you the opportunity at setup to choose whether you want your location tracked or if you’ll allow analytics data to be sent back to Apple.  Now, that’s not to say Apple gets perfect marks for the Apple TV’s privacy policies. If you sign into your Apple TV using your Apple account, for example, you’ll be sacrificing some privacy, including “data about your activity on and use of” Apple products, Ars Technica notes. While it’s technically possible to use an Apple TV without signing in to your main Apple account, most of us go ahead and do so for convenience’s sake.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streaming devices. And while Apple hasn’t yet deployed ACR on its Apple TV boxes, it certainly could in the future, particularly if it chooses to get into the ad-supported streaming business.  But for now, at least, the Apple TV is still missing ACR. Thank goodness. Read...

When the Nintendo Switch 2 releases on June 5th, it will be an opportunity for many gamers to enjoy an upgraded Switch experience with new hardware and new titles. Plenty of them, in fact, with the Switch 2’s built-in storage of 256GB. But it’ll run out sooner or later. And when the Switch 2 fills up, you’re going to want a microSD card (or several) to hold all your additional, especially with modern games being as large as they are. However, you need to be careful. Your microSD card from your Switch won’t work, nor will those random microSD cards you have collecting dust in the back of your drawer. The Nintendo Switch 2 requires new microSD Express cards, which are needed for their faster and improved technology. Here’s what Nintendo has to say about it: “Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly. Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.” It’s therefore important that you make sure that you buy a microSD Express card. Otherwise, it won’t work with your Nintendo Switch 2. You can identify such cards by the “EX” label on them. microSD Express cards have a read speed of up to 800 MB/s and are ideal for transferring large amounts of data quickly. For a console such as the Switch 2, it’s also recommended that the card has at least 256GB of memory to provide enough space for games. Need some recommendations? microSD Express cards are still pretty uncommon, but you have some options. For a Nintendo Switch 2, we’d recommend getting either the SanDisk 256GB microSD Express card on Amazon or Samsung 256GB microSD Express card via Nintendo. Read...

I’ve worked with many, many Thunderbolt docking stations and USB-C hubs over the past few years, and only one innovation has really felt transformative: the integration of an SSD directly into the dock itself. Sonnet’s latest Thunderbolt 5 docking station includes an option to store from between 1 to 4 terabytes of data via an integrated PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD inside the dock itself. Before I reviewed it, I dismissed the SSD entirely; I was more interested in Thunderbolt 5’s capabilities, namely the additional throughput and charging capabilities. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The integrated SSD is like the DVR of docking stations: you either live in a world where you can pause live TV, or one where you can’t. And it makes all the difference. I know what you’re thinking. Me, I have a few SSDs around my office, and it’s likely you own one or two as well. You might have a hard drive, or a USB key or two. What makes an integrated SSD inside a docking station any better? How to Make Your Laptop SIng Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock Read our review To begin with, stunningly great performance. When testing out the integrated PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD inside Sonnet’s dock, it compared extremely favorably to our external gaming SSDs, and a bit slower than an internal SSD. Gamers can set up the integrated SSD as a Steam library to store and run games, but you’ll see benefits during the workday, as well: that speed can shave entire minutes off moving or copying large video files. Just make sure you pair the dock to a Thunderbolt 5 laptop to enjoy the best performance. Organization matters, too. Most of my life spent at my desk is testing, writing, inserting and removing hardware. My desk is a stone-cold mess, with cables snaking everywhere in and around monitor cords. I wrote about how I bit the bullet and future-proofed my desktop with $27 worth of Ethernet cables, but the truth is I’d rather some company develop some massively high-speed, low-latency wireless protocol so I could clean up my desk once and for all. Adding an external cabled SSD simply adds another cable and device to the clutter. Hiding that SSD inside the dock adds a measure of calm to my workspace. It’s a cleaner, neater look. Mark Hachman / Foundry I do have a bit of a unique case in that I often swap out notebooks, so my ability to quickly transfer files between devices — like Thunderbolt Share or the Logitech Flow software — matters. A multi-terabyte SSD is one heck of a “sneakernet” technology in case I start working on another laptop. To be fair, all this would be a more compelling argument a year ago. Sonnet has jumped their prices, presumably due to tariffs; the Sonnet dock with a 1TB integrated SSD costs $439, about $40 more than when I reviewed it, and a 2TB option is $550. That’s a ton of money to spend for a dock, especially when even inexpensive Thunderbolt 3 docks are still (barely) viable because of the lack of Thunderbolt 5 hardware. It’s an easier pill to swallow if you think that you’re simply buying a dock and a high-speed SSD, bundled together. Not every docking station needs to include integrated storage, especially for those seeking to save a few bucks. For a premium device, though, an integrated SSD sells itself. It deserves to be a premium feature on tomorrow’s top-of-the-line docking stations. Read...

The phase meant the chance of disruptions to technology on Earth resulting from massive fiery eruptions on the solar surface were also at their highest. Read...

Summer vacation seems just around the corner and you have to decide what to pack for the trip. While you may want to limit your tech time, you’ll still need a few things, whether you’re heading on hiking trip or a family vacation by the beach. Here at PCWorld we’re continually testing the latest gadgets to sort the good from the bad. This means we’ve had the opportunity to find the best tech gear and accessories built for travel. From voltage converters to noise-canceling headphones, we’ve curated a list of the very best tech gear to optimize your next travel experience. The items below are worthy of any packing list and will help you prepare for anything you may encounter on the road—or in the sky. Manage electrical needs with a voltage converter BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Bestek, Mapambo When you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, for instance, you don’t just need a different type of plug for your chargers and gadgets, but also a voltage converter because Europe runs on different settings. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter will convert 220V outlets to U.S.-standard 110V, thus ensuring that your devices don’t burn out. It’s not only affordable, but it has three AC outlets and four USB ports. Plus, the product comes with a couple of extra plug adapters. If a more compact version is all you need, then the Mapambo converter will work just fine with one AC plug, two type-C, and two type-A ports. Buy the BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter at Amazon Buy the Mapambo 220V to 110V Voltage Converter at Amazon Take control of tangled cords Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Keychain Charger Cable Rolling Square If you’re like most travelers, you bring multiple electronics to make the most of your experience—we’re talking camera, phone, laptop, headphones, etc. But along with all of these items, you’ll need to carry all of their charging cables. That can take up space and lead to a tangled web of cords in your bag if you’re not careful. With the Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Charger Cable on Amazon, you have the option of USB-C or USB-A inputs and Micro USB or USB-C outputs all in a cable that is small enough for your keychain. Buy the Rolling Square Portable Charger Cable at Amazon Or get a retractable cable Baseus USB-C Retractable Cable Baseus If you’d rather have a simpler cable, then this one from Baseus will do the trick. The retractable design ensures it’s going to be safe in your luggage, preventing any type of tangling issues and considerably lowering the chances of your cable breaking. You can get this one in two length versions—3.3ft and 6.6ft— and you can pay as little as $10 on the shorter one if it’s on sale. Buy the Baseus retractable USB-C cable at Amazon Keep your devices charged with a portable power bank Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank with wall charger Anker Traveling is always fun, but ending up with a depleted phone battery in an unknown place can be terrifying. This Anker Prime power bank takes up two roles in one. On one hand, it can plug into a wall outlet and give you the recharge you need while you’re at your hotel, for instance, but it can also act as a power bank when you’re out and about exploring. 10,000mAh is enough to charge your phone twice over (or close to that). There are three ports on this Anker hybrid charger, two of which are type-C that can reach 65W charging. It’s available for $110, but you can often find it closer to $70 when on sale. Buy the Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 Charger at Amazon Make that hotel outlet actually useful Anker Prime 6-in-1 charging station Anker One of the main issues we all have when traveling is that it’s tough to find multiple outlets in your hotel room. You’ll get one by the bedside table and another that’s taken up by the TV. Well, this compact power strip from Anker makes good use of that outlet and turns it into six. You get two AC outlets, two USB-A and two USB-C ports and a maximum output of 140W via those type-C ports. That’s just about perfect for laptops, smartphones and whatever else you have on you. The cool part is that the power strip is flat and the power cord detaches, so it’s ideal for your tight-packed luggage. Buy the Anker Prime 6-in-1 power strip at Amazon Never lose your valuables again Apple AirTag, Tile Pro, Samsung SmartThings, Tile Slim Apple, Tile, Samsung We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination and you’re waiting for your checked bag to show up on the carousel, but it never does. Baggage handling is at it again. With a Bluetooth tracker you can easily keep tabs on where your bag is and maybe even help TSA locate it, should it be lost. There are quite a few Bluetooth trackers on the market that you can get. Apple users should look into the AirTag, while Android users can choose Samsung’s SmartTag2. Anyone can go for the Tile Pro. If you’re more worried about your wallet, Tile’s Slim tracker will fit inside it neatly. These are all around $30 a piece, but you can quite often get them for less or in bundles, thus lowering the price even more. Buy the Apple AirTag at Amazon Buy the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 at Amazon Buy the Tile Pro at Amazon Buy the TIle Slim at Amazon Enjoy an in-flight movie without annoying headphone cables Twelve South AirFly Pro or Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver Ugreen, Twelve South Twelve South’s AirFly Pro Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for $54.99 on Amazon (although it’s frequently on sale) allows you to turn any audio jack into a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. Simply plug in the device to the headphone jack on the back of the airplane seat and connect your wireless headphones. Then sit back and relax while you enjoy the in-flight entertainment on your sweet noise-canceling headphones. Alternatively, you can also go for the more affordable Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver, which is $36.99 but often drops below $30. Either will allow you to connect up to two earbuds or headphones. Buy the Twelve South AirFly Pro at Amazon Buy the Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver at Amazon Drown out noise with noise-canceling earbuds AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Apple, Bose Flying on an airplane is loud. Engines roar, babies cry, passengers snore. That’s why you need noise-canceling headphones, which have become essential tools in making your flight as easy as possible. And because you’re traveling and bag space is a premium, your headphones need to be small. Not just for iPhone users, but for anyone who needs good headphones, the AirPods Pro 2 for $225.00 on Amazon continue to be the best choice due to their convenient size and noise-canceling capability. If you’re an Android user, you may want to look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which deliver something our buddies at TechAdvisor have called “astonishing noise cancellation” on top of superb sound quality and a secure fit. Get the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at Amazon Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at Amazon Or get some noise-canceling headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max Apple, Sony If earbuds aren’t for you, then perhaps a pair of proper headphones will do the trick. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are easily some of the best noise-canceling headphones out there (as our friends at TechAdvisor attested with a 5-star review), delivering phenomenal audio and a comfortable build. Apple fans may want to look into the AirPods Max that are also known for what our friends at MacWorld call “industry leading active noise canceling”. Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon Buy the Apple AirPods Max at Amazon Capture and print your favorite memories Fuji Instax Mini 12 instant camera Fujifilm Sure, you could bring a giant SLR camera with multiple lenses and an extra special carry-on bag to store everything. Or for those who aren’t professionals, you can opt for a small, retro instant camera such as the Fuji Instax Mini 12 for $143.95 on Amazon. Just like an old-school Polaroid, you can take a picture and instantly print it out to capture the moment. Just be aware that you’ll need to purchase and carry the film separately. Buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 at Amazon Keep your wires from getting crossed Bellroy Tech Kit Bellroy Bellroy is known for making great tech cases and kits, and the Bellroy Tech Kit for $59 on Amazon is our favorite. This well-designed, travel-friendly bag allows you to keep all of your cables and small peripherals stored and organized with ease. The folio style means that you can open the entire kit out flat for easy access to everything stored inside. Plus, the fabric is waterproof so you shouldn’t have to worry about a little liquid spilling on your precious gear. Buy the Bellroy Tech Kit at Amazon Game in-route to your destination Steam Deck, Switch OLED, or Backbone One Backbone, Nintendo, Valve The Steam Deck for $399 on the Steam store is a great handheld gaming system that allows you to play your favorite PC games on the go. It wasn’t so long ago that the Steam Deck was sold out everywhere and people were clamoring to get one. Thankfully, Valve has increased its supply and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on this excellent gaming portable. Play games from your Steam library on the go or load up on new titles for your next vacation. Gaming makes those long-haul flights a breeze. If you’d rather go for a different platform, the Switch OLED is an absolutely fantastic gaming console. And yes, we know the Switch 2 is en route, but good luck getting your hands on one of those anytime soon. If you’d rather just play on your phone, but have an upgraded experience, the Backbone One will mold to your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone model, and will help you play anything you want, including titles in your Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam libraries. Buy the Steam Deck at Steam Store Buy the Nintedo Switch OLED at Amazon Buy the Backbone One at Amazon Keep your hands and wrists happy while typing Logitech MX Keys Mini Logitech Laptop keyboards are cramped and can lead to some serious wrist pain if you type on them for long enough. Save yourself the carpal tunnel and grab a wireless keyboard like the Logitech MX Keys Mini. This compact keyboard is not only easy to travel with, but offers convenient features such as a semi-customizable layout, multi-device switching, and more. And the most important part is that it offers a great typing experience with comfortable and quiet keys that won’t bother your fellow travelers. The MX Keys Mini is currently $99.99 on Amazon. Buy the Logitech MX Keys Mini at Amazon Carry a library everywhere you go Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Books are a great thing to have around on vacation, but they’re heavy and they take up precious space in your luggage. Instead opt for an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite for $159.99 on Amazon and bring an entire library worth of books in this lightweight tablet. Plus the Paperwhite version comes with an anti-glare screen and adjustable brightness settings, making it perfect for a bright beach or dark airplane. Not sure which Kindle to buy? Check out our handy Kindle buying guide to help you make the right choice. Buy the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon Grab a mobile hotspot to stay in range of Wi-Fi range Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot Solis Those who travel a lot know that Wi-Fi is essential. From being able to work online while on the road or just looking up restaurant recommendations in another country, it’s an invaluable tool to get the most out of your travel experience. There are quite a few services nowadays offering pocket Wi-Fi for travelers, but Solis is one of the best with reliable global coverage across 135 countries. Plus, it has flexible plans depending upon your needs. You’ll need to purchase the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot for $159.99 on Amazon before registering for a Wi-Fi plan, but it’s only a one-time fee and you can then use it on all of your future trips. Buy the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot at Amazon Safe surfing NordVPN  Pexels: Stefan Coders If you’re going to travel anywhere, connecting to shady Wi-Fi networks, you absolutely need to have a VPN on your device. We’ve tested what feels like a million of them and recommend you go for NordVPN, which we found to be the best overall. There are tons of configuration options if you want to deep-dive, but you can also just take the easy route and press a single button every time. It even comes with a built-in antivirus and password manager, so you have a three 3-in-1 solution. Get NordVPN Never worry about safe tap water again Philips Water GoZero self-cleaning water bottle Philips No matter if you’re traveling to a new city or going camping, making sure that you have access to clean and potable water is a necessity. The Philips Water GoZero bottles bring in some smart technology to ensure the water is safe to drink. Available for $73.89 at Amazon (or lower when on sale), the bottle uses UV technology to eliminate up to 99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.9 percent of viruses in just a few minutes. Even when empty, the cap can disinfect your bottle and remove odors. Made out of stainless steel and double-walled, the bottle won’t just purify your water, it will also keep your drinks hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Buy the Philips Water GoZero water bottle at Amazon Mount your smartphone on anything Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount Perilogics This Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount for $13.97 on Amazon allows you to easily clip your phone onto an airplane seat for hands-free convenience. Maybe you loaded up that latest season of your favorite show or have a game to occupy that long-haul flight. Either way, holding your phone with a craned neck for hours and hours is bound to give you a strain. Just hook this bad boy up to the back of the seat in front of you on the airplane then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Buy the Universal in flight phone holder at Amazon Travel with an ultraportable laptop Asus ZenBook S 14 Thomas Rau If you’re going to get a super-light laptop, the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic pick because it weighs just 2.65 pounds, which makes sit lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. We gave this one a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, appreciating the fantastic battery life and lovely large OLED screen. Plus, the laptop has an Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can also check out our other best ultraportables or our best laptop roundup for even more options. Buy the Asus ZenBook S 14 at Best Buy Or opt for a 2-in-1 for even more versatility HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 IDG / Josh Hendrickson If you want a more versatile laptop, then a 2-in-1 model will do, like our very favorite HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. The 360-degree hinge will make it easy for you to turn this laptop into a tablet and into a Netflix-watching tent in a blink. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous and the 500 nits make it perfect to use everywhere you go. Buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at Amazon Increase your screen real-estate with a travel monitor Azorpa A1 Gamut Matt Smith Sometimes you just need a second monitor, even when you’re traveling. The extra screen really helps productivity for business travelers and it makes for a great way to play your portable games on a larger screen while on the road. We really like the Azorpa A1 Gamut which delivers good image quality for an extremely budget friendly price—the A1 Gamut is usually about $70 on Amazon. It also comes with useful connectivity options and a solid build quality that will stand up to the rigors of travel.  Buy the Arzopa A1 at Amazon Grab some extra storage Crucial X9 Pro IDG If you plan on taking about a million pictures and videos and you want to have a safe way to back them up without relying on random hotel Wi-Fi, then you can also grab a portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for most folks because it’s not only affordable but also super fast. We gave the X9 Pro a near-perfect score and our Editors’ Choice award, utterly impressed with the 10Gbps performance and the small form factor. Buy the Crucial X9 Pro at Amazon Stream content in your hotel room Amazon Fire TV Stick HD Amazon If you’re going to travel, you may as well keep up with your shows. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes it super easy to bring all your favorite shows with you anywhere you go. You’ll just need to pop this thing in the TV, connect it to the hotel’s Wi-Fi (or the hotspot you set up), and just have fun. It’s also super affordable, available for $35 (although it’s frequently on sale for $20 or less). Buy now at Amazon Read...

DreamWorks Animation has deepened its partnership with Lenovo, naming it preferred provider to boost film production with advanced computing solutions. Read...

Opera is resurrecting Opera Neon, a browser concept first introduced in 2017, and equipping it with the latest tech trend: agentic AI—an assistant you can assign tasks to, which it will carry out autonomously. Opera Neon will work like a normal browser. Opera, however, is integrating local AI that you can chat with privately and ask to do tasks and combining it with an interface to a remote server that will serve as a workspace of sorts for Opera Neon’s AI creation tools. Most browsers are free; the twist here is that Opera Neon will require a paid subscription of an unknown amount, and potential users will be subject to a waitlist. Opera has a history of experimenting with innovative concepts—it was an early proponent of VPNs, for example. The original 2017 launch of Opera Neon reimagined the browser with visual icons instead of text bookmarks and vertical tabs that bubbled up with frequent use. It was too radical to catch on, though that was never really the goal. Ironically, its revival comes just days after The Browser Company of New York shelved its Arc browser—with similar vertical tabs—in favor of the new Dio agentic browser, now in alpha testing. Opera believes that Opera Neon will be a “cloud computer” and that it will operate more effectively based upon what it knows about you and your preferences. Whether that ends up being true or not, there are three concepts that Opera is designing Neon around: a local chatbot, the agentic “browser operator” it showed recently, and the “cloud computer,” which sounds like a remote LLM that’s been tuned for coding. It’s likely that owning and operating this remote service is why you’ll have to pay for Opera Neon. Opera Neon’s Chat Mode looks pretty conventional, with image creation and web page summaries.Opera The ability to chat with a browser isn’t really new, as everything from Microsoft Edge (and soon, Google Chrome) to Brave has integrated AI into the browser for tasks like summarizing web pages. Opera does say that it will be able to analyze the web page via the DOM tree and layout data, rather than “reading” the web page via OCR, like Microsoft’s Copilot Vision does. All of the information Opera Neon’s chatbot sees will remain on your PC, Opera says. It’s the agentic technology that will make or break Opera Neon. Opera’s earlier demonstration of shopping agents was effective in concept, but how quickly a human user will accept its decisions and learn to trust it is unknown and that’s assuming it works. Opera Neon’s ability to “make” things via its hosted cloud computer is another unknown as well. Opera Neon’s agentic browser can perform independent tasks, like organizing a weekend away and finding tickets.Opera “Once the tasks have been defined, it employs AI agents contained in a virtual machine on our European-hosted servers to make your idea into a tangible (digital) result,” Opera says of this cloud computer: “Think of it as an orchestra conductor that understands the whole piece of music – your needs and wishes – and points to the different members of the orchestra to execute their parts – task division and execution.” Opera Neon will “happily install Python libraries and JavaScript frameworks to get there” and self-correct in case of errors. Opera Neon’s Make mode, or its “cloud computer,” will be where AI will be pushed the hardest.Opera That all sounds good, but as so many people are willing to point out, AI companies not only haven’t always delivered on their promises, they’ve made some ugly mistakes. Even if you are willing to accept that risk, you must also have a need for the capabilities that Opera Neon offers. Will you be willing to pay whatever Opera is charging so that you can create your own versions of, say, Battleship, with anime characters? Or code an app to help pick out gifts for your nephew’s birthday well in advance? As with so many things, we’ll have to wait and see. Read...

The supermarket`s latest use of technology to crack down on shoplifting has led to both jokes and complaints. Read...

Dolby Atmos in your living room isn’t as easy as it sounds. Whether you’re dealing with a component A/V system or a soundbar, your speakers must be carefully positioned and calibrated to create that immersive envelope of Atmos sound—and if your furniture is in the way, you’ll just have to move it.  But with its new FlexConnect technology, Dolby is looking to make its Atmos audio technology more home decor-friendly, and it’s teaming up with TCL for the hardware.  Slated to arrive this summer, the TCL Z100 is a smart and “panoramic” wireless speaker that can pair with a Dolby Atmos FlexConnect-enabled QD-Mini LED TVs—specifically, the TCL QM8K, QM7K, or QM6k.  Unlike the speakers used in other Dolby Atmos systems, TCL’s cylindrical Z100 speaker can be placed anywhere in the room, while Dolby’s FlexConnect technology will “intelligently optimize” the sound depending on the position of the speaker, TLC says. You can use anywhere from one to four of the Z100 speakers with a single TV, and the system can scale itself up as you add more speakers to your living room setup.  Dolby originally unveiled FlexConnect back in 2023, but while it announced TCL as a partner and gave some ears-on demonstrations at IFA 2023 in Berlin, this marks the first time that consumer-ready FlexConnect speakers have been ready to ship.  We’re still waiting on more specifics about the TLC Z100 speaker, namely how much it will cost. It’s also not clear what the intial setup process will entail, although has previously promised that it will be “simple and fast.”  What we do know is that Dolby Atmos FlexConnect won’t work with existing home speakers, nor will a FlexConnect speaker work with any old TV or A/V receiver. In other words, TCL’s Z100 speaker won’t do you much good unless you have a TCL FlexConnect-enabled TV to pair it with.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. Then there’s the question of performance: How do Dolby’s FlexConnect speakers actually sound? I don’t think anyone expects Dolby’s FlexConnect tech to compete with, say, a precisely positioned and calibrated 7.2.2 system with ceiling-mounted Atmos height speakers. But for average users who want enveloping Atmos audio in their living rooms without drilling holes in the ceiling or completely redoing their living room decor, Dolby Atmos FlexConnect may wind up being an affordable and effective solution. Personally, I’m eager for an in-person demo. Read...

Gabe Newell, co-founder and CEO of Valve, has been working on a new brain-computer interface project through his Starfish Neuroscience company for several years. The company just announced that it plans to launch its first brain chip by the end of 2025, reports The Verge. This chip isn’t a complete implant solution, but a specially designed “electrophysiological” component that can both read and stimulate brain activity. Unlike competitors, such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink, Starfish aims to create a less invasive solution that doesn’t require a battery and can reach multiple brain regions at once using wireless energy transfer. Starfish is also developing technology to treat neurological disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, as well as a method to destroy tumors using targeted heat. The company is now seeking partners to further develop and integrate these technologies. It’s unclear whether Starfish’s technology will be used in the gaming industry. Read...