Tag Archives: television

ViewSonic’s latest RGB projector comes in a portable design and delivers Harman Kardon audio

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – televisions are yesterday’s news. Projectors have been steadily gaining popularity over the years and sure, it’s easier to find an affordable 4K TV than it is to find a 4K projector… but weigh out the pros and cons. It’s easier to travel with a projector (especially given how many portable ones there are on the market), projectors can cast displays as massive as 200 inches, reflective screens are easier on the eyes than staring at OLED displays, and finally, once a projector is switched off, it doesn’t occupy any visual space on your wall the way the TV does with that unavoidable, absurdly large black rectangle. Projectors are the next big thing, and the folks at ViewSonic seem to be echoing pretty much the same sentiment with their latest projector, the M10 – an ultra-compact RGB Projector that you can travel with from room to room (or even to a friend’s place to watch movies, matches, or the upcoming streaming debut of the Eras Tour film), plugging and playing media of your choice. Despite its compact size, the M10 has a few impressive features, like instant auto-focus, wireless as well as USB-C streaming from any device, digital zooming, angle adjustment including ceiling-facing projection, and the cherry on this rather compact cake, a 7W speaker from Harman Kardon.

Designer: ViewSonic

The M10 doesn’t look like your average projector, partly because projection technology has seen so much innovation in the past couple of years. You’d expect a compact, portable projector to be a more vertical-standing unit (sort of like the XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro for example), but the M10 takes on a more horizontal approach, resembling more of a boombox with a lens on the front. This unique visual format is the result of the M10’s Harman Kardon audio unit on the inside, along with ample venting that allows air to pass through the sides, so you don’t hear any direct noise if you’re sitting in front of or behind the projector. As far as the projector itself goes, it’s a compact little beast, measuring just 7.9 x 6.5 x 3.6 inches in size and weighing a paltry 3 pounds. A stepless stand at the base lets you angle-adjust your projector to face it anywhere (even the ceiling), and the M10 boasts connectivity through both wired and wireless means, letting you watch content off the internet, through a smartphone/tablet, or even streamed directly from a gaming console.

Watch movies in bed directly on your ceiling

The ViewSonic M10 projector, while packed with advanced visual and audio features, does not come with a built-in smart TV platform, which means it lacks an operating system for directly installing popular streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu. However, this doesn’t limit your entertainment options. The M10 compensates for this with its extensive connectivity options, including HDMI 2.0, USB Type-C, and 5G Wi-Fi, which provide ample opportunity to connect to a variety of external devices. This flexibility allows users to easily connect streaming devices such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or even a laptop or smartphone, to access their favorite streaming services. Furthermore, the M10’s Wi-Fi connectivity facilitates seamless content casting from smart devices, enabling users to wirelessly stream content directly to the projector. This approach to connectivity not only maintains the M10’s compact and portable design but also ensures that it remains adaptable and user-friendly for a wide range of multimedia applications, from binge-watching the latest series to presenting professional slideshows.

At the heart of the M10 lies its triple laser light source, a revolutionary step away from conventional single-laser projectors. This approach, encompassing individual red, green, and blue lasers, allows the M10 to cover an impressive 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut. This not only surpasses cinema-grade standards set by DCI-P3 but also ensures more vibrant and lifelike colors for a truly cinematic experience at home. Its native 1080p resolution, coupled with a high brightness of 2,200 lumens, ensures clear and vivid visuals even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the projector boasts a contrast ratio of 3000000:1 (yes you read that right), enhancing depth and clarity in every scene, and supporting a color display of 1.07 billion colors for an immersive viewing experience.

With a throw ratio of 1.2 and a projection offset of 100% +/- 5%, the projector can display images ranging from 40″ to a massive 180″, adaptable to various room sizes and setups. Its digital zoom capability (ranging from 0.8x to 1.0x) lets you adjust your screen size without having to physically move the projector. The M10 is also equipped with time-of-flight (ToF) and keystone-correction sensors that enable instant auto-focus, so you spend less time adjusting your image and more time enjoying content.

Connectivity options on the M10 are abundant. It includes HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 support, USB Type C, USB Type A (USB2.0 Reader), and 5G Wi-Fi, providing seamless connections to a variety of devices. The projector also supports resolutions from VGA (640 x 480) to 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), ensuring compatibility with a wide range of media sources. Meanwhile, each M10 comes with a remote control, while also letting you operate the projector with your smartphone using the vCastSender app.

On the audio front, the integrated 7-Watt Harman Kardon Cube speaker delivers a crisp, well-balanced sound, creating an all-encompassing audiovisual experience. Additionally, it supports Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, allowing for wireless headphone pairing or use as a standalone Bluetooth speaker.

While the M10 lacks a built-in battery, necessitating proximity to a power source, this slight limitation is overshadowed by its impressive array of features and performance capabilities. As of now, ViewSonic has not disclosed pricing or availability details for the M10 projector. However, the current details suggest that it is shaping up to be a compelling choice for those seeking a high-performance, versatile projection solution in a compact, user-friendly package.

The post ViewSonic’s latest RGB projector comes in a portable design and delivers Harman Kardon audio first appeared on Yanko Design.

Terminator is back with a new anime series coming to Netflix

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Netflix is giving the Terminator franchise the anime treatment in a new series that’s set to hit the streaming platform “soon.” The company dropped the first teaser for Terminator: The Anime Series this weekend during its Geeked Week event. Details so far are scant, but we do know it’ll be produced by Production IG, the Japanese animation studio behind the original Ghost in the Shell movie and spinoff TV series.

Terminator: The Anime Series will take us back to August 1997, when the Skynet AI becomes self-aware and turns against humans. While there is no information on the cast just yet, Variety reports the series will feature entirely new characters. 

Also on board as executive producers are Skydance and Project Power writer Mattson Tomlin, who will be the series’ writer and showrunner. Netflix hasn’t announced a release date yet or shown any preview scenes, so here’s hoping we get an expanded trailer soon. The Terminator franchise has had quite a few installments, not all of them good, but going back to the beginning could be just the refresh it needs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/terminator-is-back-with-a-new-anime-series-coming-to-netflix-154925265.html?src=rss

The Frame wall pad elevates smart home design with Korean elegance and utmost IoT convenience

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Step into the future of home technology with The Frame, a pinnacle creation for Kocom, the renowned Korean smart home appliance company. Crafted with precision and elegance, this wall pad is designed to redefine the smart home experience with absolute convenience and comfort.

Measuring an impressive 13.3 inches, The Frame boasts a full-screen touch system, setting it apart as a sophisticated and user-friendly centerpiece on the wall of any living space. What distinguishes The Frame isn’t just its functionality but the impeccable design as well. Wrapped in a quiet yet charismatic color palette and adorned with the soft fabric of Kvadrat, the Frame strikes the perfect balance between technology and aesthetics.

Designer: Dive Design, Kyumin Hwang and Minki Kim

Imagine controlling your entire home’s IoT equipment and front door with a simple touch on this smart wall pad. Installed in apartments, The Frame seamlessly integrates into the most sophisticated living spaces, offering a new level of control and convenience making it more than just a device; a statement piece in your lifestyle!

The magic mirror display of The Frame not only offers a glimpse into the future but also seamlessly merges with high-end furniture, creating an illusion of it being a natural part of the interior. It is thus designed to break away from the mundane, The Frame’s unique presence defies the ordinary trend of ubiquitous white-boxed devices, so its minimalistic but luxurious colors and attention to detail set it apart as a design masterwork.

In a world flooded with smart home gadgets, The Frame stands out as an embodiment of elegance, and technological advancement. It’s a seamless integration of technology and artistry, elevating the very essence of what a smart home device can be. With its fusion of Korean sophistication, the Frame is little about what it does, but how it becomes an integral part of your modern living space!

The post The Frame wall pad elevates smart home design with Korean elegance and utmost IoT convenience first appeared on Yanko Design.

Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge trailer confirms it missed the message

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Netflix has dropped a trailer for the upcoming reality series Squid Game: The Challenge. The forthcoming show starts with 456 contestants competing for a $4.56 million prize in events repackaged (minus the brutal violence) from the scripted series. What better way to follow a fictional critique of modern capitalism’s exploitation of the financially desperate for profit and entertainment than to embrace a reality TV spectacle that exploits the financially desperate for profit and entertainment?

Among other games ripped from the South Korean show, the competition’s trailer showcases the original series’ creepy “red light, green light” doll as players in green tracksuits nervously scoot across the floor, ready to stop at a moment’s notice. (In this version, the “gunshots” fired at infringing players involve pre-placed blood packets exploding on their chests.) In standard reality TV fashion, there are hints of shameless backstabbing and plenty of lusting over the prize money. Masked guards create an ambiance of intimidation as Sammy Davis Jr.’s “I’ve Gotta Be Me” plays in the background, echoing the source material’s theme of unlikely riches as the sole path to fulfillment in a late-capitalist hellscape.

When the competition was filmed earlier this year, each player subjected themselves to this exhibition for a 0.22% chance at a couple of million dollars after taxes.

Contestants in green track suits sprint across an indoor floor.
Netflix

The reality series made headlines earlier this year when several contestants reportedly required medical attention, proving that irony has flatlined, and Netflix is selling tickets to view its corpse. “It was like a war zone,” one player told The Sun. “People left in tears.” The report described frigid conditions: one exhausted player was hauled away on a stretcher while others crawled to the finish line.

“Even if hypothermia kicked in then people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line,” one competitor said. “Too many were determined not to move so they stood there for far too long. There were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left in tears.”

As a contestant says in the trailer, “This is a savage game.” Squid Game: The Challenge begins streaming on Netflix on November 22.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-squid-game-the-challenge-trailer-confirms-it-missed-the-message-185144569.html?src=rss

Jon Stewart’s Apple TV+ show reportedly ends following clash over AI and China

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The Problem With Jon Stewart isn't coming back for a third season at Apple TV+, according to The New York Times. It was already supposed to begin filming for another eight episodes within the next couple of weeks, but Apple and Stewart reportedly decided to part ways before it can start. While neither party has issued a statement yet, the publications said the parties didn't see eye to eye when it came to hot button topics. The host apparently told production staff that Apple executives had raised concerns about certain subject matters he's potentially covering in the show, particularly China and artificial intelligence. 

Based on The Hollywood Reporter's confirmation of the news, Apple talked to Stewart about the need to be "aligned" when it comes to show topics and even threatened to cancel the series. Wanting full creative control of The Problem, Stewart chose to walk away instead. 

The Problem debuted on Apple TV+ in 2021, with episodes coming out every other week, six years after Stewart left The Daily Show. Its second season started streaming in 2022 and had four more episodes — for a total of 12 — than the first. It also streamed every week with a break of a few months after its sixth episode. The newer season covered controversial topics, as well, including gender identity and the indictment of former president Donald Trump. Although those episodes went out for streaming, The Hollywood Reporter's sources said there had already been tension between the parties before the third season production kicked off due to the previous themes Stewart had covered on the show. As The Times said, Apple may have been worried about being dragged into political controversies that the series could bring and had agreed to end their partnership. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jon-stewarts-apple-tv-show-reportedly-ends-following-clash-over-ai-and-china-080117666.html?src=rss

Jon Stewart’s Apple TV+ show reportedly ends following clash over AI and China

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The Problem With Jon Stewart isn't coming back for a third season at Apple TV+, according to The New York Times. It was already supposed to begin filming for another eight episodes within the next couple of weeks, but Apple and Stewart reportedly decided to part ways before it can start. While neither party has issued a statement yet, the publications said the parties didn't see eye to eye when it came to hot button topics. The host apparently told production staff that Apple executives had raised concerns about certain subject matters he's potentially covering in the show, particularly China and artificial intelligence. 

Based on The Hollywood Reporter's confirmation of the news, Apple talked to Stewart about the need to be "aligned" when it comes to show topics and even threatened to cancel the series. Wanting full creative control of The Problem, Stewart chose to walk away instead. 

The Problem debuted on Apple TV+ in 2021, with episodes coming out every other week, six years after Stewart left The Daily Show. Its second season started streaming in 2022 and had four more episodes — for a total of 12 — than the first. It also streamed every week with a break of a few months after its sixth episode. The newer season covered controversial topics, as well, including gender identity and the indictment of former president Donald Trump. Although those episodes went out for streaming, The Hollywood Reporter's sources said there had already been tension between the parties before the third season production kicked off due to the previous themes Stewart had covered on the show. As The Times said, Apple may have been worried about being dragged into political controversies that the series could bring and had agreed to end their partnership. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jon-stewarts-apple-tv-show-reportedly-ends-following-clash-over-ai-and-china-080117666.html?src=rss

Netflix’s Squid Game reality show premieres on November 22

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We knew Netflix’s Squid Game reality show was coming sometime in November, and now we have an exact premiere date of November 22. This puts the release just in time for Thanksgiving, so you can celebrate the holiday by watching a reality show adaptation of a dystopian drama that shined a light on the brutal horrors of late-stage capitalism. Heartwarming fun!

Squid Game: The Challenge is a 10-episode series that features over 450 contestants competing in events inspired by the TV show, in addition to some brand-new challenges. There’s no bloodshed, of course, but there is a $4.56 million prize for the winner, which Netflix says is the largest reality show payout of all time.

There are also plenty of other nods to the source material here, including that terrifying “red light, green light” doll and contestant costumes straight from the show. The shot and framing choices also call to mind the dystopian drama.

We don’t yet live in the kind of capitalist hellscape the Korean series depicted, but we’re getting there. To that end, the filming of this reality show made headlines when players faced health emergencies after being exposed to brutally cold temperatures during one of the contests. One producer told The Sun that “even if hypothermia kicked in, people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line,” going on to add that “there were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left in tears.”

In just over a month, we can all watch actual humans suffer for a potential payout that they only have a 1 in 456 chance of snagging. What a glorious time to be alive. To be fair, other grueling reality shows like Naked and Afraid don’t even offer a cash prize, so that’s something.

The original Squid Game is Netflix’s most popular series of all time, by hours viewed, besting Stranger Things, Wednesday, The Witcher and even the universally beloved Real Rob (sarcasm.) So The Challenge was something of a foregone conclusion, considering the runaway success of the source material. It’s also worth noting that Squid Game season 2 is also coming, but there’s no release date yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-squid-game-reality-show-premieres-on-november-22-172228785.html?src=rss

Netflix’s Squid Game reality show premieres on November 22

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We knew Netflix’s Squid Game reality show was coming sometime in November, and now we have an exact premiere date of November 22. This puts the release just in time for Thanksgiving, so you can celebrate the holiday by watching a reality show adaptation of a dystopian drama that shined a light on the brutal horrors of late-stage capitalism. Heartwarming fun!

Squid Game: The Challenge is a 10-episode series that features over 450 contestants competing in events inspired by the TV show, in addition to some brand-new challenges. There’s no bloodshed, of course, but there is a $4.56 million prize for the winner, which Netflix says is the largest reality show payout of all time.

There are also plenty of other nods to the source material here, including that terrifying “red light, green light” doll and contestant costumes straight from the show. The shot and framing choices also call to mind the dystopian drama.

We don’t yet live in the kind of capitalist hellscape the Korean series depicted, but we’re getting there. To that end, the filming of this reality show made headlines when players faced health emergencies after being exposed to brutally cold temperatures during one of the contests. One producer told The Sun that “even if hypothermia kicked in, people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line,” going on to add that “there were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left in tears.”

In just over a month, we can all watch actual humans suffer for a potential payout that they only have a 1 in 456 chance of snagging. What a glorious time to be alive. To be fair, other grueling reality shows like Naked and Afraid don’t even offer a cash prize, so that’s something.

The original Squid Game is Netflix’s most popular series of all time, by hours viewed, besting Stranger Things, Wednesday, The Witcher and even the universally beloved Real Rob (sarcasm.) So The Challenge was something of a foregone conclusion, considering the runaway success of the source material. It’s also worth noting that Squid Game season 2 is also coming, but there’s no release date yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-squid-game-reality-show-premieres-on-november-22-172228785.html?src=rss

Star Trek: Prodigy finds a new home on Netflix

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Star Trek: Prodigy has found a new streaming home with Netflix, after being both canceled by Paramount+ and completely deleted from the platform back in June. Not only will Netflix air the previously-released 20-episode first season later this year, but it’s also putting the final touches on the second season, which will stream sometime next year.

The initial cancellation came as a surprise, as Paramount had already greenlit a second season and those episodes were just about finished. Then it did that recent streamer thing where it went through and deleted all of the old episodes, kicking them to the dustbin of history. That may be possible for a lesser-known IP, like the criminally underrated Infinity Train, but this is Star Trek. Trekkers have been conducting successful campaigns to bring back shows ever since the original series was canned back in 1969. These are the same fans, after all, that helped Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture get off the ground.

So they went to work, amplifying fan engagement across various social media sites. Prodigy’s creators have long held out hope for a new platform, and it looks like this optimism has finally paid off.

Star Trek: Prodigy follows a ragtag group of alien adolescents after finding the titular spaceship. It’s actually very good and acts as the perfect entry point for parents who want to introduce their kids to the ideals of Star Trek. It’s also a pseudo-sequel to Star Trek: Voyager, with Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Captain Janeway and Robert Beltran appearing as Chakotay, among other guest stars. Season two looks like it’ll integrate further with Voyager, if leaks are anything to go by.

It’s odd that the show will now be on Netflix, given that one of Paramount’s slogans is “The Home of Star Trek.” This has been a busy week for streamers selling shelved projects to other platforms. Disney+ inked a deal with Roku, giving the platform rights to air an adaptation of the acclaimed book series The Spiderwick Chronicles. As for Star Trek animation, Paramount+ is still home to the stellar Star Trek: Lower Decks which is currently airing its fourth season.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-prodigy-finds-a-new-home-on-netflix-183015701.html?src=rss

All of Doctor Who is finally coming to BBC iPlayer

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Today the BBC announced it will finally add every available classic episode of Doctor Who, and all of its spin-offs, to iPlayer. It’s the culmination of work which began when Russell T. Davies returned as the show’s major creative force, and a significant change for the BBC. In a statement, it said every episode of the classic series, plus spin-offs like The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood and Class, as well as making-of series Doctor Who Confidential, would all be added on November 1st.

All of Doctor Who’s post-2005 revival series are widely-available on streaming services both in the UK and abroad. But the original run has rarely, if ever, been on-demand without an extra charge, as it’s still one of the BBC’s most reliable cash-cows. The series has been released on VHS, DVD and now Blu-ray, with several of its most recent releases requiring multiple printings. The only place to stream Doctor Who on-demand, at least with a clean conscience, is by paying for BritBox’s premium streaming service.

As part of the release, the BBC is making a point of the new accessibility features — including every episode featuring sign language translation — and that a new archive of material will also be put online on the official Doctor Who website. It's not clear, at this point, if this will include the hours upon hours of special documentaries and behind-the-scenes material that comes with the show's numerous DVD and Blu-ray releases. 

The change comes as the show builds up to its 60th anniversary later that same month, as the show stops being a purely BBC production. Instead, it’s being made by Bad Wolf productions with cash backing from Disney, which will stream the show on Disney+ outside the UK. It’s pure speculation on my part, but if the BBC has cleared any issues that prevented it from streaming all of Doctor Who in the UK, then the whole series may also be available on Disney+ at the same time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/all-of-doctor-who-is-finally-coming-to-bbc-iplayer-152006413.html?src=rss