'Carnival Row' Season 2 Is Almost Here: Let's Jog Our Memories - CNET

There's a lot happening in the Burgue on Prime Video. Here's where Philo, Vignette and the rest stand.

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How to Watch, Stream the Australian Open Finals Without Cable - CNET

Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas are left on the men's side, while Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will play in the women's final. Both matches will be shown on ESPN.

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Verizon's Generous Wireless Promotions Are Going Away - CNET

Aggressive offers and trade-in deals reversed subscriber declines last year, but Verizon's CEO warns that these lures won't be around for much longer.

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Latest Tech News

Mini-LED displays have seen a surge in popularity the past couple of years as the next big thing after OLEDs. Not one to ignore consumer demand, Samsung is preparing a global launch for its first flat screen mini-LED gaming monitor: the 43-inch version of Odyssey Neo G7. 

Up until this point, the company has stuck to placing the mini-LED tech on curved displays like the original Neo G7 and the Odyssey Neo G9. While curved monitors offer reduced eye strain and greater immersion for games, they tend to be pretty expensive and prone to annoying glare. 

Although the price tag for the new Neo G7 model is still unknown, Samsung is directly addressing glare by outfitting it with a Matte Display. This feature will allow the monitor to reduce the amount of light reflected on the screen, “minimizing distractions during… intense gaming sessions”. 

The 43-inch Neo G7 isn't as capable or powerful as the Neo G9, but it’s still no slouch. You’re looking at a 4K monitor (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) sporting Samsung’s own Quantum Matrix Technology for improved brightness plus certifications for VESA Display HDR600 and HDR 10 Plus. Translated into plain English, the display will showcase deep, rich blacks, and expressive colors in a high amount of detail. 

It also has a 144Hz refresh rate for fast response times – vitally important for intense gameplay. Support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is present to deal with common PC gaming problems like “stuttering, input latency, and screen tearing”. However, this feature only works on Radeon Rx 200 and later GPUs. 

Customization

Regarding customization, the 43-inch Neo G7 has Flex Move Screen that allows users to “shrink” the screen display down to 20 inches and lower the aspect ratio from 21:9 to 16:9. 

The difference between the two sizes comes down to a matter of preference, in all honesty. Some players might prefer a 20-inch screen, as not all games, especially older titles, look good or work well in an ultrawide aspect ratio like 21:9. There's also Samsung Game Bar, a quick menu of sorts allowing players to adjust the Neo G7’s settings on the fly without having to leave the game. You can tweak things like the screen ratio and high dynamic range, as well as enable Game Picture mode.

As mentioned earlier, Samsung has yet to reveal the official price tag and announce a specific launch date other than sometimes in Q1 2023 (so within the next few months or so). You can, however, send an inquiry to Samsung asking for more information, which we did. 

If the company informs us of the price tag, we’ll be sure to update this story with the new info. Considering it’s a 4K monitor with high-performing features, it’ll be pricey for sure, but probably not as expensive as the Neo G9.

Demand for Mini-LED

The demand for Mini-LED displays is slated to grow exponentially within the next decade. According to Straits Research, the Mini-LED market is “projected to reach $1.24 billion by 2030.” Various companies across the tech industry have already been making moves by working on new Mini-LED products like Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkBook 16p to Hisense’s U8H TV. 

If you're wondering what the difference is between Mini-LED and OLED screens, another high-quality image standard, check out TechRadar's analysis from last year. We compared the two standards and found that Mini-LED displays may be the better buy in the long term.

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Bear Snaps 400 Selfies in One Night With Wildlife Camera - CNET

This animal is clearly angling to become an online influencer.

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Latest Tech News

Microsoft has announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) in South Korea that will see it add up to 2.5 gigawatts of solar power in its efforts to rely solely on renewable energy by 2030.

The company has long been dedicated to using clean energy but it has changed the way it has aimed to meet its targets over the years. While it initially began purchasing renewable energy credits designed to offset its carbon emissions, it has now shifted its focus to PPAs that will see it deliver clean energy to many of its operations.

The Register reports that the company has 200 offices and 60 cloud regions, all of which demand a huge amount of energy.

Microsoft solar energy

While the plan to install up to 2.5 gigawatts of energy may sound like a responsible move for anybody familiar with their own home’s energy usage, for something as large as a data center, some believe that it’s no more than a token gesture, while others think that any progress is good progress.

Data centers have long faced scrutiny for the amount of energy used, and while many chip manufacturers have focused on delivering more power efficient models, our growing Internet presence has seen our need for cloud storage increase drastically.

Read more

> These are the best cloud hosting providers

> Google and Microsoft add more renewable energy for datacenters

> Salesforce is trying to take the complexity out of the push for net zero

According to The Register’s report, the company had already signed PPAs for renewable energy in the region of 10 gigawatts by the end of last year, with claims that it had been working simultaneously on reducing emissions.

Besides Microsoft’s own operations, it has also reported that a significant amount of the emissions related with the company come from external sources, such as the purchase, sales, transportation of goods and services, leaving very little that the company can do besides piling on the pressure to third parties. 

• Our roundup of the best cloud backup tools is available here

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Scientists Find Elusive, Grumpy-Looking Cats Living on Mount Everest - CNET

Pallas's cats have made a home on one of the world's most challenging peaks.

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Latest Tech News

Razer has launched its Steam Deck competitor handheld device, the Razer Edge, in two versions: the WiFi model and the 5G model. The Edge is an Android-based gaming handheld and, according to Razer, the “world’s first dedicated 5G handheld console.”

The Razer Edge is powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 and features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with 2,400 x 1,080 FHD+ resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also comes bundled with the Razer Kishi V2 Pro, which includes Razer's 'HyperSense' haptic feedback and a 3.5mm audio port. It’s also compatible with Nvidia GeForce Now, including the recently-launched RTX 4080 Ultimate subscription tier, which we went hands-on with and found to be quite excellent.

Its 5G version is in partnership with Verizon and is sold both on its online store and in-store Verizon locations. Meanwhile, the WiFi version can be purchased through Razer stores and Razer’s online store for $399.99. The Edge is currently only available in the US.

Razer previously showcased the Razer Edge at RazerCon in 2022 and at CES 2023, receiving plenty of accolades at both events. This isn’t the first time Razer has released a gaming tablet, either. Back in 2013, the company launched a Windows 8-based gaming handheld also called the Razer Edge, though with a much heftier price tag. 

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Latest Tech News

I shouldn’t be this excited by the words “dirt accumulation is more realistic” but here I am, positively thrilled about the idea of my car in Forza Motorsport becoming a mucky pup over the course of a race.

In Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer Direct, Forza Motorsport creator Turn 10 went into the finer detail of its upcoming Xbox Series X racer. The team threw out big numbers, like how you will have 500 cars to play with at launch, that there are more than 800 upgrades you can fit into your vehicles, and that there will be 20 environments to race through. 

But what really caught my attention were the smaller things.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Forza Motorsport’s sound director showed how, as you install those 800 upgrades to your vehicles, you will create different sound profiles for your car, reflecting the parts you’ve fitted.

Another developer explained how much time the team has spent to recreate dirt accumulation accurately. So, as you race around the track, lap after lap, your car won’t just pick up dirt, but the areas where the dirt builds up and how it appears on your car will be influenced by how you’ve driven. Struggle to stick to the tarmac and drive over the verge, and you’ll see more powdery dirt pick up around the wheels; stick closer to opposing cars and the tarmac grit their wheels pick up will leave scratches on your paintwork.

Speaking of paintwork, the ray-tracing in Forza Motorsport sounds like it will be a treat. Multiple photogrammetry models were used to capture the different ways light interacts with different paint styles, so your car will look more realistic as you race through different environments and lighting.

Yes, a lot of this stuff can sound like it’s extra detail layered on top of a game, and how Forza plays will come down to more than whether its ray-traced paint picks up dirt nicely, but I do love it in a game where my character, my avatar, reflects the journey it as made through the world. And it sounds like, between the sound profiles, the dirt modeling, and all the upgrades I can make to my vehicles, that in Forza Motorsport it will do just that. It's the sort of thing that could make it one of the best racing games, if not one of the best Xbox Series X games, or at least compete with Gran Turismo 7.

Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t announce a release date for Forza Motorsport, saying only that it would be out in 2023.

• All the release dates you need for new Xbox Series X games

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M&Ms Controversy: Why the Spokescandies Are Being Traded for Maya Rudolph - CNET

It seems likely this sticky mess is all a Super Bowl publicity stunt, and the candies won't be permanently replaced by the former SNL star.

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Latest Tech News

The default file system for Windows 11 may soon be changing to a new offering designed with high-end servers in mind, but there’s still a long way to go yet.

For more than three decades, Windows machines have used NTFS for all things storage, including internal drives as well as external drives such as USB sticks.

However release notes for the latest build of Windows 11 (version 25276), detail support for the Resilient File System (ReFS).

Windows ReFS vs NTFS

ReFS was first introduced with Windows Server 2012, and it’s clearly designed with large amounts of data in mind. Windows Latest notes that NTFS is limited to 256 terabytes (which frankly is more than enough for you or I), but there are some instances where businesses and data centers may need more than this. ReFS raises the limit to 35 petabytes (over 35,000 terabytes). 

The Resilient FS promises to be more resilient in that it can detect and repair corruptions while remaining online, and it’s also designed with scalability in mind.

Read more

> These are the best file manager offerings around

> Microsoft scraps unpopular change to Windows 11 Start menu

> Windows 11 figures are finally rising as businesses start to welcome upgrades

“ReFS is designed to support extremely large data sets - millions of terabytes - without negatively impacting performance, achieving greater scale than prior file systems," Microsoft noted.

There are some drawbacks, though, especially when it comes to using ReFS for the computers that consumers may end up using. For now, at least, it’s unable to support system compression, encryption, and removable media. 

While it could be years before ReFS comes to our home (if at all), its support in Windows 11 may indicated it trickling down into some high-end business machines as it expands outside the realms of servers, but right now, NTFS has nothing to worry about.

• We’ve rounded up the best free office software

Via Windows Latest

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How to Watch, Stream Super Bowl 2023 From Anywhere - CNET

Super Bowl 57 will take place in Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 12 on Fox.

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Best Fitness Apps for Women in 2023 - CNET

These fitness apps will help you take your workouts to the next level.

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Latest Tech News

A change coming with Android 14 will impose restrictions on the apps that smartphone users can install on their devices, even if they’re sideloading software rather than installing it through the Play Store. 

Google’s change should help stop the spread of malware that takes advantage of exploits found in older builds of its Android OS, though if you’re a frequent sideloader it may make it a little harder to use non-Play Store apps.

The yearly release of the latest Android version – or the latest iOS build from Apple, or Windows OS from Microsoft – doesn’t just bring new features for the best Android smartphones to take advantage of. They also include new hidden security tools that make it tough for hackers to break into your device. Eventually, hackers will find a way through the protections, but by that point, Google will have hopefully moved well beyond even Android 14 to a version of its OS that is still uncracked.

However, finding flaws in ancient Android OS builds isn’t useless. Hackers can create apps that specifically target these older versions of Google’s OS, and can then exploit its flaws to bypass some of the protections on your smartphone if you install it on your device.

Thankfully Google is able to put a stop to a lot of this by putting restrictions on new and updated apps that are available through the Play Store. Right now, newly listed Play Store smartphone apps must target Android 12 or later (or Android 11 and later if they are built for WearOS) to be allowed into Google’s official app store.

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) will soon be the earliest build Android apps can target (Image credit: Google)

The big update seemingly coming to Android (via 9to5Google) is that these app restrictions will no longer only exist for Play Store apps. A change in Android 14’s code will mean that users looking to install apps that aren’t available through the Play Store (such as by sideloading APK files) will be blocked from the action if the file targets too old a version of Android.

Initially, the change will only block users from installing apps from Android’s earliest builds, but eventually, sideloaders will be restricted from installing applications that support Android 5 or earlier. So if there’s a non-Google Play Store app you love that’s built on a very old version of Android, you might want to encourage the developer to give it an update before Android 14 rolls out.

That said, you will still be able to install the old app, it’ll just take a few extra steps with a command shell. While this certainly makes the process more tedious it’ll likely greatly reduce the chance someone accidentally sideloads malware onto their hardware as you’ll need to think twice before installing an app.

Over time we expect Google will introduce restrictions that lock users to even later builds of Android. But in the fight against malicious software this strategy seems like a great middle ground that balances security with the freedom that has attracted many users to the platform.

If you don’t mind having your downloads restricted further in the search for a more secure OS, you might want to pick up one of the best iPhones, which are much, much harder to sideload apps onto.

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Staying in for Valentine's Day? Order These Lavish Eats and Make It Special - CNET

These delicious Valentine's Day splurges require no reservations.

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