Netflix is shutting down its mail-order DVD rental service on September 29, and as a final send off, the company is allowing customers to keep their last shipment for free – forever. It doesn’t want them back.
This announcement was made on X (or Twitter, if you prefer) on the official DVD Netflix account, clarifying the platform’s 10-disc promotion. On August 17, Netflix began offering interested customers the chance to win anywhere from one to 10 extra DVDs, which will be sent out on the final day.
It appears initial reports neglected to mention that you can, in fact, keep them. You have until the end of day on August 29 to take advantage of its Finale Surprise. After that date, users will only be able to keep the eight discs they can normally request.
Rules and stipulations
There are a few rules to be aware of if you're interested in obtaining these DVDs, and the clock is ticking.
For one, you have until 11:59 PM on August 28 to sign up to the service, or you’re locked out. They won’t sell any of the DVDs for whatever reason. The official FAQ page doesn’t really explain why they won’t. In our opinion, it could be due to “licensing agreements” between studios, making the situation complicated.
In addition, you can return the discs back if you really want to, but you only have until October 27. That is the last day Netflix will accept returns. It’s unknown exactly what will happen if you try to send a DVD back beyond the 27th. Presumably the company will simply return it right back to the sender.
We should mention that you don’t have to do anything to close your account. Netflix will send out the last bill later this month, and all subscriptions “will be automatically canceled” on September 29.
Shifting priorities
If you’re curious to know why DVD rentals are ending, simply put – it’s just no longer worth it. According to its FAQ page, Netflix states the “DVD business continues to shrink” since streaming services are the dominant way people watch movies. It has “become increasingly difficult” to keep things running like before.
Plus, it looks like Netflix would rather put its resources elsewhere, such as video games. Little by little, the streaming company has been building its gaming library including some genuinely fun titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Originally exclusive to mobile, the games are now on PCs, Macs, and TVs as part of a new beta.
WhatsApp is launching a new feature to its messaging platform – the ability to create groups without having to give them a name yourself.
It’s a very simple addition, but a helpful one at that. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who revealed the update on his Facebook page, WhatsApp will instead dynamically use the names of all the participants in a group if you can’t think of one on the spot. For example, a chat room could be called “John & Jane & Brian & Suzy” because those four are in the group. This naming convention can also help differentiate chats if some you’re a participant in share a similar topic or have a few of the same people.
Limitations
Zuckerberg’s announcement doesn’t go into any further details; not even a quick mention. But a recent report from TechCrunch does reveal some of the tool’s limitations.
A company representative told the publication unnamed groups are limited to just six people “unlike a typical WhatsApp group” which can hold up to 1,024 participants. It’s important to mention that the dynamic name itself will be different for each person. It depends who you have saved on your contacts. So, if you have someone down as “Brian”, that’s what you’ll see. If you don’t, you’ll see their phone number listed in the header.
Availability and future updates
TheVerge claims the update is currently “rolling out globally” to all WhatsApp users on “iOS, Android, web, and macOS.” And there’s a chance it hasn’t arrived on your device yet since it hadn’t on ours. Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch when it does arrive.
WhatsApp has had a bountiful 2023 as this feature is just the latest in a long line of additions to the messaging platform. Earlier this month, we saw the introduction of a screen-sharing tool allowing users to display “live web pages with friends and family”. Prior to that, there was the launch of Instant Video Message for, what else, sending short personal clips.
We’re not entirely sure what Meta has cooking up in the background for future releases. However, a new beta suggests WhatsApp is currently testing group voice chats.
Good news for Sonic fans, you won't have to wait long as Sonic Superstars hits consoles and PC later this year. The reveal came alongside a brand-new gameplay trailer showcasing Sonic and friends zooming through a variety of stunning 2D levels.
Sonic Superstars was announced at Summer Game Fest in June and is the first all-original title from Sonic Team since 2017's Sonic Mania. The game is returning to its roots with a 2D side-scrolling action adventure, featuring multiple playable characters such as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. As previously revealed, players will be able to take on the title alongside up to three other friends in co-op.
In our Sonic Superstars preview, TechRadar Gaming Editor-in-Chief, Jake Tucker said the game "feels intuitive and varied," and that "Boss fights feel close to the Sonic the Hedgehog standard too."
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 was filled with announcements, from new trailers for Black Myth: Wukong and Tekken 8, to other unexpected surprises like Little Nightmares 3, which is releasing in 2024 (and looks absolutely haunting).
Sonic Superstars is just one of many games on the horizon, for more check out our essential list of everyupcoming game.
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Little Nightmares 3 has been revealed with a haunting new trailer shown at Gamescom Opening Night 2023, offering the first look at a new cast of horrors and a spooky new location to navigate. A third game was announced to be in development in May 2023, so the announcement trailer is a surprise, to say the least.
Following two new characters in a new setting titled 'the spiral', the trailer echoes the weighted environment of the first two Little Nightmares games, with an equally chilling soundtrack in the background. The two protagonists appear to function in the same way as Mono and Six in Little Nightmares 2, so we are expecting you to rely on one another in order to solve puzzles and explore the new setting.
Are you ready to return to the Nowhere, little ones? This time, face your childhood fears together. #LittleNightmares III pic.twitter.com/lSKHfCJNxYAugust 22, 2023
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Little Nightmares 3 is set to be the final addition to the series, and as one of the best indie games, there's a lot of expectation surrounding its launch already. As a series first, it will introduce co-op functionality, so players will be able to take on the adventure together.
We can expect to see Little Nightmares 3 launch in 2024. Unfortunately, we haven't received a specific release date, nor have we received any information regarding which platforms the game will be released on, we are expecting more information about the release
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It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off.
Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.
What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently.
But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game too.
I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #575 and the answers to the main game and Daily Sequence.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #575) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #575) - hint #2 - total vowels
What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?
• The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 8.
Quordle today (game #575) - hint #3 - repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #575) - hint #4 - total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 12.
Quordle today (game #575) - hint #5 - uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.
Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar.
As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.
The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.
Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.
What are the Quordle rules?
The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.
1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.
2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow.
3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…
4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two.
5. Answers are never plural.
6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.
7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.
8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.
9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.
10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.
What is a good Quordle strategy?
Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.
That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.
There are two key things to remember.
1. Use several starting words
Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words.
The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.
For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.
If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!
2. Narrow things down
Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options.
In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.
In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.
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Amazon is tidying up its Fire TV Channels by launching a new app bundling the over 400 content providers on the platform into one convenient location.
The update is currently making its way to “smart TVs and streaming media players” that support Amazon Fire TV in the United States. The company states that once they download the patch, users will have two ways to access this newfound reservoir. You can command “Alexa to ‘Play Fire TV Channels’ to open the app”. Or you can head over to the “Fire TV’s ‘Your Apps & Channels’ [menu]”, where the app will have its home. Once found, direct access to the app will be displayed “in the Recently Used Apps row on the Home screen.”
It doesn’t appear Amazon is adding on a Home screen icon for Fire TV Channels. The closest thing you can do is to stumble upon a show or movie on your streaming device. The company recommends pressing the Home button on “your Alexa Voice remote” then scrolling down on the page in order to “find [rows] labeled Fire TV Channels”. It's also possible to "go to the Free icon in Fire TV's navigation bar." At the end of the day, the process will vary from person to person.
Alongside the app, Amazon is introducing new providers to Fire TV. They range from entertainment stations like The Hollywood Report to comedy channels like Funny or Die. It’s unknown if these changes will be making their way to other countries where Amazon Fire TV is available , such as Canada, the UK, Australia, and France.
We asked Amazon if it has plans to roll out the app elsewhere. This story will be updated at a later time.
Wave of the future
The release of the Fire TV Channels app comes at a particularly interesting time. Fire TV Channels is something known as a FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) platform. It's essentially cable TV, but without the monthly bills. And it’s a niche service we think is ready to quickly expand, especially now that the best streaming services have begun jacking up prices. In fact, a report from the Financial Times reveals streaming platforms in the United States cost viewers roughly $87 a month, up $73 from just a year ago. Users are getting squeezed and we have to go somewhere.
Amazon is seemingly ready to pounce on this opportunity as it has not one, but two FAST services: Fire TV Channel, as we just covered, and Freevee, which recently gained a ton of content from MGM Studios. Not one to fall behind, Google is going down a similar path by launching 800 free channels to Android TV.
With so many shows and movies out there, you’re going to need a proper television set. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best TVs for 2023.
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Samsung is offering iPhone owners the opportunity to try out their foldables as the company updates its Try Galaxy web app.
For those who don’t know, Try Galaxy gives “non-Android users” a way to test drive Galaxy smartphones, including the S23 line, in an attempt to convince people to switch over. Now Samsung is seeking to introduce the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 to a new customer base by emulating the same experience – or attempting to. It’s a little tricky.
According to the official announcement, iOS users will need to grab a second iPhone and connect it to their own in order to simulate the Z Fold5’s unfurled screen. Doing so will activate “video demonstrations” where people can see what content looks like on the “immersive full screen.” Then, the app will enable the “enhanced drag and drop features” that allow iPhone owners to experience what it’s like to move items between screens.
As shown in the image below, users can see what One UI 5.1.1 looks like spread out between the two phones or play a game of digital air hockey.
(Image credit: Samsung)
FlexCam demo
There’s no real way to emulate the Z Flip5’s smaller, outer screen on an iPhone, so you will be missing out on that particular aspect. In its place, you will be able to try out FlexCam mode, a camera feature available on both of Samsung’s foldables. However, there is a slight problem with this particular preview: we don't know how exactly it'll work.
FlexCam is essentially a timer tool for taking hands-free photographs. The main difference is you can prop up the phone for interesting angles. This can be done easily on something like the Z Flip5 by just folding it in half, but obviously you can’t do that with the iPhone. Judging from Samsung’s description, it could simply be an on-screen demo showing off all the different angles possible with FlexCam.
Alongside the software tools exclusive to the foldables, Samsung's app offers access to more generic features. For example, there is Quick Share for sending files to friends and family, plus an option to preview “Samsung Health’s body composition date when paired with a Galaxy Watch”.
Availability
To access the demo, head over to the Try Galaxy website then scan the on-screen QR code. Upon scanning, the app will launch the Safari browser. Requirements are not very strict. At the very least, you’ll need an iPhone 7 running the latest version of iOS. As long as you have that, you’re good to go.
There isn’t a mobile app available, presumably because Apple doesn’t want Samsung seducing people to the dark side on the App Store.
You’ve got to admire Sony’s commitment to doing things its own way, rather than simply following current trends. It did so with the Sony Xperia 1 V – a phone with a 21:9 4K screen, sizable bezels, and a continuous optical zoom lens – and it will likely do the same with the Sony Xperia 1 VI, as well.
There are both up and downsides to this approach, but it certainly helps Sony’s flagship phones stand out from the crowd.
So far we don’t know anything about the Sony Xperia 1 VI, but we can take some educated guesses as to its price, release date, and some of its key features. You’ll find those below, and as soon as any information leaks, we’ll add that too.
What we do know though is what we want from the Sony Xperia 1 VI, so jump to the second half of this article for information on that.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next flagship Sony phone
When is it out? Possibly May 2024
How much will it cost? Likely at least $1,399 / £1,299 / AU$2,099
Sony Xperia 1 VI: release date and price
The Xperia 1 VI is likely to land around a year after the Xperia 1 V(Image credit: Future)
The Sony Xperia 1 V was announced in May 2023, but didn’t go on sale until late June in the UK and late July in the US. This big wait between the announcement date and the on-sale date isn’t unusual for Sony, however, even if it's a little unorthodox by industry standards.
There’s no news yet on when the Sony Xperia 1 VI might be unveiled but with the Sony Xperia 1 IV also being announced in May, our best guess is May 2024.
In fact, the last two models were both unveiled on May 11 of their release years. Now, that’s a Saturday in 2024 so is unlikely as a date, but something close to that around mid-May is probably likely. Of course, you’ll likely then have to wait until at least June to get your hands on it, based on past form.
As for the price, the Sony Xperia 1 V starts at $1,399 / £1,299 / AU$2,099, so the Sony Xperia 1 VI will probably cost at least that much, which is a shame, as that’s an extremely high price.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: news and leaks
We expect a narrow screen, just like on the Xperia 1 V(Image credit: TechRadar)
We haven’t heard anything about the Sony Xperia 1 VI yet, but we can predict that it will inherit some aspects of the Sony Xperia 1 V.
That includes a narrow 21:9 screen, with a 4K resolution – as these are trademark features of the line. It will also probably put a lot of focus on the cameras, and likely include a continuous optical zoom lens which can smoothly move between different focal ranges, as that’s one of the highlights of the latest model too.
One thing that will almost certainly change though is the chipset, with Sony likely to move from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so expect the Sony Xperia 1 VI to be more powerful than the Xperia 1 V.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: what we want to see
The Sony Xperia 1 V is a decent phone, but it’s one with plenty of room for improvement, as our Sony Xperia 1 V review attests. Here’s what we most want to see from the next model.
1. Crisper zoom shots
We want improvements to the Xperia 1 V's zoom camera(Image credit: TechRadar)
The star feature of the Sony Xperia 1 V is arguably its telephoto camera, which can move between optical zoom levels of 3.5x and 5.2x, rather than being locked at one zoom level like most smartphone telephoto cameras or having two separate sensors at two different zoom ranges, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (which sports both 3x and 10x telephoto sensors).
However, in our review, we found that the resulting images are ever so slightly soft. This is one hazard of offering a continuous optical zoom, rather than having a fixed focal length (the same is true with conventional cameras), but we hope it’s something Sony can improve for the Xperia 1 VI; so that zoom shots are completely sharp and crisp.
2. Better heat management
In our Sony Xperia 1 V review, we noticed that the phone could get surprisingly warm, even when doing very little. On a likely related note, we found – when using an app called CPU Throttling Test – that its performance would drop quite rapidly when the phone was being pushed.
So with the Sony Xperia 1 VI, we’d like better heat management, so the phone stays cooler and hopefully the performance therefore won’t get throttled as much.
3. Faster charging
The Sony Xperia 1 V only charges at up to 30W(Image credit: TechRadar)
While the Sony Xperia 1 V has fairly decent battery life, its charging speed is much less impressive than many of its competitors, topping out at 30W. Now, that’s still slightly faster than you’ll get with an iPhone, but given that we’ve seen phones like the OnePlus 10T offer 150W charging, and loads of handsets allow for charging at upwards of 60W, providing only 30W charging doesn’t really cut it in 2023/2024.
Therefore, we want to see a boost with the Sony Xperia 1 VI. At the very least it should be capable of 45W charging, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but ideally we want it to charge faster still.
4. A better fingerprint sensor
One of the many unusual choices Sony makes with the Xperia 1 V is putting a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the side, set into the power key, rather than using a – nowadays – more conventional under-display sensor. This isn’t in itself a problem – though it is a little old fashioned – but in our review we found that the sensor was slower, less responsive, and less reliable than those in most phones.
At this price, that’s unacceptable, so we want to see big improvements with the Sony Xperia 1 VI’s fingerprint sensor, wherever Sony chooses to put it.
5. A lower price
The Sony Xperia 1 V has all sorts of interesting features and high-end tech, but there’s no escaping just how expensive it is.
With a starting price that’s even higher than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro Max, this is never going to be anything other than a niche entrant in the high-end smartphone space, but we’d love for the Sony Xperia 1 VI to be a more mainstream prospect. For that, the price needs to be lower. Not drastically, but it should at least undercut the aforementioned phones.
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