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Google parent Alphabet reported quarterly results on Monday that show costs continue to rise faster than revenue as the Web search leader seeks to broaden its business.

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The first trailer for the Disney Plus-exclusive Star Wars series The Mandalorian blew us away when it landed back in August, showing-off movie-quality cinematography and an epic, galaxy-spanning scope.

Now, a new trailer has arrived for the live-action television series – and it somehow dials up the action and spectacle even further.

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The trailer features a hypnotic voiceover from the unmistakable German filmmaker/occasional actor/full-time curmudgeon Werner Herzog, and begins by questioning the role of a bounty hunter in a post-revolution world, while also offering some insight into the titular character's mysterious backstory.

Of course, the philosophizing quickly takes a back seat to some incredible looking action set-pieces, including shootouts, dogfights and hand-to-hand fight scenes.

A man of few words

We see The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal of Narcos fame) as he takes out storm troopers, ropes bounties, catches huge beasts and meets up with what appear to be some old allies (including Gina Carano's Cara Dune and Taika Waititi's IG-11 droid).

And while don't get to see him with his helmet off, the new trailer does let us hear The Mandalorian's voice for the first time, even if it is only a couple of (rather badass) words.

The first episode of The Mandalorian lands on Disney Plus on November 12, 2019, with remaining episodes arriving each week after that. You can check out the new trailer in full below.

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LOS ANGELES: With two young daughters, Mery Montenegro is preparing to add Disney+ to her list of streaming subscriptions, which already includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon -- and, when combined with her cable TV bill, costs her almost $1,500 per year.Her eldest Victoria, 6, asks every day when the new platform will launch, with its impressive catalogue of films and series from all of Disney´s studios.The answer is November 12: Mery, who works at an advertising agency in Washington, knows the date well. It´s the day she´ll start paying $6.99 more per month.Disney+, HBO Max (AT&T), Peacock (Comcast), Apple TV+ and the new short video platform Quibi are all players in a streaming war that will only grow worse at a time when more Americans prefer streaming to cable."It´s going to have a huge impact on people´s budgets," said Tom Nunan, an Oscar-winning film producer and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television."I don´t think that there is enough room for subscription relationships with all of these streamers for a typical American."In a Deloitte survey published in March, 69 percent of respondents said they had at least one streaming subscription, while 65 percent said they had cable.And while many households have cut the cord to go cable-free with the advent of streaming, 43 percent of those surveyed were paying for both.Mery, 36, is in the third group, and not by choice.In her neighborhood of Alexandria, west of the US capital, she says she found no internet-only option cheaper than her current plan, so she pays $90 per month for a cable subscription she "hardly" uses, other than for news or the occasional baseball game.To that, she adds $5.99 each month for Hulu -- the service´s cheapest plan, with commercials -- and $16 for Netflix, which she considers essential."I use it on the subway when I go to work, to cook, to watch something at home," she explained.Mery also pays $12.99 per month for e-commerce giant Amazon´s Prime membership, which includes its streaming service. Prime is also useful for renting movies, which Mery prefers over the cinema, curling up with a glass of wine after the girls have gone to bed.That´s $124.98 per month, soon plus $6.99 for Disney+. Total: $131.97 per month, or $1,583.64 per year.- The irony of cable -That´s where Mery draws the line, since she doesn´t want to spend her whole paycheck on subscriptions. But the streaming options are limitless.From YouTube, which has a Premium version for $11.99 per month, to platforms for Broadway lovers or wrestling fans, to all professional sports leagues, which offer different packages for fans.The Los Angeles Times previously listed 40 streaming options, which would cost a total of $353.43 per month, but the Deloitte survey mentioned up to 300 different streaming services.Almost half of people surveyed (47 percent) said they were "frustrated by the growing number of subscriptions and services," which make it "harder to find the content they want," the study said."Back at the beginning, it wasn´t a hard decision... to sign up for Netflix or Amazon. It was just two streamers," said Nunan."But am I really going to sign up for six streamers or seven? As the normal consumer, I doubt it," he said.Gene Del Vecchio, a marketing professor at the University of Southern California (USC) who specializes in entertainment, estimated that users will end up with the same complaint that currently causes them to drop cable: they spend a lot of money for a lot of programs they don´t watch."I think what may happen is that they will look for one a la carte menu," he said."They will start to say, I just want these individual shows, and I don´t want to pay for all of this other programming that I never watch."Amazon already allows people to buy episodes or seasons, without subscribing to Prime Video.Del Vecchio also thinks subscription rates will increase over the next decade to finance original shows, and that streamers will seek to end the current strategy where several friends or family members share one account, in an effort to gain new paying users.Another strategy, similar to cable plans, will be to offer discounted annual contracts. Disney+ is already doing this, as is Amazon."Here´ the ironic thing: five, 10 years from now, it´s going to look like the cable industry all over again," predicted Del Vecchio.

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It may have only launched in August of this year, but Panasonic's Lumix S1H has already been added to Netflix's list of approved and certified cameras for use when filming the streaming platform's Original productions.

This makes the Lumix S1H the first ever hybrid (stills/video) full-frame mirrorless camera to be added to the Netflix's Post Technology Alliance – a program to help help filmmakers find equipment for creating movies and shows for its Netflix Originals line up.

This certification will now allow filmmakers to use the S1H as their main (or primary) camera, placing it on par with much pricier and well-established options, such as the Panasonic's very own VariCam 35, the Arri Alexa 65 and the Sony Venice.

The S1H is definitively the most affordable camera in that list (many of which cost upwards of $40,000 in the US) although it's by no means cheap, coming in with a launch price of $3,999 / £3,599.99 / AU$5,999. That said, this is a major milestone for not just Panasonic, but for the camera industry as well, indicating just how far technology has come since the days of the massive filming rigs.

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Just follow one rule

If production units are using the S1H as their main (or 'A') camera, then Neflix requires them to record in at least 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels or 4,096 x 2,160 pixels) using 4:2:2 10-bit All-I encoding in the V-Log color space. The S1H's headline 6K video feature, though, can only be used when the camera is a secondary (or 'B') unit due to the lack of an I-frame codec.

There are a few other recommendations that Netflix has laid down for the camera: for example, the camera's in-body image stabilization is approved for use but not during panning, presumably to counter the warping effects produced by sensor-based stabilization when panning. 

Netflix also recommends that diffraction compensation and vignetting compensation be switched off, although these will be lens-dependent, as some lenses have been designed with these settings in mind.

If you're a budding filmmaker aiming to shoot a Netflix Originals-ready production, take a look at the company's production guide to see what else you need to keep in mind when using the S1H for filming.

• Read more: in-depth Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K review

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Just hook it to my veins!

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Announced three years ago and officially put into motion back in May this year, followed by an unfortunate missed deadline in August, digital driver's licences are now officially available in NSW – though you may have trouble accessing yours right now.

Digital licence functionality began its rollout via the Service NSW app on Android and iOS this morning. In order to access your driver's licence on your phone, you'll first need to create a MyServiceNSW account, then enter your surname, license number and the number on the back of your physical licence.

However, many have so far experienced problems in the process of linking their licence to their MyServiceNSW account due to a high number of users clogging Service NSW's servers.

Still experiencing problems after hours of attempts.

We tried numerous times over the last few hours to link our licences, only for the Service NSW app to either hang indefinitely in the 'checking your account' phase of the setup process, or receive a "we're a little busy" message.

It's worth noting that according to the Service NSW website, "It’s illegal to access your Digital Driver Licence when driving, including when stationary, unless you’re asked to do so by a police officer." 

The digital licence is also an acceptable form of identification for entering pubs, clubs and other 18+ venues.

• NSW traffic cams will soon detect – and fine – drivers for using their phone

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New Star Wars: The Mandalorian trailer is an action-packed thriller - CNET

In the latest Disney Plus peek, this lone gunfighter is mercilessly cool.

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Moto G8 Plus will go on sale for the first time in India today via Flipkart starting 12pm with a few offers in tow.

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It's not just human eye autofocus (AF) and tracking that Sony's superb mirrorless cameras excel in – even animal eye AF is on offer to those who love to capture the antics of their pets.

So it's great news to know that Sony isn't keeping this technology to the Alpha range of mirrorless cameras, but is now bringing it to its best superzoom bridge camera.

Sony Japan has announced that a new firmware update has been "scheduled" that will add real-time animal eye AF for stills to the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV. 

According to a translation of the announcement, the update will not only allow the camera to lock onto an animal's pupil, but also improve the existing eye AF function on the camera. With the new firmware, the RX10 IV should be able to focus on a person's eye when the shutter button is half-pressed.

In addition to improvements to autofocus functionality, the update will also improve "operational stability" but no specifics have been listed.

Sony hasn't announced a date for the firmware update rollout except to say it's been "scheduled for 2019", meaning it should be available to download before the year is out.

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The RX10 IV was launched in October 2017, quickly becoming our favorite superzoom. After two years, the camera remains in top spot, thanks to its fast 24-600mm lens, brilliant noise performance at high ISO settings and it's advanced autofocus system. 

It even has a superb electronic viewfinder, and stills and video quality are impressive. It's not quite a traveling companion due its size and remains one of the more expensive bridge cameras available today. That said, its well worth every penny if you're after an all-in-one powerhouse.

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Jio All-in-One plans, first Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi Note 8 sales, WhatsApp Group Privacy settings update, Moto G8 Plus India launch, Redmi K20 update rollout, and other top tech news of the week.

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GM, FCA and Toyota side with Trump in California emissions fight - Roadshow

California, 22 other states and several other car companies will stand in opposition.

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