Saturday, May 27, 2023

Best Camera Phone of 2023 - CNET

From Apple, Google, Samsung, and more, we provide the best photo-taking camera phone recommendations so you can choose the best for you.

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Best Wireless Bluetooth Boom Boxes for 2023: Portable Pool and Beach Speakers, Ranked - CNET

Planning a party soon? No get-together is complete without music. Check out CNET's favorite wireless Bluetooth speakers that pack a punch.

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Friday, May 26, 2023

Netflix Password-Sharing Crackdown: What This Means for You - CNET

Netflix now charges extra if you want to share a password on a standard or premium account.

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Best 4K TVs for 2023, Tested and Reviewed - CNET

With 4K TVs becoming standard, there's no shortage of choice on the market. But the best 4K TVs stand out for good reason.

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Best E-Reader for 2023: Top Picks for Book Lovers - CNET

The best e-readers enhance your reading experience and cut down on clutter. What's not to love?

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Best Smart Scale for 2023 - CNET

Smart scales measure more than just your weight. Here are our favorites.

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Latest Tech News

Google has opened up access to its Search Labs testing program allowing users to try out the upcoming search engine update with the most notable change being the Search Generative Experience or SGE.

To be clear, Search Labs isn’t technically open to the public as you’ll have to first join a waitlist. If you’ve already signed up, be sure to check your email account for an invitation from Google as they're currently rolling out. Don’t worry if you haven’t entered as there’s still room left in the waitlist on both desktop and mobile.

To join on desktop, you need to first install Google Chrome on your computer. From there, head on over to the Search Labs website, select Join Waitlist, and wait for the invitation to arrive. On mobile devices, launch the Google app. You should see a science beaker-esque icon in the top left corner of the screen. Just like before, select Join Waitlist then wait for the invite. Search Labs is available on both iOS and Android so no one’s being left out. Install the latest app update if you don't see the icon.

Limited-time only

Unless you’re a subscriber to Google One Premium, it may take a while until you get an invite. A recent report from 9To5Google states Premium subscribers are getting “priority access” to Search Labs, although “it won’t be immediate.” “Access spots are limited” at the moment, but more will open up over “the coming weeks. 

But once you get the invite, act fast. SGE and the rest of the Search Labs experiments will be available for a limited time only. It’s unknown for how long, so we asked Google for more information. This story will be updated if we hear back.

There’s been a fair amount of hype surrounding SGE ever since it was first revealed during I/O 2023. The technology essentially enhances Google Search to provide long, detailed responses to queries by taking context into consideration. It could very well completely change how people use the search engine

Word of advice

For the lucky few who get early access to SGE, Google recommends starting off with simple terms so you can get used to how the AI works. Once you get a feel for it, try entering more specific queries. One of the highlighted use cases of SGE is to help people with their shopping. The AI can generate a detailed list of features, reviews, price points, and even link to the product itself.

In addition to Google’s advice, we have some of our own because we’ve used multiple generative AI models from Bing to Brave Summarizer. One thing we’ve learned is generative AIs can hallucinate, meaning they come up with totally false information that bears no resemblance to reality. Don't always believe what you read. And do be mindful of what you enter as generative AIs keep the information you type in. In fact, some major tech corporations, like Samsung, have banned their employees from using ChatGPT after some sensitive information was leaked.

Google I/O 2023 revealed a lot more than just the tech giant’s AI tools. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of the event as it happened.



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Best Party-Planning Apps for 2023 - CNET

Plan your party from start to finish with the help of these apps.

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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Best Meat Delivery Services for Memorial Day Weekend - CNET

Only the best beef for your barbecue. These are the best places to order meat online.

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How We Test Home Security Systems and Services - CNET

From DIY to professionally installed systems, these testing procedures help us recommend the best home security system for every reader.

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DirecTV Will Keep NFL Sunday Ticket in Bars, Restaurants and Hotels - CNET

Commercial venues won't need to figure out streaming just yet.

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Latest Tech News

MoviePass has made its long-awaited return as it launches a new subscription service in the United States.

We first saw the service as a limited beta all the way back in September 2022. It looks like the current version is mostly the same as the original although it is a bit more expansive. The way it works is you pay a monthly fee to watch a certain number of movies in theaters without having to buy a ticket. There are four tiers with prices ranging from $10 up to $40. However, rather than giving people a flat number of films they can watch in a month, MoviePass opts for a credit system with each tier giving users a fixed amount to use.

The $10 Basic tier offers the least, with 34 credits that allow people to watch somewhere between one to three movies a month. The $20 Standard Plan gives 72 credits for three to seven viewings a month. Premium ($30 a month) gives 113 credits for five to eleven films.  

The most expensive plan, the $40 Pro, grants 640 credits allowing people to watch up to 30 movies across 30 days. You can think of Pro as the “spiritual successor” to the previous (and disastrous) version of MoviePass

MoviePass Plans

(Image credit: MoviePass)

Varying costs

A MoviePass representative told us the cost (in credits) of a single movie is tied to the “day of the week” plus what time you’re watching, although they didn’t provide any further details. A recent report from TechCrunch claims Tuesdays are the cheapest whereas opening weekends are one of the more expensive options. Unused credits do roll over to the next month. Company CEO Stacy Spikes told TechCrunch people “can have up to a maximum of two months of unused credits” on their account.

These prices are for the general user in the US. The plans are more expensive if you live in either Southern California or the New York metropolitan area. Basic is $20, Standard is $30, Premium is $40, and Pro is $60 with no option to purchase a cheaper tier, according to a company representative. But users in those areas do get roughly double the number of credits. Standard, for example, offers 140 in Los Angeles instead of 72.

Availability

As for why MoviePass is adopting this system, the company states it lets members “choose the plan that best suits their viewing habits and budget.” The idea is whether you’re a casual theatergoer or a movie nerd, there’s something for everyone.

There are a couple of things we haven’t mentioned yet. You can’t watch 3D movies with the subscription, although there are plans to include “large format and premium screens” (presumably IMAX) soon. The service is supported by over 4,000 theaters across the country. A full list of every location can be found on the official website. The service is now open – just in time for Memorial Day. This holiday should provide an interesting proving ground for MoviePass.

We asked the same representative if they could provide us with exact numbers on how much it’ll cost to watch a film because that’s the one piece of information strangely missing from all this. And if there are plans for an international launch. This story will be updated at a later time.



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Is Your Home Wi-Fi Secure? Here Are 10 Tips to Lock Down Your Network - CNET

All Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to hacking, but some are less so than others. These 10 tips will help keep your home network secure.

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Wednesday, May 24, 2023

ChatGPT Will Now Use Microsoft's Bing AI Search Engine Data - CNET

The new experience is already rolling out to ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

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Sony Has a New PlayStation Handheld Coming, for Streaming - CNET

A large-screened streaming device is coming later this year. It'll play all your PlayStation games in your hands.

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Could Apple's New Adaptive Power Feature Extend Your iPhone's Battery Life?

With this new feature being tested in the iOS 26 developer beta, you may be able to ditch the Low Power Mode setting in the future. from C...