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YouTube TV arrives on PS4 ahead of PlayStation Vue shut down

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PlayStation Vue subscribers have likely already marked their calendars for January 30th, the day when Sony will pull the plug on its live TV service. But the death of Vue doesn’t mean PS4 users will have to move to different hardware for their live and on-demand fix, as YouTube TV is now available on the console. The service has a solid lineup of channels and DVR functions for $50 a month — the same price as Vue’s cheapest bundle — so the transition from Sony’s service to Google’s could be a relatively painless one.

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A Lego version of the International Space Station is coming February 1st

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The set came out of a competition Lego held last year for the 10th anniversary of its Ideas program. The initiative allows fans to submit concepts they’d like to see the company manufacture and sell. With 10,438 votes, the model won 45.6 percent of the community vote, beating out tough opponents like this adorable Stitch model.

Lego ISS inline

To create the final product, Lego says it consulted with NASA to get all the details right. Thanks to the Ideas program, the two have been frequent collaborators in recent years. In 2017, Lego released two NASA-inspired sets, a $170 replica of the Saturn V rocket and a set of models honoring some of the space agency’s early female pioneers. More recently, NASA helped Lego with a lunar lander set honoring the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

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Sci-fi series ‘Altered Carbon’ returns to Netflix on February 27th

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This time around, Anthony Mackie is taking over the lead role of Takeshi Kovacs from Joel Kinnaman. Since Altered Carbon is set in a future in which people can transfer their consciousness and memories between bodies (or “sleeves”), recasting parts isn’t too complex.

There’s no trailer as yet for the second season, but Netflix has offered some details of what’s in store. Kovacs will continue his galaxy-spanning, centuries-long search for his lost love, Quellcrist Falconer, while trying to get to the bottom of a string of murders. However, it seems that both of his missions are connected.



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Amazon offers Black Friday pricing on most Fire tablets

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Amazon hasn’t said when the promo ends, so you might want to act quickly if you’re seriously considering one of the tablets.

As usual, these tablets are mostly appealing for their sheer value. You can get a tablet that handles the basics, plus Amazon-specific features like hands-free Alexa, for considerably less than alternatives from rivals like Apple or Samsung. However, the same caveats apply as well. Amazon’s custom take on Android doesn’t offer access to the Play Store or Google-made apps, and you shouldn’t expect brisk performance or any hardware bells and whistles. We’re particularly wary of the current Fire 7 due to its sluggish processor, short battery life and mediocre display. It’s just as well that the Fire 7’s current discount is modest, then — you’re better off with the Fire HD 8 unless you simply can’t spend the extra $15.

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Microsoft’s well-designed 2-in-1 Surface Pro X is up to $200 off

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The Pro X provides a great 2-in-1 experience and offers a speedy gigabit LTE connection. There are a few notable caveats: the software is buggy and there’s limited app compatibility. As we noted, if you must use Microsoft’s software, the Surface Pro X will get the job done, but many people would be better off with a Chromebook or the Surface Pro 7.

That said, this is a solid deal. The 256 GB models are each $200 off. If you opt for the 128 GB model, you’ll still receive a $100 discount. That makes the low end model just $899, and at the upper end, you can get 512 GB of storage with 16 GB of RAM for $1,599. You might choose to put that savings towards the Slim Pen ($145) or keyboard case (an extra $140) that Microsoft made for the Pro X.

The sale is direct from Microsoft and includes free shipping, but if you prefer to shop through Amazon, you’ll find the discounts there as well.

Buy Surface Pro X on Microsoft Store – from $899

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Uber experiment lets California drivers set their own fares

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From Tuesday morning, drivers operating around airports in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Sacramento will be able to take part in a bidding system that allows them to increase fares in 10 percent increments, up to a maximum of five times the usual Uber price. When a ride is requested, Uber will match the rider with the driver with the lowest price. Drivers charging higher fares will gradually be dispatched as demand for rides increases.

The feature is clearly intended to give drivers more autonomy and follows a number of other recent initiatives by the company, designed to support its argument that as a technology platform and not a transportation business, its drivers cannot be classed as employees. However, this trial could kick up some unintended consequences. Setting fares too high could result in fewer trips for drivers, and a less consistent service for riders, who might simply opt to use Lyft — which hasn’t made any changes to its service — instead.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a person familiar with the new feature says that Uber is trialling it in smaller cities in a bid to limit potential damage to its business. However, the company will use feedback from the initial pilot to decide whether to expand fare-setting elsewhere.

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The Morning After: Disney+ will debut early in Europe

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Pricing will be £5.99 or €6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for the year.
Disney+ is coming to Europe a week sooner than expected

If you live in Europe and you’ve been patiently waiting to (legally) get stuck into The Mandalorian, we have some good news. The Walt Disney Company has confirmed it’s bringing the European launch date of Disney+ forward by a week, opening its doors in select countries from March 24th. Pricing has been set £5.99/€6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for a yearly subscription — but no word on any tempting early discounts. Yet.

It claims this is a plot by short sellers to undermine the company.

Tesla says unintended acceleration claims are ‘completely false’

Tesla just rejected any notion that its cars are prone to unintended acceleration. In a blog post, the EV maker claimed that a petition describing unexpected acceleration was “completely false” and the product of those hoping to make a quick buck on Tesla investments. Every case where the company had a car’s data showed that the car worked as intended, it said in the post.

Moreover, Tesla claimed its system was designed to avoid these problems. All its models have two pedal position sensors, and “any error” defaults to shutting off motor torque. It even uses the Autopilot sensors to catch potential pedal misuse and cut torque to prevent accidents.

The firm added that it was “transparent” with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and regularly shared complaints of unintended acceleration with the agency. It shared the “majority” of the complaints from the petition and found no faults.

The studio needs more time, but how much it needs isn’t clear.
‘Dying Light 2’ is delayed indefinitely

Yet another Square Enix-published game is facing a delay, and this might not be a short wait. Techland has delayed its zombie title Dying Light 2 indefinitely to allow “more development time to fulfill our vision.” It didn’t say what led to the company missing its spring 2020 target. And you’ll have to wait a while to know when the game will be ready — the studio is only promising to share more info in the “coming months.”

There are several potential factors behind such a non-specific delay. The widened scope of DL2 could play a key role. The environment and gameplay can change radically based on your actions, and that’s likely no small challenge to implement.

You’ll have to pay at least $849 for the more colorful model.
Google’s Pixelbook Go is finally available in ‘Not Pink’

It took three months, but Google is finally offering its Not Pink version of the Pixelbook Go — the Chromebook is now available through its official store, Best Buy and other channels. It’s functionally the same as the black laptop, of course, but decidedly less drab. Just be ready to pay extra for the more vibrant shade. Not Pink isn’t available for the base Core m3 system — you’re looking at a minimum $849 for a Core i5 model.

The Pixelbook Go isn’t the most exciting Chromebook on the market (not after CES), but it checks the right boxes with solid performance, healthy battery life and a quality keyboard. The biggest complaint, which this new model exacerbates, is the cost.

In other words, they’re meant for most of the world.
Qualcomm’s new mobile chipsets pack more features for the non-5G crowd

Qualcomm has announced a new selection of smartphone processors — just don’t mention next-gen networks. The company announced the new Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 at a press event in New Delhi this morning, and all three share certain characteristics — think support for WiFi 6 and India’s NavIC satellite positioning system. While it’s easy enough to read these announcements as an overture to an incredibly valuable country, Qualcomm insists these new processors will make their way to the US and other mature markets, too.

But wait, there’s more…

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Mario Kart Tour’s second multiplayer beta will be open to all

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Still playing Mario Kart Tour? The development team has announced today that a second multiplayer beta is on the way. Unlike the last test — which required an expensive Gold Pass subscription to enter — this one will be open to all players. It will also allow you to race with competitors “in your immediate vicinity” for the first time. (You will, therefore, need an internet connection and location data enabled to play.) “If you weren’t able to join the previous test and are interested in multiplayer, we’re eager to hear your feedback during this one,” one of the game’s news bulletins explained.

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Qualcomm’s new mobile chipsets pack more features for the non-5G crowd

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The company announced the new Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 at a press event in New Delhi this morning, and all three share certain characteristics — think support for WiFi 6 and India’s NavIC satellite positioning system. While it’s easy enough to read these announcements as overture to an incredibly valuable country, Qualcomm insists these new processors will make their way to the US and other mature markets, too.

But anyway, let’s talk about the chips themselves. The octa-core Snapdragon 720G is (obviously) the most powerful of the bunch and will be aimed at higher-end phones, though not full-blown flagships like Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S20 series. The “G” in the chipset’s name refers to its focus on gaming, so expect 10-bit HDR and the same anti-cheating measures Qualcomm built into the premium Snapdragon 855.

The chipset also packs Qualcomm’s Hexagon 692 DSP for on-device AI operations, plus full support for 4K video recording and high-speed displays running at resolutions as high as 2520 x 1080. Maybe most important, the chipsets X15 LTE modem provides for download speeds as fast as 800Mbps — you’ll likely never see speeds that good, but that’s far faster than what you’d see on many 5G networks right now.

The Snapdragon 662 feels like a dialed down version of the 720G. Sure, it too is an octa-core chip, but it top speeds cap at around 2.0GHz (compared to the 720G’s 2.3GHz), and X11 modem can only hit a theoretical limit of about 390Mbps down. You might notice the improvements it brings if you’re an avid smartphone photographer; Qualcomm says the 662 supports “new triple camera configurations and smooth switching between them,” as well as storing images in the super-efficient HEIF file format. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 460 uses the same modem and lower-tier AI engine as the 662, but its new performance cores and an improved GPU architecture means the chipset performs more than 50 percent faster than the Snapdragon 450.

Qualcomm stands to gain dramatically as 5G becomes more pervasive this year, but keeping its 4G customers happy is good business. In growing markets, the company faces serious competition from rival chipmakers like Mediatek, not to mention smartphone makers that use their own homemade processors — think Samsung and Huawei. We can’t say for sure whether these new chipsets will help Qualcomm beat back its rivals, but it can’t afford not to try.

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