Netflix’s ad tier has attracted more than 70 million subscribers

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Netflix is crowing that its ad-supported tier now boasts 70 million users throughout the globe, as reported by Variety. The company announced 40 million users back in May, so this is some real growth. The streamer has been slowly ramping up its ad tier, going all the way back to 2022.

Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, says that the company continues “to see steady progress across all countries’ member bases.” She also noted that over 50 percent of new Netflix sign-ups are for these ad-supported plans. The transformation of streaming into regular TV is nearly complete.

There’s one major potential caveat. The company released the aforementioned data regarding new sign-ups, which is impressive, but there isn’t any information regarding pre-existing customers. It’s highly possible a whole lot of people downgraded from a premium tier to an ad-supported tier.

I’m one of them. I don’t mind watching an ad or two as I mindlessly stuff food down my gullet while pseudo-watching an episode of The Diplomat or The Circle. In other words, there’s an argument to be made that the ad-supported tier could be eating into the more expensive offerings.

There’s also an argument to be made that this year’s growth spurt for the ad-supported tier could attract companies with deeper ad-spending budgets, thus making up the difference. Netflix is airing live NFL broadcasts on Christmas Day, and it says it has already sold out all available commercial inventory. The streamer is actually betting big on live streams, with wrestling events, cooking shows and talk shows all airing in the near future. The company’s recent forays into audience measurement and the ad-tech space should help entice sponsors for these events.

Netflix even has plans for “themed” advertisements with certain shows. The next season of Squid Game will include a three-part linked commercial by Kia. Nothing makes me want to buy a car more than a deadly dystopian bloodsport that seems closer and closer to the real world by the day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflixs-ad-tier-has-attracted-more-than-70-million-subscribers-162011582.html?src=rss

Apple Music releases limited-edition coffee table book version of 100 Best Albums

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When you’re searching for a definitive “best of” list, especially relating to music, you probably search for it on YouTube or streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. You don’t really look for a book to read since it’s missing the multimedia aspect that comes with most of these lists. But if it’s a very pretty, limited edition coffee table book, you probably might consider getting that instead.

Designer: Apple Music

That’s what Apple Music is hoping for with the release of Apple Music: 100 Best Albums, a companion to the list that they have previously published online. The list was compiled by their team of experts together with some artists like Pharrell Williams, Charli XCX, J Balvin, and Maren Morris. You can own this list presented in a minimalist but expensive looking book that you can display at home for bragging rights. Actually reading it is another thing of course.

The book has the album cover on one side and then the liner notes and in-depth analysis on the other side. It has a custom-designed translucent acrylic slipcase with the Apple Music logo etched on it. It has a linen hardcover debossed with the logo and the edge of the pages are golden gilded. The back of the case has the edition number and inside you have the hand-numbered ex libris.

The reason for the numbers indicated is that there will only be 1,500 pcs produced so they emphasize the limited nature of this item. That’s also the reason why the price tag for this coffee table book is pretty expensive. It is now available for pre-order for those willing to shell out $450 for it. I will probably stick to reading the list online and streaming it on my music service of choice.

The post Apple Music releases limited-edition coffee table book version of 100 Best Albums first appeared on Yanko Design.

Black Friday Anker deals: One of our favorite Anker power banks is 41 percent off

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Anker makes a lot of our favorite charging gear, not only because their products tend to perform quite well, but also because there are options for all kinds of budgets. Black Friday tech deals can present good opportunities to get some of Anker's more expensive gear for less, and we're already starting to see solid Black Friday Anker deals. For example, the 200W Prime Power Bank is 41 percent off right now and down to $110 — and this includes the power brick and its dedicated charging base.

Anker's 200W portable charger is our choice for best premium power bank thanks to features like charging an iPhone in an average of one hour and 48 minutes. One of the best parts of the power bank is its sleek screen, which shows the power coming in or out and how much battery the accessory is holding. This feature is much more exact than the four dots on my cheaper (but still loved) Anker Nano Power Bank. 

The power bank and charging base both offer one USB port and two USB-C ports so there's plenty of ways to charge your devices. The base also uses magnets to secure its pins to the power bank and charge it upright. Our biggest quip with the power bank was its high price, but with this sale it's definitely worth looking into. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-anker-deals-one-of-our-favorite-anker-power-banks-is-41-percent-off-161543343.html?src=rss

Black Friday deals include the Apple M3 MackBook Air with 16GB of RAM for an all-time-low price

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Black Friday deals are already coming in hot with some excellent discounts on MacBooks. Key among them is a sale on the M3 MacBook Air, the machine we consider to be the best laptop for most people and the best laptop for college students. Amazon has the notebook with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $849 (some models are even down to $844), which is $250 off the list price.

Apple just released its first M4-powered Macs, but it has yet to slot the latest chip into the MacBook Air. The 13-inch MBA's blend of power and portability makes it a potent choice and we gave it a score of 90 in our review. It delivers fast performance and has a killer display. The design is sleek and sturdy and it sounds great thanks to a quad-speaker array. We like the trackpad and keyboard as well, while the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E connectivity is a definite plus. 

Our main quibble is that the USB-C ports are on the same side of the unit as the one for the charger — having even one USB-C on the right side would be handy. But that's a minor complaint about an otherwise terrific laptop.

If you're willing to go with a slightly older (but no less capable) processor, the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage has dropped to $749 — another record-low price.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-the-apple-m3-mackbook-air-with-16gb-of-ram-for-an-all-time-low-price-180617908.html?src=rss

Signal makes it easier to start group video calls

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Signal users may be familiar with the problem of creating group chats just for a group call, but that’s about to become a thing of the past. You can now share a call link and let up to 50 people hop in, all in the span of a few seconds. The days of selecting contacts one by one are over.

Now, all you have to do is create a call link after going to the Calls tab and send it to whomever you want. The link is also reusable, which is convenient if you have fixed call times. Participants can raise their hands and send emojis. Hosts can set the room up so people must be approved before joining the conversation.

Based on Signal’s blog post, the new group call experience highly resembles Zoom. Those interested in privacy yet desire a conference call-like experience may find the new update helpful. Like Zoom, the desktop app offers more options.

Besides Zoom, these features will be familiar to frequent users of Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and some WhatsApp users. Raising hands is found on all three platforms as a non-verbal way to signal the speaker. WhatsApp does have a lower participant count of 32 people after an update in June. While there’s no raise hands function, doing certain gestures can send emojis for all to see. It’s worth noting that many apps with group call functionality are adopting similar features.

These new features are available on Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. If you don’t see them yet, we recommend updating your Signal app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/signal-makes-it-easier-to-start-group-video-calls-153519653.html?src=rss

Topographic wooden coffee table puts the Rock of Gibraltar in your room

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Coffee tables these days aren’t just places to put down books and drinks. They’re often the center of a room, specifically a living room, both in location and in design. They do more than just add visual interest in a space but, in many homes, also reflect the owner’s tastes and sometimes their aspirations.

That’s especially true if you get the opportunity to design your own coffee table or get someone to do it for you. This wood and glass design, for example, tries to capture feelings of welcoming warmth as well as structural strength. And what better way to represent those ideas than by putting the semblance of a glorious mountain right in the center of your living room.

Designer: Prerna Panjwani

The Rock of Gibraltar is a majestic sight that inspires awe not just with its height but with its distinctive shape as well. It’s almost like a ship resting in the ocean and a testament to the Earth’s geological history. It isn’t as imposing as other mountains, making it the perfect fit for a coffee table design.

The Vista coffee table, however, doesn’t simply mold or carve the shape of the mountain. It instead assembles layers of rosewood panels cut to the rough shape of the Rock of Gibraltar. The layers are held together by a few sticks of wood, creating very visible gaps in between each step.

The resulting aesthetic is similar to those cardboard topographic maps some students are told to make for their science projects. It’s almost like an artistic representation of a geographic form, leaving just enough details for our minds to fill in the gaps. At the same time, this layered design is like a metaphor for the natural formation of the mountain itself, built up layer by layer over hundreds if not thousands of years.

The Vista coffee table tries to combine the lofty image of mountains with the grounding materials of wood. It’s definitely a conversation starter among guests seeing it for the first time, or even between friends revisiting memories of the table’s arrival. Perhaps an unintended feature of the design is the gaps that can be used to hold or hide objects, almost like the man-made structures that have been built around the mountain, also a metaphor for the clutter that humans create around nature.

The post Topographic wooden coffee table puts the Rock of Gibraltar in your room first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rode’s tiny $149 Wireless Micro kit is designed for smartphone users

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Rode has announced the Wireless Micro, a two-mic kit with a smartphone receiver and charging case that costs just $149. The idea is to help TikTok and other creators capture much better-quality audio than their smartphone's microphone can offer. 

The receiver unit connects to the bottom of your smartphone via a USB-C or lightning port. Meanwhile, the microphones (aka transmitters) attach to the subject via integrated clips or magnetic attachments, then capture what Rode calls "pristine" quality sound. Specifically, they offer a 20-20 kHz frequency range and 73 dB signal-to-noise ratio, with a transmission range around 330 feet.

Rode's tiny $149 Wireless Micro kit is designed for smartphone users
Rode

To use it, simply connect the receiver to your iOS or Android device and it will take over as the system microphone. From there, everything is automatic, as the transmitter mics are automatically paired to the receiver and sound will be captured to your camera app of choice. Levels are automatically controlled with the company's GainAssist technology. 

The omnidirectional transmitters weigh just 12 grams (0.42 ounces) and are tiny enough to be discreet when clipped onto your subject. The built-in microphones use what Rode calls "acoustic chambers" with a patent-pending design. That supposedly lets you capture clear and intelligible audio while reducing wind noise, though a pair of windmuffs is also included in the kit. 

Rode's tiny $149 Wireless Micro kit is designed for smartphone users
Rode

The Wireless Micro also includes a charging case that delivers two full recharges for up to 18 hours of battery life, while giving you a secure place to store everything. 

There are a few things missing, though. You can't connect an external mic to the transmitters, unlike with other Rode wireless mics or the DJI Mic 2. There's no smartphone Bluetooth capability, and it doesn't offer a 3.5mm connection for cameras — a feature that will supposedly exist on the rumored DJI Mic Mini. Still, this looks like a great option for creators who primarily use smartphones. It's now available in a two mic kit with a receiver and charging case for $150. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/rodes-tiny-149-wireless-micro-kit-is-designed-for-smartphone-users-150040695.html?src=rss

Robot Delivery Revolution: DPD’s Autonomous Lockers Roll Out in UK

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DPD's Autonomous Lockers

The rapid evolution of technology has ushered in a new era of parcel delivery, with autonomous locker robots leading the charge. These innovative machines, exemplified by DPD’s recently deployed Ottobot, are set to transform the logistics industry by offering a more efficient, secure, and sustainable solution to the growing demands of e-commerce. As consumers increasingly […]

The post Robot Delivery Revolution: DPD’s Autonomous Lockers Roll Out in UK appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Baidu announces its own pair of AI smart glasses

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Baidu, which is often called China's answer to Google, has launched its own pair of AI-powered smart glasses at its annual World Conference event in Shanghai. The device will run on the company's ERNIE generative AI technology and was designed to "become a private assistant," according to the Financial Times. Users will reportedly be able to interact with the device using their voice and ask it questions about what it sees in their current environment. They can also tell it to play music and even track their calories consumption. And since the glasses are equipped with cameras, they can ask it to snap photos or take videos. 

When the glasses start shipping sometime next year, they could become the Chinese consumers' alternative to Meta's and Snap's devices. Meta teamed up with Ray Ban a few years ago to release a pair of smart sunglasses that can livestream and send photos hands-free. Its latest model comes built-in with Meta's generative AI assistant that users can talk to. However, the company's device isn't officially sold in China, because its servers are blocked in the country. Baidu has yet to announce how much its glasses would cost, but Meta is selling its device for $299. 

The Baidu World Conference had a huge focus on the company's AI efforts, as it takes steps to make sure ERNIE can keep up with its competitors' technologies. It also launched a new AI image generator called iRAG that apparently experiences fewer hallucinations than its predecessor, along with a tool that enables people to create software programs even if they don't have coding expertise. According to The Times, ByteDance's Doubao is now the leading AI chatbot in China based on monthly active users as observed by Sensor Tower. ByteDance is also growing its hardware offerings and recently launched a pair of earbuds with access to its AI assistant Doubao. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/baidu-announces-its-own-pair-of-ai-smart-glasses-143044805.html?src=rss

Rogue Point is a tactical shooter from the teams behind Worms and Black Mesa

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Team17, the developer of the Worms and publisher of Dredge, Blasphemous and more, is working on Rogue Point, a new rogue-lite tactical FPS game. The studio has enlisted the help of Crowbar Collective, the team behind Black Mesa, the fan-made and Valve-approved Half-Life remake that needs no further introduction. Rogue Point is currently in development and slated to enter early access soon.

Rogue Point is set in a dystopian future where a single CEO had controlled everything. After his death, competing companies work to carve up his empire. To achieve this, they hire mercenaries using the MERX app, and it’s as simple as getting food using Uber Eats. Currently, only Rogue Point, a team of vigilantes, is fighting back against this dystopian state of affairs.

Rogue Point
Team17/Crowbar Collective

The game pits teams of four against computer-controlled enemies of different classes, each offering unique challenges. Players must strategize and play with the right loadouts or risk losing. There’s plenty of gear to acquire, too, with some weapons only available in the mission field.

Maps are procedurally generated to ensure no two playthroughs are the same. Unlocked equipment may also be used in future runs. Besides the standard campaign missions where “high-octane tactical combat meets strategic planning,” there’s an endgame mission with maxed-out difficulty, promising a challenge for those craving it.

The developers have a rather extensive wishlist of features they hope to add to the game down the road. Those include new weapons (who doesn’t like new gear?), improved AI and new maps. There are currently four maps announced, but the procedural generation should make things less repetitive.

Rogue Point isn’t in early access yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam. The game is set to come out in 2025, but the developers have yet to announce a final release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/rogue-point-is-a-tactical-shooter-from-the-teams-behind-worms-and-black-mesa-142959920.html?src=rss