Technology

Here’s why you couldn’t see anything on House of the Dragon

Published

2 years ago

October 4, 2022

Here’s why you couldn’t see anything on House of the Dragon

Issues received darkish on Home of the Dragon final evening as characters stole dragons and different characters made tremendous incestuous life selections. And all of it was finished below the quilt of darkness, main many viewers questioning if their TVs have been busted.

However your TV will not be busted. Your TV is a sufferer of the episode’s director, Miguel Sapochnik. The person can presumably see in the dead of night as a result of that is the second time he’s directed an episode within the Recreation of Thrones franchise forged in such darkness individuals questioned their very own eyes.

Again in 2019, Sapochnik directed “The Lengthy Evening,” a harrowing hour of TV the place the various characters of Recreation of Thrones gathered to lastly finish the Evening King’s invasion of Westeros. Zombies have been decapitated. Beloved characters met their finish. Very like final evening, there was a lightweight dusting of incest. And the whole lot appeared to have been shot with the lens cap nonetheless on the digicam.

On the time, Sapochnik insisted that the darkness reigning over TVs all throughout the nation was a function, not a bug. And HBO Max is insisting the identical this time round as nicely.

What’s taking place right here could be very straightforward to grasp. The filmmaker isn’t interested by the product delivered to your telephone, TV, or pill. He’s interested by what appeared within the modifying room as they finalized the episode.

Enhancing rooms normally embody a wonderfully calibrated OLED reference monitor. That reference monitor is able to dealing with the unimaginable vary of grays and blacks our eyes can see. Your TV at dwelling can’t deal with the identical vary of grays — nor can your telephone or your pill.

This is the reason an modifying room doesn’t simply embody a $30,000 reference monitor that can make your eyes bleed with the great thing about the content material it screens. Enhancing rooms additionally usually embody an OLED TV such as you’d discover at Finest Purchase or Costco — solely completely calibrated. The content material is then normally seen in that very same room, which might be darker than the room you watched the episode in. And the TV might very nicely be nicer. Cheaper units can battle with the blacks and grays the place this episode of TV seems to thrive, and while you mix that with a well-lit room, you’re in for a really unappealing viewing expertise.

However perhaps you may have a really good TV. Perhaps you have been watching it on a wonderfully calibrated set in a darkish room and nonetheless had points watching Home of the Dragon.

However more and more, filmmakers appear to be forgetting that what they’re watching within the modifying suite isn’t what we’ll get at dwelling

If that’s the case, I’m sorry to ask, however how’s your web?

See, when Sapochnik and firm completed modifying this episode of TV and reviewing it, they have been probably utilizing a really clear copy with little to no compression. The filmmakers are watching far more information than you and I’ll ever see exterior of a UHD Blu-Ray.

Streaming companies compress movies to allow them to stream them shortly and effectively to us, and that compression means information is misplaced, and the movie we stream into our houses isn’t fairly as fairly as what the filmmaker meant. The Lengthy Evening’s cinematographer, Fabian Wagner, even blamed compression for the poor reactions to that hour of TV. All of us settle for it as a result of a bit compression is a advantageous value to pay for comfort.

Oh, and should you’re watching on satellite tv for pc or cable? The state of affairs could possibly be higher — or it could possibly be even worse. Legacy TV is utilizing compression expertise that’s manner outdated mixed with manner too many channels you don’t watch. Your coax cable or satellite tv for pc hyperlink could have loads of bandwidth to spare inside it, however the unhealthy information is someplace alongside the road, somebody determined to provide ESPN and 17 totally different Nickelodeon channels further bits to play with whereas squeezing the bitrate of your film channels till they’re a muddy mess.

More and more, filmmakers appear to be forgetting that what they’re watching within the modifying suite isn’t what we’ll get at dwelling. Some movies and TV reveals that look beautiful in a theater or a screening room find yourself trying muddy — and typically simply straight unwatchable — in our houses.

Some filmmakers are conscious of this. Christopher Nolan begs you to observe his films in a theater (though he has no drawback recording dialogue so “reasonable” as to be incomprehensible). Tom Cruise likes to inform you to show off the Cleaning soap Opera impact so you may watch his films as they’re meant. However some persons are Sapochnik and simply wish to usher you into darkness. Perhaps, as our colleagues at Vulture posit, he’s doing this to cover cool Easter eggs and teases for future episodes. However extra realistically, he was simply born within the darkness, molded by it, and if you wish to be a part of him, you’ll have to rethink the way you watch TV.

Technology

FTC says Amazon executives destroyed potential evidence by using apps like Signal

Published

5 mins ago

April 26, 2024

Press Room

FTC says Amazon executives destroyed potential evidence by using apps like Signal

Now, The Washington Post (which is owned by Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos) reports that Amazon is just one of several companies recently accused of turning to encrypted messaging apps like Signal that can permanently erase messages automatically.

This week’s filing includes screenshots of a Signal chat between two Amazon executives who said, “Are you feeling encrypted?” and proceeded to turn on disappearing messages.

2:23-cv-01495-JHC

Image: Federal Trade Commission et al v. Amazon.com Inc

The FTC’s lawyers say Bezos, current CEO Andy Jassy, general counsel David Zapolsky, former CEO of worldwide operations Dave Clark, and other execs are all Signal users. Bezos is identified in the document as “a heavy Signal user” who instructed others to use the app, although the 2018 hacking of his personal cellphone may be part of the reason for that.

And because Amazon didn’t instruct employees to preserve messages sent in the app until more than 15 months after it was notified of the investigation, the FTC argues, “It is highly likely that relevant information has been destroyed as a result of Amazon’s actions and inactions.”

The FTC lawyers are pursuing discovery into Amazon’s efforts to preserve documents so they can figure out just how much information might be missing. Despite requests last fall for relevant documents about what advice Amazon gave to employees about ephemeral apps, the FTC claims that Amazon has so far refused to produce much of what was requested. If the judge finds that Amazon was negligent in failing to preserve data tied to the case, it could face sanctions, and things could get worse if the judge finds the failures were intentional.

Technology

Lego is bringing summer vibes with K.K. Slider and new Animal Crossing sets

Published

7 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Press Room

Lego is bringing summer vibes with K.K. Slider and new Animal Crossing sets

Good news for those of us who love Animal Crossing and Legos. Starting August 1st, Lego is launching two new Animal Crossing sets and a minifig of one very special canine crooner.

Lego teased the news on its X account, which shows K.K. Slider doing his thing and a brief glimpse of the two new sets. (Amusingly, Lego notes that the K.K. Slider minifigure does not actually move or sing. Bummer.) K.K. Slider is part of a fall-themed Town Hall set, which includes Isabelle and Audie. There’s also a small truck, snack stand, and some foliage to go along with K.K. Slider’s concert setup. The other set is of a Dodo Airlines airport, complete with a control tower, dock, and airplane. Granted, hordes of your turnip-hungry friends won’t be flying through this particular airport… but it does have minifigures of Wilbur and Tangy!

That said, we only have this short teaser to go off of. As of yet, there are no details on prices or the number of pieces yet. Lego and Nintendo first teamed up to offer five other Animal Crossing sets earlier in March, with prices between $14.99 to $74.99 and pieces ranging from 164 to 535.

Technology

AI-powered home security system strikes back with paintballs and tear gas

Published

8 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Press Room

AI-powered home security system strikes back with paintballs and tear gas

A company from Slovenia, called PaintCam, is shaking things up in the security world.

It has come up with this wild new gadget, the PaintCam Eve.

It’s not just another security camera watching over your house. This thing packs a punch with paintball and tear gas projectiles to really give intruders a surprise they won’t soon forget.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

Eve security camera. (PaintCam)

How does the high-tech deterrent work?

The heart of Eve’s capability lies in its sophisticated computer vision technology. It can identify human faces and animals even in low-light conditions, distinguishing between friends and foes.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

The system, which comes in 3 models, Eve, Eve +, and Eve Pro, allows homeowners to categorize visitors via an app interface — making decisions about who is welcome and who is not. But the most intriguing feature? When Eve detects an intruder, it issues a stern warning, and if not heeded, it proceeds to launch paintballs or tear gas.

Eve security camera. (PaintCam)

MORE: CREEPY TOOL LETS CRIMINAL HACKERS ACCESS YOUR HOME VIDEO CAMERAS

User control and responsibility

PaintCam does offer users a significant degree of control. The system alerts the homeowner when an unknown person is detected in the company of someone known, asking whether to “take the shot” or not.

This feature places a heavy responsibility on the user, turning home security into a more interactive and potentially morally complex activity. How users will navigate these choices, especially in high-pressure situations, is yet to be seen.

Eve security camera. (PaintCam)

MORE: 6 BEST OUTDOOR SECURITY CAMERAS

Ethical and legal implications

While the prospect of a security camera that can “shoot” at intruders may sound appealing to some, it raises significant ethical and legal questions. The use of force, even non-lethal, by an autonomous system could lead to unintended consequences.

For instance, what happens if the system mistakenly identifies a neighbor or a child retrieving a lost toy as a threat? The legal ramifications of such scenarios remain unclear, making Eve a subject of debate among security experts and civil rights advocates alike.

Eve security camera. (PaintCam)

MORE: SNEAKY LIGHTBULB SECURITY CAMERAS ARE THE NEXT BIG THING IN HOME SECURITY

Market potential and challenges

The global home security market is set to garner a market size of an estimated $106.3 billion by 2030, indicating a vast potential customer base for innovative products like Eve. However, its market success will depend not only on consumer interest but also on navigating the legal landscape and public perception challenges that such a confrontational device presents.

Eve security camera app. (PaintCam)

When will Eve be available?

PaintCam launched Eve with a Kickstarter campaign on Tuesday. At the time of publishing, the exact cost of the security device has not yet been disclosed. You can sign up for notifications about the product on PaintCam’s official website, as well as on the Kickstarter product page.

PaintCam’s commitment to proactive defense

The company posted this mission statement on its site:

“We offer innovative solutions that seamlessly integrate with your environment, establishing both passive presence and active deterrence. Our unwavering commitment is to make the world a safer place, not by fortifying intimidation strongholds, but by delivering intelligent, adaptable, and elegant security options.”

Kurt’s key takeaways

This innovation invites us to reflect on the nature of home security. Are we moving towards a future where our homes are not just passively protected but actively defended by machines? And at what point does the integration of such technology in our daily lives challenge our notions of privacy and safety? Only time will tell whether systems like Eve will become the new norm or remain a curious footnote in the evolution of home security technologies.

Considering the potential for mistakes, do you feel comfortable with the idea of a security system like PaintCam Eve that can autonomously deploy paintballs or tear gas? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.