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Jeff Bezos says he’s ‘very optimistic this time around’ about Trump

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Jeff Bezos says he’s ‘very optimistic this time around’ about Trump

Jeff Bezos and President-elect Donald Trump famously didn’t get along the last time Trump was in the White House. This time, Bezos says he’s “very optimistic” and even wants to help out.

“I’m actually very optimistic this time around,” Bezos said of Trump during a rare public appearance at The New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday. “He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. If I can help him do that, I’m going to help him.”

Trump railed against Bezos and his companies — Amazon, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post — during his 2016 term. Bezos defended himself but it did little to help his reputation with Trump. Now, his companies have a lot at stake in the coming administration, from the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon to Blue Origin’s efforts to compete with SpaceX for government contracts.

Onstage at the DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Bezos called Trump “calmer this time” and “more settled.” He said he will try to “talk him out of” the idea that the press, which includes The Washington Post, is an enemy of the people.

“You’ve probably grown in the last eight years,” he said to DealBook’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. “He has, too.”

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Bezos also echoed Sam Altman’s comments earlier in the day, saying he doesn’t expect Elon Musk to wield his new political power with DOGE against rivals. “I’ve had a lot success in life not being cynical,” he said. “And I’ve rarely been taken advantage of as a result.”

You can watch Bezos’s conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin below:

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Severance’s season 2 trailer teases answers and raises strange new questions

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Severance’s season 2 trailer teases answers and raises strange new questions

We already knew that the tensions and scares were going to ramp up in season 2 of Severance, and the latest trailer provides a deeper glimpse into what to expect — along with teasing answers to some important (and weird) questions.

The show follows a megacorporation called Lumon Industries, which utilizes a new procedure called severance that allows workers to spatially split their brains, creating two selves: one who works for Lumon, and another who lives life on the outside. The new clip shows the return of four Lumon employees — Mark (Adam Scott), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) — who are back in the office after managing to bridge those two different worlds. However, it’s unclear if they’re actually in trouble for their actions; instead, they’ve turned into celebrities of sorts.

That doesn’t mean that the vibes are any less unsettling, though, with the always-intense supervisor Milchick (Tramell Tillman) saying things like, “I’m tightening the leash.” More than anything, the new trailer promises answers to some of Severance’s strangest questions. There’s the mystery of what actually goes down in Lumon’s basement, which we’re told “will be remembered as one of the greatest moments on this planet” as well as just what the hell is going on with all of the goats. The trailer also introduces an unexpected new question: how could a child be an office manager?

Clearly, there’s a lot going on in season 2, and it’s not too far off now. The new season of Severance starts streaming on January 17th. In the meantime, here are some excellent new posters.

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Struggling to hear TV dialogue? Try these simple fixes

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Struggling to hear TV dialogue? Try these simple fixes

Have you ever found yourself needing to constantly turn the volume up on your TV because it sounds like the actors onscreen are speaking in whispers, but then whenever action is onscreen, your TV feels deafening? It’s not just you. 

This is one of the most common issues people have with their TV audio, but, fortunately, you can change a few settings on your TV to make the dialogue sound clearer. 

Read on for three easy fixes to help your TV audio sound better.

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1. Check out your TV’s audio settings

A viewer adjusting TV audio settings with a remote control. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Most modern TVs feature preset audio settings that you can adjust on the fly to make things sound better, depending on whether you’re gaming, watching a live concert or watching a slow-burn drama. Too much bass will often obscure spoken dialogue in TV shows and movies, and I suggest going through your TV’s preset audio settings to see if you can make the audio clearer. Most TVs feature a movie, music and standard mode for TV audio. You can find your TV’s audio presets by navigating to the settings from your remote and selecting “sound.”

Some TVs will also feature audio presets explicitly designed for dialogue. Check to see if you have a setting for “Dialogue,” “News,” “Speech” or even “Speech Boost” in your TV audio settings. Any three of these should help your TV dialogue come through more clearly. You might also want to consider disabling settings for surround sound or bass boost, as these can cover up the sound of dialogue by increasing the bass too much.

Increasing the treble might be worth it if you have access to EQ settings on your TV and are struggling to hear TV dialogue. It’s an easy fix that can improve audio quality without taking too much away from non-dialogue sound in a movie or TV show.

HOW TO EASILY CONNECT HEADPHONES TO YOUR TV FOR GREAT SOUND

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2. Adjust dynamic range compression

speaker

A floor-standing speaker. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Dynamic range compression, or “volume leveling,” is useful for tailoring audio sound to personal needs. Volume leveling reduces the gulf between the loudest and quietest sounds onscreen, making it easier to hear and understand onscreen dialogue, especially in action movies, where the dialogue is often much quieter than the preceding action sequence. You’ll find the settings for volume leveling or dynamic range compression in your TV audio settings, which, on most TVs, you can access directly from the remote.

My TV features volume leveling, and I love to use it when I watch TV late at night at a low volume. It helps me to understand everything easily without having the speakers loud enough to wake anyone else up. It’s also a great way to keep the audio level when commercials come on if you watch cable.

BEST WAYS TO STREAM ANY CONTENT FROM YOUR PHONE TO A TV

3. Look into speakers or a soundbar

photo of a speaker

A speaker. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The default speakers built into TVs aren’t the best. While a few high-level TVs come with a built-in soundbar, you’ll still have the best experience with your own independent speakers or a soundbar. If you followed the two tips above but are still having trouble hearing movie or TV dialogue, it might be time to look into and invest in a set of speakers or, if you want a single unit, a soundbar.

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I prefer using a soundbar with a TV over speakers for a cleaner setup because they often come with built-in subwoofers that enhance the bass, making action scenes and music sound more immersive. Additionally, modern soundbars are sleek and can easily blend with your home decor. Many of them also support advanced audio technologies like Dolby Atmos, which provides a surround sound experience without the need for multiple speakers scattered around the room.

TOP 10 SOUNDBARS TO ENHANCE YOUR TV AUDIO EXPERIENCE

4. Connecting headphones to your TV

If you’re having trouble hearing dialogue clearly while watching TV, connecting headphones can provide a private listening experience that enhances audio clarity. Here’s how to easily connect both wired and wireless headphones to your TV:

Wired headphones:

Check for a 3.5mm jack: Most TVs, especially older models, have a headphone jack located on the back or side panel. If your TV has this port, simply plug in your wired headphones for instant audio.

Using adapters: If your TV lacks a headphone jack but has RCA outputs (the red and white ports), you can use an RCA-to-3.5mm adapter to connect your headphones.

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Wireless headphones:

Bluetooth connection: Many modern TVs support Bluetooth. To connect:

  • Put your headphones in pairing mode (usually by holding down a button until a light blinks).
  • Navigate to the TV’s settings menu, find the Bluetooth option, and activate it.
  • Select your headphones from the list of available devices to pair them.

Bluetooth transmitter: If your TV doesn’t have Bluetooth, consider using a Bluetooth transmitter. This device plugs into the TV’s audio output (like the headphone jack or RCA ports) and sends audio wirelessly to your Bluetooth headphones.

Media streamers: If you use devices like Roku or Apple TV, they often support Bluetooth connections for headphones, allowing you to listen privately through those devices instead.

By connecting headphones, you can enjoy clearer dialogue without disturbing others, making it easier to follow along with your favorite shows and movies. 

BEST NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES TO BOOST YOUR LISTENING

Kurt’s key takeaways

If you find yourself straining to catch every word during your favorite shows, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with audio clarity, but by implementing these simple fixes, you can significantly enhance your TV viewing experience. Whether it’s adjusting your TV’s audio settings, utilizing dynamic range compression, investing in better speakers or soundbars, or connecting headphones for a more personal listening experience, there are effective solutions at your fingertips.

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Have you ever invested in external audio equipment, such as soundbars or speakers? If so, how has that changed your viewing experience? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and 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.

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Valve’s master plan for Steam Machines is finally coming into focus

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Valve’s master plan for Steam Machines is finally coming into focus

If I told you that Valve could make a play to dethrone the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox in your living room this next year while simultaneously challenging the Meta Quest as the gamer’s VR headset of choice, would you believe me? Because Valve may have a lot of SteamOS hardware on the way.

If there’s fire where we currently see smoke, Valve is currently preparing a wireless VR headset codename Deckard, a pair of trackable wands codename Roy, a Steam Controller 2 gamepad codename Ibex, and a codename Fremont living room console too. (That last one now looks likelier than it did yesterday.) And Valve has also now seemingly revealed plans for partners to create third-party SteamOS hardware too.

It won’t be easy to take on Sony, Microsoft, or Meta. Those companies have a lot to lose, and they’re deeply entrenched. But the Steam Deck has revealed a massive weakness in each of their businesses that may take them years to correct — the desire to play a huge library of games anytime, anywhere.

And while they figure that out, Valve may be building an entire new ecosystem of SteamOS hardware, one that could finally let PC and peripheral makers tap into the huge and growing library of Windows games on all sorts of different hardware without relying on Microsoft or subjecting their customers to the many annoyances of Windows.

Today, every major PC company is building one or more Steam Deck rivals. But without Valve’s blessing and support, they’re saddled with a Windows OS that doesn’t start, pause, and resume games quickly and seamlessly enough to feel portable and easy. When building those handhelds, they typically rely on off-the-shelf AMD chips, too, since no other manufacturer’s parts currently compete on Windows gaming plus battery.

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But Valve has long said it will open up SteamOS to other manufacturers, even recently committing to some direct support for rival handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally — and the other week, Valve quietly updated a document that may reveal its larger overarching strategy. It won’t just leave SteamOS sitting around and hope manufacturers build something — it’ll hold their hand.

Valve’s new branding guidelines include “Powered by SteamOS” hardware.
Image: Vale

Valve now has an explicit label for third parties to create “Powered by SteamOS” devices, which it explicitly defines as “hardware running the SteamOS operating system, implemented in close collaboration with Valve.”

It additionally lets companies create “Steam Compatible” hardware that ships with “Valve approved controller inputs,” as well as SteamVR hardware and Steam Link hardware that lets you stream games from one device to another.

And if the leaks are correct, manufacturers may not have to pick just one or two of those labels. It sounds like Valve’s Steam Controller 2 may contain the ingredients to be recognized and tracked in a VR environment and that Valve’s VR wands will feature enough buttons to double as a gamepad, playing Steam’s massive library of flatscreen games as well.

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Valve may be putting in the work to reduce dependence on AMD’s x86 chips as well. Datamining by Brad Lynch, the Valve watcher whose community has uncovered most if not all of these leaks, showed that Valve has been testing many Steam games, including VR games, on Arm chips as well.

While Valve once told me that the Steam Deck’s AMD x86 chip might be a good candidate for a possible future standalone VR headset, Arm chips could potentially offer better battery life and lower weight for a portable product than x86 — even while Valve investigates more powerful AMD solutions than ever for a possible living room console.

When Valve asked PC manufacturers to sign onto its Steam Machines initiative over a decade ago, with the idea of building living room PC consoles, it asked for a leap of faith with very little to show and a tiny chance of success. It took years for Valve to even build the oddball living room controller for its Steam Machines, and it didn’t get far in convincing Windows game developers to port their games to Linux.

But by the time it announced the Steam Deck, Valve had hammered out a Proton software compatibility layer so good that many Windows games now run better on Linux, and created the most customizable yet familiar set of controls ever made.

If manufacturers could build their own Steam Machines rather than equivalent Windows machines, they could offer better gaming products than they do today. Maybe they’d even want to release a VR headset that isn’t tied to Microsoft or Meta if it doubled as a Steam Deck, portably playing decades of flatscreen games.

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It’s not clear any of this will pan out; Valve is an exceedingly small company that tries not to chase too many things at a time. When I speak to PC industry executives about why they pick Windows over SteamOS, some say they’re concerned about whether Valve would truly be able to support them.

But it’s just as intriguing an idea as it was 12 years ago when Gabe Newell explained the initial vision to us, and this time, there’s a far better chance it’ll work.

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