Technology

LG’s 2023 OLED TVs are brighter (again) and make webOS smarter

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2023

LG’s 2023 OLED TVs are brighter (again) and make webOS smarter

Final yr, LG cranked the brightness on its G2 and C2 sequence TVs as much as new highs, bringing a significant enchancment to the corporate’s already-fantastic OLED lineup. These TVs are thought of by some to be one of the best in the marketplace greenback for greenback due to their excellent black ranges, unbelievable distinction, and top-notch gaming capabilities. So how is LG going to enhance upon that with the brand new fashions it’s introducing at CES 2023?

It’s going to push the brightness even increased whereas additionally specializing in picture processing and software program enhancements.

The G3 succeeds the G2 and “incorporates brand-new gentle management structure and light-boosting algorithms to extend brightness by as much as 70 p.c,” based on LG’s press launch. That quantity is compared to “standard” OLED — suppose one thing just like the B2 sequence from final yr — so don’t count on a 70 p.c soar over the G2. Nevertheless it will be brighter than the G2. That stated, it’ll possible nonetheless be bested Mini LED LCD TV brightness champs just like the Hisense U8H, however LG is making progress at narrowing the hole. The G-series is already LG’s nicest TV when it comes to fashion and aesthetics, and with the G3, the corporate claims there may be “no seen hole when wall mounted.”

The G3 could be fancier and brighter, but when final yr’s sample holds, the C3 OLED will find yourself the LG TV that most individuals get for one of the best steadiness of efficiency and worth. It gives the identical complete HDMI 2.1a assist because the G3 and stands to realize some image upgrades of its personal, however they’ll principally come down to raised processing. LG says that’s due to its new α9 AI Processor Gen6 chip. Right here’s the advertising and marketing spiel:

The newest Alpha sequence processor makes use of LG’s most refined AI-assisted Deep Studying tech to make sure excellent image and sound high quality. AI Image Professional now gives improved upscaling for higher readability, and enhanced dynamic tone mapping, which helps reveal the depth and element in each body. AI Image Professional additionally integrates an image processing expertise that detects and refines vital objects, resembling individuals’s faces, to provide them a extra lifelike HDR high quality. Along with fine-tuning picture copy, the α9 AI Processor Gen6 powers LG’s AI Sound Professional; a characteristic that helps viewers get swept up within the onscreen motion by delivering digital 9.1.2 encompass sound from the TV’s built-in speaker system.

LG’s “one wall design” on the G3 OLED ought to get rid of any perceptible hole when mounted.

Picture: LG

The webOS software program that runs on LG TVs can also be getting some design and UX tweaks on this yr’s units. The corporate is including “Fast Playing cards” that group apps and companies into themed classes resembling residence workplace, gaming, sports activities, and music. Suggestions within the many carousels of content material throughout webOS will even be higher personalised, LG claims. The house display screen felt scattershot and thrown collectively in 2022, so hopefully LG’s efforts to tighten issues up will make a distinction.

And like we discovered upon the discharge of Apple’s newest Apple TV 4K, the 2023 LG OLEDs will assist QMS-VRR. The QMS stands for fast media switching, and this characteristic eliminates the temporary black display screen when altering between totally different video body charges. (It doesn’t stop blackouts when switching HDR modes, sadly.) Elsewhere, you possibly can count on LG’s new lineup to proceed providing the broad mixture of software program options that they’ve lately. Players actually needn’t fear:

The final word gaming shows, LG’s self-lit OLED TVs boast a 0.1 millisecond response time, low enter lag, as much as 4 HDMI 2.1a-compliant ports. LG OLED TVs are additionally outfitted with the Recreation Optimizer, permitting customers to shortly choose and swap between gaming-specific options, resembling game-genre show presets. Settings for G-SYNC^® Appropriate, FreeSync™ Premium and variable refresh price (VRR) are simply accessible from the Recreation Optimizer as nicely.

LG is barely simply getting began with its TV bulletins forward of CES 2023, and hopefully I’ll quickly get an opportunity to see this yr’s lineup in particular person from Las Vegas. Will these webOS refinements be noticeable in follow? What display screen sizes might be out there? Keep tuned for all the small print, and observe together with our StoryStream this week for the newest information.

Technology

‘The Boys’ season 4 trailer is bloody and a little bubbly

Published

6 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Press Room

‘The Boys’ season 4 trailer is bloody and a little bubbly

When we last left The Boys, Homelander’s (Anthony Starr) political dabbling was humming along and Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) had a terminal illness. Two years and a new spin-off later, Homelander’s supercharging of a presidential campaign continues to be a dark mirror of the US political climate and Butcher looks to desperately reckon with his diagnosis.

The official trailer sees Butcher considering something very much like the X-Men legacy virus — a biological solution that can kill the series’ supes. There’s plenty of carnage, some teeing up of weighty, consequential moments, someone’s skull apparently spewing bubbles when cleaved with a hatchet, a Butcher standoff with Black Noir, and even a chicken chest-burster.

The next season of The Boys debuts on June 13th on Amazon Prime Video. Besides Urban and Starr, returning actors include Jack Quaid, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, and Karen Fukuhara. New to the show are Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (who, in my headcanon, will be reprising his Watchmen role as The Comedian).

Technology

FCC slaps AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile with mega fines for data deceit

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Press Room

FCC slaps AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile with mega fines for data deceit

Facebook’s massive data breach

Brett Larson provides insight to Facebook’s major data breach where information for 267 million users was leaked online.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken decisive action against the nation’s four largest mobile carriers, imposing a hefty fine of $200 million for the unauthorized sharing of customers’ location data.

This move underscores the agency’s commitment to consumer privacy and protecting sensitive information.

The breakdown of fines

T-Mobile: The leading fine of $80 million reflects the gravity of the alleged breach, compounded by an additional $12 million for its subsidiary, Sprint.

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

AT&T: With a fine exceeding $57 million, AT&T faces significant repercussions.

Verizon: The carrier was fined $46 million, signaling Verizon’s alleged involvement in the data breach.

Verizon Wireless sign. (Verizon)

MORE: WAYS THE GOVERNMENT IS WATCHING YOU AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY

Investigation findings and allegations

The FCC’s enforcement bureau alleges that each carrier sold access to customer location data to “aggregators,” who then resold it to third-party service providers. They further allege that this chain of actions occurred without proper customer consent, a clear violation of FCC regulations. The allegations initially brought to light under the Trump administration suggest a failure to safeguard user location data.

THE WORST MALWARE, SECURITY AND PRIVACY BREACHES OF 2023

MORE: FIND OUT WHY CELLPHONE COMPANIES NOW MUST BLOCK OBVIOUS SCAM TEXTS

Legal requirements and carrier obligations

Carriers are mandated by law to protect customer information, including location data. The FCC highlighted the carriers’ “initial failure” to do so, even after being aware that their safeguards were ineffective.

The FCC’s stance

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the sensitivity of real-time location information and the carriers’ failure to act as responsible stewards of this data. The FCC’s resolve remains firm in holding carriers accountable, and she had this to say in a statement:

“Our communications providers have access to some of the most sensitive information about us. These carriers failed to protect the information entrusted to them. Here, we are talking about some of the most sensitive data in their possession: customers’ real-time location information, revealing where they go and who they are. As we resolve these cases — which were first proposed by the last Administration — the Commission remains committed to holding all carriers accountable and making sure they fulfill their obligations to their customers as stewards of this most private data.”

The mobile carriers’ stance

However, the mobile carriers are not standing down and intend to challenge the FCC’s decision.

An AT&T spokesperson said in a statement:

“The FCC order lacks both legal and factual merit. It unfairly holds us responsible for another company’s violation of our contractual requirements to obtain consent, ignores the immediate steps we took to address that company’s failures, and perversely punishes us for supporting life-saving location services like emergency medical alerts and roadside assistance that the FCC itself previously encouraged. We expect to appeal the order after conducting a legal review.”

Meanwhile, T-Mobile had this to say:

“This industry-wide third-party aggregator location-based services program was discontinued more than five years ago after we took steps to ensure that critical services like roadside assistance, fraud protection and emergency response would not be disrupted. We take our responsibility to keep customer data secure very seriously and have always supported the FCC’s commitment to protecting consumers, but this decision is wrong, and the fine is excessive. We intend to challenge it.”

Verizon spokesman Rich Young offered this response:

“Verizon is deeply committed to protecting customer privacy. In this case, when one bad actor gained unauthorized access to information relating to a very small number of customers, we quickly and proactively cut off the fraudster, shut down the program, and worked to ensure this couldn’t happen again. Unfortunately, the FCC’s order gets it wrong on both the facts and the law, and we plan to appeal this decision.

“Keep in mind, the FCC’s order concerns an old program that Verizon shut down more than half a decade ago. That program required affirmative, opt-in customer consent and was intended to support services like roadside assistance and medical alerts.”

MORE: AT&T DATA LEAK FROM 73 MILLION CUSTOMERS — WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT

Can I do anything to ensure I’m not sharing my location?

You can check that you’re not accidentally sharing your location by clicking here. While following the tips in our article would likely enhance your privacy settings and reduce the risk of unauthorized location sharing by apps and services on your devices, it may not have prevented carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile from sharing location data in the manner described by the FCC’s allegations.

The issue at hand involved the carriers’ practices of selling access to customer location data to aggregators, which is a separate matter from the location settings on your device. The carriers were fined for not obtaining proper customer consent and not safeguarding the data as per FCC regulations, which is a different aspect of privacy protection than what is controlled through device settings.

MORE: TOP AFFORDABLE CELLPHONE PLANS

Steps you can take to protect your privacy

In response to the FCC’s action against mobile carriers for unauthorized sharing of location data, you can take several steps to protect yourself and enhance your privacy:

1. Understand your rights: Know what your rights are regarding data privacy and how carriers are supposed to protect your information.

2. Review privacy policies: Regularly review the privacy policies of your mobile carrier and any apps you use to understand how your data is being used.

3. Manage app permissions: Be vigilant about the permissions you grant to apps, especially regarding location data. Only allow access to apps that need it for core functionality.

4. Opt-out of data sharing: If your carrier provides the option, opt out of any data-sharing initiatives.

5. Contact your carrier: If you have concerns about how your data is being handled, contact your carrier directly to express your concerns and request more information about their data protection measures.

6. Stay proactive: Regularly update your device’s security settings and stay proactive about protecting your personal information.

7. Use privacy tools: Consider using privacy-focused tools and services, such as VPNs, which can help mask your location from third parties. A VPN can protect you against being tracked and identify your potential location on websites you visit. Depending on their privacy settings, many sites can read your IP address and may display the city from which you are corresponding. A VPN will disguise your IP address to show an alternate location. See my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The FCC’s actions serve as a reminder of the sanctity of personal data. In an era where information is power, protecting customer data is paramount. The fines imposed are not just monetary penalties but a call to action for all service providers to uphold the trust placed in them by consumers. As the carriers prepare to appeal, the industry watches closely, knowing that the outcome of this case could set a precedent for data privacy and protection standards moving forward.

In light of the FCC’s recent fines for unauthorized sharing of location data, what measures do you believe mobile carriers should implement to ensure the privacy and trust of their customers? 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.

Technology

As Google’s antitrust trial wraps, DOJ seeks sanctions over missing messages

Published

13 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Press Room

As Google’s antitrust trial wraps, DOJ seeks sanctions over missing messages

The fate of Google’s search business is now in the hands of Judge Amit Mehta, as closing arguments concluded in the landmark trial on Friday.

The Department of Justice and plaintiff states made their last arguments Thursday on Google’s alleged anticompetitive conduct in the general search market, and on Friday focused on its allegedly illegal conduct in search advertising. Google was also under fire (separately) for failing to retain chat messages that the DOJ believes could have been relevant to the case.

The government is trying to show that Google locked up key distribution channels for the general search engine market, so that would-be rivals could not grow into significant threats. It says it did so through contracts with phone manufacturers and browser companies to be their exclusive default search engine. If the judge agrees that Google successfully foreclosed competition in that market, he can consider the government’s arguments about the search advertising market as evidence of anticompetitive conduct.

In his summary, DOJ attorney Kenneth Dintzer said that the last major tech monopoly decision, US v. Microsoft, “fits like a glove” on Google. Google’s lead litigator in the case, John Schmidtlein, disagreed. In Microsoft, he said, manufacturers were coerced into deals and customers were spoon-fed an inferior product they didn’t want. “Google has won with a superior product,” he said.

“The importance and significance of this case is not lost on me,” Mehta said as he concluded Friday’s court proceedings. “Not only for Google, but for the public.”

An adequate substitute for Google ads

If Google charges higher prices for advertising, are there suitable substitutes that advertisers would flee to? The answer to that question can say a lot about whether or not Google has the monopoly power that the DOJ alleges it has created through the contracts it has to be the default search engine on various browsers and devices. Google says there’s plenty of alternatives for advertisers; the government disagrees.

Mehta seemed sympathetic to the government’s arguments, though he acknowledged that alternatives to Google are robust ad companies in their own right. Amazon, for instance, isn’t exactly an inferior substitute to Google for ads, said Mehta. Unlike wrapping a sandwich in newspaper instead of cellophane, Mehta said, “If you move your ad money from Google to Amazon, you’re not wrapping your ad in newspaper.”

But Mehta later differentiated ad platforms like Facebook and TikTok from Google. Users searching on Google come with a strong idea of what they’re looking for, pretty much spelling it out in the query. Social media platforms often have to infer that intent from indirect signals.

In 2017, Google ran an experiment over several weeks and found it could increase prices five to 15 percent while still growing revenue

In 2017, Google ran an experiment over several weeks and found it could increase prices five to 15 percent while still growing revenue. “Google is able to decide on what the margin that they are going to acquire is. And that’s why they’re running experiments to say, ‘well if we up it by 15 percent, how much are we going to lose in revenue?’” Mehta said to Schmidtlein. “That’s something that only a monopolist could do, right?” Schmidtlein disagreed, saying it’s fair to run pricing experiments to figure out if they’re charging the right price.

Mehta pointed out that there was “no evidence that Google ever looks at a competitors’ pricing” for that purpose. Schmidtlein responded it wasn’t that simple. Because ads are sold through a complicated auction, not even Google has total insight into the pricing mechanism behind it. It simply isn’t the same as a Coca-Cola rep walking through a grocery store to see Pepsi’s prices.

Sabotaging ads on Bing

The plaintiff states — the attorneys general for 38 states led by Colorado and Nebraska that brought the suit alongside the DOJ — are also arguing that Google intentionally dragged its feet when building certain features for SA360, its search engine marketing tool. SA360 helps advertisers manage ads through different platforms — not just Google, but competitors like Microsoft’s Bing.

The states say that Google lagged behind in building a SA360 feature for Bing ads when it had already implemented it for Google search ads.

“The evidence here is a little bit tricky for Google,” Mehta said, noting the significance of Google having said rather publicly at the start that it was “not going to play favorites” when it came to SA360. While Google could have chosen to exclude Microsoft from the tool at the outset, “that’s not the choice they made,” Mehta said.

The tool was not delivered for nearly five years after Microsoft asked for it. “How can that not be at least inferred to be anticompetitive?” Mehta asked.

Deleted chats

Hanging over the whole case is an issue about whether Google intentionally deleted or failed to retain documents that might have been used as evidence in this trial.

Google had a policy of having “history off” on its chats by default, leaving it to employees to determine when to turn it on for relevant conversations. DOJ’s Dintzer called the alleged destruction of documents “unequivocal and honestly breathtaking.” He added that “there’s no question” executives “intentionally had conversations with history off.”

“Google’s retention policy leaves a lot to be desired,” said the judge, adding disapprovingly that it was “surprising to me that a company would leave it to their employees to decide when to preserve documents.”

“Google’s retention policy leaves a lot to be desired”

Soon after, Dintzer’s slide deck paused on a slide that simply read “This is Wrong,” as the DOJ attorney pointed out Google never apologized for the unretained documents nor promised not to do it again in the future. He said it’s imperative that the court impose sanctions that show the risk of destroying documents is not worthwhile. The DOJ is asking Mehta to make an adverse inference about Google for any element of the case where he doesn’t think plaintiffs have sufficient evidence. That would mean the judge would assume that any deleted chats would have been bad for Google and showed their anticompetitive intent behind their contracts with manufacturers and browsers. The DOJ also wants Mehta to take the destroyed chats as a signal of its anticompetitive intent.

Google attorney Colette Connor said the company’s lawyers had informed the state of Texas (one of the plaintiffs) early on about their retention policies. Dintzer said even that disclosure came months after the litigation hold and that the DOJ “clearly” would have acted had they known.

Mehta didn’t seem to buy Google’s defense. “It’s interesting to me that Google has been very deliberate — and perhaps after seeing what’s happened with Microsoft – very deliberate in advising employees in what not to say,” he said. In a training for employees, the company advised avoiding terms like “market share.” (Bloomberg Law has noted this is a common practice in large companies.)

It’s now up to Mehta to decide how those absent chats should be accounted for. He hasn’t provided a timeline for his decision, but in the meantime, Google and the DOJ will be preparing for their second antitrust face-off over advertising technology in the fall.