An internal presentation at Epic Games showed ambitious promotional plans for the game, including a basketball mini-game and a planned “Party Royale” featuring Zion Williamson and LeBron James. Made public as part of the ongoing Epic v. Apple trial, the document comes from a quarterly business review performed in June 2020.
In addition to detailing the game’s revenue and promotional outlook, the presentation lays out a new kind of “experimental” venture to be built inside of Fortnite, including plans to implement a basketball mini-game as part of a broader NBA partnership.
One slide describes the project as “a Fortnite version of arcade basketball,” which would allow players to take to the courts as an alternative to the traditional Battle Royale. A subsequent slide teases the release of themed emotes, playoff events, and potential NBA post-game shows inside the game.
A slide detailing the planned basketball mini-game.
Notably, rumors have circulated that Season 6 of the game might include a skin of LeBron James, beloved basketball player, driven by close analysis of recent update packages. Zion Williamson’s participation is less clear; the document makes no reference to him outside of the graphic above.
Epic Games declined to comment.
Many of the events detailed in the presentation have already taken place, including an extensive Marvel crossover and the skin partnerships with Brazilian soccer star Neymar and popular streamer LazarBeam.
The presentation also suggests Epic is working on a themed skin with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as part of the game’s Icon series, timed for the first quarter of 2021. No official partnership has been announced yet, but there have been significant rumors around some kind of crossover, driven by unusual visual similarities between Johnson and a mysterious Season 6 character, as well as a cryptic Instagram post from the star.
The Epic Games v. Apple trial is starting today, and it has begun with a court conference call full of kids screaming for Fortnite to return to mobile. The public call line allows anyone to dial in and listen to today’s proceedings, but the court didn’t manage to properly mute all participants for more than 20 minutes. The result was what sounded like a chaotic Discord call.
More than 200 participants were dialed into the public line, with many screaming “free Fortnite” or “bring back Fortnite on mobile please judge.” Others played Travis Scott tunes, chatted away, or advertised their YouTube channels.
The trial was supposed to begin at 11:15AM ET, and court clerks could be heard attempting to mute participants multiple times unsuccessfully. At 11:30AM ET, silence finally fell on the line in preparation for the court to hear Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney today.
For a brief period, though, Fortnite fans were pleading for the return of the game on the iPhone and iPad. Over the next few weeks, we’ll find out whether that’s likely to happen.
Epic Games didn’t sue Apple to get a big payout, but that’s because the lawsuit itself is an investment. And to rewrite Apple’s rules, Epic is spending a fortune.
The reason Epic’s Fortnite got thrown out of the Apple App Store was that Epic rogue-updated Fortnite to offer a payment mechanism that bypassed Apple’s 30 percent cut of all in-app transactions. Apple booted Fortnite for violating its rules. Epic threw an… epic… hissy fit about this, culminating in the trial starting this week. While Epic has cobbled together an alliance called the Coalition for App Fairness — along with Spotify, Match Group, Basecamp, and Tile — there’s one more tech behemoth in play. Epic Games Store runs on Amazon Web Services. So does Fortnite itself.
The fight with Apple echoes Epic’s tactics elsewhere. The Epic Game Store is a clear challenge to Valve, which has an iOS-like store called Steam that also takes a 30 percent cut of sales. In a basic act of moral consistency, the Epic Game Store contains — in addition to games by other developers — other game stores. It also takes only a 12 percent cut of sales. Just last week, Microsoft announced it would cut its take on PC games to 12 percent to match Epic, from 30 percent. (It also filed a letter of support for Epic in the current case.)
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said in 2019 that the Epic Game Store’s hardball tactics against Valve will continue until either the store is profitable or Valve lowers its cut. Epic will torch an estimated $593 million by the end of 2021 on the Epic Games Store, according to court documents in the Apple case. At many companies, losing this much money would be a problem, but that figure is only slightly more than Epic’s Fortnite revenue from April 2020, which was $400 million that month.
Fortnite pretty much prints cash because the video game industry has hit on a business model that almost no other part of the entertainment industry can match: in-app payments. For Spotify, it’s not a fatal problem to dodge the App Store and its cut. I just go to a desktop computer, enter my credit card information, and — thanks to recurring billing — I’m done.
Fortnite is different, and it’s why a video game company is leading the effort to challenge the App Store payment rules. In Fortnite, if I want to buy a sweet dance move, I spend Epic’s V-Bucks to do it. The store refreshes every day, so if I want the new hotness, I need to act immediately. (There’s also a seasonal pass and a recently-introduced monthly subscription, but these do not seem to be as explicitly geared toward impulse buys.) Last year, in-app purchases were estimated to account for 40 percent of all gaming revenue.
Epic’s position gets weirder. Part of the story will involve people who imprinted on Neal Stephenson like ducklings, but before we get there, let’s run down what we know about the economics of Fortnite and the Epic Games Store to get a rough sense of how much money is in play.
It’s true that Fortnite is free to download, but in-app purchases more than make up for that. In 2019, Epic Games had revenue of $4.2 billion, with earnings of $730 million. (We know this because Epic, a private company, sold a stake, and those meddling kids at VentureBeat got a hold of numbers as a result.) Epic’s 2020 numbers are forecast at about $5 billion in revenue, with $1 billion in earnings, according to VentureBeat; in the court documents, Epic’s total 2020 revenue is projected at a mere $3.85 billion. In the two years Fortnite was available in the App Store, iOS customers alone accounted for $700 million in revenue for Epic, according to the court documents.
“Epic is in a fortunate position because Fortnite is the most popular game in the world,” says Christopher Krohn, an adjunct associate professor of marketing at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Apple’s revenue split from digital purchases is a little complicated — it’s got special rates for small developers, for instance — but in Epic’s case, Apple gets 30 percent of all in-app purchases. That’s in line with Minitel, the French pre-internet, which also had a 30 / 70 split for third-party content, says Bill Maurer, a professor of anthropology at the University of California Irvine who specializes in payment processors. Frankly, it looks like a carrier fee.
“At some level, Apple’s being greedy, because it doesn’t depend on this revenue,” says Michael Cusumano, a distinguished professor of management at MIT’s Sloan Business School. “It’s rolling in money from the iPhone itself.” On March 28, Apple reported its quarterly earnings — almost $24 billion in net income, riding mostly on strong sales of the iPhone and Mac; the previous quarter was a blowout for the company, with revenue of more than $100 billion.
Greed isn’t illegal. It’s also probably what’s motivating Epic, despite its CEO’s bluster. Epic wants to build something called the “metaverse,” an online haven where superhero IP owned by different companies can finally kiss. (The idea is based on Snow Crash, a 1991 book by Neal Stephenson.) The revenue potential here is the kind of thing that sends VCs into thinkfluencing fever dreams.
Fortnite is already a hangout space, one where IP from Marvel and DC can legally interact. Add to that the Unreal engine, which fuels a number of games as well as shows such as Disney’s The Mandalorian, and its other developer tools, and you’re looking at what could potentially be a piece of a metaverse. Should Fortnite, the Epic Games Store, or another Epic offering underpin a major chunk of a metaverse, the amount of money Epic is torching on its store and these lawyers will look like a wise investment against the fuckload of money it stands to make.
You can see why they might not want to cut Apple — or Valve, or Google, or anyone at all — in at 30 percent.
Look, I’m going to pop my popcorn and, as Sweeney put it, “enjoy the upcoming fireworks show” at the trial. I don’t think the outcome will matter much, since any verdict is going to get appealed immediately. But at the very bottom, it seems obvious that Epic’s position is the same as Apple’s: greed is good. Forget the fight to own the metaverse. The real world belongs to Big Tech, and we’re just NPCs who drop loot for the corporate players.
(Pocket-lint) – The Samsung HW-Q800A soundbar replaces the previous HW-Q800T, but offers an almost identical set of features. That includes a 3.1.2-channel speaker layout, a powerful subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based decoding, eARC, and built-in Amazon Alexa for voice control.
New this generation is the inclusion of Apple AirPlay 2, and optional wireless rear speakers with upward-firing drivers, allowing expansion to a 5.1.4-channel system. Owners of supporting Samsung TVs not only benefit from Q Symphony integration – which can use the TV’s speakers in addition to the soundbar for added immersion and height – but also SpaceFit Sound for optimised setup that automatically tunes sound profiles wherever your TV is setup in the room.
Are these small additional benefits reason enough to buy the HW-Q800A or would it make more sense to look at the HW-Q800T instead to save a few quid?
Controls: included remote; SmartThings app; four-button top-of-‘bar panel
Connectivity: Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; AirPlay 2; Alexa voice control integrated
Dimensions (soundbar): 980mm (W) x 60mm (H) x 115mm (D); 3.6kg
Dimensions (sub): 205mm (W) x 403mm (H) x 403mm (D); 9.8kg
The Samsung HW-Q800A uses exactly the same cabinet as the earlier Q800T, retaining a sleek form-factor designed to fit under your TV without blocking the screen. It’s a sensible width, but can still handle larger screen sizes up to 65 inches. The overall look is stylish, with solid construction and a matte black finish.
There’s a metal wrap-around grille, behind which you’ll find three speakers at the front, and the Acoustic Beam holes along the top front edge – these are used to output sound so it appears to come from where the action is happening on screen, made possible by clever processing.
There’s a display located at the front right, which provides basic information, and a choice of stand- or wall-mounting, with brackets provided for the latter included in the box.
The included wireless active subwoofer uses a rear-ported enclosure and a side-firing 8-inch driver that Samsung claims can go down to 35Hz. It’s well made, with similar styling and a matte black finish. The sub should pair automatically with the soundbar, but if not there are buttons on both units for manual setup.
Pocket-lint
The Samsung HW-Q800A sports an HDMI input and an HDMI output that supports eARC, allowing lossless audio to be sent back from a compatible TV. The HDMI connections also pass resolutions up to 4K/60p and every version of high dynamic range (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision).
What is HDMI eARC? Why is it different to HDMI ARC?
The only other physical connection is an optical digital input, but there’s also Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the newly added AirPlay 2, allowing for agnostic music streaming from your network or third-party services. Bluetooth is paired using the dedicated button on the remote, while the Wi-Fi setup uses the Samsung SmartThings app via your phone/tablet.
There are basic controls centrally located on the top of the soundbar for on/off, source select, volume up/down, and far-field mic on/off. The included remote is the same zapper from previous years, but remains well-designed, comfortable to hold, and easy to use, with all the necessary buttons laid out in a sensible fashion.
Pocket-lint
The SmartThings app isn’t just for setup, but also offers a degree of control. The slick and intuitive interface allows for changing inputs, adjusting the volume, choosing between sound modes, optimising the equaliser (EQ) and woofer, and selecting the advanced settings (voice enhancement, bass enhancement, and night mode).
Setup is straightforward, but a degree of tweaking is required when it comes to getting the centre and front height channels adjusted so the overall soundstage is balanced. The HW-Q800A doesn’t generate its own test tones, meaning you’ll need to find those yourself, and the levels work on the left and right channels simultaneously, which can be an issue in asymmetric rooms.
It would be better if you could set the left and right front heights independently, along with the surrounds and rear heights if you add the wireless rear speakers, and it would also be useful if you could set them using the SmartThings app rather than the remote and front display.
Pocket-lint
The sub is a powerful beast so you’ll need to dial the woofer setting back to ensure it doesn’t swamp the mid-range. As the driver fires sideways, avoid putting it in the right-hand corner of a room, or it’ll get boomy. Positioning towards the front, halfway between the ‘bar and wall works best, with this boom box generating more than enough low-end juice to handle sizeable rooms.
A built-in automated setup feature would be welcome at this price point, but if you own a compatible Samsung TV you can at least benefit from SoundFit. This uses the TV’s microphone and processor to analyse the sound reverberations in the room and adjust them accordingly to optimise the overall sonic performance of the soundbar.
The inclusion of Amazon Alexa makes this soundbar a fully-functioning smart assistant, allowing users to ask questions, listen to music or podcasts, and enjoy hands-free voice control. There’s a far-field microphone built into the soundbar itself, which can be muted for privacy, and thankfully Alexa interacts at a sensible volume (unlike in the Polk React, for example, where she’s very shouty).
Samsung-specific features: Q Symphony and Active Voice Amplifier
Expansion: Optional wireless rear speakers
Amplification: 330W of Class D
Hi-Res Audio: Up to 24-bit/192kHz
Decoding: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Sound Modes: Standard, Surround, Game Pro, Adaptive Sound, Night
The Samsung HW-Q800A decodes the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio formats, and delivers both with an actual 3.1.2-channel speaker layout. This means it doesn’t need to rely on psychoacoustic trickery to create a sense of immersion, and if you take the time to setup the system properly, the results are often spectacular.
Samsung
The effectiveness of the Acoustic Beam tech, which literally fires sound waves upwards to create the illusion of overhead channels, will depend on your type of ceiling – but the more reflective it is, the better the effect. Watching a dynamic object-based mix like the 4K disc of Midway reveals an expansive front soundstage, with precise placement of effects and plenty up top.
The subwoofer handles the low frequency effects with great skill, producing a foundation of bass on which the rest of the system is built. If you like plenty of subsonic impact in your movies, you’ll enjoy this particular woofer, which enthusiastically digs deep. It’s also well integrated with the ‘bar, smoothly crossing over with the mid-range drivers, and creating a cohesive overall soundstage.
The performance is energetic, with clear dialogue and a pleasing width to the delivery. The only limitation is that the soundstage is very front-heavy, due to the lack of actual surround speakers. However this can be addressed by buying the optional SWA-9500S wireless rear speakers that now include upward-firing drivers, allowing expansion to a full 5.1.4-channel configuration.
Samsung’s Q Symphony feature integrates the soundbar with compatible Samsung TVs, synchronising sound from both devices and utilising the additional speakers in the TV to create a more expansive and immersive front soundstage.
There’s also the Active Voice Amplifier which detects ambient noise, analyses the audio signal, and adjusts and amplifies the dialogue with respect to the other channels to improve intelligibility. So if you’re trying to watch TV while someone else is hoovering, for example, this could come in handy.
Best Bluetooth speakers 2021: Top portable speakers to buy today
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There are five dedicated sound modes, with the default Standard making no changes to the incoming signal. The Surround mode up-mixes the audio to take advantage of the additional channels, while the Game Pro enhances effects to create a more immersive gaming experience. For general TV viewing the Adaptive Sound is a great choice, analysing the incoming signal and automatically optimising it. Finally, Night mode compresses the dynamic range, so you won’t disturb the rest of the household during a late-night bingeing session.
Samsung
There’s a pleasing musicality to this system’s delivery, with the width producing some excellent stereo imaging, and the sub giving drums a driving beat. You can stream from a number of services too, including Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn and Samsung Music, plus Apple Music via AirPlay.
Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q800A is well-specified ‘bar-and-sub combo that has all the object-based decoding bells and whistles. It renders Dolby Atmos and DTS:X using sound waves rather than psychoacoustic trickery, resulting in a genuinely immersive experience, while the powerful woofer produces plenty of low-end slam.
There’s a pleasing musicality to the delivery, dialogue remains clear, and effects are placed with precision, creating an enjoyable if front-heavy soundstage. Thankfully this can be addressed by picking up the optional wireless rear speakers, which turn the soundbar into a full 5.1.4-channel system.
There’s a host of other features – including HDMI eARC, AirPlay 2 and integrated Amazon Alexa – meaning, as a result, the Samsung HW-Q800A is a comprehensive and capable all-rounder that’s sure to please no matter what your viewing or listening habits.
Also consider
Samsung
Samsung HW-Q800T
It’s more or less the same soundbar, with the same sound quality. Buy if you want to save a few quid and don’t care about AirPlay 2. Don’t buy if you want future expandability – as it’s the Q800A’s optional speaker add-ons that help to set it apart from this older model.
Read our full review
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Sonos
Sonos Arc
This highly-accomplished soundbar is worth considering not only because it brings the Sonos ecosystem to the party, but because it has Dolby Atmos, eARC, and AirPlay 2 as well. Like the Samsung there’s integrated Alexa, plus Google Assistant for completists. It’s not cheap, doesn’t support DTS:X, and has no HDMI inputs or a separate subwoofer, but if you’re already invested in Sonos this compelling ‘bar can elevate your sonic experience.
Read our full review
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JBL
JBL BAR 9.1
This awesome 5.1.4-channel ‘bar-and-sub combo includes detachable and rechargeable rear speakers, resulting in a genuinely immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X experience with the minimum of fuss. There’s an automated audio calibration feature, eARC support, Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and Dolby Vision passthrough. There’s no dedicated remote app, nor can it pass HDR10+, but in most other respects this impressive soundbar system is hard to fault.
The team over at iFixit has done its teardown thing again, this time examining Apple’s AirTag trackers. Part one of its two-part review digs into the guts of the little trackers, and for those lamenting the lack of a key ring loop on the AirTag, iFixit (carefully) drilled a hole into one without damaging any of its parts.
After some reconnaissance inside our first AirTag, we grabbed a 1/16” drill bit and carefully punched a hole through the second tracker in our four-pack—after removing the battery, of course. We miraculously managed to avoid all chips, boards, and antennas, only drilling through plastic and glue. The best part? The AirTag survived the operation like a champ and works as if nothing happened.
The team cautioned that you have to remove the battery before drilling, and warned that drilling in the wrong place can cause serious damage. So try this at home only if you have skill with a drill.
iFixit drilled a hole into an AirTag for a keyring, and it survivediFixit
iFixit compared its AirTags to the Tile Mate and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. AirTags are the smallest of the bunch, with its 3-volt coin cell removable battery— type CR2032, same as the one SmartTags use—taking up most of the internal space. “All three trackers open up with finger power—no other tools required,” according to iFixit, but they found the AirTag’s was the most difficult to remove.
From left: Tile Mate, Galaxy SmartTag, and Apple AirTagiFixit
An X-ray of the three tags shows Apple made efficient use of its internal space, nothing that “the relative darkness of the AirTag [in the X-ray image] is due to a hefty central speaker magnet and its steel battery cover. iFixit tweeted a 360-video of the X-ray image:
Check out the full iFixit tear down of Apple’s AirTags here. And coming soon, they’ll have detailed board shots and a look at the onboard silicon, presumably in part two.
Facebook is continuing its campaign against Apple’s iOS 14 privacy updates, adding a notice within its iOS app telling users the information it collects from other apps and websites can “help keep Facebook free of charge.” A similar message was seen on Instagram’s iOS app (Facebook is Instagram’s parent company). Technology researcher Ashkan Soltani first noted the new pop-up notices on Saturday. They appear as part of an explanation of the updates to iOS 14 rules.
“This version of iOS requires us to ask for permission to track some data from this devices to improve your ads. Learn how we limit the use of this information if you don’t turn on this device setting,” the pop-up screen reads. “We use information about your activity received form other apps and websites to: show you ads that are more personalized, help keep Facebook free of charge [and] support businesses that rely on ads to reach their customers.” (I wasn’t able to get this nag screen to show up on my iPhone which is running iOS 14.5).
The new opt-in requirements in the latest versions of iOS 14, including iOS 14.5, require developers to get express consent from device owners to allow their Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) to be shared and collected across apps. Under Apple’s new policy, app developers are still able to use other information a user provides for targeted advertising, even if the user opts out of letting the app track them, but that information can’t be shared with another company for ad tracking.
If developers try to get around the opt-in requirement, or try to replace the IDFA with another piece of identifying information such as an email address, that app will be considered in violation of the opt-in requirement. The rules also apply to Apple’s own apps.
Facebook has been a vocal critic of Apple’s iOS 14 privacy updates, arguing that the privacy changes could hurt small businesses which may rely on Facebook’s ad network to reach customers. In statements to the press and in newspaper ads, Facebook has said Apple is encouraging new business models for apps so they rely less on advertising and more on subscriptions, which would potentially give Apple a cut.
But the “keep Facebook/Instagram free” tactic seems to run counter to Facebook’s long-standing tagline which indicated the company was “free and always will be.” Of course, Facebook quietly removed that slogan from its homepage in 2019, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg didn’t rule out a paid version of Facebook when he testified before Congress in 2018. “There will always be a version of Facebook that is free,” he said.
Facebook didn’t reply to a request for comment Sunday. But Zuckerberg called Apple out during Facebook’s January earnings call, referring to Apple as one of his company’s biggest competitors. “Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work, which they regularly do to preference their own,” Zuckerberg said. “This impacts the growth of millions of businesses around the world, including with the upcoming iOS 14 changes.”
Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Sunday.
Just two days before Apple gets dragged into a California court to justify its 30 percent App Store fee — and two days after Microsoft axed its 30 percent cut on PC — we’re learning that gaming giant Valve is now facing down lawsuits against its own 30 percent cut and alleged anticompetitive practices with its PC gaming platform Steam.
“Valve abuses its market power to ensure game publishers have no choice but to sell most of their games through the Steam Store, where they are subject to Valve’s 30% toll,” argues indie game developer and Humble Bundle creator Wolfire Games, in a lawsuit filed Tuesday (via Ars Technica).
Much like Epic v. Apple, the new suit argues that a platform owner is using an effective monopoly over the place where people run their software (there, iOS; here, Steam) to dominate and tax an entire separate industry (alternative app / game stores), an industry that could theoretically flourish and produce lower prices for consumers if not for (Apple’s / Valve’s) iron grip.
Wolfire claims that Valve now controls “approximately 75 percent” of the entire PC gaming market, reaping an estimated $6 billion in annual revenue as a result from that 30 percent fee alone — over $15 million per year per Valve employee, assuming the company still has somewhere in the vicinity of the 360 employees it confirmed having five years ago.
As to how Valve might be abusing its power, there’s a laundry list of complaints that you might want to read in full (which is why I’ve embedded the complaint below), but the arguments seem to boil down to:
Every other company’s attempt to compete with Steam has failed to make a dent, even though many of them offered developers a bigger cut of the profits, such as the Epic Game Store’s 88-percent revenue share
Steam doesn’t allow publishers to sell PC games and game keys for less money elsewhere
That in turn means rival game platforms can’t compete on price, which keeps them from getting a foothold
Most of those rival game stores have largely given up, like how EA and Microsoft have each brought their games back to Steam
That ensures Steam stays the dominant platform, because companies that could have become competitors are reduced to simply feeding the Steam engine with their games or selling Steam keys
Wolfire says that the Humble Bundle in particular has been a victim of Valve’s practices — the lawsuit claims that “publishers became more and more reluctant to participate in Humble Bundle events, decreasing the quantity and quality of products available to Humble Bundle customers,” because they feared retaliation if Humble Bundle buyers resold their Steam keys on the grey market for cheap — and though Valve once worked with Humble Bundle on a keyless direct integration, the lawsuit claims that Valve abruptly pulled the plug on that partnership with no explanation.
As you’d expect, the lawsuit doesn’t waste much ink considering why gamers might prefer Steam to the likes of EA’s Origin or Microsoft’s Windows Store beyond the simple matter of price; I’d argue most Steam competitors have been somewhat deficient when it comes to addressing PC gamers’ many wants and needs. But that doesn’t excuse Valve’s anticompetitive practices, assuming these claims are true.
Valve didn’t respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first lawsuit brought against Valve; a group of individual game buyers filed a fairly similar complaint in January, and I’ve embedded the new amended version of that complaint below as well. But that earlier complaint also accused game companies alongside Valve — this new one lawsuit is by a game company itself.
Each suit is hoping to win class-action status.
Whether these plaintiffs succeed against Valve or no, the pressure is clearly mounting to reduce these app store fees across the industry, and Valve may have a harder time justifying them than most — it’s seemingly more dominant in the PC gaming space than either Apple or Google are in the smartphone one, even if there are far fewer PC gamers than phone users.
Valve also hasn’t necessarily made a huge concession to game developers so far. In 2018, Valve did adjust its revenue split to give bigger companies more money, reducing its 30 percent cut to 25 percent after a developer racks up $10 million in sales, and down to 20 percent after they hit $50 million. (Apple and Google drop their cuts to 15 percent for developers with under $1 million in sales, theoretically helping smaller developers instead of bigger ones.) But the Epic Games Store only takes 12 percent, and Microsoft’s Windows Store just copied that lead by dropping its 30 percent cut to 12 percent as well.
The EU may also add additional pressure in the future; yesterday, European Commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager revealed it would also “take an interest in the gaming app market” following its conclusion that Apple has broken EU antitrust laws around music streaming apps. The European Commission already has Valve on its radar, too; it fined the company earlier this year for geo-blocking game sales.
The first benchmark results of Intel’s yet-to-be-announced eight-core Core i9-11950 ‘Tiger Lake-H’ processor for gaming notebooks have been published in Primate Labs’ Geekbench 5 database. The new unit expectedly beats Intel’s own quad-core Core i7-1185G7 CPU both in single and multi-thread workloads, but when it comes to comparison with other rivals, its results are not that obvious.
Intel’s Core i9-11950 processor has never been revealed in leaks, so it was surprising to see benchmark results of HP’s ZBook Studio 15.6-inch G8 laptop based on this CPU in Geekbench 5. The chip has eight cores based on the Willow Cove microarchitecture running at 2.60 GHz – 4.90 GHz, it is equipped with a 24MB cache, a dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory controller, and a basic UHD Graphics core featuring the Xe architecture.
In Geekbench 5, the ZBook Studio 15.6-inch G8 powered by the Core i9-11950H scored 1,365 points in single-thread benchmark and 6,266 points in multi-thread benchmark. The system operated in ‘HP Optimized (Modern Standby)’ power plan, though we do not know the maximum TDP that is supported in this mode.
CPU
Single-Core
Multi-Core
Cores/Threads, uArch
Cache
Clocks
TDP
Link
AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS
1,540
8,225
8C/16T, Zen 3
16MB
3.30 ~ 4.53 GHz
35W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/6027200
AMD Ryzen 9 4900H
1,230
7,125
8C/16T, Zen 2
8MB
3.30 ~ 4.44 GHz
35~54W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/6028856
Intel Core i9-11900
1,715
10,565
8C/16T, Cedar Cove
16 MB
2.50 ~ 5.20 GHz
65W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/7485886
Intel Core i9-11950H
1,365
6,266
8C/16T, Willow Cove
24MB
2.60 ~ 4.90 GHz
?
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/7670672
Intel Core i9-10885H
1,335
7,900
8C/16T, Skylake
16MB
2.40 ~ 5.08 GHz
45W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/6006773
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1,550
5,600
4C/8T, Willow Cove
12MB
3.0 ~ 4.80 GHz
28W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/5644005
Apple M1
1,710
7,660
4C Firestorm + 4C Icestorm
12MB + 4MB
3.20 GHz
20~24W
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/6038094
The upcoming Core i9-11950H processor easily defeats its quad-core Core i7-1185G7 brother for mainstream and thin-and-light laptops both in single-thread and multi-thread workloads. This is not particularly surprising as the model i7-1185G7 has a TDP of 28W. Meanwhile, the Core i9-11950H is behind AMD’s Ryzen 9 5980HS as well as Apple’s M1 in all kinds of workloads. Furthermore, its multi-thread score is behind that of its predecessor, the Core i9-10885H.
Perhaps, the unimpressive results of the Core i9-11950H in Geekbench 5 are due to a preliminary BIOS, early drivers, wrong settings, or some other anomalies. In short, since the CPU does not officially exist, its test results should be taken with a grain of salt. Yet, at this point, the product does not look too good in this benchmark.
An expert witness for Epic Games testified that Apple’s App Store had operating margins above 70 percent in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, new court documents show. Eric Barnes testified that information from Apple’s Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis group show the App Store had a 77.8 percent operating margin in 2019, and 74.9 percent in 2018.
The figures are close to Barnes’ calculations of the App Store’s profits, he testified, and “also refute criticisms of my report proffered by certain Apple expert witnesses that it is not possible to calculate reliably or usefully the operating margins of the App Store.” Barnes also testified that Apple has been tracking its App Store profits for several years.
Apple has hotly contested that interpretation of the data. As Bloomberg notes, Apple’s chief compliance officer said at a congressional hearing last month that “we don’t have a separate profit and loss statement for the App Store,” and that Cook has made similar statements about the App Store and how it’s structured.
An Apple spokesperson said in an email to The Verge on Saturday that Barnes’ figures were incorrect: “Epic’s experts calculations of the operating margins for the App Store are simply wrong and we look forward to refuting them in court.”
The question of how much profit Apple makes from the app store is at the center of the ongoing court case between Apple and Epic Games. Epic argues that the App Store provides no real service, but simply serves as a way for Apple to extract money from developers. Epic is suing Apple for antitrust violations on those grounds, after launching an unauthorized in-app payments system for Fortnite earlier this year. But Apple insists the App Store review process is a pivotal part of the broader platform safety efforts around iOS.
Court documents show Apple’s expert witness Richard Schmalensee also disputed Barnes/Epic’s figures. “Mr. Barnes’ estimate of the App Store’s operating margin is unreliable because it looks in isolation at one segment of the iOS ecosystem in a way that artificially boosts the apparent operating margin of that segment,” Schmalensee said in his written direct testimony. “When one looks at Apple’s device and services ecosystem as a whole, the operating margin falls to an unremarkable level.”
Schmalensee further testified that “it makes no sense” to try to measure the App Store’s profitability in isolation since it’s part of the iOS platform and relies on all of Apple’s intellectual property. “As top Apple executives will testify, Apple does not calculate P&Ls by products and services because they view it as an unproductive exercise,” according to Schmalensee.
Court proceedings for the trial are due to begin on Monday.
If you’re hoping to get one of the new 12.9-inch iPad Pros with a Mini LED display, you may be waiting a while — the delivery times for even the base model have slipped to late June or early July (via Bloomberg). Leading up to the device’s announcement, there were rumors that the display tech could be a production bottleneck for Apple, and that appears to be the case — Apple’s site says the 11-inch iPad Pro, announced alongside the 12.9-inch, would be delivered in late May.
The Mini LED display that could be to blame for the short supply of iPads is a new tech for Apple, but it promises to bring a ton of improvements compared to normal LED displays. However, they’re trickier to produce — Apple says that the previous iPad Pro’s display had 72 LEDs, while the Mini LED version boasts over 10,000. For a more in-depth look at the tech, we have an explainer here.
For the most part, the rest of the devices Apple announced in its April 20th event seem to be doing okay stock-wise: Apple’s site says the purple iPhone 12 and 12 Mini would arrive in early May, and the Apple TV is shown as shipping by mid- to late May. The lower-end iMac will arrive in late May, though the higher-end versions won’t get to you until early June — the same as the new Siri Remote.
Interestingly, while a single AirTag seems readily available, the four-pack is a bit harder to come by — Apple’s site has them delivering in June, while Amazon has the pack listed as out of stock.
After a controversial blog post in which CEO Jason Fried outlined Basecamp’s new philosophy that prohibited, among other things, “societal and political discussions” on internal forums, company co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson said the company would offer generous severance packages to anyone who disagreed with the new stance. On Friday, it appears a large number of Basecamp employees are taking Hansson up on his offer: according to TheVerge contributing editor Casey Newton’s sources, roughly a third of the company’s 57 employees accepted buyouts today. As of Friday afternoon, 18 people had tweeted they were planning to leave.
Not long after Fried’s Monday blog post went public — and was revised several times amid public backlash online — Hansson outlined the terms of the new severance offer in a separate Wednesday blog post.
Yesterday, we offered everyone at Basecamp an option of a severance package worth up to six months salary for those who’ve been with the company over three years, and three months salary for those at the company less than that. No hard feelings, no questions asked. For those who cannot see a future at Basecamp under this new direction, we’ll help them in every which way we can to land somewhere else.
Among those who announced on Twitter they’re leaving the company are reportedly head of marketing Andy Didorosi, head of design Jonas Downey, and head of customer support Kristin Aardsma. Most cited “recent changes” at the company as their reason for leaving.
“Given the recent changes at Basecamp, I’ve decided to leave my job as Head of Design,” Downey tweeted. “I’ve helped design & build all of our products since 2011, and recently I’ve been leading our design team too.”
I resigned today from my role as Head of Marketing at Basecamp due to recent changes and new policies.
I’ll be returning to entrepreneurship. My DMs are open if you’d like to talk or you can reach me at andy@detroitindie.com
— Andy Didorosi (@ThatDetroitAndy) April 30, 2021
I’ve resigned as Head of Customer Support at Basecamp. I’m four months pregnant, so I’m going to take some time off to build this baby and hang out with my brilliant spouse and child.
— Kristin Aardsma (@kikiaards) April 30, 2021
I have left Basecamp due to the recent changes & policies.
I’ve been doing product design there for 7yrs. The last 3yrs I led the iOS team working alongside @dylanginsburg and @zachwaugh — they are the best .
If you need a product designer, please DM or email me: hi@conor.cc
— Conor Muirhead (@conormuirhead) April 30, 2021
After nearly 8 years, given the recent changes at Basecamp, I’ve decided to leave my job as an Android programmer there. Will eventually be looking for something new, so please feel free to reach out / RT. DMs open.
Thank you all for your support and kindness. It means a lot. ❤️
— Dan Kim (@dankim) April 30, 2021
Software developer John Breen is tracking additional Basecamp departures in this Twitter thread.
The original blog post that started the brouhaha at the tiny company with an outsized voice also detailed how Basecamp would do away with “paternalistic benefits,” committees, and would prohibit “lingering or dwelling on past decisions.” But it was the “societal and political discussions” item that stirred up the most reaction:
Today’s social and political waters are especially choppy. Sensitivities are at 11, and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy, or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant. You shouldn’t have to wonder if staying out of it means you’re complicit, or wading into it means you’re a target. These are difficult enough waters to navigate in life, but significantly more so at work. It’s become too much. It’s a major distraction. It saps our energy, and redirects our dialog towards dark places. It’s not healthy, it hasn’t served us well. And we’re done with it on our company Basecamp account where the work happens. People can take the conversations with willing co-workers to Signal, Whatsapp, or even a personal Basecamp account, but it can’t happen where the work happens anymore
While the company argued that it was just trying to get its own employees focused on work, company founders don’t tend to shy away from “societal and political discussions” online, with Hansson in particular having become a vocal critic of Apple’s App Store policies, to the point that he has testified in favor of antitrust regulation.
As The Verge later reported, the initial motivation for the letter stemmed from internal disagreement over a controversial list of “funny names” of Basecamp customers. Several of the names on the list, which resurfaced several times over the years and of which management was well aware, were of Asian or African origin. Employees considered their inclusion inappropriate at best, and racist at worst.
Hansson acknowledged the list and tried to move on (you can read his internal communications here), but employees pressed the issue.
Hansson did not reply to a request for comment from The Verge on Friday.
Since its launch in 2015, Apple Music garnered 72 million subscribers by the end of 2020 and even more impressively (depending on who you ask) racked up a five-star review from us.
Five iOS updates and a couple of hefty interface refreshes later, the arrival of the splendid HomePod Mini (despite the discontinuation of the original HomePod) means there’s no better time to get fully acquainted with the ins and outs of Apple’s music streaming service. You won’t get far with Apple’s little smart speaker if you don’t, at any rate – and there’s so much to enjoy.
Whether you’re on the free three-month trial or already a subscriber and regular user, we’ve pulled together some key tips, tricks and features to make sure you get the utmost from Apple Music.
Read our Apple Music review
Set-up
1. How to unsubscribe
Sure, this is something of a negative note to start on – but if you’re signing up for the three-month Apple Music free trial and don’t want to commit to paying for the service afterwards, you can opt out straight away.
To do this, click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen in the For You tab, hit View Account, then View Apple ID and sign in to your iTunes account.
Next, tap Subscriptions halfway down the page. Here you can ‘cancel’ your free trial so it won’t automatically renew – don’t worry, you can still use it free for the three months. This is also how to select your subscription choice in future. Savvy.
2. Bulk unfollow artists
When you sign up to the Apple Music service, Apple will take the liberty of ‘following’ any artist already in your library as part of its Connect feature. This means your Connect section (now relegated to the Made For You tab) will be full of new and seemingly never-ending content from these artists. This may not be what you’re after, especially if you once bought Baby Shark (for a kid’s party or something. We don’t judge).
It’s on by default, but you can switch it off by tapping the profile icon, then clicking on ‘Notifications’ (to see the artists you supposedly ‘like’) and then sliding the ‘New Music’ and ‘Show in Library’ buttons to ‘off’. Now you can make sure you only hear from the artists you really like.
3. Sign in to iCloud Music for extra features…
You might want to enable iCloud Music Library to get the most from Apple Music if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. A number of features are only available with iCloud Music activated – most notably offline listening. In your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Music and toggle iCloud Music Library on.
4. Or don’t…
This can present some problems to users with a big existing library, especially if you have your own playlists. Apple will match these with its own tracks so you can listen offline – but it may not always get the right version. So if you’re precious about your existing downloads (and rightly so), you may want to turn off iCloud. To do this, simply toggle the iCloud Music Library option off.
5. Or have iCloud Music on mobile only
If you have a big existing music library and you’re not sure about Apple matching it for access on your mobile, you can turn this feature off on your computer but leave it on for your mobile. This way your existing library is left alone but you can still have offline tracks on the Apple Music mobile app. Turn off iCloud Music Library on your Mac by going to Preferences > General, then unchecking iCloud Music Library.
6. Multiple devices
The Apple Music Individual Membership plan, yours for £9.99 per month, can be associated with up to ten devices, five of which can be computers. You can only stream on one device at a time, as is the case on Spotify, Tidal and other services.
7. Multiple devices at once
If you want to listen to multiple devices at the same time then you’ll need a Family Membership. This gives simultaneous streaming access for up to six different people for £14.99 per month.
Interface
8. View album information for now-playing track
One slightly hidden feature is viewing the album of the track that’s currently playing. You can do this in two ways. The easiest way is to tap on the artist and album name at the top of the now-playing window. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to ‘Go to Album’ or ‘Go to Artist’. Click on the Album option.
The second, slightly longer method is to tap the three-button icon in the bottom corner of the screen, then tap ‘Show Album’ on the pop-up menu. That’ll take you there.
9. View artist page
Same as above, but select ‘Go to Artist’.
Or, if you’ve used the longer method: once you’re transported to the album page, click the artist’s name (highlighted in that pinky-red text). For both methods, you’ll be taken to the artist’s landing page where you can see all their music and related content (such as new releases, playlists they’re featured in, bio, and similar artists).
10. Explicit tracks
If you were wondering what that little ‘E’ was next to certain tracks, it doesn’t stand for exclusive, it’s for explicit. So prepare your ears (or your child’s).
Organising your music
11. Optimise your storage
This one is a no-brainer. Because why fill up your phone’s storage space with music you’re not listening to? The Optimise Storage feature in Apple Music will automatically delete downloaded songs if storage is running low and you haven’t listened to them in a fair while.
It’s a neat, simple feature that keeps your phone free of music you don’t need. And once you’ve toggled a button, you’re all set. It works when you’re low on storage. To set it up, open the Settings menu on your iPhone, scroll to Music, then Optimise Storage. Boom.
12. Offline music
You can save tracks, albums and playlists to your phone for offline playback (when you don’t have an internet connection) if iCloud Music is enabled (see point 3).
You can only download music that’s been added to your library. If there’s a ‘+’ icon next to a song, that means it isn’t added to your library. Tap it to add. It’ll then transform into a cloud icon, meaning it’s not been downloaded yet. Tap the cloud to download.
You can identify the songs downloaded on your device as they won’t have any icon next to them.
13. Viewing offline music
No mobile or network coverage? Simply select the Downloaded Music category in the Library tab to only see the music stored on your phone for offline listening.
Remember: this is both downloaded songs and playlists from Apple Music, as well as your own music files physically stored on the phone.
14. Sort songs alphabetically by artist (or however you’d prefer)
Want to sort your music library alphabetically by title instead of by artists (the default setting)? In the Library tab, select Songs and tap ‘Sort’ in the top right corner. Then select Title, Recently Added or Artist in the pop-up menu. Hey presto.
15. Shuffle and repeat
Wondering where the shuffle and repeat icons have gone? On the Now Playing screen, you’ll see them right underneath the track and artist, next to ‘Playing Next’.
Music curation
16. Love tracks (or don’t)
Much of Apple Music’s draw is centred on the For You tab, where you’ll find recommended albums and artists based on the music you like. To give Apple’s algorithms a steer, you need to tap the Love (heart) icon on the pop-up menu for every song (or album) you like.
There’s now also a Dislike option right next to it (with a thumbs-down icon) to tell Apple songs you don’t want it to recommend. You can do this for whole playlists, too.
17. Adjust the EQ
You can use Apple Music to change the way music sounds on iPhone with EQ settings, volume limit options and Sound Check. Simply go to Settings > Music > EQ to choose from an exhaustive list of presets. To normalise the volume level of your audio: go to Settings > Music, and toggle on Sound Check.
18. New music
Need to find new music? Click on the Browse tab and you’ll find a section called New Music dedicated to the latest releases, albums, playlists, music videos and more.
In Browse’s Playlists section, you’ll find curated playlists from the likes of Pitchfork, NME and Sonos, as well as playlists for your every mood and activity.
19. Browse new music by genre
Tailor to your musical tastes even further by going to the Genres section and filtering music by, you guessed it, genre.
You can filter playlists by genre, too, in the Playlists section.
20. Use built-in Shazam
Here’s a bit of insider knowledge: Shazam is built right into iPhones, even without a download of the app. This nifty tool can help you figure out what songs are playing when you’re in the car and can’t scrutinise your screen (do not scroll and drive), or while watching shows or movies.
If you’re trying to put a name to a song, simply tap the Shazam button on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. And here’s the best bit: the app will identify the music you’ve captured and save it to your library.
To use this feature, open the Control Center in your device’s Settings and add the Music Recognition icon to your ‘Included Controls’ – if music recognition is enabled on your device, you’ll be able to swipe up and see the Shazam icon from your iPhone’s lock screen. Now, tap this Shazam music recognition button to swiftly identify what’s playing around you.
Radio and TV
21. Create your own radio station
You can play an Apple-curated selection of music based on a certain artist or track. Simply click on the three dots on an artist or a track and select Create Station from the pop-up menu to listen to related music. Tap the ‘love’ icon on subsequent songs to tell Apple to keep playing more songs like it.
22. Listen to live radio on Apple Music
Apple Music subscribers can now tune in to not one but three live radio stations: Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country. Click on the Radio icon at the bottom of the home screen, then scroll down to Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, or Apple Music Country to tune in live, see upcoming shows, and listen to previously aired shows on-demand.
23. Listen to broadcast radio
You can also tune in to your favorite broadcast radio stations, including your local ones. To do this, go to Search, search for the radio station by its name, call sign, frequency, or nickname, then tap or click the radio station to listen to it live. And don’t forget, you can also ask Siri to play a radio station by name.
24. Play music videos on Apple TV
Apple Music makes it easy to watch music videos on Apple TV. There’s actually a Videos screen in the Apple Music app that includes the hottest new music videos and video playlists, and it’s accessible right from the app on your Apple TV. To use it, open Music on Apple TV and swipe to Videos. Then, swipe down to see a menu of video categories. Depending on the video, you can add it to a playlist or your library or remove it from your library.
More features
25. Share your listening history with your friends
Fancy sharing new sonic discoveries with your friends? You can do it by creating an Apple Music profile within the app. Then, if your friends subscribe and create a profile, you can see what they are listening to, too.
To create a profile, tap Listen Now and, in the upper-right corner of this screen on your iPhone, tap the photo icon. (On an Android device, tap the More button, then tap Account). Now, tap See What Friends Are Listening To. Follow the onscreen prompts to create a username, find and follow friends, share playlists and more.
You can also control what you share (nobody needs to know all of your listening habits, right?) hide certain playlists, block or unblock users or follow your friends’ accounts.
26. Siri + Apple Music = clever
You can use voice control to play your music, whether you’re on your iPhone or Apple Watch ( for instance: “Hey Siri, play AC/DC”). But it’s actually even cleverer than that. You can start a radio station by saying “play AC/DC station”.
Apple Music can also play by date, popularity and release date, so “play the number one hit from April 1988”, “play the top songs by AC/DC” or “play the newest song by AC/DC*” all work. It can be a little hit and miss at times, but it’s worth experimenting with all sorts of commands.
(*other bands are available. They’re not as good, though)
(Image credit: Apple)
27. Siri + Apple Music + HomePod Mini = cleverer
Siri voice commands and Apple Music are the key ingredients to a great Apple HomePod Mini speaker experience, so if you’ve bought yourself a new HomePod Mini, you can ask it all sorts of questions to get your favourite tunes playing. Start off with “Hey Siri, play something I like” and it’ll use your Apple Music profile to create a personalised radio station of songs you know and like.
Amazon Echo vs Apple HomePod Mini: which is the best smart speaker?
28. Turn off Listening History for Apple HomePod Mini
If you have a HomePod Mini, you might not want your kids or that friend who only loves country music messing up your carefully curated For You recommendations when they start shouting out song requests.
Keep your Apple Music profile separate from what the Mini’s been playing by firing up the Home app (which you should’ve downloaded when setting it up), head to the Details section and switch ‘Use Listening History’ to off.
29. Wake and stream
Want to wake up to the sound of your favourite song? When setting an alarm in your iPhone’s Clock app, tap Sound > Pick a song (under the Songs section) and then choose a track from your Apple Music library.
30. Lyrics
You can karaoke! Scroll up from the now playing screen, and lyrics (where available) will appear. Alternatively, tap the Lyrics tab in the pop-up options menu.
Since iOS 12, searching for songs by lyrics is a thing, too. Just start typing lyrics in the search box and voila – you’ll get the song you’re looking for (or at least suggestions for what it could be).
Best music streaming services 2021: free streams to hi-res audio
12 of the best-produced recordings to test your speakers
If you’re more into hi-fi than music, that’s a problem
It’s nigh-on impossible to find meaningful fault with Netflix
For
Excellent video quality
Big, easy-to-navigate catalogue
High quality Originals
Against
Rarely first for big film releases
Netflix just keeps on getting better, making a more compelling case for your money at every turn. It’s everything you want from a video streaming service: simple to use, available on your preferred platform and filled with content you want to watch.
But it’s now got more rivals than ever and they’ve also upped their game, so is Netflix really the best video streaming service out there?
Pricing
Netflix UK pricing and features (Image credit: Netflix)
Netflix subscriptions start at £5.99 ($8.99, AU$10.99) per month for standard-definition streams to a single screen. Up your spend to £9.99 ($13.99, AU$15.99) per month and get high-def stuff available to watch on a couple of screens simultaneously.
Or go the whole hog (provided you’ve already gone the entire pig on a 4K Ultra HD TV) and spend £13.99 ($17.99, AU$19.99) per month for 4K content on as many as four screens at a time.
MORE: How to use Netflix Party: watch Netflix with friends online
Features
It goes without saying not all content is available in HD (720p) or Full HD (1080p), let alone Ultra HD or 4K. One of the great pleasures of a Netflix subscription is happening upon classic films such as Easy Rider and old episodes of cult TV shows such as Peep Show, and it would be optimistic in the extreme to expect them to represent the state of the technological arts.
But there’s now a huge stack of 4K content available, from The Crown and Last Chance U to Shadow Bone and Snowpiercer, and that stack is forever growing.
Netflix has a continuing good relationship with Sony Pictures that also grants the streamer exclusive rights to some Sony films. There’s also the excellent Studio Ghibli oeuvre now available in most countries.
In terms of bespoke content, Netflix distances itself from any nominal competition.
Netflix now prioritises its own content to such an extent that it seems less committed to adding blockbuster films from other studios than its main rival Amazon Prime Video. And now that Disney+ is on the scene, it’ll likely never be the first streaming service to add a Disney, Marvel or Star Wars title to its catalogue. But Netflix still has a strong selection of older favourites and not-too-aged blockbusters such as, at the time of writing, Arrival and Rocketman.
And as a content provider in its own right, Netflix goes from strength to strength, whether that’s through cinematic adventures or its increasingly impressive run of excellent documentary features and series.
And if you have an HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatible TV, there’s now loads of HDR content on Netflix too. It’s not immediately obvious, as there isn’t an HDR section anywhere in the menus, but if you type HDR into the search box you’ll find a list of HDR content such as After Life, The Witcher and Lupin. You’ll see an HDR logo (or Dolby Vision logo, if your TV supports it) on relevant content.
MORE: Best 4K TVs 2021
Provided your broadband connection is up to the task, it has always been a fuss-free and stable experience, and its broad compatibility is a strong sell too.
PCs and Macs, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku streamers, any smart TV worth its salt, games consoles, Blu-ray players from all the big brands, tablets and phones, whether iOS, Android or Windows, are all on the menu. In fact, there’s a strong argument that if a smart device doesn’t have Netflix, it can’t really be considered smart at all. It’s certainly the first app we look for whenever testing a new streaming product.
There’s good news for mobile users too. In the early days it wasn’t possible to download anything from Netflix to watch offline. Since November 2016, though, content can be downloaded to your phone and tablet to watch, glitch free, at your leisure on the Netflix app – and it does not count toward the limit of how many screens you can watch on at the same time. You can’t download literally everything, but there’s plenty of choice and lots of the most popular content is there for you to stick on your device.
MORE: Amazon Prime Video review
Ease of use
(Image credit: Netflix)
Ergonomically, things could hardly be simpler.
Aside from the TV app’s rather retrograde A-Z keyboard (rather than QWERTY) search function, it’s straightforward to browse, create a shortlist and enjoy Netflix’s more-hit-than-miss recommendations based on your previous viewing habits.
You can establish multiple user profiles, including parental locks to prevent the kids stumbling onto Zombeavers or similar.
There are also handy and fun features such as Play Something/Shuffle Play for when you’re stuck for what to watch next, and Netflix Party to watch online with friends.
MORE: 25 Netflix tips, tricks and features
Performance
Whether 4K, Full HD or standard definition, Netflix serves video streams at exactly the sort of quality you expect. Watch a 4K HDR stream such as Formula 1 Drive to Survive on an appropriate display and it’s prodigiously detailed, vibrant and stable.
Colours pop, contrast is punchy and the sheer amount of information available for your enjoyment is thrilling. It almost goes without saying, but if you own a 4K TV or 4K projector, the top tier £14 ($18, AU$20) subscription should be considered almost compulsory.
It’s all equally high-contrast, steady-motion, fine-detail good news for Full HD too. Native 1080p content looks accomplished, though obviously the exact amount of detail revealed in dark scenes (for instance) is to an extent dependent on the source material.
MORE: 15 of the best movies of the 1990s to test your home cinema
Given a fighting chance, though, Full HD stuff such as Collateral is vivid, stable and eminently watchable. As regards standard-def stuff, you take your chances.
The majority of decent TVs – and certainly all the screens we recommend – are equipped with effective upscaling engines and won’t make you regret your partiality for schlocky thrillers such as Ravenous.
5.1 audio is now available on many titles, and Netflix serves it up in the same manner as it does pictures: robustly and positively.
Provided you have the necessary home cinema set-up (or even the right soundbar) at home, Dolby Atmos is also available on a good portion of Netflix’s own TV shows and movies. It presents an altogether more substantial and immersive sound than anything your TV’s integrated speakers can manage.
Verdict
It’s difficult to think of a downside to Netflix. Set your mind to it and you can search for plenty of films it doesn’t have, but the same is true of any movie streaming service and Netflix is better than almost all of those when it comes to the combination of original content, cherry-picked classics, video and sound quality, usability, and individual recommendations.
Disney+ will have turned many a head, but there are plenty who are left cold by the House of Mouse’s output, and, with recent price hikes to Netflix and Disney+, signing up to both services is not quite the financial no-brainer it once was.
Sure, the Premium tier (£13.99, $17.99, AU$19.99) now feels a more considerable monthly outgoing than before. All the same, if we had to live with just one video streaming service, it’s no contest. The quality, consistency and breadth of content available mean that Netflix is still king.
MORE:
Amazon vs Netflix – which is better?
9 simple ways to get better Netflix recommendations
10 of the best sports films and documentaries on Netflix UK
Best movies on Netflix
The 40 best TV shows to watch on Netflix right now
One of the best TV streaming devices just got a tiny bit better. Google is rolling out an update to the Google Chromecast with Google TV giving you more control over picture settings, including HDR, The Verge reports.
Download the update and restart the device, and you’ll find a new “advanced video controls” sub-menu in the settings. Here you’ll be able to tinker with all sorts of settings, including setting your preferred HDR setting, whether that be Dolby Vision, HDR or forced SDR.
As the Chromecast with Google TV does dynamic range matching (assuming you’ve selected that option) this new option won’t be hugely useful to most people, but those with lower-end HDR TVs may find that forcing SDR gives them better overall performance.
You can manually switch to a different resolution at various refresh rates, too. These include: 4K (60Hz / 50Hz / 30Hz/ 25Hz / 24Hz / smpte); 1080p (60Hz / 50Hz / 24Hz); 720p (60Hz / 50Hz); 1080i (60Hz / 50Hz); 576p (50Hz); and 480p (60Hz). Really, though, you should be fine with the setting the Chromecast has picked for you – something that it should now be even better at doing, thanks to the new update.
It gets better on the audio side too, with Bluetooth audio stuttering reduced on certain apps.
Its wi-fi performance should be improved on 5GHz and mesh networks, while HDMI-CEC can now be configured to turn on/off only the TV. Finally, a security update should provide peace of mind.
A couple of things are missing from this update, though – the recently promised HDR10+ support, and an option for the device to automatically match the frame rate of the content being played. Until a ‘match frame rate’ option is added, some content can stutter a little bit.
That said, the Google Chromecast with Google TV is already one of the best streamers around, earning five stars in our review. But it’s up against some stiff competition from Amazon’s Fire TV streamers and the new Apple TV 4K.
MORE:
Check out the best streaming devices and services
These are the best streaming services for TV and movies 2021
Out with the old? New Apple TV 4K 2021 vs old Apple TV 4K: should you upgrade?
Following the official reveal last week of the new model refreshes for the iMac and iPad Pros, all of which are powered by Apple’s own silicon — the M1 chip — preorders began for all three products today.
As spotted first by 9to5Toys, Expercom is offering an incentive if you pre-purchase any of the three new M1 products, with up to $147 in savings available depending on the configuration you select, making this the first time any of these three brand-new products have seen a discount yet.
The base M1 iMac is available for preorder at Expercom for as low as $1,233 ($66 off); this configuration includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. As noted previously, the configurations vary, but there are price reductions for multiple configurations.
The 2021 iPad Pros are the first in Apple’s tablet line to include the M1 processor. The 11-inch iPad Pro is more affordable with a starting price of $799. But Expercom is offering the base model, which includes 128GB of storage with Wi-Fi only, for $750 — $49 off its usual starting price. You can also select the option to get more storage or 5G network support, all of which vary in price depending on which configuration you choose.
Along with the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch model also receives a model refresh, which includes the M1 chip. This flagship tablet has a new Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED screen and starts at $1,099 for the base 128GB storage configuration with Wi-Fi only. But you can get this particular model for $1,032 at Expercom with up to $147 off if you get the highest storage configuration plus Wi-Fi and cellular support.
Mother’s Day is coming up; if you are looking for a good gift to give your mother, an Amazon Echo Show 8 might be a good gadget for consideration. Usually $130, Amazon, Best Buy, and Target have the device on sale for $105. If you’re looking for more Mother’s Day gift ideas, be sure to check out our Mother’s Day 2021 Gift Guide.
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