OnePlus’ long-awaited first smartwatch has made its first appearance ahead of the company’s upcoming March 23rd launch event, which is feeling increasingly irrelevant as almost every piece of news about its new product lineup trickles online in bits and pieces.
Revealed fully for the first time by Unbox Therapy, the creatively named OnePlus Watch doesn’t appear to break too much new ground when it comes to smartwatch design. Visible are two buttons on the right side of the watch (notably, there’s no scrolling crown-style wheel) on an otherwise normal-looking watch. Also of interest are what appears to be standard watch straps, instead of the proprietary bands that are popular among companies like Apple and Fitbit.
The image also gives a first look at the Watch’s new OS, which OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed in a forum post is not running Wear OS, but instead an RTOS-style operating system. Lau’s post also promises “seamless connectivity” to OnePlus phones, headphones, and TVs, and an “affordable price point.”
Smartphone leaker Ishan Agarwal has also revealed more specific details on the specs of the OnePlus Watch claiming that it will measure in at 46mm, feature IP68 water resistance, and feature a version of OnePlus’ Warp Charge system (promising a week of battery life off a 20-minute charge). It’ll also have 4GB of storage and the ability to see notifications, incoming calls, and automatically detect workouts.
Exclusive: OnePlus Watch Specifications
– 46mm – IP68 – Warp Charge (A week of charge in 20 minutes) – Sleep, Stress, Blood Saturation, Heart Rate Monitoring – Check Notifications, Calls – Control OnePlus TV – 4GB Storage – Auto Workout Detection
Agarwal also says that the watch will be able to track sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation, and heart rate — which could correspond to the four colorful tracking bars seen on the watchface in Unbox Therapy’s image.
You might think this week is pretty nondescript, just another stop on the way to Easter. But there’s a big promotion going on across loads of big-name digital movie services that sees 4K flicks selling for just £2.99.
It’s called Unforgettable Entertainment, and it’s part of a push by Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEGE) and the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) to promote digital entertainment. It’s been running since 2019, and was previously called Mega Movie Week.
So who’s taking part? Pretty much everyone, including Rakuten, Chili, Sky Store, Google Play Movies & Film, Amazon Prime Video, and BT.
And it’s not just films that are on offer. Here’s a selection of what’s available.
Sky Store
His Dark Materials S1: was £16.99 now £3.99
Joker: was £13.99 now £4.99
Avengers End Game: was £13.99 now £4.99
Hard Kill: was £5.99 now £2.99
Microsoft Store
Bad Boys For Life: was £7.99 now £4.99
Charlie’s Angels: was £7.99 now £3.99
Get Out: was £8.99 now £2.99
Men In Black: was £7.99 now £2.99
Rakuten TV
Knives Out: was £10.99 now £4.99
Dirty Dancing: was £7.99 now £2.99
Trolls World Tour: was £9.99 now £5.99
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: was £10.99 now £4.99
CHILI
Spider-Man: Homecoming: was £6.99 now £5.99
They Shall Not Grow Old: was £7.99 now £2.99
Bridesmaids: was £9.99 now £2.99
Interstellar: was £7.99 now £4.99
As you can see, there’s everything from classics to new releases in 4K HDR and HD as well.
The promotion lasts until 21st March – that’s Sunday. So don’t delay, get watching this weekend.
MORE:
Compare Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K vs Apple TV 4K: which is better?
When Microsoft announced that Auto HDR would make its way to the Xbox Series X and S, many wondered if it would also make an appearance on Windows 10. Today, Microsoft has announced that a test build of Windows 10 (21337) is currently available and incorporates Auto HDR.
To give the preview a test drive, you’ll need to be a member of the Windows Insider Program (Dev Channel) to gain access to the Windows 10 21337 build (see also how to get Windows 10 for free or cheap). If you aren’t already a member, you can join and access the proper channel here. You’ll also need a display that’s capable of handling an HDR signal. If you don’t have a monitor, you can also try using a 4K TV if you have one of those.
Auto HDR is a technology developed by Microsoft for use with the Xbox Series family of consoles and Windows. It uses artificial intelligence to convert standard dynamic range (SDR) material to a high dynamic range (HDR) image. This is made possible thanks to Microsoft’s use of machine learning., which then trains the Auto-HDR algorithm on what to look for when converting from SDR to HDR.
In the image below, Microsoft has provided examples of an SDR image (left), Auto HDR image (middle), and one in native HDR (right). As we can see by the heatmap, the lighting or luminance isn’t as pronounced in the Auto HDR example but does provide the benefit of HDR, without the impact that running a title at native HDR image would produce.
(Image credit: Microsoft and Xbox)
As of now, there’s a limited amount of titles that support Auto HDR, but Microsoft says that more PC games, both DirectX 11 and 12, will benefit from Auto HDR. The company says that is working through the process of selecting titles and will announce the selection of games when they become available.
Currently, Auto HDR is a preview/beta build and Microsoft is still working to improve it. If you do enable the preview, you will encounter bugs, and things may not work correctly. So be sure to provide any feedback to Microsoft via its feedback hub app.
Sony has unveiled a new soundbar that comes complete with a wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speakers for a reasonable price. For £349 (around $500, AU$650), the new HT-S40R promises maximum oomph and minimum clutter.
The system delivers 600W of power, Bluetooth for music streaming and support for Dolby Audio (there’s no mention of object-based Dolby Atmos, but we wouldn’t necessarily expect it at this price).
According to Sony, the HT-S40R delivers “room-filling sound” and “no wires between the front and rear speakers”. The subwoofer and soundbar share a single power connection and those with a Sony Bravia TV that supports “TV wireless connection” can beam audio between the TV and HT-S40R wirelessly.
There is a slight catch: Sony’s one-box wonder isn’t completely wireless. It does require a compact wireless amplifier (included in the box) to power the rear speakers. The amp can be placed nearby or mounted on the wall, but it will need to be plugged into the mains. You can see it in the bottom-left of the picture below.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony gives you four different sound modes to choose from – Cinema, Music, Standard, and Auto – so you can pick the setting that best suits what you’re watching or listening to. There’s also Night and Voice modes, which aim to provide clear dialogue at low volume, so as not to disturb the neighbours. Connections include HDMI ARC, a USB port, plus optical and analogue inputs.
Although we’re yet to test the Sony HT-S40R, on paper it seems to offer plenty of bang for your buck. If you’re after an affordable 5.1 system for movies and music, this could be a cheaper alternative to building a system around, say, a Sonos Beam soundbar (£399, $399, AU$599).
The Sony HT-S40R is due to hit shops in May. That gives you just enough time to weigh up all the options listed on our best soundbars and best Dolby Atmos soundbars pages.
Looking for a brand new Dolby Atmos soundbar? Bluesound just added the Pulse Soundbar+ to its lineup of wireless home cinema products, and this one features a ‘3D immersive audio engine’ with support for Dolby Atmos. Bluesound says the Soundbar+ takes the firm’s original Pulse Soundbar 2i (which we awarded a highly-commended four stars under intense review) and pushes its credentials even further.
The Pulse Soundbar+ is billed as the “ultimate audiophile-grade soundbar that will satisfy any home entertainment need” and to that end it offers support for Dolby Atmos, 24-bit high resolution audio, 120W of full-frequency multi-room and multi-channel audio, a choice of black or white finishes and is configurable to a range of home entertainment applications. It also comes supplied with a wall mount bracket as well as two kickstand feet (if you don’t want it on your wall).
(Image credit: Bluesound)
Designed to fit perfectly under HD TVs, the Pulse Soundbar+ promises a fully immersive sonic experience thanks to a “full audio-chain redesign with advanced DSP processing” that now supports 3D audio from Dolby Atmos, meaning a wider, higher, and more enveloping soundstage.
The ‘bar itself boasts eight “audiophile-quality” drivers and, according to Bluesound, it “is to audio what the 8K TV is to video”, which sounds decidedly ambitious to us. The Pulse Soundbar+ can either be used alone or paired with the Pulse Sub+ (sold separately) to add drama through the low end, and Bluesound is quick to add that by including a pair of Pulse Flex 2i speakers as rear channels you’ll get a complete wireless Dolby surround sound experience.
Under the hood, the Pulse Soundbar+ features a custom-specified ARM Cortex A53 Quad-Core chipset that can, says Bluesound, process audio eight times faster than previous generations of Bluesound architecture. Combined with two wi-fi chips to prevent network latency, this flagship board design apparently provides rock solid and zero-lag audio performance, even for demanding gaming applications.
Connections? Of course. You can connect nearly any audio source to the Pulse Soundbar+. TVs, gaming consoles, music streaming services, laptops, and music libraries can all be accessed through HDMI eARC, Apple AirPlay 2, two-way aptX HD Bluetooth, TOSLINK, RCA, USB, and Bluesound’s own proprietary BluOS music streaming system.
(Image credit: Bluesound)
Newly added simple touch controls on the front panel now mean quick access to play, pause and volume, and with a smartphone or tablet, the built-in BluOS wireless multi-room streaming technology can connect and sync audio to, from, and around any room in the home. Hands-free control of your home entertainment is on board with Amazon Alexa Skills integration, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri too, and the company states that professional smart home integrators can get access to drivers for other popular control systems such as Lutron, Crestron, RTI, Elan and others.
As with all Bluesound Pulse speaker models, the acoustic design and speaker voicing was performed at Canada’s National Research Council, by Lenbrook’s speaker design and engineering team.
It doesn’t come cheap, though. Available for pre-order now, the Pulse Soundbar+ will begin shipping in April 2021, priced at £799 (€999, $899) in black, or £899 (€1099, $999) in white.
MORE:
Read all our Bluesound reviews
Dolby Atmos not essential? See the best soundbars 2021: the best TV speakers you can buy
On a tight budget? We hear you. See best budget soundbars 2021: excellent, affordable TV speakers
Lest anyone worry that HBO Max would tarnish Zack Snyder’s auteur work Justice League, for which the company spent $70 million on reshoots and new digital effects in order to meet the director’s requirements and satisfy years of fan demand for a better cut of the widely panned movie, the service is prefacing all streams of the film with a short disclosure:
“This film is presented in a 4:3 format to preserve the integrity of Zack Snyder’s creative vision.”
That’s right. HBO will not artificially crop the image just to satisfy your natural demand for widescreen viewing. Nor would it tell Snyder that, hey, maybe Justice League isn’t First Cowand doesn’t need to be presented in a tight boxy format in which it’s unclear if the entire film was even originally intended to be presented. After three years of demands, this is his vision, and no one’s going to touch it.
Now look, I’m not going to make fun of directors choosing less common aspect ratios (I contend that First Cow, a quiet movie about a cow, which was also shot in 4:3,was robbed of its place on the Best Picture nominees list). But this does mean that HBO Max’s highest-profile film — one that was announced before the streaming service was even available, is exclusive to the service, and is very much meant to bring in new subscribers — is presented in the aspect ratio of a ’90s TV series and leaves about half the screen empty on most modern devices.
It was known before the movie’s debut this morning that the Snyder cut would be presented in 4:3. So it’s really only HBO’s warning — likely meant as a heads-up to less obsessive fans who may be confused by the crop — that’s a surprise here.
The film was supposedly shot for this boxy format, and if that’s the case, then you’re actually seeing more on the screen than you did in the 2017 version (which was released in a more traditional widescreen format… and was also two hours shorter). The intention was for the taller footage to be shown on giant IMAX screens, which are close to a 4:3 ratio, though typically only portions of a movie are presented in the larger format. For now, your best bet at watching the film on a device intended for that screen size is to go with something a bit smaller:
Motorola is expanding its Edge Plus flagship phone with a new, desktop computer interface called Ready For. Similar to Samsung’s DeX, Ready For allows users to plug their smartphone into a larger screen (using either a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to HDMI cable), allowing the Edge Plus (and presumably, future Motorola phones) to be used as a computer or even a set-top box alternative.
The company actually envisions four different use cases for Ready For. On the most basic level, users can convert the Edge Plus into a mobile desktop computer setup, complete with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard — similar to DeX.
But Motorola also has more interesting ideas for how to use the Edge Plus. One more, for instance, turns the Edge Plus into a videoconference station, using the superior cameras on the smartphone (either the 108-megapixel main lens or the 16-megapixel ultrawide lens) for a better video chat experience.
There are also entertainment options. Players can pair a controller and use the Edge Plus as a makeshift console, either for native mobile games like Fortnite or with game-streaming services like xCloud. Users can also hook up their phone as an easily portable set-top box — Motorola envisions plugging the Edge Plus into a hotel room TV, for instance, giving you access to all your already logged-in streaming apps when you’re traveling without having to worry about your room’s Wi-Fi setup.
Ready For (or DeX) isn’t the first attempt to turn a smartphone into a computer. Mobile phone history is littered with past attempts, like the aborted Palm Foleo or Motorola’s own Atrix 4G’s LapDock accessory. And while Motorola’s use cases here are a little ambitious (and, perhaps, a little optimistic about the number of users who routinely keep HDMI to USB-C cables around), there are certainly more creative ideas for converting a phone to a larger screen beyond a half-baked desktop computer experience.
Motorola’s Ready For experience is set to roll out to Edge Plus users on Verizon starting today.
Keeping fit is hard for a lot of people, especially if you’re still avoiding health clubs (or were never a fan to begin with). A year after many of us started staying home, we’re still looking for ways to stay in shape and stay healthy.
We asked the staff of The Verge what they were using to keep fit and healthy during the pandemic and got the following answers.
Fitness videos and websites
Yoga With Adriene
If you’re looking to try yoga, I really recommend the 30-day challenges offered by Adriene Mishler’s YouTube channel, Yoga With Adriene. She’s very welcoming and makes my wife and I, who are absolute yoga beginners, feel like we are doing a great job whenever we show up to the mat. Plus, in later videos, her incredible dog, Benji, shows up and flops around. — Jay Peters, news writer
305 Fitness
I’ve never been so sedentary in my life than this past winter. If I had a tracker monitoring my fitness / movement, the past several months would be a sad, low pit on the graph… thank you, New York winter! Sometimes, when I’d muster up some energy, I’d do a 305 dance cardio video with the instructor, Sadie. Her energy made me smile and dancing alone in my apartment made me laugh, which is a plus during this time. The music is great and the 40 minutes goes by fast because you’re basically just dancing. — Alix Diaconis, director
Hiking Project
Hiking Project
I’ve always been partial to hiking and other outdoor activities, but the pandemic has made them even more attractive — it’s easy to social distance when there’s less than 20 people around and you’ve got the entire side of a mountain to explore. Hiking Project (and its counterparts and alternatives like MTB Project, AllTrails, and Trailforks) has been instrumental in helping me find new and longer hikes to do — and in keeping me from getting lost while doing them. I’ve also been playing with the Guthook Guides app as an exercise in daydreaming. — Mitchell Clark, news writer
Fitness equipment
Saris Fluid Indoor Bike Trainer
Saris Fluid 2 TrainerPhoto: Saris
I wanted to do indoor bike exercising, but I don’t have the space for an indoor bike, so I wanted to use a bike I already have. My setup is Apple Fitness Plus and a Saris Fluid trainer — I have the original model, but there’s a slightly updated model that comes with a smart sensor that can speak to some smartphone apps. Apple Fitness Plus can’t read it, but other indoor bike apps like Zwift or Garmin can.
The Saris is great because I don’t have to remove my wheel to use it, it’s not hideously loud, and it’s made in Wisconsin. If you’re looking at getting something like this, my very strong advice is to buy it from a local bike shop. I did, and they gave me great advice on compatibility with my bike, including directing me away from a fancier, incompatible trainer and hooking me up with a new axle from the Robert Axle project so my bike would work with the Saris. — Dieter Bohn, executive editor
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike Photo: Exerpeutic
While walking is a good way to do at least some daily movement, it’s all too easy to shrug and put the thought aside if the weather is wet, cold, or just generally unpleasant. I decided that an exercise bike might help, but we don’t have much room in our small and very crowded home. Finally, I decided on the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike. It’s nowhere near as flashy as the Peloton — it’s not “smart” at all — but I can now pedal in my living room while watching streaming content on my TV, fold it up, and put it away until tomorrow. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
The Stick Original muscle massager
The StickPhoto: Power Systems
An embarrassingly big part of my life pre-pandemic was massages. Biking and running around NYC makes you sore! And apparently sitting in my apartment also makes me sore, somehow. This hard foam roller is not a massage, but it’s a darn good replacement and much cheaper, too. It’s hard, but flexible, which is very effective for working out knots. Plus, it’s easy to use because of the grips, unlike traditional foam rollers that are just cylinders of styrofoam. — Alix Diaconis
PowerBlock Sport 24 Adjustable Dumbbell
PowerBlock Sport 24 Adjustable Dumbbell Photo: PowerBlock
While I missed all the machines at the gym, I knew that I was never going to be able to fit any of them into my apartment. However, the PowerBlock Sport adjustable dumbbells let me keep doing at least some amount of strength training, without taking the massive amounts of space a regular set of weights would. Having access to weights is a lifesaver for me — I’ve found that the only reliable way for me to stave off a repetitive strain injury is doing dumbbell rows. The one downside is that I went with the non-expandable version and, not to literally flex, after using them for a year I’ll probably need to upgrade them — I’m starting to use the heaviest setting available. — Mitchell Clark
Fitness footwear
Saucony Peregrine 11 trail runners
Saucony Peregine II Photo: Saucony
I invite you to click through and look at these Trapper-Keeper-ass shoes. Really, just get their vibe. I’ve spent a lot of the pandemic hiking — hell, I even took up running — and these trail runners from Saucony are really, really good. They’re grippy on uncertain terrain without being too heavy or stiff, so whether I want to jog on some dirt or knock out a long hike, these are my go-tos. Obviously, the shoe that works best for you will vary based on your foot and gait and so on, but if you’re thinking of taking up hiking, trail runners are lighter than hiking boots and often more comfortable. Plus, you can wear some genuinely shocking neon. — Liz Lopatto, deputy editor
Cairn Pro II Adventure Sandals
Cairn Pro II Adventure SandalsPhoto: Bedrock Sandals
If you want to go hiking and, like me, find hiking boots unbearably uncomfortable (especially in the summertime), I can give Bedrock Sandals two thumbs up for being ultra-comfortable and durable hiking shoes that will keep being comfortable even after a river crossing or five (and for being versatile enough to bike in and wear to the beach or grocery store). — Mitchell Clark
(Pocket-lint) – If your TV audio isn’t up to snuff then there are a bevy of options on the market to help step things up a notch. Among these is Polk Audio’s React soundbar, which is available for less cash than many a rival.
But just because you’re paying less doesn’t mean you’ll get less in terms of raw sound capability. Especially if, as we have for this review, you opt for the bundled React soundbar and React Sub package.
That said, the Polk React doesn’t offer any fancy object-based sound decoding, it doesn’t even play pretend – as there’s no Dolby Atmos surround output here from the bar itself – instead sticking to Dolby Digital and DTS surround formats.
You can later invest in Polk’s RS2 surround speakers, which are simply paired at the touch of a button, to create a fully fledged 5.1 system (if you have the Sub) in smaller steps rather than forking our a massive chunk of change up front. That, we think, is a big part of this soundbar’s wider appeal.
Design & Setup
Ports: 1x HDMI (ARC) output; 1x optical input
Controls: Included remote / four-button top-of-‘bar panel
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa voice control integrated
Dimensions (soundbar): 56mm (H) x 864mm (W) x 121mm (D)
Dimensions (sub): 348mm (H) x 218mm (W) x 419mm (D); 7.5kg
Having recently reviewed the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam – which is an all-in-one box solution that can’t ever be connected to separates – it was interesting to dig into the Polk React for its points of difference. The Polk is a longer soundbar – at 864mm it’s 160mm longer by comparison – so even sat against a 55-inch telly, as pictured, it’s fairly good at covering the majority of the screen width, which is handy for a wide soundscape to help match the action on screen.
The Polk is simpler than the JBL in terms of core specification, though, as there’s no HDMI input, just the one HDMI input – the latter of which is ARC (audio return channel) capable. For us this meant a slight rejig of our TV’s four HDMI ports, as we couldn’t passthrough using the soundbar itself, ensuring the HDMI ARC cable provided was running from TV to React ‘bar.
Thing is, our ARC port is one of the two 4K resolution capable HDMI ports on the TV (every maker does this at present), so our BT TV box for telly had to be relegated to HDMI 4 (running Full HD maximum – which, in fairness, is how majority content from there is streamed) to save HDMI 1 for our PlayStation 5 (our source of Blu-ray and 4K streaming apps such as Netflix). ARC does its job though: once the TV is switched on the audio handshakes between device and soundbar.
Well, it didn’t at very first. For a brief period of time we were in a no man’s land of having both TV audio and soundbar audio outputting simultaneously. That’s because the setup is, to our mind, a little finicky. The soundbar needed an update out of the box, that much it told us (by voice alert), but having advised us to install the Polk Connect app – which we did on our Google Android phone – it then didn’t like it, forcing a handover to Amazon Alexa instead. But the Alexa app initially failed to get things talking successfully.
Pocket-lint
Success did come after a few attempts, after which there’s been no issues, but it very much points to this Polk’s intentions: it’s an Alexa voice control soundbar through and through. There’s even an Alexa button pride of place on the included remote control. There’s not even a proper off button – as your main TV remote will take over for that duty anyway – and there’s always a glowing light of some colour to the front of the ‘bar, which we think is a design downside when watching movies in darkened rooms.
Oh, and Alexa shouts crazilyloud for some reason too – almost to the point of distorting – and there’s no simple way that we can find to turn this down, which is irksome.
The included remote isn’t the prettiest, but it’s well appointed, able to switch between TV and Bluetooth audio sources. There are adjustments for bass up/down on the left, volume up/down in the middle, voice up/down on the right, four quick-select movie presets below this, and surround sound volume/balance adjustment to the bottom of the controller.
That surround sound adjustment won’t do anything unless you’ve bought into the Polk’s expandable options though. As the React soundbar itself is a straight forward left, centre, right speaker arrangement. But if you buy the RS2 surround speakers – not on test here – then you can easily sync them at the touch of a button on the back of the soundbar and boost things to a 5-channel system.
Go with the subwoofer – paired in the same way, using the same button to quickly sync without extra wires – and that brings 5.1 channel potential into your living room. The sub is pretty beefy in terms of scale – and deeper than it is either wide or tall – but the addition of true bass at the lower end of the spectrum is transformative to the sound profile. We think it’s an essential addition to make the React ‘bar deliver its potential.
Best speakers for PC gamers 2021: All the sound and RGB lighting you could ever need
Which brings us to the whole reason to buy a soundbar: to enhance audio quality, notching up TV audio to new heights. And the Polk React does a generally decent job, although given its positioning to the base of a screen (inevitable, of course) and lack of object-based sound control it lacks any distinct verticality – so on larger screens voice parts might not give the impression they’re coming from the person speaking with the greatest of precision.
Pocket-lint
Otherwise there’s a lot of tweaking that can be done with ease, so it’s great to have all that control directly to hand. The presets are particularly useful, selecting Movie to enhance that extra bass – there’s always a good down-pitched “wommm” in an action flick – or Night to quieten such frequencies and allow your family/neighbours/whoever to get some shut-eye when you’re having a late night session.
The independent controls for bass and voice are handy too, the latter really adjusting the mid-to-high-end of the frequency range to give more curvature to vocal output. So if you’re finding the bass balance is a bit too high, then this can help voices to cut through the mix with greater clarity. We like that it’s a simple system, too, not over-complex in how many ways it can all be adjusted.
Pocket-lint
However, bass-wise we’ve heard soundbars with chunkier capability. Which is why, once paired with the React Sub, you’ll really hear and feel the difference. With the React subwoofer linked up the sound has a much more rooted appeal, delivered with gusto. It’s got great musicality too, to the point we’ve ceased using our Marshall standalone speaker in the living room and instead just tuck into the Polk React and Sub on Music mode for the best possible listen.
Through the Alexa app it’s simple enough to get the soundbar to register as part of your home network. With Google Home open it’s easily identified (although not directly controllable here, as Alexa rules the way), so Spotify plays nice – and you can ask Alexa by voice to load your favourites.
We suspect that adding a pair of RS2 speakers would add to the expanse of the overall sound as, like we said up top, the Polk React doesn’t support object-based audio, so you’re not going to get any Dolby Atmos pseudo height and all-around sense from this soundbar. But, really, given how such systems can sometimes fly off the handle in weird (and not always wonderful) ways, we think Polk delivers here exactly what people will want – enhanced sound on a smaller budget.
Pocket-lint
That will raise the question, however, as to whether you want something smaller and more technologically complete, such as the JBL Bar 5 MultiBeam that we mentioned at the beginning of this review. It can’t match the smacking bass of the subwoofer by any means, but if you don’t have the space then it might be a better fit to your needs – and the Atmos found there is impressive given the right source material.
Verdict
While the Polk React doesn’t have object-based sound decoding bells and whistles – that’s to say there’s no vertical channels for pseudo surround – as a standalone large ‘bar with decent output and control, for a very fair price, it’s got a lot going for it. Especially if you’re keen on Alexa integration for voice control.
But things really step up a notch when you add a React Sub as part of the package. That’s when the sound becomes extra full, deep and rich – to the point that it’s taken preference as our living room music speaker when the telly is out of use. Now if that’s not high praise, then what is? Keep your expectations in check in terms of technological prowess and Polk delivers strong at this end of the market.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam
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It’s a different prospect, as it’s a single box solution – so you’ll never be able to add extras or a sub – but that might better suit your space restrictions. However, it permits passthrough (thanks to HDMI in and out ports with eARC) and offers Dolby Atmos decoding, which with the right source delivers a more complete sound. That said, the Polk’s React Sub, if you want to fork out the extra cash, takes impactful sound to the next step where the JBL simply cannot reach.
Read our review
Pocket-lint
Yamaha SR-C20A
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Looking for something smaller? If what you need is a bit of everything from your soundbar – ignoring that, at this price point, you can’t expect surround sound – you can’t go far wrong with this little Yamaha. It’s a one-box solution (so, like the JBL above, there there’s no subwoofer here) and can turn its hand to pretty much anything, without ever making itself the centre of attention. A different prospect, but a nice neat little package.
On March 18th, a four-hour version of director Zack Snyder’s original vision for Justice Leaguewill hit HBO Max.
Early reviews are mostly littered with praise for the movie, calling it a win for fans of Snyder’s other superhero films (Batman v Superman, Man of Steel). Others acknowledge that, hey, at least it’s better than the original film released in 2017, which was spliced together by Joss Whedon after Snyder had to step back from the project to cope with the sudden death of his daughter. Whether the movie lives up to people’s expectations or not, the very existence of it — the marketing behind it, what it represents to fandom as a whole — is a turning point for online fandom.
A quick reminder of what the last four years have consisted of from various corners of the internet: after Justice League came out in 2017, Snyder fans immediately took up a petition asking Warner Bros. to release an alternate of the film — the true version they called the Snyder Cut. Over the years, calls for Warner Bros. to take action have grown, as has the fandom. Billboard signs in Times Square, bus ads in San Diego during Comic-Con, and small demonstrations outside Warner Bros.’ headquarters in Burbank all existed in an attempt to rally WarnerMedia executives into giving them the version of Justice League they were promised through setups in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman, and more.
Like any massive faceless group centering their online personas on one particular thing or person, the Snyder Cut fandom (or the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut collective, as they became known) was a mixture of positives and negatives. The positive aspects are inspiring. Together, the group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for suicide prevention awareness, a cause close to Snyder’s heart after his daughter’s death. A fandom rooted in a specific director spawned some genuinely thoughtful social media campaigns. There’s no denying that.
It’s also impossible to ignore the negatives. Critics and reporters received countless death threats and vile slurs all because they expressed disinterest in a Snyder Cut or called Snyder’s other work bad. Warner Bros. and DC Comics executives like Geoff Johns and former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara were lambasted by Snyder fans to the point that Johns seemingly stopped using Twitter altogether. When new Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff joined the company, her Twitter mentions were full of people demanding the Snyder Cut.
“It took them a long time, the people who really wanted to be productive in this moment, to realize that they’re going to get judged by [negative] actions also,” Sean O’Connell, a journalist and author of Release the Snyder Cut, a book detailing the campaign over the last four years, tells The Verge. “The Snyder movement doesn’t have a really strong hold on policing the people in their movement who continue promoting that negativity.”
Even with critics, academics, and journalists calling out the toxic parts of the fandom, there were some members within the group who only seemed incentivized by ongoing acknowledgment and less-than-subtle encouragement from Snyder himself. The director recently told TheNew York Times that “it’s in some ways fun to surf the wave of a cultural phenomenon,” adding that “in other ways it’s terrifying and horrible.”
Snyder Cut fans are far from the only fan base with a toxic cloud hanging over parts of it. Star Wars is a perfect example. The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, alongside actors John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran, received hordes of harassment from bitter Star Wars viewers. Boyega and Johnson publicly fought back against trolls, while Tran decided after some time to leave social media platforms like Instagram for her own mental health. At the time, Lucasfilm executives didn’t say anything publicly, nor did any of the official Star Wars social media accounts.
One of the biggest changes that has come about in an internet-first, social media-dominant world is that fans of massive properties feel closer to talent, executives, and companies than ever before. In turn, companies are trying to figure out how to navigate extremely loud voices on increasingly global platforms. Universal leaned into the #JusticeForHan hashtag when marketing its upcoming F9, a popular fan-driven movement. Sony reworked the overall tone for Venom after the first trailer failed to garner hype from Marvel fans. And perhaps most notably, Paramount completely redesigned its CGI version of Sonic the Hedgehog after the first trailer led to immediate negative reaction from fans.
Parts of the Snyder Cut fandom have drawn direct comparisons to what happened with BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 in 2012. After the game’s ending drew heavy criticism from fans, BioWare released an alternate ending to try to smooth over a vocal part of the fan base. The DLC was called Mass Effect: Extended Cut, and it became an example of corporations giving in to social media pressures.
“It’s such a slippery slope,” O’Connell says. “I don’t think that studios and corporations are going to make decisions going forward to placate fans on social media because that’s a risky gamble. At the same time, this entire DCEU experiment, to me, has been reactionary to the studio’s detriment. They started chasing the Marvel model instead of just believing in whatever Nolan had started and what Snyder tried to continue.”
AT&T has arguably leaned into the Snyder fandom the most as it tries to garner more attention and subscribers for its new HBO Max streaming service. After years of Warner Bros. repeatedly not saying anything about rereleasing a version of the film in theaters, the announcement of Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max came with AT&T’s official Twitter account celebrating a prickly fandom. This hasn’t stopped other Snyder fans from already replying to other AT&T tweets with pleas to #RestoreTheSnyderUniverse, demanding the director be given another shot at creating his entire superhero world, something current DC Films head Walter Hamada has no intention of doing.
The Snyder Cut is, according to several reviews, much better than the original. It exists as a testament to having a director see their entire project through from beginning to end. But #ReleaseTheSnyderCut is not the same as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and there is a reason why WarnerMedia is releasing it as a four-hour film with effectively no oversight on HBO Max instead of rereleasing it in theaters (even with the pandemic) and spending $100 million on marketing.
It is, as Snyder told TheNew York Times, a “social experiment.” The problem with an experiment is that no one knows what that means two years, five years, or three decades from now. O’Connell doesn’t believe this would have happened if Warner Bros. waited another year or HBO Max hadn’t launched. It’s a moment to appease fans and drive subscribers to a platform that WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar consistently refers to as the future of the company.
“It’s the culmination of this entire experience: I fought and used the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, and it’s in my world, in my computer, on my TV, in my house,” Snyder said.
That’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut fandom isn’t suddenly going to disappear, as my colleague Joshua Rivera wrote at Polygon. For both the positive campaigners who are happy to finally have Snyder’s version available to watch and the negative spouting trolls who can claim victory on social media and continue fighting with people, they got what they wanted. Their tactics worked. One of the largest corporations in the United States gave in to demands from anonymous people. That’s not something people forget, and it only incentivizes a very specific type of action further.
Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 will get DVR functionality in Japan by way of a new app that’ll work with its Nasne tuners. The app will be called Torne (pronounced to-ru-ne) and should be available later this year.
Torne was originally a TV tuner add-on for the PS3 that was released in 2010 and allowed you to save broadcast shows to your console’s hard drive and transfer them to a PSP or PS Vita. It was followed by Nasne, which added its own storage and worked more like a NAS drive, with the recordings available through a mobile app.
Sony stopped selling Nasne in 2019, but last year Japanese peripheral manufacturer Buffalo announced that it’d take over the product and release Buffalo-branded versions, with the first models set to ship this spring. The new Nasne still looks like a PS3, just with a Buffalo logo on it; Buffalo is doubling the internal storage to 2TB, however, and tripling external storage capability to 6TB. It’ll go on sale later this month for 29,800 yen (~$270).
Microsoft has once again reiterated that VR support for Xbox was not a focus for the company, following reports earlier today that hinted it was working on a VR headset compatible with the Xbox Series X / S.
The rumor first surfaced after IGN Italy reported that some Italian Xbox users received messages, which translated to “[a]n update for the VR headset is available” and “[u]pdate VR headset,” when connecting the recently released Xbox Wireless Headset to their Xbox Series X or Series S consoles. My colleague, Cameron Faulkner, reviewed the Xbox Wireless headset and did not encounter this pop-up message while using the headset on an Xbox Series X console in the US.
A Microsoft representative told The Verge that “the copy in this error message is inaccurate due to a localization bug,” while again reiterating that “VR for console is not a focus for us at this time.”
Microsoft has yet to explore the VR space for its Xbox consoles. In 2018, the company pulled back on plans to support virtual reality headsets for Xbox in 2018, explaining that it wanted to focus “primarily on experiences you would play on your TV.” In late 2019, Xbox boss Phil Spencer tweeted out that although he played “some great VR games” such as Half-Life: Alyx, console VR was not Xbox’s focus ahead of the Xbox Series X / S release.
The excellent and massively popular anime Demon Slayer has had as successful of a run at the box office as you can get in Japan — the movie adaptation of its “Mugen Train” manga arc is the highest-grossest film in the country’s history. Now, the film is finally coming to North America, starting with a theatrical run in the US and Canada on April 23rd with distribution from Aniplex of America and Funimation.
The film’s official title, in true anime style, is a bit of a mouthful: Demon Slayer – Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. But that hasn’t stopped the film from its box office domination. It broke the $100 million milestone in Japan in just 10 days, and it’s since grossed nearly $400 million in the country alone, beating out Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and Titanic for theall-time record.
The film is rated R and runs for one hour and 57 minutes, ensuring that fans of the fantasy anime’s beautifully animated, high-octane combat will get to see some bloody and well-choreographed battle scenes. There will also be 4DX and IMAX screenings, and both dubbed and subtitled versions. According to Aniplex and Funimation, those interested in watching Mugen Train at home will have to wait until June 22nd, when digital purchase and rentals will be distributed on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Vudu, and the PlayStation Store.
For those unfamiliar, Demon Slayer is a fantasy manga authored by Koyoharu Gotouge that centers on the trials of young swordsman Tanjiro Kamado, who sets out on a quest to return his sister to her human form after she’s transformed into a demon. Mugen Train specifically covers a middle chunk of the manga’s storyline, following the anime’s season 1 adaptation of the narrative’s beginning and first few arcs. The anime is produced by renown studio Ufotable, which also animated the film and is working on the show’s second season to premiere sometime in 2021.
GoPro is releasing a new version of its main smartphone app that will now be called “Quik.” The new app will remain the main interface for connecting to and controlling GoPro cameras, but it is also getting new features, including one called “mural” that’s sort of like a private Instagram feed meant to help people organize their favorite images and videos — regardless of whether they were taken by a GoPro camera — and save them from the “abyss of your camera roll,” GoPro CEO Nick Woodman says in an interview.
Close followers of GoPro’s efforts in the software space know that the company already once launched an app called Quik way back in 2016 that was all about auto-editing footage to a beat. But that app has not been supported for a while and will no longer be available to download after today with the launch of the new Quik app.
The auto-editing feature will live on in the new app, which launches on iOS and Android today. It also has a few other features like a video editing suite (including a speed adjustment tool), themes and filters, and unlimited original quality cloud backup of everything posted to the mural feed. GoPro is charging $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year for those features, though the basic camera connection and control side the app will remain free to use for people who don’t want to pay for the new stuff. Customers who already pay for GoPro’s Plus subscription service (which includes unlimited cloud storage, live-streaming functionality, and camera replacement) will get Quik’s features for free.
Woodman sees the new Quik app as something of a culmination of a yearslong effort at GoPro to diversify away from hardware that started around 2013 and 2014. And by gearing the app at a wider audience, not just GoPro users, he thinks there’s great opportunity to be had.
In fact, that wasthe strategy with the original Quik app, which let users mash together photos and videos from their camera roll without requiring the use of a GoPro. And it worked: Woodman says that app still had “roughly eight million monthly active users” despite having been essentially abandoned by the company.
While he doesn’t expect all of those users to pony up for the paid version of the new app, he thinks many will appreciate the mural feature because he still doesn’t see any good solutions to that camera roll clutter problem — especially not albums. “Albums suck. Albums are just miniature camera rolls,” he says. “You don’t go into albums [thinking] ‘This is going to be a super awesome experience. Hey honey, let’s AirPlay our album to the TV and kick back and reminisce.’ You don’t do that.”
Users can build out the mural feed in the Quik app a few different ways. One is fairly straightforward: after you open the Quik app and give it access to your camera roll, you can scroll through and add photos to the mural feed or to “events” (not albums, of course) on the feed. The more attractive option, in Woodman’s eyes, is to add photos and videos you take on the fly using the share sheet every time you capture a “keeper.” (Users can also text or email photos to the mural feed.)
That said, Woodman thinks people may use the feed in all sorts of ways, like saving images that inspire them or for planning a project, a la Pinterest. Others will just use it for their GoPro footage and photos and nothing else.
“It can be all of those things,” he says. “I think that what we’re solving for people is like a very relatable and widespread problem: I don’t have a convenient, private place to put content that matters most to me, and you know what, sharing it to your Instagram feed ain’t working because there’s that tension of, ‘Well, this matters to me, but I know it’s not going to really matter to anybody that I would socialize it with.’”
GoPro has carved out a decent supplemental business so far with its Plus subscription service, with nearly 800,000 paying subscribers as of the end of 2020 (the equivalent of just shy of roughly $40 million of annual revenue). But with Quik, Woodman sees not just a great business opportunity or a chance to reach new customers. He sees it serving a higher purpose.
“Not to bash on social feeds, like there’s a lot of good from them, we get a lot of inspiration from what other people are doing. But damn it, man, you can get a lot of inspiration from just looking at what you’ve been doing with your life. It’s pretty awesome,” he says. “This is the cosmic moment where I point to the deeper meaning behind what it is that we’re doing for people with Quik, because I think we’re really going to help people develop a stronger sense of self-esteem, self-worth, and ultimately happiness. You don’t have to find happiness in what other people are doing. There’s a ton of happiness to be found in what you’re doing with your life and and Quik helps you bring that to the forefront.”
Philosophical value aside, bringing more customers under the GoPro tent has long been a goal for Woodman; it’s a big part of what inspired the company to make a more concerted push into software. But whether or not GoPro turns the new Quik app into a moneymaker, that it’s attempting another shift in its software strategy is on its own a sign that the company is back on solid ground. It spent the last few years pruning its camera lineup back to the essentials, quickly scuttling a dalliance with the drone market, and focusing more on selling directly to consumers. That has the company back in the black and willing to take chances again.
“We’re known for enabling amazing content. It’s just until now, it’s always required a GoPro,” Woodman says. “[But it’s] too limiting to just serve people through our hardware alone. Let’s also serve people through software. Meet them where they are. And we can build a phenomenal business.”
According to TechCrunch, Apple has discontinued the original HomePod. The website quotes an unnamed Apple representative as stating that the company is “focusing our efforts on HomePod Mini”.
Not only is this a disappointing development – the HomePod is one of the very best-sounding wireless speakers you can buy, after all – it also seems a little bit peculiar. Does a company as resource-rich as Apple really need to discontinue one product in order to focus on another? Surely not. Similarly, a single smart speaker surely isn’t adequate for a company the size of Apple when so many rivals are producing whole families of similar devices.
We’d be tempted to guess that the four year-old HomePod is really making way for a new model (Apple is strongly rumoured to be hosting a launch event of some kind at the end of this month), but Apple doesn’t usually discontinue a product before its replacement is announced.
Perhaps the intention was to replace the HomePod in March and Apple has wound-down production, but the replacement has had to be pushed back to later in the year. Whatever the full story is, we can’t help but think that something’s in the works.
According to the TechCrunch story, Apple will continue to sell the original HomePod until stock runs dry and is promising to offer support for the HomePods already sold. Whether that includes new feature updates and the like remains to be seen.
It wasn’t long ago that Apple added its Intercom feature to the original HomePod and gave it the ability to handle Dolby Atmos sound from the Apple TV 4K, making today’s news even more surprising.
If we were the betting sort, we’d bet that this is just the start of a hiatus for the HomePod, and that it will rise again in a new form at a later date. As soon as we hear anything on that front, we’ll report back.
MORE:
Read our Apple HomePod review
Should you consider the Mini? Check out our HomePod Mini review
How HomePod was made: a tale of obsession from inside Apple’s audio labs
Looking for an alternative? Here are the best wireless speakers
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