Category: Technologies

SpaceX has launched the first satellites with the capability to connect to smartphones on the ground, which will help expand coverage for T-Mobile customers. Contrast that against Apple’s existing Emergency SOS via Satellite service that uses Globalstar ground relay stations as a relay between iPhones and satellites.

T-Mobile announced its partnership with SpaceX in August 2022. The agreement lets T-Mobile use the tech company’s satellites to connect customers venturing outside the carrier’s cellular network, which reached 300 million Americans as of last October. The remaining areas not covered by T-Mobile’s network are difficult for network towers to reach, either because of geography or land-use restrictions, according to T-Mobile’s press release.

Read more: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

SpaceX launched its new set of phone-connecting satellites Wednesday morning and said testing them with T-Mobile’s network will “soon begin.” This is later than expected, as a SpaceX executive said last March that the company planned to start testing the service sometime in 2023.

Once the service is activated, T-Mobile customers will be “connected nearly everywhere they can see the sky, and in most cases, with the phone they already have,” according to the press release. The service will start with just text messaging, though it will expand to voice and data in the coming years.

It’s not clear when the service will activate for T-Mobile customers, whether it will be available for all plans or which phones will be able to use the service. The carrier didn’t provide clarification by time of publication.

T-Mobile’s rivals are also working on their own satellite solutions. AT&T has partnered with AST SpaceMobile and completed its first test using its satellites to connect a call last year. Verizon partnered with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which launched its first test satellites in October.

Others in the mobile industry have announced their own satellite connectivity solutions. The Motorola Defy 2 debuted last year under Bullitt’s rugged phone brand, using its proprietary satellite network solution, while Qualcomm unveiled a partnership with satellite company Iridium that folded by in November. By year’s end, only Apple’s Emergency SOS for its iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series offered satellite connectivity among mainstream phones.

Read more: Satellite Messaging: The 2023 Phones Trend That Wasn’t (Yet)

15 Years of Android: Comparing the Newest Android Phone to the First

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OLED is going after gamers with a vengeance in 2024, which means the ability to refresh screens faster than before. That’s a key consideration for esports titles and other games that hit high frame rates and need superfast response, such as Overwatch, League of Legends and Call of Duty. Samsung recently announced its 32-inch 4K 240Hz and 27-inch QHD 360Hz OLED monitors and panels, and LG revealed its dual-refresh 32-inch UltraGear 32 OLED, which does 4K at 240Hz and 1080p at 480Hz.

Now LG Display, the division responsible for the screens that go into the company’s monitors and TVs, is already leapfrogging itself with the announcement that it’s slated to launch a 27-inch, 480Hz 2,560×1,440 OLED gaming display by the end of June 2024. (I reviewed last year’s 240Hz 4K model.)

Other technologies have hit as high as 540Hz, but those have meant big compromises in resolution (limited to 1080p) and quality (color gamut, viewing angle and more). OLED has the large color gamut (95% to 100% P3), almost infinite contrast, and fast pixel refresh of 0.03ms (meaning individual pixels can change color or brightness really quickly), which a lot of gamers (and the rest of us!) crave. But so far OLED has been limited to relatively low refresh rates of around 120-144Hz, though they’ve hit as high as 240Hz.

OLED’s relatively low maximum brightness combined with near perfect blacks makes it great for eking out more detail in extremely bright areas. But one drawback — and one of my biggest peeves about OLED — is that there’s little tonal range in the dark and dim areas, and the colors in the darkest areas can skew quite a bit. This can be especially true at high speeds, because OLED doesn’t use a backlight; each pixel emits its own light, and when it’s changing states that fast it doesn’t have a lot of time to get bright.

Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology (the “QD” in QD-OLED) expands the tonal range in the dark areas and addresses some color issues, but that isn’t an option for competitor LG, the inventor of OLED. Starting with the 480Hz panel, the company is rolling out a microlens array layer that it brands as Meta Technology. On-pixel microlenses are used to concentrate light; for example, on camera sensors, they gather and focus more incoming light onto each pixel for greater sensitivity, especially in low-light conditions.

LG is using the array to concentrate the light coming off each pixel and increase brightness, which means there should be a broader range of tones available to render the darker areas of an image. Imagine if you could see what’s lurking in the shadows of your favorite horror game without washing out the rest of the scene. Shudder. It improves OLED’s suitability for photo and video editing as well.

LG also says the microlenses “minimize external light reflections during darker scenes,” which isn’t an inherent feature of microlenses. But it’s probable that by reducing the amount of dead black on the screen by expanding the shadows it reduces the amount of mirrorlike zones, something Samsung is addressing by using a matte finish instead.

Apple’s AirPods Pro are among the very best wireless earbuds on the market right now and the USB-C version builds on a winning formula. A USB-C connector isn’t the only addition, however, with Apple making other improvements including better dust resistance and lossless audio support for the upcoming Vision Pro VR headset.

The updated AirPods Pro have only been on sale for a few months at this point but we’ve already seen a number of discounts. This latest $60 saving is a match for lowest we’ve ever seen them go, making this a great time to treat yourself to true wireless audio from one of the biggest names in the game. Amazon’s $189 price might not stick around for long though so keep that in mind here.

Alongside the updated features the AirPods Pro offer some of the best noise-canceling capabilities you’ll find on a pair of earbuds and have a built-in transparency mode for when you need to be more aware of your surroundings. Plus, they will automatically optimize volume based on your environment. iPhone users will also get access to exclusive features like personalized spatial audio and hands-free Siri access. And the AirPods Pro 2 boast Qi wireless charging and have an impressive battery life of up to 30 hours on a single charge (with the charging case).

Not into Apple’s buds? There are plenty of other headphone and earbud deals to be had right now.

It’s 12 months since Roku announced its own branded televisions, and now the company is planning its best version yet: the Roku Pro Series TV.

The Pro Series will be available in three sizes — 55-, 65- and 75-inch — and will feature 4K QLED displays, Mini-LED local dimming and “enhanced” audio. The TVs boast a slimmer design than before and include a new “premium” Roku remote.

With new standalone televisions expected from TCL and Hisense, the Pro Series is likely to be up against some serious competition for the money in 2024, though Roku’s pricing is yet to be announced.

The Pro Series TVs follow on from the Roku Select and Plus Series and will be available in the US in spring 2024.

If you’re looking for a versatile tablet and are a fan of Android, the OnePlus Pad is a great option. And right now you OnePlus is offering a deal that not only knocks $50 off the tablet itself, bringing the price down to just $430, but you’ll also get a free OnePlus Stylo or Folio Case with your purchase, which saves you another $100 in value. Amazon has price matched this offer at $430, but there’s no freebie included there. While we did see this device go for as low as $400 during Black Friday, this is still a pretty good deal when you consider the freebie. We don’t expect this offer to stick around, so we’d recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

While there are technically cheaper options on the market, the OnePlus Pad is the best midrange budget Android tablet around and one of our top tablets for 2024. This tablet is thin and lightweight, making it easy to hold or transport. It comes equipped with an 11.61-inch display sporting 2,000×2,800-pixel resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate, which makes this tablet is a solid option for streaming your favorite content or gaming. It’s also a great tablet for tackling productivity tasks while on the go, especially with the right accessories. It also comes with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

If this model isn’t right for you, check out our roundup of the best tablet deals currently available to see solid options from a variety of brands.

If you’re looking for ways to stick to a budget this year, one way to save some cash on your everyday essentials is buying in bulk. And if you’re looking to save money on a membership to a big box store, StackSocial has a solid deal on annual Costco memberships. Rather than getting a traditional discount on the membership itself, you’ll get back Costco credit that you can use toward a future purchase. That saves you roughly 33% off the cost of membership.

There are two different levels that you can choose from with this StackSocial deal. You can snag a one-year Gold Star Costco membership for $60, and you’ll get back $20 worth of Costco credit. While you still need to shell out the original $60, it essentially means you’ll get the one-year membership for just $40. Or spring for the Executive Gold Star Costco membership for $120 and get back $40 worth of Costco credit, which means the one-year membership at the higher tier will essentially cost you just $80.

StackSocial doesn’t list a specific date for when this deal will end, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later if you want to take advantage of this offer. Keep in mind, this offer is only available only to new customers, or those whose memberships have expired for more than 18 months. If you’ve been thinking of picking up an annual Costco membership, this is a great way to keep more cash in your pocket.

Read more: How to Get the Most Out of Your Costco Membership

With a Costco Gold Star subscription, you’ll get one membership card for your household. It allows you to shop at any Costco warehouse worldwide, as well as online at Costco.com. While Costco is a great place to save on groceries and other everyday essentials, it offers a lot more. A Gold Star membership also means you can use Costco’s gas stations and pharmacies, as well as Costco’s optical and hearing aid centers. And Costco frequently has seasonal plants, decor, furniture, electronics and other products as well.

If you sign up for a Costco Executive Gold Star membership, you’ll can take advantage of all of the features of the regular Gold Star subscription, as well as additional benefits and greater discounts on select Costco services. Plus, you’ll earn an annual 2% reward up to $1,000 on qualified purchases.

After you sign up, you’ll receive your bonus shop card via email. The card can be used both in store and online, so you can use it right away. It’s also worth noting that after you pay for membership through StackSocial, you’ll have until June 30 to redeem the membership, or you may not be able to take advantage of the deal.

The buzzword “AI” has long been used by tech companies promising better, smarter products, and at CES 2024 LG is quick to tout the virtues of artificial intelligence applied to TV image quality. That doesn’t mean you should expect ChatGPT on your TV. In the case of LG’s new 2024 OLED TVs, it just means a new processor.

LG calls it the Alpha 11 processor and says it delivers numerous AI-powered refinements to clarity, color and sharpness. It will be available in two series of 2024 LG OLED TVs, the G4 and M4. The company also announced a C4 series TV that gets a lesser chip called the Alpha 9, the same name used by the C3 last year.

The G4 is the successor to the G3 OLED TV, which has the best picture quality I’ve ever reviewed — due to its brightness and contrast, not its processing. The M4 uses ingenious wireless technology LG introduced in 2023, which allows you to plug game consoles and other HDMI devices into a separate box across the room, leaving only a power cord running to the TV itself. And unlike last year’s version, which was only available in a 97-inch size (for $30,000) the 2024 M4 comes in sizes down to 65 inches (for, I assume, much less).

Other 2024 upgrades include support for a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming and a revamped WebOS smart TV system with up to 10 different user profiles, a nicer design and the promise to receive upgrades for five years. In my opinion none of those additions should cause recent buyers of the G3 or C3, my current favorite high-end TV, to feel like they’re missing out.

I’ll update this article with more details about LG’s new OLED TVs once I have the chance to see them in person at CES, starting Jan. 8. Pricing will likely be announced this spring and after that I’ll have the chance to test them in CNET’s lab. Stay tuned.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

T-Mobile is upping the perks for its top unlimited plan. On Wednesday, the carrier revealed that it’s adding Hulu (with ads) to its priciest Go5G Next plan. The addition of Hulu marks the latest streaming service T-Mobile has bundled into the plan, joining Netflix and Apple TV Plus.

The offer goes into effect on Jan. 24 and will be available for both new and existing Go5G Next subscribers.

Whereas T-Mobile includes Netflix with a variety of its plans and Apple TV Plus on its Magenta Max and Go5G Plus options, getting bundled Hulu will require you to be on the carrier’s top Go5G Next plan. T-Mobile’s priciest plan, Go5G Next also includes unlimited high-speed data on your phone, 50GB of high-speed hotspot data as well as the ability to upgrade your phone on the carrier’s most aggressive trade-in deals every 12 months.

Read more: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

Like its Magenta and Go5G other plans, Go5G Next plan also includes international data and texting while abroad and puts taxes and fees into the sticker price. A single line of Go5G Next runs $100 per month, or $215 per month for four lines. Unlike rivals AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile doesn’t allow for mixing and matching plans for an account and needs everyone to be on the same plan.

For reference, Hulu’s ad-supported plan normally runs $8 per month, Apple TV Plus runs $10 monthly and Netflix Standard (which is included on T-Mobile plans with two or more lines) runs $15.50 (those with just one line get Netflix Basic, which used to run $10 per month). The carrier also regularly includes MLB.TV subscriptions for its subscribers as part of its partnership with Major League Baseball.

Whereas T-Mobile allowed users to pay the difference if they wanted to get a pricier Netflix plan, it is unclear if they will let Hulu users do the same to step up to an ad-free plan (which is $18 per month) or one of Disney’s bundles that includes Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.

CNET reached out to T-Mobile for additional details and will update if they respond.

The addition of Hulu marks the latest blending of streaming services with wireless service. Rival Verizon has long bundled in the Disney Bundle with a variety of its pricier unlimited plans and now offers discounts on streaming services to users of its latest unlimited plans. Last month, Verizon added a Netflix and Max bundle that allowed wireless users to get the ad-supported versions of both services for $10 per month.

Whether you’re wanting to write a blog about your favorite things or start a side hustle to earn extra income, then you’re probably going to want to invest in a web hosting service. Hostinger is one of our favorite provider options thanks to its competitive pricing and its helpful video modules that can show you the basics of getting your site built or changing your domain name. Right now you can score plenty of deals at Hostinger, with premium plans starting at just $2.49 a month — that’s a 79% discount. And right now when you use promo code NYSALE, you’ll also get an extra 10% off annual web hosting and website builder plans. These offers are available now through Feb. 12.

A premium plan can host up to 100 websites, includes weekly backups, free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain and more. Plus, when you sign up right now, you’ll get three free extra months with 4-year plans. However, for those of you that need even more tools in your arsenal, don’t fret. Business plans are also marked down right now to as low as $3.69 a month and it provides more advanced features, including daily backup. And if you’re looking for VPS hosting, Hostinger’s VPS KVM2 plan is down to $6.99 a month with a 24-month plan. Hostinger offers 24/7 support, but it’s worth noting that that customer support is limited to chat and email, as the company does not offer phone support at this time, so keep that in mind as you decide which web hosting service provider is right for you.

CES wouldn’t be the headline-grabber it is every year without its share of weird inventions — from MP3 taser holsters to vacuum shoes. LG’s new DukeBox will join this illustrious list at CES 2024– it’s a hybrid tube-speaker TV… thing.

The LG Duke Box is a 360-degree speaker with a transparent OLED panel at the front to show off the tube amplifier inside. Transparent OLEDs have been with us for a number of years, but the technology has yet to really take hold. LG says the screen can be used to watch movies, or “create a cozy fireplace ambiance where the vacuum tube is visible amidst the flickering flames”.

The DukeBox is likely to take advantage of the pleasant sound properties of vacuum tubes, and you can see them used in a zillion cheap amps on Amazon, but also in guitar amps and preamplifiers.

The DukeBox is reminiscent of last year’s StanbyMe Go — another TV-speaker combo from LG, except that one was designed to be portable. Samsung also released a soundbar with a vacuum tube in it many years ago. At the moment, the DukeBox appears to be a concept and not a real product, so pricing and availability are likely a ways off.