Category: Technologies

The Bills may finally be on the right track. After a rocky first half of the season, Buffalo has now won two straight against strong opponents in the Chiefs and Cowboys to improve to 8-6 and is right in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.

On Saturday the Bills head to Los Angeles to take on a reeling 5-9 Chargers team that just got blown out 63-21 in Week 15’s Thursday Night Football.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is called for 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Whereas Saturday’s first game was on NBC, this contest will stream nationally on Peacock (as well as on broadcast TV in the local Los Angeles and Buffalo markets). And in a first, the game will feature a commercial-free fourth quarter. The broadcast will stay with the game for the final 15 minutes, which is usually interrupted constantly by commercial breaks as coaches use their timeouts and referees conduct official reviews of close plays.

Keep reading to find out how to watch this game on Peacock — and if you live in the home market of either the Bills or Chargers — a local network channel.

You can also check out our full guide to streaming the NFL in 2023 for your viewing options for the rest of the season.

Bills vs. Chargers game today: When and where?

This Week 16 NFL fixture sees the Chargers host the Bills at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on Saturday. The game will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home of the Chargers.

How to watch the Bills vs. Chargers game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game and that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It’s also a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. If your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you’ve got a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

How to watch Bills vs. Chargers in the US

For those outside of the LA or Buffalo areas, this week’s Bills-Chargers game will be available to watch nationally via streaming service Peacock.

Peacock Premium costs $6 per month and also carries Sunday Night Football games.

Can I watch Bills vs. Chargers on local TV?

Yes, but only if you live in the local market of either of the teams playing on Thursday. WGRZ in Buffalo and KNBC in Los Angeles will be showing the game, according to 506 Sports. There are two ways to watch local channels on your TV. The first is with a live TV streaming service. The second is with an over-the-air antenna, if you live in an area that has good reception.

You can watch local networks with a live TV streaming service, but not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries the channel you need for the game in your area.

All the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.

Quick tips for streaming the Bills vs. Chargers game using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Walmart is known for its low prices and during the holiday season they go all out, dropping new deals nearly daily. While digital deals for instant holiday gifts are always an excellent choice, if you’re looking for something more tangible you still have options, thanks to Walmart’s last-minute holiday sale. Right now there are still a number of times on sale with express delivery to arrive Christmas Eve, but you’ll find pickup options are more abundant. Keep in mind that Walmart stores close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day. Bear in mind as well that there is a $35 minimum purchase to qualify for express delivery.

You can browse the entire selection of Walmart’s last-minute deals by following the above link, but not all of them qualify for expedited shipping. We’ve sifted through some of the enticing items to bring you the absolute best gifts you can grab from Walmart without having to worry about constantly checking the shipping tracker. You can see our favorite deals that can still get express delivery below.

More great Walmart holiday deals with express delivery:

• Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker, $169 (save $30)
• KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-quart stand mixer, $240(save $90)
• Hoover Powerdash Pet carpet cleaner, $69(save $61)
• Ninja 4-quart air fryer, $69(save $20)
• Shark Hydrovac 3-in-1 Vacuum and mop, $129 (save $170)
• Bose Quiet Comfort noise-canceling over ear headphones, $249(save $100)

Bill Gates’ first grandchild was born in 2023, so the year will forever be special to him, he says. It was also the year that artificial intelligence went mainstream, spurred by the arrival of ChatGPT. And that got Gates thinking about how the world his granddaughter is coming into will change in a positive way because of AI.

The co-founder of Microsoft and a guiding figure of the PC era across several decades, Gates knows a thing or two about technological revolutions. He sees 2024 as a monumental year for artificial intelligence, with the technology becoming especially important in global health, where Gates and his namesake foundation have been working for decades.

“We now have a better sense of what types of jobs AI will be able to do by itself and which ones it will serve as a copilot for,” Gates wrote in a lengthy post on his GatesNote blog this week. “And it’s clearer than ever how AI can be used to improve access to education, mental health, and more. It motivates me to make sure this technology helps reduce — and doesn’t contribute to — the awful inequities we see around the world.”

The year of AI

It’s been quite a year for AI, and more specifically, generative AI. Gen AI goes a step further than other AI methods. It can create new materials, such as text, images, speech or video, based on its own understanding of the patterns it recognizes in data.

Gen AI became known thanks to the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, although smart home controls and AI-powered virtual assistants such as Alexa had already made inroads into homes and popular culture.

ChatGPT, the frontrunner in the onslaught of generative AI tools released over the last year, allows anyone with a smartphone or a laptop to use AI for generating information or images. These tools been trained on huge swaths of data that allow it to come up with original responses to our queries — with varying degrees of success. More than 100 million people use ChatGPT each week, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said in November. Microsoft is a significant investor in OpenAI.

Other companies aren’t ceding territory to Microsoft. In early December, for instance, Google began updating its Bard AI chatbot with a new AI model called Gemini that provides improved text-based chat abilities. Tech companies are continuing to add Gen AI abilities into programs and devices of all kinds, from search engines to smart phones.

In 2023, investors poured nearly $10 billion into gen AI startups, more than double the $4.4 billion invested the year before, according to GlobalData.

But even as Gen AI explodes in popularity, many users are still cautious. In addition to concerns that AI could replace human employees, many worry about it putting forth inaccurate information. Dictionary.com selected the AI term “hallucinate,” describing what happens when AI produces false information, as its word of the year.

Gates thinks mainstream integration of AI is coming soon.

“If I had to make a prediction, in high-income countries like the United States, I would guess that we are 18-24 months away from significant levels of AI use by the general population,” he wrote.

But he also sees 2024 as a turning point.

What Gates sees on the AI road ahead

Since stepping down as Microsoft CEO in 2000, Gates has focused on philanthropy, founding the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his now-former wife. It’s in areas related to his foundation’s work in global health where Gates sees AI becoming helpful in 2024.

Fighting antibiotic resistance: He cites an AI-powered tool under development at the Aurum Institute in Ghana that helps health workers prescribe antibiotics without contributing to antimicrobial resistance, where pathogens learn how to get past antibiotic defenses. The tool can comb through all the available information about antimicrobial resistance and suggest the best drug plan for a patient.

High-risk pregnancy help: A woman dies in childbirth every two minutes, Gates says. He’s hopeful that AI can combat this horrifying statistic. AI-powered ultrasounds can help identify pregnancy risks, and the Gates foundation is working to fund that process. Also, AI researchers at ARMMAN, an India-based nonprofit organization, are working on a large language model – the technology that underlies ChatGPT and other AI chatbots – that can help health workers treating high-risk pregnancies.

HIV risk assessment: Many people aren’t comfortable talking to a doctor about their sexual history, but that can be vital for assessing risk for diseases like HIV. Gates is excited about a South African chatbot called Your Choice, being developed by Sophie Pascoe of Wits Health Consortium. The chatbot acts as a nonjudgmental counselor that can provide round-the-clock advice, especially for vulnerable populations.

Quick access to medical records: While people in rich countries may have their medical records easily available, in other countries, many people don’t have a documented medical history, Gates says. This can hinder their medical treatment because their doctors need to know about allergies, past health issues and more. A Pakistani team is working on a voice-enabled mobile app that could make this easier, asking a series of questions and filling out a patient’s medical record with the answers.

Beyond global health advances

Gates also sees AI assisting in education, calling AI education tools “mindblowing,” as they are tailored to individual learners, and says they will “only get better.” He’s excited about how the technology can be localized to students in many different countries and cultural contexts.

Not everything on Gates’ mind is AI-related. He’s concerned about climate change, saying he’s “blown away by the passion from young climate activists,” and hopeful that 2024 will see more investment in innovations that will help those who are most affected by the climate crisis.

And he even plunges into the debate over nuclear energy. Gates notes that high-profile disasters such as Chernobyl in the 1980s and Three Mile Island in the late 1970s have spotlighted the risks, but over the past year, he’s seen a shift towards acceptance. He sees the once-bogeyman of the energy world as necessary to meet the world’s growing need for energy while eliminating carbon emissions.

From skeptic to enthusiast

A New York Times in early December noted that Gates was “long skeptical” of what AI could do. That changed in August 2022, when he saw a demonstration of OpenAI’s GPT-4, the large language model underlying ChatGPT. That sold Gates on the concept, and he helped Microsoft “move aggressively to capitalize on generative AI.”

Although Gates left Microsoft’s’s board in 2020, he’s still an adviser to its CEO Satya Nadella. Microsoft has plunged full-bore into the AI world, The company invested heavily in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, earlier this year. And it’s been adding the technology across its online services, including its Bing search engine.

The company also reimagined Windows 11 with the addition of Microsoft Copilot, which puts AI assistance always available on the Windows 11 desktop taskbar. Microsoft vice president Yusuf Mehdi calls it the most significant update to the operating system so far, and it works across multiple apps and mobile phones.

Even Gates struggles to adapt

Gates’ year-end letter compares the rise of AI to that of the internet, email and search engines, noting that it wasn’t long ago when many people were unfamiliar with these things, and now they are part of our daily lives. Gates sees the same kind of sea change coming with AI.

But he admits that it won’t be smooth, giving an example from his own life.

“I thought I would use AI tools for the foundation’s strategy reviews this year, which require reading hundreds of pages of briefing materials that an AI could accurately summarize for me,” Gates says.

But that didn’t happen.

“Old habits are hard to break, and I ended up preparing for [the reviews] the same way I always do,” he writes.

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

Your iPhone is a little handheld miracle, granting you on-the-go access to the internet and your favorite apps. It helps you wake up on time and reminds you of important events. In exchange, you probably just move it around your home, your car and everywhere else you go. Maybe you clean it sometimes. But when was the last time you did something nice for your iPhone?

Just like every other piece of tech, your iPhone needs a little maintenance every now and then, especially if your browsing starts to feel sluggish over time. Keep your iPhone 15 or 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or any other model moving as fast as possible by clearing your browser cache every month — it takes only a few seconds.

Your cache acts as a sort of digital mini-fridge, storing information about sites so it doesn’t have to reload from scratch. When it works, it means you can take a quick trip to your mini-fridge instead of walking all the way out to the kitchen. The problem is that the contents of that mini-fridge can wind up expired — you go to grab a snack and notice that something that used to be green is now a putrid brown. In browser terms, the cached data might load slowly or entirely incorrectly, leading to wonky-looking websites. Clearing your cache is like cleaning your mini-fridge and letting it stock up with fresh data.

Whether you use Chrome, Safari or other browsers on your iPhone, your cache builds up that digital clutter over time. Clearing your cache gives the browser a new start, which can speed up your web surfing, even on iOS 17. (And if you’re trying to get your phone to run faster, try managing your iPhone’s storage.)

Website cookies are similar, except they store information about user data, rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you a chance to reset those preferences, which could improve your browsing experience. Note that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, which means you’ll have to log into them again and reset any preferences. But the upfront investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience down the road, and it can be a useful fix if you’ve recently changed settings that aren’t being applied properly.

Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your cache on your iPhone based on the browser you use.

How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari

Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account. As a result, all your devices’ caches will be cleared, and you’ll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here’s what to do.

1.Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Select Safari from the list of apps.

3. Go to Clear History and Website Data.

4. Choose Clear History and Data in the pop-up box.

Then you’re set!

Read more:Best iPhone in 2023: Which Apple Phone Should You Buy?

How to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome

Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. Thankfully, Google has simplified the process for clearing your Chrome cache, making it much faster to clear your data.

1. Open the Chrome app.

2. Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options.

3. Choose Clear Browsing Data to open up another menu.

4. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last Hour to All Time).

5.Make sure that Cookies, Site Data is selected, along with Cached Images and Files. Finally, hit Clear Browsing Data at the bottom of the screen.

Read more: This iPhone Setting Stops Ads From Following You Across the Web

How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox

If you’re a Firefox devotee, don’t worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.

1. Click the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options.

2. Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.

3. Select Data Management in the Privacy section.

4. You can select Website Data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.

Read more: Experiencing Slow Wi-Fi? It Could Be Caused by Internet Throttling. Here’s How to Tell

What happens when you clear the cache?

Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up slowing things down if it becomes too bulky or out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. However, clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again.

How often do I need to clear my cache?

Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That’s generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.

With just one point separating these two title-chasing rivals, Saturday’s clash between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield is set to be a key encounter in the race for the English Premier League crown.

Last weekend, the hosts were left frustrated by struggling Man United as the two sides played out a hard-fought stalemate — a result that saw Liverpool drop points at home for the first time this season. Jurgen Klopp, nevertheless, will have been lifted by an impressive 5-1 trouncing of West Ham by a heavily rotated starting lineup in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarterfinal.

Arsenal hold a one-point advantage over Liverpool and come into this big game off the back of a confidence-boosting 2-0 win last weekend over Brighton at the Emirates, in a match that saw Kai Havertz once again on target.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: When and where?

Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday, Dec 23. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. GMT (12:30 p.m. ET, 9:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 4:30 a.m. AEDT on Sunday, Dec. 24, in Australia).

How to watch the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you’re unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch — and that’s where a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s a great idea if you want an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins while you’re traveling and connecting to Wi-Fi networks.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier sticks you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks. Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it thinks is circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream Liverpool vs. Arsenal in the US

Sunday’s Liverpool-Arsenal match is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split among Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Liverpool vs. Arsenal is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game in Canada

If you want to stream Liverpool vs. Arsenal live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs including Roku don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log in to your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Want to get a few minutes back in your day? While most Apple computers allow you to copy text directly from an image, you need to download the image or grab a screenshot first. It’s a bit of a hassle, and it can lead to a lot of clutter on your hard drive. If you’re looking for a more convenient alternative, then we’ve got a deal you won’t want to miss.

TextSniper allows you to instantly copy text from images, PDFs, videos and more, and right now Mac users can get a lifetime subscription for just $4 at StackSocial, which is a 42% discount on the usual price of $7. There’s no set expiration for this StackSocial offer, so you’ll want to get signed up sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out.

TextSniper is one of the best text recognition services out there. It allows you to extract the text from just about anything on your screen, including images, PDF documents and even videos, and copy and paste them using custom keyboard shortcuts. It has its own text-to-speech function, and it’s compatible with multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian and more. Plus, it can instantly scan QR codes and barcodes, and it can be used without an internet connection.

This deal scores you lifetime access to TextSniper for one device, which has to be running MacOS Big Sur to get the multiple-language capabilities. If you have MacOS Catalina, you can run the English-only version. Just be sure to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.

Read more: You Need to Try These 17 Essential MacBook Settings Right Now

West Ham will look to inflict more misery on inconsistent Man United in the first EPL game of the day at the London Stadium.

A win for the Hammers would see them rise to sixth in the EPL standings, going above Newcastle Brighton as well as their opponents today. A victory would also allow the hosts to put their 5-1 Carabao Cup thrashing to Liverpool behind them, with boss likely to field a full-strength side here after his rotated lineup’s dismal showing at Anfield.

Man United fared much better on their trip to Liverpool last weekend, with Erik ten Hag’s men claiming a creditable clean sheet against their title-chasing rivals. The Red Devils will be looking to build on that result as they attempt to improve a poor run of just one win in their last six games.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.

West Ham vs. Man United: When and where?

West Ham United hosts Manchester United at the London Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 23. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. GMT (7:30 a.m. ET, 4:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 11:30 p.m. AEDT in Australia).

How to watch the West Ham vs. Man United game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream West Ham vs. Man United in the US

Saturday’s West Ham-Man Unitedmatch is on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The West Ham-Man United game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 1 HD and TNT Sport Ultimate channels.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in Canada

If you want to stream West Ham vs. Man United live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Pretty much every new TV and projector has the ability to decode HDR, or high dynamic range, video. In most cases, HDR content looks better than non-HDR material, though an individual display’s ability to deal with the extra data can vary greatly.

However, there isn’t just one HDR format. There are a number, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and a couple of others. Few displays can decode them all, but all can decode the basic HDR formatting that all HDR content includes. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, along with 4K Blu-ray discs, can also support multiple formats, though often they only have one or two.

The good news is, this isn’t a format war. All HDR displays can watch all HDR content. However, some of the formats have additional features that can be used by compatible displays for an even better image. Knowing what each of the formats does, and what to look for on your own TV, can be very helpful. Here’s everything you need to know

The basics

In CNET’s TV and projector reviews, both the capabilities of the TV itself and the way HDR is used in the movie or TV show have a greater impact on image quality than the specific HDR format. Which is to say, just because a display can read a “better” HDR format, doesn’t mean that display will look better than one that can’t read that format. Here’s a tour of the HDR landscape as it stands today.

• It’s not a full-fledged “format war,” it’s more like a slap fight.
• Multiple HDR formats can exist in a single TV.
• Everything supports HDR10, but many TVs and sources will also have at least one of the other formats.
• One format might look “better” than another on paper, but in the real world the biggest factors are the TV’s overall performance and the content itself.

Most new TVs have the ability to display HDR content, which has more detail in the bright and dark areas of the image, for a greater “dynamic range” compared to non-HDR content (i.e. pretty much everything you’ve ever watched). Older content is now referred to as “SDR,” or standard dynamic range. HDR content on an HDR TV can look far more punchy and vibrant than traditional content.

Read more: How HDR Works

Just having an HDR TV isn’t enough. You have to watch specific HDR content. Without HDR content, your HDR TV doesn’t really know what to do with itself. Sure, it will look good, and maybe even artificially expand SDR content for perhaps a slight improvement. But to get the most out of your HDR TV, you need real HDR content. Thankfully, there’s now a lot of it out there. Chances are your favorite new programs are available in HDR.

HDR10

• Supported by everything.
• Better image quality potential than SDR, but perhaps not as good as HDR10 Plus or Dolby Vision.
• Static metadata.

HDR10 is as close to a standard as we’ve got. It’s free to use for manufacturers, so it’s available everywhere. Every HDR TV can decode it, every HDR streamer can stream it. Pretty much all HDR content has an HDR10 version, in some cases along with a more “advanced” HDR format like Dolby Vision, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

HDR10’s issue, if you can call it that, is that it has “static” metadata. This means that there’s one HDR “look” for the entire movie or show. This is certainly better than SDR content, but it doesn’t allow for, say, a really bright scene to look its absolute best, nor a dark scene its best, within the same movie. This one-size-fits-all aspect of static metadata is fine, but doesn’t let the content nor the TV live up to its full potential. You need dynamic metadata for that, which most of the other formats have.

Static metadata is sort of like if a football team all had to wear the same sized shirt. Maybe it looks good on the quarterback, and OK on the big linebacker and the diminutive kicker, but surely they’d all look better with a shirt in their own size.

HDR10 isn’t backward-compatible with SDR TVs, so it’s no good for broadcast. You’ll find it available with streaming content and on 4K Blu-ray.

HDR10 Plus

• Championed by Samsung.
• Not widely supported.
• Dynamic metadata.
• Potentially better image than vanilla HDR10.

As you probably figured from the name, HDR10 Plus is like HDR10… but plus. The “plus” in this case is dynamic metadata, improving on HDR10’s static version. This means that on a per-scene — or even per-image — basis, the content can provide the TV with all the information it needs to look its absolute best.

The catch is… this is a Samsung format. It’s pushing it hard, and despite promising no licensing fees (so anyone can use it basically for free), this is a bit of a stumbling block. Hard to imagine a world where LG willingly supports a fledgling format backed by Samsung. Other TV companies have probably been hesitant to back it for the same reason. Yes, consumer electronics is as petty as junior high.

Right now — beyond Samsung — Panasonic, TCL, and Hisense are the biggest display brands supporting the format in the US. On the content side, there’s Amazon, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Apple TV Plus and Google. It’s unlikely HDR10 Plus will ever become the standard dynamic metadata HDR format, but it does give companies an alternative to the licensing fees of Dolby Vision.

Read more: What is HDR10 Plus?

Dolby Vision

• Widely supported.
• Potentially the best image quality of all the formats.
• Less content than stock HDR10.

Dolby Vision, like HDR10 Plus, can have dynamic metadata. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and Apple TV Plus support it, and you can find it on some 4K Blu-rays. Aspects of Dolby Vision, like how it handles dynamic metadata and color, are optional for HDR formatting in the upcoming NextGenTV, aka ATSC 3.0.

The issue with DV is that companies have to pay Dolby to use it. On the plus side to that, Dolby will then show them how to make their TVs look best when showing DV content. So for some companies, this is an easy way to get their TVs to look better than perhaps they would on their own. For larger companies (like certain Korean companies that begin with S), they don’t need such assistance and would rather dump money into their own HDR format, thank you very much.

After HDR10, this is the most popular HDR format, but that doesn’t mean it’s universal. Samsung is the biggest holdout, for reasons mentioned above. Some companies might only offer Dolby Vision support on certain models. Generally speaking, if a company doesn’t support Dolby Vision, they likely support HDR10 Plus, though some companies support both. There is far less Dolby Vision content than there is vanilla HDR10 content. Not a huge issue, but something to keep in mind.

HLG

• From BBC and NHK.
• Free to use.
• Broadcast friendly.

Hybrid Log Gamma was created by Britain’s BBC and Japan’s NHK. Unlike the formats we’ve discussed so far, it’s actually backward-compatible with SDR TVs. One signal that works on both older TVs and newer is a huge deal for broadcasters. Though as you can imagine, it’s not without drawbacks. Mainly, that’s in terms of picture quality. Like HDR10, HLG is likely better than SDR, but perhaps not quite the picture quality of the other HDR formats. It’s part of the upcoming ATSC 3.0 standard.

There’s already wide TV support. Content is still in the early stages, however. If you can get the BBC’s iPlayer (whether you’re in the UK or using a VPN), that service has HLG support. DirecTV and YouTube also support HLG, but there’s just not a lot of content so far. Since it’s free, and fills an important niche, expect to see more HLG in the future. Some phones can record HDR via HLG, which you can playback on HLG-compatible displays.

For more info, and why it’s so different from other methods, check out our explainer on hybrid log gamma.

Advanced HDR by Technicolor (SL-HDR1, 2 and 3)

• Not widely supported.
• Each “flavor” has its own niche.
• Potentially useful, but we shall see.

Technicolor’s Advanced HDR comes in multiple flavors: SL-HDR1 is similar to HLG, in that it’s fully backward-compatible with SDR TVs, allowing for one signal to rule them all; SL-HDR2 has dynamic metadata like HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision; SL-HDR3 uses HLG as a base, but adds dynamic metadata.

Content is limited to some NextGenTV broadcasts. It’s unlikely it will get wide acceptance among streaming companies.

Read more: What is Advanced HDR by Technicolor?

There can be only one. Or three. Or maybe five

A few things here are pretty easy to guess. HDR10 is the de facto base format. Nothing is likely to change that. Dolby Vision, with its wide industry support, especially on the content side, is likely to remain the “step-up” format. HDR10 Plus has increased in acceptance since its launch and is now a viable alternative to Dolby Vision.

NextGenTV continues its slow rollout, and it remains to be seen how much HDR content we’ll get with over the air content, though both HLG and Advanced HDR are viable options.

In reality the long-term outlook is, to be honest, one of universal playback and irrelevant content format. Do you care if your TV is showing Dolby Vision or HDR10 Plus, as long as it looks as good as possible and just like the other format? Since a TV’s HDR performance is almost entirely based on its physical hardware, as long as the content looks good and can be shown properly, its specific format “language” doesn’t matter. Well, it doesn’t matter as long as your TV can speak it.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of things like cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, and also Budget Travel for Dummies. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

Apple’s iPads aren’t the only high-end tablets on the market, and if you’re looking for something that’s not in the Apple ecosystem, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9is the one to go for. Not only can it compete with the best iPads out there, but you also have a few great options if you want to customize it a little bit, depending on your budget.

That said, much like with Apple’s high-end stuff, bargains can be hard to come by. Still, you can get trade-in credit, and there are free storage upgrades that will show up as $120 discounts.

What color does the Galaxy Tab S9 come in?

The Galaxy Tab S9 is only available in graphite or beige, and unlike some other new Samusung devices, there aren’t any variants that are exclusive to Samsung.

How much does the Galaxy Tab S9 cost?

Prices start at $800 for the basic configuration of the Tab S9, and run all the way up to $1,620 if you want the high-end configuration of the Tab S9 Ultra. Prices below reflect the original list price, before any discounts or offers are applied.

• Galaxy Tab S9 (128GB): $800
• Galaxy Tab S9 (256GB): $920
• Galaxy Tab S9 Plus (256GB): $1,000
• Galaxy Tab S9 Plus (512GB): $1,120
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (256GB): $1,200
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (512GB): $1,320
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (1TB): $1,620

Best Galaxy Tab S9 deals