Presumably, because its previously released time-traveling DeLorean playset sold like hotcakes (and how could it not?), Playmobil is releasing another set, this time in the form of Marty McFly’s often overlooked pickup truck (affiliate link). I’ve already bought two – one for playing with and one for keeping mint in its packaging.
Inspired by Marty’s 1985 Toyota SR5 Xtra Cab pickup truck from the original Back To The Future movie, the playset includes the truck with an opening and closing hood and tailgate, along with Marty McFly, Biff Tannen, and Jennifer Parker figures. As the package notes, the playset is for ages 5 to 99, which means there are probably a lot of heartbroken 100-year olds out there right now, my grandfather among them.
I just performed a couple of quick internet searches to see what an actual 1985 Toyota SR5 Xtra Cab pickup truck costs these days, and they are not cheap. I’m talking like $20,000 restored. And, based on the cobwebs I just counted in my wallet, that’s a little out of my price range. Now, if only I could travel to the future and return with a Grays Sports Almanac.
Researchers led by a team of scientists from the Los Cumbres Observatory have gathered what they call the first convincing evidence for a new type of stellar explosion. The new type of stellar explosion is called an electron-capture supernova. This particular type of supernova has been theorized for more than four decades, but examples in the real world have been … Continue reading
Users of social networking apps such as Snapchat tend to get very upset when a flaw in the app prevents them from keeping in touch with friends and family. Recently, a bug in the app for iOS users was causing the app to crash at launch. Snapchat confirmed the issue with a tweet pinned in its support channel stating that … Continue reading
For several years, Cadillac has been combining luxury with performance in its V series performance cars. The latest cars in that series are the 2022 CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing. Cadillac estimates the top speed for the 2022 CT4-V Blackwing will be 189 mph, and the car features a chassis and suspension tuned for use on the track. When … Continue reading
How can Samsung make its smartwatches as successful as the Apple Watch? Returning to the Google fold — or at least collaborating on wearable software — is a start. Samsung has already helped develop the latest edition of Wear OS, apparently improving responsiveness and battery performance. Now we have a glimpse of a more unified software experience between your Samsung watch and phone, called One UI Watch. According to the company’s MWC showcase, you’ll be able to adjust settings across both devices, while the menus on the watch will also mimic what you’re already probably used to on Galaxy phones.
Samsung
Yeah, I know, I’m not captivated either.
A few years ago, when Samsung developed its own mobile OS, Tizen, for both phones and wearables, it struggled to muster up third-party app support. With the new Wear OS inside, the One UI Watch will offer Google Play Store access, including apps from Adidas, Calm and MyFitnessPal, as well as core Google services, from Maps to Messages to YouTube Music. This will be crucial in helping Samsung turn a corner with its smartwatches. According to the latest figures from IDC, it remains a contender, but the Apple Watch still dominates the wrists of smartwatch buyers.
A new 4K Plus plan adds at least $10 to your YouTube TV subscription.
Finally, starting today, YouTube TV will have a new add-on called 4K Plus. As the name suggests, it’ll enable 4K streaming, assuming you have a compatible TV and streaming device. The 4K Plus add-on also includes the ability to download recordings from your DVR to a phone or tablet, too.
4K Plus also lets you stream YouTube TV from “unlimited” devices when you’re at home. The basic YouTube TV package can stream on three devices simultaneously. Unfortunately, this all comes at a fairly steep cost. The 4K Plus add-on costs $19.99 per month, on top of whatever your existing YouTube TV plan costs. (Right now, the basic YouTube TV plan starts at $64.99 a month.) That said, if you act quickly, you can get a price deal on 4K Plus — YouTube is offering a one-month free trial to new users, after which you can sign up for $9.99 per month, a pretty good deal over the standard price. Continue reading.
Warner Bros. plans to release it simultaneously on HBO Max and theaters.
Warner Bros.
If you’ve been waiting impatiently to see Denis Villeneuve’s much-anticipated take on Dune, you’ll have to keep on waiting. After being delayed to October 1st, 2021, from its original December 18, 2020, release date, Dune has been pushed back a further three weeks to October 22nd. Warner Bros. announced last year that its entire 2021 movie lineup, including Dune, would be released simultaneously on HBO Max. That move didn’t sit well with director Villeneuve, who railed against the decision online. Continue reading.
Microsoft has begun rolling out the first preview for Windows Insiders. The build will show off the operating system’s centered taskbar and redesigned Start menu, as well as its improved window management. But you’ll have to wait a bit for some of the more advanced features, like the integrated Microsoft Teams chat and Android app compatibility. Check your PC meets the Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements before you get too excited, though. Continue reading.
Amazon is targeting newbie record collectors with its latest subscription. If you sign up to the Vinyl of the Month Club, you’ll receive a new record for your collection every 30 days or so.
You won’t know what records you’ll receive as part of the $25 plan until they show up at your door, but they’ll be classics from the “Golden Era of Vinyl” — the 1960s and ‘70s — chosen by curators at Amazon Music. Expect releases from Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin and ABBA, so if your tastes fall outside of the mainstream of the mainstream, this might not be for you. At least the spirit of Columbia House lives on. Continue reading.
Honda finally has a name for its first electric SUV. The Prologue is coming in 2024, so there’s a little time to wait. You should also see the Acura SUV sometime in 2024, but that vaguer promise suggests this model will come later than its more mainstream counterpart.
Honda hasn’t offered much detail about what the Prologue will entail, although it reminded us that both the Prologue and its Acura counterpart will run on GM’s Ultium batteries. Honda is still hard at work on its own electric car architecture. Continue reading.
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles both support 4K Dolby Vision at 120 Hz, but there’s a problem: so far, no TVs have supported all of those things things at once. Now, LG has announced that it’s rolling out a firmware update that unlocks Dolby Vision HDR at 4K 120Hz on its latest 2021 C1 and G1 series OLED models.
We knew that LG’s high-end G1 and mainstream C1 series should be capable of 120 Hz 4K gaming with Dolby Vision, as HDTV Test’s Vincent Teoh pointed out recently. However, Xbox Series X owners have been reporting that those models weren’t working, with an error message that “your TV setup doesn’t support Dolby Vision at 4K 120 Hz.”
LG told Teoh at the time that it was testing the functionality and working to bring it to market, and now it has done so with the firmware version 03.15.27. That makes the C1 and G1 series OLED TV models “the first in the world capable of supporting Dolby Vision HDR at 4K 120Hz on compatible platforms,” the company said.
LG
In addition, it’s testing the feature on other 2021 models including the OLED Z1 series, QNED Mini LED QNED99 series and NanoCell NANO99 series, all slated to receive the update in July. “Additional 2021 and 2020 TV models are also being tested for Dolby Vision gaming in either 60Hz or 120Hz,” the company added. There’s no word on whether its 2019 OLED models, some of which also support both 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision, will be updated.
Now, if you have an Xbox Series X or S console and 2021 LG G1 or S1 series TV, you’ll be able to make the error message go away. However, you still won’t be able to play any 4K 120Hz Dolby Vision games, because none exist at the moment. When they do eventually arrive, you should see not only more fluid playback, but brighter images, improved contrast and more vibrant, saturated colors — much as you do on Dolby Vision-encoded films and TV series.
Along with that feature, the new firmware also introduces the Game Dashboard (shown above), a floating menu that helps LG owners optimize settings. It works on any any 2021 LG TV with Game Optimizer, letting users switch between genres (standard, FPS, RPG or RTS). You’ll also be able to see the status of modes like black stabilizer, low latency and variable refresh rate. The new update is now rolling out, so if you own a supported set, you should gain access to all of those features soon.
Knowing where you can fly your drone is the most important rule you have to get acquainted with before taking to the skies. Alongside the FAA’s dedicated B4UFLY app, Alphabet’s Wing also boasts a dedicated drone safety and navigation app that’s now available in the US following its debut in Australia.
Once downloaded, you can fire it up to check airspace restrictions that will dictate where you can and can’t fly. No-go areas include stadiums and sporting events; airports; security sensitive locations such as military airbases, national landmarks and critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants; and even temporarily restricted sites that may be out of bounds because of an emergency (such as a wildfire). Having an app in your pocket that gives you that info in real-time is obviously an important resource.
With a green light from the FAA, Wing says you can also use OpenSky to quickly request authorization to fly in controlled airspace, including areas surrounding US airports. This is otherwise known as a Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability and is typically used by emergency response crews, commercial surveyors, or filmmakers and photographers.
OpenSky
Wing says the reason it’s expanding the app is to enable people to fly more safely and boost compliance to ensure greater adoption of drones. Of course, the service collects plenty of data — including info about your device and its location and a connected drone’s serial number, model details and flight plan — which should help Wing to build out its navigational systems and maybe even feed into its UAV deliveries.
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