Hasta La Gadget!

Walmart ag ’d have to sell a kidney to afford a giant 4K TV for the living room. That is no longer true, as television prices continue to decline. Case in point? Vizio just announced a new 86-inch 4K smart TV that costs just $999.

The first thing worth mentioning about the latest member of Vizio’s lineup of 4K televisions is its size. The next-biggest model is 75 inches and that’s already large enough to absolutely take over most spaces. This thing will be like having a Times Square billboard in your living room. That’s not a bad thing, particularly for home theater buffs. 

We don’t know how this set will look in action yet, but it does offer a serious batch of features. Vizio says it “boasts the same powerful picture quality as its predecessors”, thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+. The company also promises the TV can run games at 120 fps once you switch to 1080p. Here’s hoping the product can make good on this claim. Other features include dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and DTS:X audio.

Walmart agreed to buy Vizio last month for $23 billion, though the deal still faces regulatory approval. The 86-inch 4K TV officially goes on sale April 29 at both brick-and-mortar and digital retailers. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vizio-just-announced-a-999-86-inch-4k-tv-160030764.html?src=rss

A $3 iOS app now records higher-resolution spatial videos than Apple’s native camera app. Spatialify, available on the App Store, lets iPhone 15 Pro owners record 3D videos for Apple’s Vision Pro in either 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps — with HDR. Apple’s native recording only supports 1080p / 30fps without HDR, so your immersive clips will be noticeably sharper using Spatialify than the camera app on the same phone. UploadVR first reported on the app update.

Spatialify launched earlier this year as a tool for converting Apple’s spatial videos (HEVC format) for playback on non-Apple VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3. But with Meta later adding native HEVC conversion to its headsets (the best-selling on the market), Spatialify’s superior recording could give the third-party app a new lease on life.

Engadget senior editor Devindra Hardawar confirmed that Spatialify produces files in 4K / 30fps when set accordingly. He also verified that Spatialify’s videos look much sharper on the Vision Pro than those shot in Apple’s camera app. HDR also makes the videos’ lighting look more realistic. Not bad for three bucks.

It’s somewhat surprising Apple is holding back its native camera app from exploiting the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max’s full hardware capabilities, but it isn’t unheard of. Halide, a popular iOS camera app, beat Apple to the punch with iOS photography features like shooting in RAW, manual controls and portrait photos for pets. Based on that history, I wouldn’t be shocked if Apple soon added similar advanced spatial recording to its camera, especially now that we know its current hardware has no problem with it.

Spatialify is available on the App Store for $3. It requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max to capture spatial videos.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-3-app-shoots-better-spatial-videos-than-the-iphones-native-camera-193055951.html?src=rss

The upcoming Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL are set to depart from the distinctive “visor” camera design seen in recent Pixel models, according to leaked renders. While the visor design brought a unique character to the Pixel 6 onwards, it seems Google is opting for a less dramatic change with the Pixel 9 series.

The visor design, while not universally praised for its aesthetics, offered a blend of interest and functionality, providing a raised angle for the phone without instability. However, leaked renders suggest that the Pixel 9 lineup will feature a long pill-shaped camera bump spanning the width of the phone, departing from the edge-to-edge visor strip.

These renders indicate a continuation of the two-tone theme seen in previous Pixel models, adding a touch of style and visual appeal. However, the new design may polarize opinions, especially among those who identified the visor as a signature feature of Pixel phones over the past few years.

So… It appears the #Google phones I’ve leaked in January are actually the #Pixel9Pro and which will likely be marketed as #Pixel9ProXL.

And today comes your very 1st look at the #Pixel9 (360° video + 5K renders + dimensions)

On behalf of @91mobiles 👉🏻 https://t.co/0lI4NTROYJ pic.twitter.com/fW4pYAimQ2

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) March 27, 2024

Interestingly, Google is reportedly expanding its Pixel lineup this year, introducing three models: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The inclusion of an “XL” variant marks a return after its absence since the Pixel 5 XL in 2020. This expansion raises questions about Google’s strategy in positioning these models within the market.

Overall, while the shift away from the visor design may disappoint some fans, the leaked renders suggest that Google is striving for a balance between innovation and familiarity with the Pixel 9 series.

Leak Suggests Google Pixel 9 Series Could Depart From The “Visor” Design

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

The upcoming Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL are set to depart from the distinctive “visor” camera design seen in recent Pixel models, according to leaked renders. While the visor design brought a unique character to the Pixel 6 onwards, it seems Google is opting for a less dramatic change with the Pixel 9 series.

The visor design, while not universally praised for its aesthetics, offered a blend of interest and functionality, providing a raised angle for the phone without instability. However, leaked renders suggest that the Pixel 9 lineup will feature a long pill-shaped camera bump spanning the width of the phone, departing from the edge-to-edge visor strip.

These renders indicate a continuation of the two-tone theme seen in previous Pixel models, adding a touch of style and visual appeal. However, the new design may polarize opinions, especially among those who identified the visor as a signature feature of Pixel phones over the past few years.

So… It appears the #Google phones I’ve leaked in January are actually the #Pixel9Pro and which will likely be marketed as #Pixel9ProXL.

And today comes your very 1st look at the #Pixel9 (360° video + 5K renders + dimensions)

On behalf of @91mobiles 👉🏻 https://t.co/0lI4NTROYJ pic.twitter.com/fW4pYAimQ2

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) March 27, 2024

Interestingly, Google is reportedly expanding its Pixel lineup this year, introducing three models: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The inclusion of an “XL” variant marks a return after its absence since the Pixel 5 XL in 2020. This expansion raises questions about Google’s strategy in positioning these models within the market.

Overall, while the shift away from the visor design may disappoint some fans, the leaked renders suggest that Google is striving for a balance between innovation and familiarity with the Pixel 9 series.

Leak Suggests Google Pixel 9 Series Could Depart From The “Visor” Design

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

An AI chatbot released by the New York City government to help business owners access pertinent information has been spouting falsehoods, at times even misinforming users about actions that are against the law, according to a report from The Markup. The report, which was co-published with the local nonprofit newsrooms Documented and The City, includes numerous examples of inaccuracies in the chatbot’s responses to questions relating to housing policies, workers’ rights and other topics.

Mayor Adams’ administration introduced the chatbot in October as an addition to the MyCity portal, which launched in March 2023 as “a one-stop shop for city services and benefits.” The chatbot, powered by Microsoft’s Azure AI, is aimed at current and aspiring business owners, and was billed as a source of “actionable and trusted information” that comes directly from the city government’s sites. But it is a pilot program, and a disclaimer on the website notes that it “may occasionally produce incorrect, harmful or biased content.”

In The Markup’s tests, the chatbot repeatedly provided incorrect information. In response to the question, “Can I make my store cashless?”, for example, it replied, “Yes, you can make your store cashless in New York City” — despite the fact that New York City banned cashless stores in 2020. The report shows the chatbot also responded incorrectly about whether employers can take their workers’ tips, whether landlords have to accept section 8 vouchers or tenants on rental assistance, and whether businesses have to inform staff of scheduling changes. A housing policy expert that spoke to The Markup called the chatbot “dangerously inaccurate” at its worst.

The city has indicated that the chatbot is still a work in progress. In a statement to The Markup, Leslie Brown, a spokesperson for the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation, said the chatbot “has already provided thousands of people with timely, accurate answers,” but added, “We will continue to focus on upgrading this tool so that we can better support small businesses across the city.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nycs-business-chatbot-is-reportedly-doling-out-dangerously-inaccurate-information-203926922.html?src=rss