AI tracks account for a small fraction of Deezer streams, and most are demonetized for fraud. Music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music have become the primary way people listen to music, which can be a lot more convenient than buying individual albums. However, this also makes it…
How does HEVC implementation really work these days? You don’t notice good video compression—until it’s not there. For years, people have streamed high-resolution video without thinking about the tech behind it. But when companies clash over which hardware, software, and services can use modern codecs like HEVC/H.265, the idea that…
The two newest Fire Sticks block apps from outside of Amazon’s store. The writing was on the wall, and now it’s on Amazon’s website. Newly released Fire Sticks will not support the sideloading of Android apps or any other software from outside Amazon’s official app store. The proof comes…
Prices for “critical components” are surging because of massive data center investments. The rising costs of RAM and other computing components are pushing up the price of Meta’s Quest VR headsets, which the company says will increase by $50–$100 (about 12–20 percent) starting on April 19. In announcing that…
For the first time in a while, the benefits of new Intel tech will trickle down. Intel’s Core Ultra laptop CPUs have been its flagships ever since it retired the older generational branding scheme and the i3/i5/i7/i9 branding a few years back. The Core Ultra Series 1, Series 2,…
China cable-cutter demo coincides with more sabotage of subsea Internet cables. A Chinese ship has tested a new device capable of slicing through submarine data cables thousands of meters beneath the ocean surface. That demonstration may exacerbate security concerns over a spate of suspected sabotage incidents targeting undersea communications…
“The vault is solid. The delivery truck is not.” Two years ago, Microsoft launched its first wave of “Copilot+” Windows PCs with a handful of exclusive features that could take advantage of the neural processing unit (NPU) hardware being built into newer laptop processors. These NPUs could enable AI…
Google mostly creates products for the web, but it has some new desktop apps today. Most people access Google’s search and AI products through a browser, but you’ve got some new options today. Google has been testing a Windows search app for some months, and it’s now officially available.…
“Am I trippin??” asks LeBron James. NBA fans sat on the edges of their seats as last night’s game between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets went into overtime. That excitement quickly shifted to confusion, frustration, and outrage when Amazon Prime Video, the only place where the game was…
Some 2023 and 2024 models are also affected. Sony is removing some features from its recent Bravia smart TVs next month, a move that will affect people who use an antenna or a set-top box. As of “late May 2026,” people who use an antenna with the affected TV…
