Eliana Willis

ZDNETSamsung and Google are officially rolling out an alternative to Dolby Atmos, the leading spatial audio format in consumer audio. Samsung and Google first announced their partnership in creating an alternative three-dimensional audio format in 2023, promising that the technology would be open-source and accessible to many.Also: CES 2025: What to expect and how to watchIt’s called Eclipsa AudioThe 3D audio technology is called Eclipsa Audio, and Samsung and Google hope to make high-quality 3D audio more accessible to consumers. Despite that wish, it is only available on Samsung’s 2025 lineup of Crystal UHD to Neo QLED 8K TVs and the 2025 lineup of soundbars.Also: Hisense’s new laser projector is so sharp and color-accurate, it may just replace your 4K TVAdditionally, creators on YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, can upload audio in the Eclipsa Audio format, but only viewers with a compatible Samsung device can access it. Samsung says the companies are working with the Telecommunications Technology Association to establish a certification for devices using Eclipsa to ensure quality playback. More

Qualcomm Having multiple monitors connected to a desktop PC can greatly improve your workflow, and I can say that with some authority. My second screen saves me the trouble of jumping between windows just to glance at or shift info around. Portable monitors can let you have a similar setup with a laptop, but one […] More

LG G5 OLED at CES 2025 Kerry Wan/ZDNETAt CES 2025 today in Las Vegas, electronics giant LG unveiled its new OLED Evo line of 4K TVs — namely, the M5 and G5 models. In addition to some noteworthy AI and connectivity features, both these flagship panels come with some stirring innovations to improve picture quality and brightness, as well as a processor optimized for fast-paced sports viewing and gaming.LG OLED M5 and G5 advancementsA complete list of specs isn’t yet available for both models, but an overall takeaway is that the M5 and G5 OLED TVs feature brighter panels, faster VRR for gaming, and a new remote. These two models essentially offer the same capabilities, with the M5 presenting a more futuristic, wireless design. Also: The best 65-inch TVs of 2025That’s because the M5 comes with a Zero Connect Box, making it what LG calls the world’s first “true wireless” OLED TV, capable of wirelessly transmitting at up to 144Hz without latency or quality loss. This is an improvement over the M4’s iteration which required line-of-sight signaling. The M5 should present far more flexibility in where you can position the hardware — great news for anyone whose PC gaming rig is set up in the next room over.With LG’s latest α11 AI processor Gen2 running the webOS, the company promises better upscaling of low-res content. It also upgraded its Brightness Booster Ultimate technology, enhancing light control architecture for brightness up to three times higher than conventional OLED models. While last year’s G4 Evo was impressively bright for an OLED, the G5 is reportedly up to 40% brighter, potentially making it the brightest TV available. Also: Is your live TV streaming service still worth it? I reassessed the options for us bothAlso new for 2025, the Evo 4K TVs support Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation. This formula detects the lighting conditions of your viewing area and automatically adjusts the picture settings to maintain the filmmaker’s original intent and a more consistent HDR experience. Touting itself as the industry’s first 4K 165Hz VRR TV manufacturer to receive a ClearMR 10000 certification by VESA and certified Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, LG promises tear- and stutter-free gameplay with minimal input lag. A native refresh rate of 165 frames per second is stellar. But keep in mind that, for the M5, VRR is limited to 144Hz at the expense of its zero-wire connectivity. That is, the M5’s Zero Connect Box is fantastic for wirelessness, but it doesn’t offer the full-speed, 165Hz potential of the G5. With most console games running at 120Hz — and with the option of a wireless home theater setup — we shouldn’t expect many complaints. More

Hyper Products Accessory brand Hyper just announced a handful of products ahead of CES 2025, but one of the standouts is its new premium trackpad for Windows devices, the HyperSpace Trackpad Pro — a haptic touchpad with loads of customizable features that could finally convince me to ditch my mouse. Hyper’s Trackpad Pro is designed […] More

Govee CES is a great time to explore new smart home technology, including smart lighting. Govee is taking the stage to announce the launch of a new Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL, a new Gaming Pixel Light, and new Mini Panel Lights.  The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by […] More

Screenshot by Nina Raemont/ZDNETProjectors are getting a facelift at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) this week. At least that’s the case for two projectors LG unveiled ahead of the event, each of which boasts multifunctionality and an upgraded build. On Sunday, LG debuted the PF600U, an all-in-one projector, Bluetooth speaker, and LED mood lamp, alongside another luxurious projector, the CineBeam S. The first, a 3-in-1 device, combines multiple home entertainment appliances into one compact and cool-looking lamp light, while the CineBeam S offers up a crisp and vivid display alongside Dolby Atmos sound. Also: This small 4K projector is worthy of replacing your TV – and it’s the brightest one I’ve testedBuilt like a floor lamp, the PF600U offers 1,920 x 1,080 FHD resolution, 300 ANSI lumens of brightness, and comes complete with stereo speakers. It appears to be made for smaller spaces and people looking to optimize their entertainment hub. The projector can project images from 30 to 120 inches. Whether a user desires a warm-toned light or a cool-toned color, they can adjust the ambiance of the LED lamp to the nine available colors and five brightness levels to fit their space’s vibe.  More

Think of an AI PC as a supercharged personal computer, tailor-made with the right hardware and software to handle AI and machine learning tasks like a pro. It’s all about giving those number-crunching, data-sifting AI and machine learning tasks the power boost they need.These tasks cover a wide spectrum of workloads, including generative AI programs like Stable Diffusion, clever chatbots powered by local language models, comprehensive data analysis, training of AI models, and running intricate simulations and sophisticated AI-driven applications.Along with powerful processors (CPUs) and graphics cards (GPUs) to give the systems multitasking might, and ample RAM and swift storage options, these PCs boast something new: an NPU, or neural processing unit, designed to turbocharge AI tasks.Intel and Microsoft have also come together to define what an AI PC is, and in addition to needing a CPU, GPU, and NPU, these PCs will also have a physical Microsoft Copilot key on the keyboard and be able to run Copilot locally.Also: AI PCs bring new security protections and risks. Here’s what users need to knowAnd, as we’ll see when we discuss the measure of the power and performance of an NPU, this has performance requirements that right now are hard to meet.The goal is to create systems that are quicker at executing AI tasks, more energy-efficient, and eliminate the need to send data — especially sensitive data — to cloud-based AI servers for processing. This approach ensures that systems can operate independently of an internet connection and enhance security by retaining the data locally.Apple has also made big moves into AI with Apple Intelligence, a platform that combines their latest processors and operating systems to develop writing and image tools. Its latest crop of hardware will all sport the “Apple Intelligence ready” tagline, but hardware support for some features goes back as far as the M1 chip for computers and iPads, and not so far back for the iPhone, with the oldest platform supporting the technology being the A17 Pro of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This means that, rather than having to sell consumers a new piece of hardware for them to get onto the AI wave, they can get a taste of what it can offer with older hardware. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Zippo Heatbank 6 and Heatbank 9s Plus are reasonably priced They warm up fast, but stay at a safe temperature They have a long runtime. more buying choices One of the tests I subject power banks to is a thermal stress test. I charge and discharge as aggressively as possible, […] More