Information Technology

Do I lose out on HDR by forcing 4K SDR?No — not if you keep Match Content enabled, anyway. The 4K SDR format setting prevents unnecessary switching on menus and SDR content, but genuine HDR streams still display in full HDR when available. Can my TV even handle 4:4:4 Chroma?It’s worth testing. Connect a quality HDMI cable and switch to 4:4:4. Look for clear text and sharp edges when displaying content with fine details or text. If text appears blurry or jagged on the edges, or if you notice any flicker or dropouts, revert to 4:2:0. How often should I recalibrate color balance?Once or twice a year, or after major tvOS updates, is fine. Your color accuracy does change over time, so it’s worth recalibrating. How do I clear the cache on my Apple TV?Your Apple TV doesn’t offer a specific “clear cache” option like some other devices, as TVOS is designed to manage cache automatically. You can still manually delete or offload apps, though, if you want to better manage your available storage space.Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More

Kospet Magic P10 smartwatch <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Kospet Magic P10 and R10 are on sale on Amazon for $130 each. The associated app is robust, the watch battery lasts for more than a week, and the rugged design can handle all environments. The magnet on the charging cable is a bit weak and […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETCosts are steadily rising in the US, and energy costs are a prominent example. This is made worse by summer temperatures being at record highs, with heat waves wreaking havoc across various states in the past few weeks. As someone who’s gone through a few of these this summer alone, I’m constantly looking for ways to conserve energy.There are many little things you can do that can shave dollars off your monthly energy bill, and they go beyond switching off the lights when you leave the room. Did you know you can save 3% on cooling costs for every 1°F increase in your thermostat? As a fan of data, I’ve looked into multiple quantifiable ways to save energy and how these translate into saving money. Also: Apple’s tariff costs and iPhone sales are soaring – how long until device prices are too?Unplugging a single device when not in use isn’t going to save you a bucket of cash. But unplugging multiple devices adds up quickly to help you save, especially when you make a habit of it. Here are the devices you should unplug when they’re not in use, and how doing so could save you almost $200 a year, depending on your local rates.1. TVs, gaming consoles, and office devices More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The 15-inch Skylight Calendar is a smart display for $320, with a 10-inch version available for $160. It’s a touchscreen calendar designed with busy lifestyles in mind that allows for shared use within a household or team. Though it’s proven indispensable for my family, I wish the chores, not just the […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysSamsung is rolling out a redesigned version of Bixby on smart TVs.The new Bixby will have upgraded conversational abilities.You’ll also be able to control smart home devices.If you have a Samsung television, you’re about to get a big upgrade to your TV’s built-in Bixby assistant.In a recent announcement, Samsung detailed a redesigned Bixby that brings a host of new features, including the ability to look up information, utilize Click to Search, and even control your smart home.Also: How to clear your TV cache (and why it makes such a noticeable difference)At present, Bixby is essentially a voice-controlled extension of your remote. You can use it to do basic things like open apps, control your TV’s volume, control media playback, check the weather, or search for content.Here’s what’s coming with the new Bixby.1. Smarter, more natural conversationsSamsung says the new Bixby assistant, powered by generative AI, will provide a much more natural experience compared to the previous version. Bixby can answer any question you have and understand context and follow-up questions, letting you have more of a flowing conversation. Also: How to turn off ACR on your TV (and why you shouldn’t wait to do it)You can ask queries like, “What’s the tallest mountain in America” or “Suggest a chill playlist for a rainy day”. Bixby can also answer questions about what’s on your screen. 2. Click to SearchBixby is now integrated into Click to Search, letting you discover and explore while watching live TV, cable channels, or Samsung TV Plus. You can ask about an actor, a show, or a broader topic, and get answers right on your TV. More

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images ZDNET’s takeaways Perplexity’s new feature lets you make a restaurant reservation straight through OpenTable. The feature uses OpenTable’s system, so you don’t have to trust the AI to do it for you. Instead of navigating between apps or tabs to find a restaurant and then book a table, Perplexity handles everything. Finding […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysLinux has several high-quality video editors.You’ll find some pro-level and some built for consumers.The best-in-class goes to DaVinci Resolve.I’ve been filming and editing videos for a long time. When I first started, I worked with software that was user-friendly but incapable of producing professional-level videos. Slowly, I climbed the ladder. Now I feel like the tools I have are worthy of being taken seriously.That’s not to say those apps I used early on aren’t viable options, but it does depend on the results you want to achieve, your target audience, and how/where you plan on distributing/submitting your work.Whether you’re just starting with video edits or have been around that particular block a few times, there are some quality editors available for the Linux operating system. Here are my top four.1. DaVinci ResolveDaVinci Resolve (by Black Magic) is my go-to editor these days. Yes, it has a steep learning curve (and a lot of features), but it’s worth every second you put into it. I’ve been using Resolve for a couple of years, and every time I use it, I find something new to love. One of the best things about Resolve is its color grading tools (which are incredible). Outside of Adobe Premiere, you won’t find a better tool for getting just the right color for your videos. And with the latest releases, those tools are even smarter and easier to use. Also: 5 new features in DaVinci Resolve 19 that make my favorite video editor even betterBut, as I said, there is a steep learning curve with this software. If you really want to get the most out of DaVinci Resolve, you have to take the time to learn things like a node-based workflow and have a solid understanding of how color works in film. The good news is that Resolve does have built-in support for a large number of cameras. The caveat is that the majority of cameras included are cinema-quality and not consumer-grade. With DaVinci Resolve, you can get artistic with your color grading or simply make it look as real as possible.DaVinci Resolve has both a free version and a paid Studio version ($295), which adds tons of extra features (such as AI, temporal and spatial noise reduction, text-based editing, Magic Mask, multi-GPU support, and more).2. LightworksLightworks video editor lives in that space between consumer and professional. Lightworks has a timeline editor that can handle video clips of all sizes, frame rates, and qualities. This editor isn’t nearly as difficult to learn as Resolve, but it can still produce stunning work. You’ll get background rendering and exporting, so you can continue to work as the editor does its thing. More

Anthropic / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysAutomated security reviews in Claude Code help ensure code safety.Spot and fix vulnerabilities before your code reaches production.Run the /security-review command in the terminal or via GitHub Action.Claude Code became generally available in May, and since then, it has become popular among developers for its coding assistance, available right in the terminal or integrated development environments (IDEs). Now, new features are coming to Claude that make it easier to build safely, too.On Wednesday, Anthropic introduced automated security reviews in Claude Code. They allow developers to more easily identify and fix security concerns, and can be invoked either manually using the new “/security-review” command or automatically via the new GitHub Action for Claude Code. Also: Claude Code’s new tool is all about maximizing ROI in your organization – how to try it”On demand or automatically, Claude will review the code that you’re working on, the code that you’re pushing, or your entire repository, and practically identify vulnerabilities and suggest ways to fix them,” said Logan Graham, Frontier Red Team lead at Anthropic, to ZDNET. [embedded content] Command in Claude Code All developers have to do is invoke the /security-review command in Claude Code, which will trigger the security analysis in the terminal. Anthropic said Claude will then search the codebase, identify common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection risks, insecure data handling, and authentication flaws, and explain the issues found. “We want it to be, and I think we can get there soon if it’s not there already, kind of like having the best security engineer or best senior software engineer, over shoulder, helping you do your work, better and securely,” added Graham. Also: The best AI for coding in 2025 (including a new winner – and what not to use)After identifying the issues, the user can also ask Claude Code to implement the fixes for each one. This allows developers to catch issues easily by integrating the security reviews before committing the code or before it reaches production. ZDNET’s own David Gewirtz, a computer science professor turned AI innovator, found the update helpful, saying, “Adding the security review as a command is good. Otherwise, you’d have to embed it in each query or add it to their system instructions.” More