Posts Tagged: owners

Roku Holds Device Owners To Ransom Over New T & C’s

Roku’s new terms and conditions hold devices to ransom by disabling them unless the customer agrees to restrict their legal recourse.
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Some Vizio TV owners can claim a share of a $3 million settlement over misleading marketing

Vizio TVs’ “effective” refresh rates have been confusing customers for years, and the company may now owe payments to some buyers who were misled by the term. As spotted by The Verge, Vizio recently agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in California over what plaintiffs claim is “false and misleading” advertising. While some Vizio TVs are marketed as having a “120Hz Effective Refresh Rate” or “240Hz Effective Refresh Rate,” that describes a result achieved using motion clarity technology. Their actual, native refresh rate in most cases is 60Hz.

Vizio has denied any wrongdoing on its part, but agreed to a $ 3 million settlement covering all Vizio TVs purchased in California that were advertised with the above descriptions, going back to April 30, 2014 and up until the final court judgment. The final approval hearing is right now set for June 20, 2024. People may be entitled to payments of up to $ 50, but claims must be in by March 30, 2024. The claim form can be found here. Vizio also agreed to stop marketing its TVs this way and to “provide enhanced services and a limited one-year warranty to all Settlement Class Members.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/some-vizio-tv-owners-can-claim-a-share-of-a-3-million-settlement-over-misleading-marketing-220925933.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Sony Bravia TV owners can soon take Zoom calls from the couch

Sony Bravia TVs will be the first hardware to support the upcoming Zoom for TV app on Google Play. Although remote work has dwindled as corporations beckon their underlings back to the office, those still enjoying work-from-home or hybrid arrangements could soon attend virtual meetings from their living room couches. It follows Apple’s WWDC 2023 announcement that FaceTime is coming to Apple TV (via mounted iPhones) later this year.

Bravia TVs don’t have built-in webcams, so you’ll need to buy a Bravia Cam to make the setup work. In addition to enabling Zoom calls, the $ 200 accessory can adjust sound and picture settings based on your location and distance from the television. It also allows you to control your TV with hand gestures without picking up the remote, enables a proximity alert that detects when kids sit too close (as they’re wont to do) and adds a power-saving mode that dims the screen if nobody is watching.

Split-panel image. On the left, a rendered figure sitting on a living-room couch with his TV's brightness set to max. On the right, the same figure sitting on an ottoman closer to the TV with the brightness tuned to around 70 percent.
Sony

Sony says the Zoom for TV app will be available for Bravia TVs “by early summer.” The company’s head of Bravia product design, Shusuke Tomonaga, said, “This partnership will make it possible for our customers to enjoy more realistic video communication on a large TV screen in the living room, enabling them to be more connected with the people they care about, whether they are working from home, learning remotely, or just catching up with friends and family.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-bravia-tv-owners-can-soon-take-zoom-calls-from-the-couch-213024871.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Discord server owners in the US can now create their own subscriptions

After a year of testing, Discord is ready to let more creators offer subscriptions. The community platform has enabled Server Subscriptions for all eligible server owners in the US. Your favorite streamer or social media star can now offer exclusive content and features at multiple price tiers they set themselves. You might get bonus videos, early access to merch or voting rights for influential polls, for instance.

Discord stresses that creators will get 90 percent of their subscription fee. They can also use a newly launched promo webpage feature to promote their paid options. Any server owner qualifies as long as they’re based in the US, agrees to policies and doesn’t have any “recent” violations.

The long testing period reflects Discord’s caution around launching Server Subscriptions. As company marketing manager Jesse Wofford told Engadget last year, the feature is meant to allow sustainable businesses on the platform — theoretically, a creator can generate meaningful profit (even if it’s purely supplemental) from their Discord community.

Whether or not this represents a good value may depend on the services a creator is already using to charge for Discord access. Patreon asks for as little as 5 percent of monthly income before payment processing, but membership tiers and some other perks aren’t available until a creator gives up 8 or 12 percent. Moreover, server owners still have to split their attention between two services — Discord’s move potentially simplifies subscriptions.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Pixel 7 owners can try Google’s new Clear Calling feature in beta

One of the Pixel 7 family’s signature software features is available to try if you’re willing to live on the bleeding edge. Android Policereports Google has shared a third beta for Android 13’s first Quarterly Platform Release (QPR1) that adds Clear Calling for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Enable it in the sound settings and AI will eliminate background noise on the other end of cellular calls while boosting voices. You might not have to ask someone to repeat themselves when traffic sounds drown them out.

Google notes that Clear Calling availability depends on your cellular and WiFi connections, and that the company doesn’t collect any call content. The beta also adds a toggle for voice calls over 5G and a few cosmetic interface tweaks.

You’ll have to wait considerably longer if you’d rather not beta-test a patch. The completed QPR1 release isn’t expected until December. You’ll have something to look forward to then whether or not you’re a tester, though. 9to5Googlenoticed that the Pixel 7’s free lifetime Google One VPN will be available that same month, so you’ll have an easy way to secure your mobile internet access.

There’s no mention of if or when Clear Calling will come to non-Google devices. Google sometimes makes Pixel-first features available elsewhere after a delay, but others tend to remain exclusive. You may have to sit on the sidelines if you use a third-party Android device.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Samsung’s One UI 5 beta is already available for some Galaxy S22 owners

Samsung’s One UI 5 beta is starting to roll out to select Galaxy S22 owners in spite of a botched announcement from earlier today.
Android | Digital Trends

Galaxy Watch 4 owners can now sign up for the One UI Watch Beta Program in the US

Despite running beta programs for its flagship smartphones when there’s a new version of Android released, Samsung hasn’t done the same for its smartwatches. Until now that is because Galaxy Watch 4 owners in the US can now sign up for the first One UI Watch Beta Program to test new firmware builds ahead of […]

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Google’s ‘pausing’ of the December update is bad news for Pixel 6 owners

So, you bought yourself a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro hoping to benefit from being the first to receive timeous software updates. Hmm. Whilst this is often the case, as it should be considering that Google is the purveyor of both the Android OS and the Pixel 6 series, the December Pixel Feature Drop is […]

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Tesla app outage locked some owners out of their cars

Tesla's app server went down a few hours ago, leading to a worldwide app outage that left owners unable to connect to their cars. For those who've been mostly dependent on their phones instead of their keycards, that means being locked out of their vehicles. Electrek first reported the issue after receiving complaints from Tesla owners on Friday night, and for a while it seemed like the problem only affected drivers in North America. But then, an owner from Seoul, South Korea tweeted at Elon Musk about getting a server error on their app, to which the Tesla CEO replied that he's "checking" it out.

Other tweets show owners calling for roadside assistance and delaying their plans for the night. The outage came shortly after the automaker rolled out an update to its application, which Electrek said includes a feature that Tesla had issues implementing. It's unclear if that was connected to the outage, since Musk has yet to follow up on his initial response. Regardless, it looks like the outage is starting to get resolved. Downdetector received as many as 543 reports a few hours ago, but now they're down to less than a hundred. 

Being locked out of vehicles could be an ongoing problem as automakers move to cloud services and increase reliance on smartphone apps. As this situation showed, however, it's still wise to carry around a keycard/keyfob as backup just in case.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

iPhone 12 mini owners report unresponsive lock screens

Some early iPhone 12 mini buyers are having a rough experience with their diminutive new handset. Users on MacRumors, Apple’s forum and Reddit report that the 12 mini’s touchscreen is partly unresponsive at the lock screen. They’ll not only have trou…
Engadget

‘Doom’ and ‘Doom II’ are free for some Chromebook owners

Chromebook ownership has its perks, which includes offers on a rotating selection of apps and games. Now, Doom and Doom II are available for free on Chromebooks for a limited time. The offer isn’t available to every Chromebook user, so check the perk…
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We interviewed the new owners of Newton Mail; here’s their plan to tackle the email market

Newton Mail is alive, again. The email app (which is honestly pretty good!) has had a very bumpy life that involved a lot of shutting down, being revived, and getting shuttered over and over. Essential took it over at first, but then Essential went down, leaving the future of Newton up in the air. That’s […]

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Now Tesla owners can attach a picture to their repair request

While many Tesla owners love their electric vehicles, one complaint we've heard about has been about waiting for repairs. Last year Elon Musk announced Tesla would bring most collision repairs in-house to help reduce wait times to same-day or even on…
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Apple’s original shows may be free for device owners

Apple's long-in-the-making streaming video service might not cost you anything. CNBC sources have reported that Apple's offering will revolve around a revamped TV app where original programming will be available for free in addition to previously rum…
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Bumble sues Tinder’s owners for stealing company secrets

Bumble isn't done swiping left on Tinder's parent company Match Group. After publishing an open letter excoriating Match, the women-focused dating app has filed a lawsuit against Tinder's owner, accusing it of stealing trade secrets, among other thin…
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iPhone X owners report trouble answering phone calls

The iPhone X's early teething troubles have largely gone away, but there's a lingering problem for some owners… and it's a fairly serious one. Users have reported that the iPhone X's touchscreen won't turn on for several seconds when there's an in…
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Some Galaxy Note 8 owners have reported battery charging issues

Some Galaxy Note 8 owners have been reporting that they couldn't charge or turn on their handsets after the batteries ran dry — a problem that plagues other phones as well. While Samsung reps have been trying to address individual issues, a company…
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Amazon Fire TV owners can now use voice commands to control Hulu and other third-party apps

Amazon has just announced that you can now use voice commands to control third-party apps on its Fire TV and Fire Stick devices. Previously, you could only use voice commands on Amazon Video but now you can use Alexa to control the Hulu app and more.  It isn’t just Hulu that you can control with […]

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Apple is issuing its Watch owners an Earth Day fitness challenge

Apple takes the environment pretty seriously, and as part of its Earth Day initiatives, it’s challenging you to go outside for 30 minutes. And if you do so with the Apple Watch, you’ll unlock a series of new iMessage stickers.

The post Apple is issuing its Watch owners an Earth Day fitness challenge appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends

Galaxy Note 7 recall: Samsung owners, here’s what you need to know

Earlier this week, Samsung halted shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 over unspecified “quality control” issues, and now it is recalling the device. The issue stems from the battery cell. Here’s our full guide to how to avoid and protect yourself.

The post Galaxy Note 7 recall: Samsung owners, here’s what you need to know appeared first on Digital Trends.

Android Army–Digital Trends

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 ranked highest by owners in the U.S.

We are all familiar with the passion of Apple fanboys and fangirls for their iPhone devices. However, a new study released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows there is at least one smartphone out there whose owners are more loyal and passionate about their devices than any iPhone model. The Samsung Galaxy Note […]

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