Top Stories

Comcast Offers Prepaid Month-to-Month Phone and Internet

The Comcast NOW suite of low-cost prepaid Wi-Fi and streaming TV service is gaining Internet and mobile products that consumers can purchase month-to-month. NOW Mobile proffers unlimited 5G data, talk and text, with access to more than 23 million Wi-Fi hotspots, for $25 per line. NOW Internet offers “more reliability than fixed wireless options” starting at $30 per month for 100 Mbps, or $45 per month for 200 Mbps. Each tier includes unlimited data and an Xfinity 5G gateway. The packages join NOW TV and NOW WiFi Pass in Comcast’s prepaid portfolio. Read more

Adobe Considers Sora, Pika and Runway AI for Premiere Pro

Adobe plans to add generative AI capabilities to its Premiere Pro editing platform and is exploring the update with third-party AI technologies including OpenAI’s Sora, as well as models from Runway and Pika Labs, making it easier “to draw on the strengths of different models” within everyday workflows, according to Adobe. Editors will gain the ability to generate and add objects into scenes or shots, remove unwanted elements with a click, and even extend frames and footage length. The company is also developing a video model for its own Firefly AI for video and audio work in Premiere Pro. Read more

Pimax Intros VR Headset with Switchable QLED, OLED Panels

Virtual reality firm Pimax has unveiled two new headsets. The Crystal Super is a high-resolution performance model which starts at $1,800, while the Crystal Light will carry a base list of $700. The Crystal Super packs 29.5 million pixels and allows users to swap between QLED and micro-OLED panels, which Pimxax claims is a first. The Crystal Light offers the same 16.6 million pixels as its Crystal predecessor, but at a more affordable price. At its annual Frontier virtual event, Pimax also shared the specs for its 60G Airlink module, designed for high-fidelity wireless PCVR using WiGig technology. Read more

Sony Rolls Out Brighter, Better-Sounding Bravia TVs for 2024

Sony’s new line of Bravia televisions focuses on MiniLED display tech with the high-end Bravia 9. There is also the OLED-based Bravia 8, and the company is keeping 2023’s A95L QD-OLED in the mix. But the spotlight is in the LED backlighting system that Sony has spent several years refining, XR Backlight Master Drive, which can assert precise control over each pixel. Sony says the technology is comparable to the underpinnings of its professional mastering monitors. The XR Backlight Master Drive system allocates LED resources using purpose-built silicon created by Sony for its MiniLED TVs. Read more

Google Merges Android and Hardware Units for AI Efficiency

Google is implementing an internal reorganization that combines its Android and hardware teams. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a new Platforms & Devices team headed by Rick Osterloh, which includes Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Photos and all Pixel products. Pichai says the move will help speed development. Osterloh’s mandate is full-stack platform development that smoothly incorporates AI across all Google platforms, including smartphones, TVs and anything with Android OS. Hiroshi Lockheimer, who previously ran ops for Android, Chrome and ChromeOS, moves on to other projects at Google and Alphabet. Read more

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