Netflix Adds One-Click Full-Season Downloads for iOS Users

Netflix has finally added a much-requested Season Download button for iOS that allows subscribers who use iPhones and iPads to download a complete season of episodes with one tap. Whether getting ready for a long flight or just looking to spend an evening binge-watching “Squid Games” or “Bridgerton” on a mobile device, the update provides a convenience. “On a show’s display page, look for the button right next to the Share option. Tap it, and the entire season will start downloading automatically — no more downloading episodes one at a time,” Netflix tells Apple fans. Continue reading Netflix Adds One-Click Full-Season Downloads for iOS Users

Codename Goose: Block Unveils Open-Source AI Agent Builder

Jack Dorsey’s financial tech and media firm Block (formerly Square) has released a platform for building AI agents: Codename Goose. Previously available in beta, Goose is primarily designed to build agents for coding and software development, but Block built in many basic features that could be applied to general purpose pursuits. Because it is open source and offered under Apache License 2.0, the hope is that developers will apply it to varied use cases. A leading feature of Codename Goose is its flexibility. It can integrate a wide range of large language models, letting developers use it with their preferred model. Continue reading Codename Goose: Block Unveils Open-Source AI Agent Builder

Apple Intelligence Is On by Default for First Time with iOS 18.3

In addition to the requisite security updates, Apple is introducing some day-to-day improvements with its new iOS 18.3. These mainly involve Apple Intelligence, now activated by default for the first time. Users that don’t want features such as ChatGPT Siri integration or Image Playground will have to disable them. Apple Intelligence notification summaries now appear in italicized print to stand out more. Apple at one point temporarily paused the AI summaries due to complaints over inaccurate information. Visual Intelligence can now provide information about animals and plants, and add data containing dates from pictures directly to a calendar. Continue reading Apple Intelligence Is On by Default for First Time with iOS 18.3

Threads Testing Ads with Select Advertisers in U.S. and Japan

Meta has begun testing ads on Threads in the U.S. and Japan with a select group of invited brands. The initial image ads will be slotted between pieces of content in the Threads home feed and will be visible to only a small percentage of users. Drawing from Meta’s existing ads systems framework, “the familiar visual feed format will enable advertisers to easily extend existing image ads to Threads with the check of a box,” according to Meta. Emulating Google, the company will provide users with controls to skip or hide ads. Threads advertisers will be afforded control using the Inventory Filter tool Meta has implemented for Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels. Continue reading Threads Testing Ads with Select Advertisers in U.S. and Japan

YouTube Premium Offers Speed Controls and Improved Audio

YouTube is rolling out new experimental features for Premium users and letting those paid plan subscribers access more than one test feature at a time. Among the exploratory features now available to YouTube Premium users is high-quality 256kbps audio on music videos and the ability to “jump ahead” on the web, something previously available only on mobile devices. For iOS users, picture-in-picture and smart downloads for YouTube Shorts are also among the new features. In addition, the company announced bundled pricing for those users who subscribe to both YouTube Premium and Google One Premium. Continue reading YouTube Premium Offers Speed Controls and Improved Audio

CES: Nvidia Will Launch a $3,000 Personal AI Supercomputer

Just weeks after Nvidia announced the availability of its $249 “compact AI supercomputer,” the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit for startups and hobbyists, CEO Jensen Huang revealed the company is planning to launch a personal AI supercomputer called Project Digits with a starting price of $3,000. The desktop-sized system features the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, which enables it to handle AI models with up to 200 billion parameters. Nvidia claims there is enough processing power to run high-end AI models (performing up to one quadrillion AI calculations per second) while the compact system can run from a standard power outlet. Continue reading CES: Nvidia Will Launch a $3,000 Personal AI Supercomputer

CES: LG Debuts a Dual-Mode Bendable 5K2K Game Monitor

At CES 2025 this month, LG Electronics debuted its LG UltraGear OLED Bendable Gaming Monitor, positioning it as the world’s first 5K2K-resolution bendable OLED display. The 45-inch 45GX990A can transition from completely flat to a 900R curvature within seconds, allowing users to customize their gaming experience. An upgraded Dual-Mode feature can switch easily between resolution and refresh rate presets, accommodating different aspect ratios and picture sizes. And the zippy 0.03ms (GtG) response time aims to provide heightened immersion. It did not go unnoticed at the show that the display also offers smart streaming options. Continue reading CES: LG Debuts a Dual-Mode Bendable 5K2K Game Monitor

CES: Lightweight Asus Zenbook Laptop Takes on MacBook Air

The new Asus Zenbook A14 laptop leads the company’s Copilot+ line expansion. Powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, Asus says its battery will last up to 32 hours. And at just 2.18 pounds, the “featherweight” device is drawing comparisons to Apple’s MacBook Air — but at a more affordable price. The Zenbook A14 will start at $1,099.99 when it hits the market later this month in gray with a base 8-core processor featuring 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD. The model sports a 14-inch OLED display with 1920×1200 resolution reaching 600 nits of peak brightness at 60Hz. Continue reading CES: Lightweight Asus Zenbook Laptop Takes on MacBook Air

CES: Is the ChatGPT Moment for Robotics Around the Corner?

CES has regularly featured robots over the years, but we’ve never really seen anything pivotal. CES 2025 marked a change in this area. “The ChatGPT moment for robotics is just around the corner,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in his keynote, and we couldn’t agree more. And while attention was focused on LLMs, the field of industrial robotics has been unleashed like never before. According to World Robotics 2024, the International Federation of Robotics’ recent report, 4.3 million units were deployed in factories worldwide as of Q3 2024, a number that’s increasing at a clip of half a million units per year. This is double from 7 years ago, and the trend is accelerating. Continue reading CES: Is the ChatGPT Moment for Robotics Around the Corner?

CES: Xreal One Pro AR Glasses Are Thinner, with Greater FOV

The Xreal One Pro AR glasses have raised the stakes for those competing in the wearable augmented reality space, according to some CES 2025 attendees. The eyewear, which debuted at the show, updates the Xreal One, released in the U.S. last month. The Pro’s cinematic virtual display (of up to 447 inches) comes with 57-degree field of view, an improvement over the Xreal One’s 50-degree FOV. Xreal says the Pro model offers “professional-grade color accuracy.” An optional detachable 12MP camera, Xreal Eye, captures photos and video. The new model will sell for $500 starting in March. Continue reading CES: Xreal One Pro AR Glasses Are Thinner, with Greater FOV

CES: Sony Introduces Interactive Experience – ‘The Last of Us’

During CES this week, Sony demonstrated a proof-of-concept experience based on the popular HBO post-apocalyptic drama “The Last of Us.” We were dropped into a six-person pod of newly enlisted defenders and assigned to a hardened defender who needed new recruits to combat a serious surge of zombie assaults that she was convinced could be overcome with our assistance. Armed with LED-enabled shotgun-like devices and tracked flashlights to assist our leader in discovering the concealed attackers, our combat leader led us with sharp and direct commands as she guided us through the terrors of the attack. Continue reading CES: Sony Introduces Interactive Experience – ‘The Last of Us’

CES: How Brands and Marketers Are Integrating AI, Creativity

Billed as a conversation among CMOs, this CES panel — moderated by Consumer Technology Association VP of Marketing & Communications Melissa Harrison — drilled down into how major brands and advertising technology companies are integrating artificial intelligence into their pipelines and organizations. They agreed that, although this is still at the beginning stage and requires experimentation, those who are frozen and have not yet started engaging with AI will quickly be at a learning curve disadvantage. Still, panelists emphasized that AI will not replace human creativity. Continue reading CES: How Brands and Marketers Are Integrating AI, Creativity

CES: Utilizing Real-Time AI to Measure Representation in Ads

Brands Mastercard and MGM Resorts International, the Ad Council and advertising technology company XR Extreme Reach (XR) gathered for a CES panel discussion on how real-time AI metrics can help increase representation in ads, thus boosting greater marketing ROI and audience trust. It was moderated by The Female Quotient Chief Executive Shelley Zalis, whose company collaborated with XR to unveil, in October, the Representation Index (RX) to measure inclusivity in global advertising. XR’s SVP of Enterprise Solutions Kristin Wnuk was also there to describe her company’s work in the space. Continue reading CES: Utilizing Real-Time AI to Measure Representation in Ads

CES: Lenovo Yoga Laptops Include One with Invisible Camera

Lenovo’s new laptops include the Yoga Slim 9i, on display this week at CES 2025. Its 14-inch PureSight Pro OLED screen is essentially bezel-free, with 98 percent screen-to-body ratio made possible by the world’s first camera-under-display technology in a laptop. “Hiding the camera under the display panel until it is needed means a pure, uninterrupted screen with no camera notch,” Lenovo claims. When the 32-megapixel camera is activated, the laptop deactivates the pixels where the camera lens is positioned behind the screen. To correct image distortion and lowlight issues, Lenovo is tapping technology provided by Israel-based Visionary.ai. Continue reading CES: Lenovo Yoga Laptops Include One with Invisible Camera

CES: Microsoft Courts Brands for Its Three Gaming Platforms

When it comes to gaming, Microsoft is not just about Xbox, the popular gaming console it introduced in 2001. Microsoft VP of Global Revenue & Business Planning Jonathan Stringfield wants brands to know that they can reach a broad ecosystem of gamers not just on its console but on mobile devices and PCs. “Consumers expect to be able to watch entertainment across platforms,” he said during a CES 2025 panel discussion. “That’s what we’re doing in the gaming space. And that’s a space that is exploding — not just in overall numbers but who those gamers are.” Continue reading CES: Microsoft Courts Brands for Its Three Gaming Platforms