fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is)
Tags: Tvs, Mobile Accessories, Audio, Streaming

Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is) Joy Jan 27·2 min read

Lockly is one of the few smart lock manufacturers to also offer a smart entry latch (a lock and handle combo). The company’s latest products are the Lockly Guard smart deadbolt sliding and swing-style doors, and the Lockly Duo latch/deadbolt combo for swinging doors.



Lockly and its biometric smart locks first came to our attention in 2018. We reviewed its smart lock/video doorbell combo in early 2020. In both cases, we were impressed with the company’s fingerprint-recognition prowess and the Pin Genie features of its touch-sensitive numeric keypad scrambles the order of numbers to prevent a burglar from guessing your PIN based on the location of fingerprints. We were much less impressed with the convoluted process of installing its locks, but the company promises it’s resolved that issue.



[ Further reading: The best smart locks and deadbolts ] Lockly Lockly is also bringing its smart lock technology to sliding doors, with the Lockly Guard.



The Lockly Guard is designed for sliding and swing-style doors and fits any standard size aluminum or metal door frame. An optional RFID-card reader allows for contactless operation. In both cases, adding the optional $80 Wi-Fi hub adds Alexa and Google Assistant support and remote lock control and monitoring. It will be available in satin nickel, matte black, and metallic chrome finishes. It will sell for $500 when it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2021.



The Lockly Duo deadbolt/latch combo promises super-easy operation: You simply lift the handle up to secure the latch and throw the deadbolt with one move. Lockly will offer it in satin nickel and matte black finishes and expects it to come to retail later in the first quarter with an asking price of $400.



Both of these new locks will require an optional Wi-Fi hub to enable remote access.



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TCL’s latest soundbar connects wirelessly to Roku TVs
Tags: Tvs, Consumer Electronics, Chromecast

TCL teamed up with Roku at CES 2020 to release a soundbar that eased the TV setup process with on-screen instructions and settings courtesy of the “Roku TV-Ready” program. The two companies are doing it again at this year’s CES with a new soundbar that connects wirelessly to Roku TVs.



Related product TCL 8-series 4K UHD LCD TV (65-inch class, model 65Q825) Read TechHive's review$999.00MSRP $1,999.00See iton Best Buy (Price when reviewed) Slated to arrive later this year, the Alto R1 is an all-in-one, 2.0-channel soundbar that marks TCL’s first truly wireless soundbar—well, wireless save for the power cord.



The Alto R1 manages its wireless audio trick with help from a reference design from Roku that allows for a point-to-point Wi-Fi connection between a soundbar and a Roku-powered TV, meaning there’s no need for HDMI or optical cables. Roku announced its new reference design late last week.



[ Further reading: The best soundbars ]As with the Alto 9+, the 3.1-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar that TCL unveiled a year ago at CES, the Alto R1 will be a Roku TV-Ready model, which means Roku TV users will be guided through the setup process with on-screen instructions and settings.



TCL TCL’s wireless Alto R1 soundbar is Roku TV-ready, which means it will support on-screen setup instructions and configuration settings when connected to a compatible Roku TV.



Unlike the Alto 9+, the R1 won’t support Dolby Atmos, nor will it offer virtualized 3D audio via DTS Virtual:X. Instead, the soundbar will come with straight-up Dolby Audio support, similar to many budget soundbars. Also missing will be support for Alexa and Google Assistant, although you will be able to stream audio to the Alto R1 from your phone via Bluetooth.



TCL also announced a few higher-end, HDMI-enabled soundbars for 2021, including its first models with built-in AirPlay 2, plus support for Alexa, and Google Assistant.



Due later this year, the 3.1.2-channel Alto 8e boasts a wireless subwoofer and upfiring drivers for Dolby Atmos, it will also come with AirPlay 2, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Spotify Connect support.



Meanwhile, the Alto 82i will be yet another Dolby Atmos soundbar (no word on the exact channel configuration) with AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant support, although it will swap out the wireless subwoofer for a pair of built-in subwoofers. Rounding out TCL’s 2021 soundbar lineup will be a fourth, “premium” model with Dolby Atmos support, TCL said.



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LG delivers next-gen OLED, mini-LED backlighting, WebOS 6.0, and a new Magic Remote for 2021
Tags: Tvs, Music, Consumer, Mobile

LG delivers next-gen OLED, mini-LED backlighting, WebOS 6.0, and a new Magic Remote for 2021 Michael Jan 27·2 min read

LG announced a new “optimized” OLED element for its 2021-and-beyond TVs that promises more brightness and more accurate color. As for optimized, we’re guessing that means OLED panel lifespan will be increase in some way. OLED elements are subject to burn-in and fade with time, although in normal use, lifespan is measured in decades—longer than most viewers keep their TVs.



LG LG’s new QNED brand indicates the presence of mini-LED backlighting that TCL pioneered.



LG is also introducing a new brand—QNED—for TVs that combine quantum dot color with miniature LED backlighting. Mini LED, with its tens of thousands of tiny LEDs (first employed by TCL in its 8 Series), offers far more focused delivery of light and more granular control for dimming. This results in better blacks and higher contrast than can be acheived with more typical LED backlight arrays with hundreds of larger LEDs. LG says it will offer 10 4K UHD and 8K UHD QNED models in 2021.



[ Further reading: TechHive’s top picks in smart TVs ]LG’s Magic Remote is one of our favorites, due to its ability to function as a free-moving cursor like a mouse. It gets an update with Magic Tap (NFC), so you can link NFC devices with your TV by tapping them with the remote. Nice touch.



LG LG’s redesigned Magic Remote looks to be more comfortable in the hand than the previous version.



Not to leave the interface behind, LG will be upgrading to version 6.0 of WebOS for the coming year. LG claims it’s more attractive, and easier to use. One would hope so.



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Sennheiser debuts two new headphones for the U.S. market: The IE 300 IEH in-ear and the HD 250BT over-ear
Tags: Home Tech, Connected Home, Tvs, Streaming

Sennheiser debuts two new headphones for the U.S. market: The IE 300 IEH in-ear and the HD 250BT over-ear Justin Jan 27·2 min read

World-renowned headphone maker Sennheiser has announced two new models for CES 2021. First, let’s take a look at the IE 300, a new in-ear headphone (IEH), featuring a refined version of the company’s 7mm Extra Wide Band (XWB) transducer, with an optimized membrane foil that minimizes natural resonances and total harmonic distortion, which is specified to be less than 0.08% at 1 kHz/94 dB.



[ Further reading: The best headphones you can buy ]In addition, the space behind the transducer is designed to minimize reflections within the housing, and a resonator chamber in front of the transducer removes masking resonances in the ear canal. The end result is a promised frequency response from 6Hz to 20kHz (no tolerance given). According to Sennheiser, the IE 300 “delivers clear high frequencies with a subtle and warm musicality that brings greater intimacy to vocals.”



Of course, durability and comfort have not been overlooked. The IE 300 comes with several sizes of silicone and memory-foam eartips, because using the right size for your ears is crucial for getting the best sound out of any IEH as well as maximizing noise isolation. Each earpiece features an individually adjustable ear hook for stability, and the included cable is reinforced with para-aramid that can withstand thousands of bend cycles.



The cable is detachable from each earpiece thanks to its gold-plated Fidelity+ MMCX connector that’s seated in a recessed socket for additional strain relief. In addition, you can use an alternate cable, including balanced cables with 2.5- or 4.4mm connectors that are available as optional accessories.



The IE 300 will be available by the end of January for an MSRP of $299.95.



Sennheiser’s latest addition to its wireless-headphone stable is the entry-level HD 250BT, which has been available in Europe since last year but is now coming to the U.S. market. Touted as offering “club sound for everyday life,” the HD 250BT offers 25-hour battery life and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity with support for high-quality codecs such as AAC and aptX. In addition, you can tailor the sound to your individual tastes with an intuitive equalizer offered by Sennheiser’s Smart Control app.



Sennheiser says this This over-the ear, closed-back headphone offers rugged construction, soft earpads that provide surprisingly effective noise isolation, and intuitive onboard controls. Even better, it’s highly affordable with an MSRP of only $69.95. Like the IE 300, it will be available in the US at the end of January.



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Announcement: We Got POP go from strength to strength as Senior BBC Business Partner joins
By: We Got Pop
Tags: Film, Venture Capital, TV, BBC

Christine Mulryne joins POP to drive the future of production after a decade at the BBC, and total funding hits £4M/$4.95M for the venture backed technology startup.

We Got POP are strengthening their position as the leading platform technology for Film & TV Production after further fortification of their team with a senior BBC Business Partner joining this week. Christine Mulryne, has spent 10 years at the BBC in a variety of strategic roles across the full production process, recently as Business Partner to BBC Studios Scripted Production.

Christine Mulryne on joining POP.

Christine has worked for BBC Studios in the Scripted team for six years, working on productions including Good Omens, Doctor Who, Luther, Silent Witness, Three Girls, Casualty and EastEnders. She worked in various business management roles, working with the Heads of Production on operations, compliance, and specialising in accessing UK high-end tax credit. Before that, she worked in corporate governance at the BBC Trust.

A well respected industry finance and governance expert, Christine understands the challenges facing Production Companies and has joined POP to be part of their mission to use technology to help the sector thrive. Christine comments;

“Having wrestled firsthand with the challenges of governance and compliance in the new production environment, I’m thrilled to be joining the market leaders in providing technology to solve the exact, and often competing challenges facing Production Companies and their teams today.”

POP are the only venture backed technology provider in the sector, and they have now received an overall investment of £4M/$4.95M which will be used to accelerate growth. Octopus Ventures are globally-renowned for only investing in category creating companies on the frontline of transforming industries and their continued backing is a huge sign of confidence in POP’s vision, product and team.

Kate McLaughlin, CEO & Co-Founder of POP says;

“The time for transformation in production is now. With the macro changes we’re seeing across the global landscape and “the future of work”, the Film & TV industry as a major freelance economy, is now in the spotlight. Technology can open and connect the industry and by providing access to data has the power to transform it. We’re delighted to have the continued backing of Octopus Ventures and an industry stalwart like Christine join us to fuel our rapid growth.”

As the UK Film & TV industry boom continues, the complexities of increasing regulation and the digital transformation are driving a rapid professionalisation across production. POP are leading the way, as the only software designed and built for the needs of Production Companies with digital tools for their production teams. POP are investing in building the best technology and team to support their growing client-base of 15 Production Companies with a combined slate of 50+ shows and 10,000 users.
The Sopranos episode review — 5.2 — Rat Pack
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, Television, Tv Reviews, TV, The Sopranos

Original air date: March 14, 2004

Director: Alan Taylor

Writer: Matthew Weiner

Rating: 8/10

Tony’s old childhood friend, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi), gets out of prison and wants to go straight. He’s apparently gotten a divorce, and he’s got plans to be a licensed massage therapist, and doesn’t want to work for Tony, though he takes his help in getting a normal, legitimate job.

A lot of the episode focuses on this, of course, like when Buscemi offends the boss by making a joke, which Tony isn’t actually offended by, but insists that he has to keep up his image around his men.

I’m hoping Buscemi’s Tony is a regular for a while. He’s a really fun character and of course Buscemi’s a phenomenal actor.

And yet maybe more of the episode focuses on the women. Carmela hosts a movie club kind of thing where they go through the AFI’s top 100 movies list (the original, back when The Godfather was no. 3 and not 2).

Among the women there is Adriana, who’s starting to really question whether or not she should help the FBI. She breaks down and nearly reveals her secret to the women, but can’t quite bring herself to do it. It’s a fantastic scene with some great acting.

I enjoyed this episode a lot. It’s probably not quite as good an episode as the first one, but I think this is the best one-two punch to start a season so far in the series.
Bharti Singh’s post weight loss photos will blow your mind | Bollywood Bubble
By: Amala Harimurthy
Tags: Bollywood Bubble, The Kapil Sharma Show, TV, Bharti Singh, Bharti Singh Weight Loss

Whenever you’re in a showbiz world, appearance automatically becomes your first priority. We have seen stars going over board to get into a perfect figure. However, the one recent star who completely took everyone by surprise was comedienne Bharti Singh. She was recently seen opening up on her weight loss, revealing that she has lost 15 kilos of weight and her drastic transformation has dropped everyone’s jaws. In an interview, she revealed that after shedding extra kilos, she is feeling happy, healthy and fit.

Well, as the lady has already lost oodles of weight, we have decided to club together some of her recent looks where her transformation is clearly visible. For the recent episode of Dance Deewane 3, Bharti was seen wearing a beautiful emerald green lehenga for Ganapati special. In the pictures, she looks a bit toned.

Wearing a pristine white salwar kurta for her stint in Dance Deewane 3, Bharti Singh is glowing and how. Her weight loss regime can easily motivate millions of people.

After saying goodbye to the unwanted weight, Bharti has been flaunting her physique with panache. She has become more confident in her pictures which is pretty evident. Wearing a black ensemble, Bharti looks captivating.

She was also seen wearing a pink attire, channelling her inner Shantipriya. Must say, the laughter Queen looks beautiful. After her weight loss, Singh also mentioned that her diabetes and asthma issues have come under control.

Singh had also stated that she believed in intermitting fasting. She refused to eat between 7–12 PM and would usually ‘attack’ food post midnight.

In an interview with ETimes, She said, “ Yes, I have come down from 91 to 76 kilos. Even I am surprised that I have lost so much weight, but I am equally happy because I feel healthy and fit. Abhi saans nahi chadhti aur halka halka feel hota hai. Meri diabetes aur asthma bhi control mein aa gaye hain. I follow intermittent fasting. I don’t eat between 7 pm and 12 pm. I just attack food post 12 pm (laughs!). My body doesn’t accept dinner any later than 7 pm. Maine 30–32 saal bahut khaana khaaya hai aur uske baad ek saal apni body ko time diya toh body ne sab accept kiya. “
Columbo episode review — 12.1 — It’s All in the Game
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, Columbo, Mystery, 1990s, TV

Original air date: October 31, 1993

Director: Vincent McEveety

Writer: Peter Falk

Rating: 7/10

Columbo ends up kind of dating his main suspect in this odd episode. Faye Dunaway plays Lauren Staton, socialite and co-murderer of her lover, along with her daughter, Lisa Martin (Claudia Christian). As time passes throughout the investigation, she actually starts to enjoy her time with Columbo, and while she attempts to seduce him out of a desire to control him, she does have genuine feelings for him as well.

Dunaway is quite good in her role, and she makes the conflicting feelings her character feels quite convincing. It’s also a bit of a departure from how most murderers in the show feel towards Columbo, as they’re genuinely very annoyed, and just trying to hide it by being polite. Here, she’s not annoyed, and likes him quite a bit.

It’s a fun episode even if it doesn’t compare to the classics. I like how Columbo claims his first name is Lieutenant. I know that’s been part of the show’s lore for a long time, but I believe this is the first time it’s been vocalized.
Tales from the Crypt episode review — 3.1 — Loved to Death
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: 1990s, Fantasy, Tales From The Crypt, HBO, TV

Original air date: June 15, 1991

Director: Tom Mankiewicz

Writer: Joe Minion

Rating: 6/10

Andrew McCarthy, Mariel Hemingway, and David Hemmings all star in the story of an aspiring screenwriter (McCarthy), who falls for his gold-digging neighbor (Hemingway). He has these fantasies of her in lingerie and with blonde hair, before they ever truly meet.

Miranda Singer (Hemingway) is also an aspiring actress. After they meet awkwardly, Miranda invites Edward Foster (McCarthy) over for a drink. However, when he comes over, she brings another man home.

The next day, she apologizes, and has him over. She says she won’t date him until he’s rich and famous.

Throughout the episode, the landlord, Mr. Stronham (David Hemmings), is this mysterious character who appears to the others only via his security camera, which sees everything in the hall. When Edward goes to pay the rent one day, Stronham’s door opens, and he invites himself in.

Stronham says he can help Edward, as he’s observed their issues. He gives him a potion of some sort, with very little explanation.

He invites himself over to her apartment and slips her the potion with a glass of wine. She goes from calling the cops on him to having sex with him when the potion kicks in.

Once they’re together, her sexuality exhausts Edward and distracts him from h is writing. He ends up hitting her, but this only works to turn her on.

Stronham tells him there’s no antidote to the potion thing, and that the only way out is death. He gives him another potion, which he slips into a glass of champagne. Miranda switches glasses, though, causing Edward to drop dead.

He ends up in the afterlife, and Miranda finds him there, saying that she committed suicide after he died. This was an ending that was incredibly unnecessary.

This episode isn’t anything too special. David Hemmings is underutilized, and the story ends up being very predictable.
Competition: ‘The Boys’ Season Two on Blu-ray!
By: Frame Rated Staff
Tags: Television, Superheroes, Features, Competition, TV

Karl Urban (Star Trek), Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games), Antony Starr (American Gothic), and Erin Moriarty (Jessica Jones) star in the highly-anticipated second season of crime comedy THE BOYS, available on Blu-ray and DVD on 28 June from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.



Based on the gripping comic-book created by Garth Ennis (Preacher) and Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan), The Boys follows a group of vigilantes who make it their mission to take down corrupt superheroes ‘The Seven’ with no more than their blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty. But in a world where superheroes abuse their celebrity for personal gain and are marketed and monetized by the powerful Vought Corporation, it’s the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to bring down the system.

You can read our own Eleanor Ring ‘s review of the film by clicking the image below.

To celebrate this release, Frame Rated are giving away 2x Blu-rays of The Boys: Season 2, to a few lucky readers. One could be you!

To be in with a chance of winning this prize, answer this question:

In which series did Homelander actor Antony Starr play a criminal posing as a sheriff?

a) Yellowstone.

b) Outrageous Fortune.

c) Banshee.
Youtube, better than TV
By: The Stammering Dunce
Tags: YouTube, TV

Also published on Wordpress.

I have made a few blogs arguing against the belief that traditional celebrities are inherently more talented than Youtubers. I mean, considering Youtubers started their careers by doing everything by themselves and they had to wait years for their efforts to pay off (assuming they will ever pay off), the belief is as preposterous as the so-called flat earth “theory”.

But, somehow, I didn’t think of one aspect of Youtube: how the content is presented to us, the consumers.

On TV, you cannot simply watch anything you want. The TV bosses are the ones who dictate on which shows to green-light, continue and cancel, which episodes to repeat or not repeat, which time the shows should air and which scenes to cut. Customers are not kings.

Admittedly, they are not kings on Youtube either. The trending pages are rigged and there are still content restrictions; in unfortunate circumstances, videos and even entire channels can be wrongfully taken down.

But, Youtube videos won’t be taken down simply for being unprofitable or niche. Considering literally everyone has the right to create content, almost every type of content imaginable is almost certainly present on the website. If you have niche interests or if you are a member of a marginalised community, you can definitely find videos which entertain or empower you.

Oh, and don’t forget you can actually pause, rewind and restart the videos and you don’t have to watch them immediately once they are up! Once they are there, you can watch them literally at any time you want… assuming they won’t be taken down, of course.

Even if you can attest to the inherent superiority of traditional celebrities, you have to acknowledge the temporal flexibility of digital platforms like Youtube; our pesky lists of obligations will never ruin our viewing experiences.

I know I am stating the obvious here. But, sadly, it is not obvious enough for everyone.

I still encounter (admittedly older) people who cannot comprehend that pausing and rewinding are a thing. They genuinely think TV and Youtube work the same way.

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Donate to this deadbeat, preachy blogger on Patreon.
TV Picks: 2–8 December 2019
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Listings, Television, UK, Tv Picks, TV

— MONDAY 2nd —

★ THE PRINCE AND THE EPSTEIN SCANDAL — BBC1, 9PM.

Panorama documentary interviewing the victims of American billionaire and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, whose friendship with Prince Andrew has made headlines after a disastrous BBC interview where he showed little remorse and sympathy for Epstein’s victims.

Also watch:

Escape to the Chateau: DIY — Channel 4, 1.05pm . Spin-off to Escape to the Chateau where Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree help other ex-pats transform their own French castles into homes or businesses. (1/20)

. Spin-off to Escape to the Chateau where Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree help other ex-pats transform their own French castles into homes or businesses. (1/20) Monkeys: An Amazing Animal Family — Sky1, 3pm. New wildlife series where biologist Patrick Aryee goes to Central and South America, Africa and Asia, to find various primates.

— TUESDAY 3rd —

★ THE FAMILY SECRET — CHANNEL 4, 9PM.

Documentary about the sexual abuse a family kept secret for 25 years, told by a woman in her thirties who started being abused at the age of seven.

— WEDNESDAY 4th —

★ BRITAIN’S GREAT PENSION CRISIS — CHANNEL 5, 9.15PM.

Two-part documentary about the fact one in four employees aren’t saving enough for their retirement. Presented by Michael Buerk. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)

— THURSDAY 5th —

★ CELEBRITY DOGS BEHAVING (VERY) BADLY FOR HELP THE ANIMALS — CHANNEL 5, 8PM.

Special episode of the dog training series focusing on animals with behavioural problems. Hosted by Graeme Hall, featuring Denise Van Outen, Russell Watson & Michael Owen.

Also watch:

Alex Polizzi’s Restaurant Nightmares — Channel 5, 10.15pm. New series where struggling restaurants are saved with frank advice from Alex Polizzi and her brother-in-law Oliver Peyton. (1/4)

— FRIDAY 6th —

★ THE MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL — AMAZON PRIME.

Season 3 of the Emmy-winning period drama set in 1950s New York City, about a housewife (Rachel Brosnahan) who realises she has a talent for stand-up comedy. Co-starring Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, Tony Shalhoub & Kevin Pollak. (1/8)

Also watch:

The BBC Prime Ministerial Debate — BBC1, 8.30pm. Live political debate between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leader of the Labour opposition Jeremy Corbyn.

— SATURDAY 7th —

Nothing. Yeah, life sucks. Got the Christmas tree up yet? If not, do that.

— SUNDAY 8th —

★ NOT THE ROBBIE WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS SHOW — ITV, 8PM.

Music special from London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre where the pop star performs some classic Christmas songs. Guests are David Walliams & Jamie Cullum.
Monk episode review — 6.1 — Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Television, Comedy, Mystery, Monk, TV

Original air date: July 13, 2007

Director: Randall Zisk

Writer: Andy Breckman

Rating: 8/10

Monk’s story starts at a classic bachelor auction which involves Randy going too far by bringing his own music and taking off his shirt, only to find that he’s been bought by a woman who wants him to work with her son, who wants to be a police officer. This is some of the best Randy comedy of the series, actually, and it will pay off later.

Monk gives Natalie $600 to buy him, and she ends up being outbid by Monk’s biggest fan, Marci (Sarah Silverman), a returning character who used to obsess over some show until Monk outed that show’s star as a murderer.

So she buys him, but Monk insists that Natalie comes with him.

There are some meta jokes here (as there were the last time Marci was around), with her referring to Monk’s cases by the names of the episodes, which is kind of neat.

Anyways, it turns out that Marci’s dog may or may not have killed her neighbor, but she insists her dog was dead. At first it just sounds like she’s crazy, of course, but eventually it turns out she may have a point.

There’s a lot of great interplay between how Monk and Marci act together and how Monk and Natalie act together. The two women try and prove they know Monk better than the other one. It may not sound that funny, but it actually is.

That having been said, the funniest gag in the episode is just wonderful. Monk is about to question some guy who works at a lumberyard and before he can question him, Marci gives him a pre-briefing on how he needs to adjust his sleeves, his hat, and not to shake his hand…only for Monk to ask him only one question. It’s wonderful.

It’s a pretty good episode. The mystery plot is whatever, of course, but there’s a lot of great comedy, and I always appreciate when the series can get pretty goofy with Randy but still have it work.
Breaking Bad episode review — 5.7 — Say My Name
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, Tv Reviews, Breaking Bad, 2010s, TV

Original air date: August 26, 2012

Director: Thomas Schnauz

Writer: Thomas Schnauz

Rating: 10/10

“Say My Name” is one of the greats. It shows just how hard it is to leave this business when you’re as in deep as Mike, Jesse, and Walt are. Of course, Walt is the one of the three who isn’t trying to leave, working instead of with Jesse, with Todd, who’s eager to help and to learn to get things right.

But before that, Walt (along with Jesse and Mike) meets with their Phoenix-based competitor, Declan. He insists that the methylamine is more valuable when he has it, and he mentions that he’s aware that they’ve started dying their product blue to make it look like Heisenberg’s.

With Mike out of the business, he prepares to pay his men in prison from his share, but his lawyer is caught by the DEA, bringing suspicion back on him. Thankfully, though, he knows the DEA is after him because of the listening device Walt planted, but that leaves his money (and gun) in a bag that he’s unable to get to. While he wants Saul to pick it up, it’s Walt who does, bringing it to him, demanding the names of the people in prison.

Mike sticks to his guns and doesn’t tell him, and properly diagnoses Walt’s pride as the reason everything went all tits up. But then he realizes his gun isn’t in his bag.

His death is kind of sad, and all the more sad because Walt realizes right after he shoots him that he could have gotten the names from Lydia.

But at this point, I don’t truly buy Walt’s guilt. That’s how far he’s come as a character, that his guilt over killing Krazy-8 early on can be so believable, and this is seen as just another murder.
Creepshow — ‘Gray Matter’ • ‘The House of the Head’ [1x1] ★★★☆☆
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Creepshow, Television, Culture, Review, TV

“The House of the Head” ★★★☆☆

The second story, “The House of the Head”, was written by Josh Malerman (author of Bird Box) and directed by John Harrison (a longtime Romero collaborator, who assisted him on the Creepshow movie and composed the music score). Of the two stories, it’s a better piece of writing that suffers from the opposite problem of “Gray Matter”: the idea and plot are better but the actors aren’t as memorable and the ending’s weaker.

A little girl called Evie (The Walking Dead’s Cailey Fleming) owns a beautiful dollhouse she loves playing with. Unfortunately, one day she notices her figurine family (the ‘Smith-Smiths’) have been joined inside their tiny home by… a severed head.

Initially confused by this macabre addition to her miniature house, Evie soon notices the Smith-Smiths are moving (unseen) into different positions each time she returns to the dollhouse… and their movements appear to be telling the story of a deadly battle against this invasive head. To help, she asks the toymaker who built her dollhouse to sell her other figurines (a policeman, a Native American Indian), in order to help her stricken dolls and protect them from the ghoulish interloper.

A more intelligent and intriguing story than “Gray Matter”, the concept is the strongest part of “The House of the Head”. It offers plenty of unnerving and imaginative visuals, with Evie peering into her exquisite dollhouse and trying to work out what’s happening and how she can help her beloved toys. It’s particularly fun when the tiny malevolent head leaves the confines of the haunted dollhouse, even if the story doesn’t do much with that juicy idea. Indeed, there really isn’t much threat to Evie herself, which means the scares are safely contained inside the dollhouse and her experiences are more of an oddity than anything.

Another problem with the episode is that, again, there’s no explanation for anything and nowhere interesting for things to go. “The House of the Head” also botches the conclusion with a halfhearted jump-scare tacked on, but as haunted dollhouse tales go it’s not terrible.
4 Space Sci-fi TV Shows to Remake Before ‘Battlestar Galactica’
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Television, Features, Culture, Science Fiction, TV

Did you hear the news? Peacock, NBC’s new streaming service (they’re the cool new accessory every network wants), has started development of a new Battlestar Galactica television series.

Never mind that 1978's original TV show (a small-screen Star Wars cash-in created by Glen A. Larson) was already remade as an excellent Syfy series by Ronald D. Moore in 2004. It’s only been off-air 10 years. Gulp, 10 years. OK, but that’s still too early for a remake, right?

The good news is that the new BSG will be developed by the very talented Sam Esmail (Mr Robot, Homecoming), who tweeted to head off the kneejerk dislike of this news, saying:

That puts my mind at ease, a little.

I know Moore’s BSG is older than anyone dare admit (it premiered 15 years ago), but I don’t think another update would be radically different. Esmail is right to cook something different using the same ingredients. Moore’s BSG was a product of post-911 aftermath and George W. Bush’s ‘War on Terror’, but things have changed a fair bit since the use of waterboarding was a hot topic of debate. A new BSG would perhaps be more cynical about its politicians post-Trump. But why revive BSG anyway? It still seems a bit pointless on the face of it. We got a wonderful “modern version” of the ’70s show, which lots of people saw and adored, or can catch up on very easily.

So here are a few other old sci-fi shows, contemporaries of the original BSG, that it would be easier to get excited for.

Are you reading this NBC..?
Can I watch YouTube TV on Fire TV?
By: Michael Polin
Tags: How To Watch, Fire Tv, Tıp, Product Updates, TV

Can I watch YouTube TV on Fire TV?

With the NFL season underway, MLB playoffs around the corner, and must see Fall TV premieres in full force, we are excited to announce that YouTube TV is officially available on Fire TV devices including Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, all-new Fire TV Cube, Toshiba and Insignia Fire TV Edition Smart TVs and more. The YouTube TV app brings 70+ channels of live sports, breaking news, must-see shows and movies from major broadcast and popular cable networks to the big screen. We are excited to give Fire TV fans more choice than ever to watch live TV content on Fire TV.

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is a cable-free live TV experience that brings together all the things you love about live TV, without the hassle of renting cable boxes, scheduling complicated installations or committing to long-term contracts. With YouTube TV you get 70+ channels, from local networks like ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and popular cable networks like Discovery, TNT, CNN, ESPN, FX and on-demand programming. YouTube TV also has unlimited cloud DVR storage space and you can have six accounts per household, so each member of the family can have their personal DVR and personalized recommendations.

Which Fire TV devices are supported?

The YouTube TV app is now available on Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, all-new Fire TV Cube, all Toshiba, Insignia, Element, and Westinghouse Fire TV Edition smart TVs and previous generation Fire TV devices including Fire TV Cube (1st Gen), Fire TV (2nd Gen), Fire TV (3rd Gen — Pendant Design). The YouTube TV app is not compatible with Fire TV Stick (1st Gen) and Fire TV (1st Gen).

We heard your feedback, and are so excited to bring the YouTube TV to Fire TV customers in the US, providing more ways to enjoy live TV on Fire TV.
5 TV Shows based on real life events you must watch
By: Gursimran Hans
Tags: History, Recommendations, Streaming, Web, TV

April marks the 33rd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Last year, HBO’s show reignited the public imagination of the incident. With many of us self-isolating here are five other shows based on real life, you must watch, and where to watch them.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2000-present)

Larry David plays a fictionalised version of himself

Seinfeld creator Larry David plays a fictionalised version of himself in this comedy. The show has plenty of big cameos.David gets himself into some rather awkward situations, due to his steadfast belief in his own morals.

AVAILABLE ON: NOW TV

Fresh Off The Boat (ABC, 2015–2020)

Fresh Off The Boat ran for six seasons

The hilarious comedy is based on the life of celebrity chef Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang). It tells the story of a Taiwanese-American family living in 1990s Orlando. The series shows the family trying to run a steakhouse and integrate into their community.

AVAILABLE ON: Prime Video

The People v OJ Simpson (FX, 2016)

OJ Simpson

Season One of American Crime Story does exactly what it says on the tin, showing the murder trial of American footballer OJ Simpson (Cuba Gooding Junior). Over ten episodes, delve deep into the minds of the defendant, prosecution and defence in the trial that gripped the US.

AVAILABLE ON: Netflix

The Crown (Netflix, 2016-present)

Claire Foy played The Queen in the first two seasons of The Crown

The web series on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (initially Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman) is three seasons in. The show expertly shows Her Majesty’s dilemmas as she tries to juggle being a mother and wife whilst being the apolitical head of state of the United Kingdom.

AVAILABLE ON: Netflix

The Trial of Christine Keeler (BBC, 2019–2020)

Christine Keeler on the After Dark talk show

The young Christine (Sophie Cookson) has her life suddenly turned upside down when news of her affairs with cabinet member John Profumo (Ben Miles) and Soviet naval attache Eugene Ivanov (Visar Vishka) hit the headlines. Having been accused of prostitution, she later finds herself on trial for perjury.

AVAILABLE ON: BBC iPlayer

This is an adapted version of an article written for the print edition of Yoots. A journalism project for City, University of London’s Advanced Practical Journalism: Online/print module.
The A-Team: Mexican Slayride
By: Luke J Mcgrath
Tags: The A Team, Tv Reviews, TV, 1980s

The A-Team: Mexican Slayride

Here we go, the first episode of The A-Team, the show that has shaped childhoods for an hour at a time since the 1980s.

Before meeting the team, we find a reporter in trouble with a local bandit and his goon squad. Luckily, he gets a message out to his intrepid colleague Amy Allen who sets out to find and then hire… The A-Team… duh duh du duh, duh duh duh. Actually, there’s no theme tune in the pilot episode, but you get the idea.

We’re introduced to the team in classic fashion, Hannibal’s on a B-movie set in character as a cheap-looking monster, Face has the scoop on the mission, BA is mentoring some underprivileged youths and Murdock gets broken out of the psychiatric hospital.

For some reason (in theory to prove she’s not a government agent but don’t ask the scoring system), Amy has to pass a few tests which are just meeting Hannibal in various disguises and locations before she can hire the team. Despite these precautions she then turns up with less money than she promises and hires them anyway. At least we learn the ‘A’ in A-Team doesn’t stand for astute.

A short flight later and we’re in Mexico, with BA told he blacked out and slept for a day to explain the time difference. He doesn’t seem too concerned. The team get into a bar fight and find out Amy’s colleague has been kidnapped by the drug lord from the start of the episode (what a twist).

Face acquires a crop duster, ammonia, a bus and various sheets of metal. After a quick building montage, the team starts their twin attack — destroying marijuana fields from the air and driving the now armoured bus into the drug lord’s compound and escaping with the reporter.

Victory is short-lived as a chase ensues, complete with several far-out car flips, that results in half the team getting cornered by local guerrillas. As ever, they promptly escape but are almost as promptly captured again. This time though, Face and Murdock come through with an army of villagers rallied to their cause.

With the mission complete, we get one final sting as Amy blackmails her way onto the team by promising to get them good press. Everyone suitably satisfied, we end on a classic 1980’s freezeframe that even spins upside down as Murdock pilots the plane in his own special way.

Let’s wrap up with a few key questions.

Does Hannibal wear a disguise?

Yes, loads of them. He’s in full Aquamaniac costume when we first meet him, then a drunken bum in an alley and of course Mr Lee the ‘majorly uncomfortable by todays standards’ dry cleaner.

Does BA get on a plane?

Yes, drugged first with novocaine by Hannibal and later by Amy showing off her new team membership.

Should someone be dead?

100% — several cars flip over in the chase through Mexico, starting a trend of increasingly unlikely scrapes survived by extras in the series.
Ranking All the Episodes of Freddy’s Nightmares
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: TV Series, Lists, Horror, TV, Freddy Krueger

From worst to best:

44. Dust to Dust (Season 2) — 3/10

43. Silence Is Golden (Season 2) — 4/10

42. The Bride Wore Red (Season 1) — 4/10

41. Mother’s Day (Season 1) — 4/10

40. What You Don’t Know Can Kill You (Season 2) — 4/10

39. Funhouse (Season 2) — 4/10

38. Cabin Fever (Season 1) — 4/10

37. Saturday Night Special (Season 1) — 4/10

36. Easy Come, Easy Go (Season 2) — 4/10

35. Heartbreak Hotel (Season 2) — 5/10

34. Monkey Dreams (Season 2)— 5/10

33. Lucky Stiff (Season 2) — 5/10

32. The Art of Death (Season 1) — 5/10

31. Interior Loft — Later (Season 2) — 5/10

30. Missing Persons (Season 1) — 5/10

29. Killer Instinct (Season 1) — 5/10

28. Prime Cut (Season 2) — 5/10

27. Identity Crisis (Season 1) — 5/10

26. Memory Overload (Season 2) — 5/10

25. The End of the World (Season 1) — 5/10

24. The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Season 1) — 5/10

23. Dreams That Kill (Season 2) — 6/10

22. It’s a Miserable Life (Season 1) — 6/10

21. Bloodlines (Season 2) — 6/10

20. Interior Loft (Season 2) — 6/10

19. Love Stinks (Season 1) — 6/10

18. Life Sentence (Season 2) — 6/10

17. Do Dreams Bleed? (Season 1) — 6/10

16. Sister’s Keeper (Season 1) — 6/10

15. Prisoner of Love (Season 2) — 6/10

14. Safe Sex (Season 1) — 6/10

13. Photo Finish (Season 2) — 6/10

12. Deadline (Season 1) — 6/10

11. Welcome to Springwood (Season 2) — 6/10

10. Freddy’s Tricks and Treats (Season 1) — 7/10

9. Judy Miller, Come on Down (Season 1) — 7/10

8. Rebel without a Car (Season 1) — 7/10

7. School Daze (Season 1) — 7/10

6. Dream Come True (Season 2) — 7/10

5. A Family Affair (Season 2) — 7/10

4. Do You Know Where Your Kids Are? (Season 2) — 7/10

3. Black Tickets (Season 1) — 7/10

2. It’s My Party and You’ll Die if I Want You To (Season 2) — 7/10
4k TV and surround sound from a power bank in a narrowboat!
By: Narrowboat Dev
Tags: Soundbar, Canal, Narrowboat, Power Bank, TV

The problem

We narrowboaters don’t have it good when choosing onboard entertainment. 12v systems usually suck and are expensive for what you get. You can use household TVs etc but although they are getting more efficient but they expect more power than we would like to share through our inverters and often we have to suffer this while the engine is running! Not the most ideal way to spend an evening.

Power needs are either via 12v TVs, of limited choice, or inefficient inverter power to run more household larger TVs. What if you could run your setup from a power bank for 6 hours?

OLED TVs provide the best image quality but the smallest* are still too big for a narrowboat and draw too much power that you’d want a boat to provide. How about QLED quality at a reasonable, but still at an impactful screen size?

*recently LG are now making 32" OLED monitors, to be assessed! Also mini led technology is coming.

Traditional TV reception methods need ongoing management each time you move and need cabling. Today, mobile data networks are so good that streaming services are now a viable option. Would you like to have perfect 4K streaming with cinema style sound and have it as a truly wireless setup?

Possibly the perfect setup

I’ll show you perhaps the most perfect entertainment setup you can build for yourself today for a narrowboat.

What you’ll end up with will be a totally cable free setup enabling you to position your entertainment system wherever you want. You’ll get 28 inches of rich 4K QLED image quality alongside soundbar audio quality that fills your boat with cinema like audio. You’ll be able to power it from either inverter or battery power bank too.

Read on and I’ll show you how.
I Want to Live in Mrs Maisel’s New York
Tags: Review, Mrs Maisel, Amazon Prime, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, TV

I just finished watching the oh-so-good season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The acting by the entire cast, as usual, was tremendous. The meticulous set designs and outstanding costuming was second to none. The writing, directing, and editing were at the top of its game.

But what really stood out to me this season, my real a-ha moment was how the show creates a New York where I simply want to dive into.

I’ve loved Mrs. Maisel since she gave her infamous speech on her wedding day offending family and friends alike. It is one of those shows that if you “get it” you just “get it.” It’s not about “did you catch the last episode?” It’s become it’s own cultural phenomenon among fans of the show.

That being said, I often wondered what I loved so much about it. All of the previously stated accolades — the acting, writing, directing, yes, of course. But there was something that just magnetized me to it and until this season I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Then it hit me. The New York this show creates is a wonderland of culture, style, grittiness, and hope. It is a flashback to another time when New York was dirty but clean. The hustle and bustle of the day coupled with the sweet sounds of the soundtrack is intoxicating for anyone who would be drawn to such a place and time.

Sure, you could still say this about New York but it’s not as nuanced and shiny as what it was or, at least, what it is with an Amazon Prime facelift of yesteryear.

As soon as season 3 reached its all-too-soon final moments, I wanted to start the season over. I wanted to start the series over. I wanted the feel of the series to wash over me again. The story, wonderful. The characters, fantastic. But that Mrs. Maisel New York ambiance…ahhh, that’s the stuff.
Tales from the Crypt episode review — 2.5 — Three’s a Crowd
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Television, 1990s, Horror, Tales From The Crypt, TV

Original air date: May 1, 1990

Director: David Burton Morris

Writer: Kim Steven Ketelsen

Rating: 6/10

“Three’s a Crowd” is yet another domestic drama with a husband and wife who sort of hate each other. It’s written sort of obnoxiously, with a lot of tell-don’t-show dialogue that explains how their tenth anniversary trip is being paid for by the man’s best friend, who he suspects is with his wife, and for some reason is also on the trip.

The husband, Richard’s (Gavan O’Herlihy) suspicions seem completely justified throughout the episode, though we still don’t really like or root for him. He’s an asshole.

On the other hand, the best man, Alan (Paul Lieber), seems incredibly stupid to not realize how his intense generosity towards Della (Ruth de Sosa) could be taken the wrong way. There’s some class tension here, as Alan is apparently loaded rich, and Richard is down on his luck and just working at a bar.

Richard confronts Alan in the middle of the night and murders him with a crossbow. Della arrives at the cabin and barricades herself behind a door after she sees Alan’s body hanging off the floor.

When he breaks through the door, she jumps out the window. Outside, he strangles her to death with some stockings that Alan had bought for her. He goes to drag her over to Alan’s cabin, and when he arrives, he finds that there’s a surprise party for him to announce that Della was pregnant.

This episode starts out pretty okay, I guess. It’s really elevated by the ending. Most of the prior episodes didn’t really have great endings, but this one stuck out. It actually helped explain a bit of what was going on, as I had been wondering why the coat Alan bought for Della perfectly fit Richard, but I guess it was a maternity coat.