fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Apple TV+ Acquires The Rights To Fraggle Rock
By: John Sherrod
Tags: TV Series, Movies, Television, Apple, TV

Apple TV+ Acquires The Rights To Fraggle Rock

Josef Adalian, writing for Vulture:

Apple TV+ is going all-in on Fraggle Rock. Weeks after debuting a handful ofpandemic-produced shorts, Vulture hears the streamer has struck a deal with the Jim Henson Company to produce a formal reboot of the classic kids’ show, complete with full-length episodes. As part of the agreement, Apple has also acquired exclusive streaming rights to all 96 episodes of the original 1983–87 live-action HBO series (and some specials) and will make them available to subscribers in 100 countries on Wednesday, May 27. The deal marks the first time Apple TV+ will offer previously produced content as part of its offering, but that does not mean the platform is getting into the library business.

The whole piece is fascinating, because it paints quite a different story than the one I brought you last week where Bloomberg asserted that Apple is looking to acquire a back catalog of familiar content to boost the value proposition of Apple TV+ while still keeping its main focus on original content. This piece from Vulture paints quite a different story, suggesting that Apple is only shopping for back catalog content for its new shows that are based on older shows and movies. That makes a ton of sense, and isn’t too dissimilar from what I mused about in that other piece where I suggested that it makes a ton of sense for Apple to acquire, for example, the rights to the James Bond and/or Star Trek franchises. The Vulture piece also mused specifically about Apple’s rumored interest in James Bond. There’s definitely a point to be made (and the Vulture piece gets into this as well) about the shrinking landscape of back catalog content potentially available to Apple as there’s been a lot of consolidation in recent years with Disney seemingly now owning half of Hollywood. That’s part of why there have been rumors about Apple acquiring an entire studio and its back catalog. It’ll be interesting to continue tracking these developments with Apple TV+ over the next several months.
Coronavirus Officially Renewed for Eighth Season
By: Austin Mooney
Tags: Covid 19, Season, Renewal, Coronavirus, TV

UNITED STATES — Coronavirus seemed to be coming to an end after the pooling of resources to expedite the production of a safe and effective vaccine showed itself to be a tremendous series finale, but US citizens were surprised to learn that the break-out hit COVID-19 will continue for its eighth season.

“I started paying attention to COVID-19 when I lost my job in March of last year because our country went into lockdown,” Mark Clinton, 33, said in an on-the-street style interview, “I’m getting pretty tired of it, to be honest, but apparently there are some people who like it and want it to keep going.”

The first case of Coronavirus was reported during winter in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019. This coming fall will mark the eighth season that the virus has been affecting daily life and killing millions of people around the world.

The US has stated that even though there is a vaccine, people need to use it for it to be effective. Large groups of people have refused to take the vaccine, causing COVID-19 to continue way past the point that most people want.

“We don’t see it ending anytime soon,” a representative from the CDC said during a press conference Friday, “It could be around for way more seasons. It’s going to be like The Simpsons out here, except bad because The Simpsons are great. I’m just saying they have a lot of seasons. It’s confusing that we’re using seasons as the measurement of time.”

Some major stars of Coronavirus will be returning for the eighth season including Disgraced Former President Donald Trump and the My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell. However, a considerable number of them will not be returning because they are dead.
Who is Brandon Richardson?
By: Bill Parish
Tags: Celebrity, Film, Media, TV

He’s known as Brandon Quantavius Richardson, a military veteran who turn into entertainment and listed himself as an actor.

He was born to Kenneth Smith and Bernice Richardson (Green) on September 23, 1984. He has served two war tours in Iraq, before he and his fellow soldiers was ambush. An IED (improvised explosive device) which took out his convoy, killing three and injuring him by the effect of the explosion.

Richardson recovered from his injuries and left the military behind. He studied business at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida before he pursued acting. Graduated with an bachelor degree in business management, he took on numerous jobs.

Before landing a cameo role in the Mike Jones documentary movie, “The American Dream”. He also played a role in the reality show, VH1 Tough Love (series) along appearing in numerous television shows like LA Ink, Keeping Up With Kardashians and Bad Girls Club with all was filmed in Miami.

Richardson has a few credits under near his belt in the entertainment industry. He was cast in Horrible Boss 2, The Heat, and Jurassic World just to name a few. Even feature in a Gatorade commercial, entitled “Nightmares” featuring NBA stars Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade.

Richardson has verified social medias, which his Twitter has 33,000 followers and 20,000 followers on Instagram.

He has one child, named Princeton Cartier Gates-Richardson which he has posted on his social media platforms.

Currently he is living in Miami, and has open a couple of business venues.
The Challenge 36: Battlegrounds (6 teams of 6) 💥
Tags: MTV, Reality TV, Television, The Challenge, TV

So the next season of The Challenge has not been announced yet, and we are all PARCHED for content in this punishingly long off-season. WHERE IS THE TEASER TRAILER, MTV?! Filming ended a whole ass month ago and I am DYING here.

As y’all know, I’m part of the #UnspoiledGang and therefore can’t be discussing everything that happens on Season 35. So instead, let’s daydream about Season 36, which would be a great time to try out a new format. So I introduce to you an idea:

Season 36: Battlegrounds

The casting pool has exploded in recent years. It started way back on Season 12, Fresh Meat, but has really ramped up since S26— which brought Are You the One? alumni on for Battle of the Exes II — and especially on seasons 31, 32, and 33, which introduced Big Brother players, UK competitors, and personalities from a whole friggin’ litany of other shows.

Season 34, Bloody Hell aka War of the Worlds 2, featured a US vs UK theme, with an Australian and Turk thrown in for good measure. It was restrictive casting in order to fill up a British roster, so we didn’t get any American debuts — for the first time ever.

I won’t spoil it (all) here, but S35 returned to their typical casting and features polarizing new US stars. I am more psyched about this cast than any recent season besides Invasion — especially because I actually know the newbies (as opposed to people like Esther, Alan, Shaleen, and the Shipwrecked alumni).

Whenever pre-departure speculation happens for the next season, I am all over it — so I have a good sense of how casting works. Therefore I see this format and the people I’ve chosen for it as actually realistic. Let’s get to it.

Only casting spoilers for Season 35 — no elimination or winner spoilers.

Format

36 competitors split into 6 teams of 6, each representing different TV shows. Eliminations are individual.

Big Brother
The Ettie video doorbell takes your visitor’s temperature before they cross your hearth
Tags: Tvs, Connected Home, Headphones, Services

The Ettie video doorbell takes your visitor’s temperature before they cross your hearth Nicholas Jan 16·2 min read

COVID is definitely a theme during this year’s online-only CES, particularly when it comes to video doorbells. We’ve already seen video doorbells with touchless designs from Arlo and Alarm.com, and now here’s one that takes your visitor’s temperature before they’re allowed inside.



Related product Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) Read TechHive's reviewSee it The Ettie comes equipped with your usual arsenal of video doorbell features, including HD resolution, two-way audio, and a mobile app that lets you see who’s standing on your doorstep. (Plott, the company behind the Ettie, has yet to reveal additional features.)



What sets the Ettie apart is its infrared temperature sensor, which lets it quickly take a visitor’s temperature. Once it’s measured a person’s temperature, the Ettie can send an alert to your phone to let you know whether it’s safe (well, relatively speaking) to let the visitor inside. There’s also a pair of LEDs—one green, and one red—on the doorbell itself, which can flash to let the person know whether they’ll be allowed entry.



[ Further reading: The best video doorbells ]Besides its ability to take someone’s temperature, the Ettie can snap the visitor’s picture and take note of when they arrived. It can also track a venue’s headcount and send an alert if you’ve reached capacity, while its visitor log could be used for contact tracing.



While the Ettie could certainly be used for a residence, it seems more targeted at businesses—say, a small storefront that’s limiting its capacity to maintain social distancing, or perhaps the waiting room of a doctor’s office. The built-in infrared temperature sensor could also be useful for a small business that can’t spare an employee to perform temperature checks at the door.



Ettie manufacturer Plott says beta units of the doorbell are slated to ship in the second quarter of 2021, with a target price of $300.



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Noopl helps you hear what’s important
Tags: Tvs, Surveillance

Anyone over 40 has probably had trouble understanding what a companion is saying in a noisy restaurant or bar. Noopl, from a new company of the same name, is an Apple MFi Certified accessory that, in conjunction with an app dubbed Noopl Listen, is specifically designed to address this problem.



Mentioned in this article AirPods Pro See it Using technology licensed from the National Acoustics Laboratory in Sydney, Australia, Noopl plugs into the Lighting port on an iPhone or iPad. It has three digital MEMS (microelectromechanical system) microphones arranged in a triangular array, a sophisticated digital signal processor (DSP), and a head-tracking system that works with Apple AirPods Pro earbuds (more in a moment). Using a technique called beamforming, the microphones amplify sounds coming from a particular direction while reducing the level of sounds from other directions.



[ Further reading: The best headphones you can buy ]The app provides a super-simple user interface that lets you control the width and direction of the beam as well as the volume of the output. In Automatic mode, Noopl establishes two-way communication with one or two Apple AirPods Pro earbuds and tracks your head movement, adjusting the beam direction to stay in front of you.



Noopl The Noople hearing assistant plugs into the Lightning dock on an iPhone 7 or above. An Android version is in the works.



You can also select manual mode, which works with any headphones or earbuds. In that case, the beam direction does not move with your head; instead, you manually point the beam on the app screen. In both cases, you can also adjust the width of the beam. The DSP also automatically detects if the device is being held in the hand or sitting on a table top, which changes the acoustics.



During a Zoom meeting at the Pepcom Digital Experience during CES, the company played a recording of Noopl’s CEO, Tim Trine, using the system while surrounded by speakers simulating a noisy restaurant. One of the speakers played someone talking to him, while the others played the background noise you’d hear in such an environment. When he looked at the speaker carrying the conversation, you could clearly hear what the person was saying, but when he looked away, you couldn’t hear it at all. Very impressive!



High-end hearing aids often have a similar feature, but it typically doesn’t work as well as Noopl, because hearing aids are very small, so they can’t have widely spaced microphones to facilitate effective beamforming. Even worse, hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars, while the Noopl will retail for $199 when it becomes available in early February. There will be an Android version by the third quarter of 2021. I look forward to reviewing this one!



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Samsung SmartThings, Google Nest partnership kicks off
Tags: Tvs, Cord

Samsung SmartThings is our current favorite smart home hub, and Google Nest cameras, smart thermostats, and doorbells are among our favorite smart home devices. As was announced in December 2020, the companies behind those products have forged a partnership that brings Nest devices into the SmartThings ecosystem via the Works with SmartThings certification program.



SmartThings users with Nest products can now incorporate those devices into SmartThings scenes and other automations alongside any other Works with SmartThings-certified products. Nest Camera and Nest Hello video doorbell users, for example, will be able to stream video to their Samsung TV or Family Hub refrigerator.



Google joins a host of other major brands in the Works with SmartThings program, including Arlo (security cameras), August (smart locks), Bose (speakers), First Alert (smoke detectors), Leviton (lighting controls), Lutron (lighting and smart shades), Ecobee (thermostats) Philips Hue (lighting), Ring (home security and lighting), Sonos (multi-room audio).



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Toto’s new smart toilets are less likely to invoke sticker shock
Tags: Cutting, Tvs, Surveillance, Streaming

Toto’s new smart toilets are less likely to invoke sticker shock Carol Jan 16·2 min read

Toto is known for building elaborate booths at CES to display and demonstrate its technologically advanced plumbing fixtures. If you’ve longed to grace your bathroom with one of the company’s high-tech toilets, you’ll be happy to know that some relatively affordable models are coming to market.



When we first covered Toto’s CES in 2016, its top-of-the-line toilet cost nearly $10,000. In 2021, you’ll be able to buy that same technology for less than $1,500. Granted, the Toto Washlet+ C2 (integrated remote control) and the Washlet+ C5 (wall-mounted remote) still cost several times the price of your average throne, but they’re equipped with technology that will keep your bum squeaky clean. Plus, Toto promises the toilet itself will be easier to clean.



[ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ] Toto The Toto Washlet+ C5 features a wall-mounted remote control. The remote is mounted to the bidet seat on the Washlet+ C2 displayed at the top of this page.



The toilet bowl is fabricated from an ultrasmooth ceramic. Adding Toto’s Washlet+ seat turns the toilet into a bidet. When you approach the toilet, a “pre-mist” feature sprays electrolyzed water over the surface of the bowl above the water line. Electrolyzing the water converts it to sodium hypochlorite—a broad-spectrum disinfectant—and makes the bowl surface even more slick.



When flushed, Toto’s Dynamax Tornado technology fills the bowl with water from the back as well as the sides to create a more forceful flush. The combination of the slick bowl and the robust flush reduces the likelihood that solid waste will stick to the sides, all while using less water, about .8 gallons per flush. The misting function occurs every eight hours to keep the bowl clean, and it reduces the need to introduce harsh chemicals during periodic cleanings with a brush or rag.



In addition to the bowl cleaning, the bidet wand uses the same process to clean itself. There’s also an onboard water heater and a deodorizer to keep odor at bay, and a blower tops the experience off by lightly drying your bottom after the show.



Both models require a button push to initiate flushing. If you’re looking for a touchless experience, you’ll need to move up to one of Toto’s more expensive models, with prices starting at around $2,500.



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Sony TVs boast faster, smarter processing and improved audio, but there are no major technology changes
Tags: Tvs, Security Cameras, Streaming, Surveillance

Sony TVs boast faster, smarter processing and improved audio, but there are no major technology changes Harry Jan 16·2 min read

Sony made no mention of major new technologies, such as mini LED backlighting, for the 2021 TV lineup, but the company has announced plenty of other improvements. Most noticeably, the new Cognitive Processor XR processing unit marries higher speed with more granular and processing algorithms. It will be available on Sony’s high-end XR series of smart TVs.



The end result of XR manipulation, which places great emphasis on the viewer’s focal point of an image, should be better overall images with increased detail, fewer artifacts, a higher contrast ratio, according to the company. Sony says its 4K and 8K UHD models will also deliver distinctly improved upscaling of lower-resolution content.



[ Further reading: TV tech terms demystified ]Sony audioSony already has the world’s best-sounding TVs, and the company says its 2021 models will be even bertter. Re-designed planar drivers that directly vibrate the display panel and bezel are said to produce more oomph, and—thanks to more of them and refined placement—they’ll even successfully reproduce 5.1.2 surround sound. If you’re never heard a high-end Sony TV, especially an OLED, take a listen next time you’re in a store—they sound better than many soundbars.



Sony Sony’s X95J LED will also get the benefit of XR processing. Sony already boasted arguably the best LED/LCD processing on the market.



Beyond improved image processing and audio, Google TV will make its way to Sony’s XR series, and as you may have noticed, the monikers are losing a digit. What was once a model 950 will be a model 95, and so on. Sony skipped a letter and will go directly from H to J. We’re not sure why, though it’s likely a visual thing. “I” can be confused with 1 in some fonts.



The new XR LED models range from the 8K Z9J to the X90J (called the X92J at 100-inches) at the low-end. The new OLEDs are the A80J and A90J. As usual, higher numbers are used for higher-end models.



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Google adds a privacy-oriented Guest Mode to its Home and Nest smart speakers and displays
Tags: Cord, Tvs, Services, Lighting

Google adds a privacy-oriented Guest Mode to its Home and Nest smart speakers and displays Daniel Jan 16·2 min read

It’s easy to ask Google Assistant to forget the last thing you said to your Nest or Home smart speaker or display (“Hey Google, that wasn’t for you”), but now there’s a way to temporarily keep Google Assistant from remembering what you said in the first place.



Related product Google Nest Hub Max Read TechHive's review$229.00MSRP $229.00See iton Google Google’s newly launched Guest Mode acts like an incognito tab in Chrome. While Chrome’s incognito mode won’t remember your browsing history, Google Assistant’s Guest Mode lets you chat with the Assistant on your Google smart speaker without your interactions being recorded.



Just say “Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode” to activate the new privacy mode. When you do, you’ll hear a special tone on your Google smart speaker, while a banner will appear on a Google display.



[ Further reading: The best smart speakers and digital assistants ]With Guest Mode enabled (which shouldn’t be confused with the old Guest Mode, which allowed visitors to cast media to your Google devices without connecting to your Wi-Fi network), you can ask Google to play music, check the weather, or read headlines, without any of your requests being saved in your Assistant history.



Guest Mode could also come in handy if a visiting friend (yes, we’ll have friends over again—eventually) wants to use your Google smart speaker without getting results that are personalized for you.



When you’re done with Guest Mode, you can simply say “Hey Google, turn Guest Mode off,” or you can check if the speaker is still in Guest Mode by asking the Assistant. On a Google smart display, the Guest Mode icon will remain on the screen until you turn the mode off.



Of course, if you chat with Google Assistant on your smart speaker without turning Guest Mode on, you can always erase your interactions after the fact. Just say “Hey Google, delete my last conversation,” or “Hey Google, delete today’s (or this week’s) activity.” You can also set Google Assistant to delete your voice history automatically, on a regular basis.



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Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is)
Tags: Tvs, Streaming, Services, Security Cameras

Lockly has new smart locks for swingers and sliders (doors, that is) Jefrey Jan 16·2 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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The Sopranos episode review — 2.8 — Full Leather Jacket
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: The Sopranos, Television, 2000s, Drama, TV

Original air date: March 5, 2000

Director: Allen Coulter

Writers: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Rating: 9/10

This is probably the least Tony-centric episode we’ve gotten so far in the series, and it is actually one of the better episodes, I think. I like all the stuff with Carmella basically threatening a lawyer to write a letter of recommendation for Meadow to Georgetown, a school I applied to, so I get it.

She’s probably my favorite part of the episode, actually. Other than her, there’s a lot of Christopher, doing his crime thing with Matt and Sean, who turn on him after they’re humiliated.

They ambush Chris and shoot him multiple times, but Chris is able to kill Sean.

Matt gets away, hoping to receive help from Richie, whom he claims he attacked Chris for. But Richie isn’t having it.

This entire thing reminded me a bit of the whole Breaking Bad scene with the twins and Hank. That’s much more exciting and feels like it has more buildup to it, but I’m not going to complain about this.

It’s a fine episode overall, even if I’m not quite sure what Richie’s role in the show really is yet.
Noopl helps you hear what’s important
Tags: Tvs, Music, Home Theater

Anyone over 40 has probably had trouble understanding what a companion is saying in a noisy restaurant or bar. Noopl, from a new company of the same name, is an Apple MFi Certified accessory that, in conjunction with an app dubbed Noopl Listen, is specifically designed to address this problem.



Mentioned in this article AirPods Pro See it Using technology licensed from the National Acoustics Laboratory in Sydney, Australia, Noopl plugs into the Lighting port on an iPhone or iPad. It has three digital MEMS (microelectromechanical system) microphones arranged in a triangular array, a sophisticated digital signal processor (DSP), and a head-tracking system that works with Apple AirPods Pro earbuds (more in a moment). Using a technique called beamforming, the microphones amplify sounds coming from a particular direction while reducing the level of sounds from other directions.



[ Further reading: The best headphones you can buy ]The app provides a super-simple user interface that lets you control the width and direction of the beam as well as the volume of the output. In Automatic mode, Noopl establishes two-way communication with one or two Apple AirPods Pro earbuds and tracks your head movement, adjusting the beam direction to stay in front of you.



Noopl The Noople hearing assistant plugs into the Lightning dock on an iPhone 7 or above. An Android version is in the works.



You can also select manual mode, which works with any headphones or earbuds. In that case, the beam direction does not move with your head; instead, you manually point the beam on the app screen. In both cases, you can also adjust the width of the beam. The DSP also automatically detects if the device is being held in the hand or sitting on a table top, which changes the acoustics.



During a Zoom meeting at the Pepcom Digital Experience during CES, the company played a recording of Noopl’s CEO, Tim Trine, using the system while surrounded by speakers simulating a noisy restaurant. One of the speakers played someone talking to him, while the others played the background noise you’d hear in such an environment. When he looked at the speaker carrying the conversation, you could clearly hear what the person was saying, but when he looked away, you couldn’t hear it at all. Very impressive!



High-end hearing aids often have a similar feature, but it typically doesn’t work as well as Noopl, because hearing aids are very small, so they can’t have widely spaced microphones to facilitate effective beamforming. Even worse, hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars, while the Noopl will retail for $199 when it becomes available in early February. There will be an Android version by the third quarter of 2021. I look forward to reviewing this one!



Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
The trailer for the final season of Game of Thrones has arrived!
By: Simon Cocks
Tags: TV Series, Trailers, Game of Thrones, TV Shows, TV

The trailer for the final season of Game of Thrones has arrived!

It’s all happening soon. The final season of Game of Thrones is right around the corner (Monday 15 April, to be precise, at 2am on Sky Atlantic… and then repeated at 9pm) and it’s time to get excited!

I won’t keep you waiting for it. HBO just released the official trailer for Season 8, and here it is:

There’s actually more to dissect here than you might expect, and it doesn’t look like it’s all just from the first 15 minutes of the first episode! We’ve got dragons swooping overhead, Jon and Daenerys arriving in Winterfell, armies assembling for battle, Cersei drinking wine mischievously, and much more.

The trailer kicks off with Arya experiencing the kind of shock and terror we haven’t seen from her for a long while, and it goes on to give us glimpses of where all the characters are in the story. Bran’s voice speaks over it all, seemingly talking to Jon about how his long journey has brought him back home to Winterfell.

There are shots where both Arya and Sansa are genuinely amazed to see dragons for the first time ever, and we see the dragons also flying through picturesque snowy scenes. At one point, Jon and Dany walk towards the two Rhaegal and Drogon, and it’ll definitely have the audience wondering whether he’s going to get to ride Rhaegal. We see many characters, including Grey Worm, Brienne, Podrick, Jorah and Jaime preparing to do battle with the dead. All of this is happening, presumably, while Cersei continues to scheme and sip wine back in King’s Landing.

The ships we briefly see in the trailer are Euron Greyjoy’s, carrying the mercenary army of the Golden Company back from Essos to Westeros. According to the books, the Golden Company is one of the largest and most deadly sellsword companies in the Free Cities, and their arrival as Cersei’s reinforcements will definitely have a role to play in the conclusion of the series and the clash for the throne.

Are you excited to see how it all ends? Let me know!
In times gone by.
By: Liam Robert Mullen
Tags: Scriptwriting, Writing, Marketing, Filmmaking, TV

In times gone by.

So Amazon Studios has stopped taking unsolicited scripts?

So, what’s new? Amazon has gone the way of many media companies that won’t consider scripts from writers unless the writer has lined up production companies, agents, and perhaps they’d even like the writer to stump up the budget for making exciting new movies.

It’s difficult to see how new writers make it into these industries given the level of discouragement from big companies like the BBC, RTE, Channel Four, and perhaps even Sky, and from Independent companies too. It’s like don’t ring us, we’ll ring you.

Granted some of these companies, perhaps all of them, do nurture new talent to a certain degree but it has to be on their terms, their windows of opportunity? I can’t help feeling that perhaps it was an easier process in years gone by and one sometimes yearns for a return to a period when life seemed somewhat easier and wasn’t strangled by heavy regulations.

It is nice to see Sky, and in particular Sky Atlantic coming out with some new and strong drama pieces like Johannes W. Betz and Tony Saint’s 'Das Boot’, and the strange new drama 'The Miracle’.

We need more drama like this, but more importantly we need new ways of attracting writers to the wonderful art of scriptwriting and to the very art of writing itself.
Monk episode review — 2.2 — Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Mystery, Television, Comedy, Monk, TV

Original air date: June 27, 2003

Director: Ron Underwood

Writers: Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin

Rating: 7/10

A young San Francisco man is killed in a skydiving accident in Mexico, but the real kicker is he’s apparently drowned, as water was found in his lungs. So Monk and Sharona head to Mexico, where they work with a couple of cops who are definitely reminiscent of Stottlemeyer and Randy.

This isn’t so much a great episode, and the plot is kind of rushed through, but that’s mostly becasue the episode is just focused on gags of Monk being out of his element in Mexico. At the border, Sharona tells him he looks like a drug dealer, so he of course tells border patrol that he’s not a drug dealer, which is fun.

A big component of this episode is that he refuses to drink any water that isn’t Sierra Springs, so throughout the episode he gets more and more worn down and raspy. It’s why the big reveal at the end is rushed through, as he desperately wants to get back home to drink the one brand of bottled water he’ll drink.

The episode has plenty of laughs. But the plot could be better. It’s utterly ridiculous of course, and it seems ridiculous, but the reveal is more plausible, though still considerably ridiculous.
Star Trek episode review — 1.22 — Space Seed
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Television, Star Trek, Science Fiction, SciFi, TV

Original air date: February 16, 1967

Director: Marc Daniels

Writers: Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber (Story by Carey Wilber)

Rating: 10/10

If “Space Seed” isn’t the best episode of the original series, it’s definitely up there. This is the Khan episode, and while Khan would only appear in one episode and one movie in the original series, he’s one of the best remembered things about the franchise, and that’s in no small part because of Ricardo Montalban’s charismatic performance.

This episode really isn’t too heady; it doesn’t have too many great science fiction ideas like a lot of the best episodes do. But unlike a lot of the series, it’s pure entertainment.

Though it does have that thing that I complain about in the series where it just resolves with a dumb fight scene.

And another one in which it’s painfully obvious that Shatner apparently isn’t capable of doing even the slightest stunts.

I do like the bit of background history this episode provides us about Earth. That kind of stuff is really imaginative and creative. It’s cynical, but also optimistic in the vision that we eventually move beyond that kind of thing.

Anyways, it’s a really great episode, definitely one of my favourites if not my absolute favourite.
Psych episode review — 1.6 — Weekend Warriors
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Mystery, Psych, Civil War, Comedy, TV

Original air date: August 11, 2006

Director: John Fortenberry

Writer: Douglas Steinberg

Rating: 9/10

A Civil War re-enactment is a great setting to have a Psych episode in, especially when Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) is the organizer of the battle.

The episode starts with Shawn and Gus coming to watch the annual Lassiter freakout at the rehearsal, and of course one of the soldiers is actually killed.

Shawn and Gus eventually go undercover as Union soldiers, including Gus being fitted with an awful costume.

Shawn humorously plays video games while everyone lives in tents trying to get into character. Seeing Shawn clash with these much more serious people is always great.

There’s also some great stuff between Shawn and his dad. Henry gets Shawn a birthday gift, though he apparently recognizes Shawn’s birthday as the first day baby Shawn smiled at him. There’s a fun scene where Shawn claims he’s lost it, and needs to borrow Henry’s metal detector, but he instead uses it to find the musket ball used to kill the soldier.

It’s one of the more enjoyable episodes of the season. It doesn’t have any hilarious bits, but it’s consistently funny. And it’s a good episode for both Lassiter and Juliet O’Hara.
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Monk episode review — 3.10 — Mr. Monk and the Red Herring
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Mystery, Comedy, Tv Reviews, Monk, TV

Original air date: January 21, 2005

Director: Randall Zisk

Writer: Andy Breckman

Rating: 9/10

I always found it weird how the series just wrote off Sharona in the middle of a season (albeit the series was operating on half-seasons, so there was a break). She’s said to have sold her house and moved out to New Jersey to remarry her ex-husband, which really doesn’t make any sense from the interactions we’ve seen of the two. But whatever. Monk’s on his own, and that’s the point of this.

Meanwhile widow Natalie Teeger’s (Traylor Howard) home is broken into, and in self defense she kills the man. Stottlemeyer tells her that she may be able to convince Monk, who’s been off for obvious reasons to come back to investigating.

Their first meeting is really great. There’s a fire in Monk’s trash bin from a woman he interviewed as a nurse’s cigarette. Monk grabs one of about a dozen fire extinguishers he owns, and he’s measuring out the eight feet he has to be away from the fire in order to use it when Natalie walks in the door and insists the eight feet is approximate. She puts out the fire, and right away we see that the two are a pretty good match for each other.

Like Monk, she’s got a dead spouse. Like Sharona, she’s a single mother, with an 11-year-old named Julie (Emmy Clarke).

She’s kind of no-nonsense like Sharona, but she seems to have a softer side, as well.

Monk figures out that the person who broke in was after something in the fishtank, and after finding out that there’s nothing special about the fish, Monk thinks it’s something in the tank. He attends a museum with Natalie, and she recognizes one of the employees as a man that suspiciously claimed to be inspecting her water main.

Monk eventually figures out that what everybody was after was a rock in the fishtank, a rock from the moon that was stolen from the museum and placed in an aquarium kit that Julie unwittingly bought.

The climax takes place at the science fair. Initially, Julie wasn’t allowed to participate in it, since she claims to have the world’s oldest fish, and her science teacher claims that those fish only live to be about a year, not six years.

Natalie admits that it was a fish that her husband had bought for her, and she’s been replacing it whenever it dies because it’s the last thing she has of him.

The climax is pretty fun, and Monk’s actions in tracking down not just the rock, but the stolen fish, is what leads Natalie to agree to be his partner.

It’s a good episode. As good as Sharona is, I actually prefer Natalie’s character. And I love the scene where Monk examines a bird at the pet shop that’s acting funny, and he’s able to diagnose exactly what’s going on becaues he relates to it.
IFA Berlin 2019 — consumer electronics exhibition: news, trends, and expert opinions
Tags: Ifa, Consumer Electronics, Exhibition, Technology

What we noted at IFA

Integrated Internet connection. All major brands are building ecosystems around the Internet connection of their products. Refrigerators, coffee makers, kettles, vacuum cleaners, and other appliances are powered by smartphones and connected to each other. Alexa’s voice assistants from Amazon and Google’s Assistant are mainly used for control. Brands aim at developing comprehensive solutions in which all appliances and electronics at home are integrated into a single system, and the products of different manufacturers do not conflict with each other, but rather work together.

We want to mention a set of intelligent sensors for Safera Sense kitchen, which will set a timer, turn on the fan, and remind you about the cake in the oven. Philips’ snoring control encourages you to turn from back to the side in your sleep. And LG has solved the problem with grocery shopping — household appliances of the ThinQ line order detergent powder or dishwasher capsules on Amazon by themselves when you run out. All we have to wait for are the other appliances in this product line — the refrigerator and air cleaners.

Retro-style. Nostalgia for the ’90s captured the electronics manufacturers. Sony released Walkman, which looks like a 40-year-old cassette player. However, the new player has a Wi-Fi module, HD-display, 16 GB of internal memory, and 26 hours of battery life. Other manufacturers produce music equipment in the form of boomboxes and retro speakers, record players, and massive radios.

Retro-style

Smartphone novelties. Sony has showcased a new version of Xperia 1. The width of the smartphone is now 68 mm, which is 10% smaller than the previous model, and the screen resolution has decreased from 4K to Full HD +. Samsung introduced the Galaxy A90 5G, which belongs to the budget line, but for some reason costs over 700 euros. We hope that its camera with a 48-megapixel lens will not disappoint. Samsung has also finally released a folding smartphone Galaxy Fold. It unfolds like a book and turns into a tablet. The price, however, is spicy — 2000 euros. For admirers of the good old Nokia 3310, there is a new shockproof Nokia 800 Touch. You can throw it on the floor, pour water over it and take it with you in the 40-degree heat without any problems.

Nokia stand

Engaging visitors. We were particularly interested in how global brands attract customers in the conditions of extreme competition. Thus, LG installed a giant installation of 250 OLED TV sets. Samsung changed the size of the TV screen with the help of sliding panels to clearly show how the image quality improves in front of the audience. Liebherr connected a graphics tablet to the fridge. The artist drew portraits of visitors on it, and the drawing appeared on the door. Many exhibitors used AR&VR tools to get the visitors interested. At Haier’s stand, visitors in VR glasses plunged into the refrigerator, and Samsung added AR models of smartwatches and other products.

LG installation
Episode 9: From QA Engineer to Tile PM
By: Pallavi Hukerikar
Tags: Engineering, Product Management, Consumer Electronics, Career Transitions, Qa Testing

Top Three Takeaways

1. Do Your Research

Transitioning careers is not an easy task even if you’re looking to pivot internally. Aneri highlights the importance of doing your research to prepare for the switch. In her case, Aneri started by discussing her desire to move into Product Management with her manager. She spent months taking courses on LinkedIn Learning to understand what the PM role entails and what skills are needed to be a successful PM. She also joined her company’s mentorship program to learn more about Product Management, read product books, and did product deep dives to understand the stories behind successful products. Lastly, she volunteered to help PMs, who are often really busy, by offering to write feature one-pagers. All these things helped Aneri better understand the role resulting in her feeling more confident in her desire to make the switch.

2. Trust Your Gut

Once you’re sure you want to transition into Product Management and have a clear reason why, Aneri recommends you trust your gut and keep working towards it. The transition to product may take a while, even for internal transfers, but if you’re confident it’s the right role for you Aneri advises to be patient and stick to it.

3. Ask For Feedback

If she could go back in time and give herself one piece of advice as she made the transition from QA to Product Management, Aneri would tell her past self to ask for feedback. Aneri explains that all feedback is valuable and should be used as input to help you grow and improve. She acknowledges that while it may be uncomfortable or hard for others to give feedback, explicitly asking your peers for feedback can make it easier, and can bridge the gap, helping increase trust between you and your peers. Asking for feedback and acting on it is crucial to improving in any role, not just Product Management.
Gesture Recognition Market Worth $30.6 Billion By 2025
By: Gaurav Shah
Tags: Internet of Things, Consumer Electronics, Healthcare, Automotive, Technology

The global gesture recognition market size is likely to reach USD 30.6 billion by 2025. It is poised to post a CAGR of 22.2% from 2018 to 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing digitization across various industries is benefiting the growth of the market. Ease of adoption due to low technical complexity for end users is escalating its implementation across the consumer electronics industry. Several other industries have also started using this technology. Similarly, the touchless gesture recognition market is primarily driven by factors such as rising hygiene consciousness, government measures for water conservation, low maintenance cost, and booming hospitality and tourism industry.

Surging use of consumer electronics and Internet of Things, along with increasing need for comfort and convenience in product usage, is boosting the growth of the gesture recognition market. Technological advancements and ease of use are helping the market gain momentum over the coming years. Increasing awareness regarding regulations and driver safety are bolstering the demand for gesture recognition systems in the automobile industry. Similarly, spiraling customer demand for application-based technologies is stimulating market growth.

Gestures are visible body actions through which human express information to others without saying it. In our daily lives, we see several hand gestures that are frequently used for communication purposes. Hand gesture recognition is one of the advanced research fields, which provides a way for human-machine interaction. Hand gesture recognition provides an intelligent method for human-computer interaction (HCI).

The market is volatile and is experiencing a fierce competition, therefore, witnessing high number of mergers and acquisitions. For instance, Intel Corp. acquired Omek Interactive Ltd. Some of the key players in the market are Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Google. Along with global giants, local and regional players are also showing tremendous growth and attracting big investors. This scenario has taken the competition to a whole different level.

Click the link below:

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gesture-recognition-market

Further key findings from the report suggest: