Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch review: Inexpensive, but feature-rich smart TV

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

Super Plastronics Private Limited (SPPL), the official brand licensee of Kodak smart televisions in India, recently launched its Google TV platform-based QLED smart TVs. Named the Kodak Matrix QLED series, the televisions boasts 10-bit QLED screen panels supported by Dolby Vision and HDR10+, Dolby Atmos and DTS Trusurround audio, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, and multiple ports. At Rs 33,999, the 50-inch model (review unit) is among the cheapest QLED smart televisions powered by Google TV platform. Is it a good one? Let’s find out:

Design

The Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch boasts an all-screen front profile with power LED on the bottom-centre, the only visible distraction. It is neither heavy nor bulky but appropriately sized. However, its cheap plastic frame and underwhelming finish give away its budget roots. The TV supports wall mount and table top installations, and comes with accessories for both in the box. Like the TV, the mount accessories are of acceptable quality but there is nothing special about them to write about.

Display and audio

Audio-visual are defining traits for televisions, and the Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch impresses on both parameters. Starting with the screen, the TV sports a 50-inch QLED panel of 4K resolution stretched in 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ — two high dynamic range (HDR) formats commonly used by over-the-top platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime Video.

The screen is tad better than LED panels, but underwhelming for a QLED. From price optics, however, it looks good. The screen is tuned for cool colour temperature by default. For personalised experience, there are multiple colour profiles such as vivid for saturated colours, sports for bright colours, and movies for warm colours. Besides, there are colour profiles for HDR content such as ‘HDR10+ Dark’ and ‘HDR10+ Bright’.

The screen is bright and vivid. However, contrast is mediocre for a QLED panel. The TV seems to lack support for local dimming, which enhances contrast by controlling the LED luminosity in zones – one of the advantages of QLED panels. Therefore, the visual appears only a tad better than how they are perceived on LED panels.

Lifting the experience is the 40W stereo speakers of the Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch. The speakers are loud and clear. These support Dolby Atmos and DTS Trusurround audio formats to deliver an immersive audio experience.

Performance

The Kodak Matrix QLED TV gives away its budget roots when it comes to performance. Not that it is incapable, but there are inconsistencies in the user interface. Powered by MediaTek MT9062 processor, paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB on-board storage, the Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch boots Google TV platform. The interface is content rich with recommendations available on the home screen from supported apps, but scrolling through the content is a slow and sluggish experience. Besides, the TV does not remember display settings and keeps shifting back to the default ‘energy saving’ colour profile after every reboot.

Verdict

The Kodak Matrix QLED TV 50-inch goes beyond fundamentals in terms of features to look good for its price, but cheap built and unstable operating system give away its budget roots. Nevertheless, it makes a good buy if you prioritise audio-visual experience over design. As for the performance issues, a third-party streaming device such as Amazon FireTV Stick 4K (review) solves it. Rounding up the package is an all-round connectivity, including two-way Bluetooth for Google Assistant-powered voice remote control and other Bluetooth-enabled accessories, dual-band Wi-Fi, HDMI ports with support for CEC and ARC, USB-A, and optical for digital audio output.

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WhatsApp tests ‘message yourself’ feature for Android, iOS: Details here

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is working on a new update that would allow users to send messages to themselves. The feature is currently being tested for both Android and iOS users.

It has always been possible on WhatsApp to send texts to own numbers, but with the update WhatsApp is only streamlining the process. Earlier, users can message to self by using a ‘Click to Message’ link or using a WhatsApp group with self being the only member.

With the update, which is currently in beta, users can find the ‘Message yourself’ feature in the contact list on WhatsApp. When you click on the action button in the lower-right corner of the screen, it prompts you to message a new contact, a new group, a new Community and then you see a list of your contacts who also use WhatsApp. After the new update users can find the message yourself feature on the top of the contact list to make it easier for users to reach their chat if they do not have one in the chat list. Your contact will be labelled as “Me (You)” in the chat list.

“After updating to the latest update of the Android app, some beta testers noticed that WhatsApp is now highlighting that chat by adding “message yourself” as the chat caption. Although, there are no changes when sending messages to your own phone number after the update.” says WaBetaInfo in a report.

This new feature is expected to help users in many ways. With it, users may not have to download a dedicated app to make notes and save links for later use. As WhatsApp can be used on multiple devices, it would also help in transferring media, documents, contacts, and more from one device to the other.

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Netflix acquires game developer ‘Spry Fox’ to expand in-house games studio

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

Netflix has acquired cozy game developer ‘Spry Fox’ to expand its in-house games studio.

Spry Fox has joined the streaming platform to become its sixth in-house games studio, Netflix said in a blogpost.

“Our goal is to create a place where creative people could make original games in a supportive environment that brought happiness to the people who played them,” said Daniel Cook, co-founder of Spry Fox.

According to Netflix, Spry Fox’s approach to game development and success will help to accelerate the creative development in another genre and will add more games to the growing variety of the platform’s games catalog.

“Our games journey has only just begun, but I’m proud of the foundational work we’ve been doing to build out our in-house creative capacity so that we can deliver the best possible games experience –including no advertisements and no in-app purchases–to our members as part of their membership,” the company said.

Recently, Netflix had announced the ‘Profile Transfer’ feature to prevent password sharing

The “much requested” feature allowed users to transfer their personalised recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games, and other preferences to a new account when they start their own membership, it said.

–IANS

aj/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Instagram fixes outage that tells users their account is suspended

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

Instagram has announced that an outage which told users that their account is suspended is now fixed by the company.

Thousands of Instagram users from all over the world reported issues of the outage, which locked them out and informed many that “we suspended your account”.

In an apology on Twitter, Instagram said: “We’ve resolved this bug now — it was causing people in different parts of the world to have issues accessing their accounts and caused a temporary change for some in the number of followers. Sorry.”

The Instagram policy stated that they might disable certain accounts that violate community guidelines, such as illegal, bullying, hate speech, spam, or violating intellectual property rights, according to the report.

Twitter was also trending with hashtag #InstagramDown, as hundreds of users experienced similar issues logging in to their accounts.

Several users had reported being unable to appeal Instagram’s decision, which resulted in their accounts being logged out and their email and password not being found.

Meanwhile, users in India and several parts of the world also reported problems with Instagram last week.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Google pauses in-house billing system in India on antitrust directive

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

BENGALURU (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google is pausing its policy that requires app developers to use its Google Play billing system for buying digital goods and services in India, following a ruling by the country’s antitrust body.

Google had previously set an extended deadline of Oct. 31 for developers in India to comply with its payments policy.

The search engine giant should not restrict app developers from using third-party billing or payment processing services in India, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said last week, also fining Google $113 million.

It is reviewing its legal options, as it aims to build its Android and Play services, according to a post on Google’s website seen on Tuesday.

Last month, the CCI had also asked Google to change its approach to its Android platform, slapping another $162 million for anticompetitive practices related to its operating system.

It has come under fire globally, including in South Korea, for mandating software developers using its app store to use a proprietary in-app payment system.

The blog said the requirement to use its billing system still applies for users outside of the country.

(Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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What is cryptocurrency mining?

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 1, 2022 | Technology

Of all the cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is the oldest, the most popular and expensive too. First created in 2009, its price has been on a roller coaster ride since then.

It had hit a low of $4,107 in 2020 and touched an all-time high of $68,790 in November 2021. On October 31, the price of one Bitcoin was $20,466. People can also purchase a fraction of the coin. Like stocks, trading in cryptocurrencies too is full of risks.

And unlike securities — which are created in the primary market — generation of cryptocurrencies is quite a complex process.

So how a new coin is mined

Most of us purchase a new cryptocurrency, for example Bitcoin, from the existing lot. But how are the new coins generated? The process behind this is known as cryptocurrency mining. And not everyone can do it. It is a domain of experts. And they get coins as a reward for their labour — which is painstaking and involves solving very complex mathematical problems. It is done to make sure that coin generation is limited, the way RBI keeps a check on the new currency creation.

Bitcoin mining is the process of creating new Bitcoins by solving extremely complicated maths problems to verify transactions and add them to the blockchain ledger. Blockchain is a distributed ledger and information in it is stored in a way which makes it very difficult to hack.

When a bitcoin is successfully mined, the miner receives a predetermined amount of Bitcoin. As part of putting new coins into circulation, mining also helps secure the blockchain and verify transactions. Here’s what it means

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Solana and Monero are virtual currencies, which means they exist only electronically. These are some of the well-known cryptocurrencies among the more than 20,000 that are currently in existence, with more being created every day.

New blocks can be added to a blockchain through a variety of mining mechanisms. For Bitcoin, new blocks are added to the blockchain through a proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm.

Under Proof of Work, miners across the world, who are seeking to add a block to a blockchain, are presented with a difficult mathematical problem, or puzzle. The miners’ computational resources are deployed to arrive at a solution.

Once the problem is solved, other users can validate the solution and confirm the block, adding the next block to the chain. In the case of Bitcoin, miners who create and publish new blocks are rewarded with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is rewarded on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning whoever solves and publishes the solution first is rewarded with Bitcoin. Miners throughout the network compete against each other in a race to be the first to resolve the Proof of Work and earn the reward.

A miner currently earns about 6.25 Bitcoin for successfully validating a new block on the Bitcoin blockchain. The Bitcoin blockchain was created anonymously with a final limit of 21 million coins, of which about 19.08 million have already been minted. The last bitcoin is expected to be mined in 2140.

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