FUNKY GREEN: December 2019

Tuesday 31 December 2019

This 50-inch Vizio 4K TV is on sale for just $280 at Walmart

It's not often we see a 50-inch 4K TV from a household name for less than $300, but it's not impossible. Case in point: Walmart has knocked an astonishing $150 off the 50-inch Vizio D-Series, dropping the price of the high-resolution television down to just $280.

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How to program an RCA universal remote

If you're tired of using a million different remotes in your home theater, office, or living room, you'll be interested in a single RCA universal remote. Here's how to program it for your system.

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Bowflex slashes prices on home gym equipment just in time for New Year’s

The end of the year is almost here, and that means it is time to start focusing on the new year that lies ahead. If getting into shape is one of your New Year’s resolutions, Bowflex has the sale for you. Use the code NEWU20 at checkout to receive the savings and these deals are […]

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The best earbuds for 2020

Over-the-ear headphones offer top-flight sound, but they're not so easy to take along with you. If you're looking to upgrade your portable sound, check out our favorite in-ear headphones.

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The best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now

Amazon Prime Video provides subscribers with access to a host of fantastic films, but sorting through the catalog can be a slog. We've done the work for you. Here are the best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now.

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Sony A7R IV vs. A7R III: An extra 20 megapixels isn’t the only difference

The Sony A7R IV is turning heads with its 61-megapixel full-frame sensor. But just how much has it improved over its predecessor, and do you really need it? Here's how the two models compare.

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The best Star Wars movies on Disney+

Disney+ is your new streaming hub everything Star Wars (well, almost everything), but how will you decide what to watch first? If you're in the mood for a quick Star Wars binge, here are our recommendations.

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The best A/V receivers for 2020

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to shopping for a receiver, so we assembled our favorites for 2020, at multiple price points and all loaded with features, from Dolby Atmos to 4K HDR and much more.

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The best smart speakers for 2020

Stuck talking to yourself? Get an A.I. assistant to keep you company! Whether you put your stock in Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, we've picked out the best smart speaker for any smart home ecosystem.

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The best shows on Amazon Prime right now

There's more to Amazon Prime than free two-day shipping, including access to a number of phenomenal shows at no extra cost. To make the sifting easier, here are our favorite TV series currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

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What’s new on Amazon Prime Video in January 2020

Amazon Prime Video adds new titles each month that are available for free to all Prime members. Here is all of the content hitting Amazon Prime Video in December 2019 and January 2020.

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The best Bluetooth speakers for 2020

There are hundreds if not thousands of Bluetooth speakers out there, but only a few are worth your hard-earned money. Let us help you cut through the clutter with our picks.

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What’s new on Netflix and what’s leaving in January 2020

Our complete list of what's new on Netflix for January 2020 includes new and returning series and new and classic films to help you catch up on your binge list.

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Huawei Posts Solid Growth but Warns of Difficulties Ahead

In a year-end note, a deputy chairman said the Chinese tech giant’s confrontation with the United States would hurt its prospects for 2020.

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Uber sues California to block gig-worker law going into effect this week - CNET

Complaint says AB 5 unfairly targets companies and workers in the on-demand economy.

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Google's New Year's Eve 2019 Doodle features familiar frog - CNET

Froggy the weather frog finds the fireworks ribbitting.

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Uber and Postmates sue California over gig worker law

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Uber and Postmates File Suit to Block California Freelancer Law

The ride-hailing company and the delivery start-up are seeking an injunction against the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1.

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Syd Mead, sci-fi visual artist known for Blade Runner and Tron, dies at 86 - CNET

The legendary Mead once called science fiction "reality ahead of schedule."

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Another director leaves the Uncharted movie

The Uncharted movie, based on the massively popular Indiana Jones-like game series, has lost another director, according to Deadline. Its release date has also been pushed back.

Deadline says Travis Knight, who most recently directed Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, had to drop from the Uncharted movie because of scheduling difficulties. The movie is set to star Tom Holland as protagonist Nathan Drake. Holland, however, is also committed to playing Spider-Man in the next Marvel iteration of series, which apparently begins shooting this summer. Deadline reports that Sony still plans to release the Uncharted movie, but with a new director and later release date. (It was originally slated for a December 18th, 2020 release.)

The Uncharted...

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Greta Thunberg, Sir David Attenborough meet for first time, talk climate change - CNET

The teen activist "aroused the world" to climate change, the famed broadcaster tells her.

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CRISPR scientist who made gene-edited babies sentenced to 3 years in prison - CNET

He Jiankui was reportedly convicted of conducting an "illegal medical practice."

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Samsung may unveil a true 'zero bezel' TV at CES 2020

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Monday 30 December 2019

The next Samsung Galaxy may change naming scheme and be released in mid-February

Will Samsung change the Galaxy S naming scheme next year? Some rumors suggest we may see the Galaxy S20 when the new range launches on one of two leaked dates.

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Best Buy offers the best deals on the iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro

Apple's iPad Mini, iPad, iPad Air. and iPad Pro are some of the best tablets that you can own. Save as much as $200 when you get them on Best Buy today.

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The decade in dystopia: Technological trends inching us closer to collapse

As the 2010s draw to a close, it’s hard to remember that the decade began with a utopian view of tech, a world of connectivity and convenience. Instead, tech has produced a nightmarish world of surveillance and insecurity.

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Mazda claims long-range EVs are worse for the planet than diesels

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Watchmen, Fleabag, Parasite top Barack Obama's 2019 favorites - CNET

HBO's Watchmen comic book reboot, a saucy British comedy and an eye-opening book on surveillance impressed the former US president in 2019.

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Ryan Reynolds confirms Deadpool 3 is in the works

Deadpool 3 is in the works! The third film in the franchise will be the first distributed under the Marvel Studios banner.

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Will Apple’s 2020 iPad Pros sport a rear triple camera?

It’s the end of the year but the rumor mill is cranking, this time with renders of a supposed upcoming 2020 iPad Pro with an augmented camera array — featuring triple rear cameras — that appear identical to the iPhone 11 Pro.

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The Mandalorian: Everything we know about the Disney+ Star Wars series

Here's everything we know about The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau's live-action Star Wars series that debuted on the Disney+ streaming service in November.

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How to get Windows 10 for free

With the older Windows versions now being phased out, installing Windows 10 will ensure that you're not vulnerable to security issues. Here's how you can get the latest versions of Windows 10 for free.

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The best TVs for 2019

Looking for a new TV? In an oversaturated market, buying power is at an all-time high, but you'll need to cut through the rough to find a diamond. We're here to help with our best TVs of 2019.

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The best adjustable mattresses for 2019

Sleep better, avoid pain, and enjoy the high tech options today's adjustable beds have, like massage features, USB ports, and more.

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Geneinno S2 is an underwater scooter that propels you through the waves

Geneinno S2 is a portable sea scooter that promises to propel you through the waves at a speed of up to 2.7 miles per hour, to depths of 30 meters, for as long as 60 minutes at a time.

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Best holiday 2019 gaming deals: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC

Retailers are offering massive discounts on some of the most popular games of the year across various gaming platforms. Here are the best holiday 2019 video game deals available right now.

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The best Chromebook deals available in January 2020

Whether you want a compact laptop to enjoy some entertainment on the go, or you need a no-nonsense machine for school or work, we've smoked out the best cheap Chromebook deals .

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Best smart displays for 2020 - CNET

With the holidays around the corner, it might be time to peruse your display options from Amazon, Google and Facebook.

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Vodafone Australia goes with Nokia for 5G build

Latest generation mobile network to start to be switched on in first six months of 2020.

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Top Movie and TV Trailers of the Week: ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ ‘The Gentlemen,’ and More

New Year’s Eve is almost here and while you’re planning for the last night of 2019, we’ve rounded up the top movie and TV trailers that you may have missed during the week.

Star Trek: Picard is coming to CBS All Access on Jan. 23, while Netflix’s mystery series Giri / Haji teases a chilling story. From STX Entertainment’s The Gentlemen to Hulu’s new animated series Littlekenny, here are the top movies and TV shows to keep on your radar.

The Gentlemen

Expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) has a complicated relationship with weed in The Gentlemen, a comedy coming to theaters next month. After building a pot empire in London, Pearson realizes that he’ll have to protect his valuable assets from bribery, schemes, and other sketchy figures.

Ragnarok

Could Norse mythology exist among humans on Earth? Ragnarok, Netflix’s new series premiering on Jan. 31, emphasizes this question, as a Norwegian town prepares for a natural disaster and needs a hero to save mankind.

Star Trek: Picard

A legend returns in Star Trek: Picard, which airs on CBS All Access on Jan. 23 and Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 24. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is called to help a young girl and must go on another mission to protect her and confront his past.

Giri / Haji

Giri / Haji, a new series coming to Netflix in on Jan. 10, tells the story of a Tokyo-based detective who risks his family and job to find his missing brother. During his search in London, he discovers that his sibling may be connected to a greater crime operation and this secret may tear them apart.

Littlekenny

If you need an adult animated series to binge-watch, Littlekenny is streaming on Hulu now. It’s based on Letterkenny, a series about the small town in Canada and the people who live in it, except, all the characters are in cartoon-form.

High Fidelity

Based on the popular novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity follows the relationship highs and lows of Rob (Zoë Kravitz), a female record store owner based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Viewers get to revisit her past flames through a lense of music, pop culture, and the changing neighborhood she works in.

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Best smart displays for 2020 - CNET

With the holidays around the corner, it might be time to peruse your display options from Amazon, Google and Facebook.

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Uber clears a key hurdle to buying its Middle Eastern rival

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Best music streaming: Spotify, Apple Music and more, compared - CNET

We compare the biggest on-demand music streaming services to find the best one for you.

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Got a new Amazon Fire TV stick? Here's how to set it up for the first time - CNET

Your new Amazon streaming device gets you access to a world of streaming video. Here's how to hook it up and configure it.

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Best bar gifts for 2020 - CNET

From bar accessories and drinkware to actual bar carts, these are perfect presents to get your drinking buddies.

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Kia will release a production version of its Imagine EV in 2021

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Sunday 29 December 2019

Need a new gaming PC? HP just cut prices on Omen and other gaming gear

If you play video games on a computer, you know how important it is to make the correct purchase when it comes time to replace your machine — graphics, speed, memory, and more play a role. HP just slashed the prices of some of its most popular gaming PCs and laptops.

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Amazon has these Sony wireless headphones with discounts up to $100 off

ith Amazon’s deals on these Sony wireless headphones, you’d be able to tune in to great sound, take your music on the go, and save as much as $100.

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Sonos Amp and Sonos Port prices are going up by $50 in 2020

Sonos is raising the prices of two of its non-speaker products, the Sonos Amp and Sonos Port. Both products will see a $50 price hike in January 2020, the result of overseas production investments in Malaysia.

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The next Samsung Galaxy may change naming scheme and be released in mid-February

Best Buy offers the best deals on the iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro

The decade in dystopia: Technological trends inching us closer to collapse

How Xiaomi dethroned Samsung to become the king of Indian smartphones

From 3% market share in 2016 to around 30% today, Xiaomi has caught up to the mighty Samsung and even surpassed it. But can it hold on for the long haul?

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Teslasuit evolves with VR glove that lets wearers feel virtual textures

The Teslasuit Glove, which may be used with the Teslasuit or separately, will allow wearers to feel virtual textures while monitoring their biometric data.

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Blizzards randomly appearing in Fortnite hint at upcoming map changes

Blizzards have started to randomly appear in most of Fortnite's game modes, causing limited visibility amid whistling winds.

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NASA wants to launch a new space telescope to search for a second Earth

NASA has proposed building the Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) telescope, which would search for a "second Earth" where humanity could eventually relocate.

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NASA astronaut Christina Koch breaks record for longest spaceflight

Koch has been in space for 289 days, after arriving on the ISS on March 14. She participated in the first all-female spacewalk earlier this year.

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Dyson drops the price on the V11 Torque Drive to lowest price of the season.

Dyson is a leading brand when it comes to vacuums, known powerful suction and smart engineering. Right now, the Dyson V11 Torque Drive is on sale for just $499, a season-low savings of $201.

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Is one of the brightest stars in the sky about to go supernova?

Dramatic events are stirring in the constellation of Orion, with the star Betelgeuse ready to explode in a supernova. Reports indicate the light from the star has faded to half its usual magnitude.

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Walmart end-of-year clearance sale: Best deals on audio, TVs, gaming, and more

We’ve already combed through the Walmart end-of-year clearance sale offerings to bring you a large handful of nice deals on name-brand electronics like headphones, TVs, laptops, and more.

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Doctors are fighting brain cancer by growing mini-brains

Glioblastoma is one of the most common and aggressive forms of brain cancer. Now, researchers are growing organoids based on a patient's own tumor to find the most effective treatments for it.

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I fell out of love with VR, but the Vive Wireless rekindled the flame

Virtual reality isn't cheap, but upgrading what you have can be more economical than buying new. While my HTC Vive has languished on the floor for months at a time, perhaps some accessories can teach me to love VR once again.

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China launches its largest rocket ever, the Long March-5

China launched its Long March-5 Y3 rocket this week. The rocket stands 57 meters tall and is 5 meters in diameter with a total weight of 870 tonnes and producing thrust of over 1000 tonnes.

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New Messenger users now required to sign up for Facebook too

A Facebook account is now a requirement for people who are signing up for Messenger, when previously a phone number was enough.

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New Google Pixel 4a renders reveal a punch-hole display and a familiar exterior

A new leak offers a possible first look at Google's next mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 4a. The renders reveal a punch-hole display and a familiar overall design.

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Walmart discounts Gold’s Gym treadmills, more to help with New Year resolutions

If your New Year's resolutions include fitness and weight management, Walmart has a sale on Gold's Gym exercise equipment that can help.

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Study says YouTube 'actively discourages' radicalism

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Rescue cat that looks like Baby Yoda needs a new home - CNET

Adopt Baby Yoda … in cat form.

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Roomba mistaken for a burglar by spooked homeowners - CNET

Police are called to investigate possible home intruders and find a hard-working robotic vacuum instead.

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Saturday 28 December 2019

Ford Mustang Mach-E timing details revealed

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The best Wi-Fi routers in 2020 - CNET

Your router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6, here are the best we've tested, for every budget.

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Best graphics cards for gamers and creatives in 2020 - CNET

Picking a new graphics AMD or Nvidia card can be overwhelming. We'll help you get started with everything you need to know.

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The best true wireless earbuds of 2020 - CNET

True wireless headphones are all the rage. Here are the top wire-free models you can buy right now.

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The best LED floodlights you can buy in 2020 - CNET

Today's BR30 LED floodlight bulbs are better and more affordable than ever before. Here are the best ones.

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Banana Boat, Neutrogena, Supergoop: The best sunscreens for 2020 - CNET

Sunscreen formulas have never been better. Here are some of the best you can buy.

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Pick the best LED light bulb in 2020 for every room in your house - CNET

The right light for the right room matters. Here are our top tips.

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The best toaster oven is the one you'll hate the least - CNET

Toaster ovens are bulky, inefficient and outdated. There, I said it. Now here's how to find one that's actually worth it.

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Find the best mattress in 2020: 11 top brands compared - CNET

Not interested in haggling with a salesperson or lying on a floor model? We’ve rounded up the top online mattress options you can buy from the comfort of your home.

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Best soundbars of 2020 under $200 - CNET

If you're on a limited budget, here are three soundbars that sound great, look good and don't cost an arm and a leg.

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Volkswagen Dreams Up Robot That Brings Charger to Your Parked EV

EV sales have really picked up in the last few years, but there are still a few drawbacks that keep them off some car buyers’ shopping lists. One of those is that it’s not always easy to find a charger.

Volkswagen is working on a solution to that very issue: a robot that brings the charger right to your vehicle.

It’s intended for use in parking structures. Today, EV owners have to hope that there’s a dedicated parking stall available that also has access to a plug. If they’re all occupied, you’re out of luck.

The VW robot would allow drivers to park the EVs anywhere within its range. If a driver wants to recharge, the robot can be summoned by making a request through a mobile app. Even if the owner forgets, the EV itself could ask to be topped off without human intervention via vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication with the bot.

The design you see here is an update to one that was first revealed back in 2017. Originally, the mobile charger was a single autonomous unit with built-in battery packs.

Now Volkswagen has separated the charging system into two units: the robot attendant and portable “battery wagons” with a capacity of about 25 kWh. The change frees up the robot to connect batteries to multiple vehicles at the same time — instead of having to sit around idle while a single EV charges.

Those vehicles will recharge faster, too. VW’s battery wagons support DC quick charging up to 50kW.

Volkswagen’s Mark Möller sees the autonomous charging system as a real game-changer. “With this, we are making almost every car park electric, without any complex individual infrastructural measures,” he said.

While the company has yet to start manufacturing the charging robots, Möller says that they could quickly become a reality “if the general conditions are right.” Presumably that means if there are enough parking structure owners who think this is a better alternative to installing a bunch of individual charging stations — and enough batteries available.

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‘The Mandalorian’ Season 1 Finale Recap: The Man With a Name

So… The Rise of Skywalker, huh? It sure was a movie. You know what? Let’s talk about The Mandalorian instead. Yes, after we all saw the Skywalker saga come to a close, it turns out we’ve actually been watching 2019’s best Star Wars movie all along. This week’s season finale felt like a solid conclusion to the first part of a long story. Just what you want from Star Wars. Continuing directly from last week’s appearance by Moff Gideon, this pilot finds the gang locked in a standoff with an entire stormtrooper platoon. To up the stakes further, they brought a gun with them that both Cara and The Mandalorian have seen the wrong end of.

Gideon knows this. Strangely enough, he knows a lot about their past. He knows Cara’s full name and history as a rebel shock trooper. He also knows The Mandalorian’s name: Din Djarin. Our nameless, faceless character gets both in this season finale. We see an extended flashback of Imperial battle droids attacking his home. His mother carries him through the streets, but doesn’t make it. A team of Mandalorians fight off the battle droid and find Din as a child alone. That’s what it means to be a foundling. That’s how he became a Mandalorian. Finally, at the very end of the series, we have some kind of explanation for the difference between the people in the Mandalore episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the Mandalorians we see in this series. Mandalorian isn’t a race, it’s a belief system.

(via Lucasfilm/Disney)

Oh and then there’s the fate of the baby. Last week’s episode concluded with the tragic death of Kuiil and two stormtroopers on speeder bikes carrying the kid away. This episode puts our fears for the kid at ease, but it takes its sweet time doing so. And it uses that time to make us absolutely hate the stormtroopers that took him. That wasn’t entirely necessary, we’ve never needed justification to cheer for the deaths of stormtroopers, but I still appreciated this scene. It gave these two unnamed characters a humanity we don’t normally see from stormtroopers. They’re evil, but they’re also two guys at work. They hear the new manager has already killed a few stormtroopers to make a point, so they decide to hang back and see how it all plays out. It’s fun to see them joke with each other and and try to hit a can on the side of the road with their blasters. They can’t. Their blasters always shoot just to the left of their target. Huh, that explains a lot.

Lest we start identifying too much with them, they hit the baby every time he moves. It doesn’t matter how many funny jokes they crack, there’s no coming back from hitting the cutest Star Wars thing since… well, maybe ever. Just when we’ve had enough of these guys, IG-11 shows up fully intent on carrying out his mission to protect the baby. He takes out the two stormtroopers, grabs the kid, hops on the speederbike and drives straight to the city, shooting every stormtrooper that crosses his path on the way. IG-11 became the coolest character in this show. Which we all know almost certainly means he’s not going to make it through the end.

This episode was directed by Taika Waititi, and it shows. You know how Waititi completely revitalized Marvel’s Thor series with humor and a ton of heart? Well, The Mandalorian didn’t need revitalizing, but those elements are clearly present in this finale. IG-11 comes into his own as a character in this episode, and we really feel for him. When he gets to the rest of the crew, The Mandalorian runs out to protect him and the baby. He gets some good shots in, but gets shot up pretty bad too. That’s another thing this series has done super well. The Mandalorian isn’t an unstoppable badass. He’s not even a better fighter than most people he’s come across. He just has better gadgets. Those have gotten him through most episodes, but even his expensive armor has a weak point. He gets shot in the neck, and things don’t look good for him. IG-11 gets everyone out of the room, and convinces The Mandalorian to let him take off his helmet. No living thing can see under his helmet. The droid comforts him, saying he’s not a living thing. In a short few minutes of episode, he’s become my favorite character on the show. Now I just wish he’d been here all along.

The crew escapes through a sewer grate and they make their way to the Mandalorian outpost. All the Mandalorians who helped get the baby off the planet back in episode 3 are dead. The scene that follows feels oddly out of place. We did need a quiet dialog-driven scene after all the action, but we didn’t learn anything new here. The surviving armorer tells the group that warriors called Jedi used a power like the baby’s. Yes, it’s important that The Mandalorian gets that information, but it doesn’t tell us anything new. For the first time all season, I found myself waiting for a scene to be over, rather than watching with rapt attention. The only important thing to come out of this scene was The Mandalorian’s new mission. Baby Yoda is a foundling, but they don’t have the strength to train him. Until The Mandalorian can return him to his own kind he must act as the kid’s father. Even though he was already doing that from Episode 4 on, having someone say it out loud is still the cutest thing ever. Oh, and The Mandalorian also gets a jetpack, but he can’t fully use it until he practices more.

(Via Lucasfilm/Disney)

The crew escapes through a river of lava, which… Sure, why not? The blatant symbolism is so over the top, you have to laugh. They even have to cross the river in a canoe piloted by a little R2 version of Charon. The river takes them toward the mouth of the cave, where a platoon of stormtroopers are waiting in ambush. Unable to stop or turn around, IG-11 sacrifices himself just as we knew he would. He makes The Mandalorian promise that the baby will be safe with him, then reverts to his most basic programming: That he cannot be captured. He walks out into the middle of the ambush and self destructs. Damn, Taika Waititi only needed one episode to make me sad about the life of a faceless droid.

The show leaves us with one final action scene. Moff Gideon pilots his TIE fighter and attacks the group. His first shots miss, but The Mandalorian points out that his second attack won’t. What I love about this fight is that the show understands that The Mandalorian relies on his gadgets more than any raw skill. So the final scene is the best gadget spectacle it can deliver. The Mandalorian grapples onto the side of Gideon’s fighter and sticks as many grenades as he can onto the thing before he’s flung off. He can use his jetpack well enough to land safely, which can’t be said about Gideon. He can’t shake off the grenades, which explode and send his ship crashing to the ground. It’s an awesome visual and the perfect sendoff to a great action series.

Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Gina Carano (via Lucasfilm/Disney)

The finale ends exactly the way I hoped it would: With one last unapologetic western homage. Greef Karga and Cara Dune decide to stick around and build a better bounty hunter guild in town. They offer The Mandalorian the chance to stay. He’ll have a lucrative career and protection for the baby. He refuses, of course. The Masked Man has a mission he has to complete before he can settle down anywhere. He needs to deliver Baby Yoda to his own people. Wherever they are. And there will be plenty of conflict along the way next season. In the final scene, we see Moff Gideon still alive. He cuts his way out of the ship with a strange-looking black beam saber. What could that be? The Darksaber? Now I’m sad we have to wait until next season to find out.

This finale was the perfect end to a season that turned out to be one of the year’s best surprises. Each episode of The Mandalorian was fun, action packed and the show never outstayed its welcome. What could have been a quick cash-grab to get us all to sign up for Disney Plus turned out to be a Star Wars story that can stand up with the movies. The western homages were done with such love and appreciation for both Star Wars and its influences that they felt organic and necessary to the show. The Mandalorian always left us wanting more, which is the one downside in the end. We don’t get another episode next week, and it’ll be a while before The Mandalorian comes to town again.

The Mandalorian is available to stream on Disney Plus.

Previously on The Mandalorian:

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These are all of Apple's missing iOS devices

iPhone Fold, Pro mini, iBook, iPad Studio, HomeBar, TV Stick, and more!

Over the last 18-months, we've gotten new iPads Pro, new iPhones Pro, and new Apple Watches with always-on displays. By any metric, this is Apple's best lineup of product ever.

But, as slam dunk as some of these products are — they're still not all the products. Even now, at the end of the decade, there are still some pretty big gaps across the iPhone, iPad, iPod — yeah, I said it — HomePod, Apple Watch, and Apple TV lineups.

So, since I covered the missing Macs in one of last week's videos, I'm going to strap on my destiny prognostication engine, Escaflowne style, and cover all the missing iOS and iOS-offshoot devices in this video.

iPhone mini

Apple has finally gotten its iPhone lineup locked down. iPhone 11 back at $699 and the iPhone Pro up to at $999. There are even rumors of an iPhone 8-based, iPhone SE style iPhone 9 this spring to slide in on under, maybe as low as $399.

But, what the original iPhone SE showed us, is that some people don't just want a cheaper iPhone. They want a smaller iPhone.

Now, there are a whole bunch of reasons it's hard to make smaller phones anymore. The iPhone 8 platform is all paid down now, the way to iPhone 5s was when the SE launched. Doing an all new, all modern smaller design would bring with it a modern design price.

Some people won't care, because they're willing to pay a premium for small. But the other issue is thermals. The modern chipsets that power the modern iPhones need a lot of, well, power, otherwise you get shutdowns on spikes or intense performance management, all of which we kinda hate.

So, as much as many would love an iPhone 5-sized iPhone X, I don't think we'll see one any time soon.

iPhone Fold

I've been saying this for almost a year already — the history of human technology from books to wallets to clothes, hell, tacos — is folding. We fold things over and double up on depth to save on surface area.

This year, we saw everything from the silly Royale Flex Pai to the troubled Samsung Galaxy Fold to the now-you-don't Hawaii Mate X to the nostalgia designed — and specced — Moto RAZR — and other concepts besides. But we didn't see anything from Apple.

That's because Apple doesn't alpha in public. They barely beta. So, while I've heard Apple's been experimenting with foldables for almost a decade, I don't think we'll see an iPhone that opens up into an iPad until the technology is more mature.

Though rumors of Samsung and Corning being close on flexible glass means it may not be that long a wait.

iPad mini Pro

The original iPad Pro was 12.9-inches. Right after that, we got one at 9.7-inches which quickly mighty morphed into 10.5 and then 11-inches. What we didn't get — what we've never gotten — is a 7.9-inch iPad Pro mini. Or… iPad mini Pro.

Last spring we did get an iPad mini 5 with OG Apple Pencil support, but not one with the new Pro design language or the new Apple Pencil 2, the A12 or A13 Bionic, ProMotion display, USB-C, and all the other pro bells and creative whistles.

Certainly not one with a tiny, mini Smart Keyboard to go with it. Which sounds ridiculous but is totally the kind of problem I'd love to see Apple try and solve.

Strangely, because of the keyboard, I don't think we'll see an iPad mini Pro… Pro mini? Any time soon. But I'd really love to.

iPad PCs

The iPad Pro is a tablet that can convert into sort-of-a-laptop, which is the opposite of Microsoft's Surface line of laptops that can convert into sort-of-tablets. But Microsoft leans so hard into that PC angle that they also have the Surface Laptop, which is a traditional clamshell, and the Surface Studio, which is an iMac-style all-in-one desktop.

Apple's probably had iOS laptops running in the lab for almost as long as they've had iPads. If you're going to test Macs on ARM, you're also going to test iOS in Macs, after all. And I think iOS laptops would actually hold a lot of appeal for everyone from education to executives. The people who currently have to make do with ChromeBooks or out-of-production 12-inch MacBooks.

At the opposite end are creative pros for whom the current 12.9-inch iPad simply isn't big enough, and the current iMac simply isn't multi-touch or Apple Pencil-friendly enough.

Both these products are so niche, and ARM Macs are probably so close, that I don't expect to see either of them any time soon. But I think very specific markets would love to see them already.

iPod touch Pro

The iPod touch was the iPhone for people who didn't want or need a phone, and the cheapest way to get into the App Store. Both those things are still true, and you can still get an iPhone 5-style iPod touch with beefed up internals for $199, but it's not modern any more and certainly not sexy.

So, instead, imagine an iPhone Pro style iPod touch Pro with iPad Pro style design language and all the horsepower it needs to be a mobile gaming, mobile entertainment, and mobile camera powerhouse.

Maybe there's a smaller, cheaper iPhone 11 and a bigger, more expensive iPhone 11 Pro version. Even if you have an iPhone in your other pocket, but especially if you don't, you could just shoot all your Instas, get all your iMessages, play all your Apple Arcade, and watch all your TV+ and Channels, on the go, then Switch-style dock it and keep playing when you get home.

It's such an overlap with the iPhone that I don't think we'll see it, at least this much of it, from a company that already has the iPhone. But in a world where the iPod was treated as if the iPhone didn't exist? I think we'd see exactly this.

HomePod mini and Theater

I've done a whole video on the missing HomePods already, so I'll link that in the description. But it's almost a year later and we haven't seen much movement on the HomePod lineup beyond lower pricing, so it bears repeating.

HomePod minis would be a great way to get more far-field devices into more and smaller rooms, and HomePod theater would just be the perfect Dolby Atmos accompaniment for the Apple TV 4K's Dolby Vision and all the incredible HDR and spatial audio content it streams.

HomePod tech has made everything from the new iPhone and MacBook Pro speakers to the new AirPods Pro so much better than anything that's come before, it'd be a shame if the HomePod itself didn't get to benefit and improve from it as well.

Again, I'll expect it when I see it.

Apple (Watch) Band

Apple made the iPod. Then Apple made the iPod mini and killed it with the iPod nano. Then Apple made the iPod shuffle. And killed all of that with the iPhone and Apple Watch. But, even though Apple now has the Series 3 Watch starting at just $199, they haven't really applied the iPod strategy to any other product yet, including the watch.

And, it feels like there could be room under the Watch, maybe at $99, for something that's closer to the Shuffle. No, not something that shows you random time or gives you random workouts, though there's certainly a cross-fit partnership in there somewhere.

But just a band, in yearly palettes and styles, that does a subset of Apple Watch things, enough to give people who don't want a watch but do want some health and fitness features, a way to get into the ecosystem.

It's quite possible Apple will push the price of the Watch down so low it leaves no functional room beneath it for an Apple Band, but if Apple really wants to mainstream health and fitness, and that's the legacy they want to be known for, exploring even more mass-market devices just makes the kind of sense that does.

Apple TV dongle

Google has the Chrome Cast. Amazon has the FireStick. I've made a whole video about how cool an Apple TV dongle would be, especially for travel, so I'll link that in the description as well.

But we're in the weird middle ground right now where Apple is expanding their own original content, especially TV+ but including Arcade, but also partnering with once-upon-a-time rivals like Samsung and Roku and Amazon to get that content built into those rival devices.

I still think there's room for an Apple TV stick, though. One, if it could let you play or stream Apple Arcade games to any display, which is something Apple hasn't done with any rival yet. And two, because as much as some people trust Apple's apps on other devices, there's just more privacy trust with Apple software on Apple's own devices.

And an Apple TV stick is what would let you have your stuff no matter what device or where you go.

VECTOR | Rene Ritchie

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TV+ vs. Disney+ review: One season later

Both Apple and Disney announced new streaming video services this year and they couldn't have been more different.

Apple promised a few old favorites, like Peanuts and Oprah, but mostly all-new originals with huge names like Jennifer Aniston and Jason Mamoa attached, budgets the would take us into the future and, through alternate timelines, the moon again, and with some astronomical, aspirations attached, because there was absolutely no catalog content to fall back on.

Disney was all about the franchises, including new Star Wars and Marvel shows, and returns to High School musicals, but also less-expected originals like Imagineers and Jeff Goldblum, and with a back catalog that conservatively includes, when you add in Disney proper, Pixar, Muppets, Fox, and National Geographic, about 85% of all of our childhoods.

Now, both of them have launched and are just finishing up the first 8-episode seasons of their first originals and, no spoilers, but it's enough to figure out where they are and where they're likely going.

Apple TV+ one season later

I was there when Apple announced TV+ back in March of this rapidly depleting year. I know some people thought it looked hella goofy on stream but being in the Steve Jobs Theater, experiencing the lights going out, and seeing Spielberg, Aniston, Mamoa, Oprah, all appearing on stage one after the other was like Wing Chun chain-link punch in the celebrity star power gut.

It came amidst the announcements for Apple Card, which hasn't grown beyond the U.S. but keeps adding cashback partners and bonuses at a rate that makes it super interesting. News+, which suffers not only from the same lack of internationalization that plagued Apple News in general, but from an interface that makes it almost impossible to find articles you already know about and want to read. And Apple Arcade, which has been legit terrific and rejuvenated the fortunes of indy games in a way and at a scale I've just never seen before.

There was some concern at first, especially around TV+ being Apple. That Tim Cook and Eddy Cue… hell, Craig Federighi and Johny Srouji would be pushing down notes, trying to oversell and over-protect Apple's image all at the same time. That we'd end up with safe, sterile, frankly saccharine programming too lame for either children or adults to want to watch.

Well, Jennifer Aniston blew the motherfucking lid of that shit roughly 5 fucking minutes into The Morning Show's debut. And, Jason Mamoa literally cut the heads, and arms, and legs off any violence and gore fears almost as fast.

Apple did face some expectational debt going in. They launched in over 100 countries, which is amazing, and something you can only do if you only have new originals and keep all the rights to them in every region.

But, the Morning Show, despite seeming very Sorkinesque, just wasn't and isn't a Sorkin show. It doesn't have either that caliber or style of writing. And See, despite the violence and some kinda bizarre sex leans, and the incredible visuals, was just never going to be Game of Thrones. Or, rather, any Game of Thrones season without an 8 in it.

Apple also made the mistake of giving critics the first 3 episodes, and only the first 3 episodes, of shows for review. Shows that were really only starting to find their legs and climb their way out of their worst in those three episodes.

They were almost all up and down to be sure, but The Morning Show finished the season with a truly standout performance from Billy Crudup, and what seem to be widely acclaimed as a couple of the best hours in recent television history, and For All Mankind's finale isn't far behind.

Dickinson has also been a delight that I don't think many major streaming services would have gambled this big on. Even M. Night Shamalan's, The Servant, which started much later and hasn't wrapped its first season yet, vibes so creepy AF it brings something totally different to the table.

We're still waiting on other big shows, like Spielberg's Amazing Stories reboot and Asimov's Foundation, but I think it's safe to say TV+ has ended up being better than many people expected, surprisingly so, and welcome new voice and palette in streaming.

Disney+ one season later

I watched the Disney+ announcement from home, and mostly with my jaw on the floor. Not only would we be getting Star Wars from Jon Favreau, but we'd be getting actual Marvel Cinematic Universe shows from Kevin Feige and team. And a ton of them.

That was on top of all the other big franchises Disney was bring back in what can only be described as the real world equivalent to every ship or every hero or ever loved one whoever showed up at the end of a movie or TV series, just to knock you utterly and completely on your fan ass. And they just. Kept. Coming.

Never mind the catalog content, which included pretty much every Disney show and movie Gen X grew up with, from Escape from Witch Mountain to Darkwing Duck, almost every Star Wars movie and cartoon, the entire Thanos Saga from Marvel, the Simpsons franchise, and basically everything you ever wanted to rewatch to relive your childhood or show your kids so it would become a part of theirs.

But, Disney faced some initial skepticism as well. It was only coming to a tiny number of countries this year, which didn't mean much to Americans who were, of course, getting it, but was super frustrating to the other 99% of the world. It was also, of course, Disney. Which meant it was great for Star Wars and Marvel and Simpsons and Magic Kingdom lovers, but not so great for people who genuinely preferred Star Trek or DC or South Park or Looney Toons. For all it's scope and scale, Disney wouldn't take the same type of risks an upstart or broader content licensor would — they would only do Disney. And a lot. Also, the vast majority of shows that had been announced for Disney+ wouldn't be coming until a much later date. So, all that expectational debt for WandaVision and Hawkeye and Loki, added to by continued announcements for Obi Wan and She-Hulk and Moon Knight and more, would all fall solidly on the shoulders of the Mandalorian at launch.

And most people seem to have really all caps loved the western gone eastern gone spaghetti gone Star Wars that Favreau and company produced. Alongside HBO's Chernoble and Watchmen, it's probably at the top of most nerds show of the year list.

It was just one show, and as delightful as Imagineers and Goldblum are, and as shock and awe as that back catalog is, a lot of us are still waiting for more. And while the Mandalorian was also a little up and down, there's no denying it's ending hard as well.

Netflix and HBO Max

Both TV+ and Disney+ look terrific. If you have a 4K HDR television set, the bitrate alone makes for an experience no other streaming service has delivered before. It's so good, it actually makes older services look kinda bad by comparison, and they're going to have to up their streaming games if they aren't already.

The prices are also good. Apple has even mitigated my biggest concern — that no one would want to gamble on their nascent programming this early — by giving away a year of free service with the purchase of any Mac or iOS device. That builds in a lot of runway and covers at least a little bit of catalog.

Both services have been so good, in fact, I didn't even launch Netflix until The Witcher came out. Part of that was just Netflix's refusal to be included in the TV app, so their stuff just never got flagged the way TV+ or Disney+'s did, and part was ongoing grumpiness of what feels like several successive price hikes.

The Witcher was good, Hercules and Xena with production value, as others have said, but also dropped for binging the way most Netflix shows are. Apple did 3 episodes down, 5 weekly to follow for their shows, and Disney did all-weekly for the Mandalorian. And I think The Morning Show and the Mandalorian especially benefitted from that pace. It kept them in the social water-cooler spotlight for much longer than a single drop and binge would have.

I'm still catching up on the Watchman as well, and HBO remains a wildcard in all this with its MAX service. Which, for now, just frustrates the hell out of me. The idea that there'll be multiple services, not just HBO Now vs. HBO Max, but that DC Universe will remain a separate service, with DC-based shows split between them and CW, and that shows will be auctioned off internationally rather than unified in any way like both TV+ is and Disney+ is working towards just seems all shades of consumer hostile to me. Shame Warner Brothers. Shame.

Yes, I'm still angry Titans Season 2 and Young Justice Season Whatever hasn't even hit Canada yet.

It's the type of Lex Luthor corporate-driven anti-convenience I think people aren't going to put up with any more.

Conclusion

So, one season later, I think both TV+ and Disney+ are off to good starts. TV+ is probably doing better than I thought it would, given its lack of catalog content, but is offering up enough solid shows, internationally, and especially a wide enough and diverse enough range of top talent shows, that it's actually starting to distinguish itself. Disney+ is probably a little behind what I hoped, just because the announcement of all the Marvel and Star Wars shows, nothing could have really lived up to it. They just gotta get into more countries faster. But, legit, both are so different, and especially with the pricing — and Apple's free year — I'm going to be watching a ton of them going forward. Enough that Netflix and especially Warners might want to reconsider some of their less consumer-friendly choices. And fast.