The Rings of Power isn’t ready to give up its plot-based secrets for a while – but it’s willing to reward eagle-eyed Tolkien fans who can spot some unexpected Easter eggs and references to Middle-earth during its first season. .
The upcoming Prime Video series, which is on track to be the most expensive TV show ever made, counts many Tolkienites among its extensive cast and crew. Unsurprisingly, then, there are plenty of intricate details and flashing secrets you’ll miss hidden in The Rings of Power’s various sets, costumes, and weapons.
Speaking exclusively to at The Rings of Power UK party, co-showrunner Patrick McKay revealed that it would take multiple previews of the first season’s 10 episodes to even break the surface of the show’s immeasurable amount of Tolkien secrets and references. of fantasy.
“We wanted the visual language to be as rich and layered as we find the books,” McKay explained. “If you’re looking at any frame of the show, there are all kinds of stories being told that might not be apparent on first viewing. If you like the first two – or all – episodes, watch them again and you might find some really interesting secrets.”
Some references to Middle-earth will be immediately obvious to viewers. The wooden armor worn by Ismael Cruz Córdova’s Arondir, for example, is a clear nod to their sylvan heritage (sylvan elves primarily reside in forest towns, including Lothlórien).
There are many symbolic secrets to be found in the Harfoots’ costumes. (Image credit: Ben Rothstein/Amazon Studios)
Others, however, will only be noticed by the biggest Tolkien fans – McKay offered an example of the sheer amount of detail that went into each design for The Rings of Power’s considerable cast of characters and various realms.
“Look at every piece of jewelry that [Elven High-King] Gil-galad wears it,” McKay said. “Each of his rings carries a meaning, and they even fit together to form brass knuckles, because he is known as the Warrior King. Every character in all of our locations has that level of imagination and detail in their costumes.”
McKay isn’t being hyperbolic either. Markella Kavenagh, who plays Nori Brandyfoot – a member of a nomadic precursor Hobbit race called the Harfoots – revealed how a particular element of each Harfoot costume symbolizes the importance of family and community themes to the halfling race of Middle-earth.
“Every member of the Harfoot community has these apple seed necklaces,” explained Kavenagh. “Some members, like the older ones, have a lot more because they lost more Harfoots during each migration they embarked on. So the amount of apple seeds represents how many members of the Harfoot community died during each migration. Such a small detail, but it’s critical for unity within your community.”
Clearly, The Rings of Power has been meticulously crafted to provide a visual feast for the eyes. Established Tolkien fans, as well as newcomers to the franchise, will want to keep their eyes peeled for a seemingly endless amount of details big and small in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series.
The first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will release exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, September 2 in most regions around the world. However, US audiences will be able to stream the two-episode premiere on Thursday, September 1 – read our Rings of Power Episodes 1 and 2 release time guide for more details.
will bring a lot of content about the Rings of Power in the coming days. First, find out how you can stream both episodes in 8K with Samsung devices, or check out the show’s final trailer ahead of launch day.
Be sure to check out our spoiler-free review of the first two episodes of The Rings of Power as well, and keep an eye out for more of our exclusive chats with the show’s cast and crew later this week.
The first images of Logitech’s upcoming handheld console have surfaced online, and it looks like a Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch have had a baby.
Following the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, Logitech is trying to break into the handheld gaming space with a console of its own. It is expected to release a portable cloud gaming system later this year, although it has not officially released any images of the system.
Prolific leaker Evan Blass claims to have given us our first glimpse of the console by uploading three images to twitter (opens in new tab). All three were removed at Logitech’s request, possibly confirming their authenticity. They were reposted on social media by other users.
Discover the Nintendo Deck
Leaked: Logitech and Tencent Games Announce Partnership to Advance Portable Cloud Gaming ☁️ 🎮 pic.twitter.com/f2tZOoA3L5August 30, 2022
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The console’s design is certainly reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch. Two analog sticks flank the center screen, slightly out of horizontal alignment. A set of four buttons sits on one side, opposite a D-pad on the other. There are two bumpers and triggers in each corner, a home button, and what appears to be a memory card slot. A yellow button in the lower left corner shows the Logitech icon, while an audio jack can be seen at the bottom edge of the console.
Its UI also resembles that of the Nintendo Switch, with its home screen showing a carousel of apps that can be navigated from left to right. One of the apps shown is the Google Play Store, suggesting that the laptop will support some – if not all – of the best Android games.
The laptop also appears to feature two protruding handles on each side, bringing its design closer to the molded, ergonomic shape of the Steam Deck. But it’s the device’s software support that could make it a true competitor to Valve. With support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, it lets you stream the biggest triple-A games from anywhere that supports a strong enough internet connection.
While the Steam Deck launches as a PC on the go, Logitech’s new rig is more like a handheld console that lets you play a list of games you’d normally find on PS5 and Xbox Series X | S. We will have to see how much the system costs to determine how competitive it really is.
Logitech plans to release the device later this year, although we’re still awaiting an exact release date, the name of the console, and the dimensions of its screen. However, Valve handheld owners might not need it all, as a nifty solution will allow you to play Xbox Game Pass on your Steam Deck.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which belongs to the IT Ministry, last week warned users about several vulnerabilities in Google Chrome. And now the same agency has issued a warning to Mozilla users, saying that multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox products could allow hackers to compromise devices and systems.
“Bugs in the Mozilla Firefox browser could allow a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions, execute arbitrary code and cause a denial of service attack on the target system,” CERT-In said in its latest statement (opens in new tab). It’s almost a similar word-for-word warning that was issued to Chrome users last week.
CERT-In also found a vulnerability in the Drupal open source coding platform that could allow an attacker to bypass security restrictions on the target system.
this is what you need to do
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Foxartbox)
Update to Mozilla Firefox Thuderbird versions 91.13 and 102.2, Firefox ESR version 91.13 and 102.2 and Mozilla Firefox version 104.
The emergency response team said: “These vulnerabilities exist in Mozilla Firefox due to abuse of XSLT error handling, cross-origin iframe referencing an XSLT document… .”
As in the case of Chrome, CERT-In said that Mozilla Firefox users would do well to update the browser to its latest versions. “Update to Mozilla Firefox Thuderbird versions 91.13 and 102.2, Firefox ESR version 91.13 and 102.2 and Mozilla Firefox version 104,” he said.
This is not the first time that CERT-In has warned about vulnerabilities in the Mozilla browser. In July of this year, the team also asked users to be cautious with some browser bugs.
At that time he had said: “These vulnerabilities exist in Mozilla Firefox due to SQL injection in history tab, cross-origin resource leak, heap buffer overflow in WebGL, browser window spoofing using full screen mode …”.
How to update Firefox browser?
Click the menu button on the right side of the Firefox toolbar, go to Help and select About Firefox
Firefox will check for updates automatically. If an update is available, it will be downloaded.
When the download is complete, click Restart to update Firefox.
We’re just a week away from the launch of the iPhone 14 lineup on September 7, but the rumors haven’t stopped rolling, with a comprehensive new leak covering everything from colors to battery sizes, charging speeds, storage and more.
This comes from Lanzuk – a known leaker – in naver (opens in new tab)a South Korean blogging platform, and discovered by BGR (opens in new tab). The leaker’s information apparently originates from a “US developer source” – presumably they mean a developer working for Apple, but this is not specified.
Anyway, among the many things listed here is that the new A16 Bionic chipset will unsurprisingly offer better performance than the A15 Bionic; with the improvements seemingly largely coming from superior thermal management – meaning it can keep the temperature under pressure, so performance isn’t limited.
It’s worth remembering, though, that reports suggest that only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will get this new chipset, while vanilla models will keep the A15 found in the current iPhone 13 lineup.
The leak also mentions the colors these phones will apparently come in. This includes green, purple, blue, black, white and red for the iPhone 14 and presumably the iPhone 14 Max as well, although it’s not named here. Meanwhile, the Pro models will apparently come in shades of green, purple, silver, gold and graphite.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of these shades – in fact, as our iPhone 14 color guide shows, this exact selection has been leaked previously, so there’s added credibility to this potential palette. We also recently took a look at what the purple hue and some of the others might look like.
But we went beyond leaks and created some models of what these shades might look like in reality. You can see a gallery of iPhone 14 colors below.
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We used a photo of an iPhone 13 as the basis for these images as we don’t expect major design changes, especially on the back.
Next, for the possible shades of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, we used an edited photo of the iPhone 13 Pro, as you can see below.
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Returning to the leak, the source also claims that the battery sizes in the iPhone 14 lineup will be larger than its predecessors. Despite this, they say the size is “too small”, but it’s possible they mean the increase is small. Also, on the battery front, 30W charging will apparently be offered for the first time on an iPhone.
Storage will start at 128GB, tough Gorilla Glass Victus will reportedly be used (no mention of Apple’s Ceramic Shield in this leak), and interestingly, pricing may apparently “be in a completely different direction than expected”.
This is frustratingly vague, but for reference, previous leaks pointed to a similar starting price as last year for the standard iPhone 14, with the Pro models being about $100 more expensive than their predecessors.
There are some other interesting nuggets here as well. Apparently, MagSafe magnets will be stronger this year, and a titanium prototype was reportedly explored, but Apple reportedly dropped the idea due to cost and manufacturing issues.
An iPhone 13 Pro Max (Image credit: )
Analysis: Telling us what we already know
Most of the details here are things we’ve heard before, from the colors to the increased battery capacities, 30W charging, initial storage, and the faster chipset.
As such, while this leak is expansive, it’s not very exciting – although there are some small new details; such as improved thermal management.
But lack of enthusiasm is acceptable, because the fact that we’ve heard most of it before increases the likelihood that it’s true. Especially so close to launch, where all the details will be fixed, and leaks will be harder for Apple to avoid.
So we’ll find out for sure on September 7 at Apple’s next event, but for now we think most of the above information is accurate.
AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600X has already been spotted in benchmarks ahead of the CPU’s launch in just under a month, and it seems to be shaping up pretty well.
In fact, there have been several sightings of the 7600X, which is a mid-range offering for the Zen 4 loaded with six cores due to arrive on September 27th, and some of them have been acquired by VideoCardz (opens in new tab).
As the site reports, the 5600X has been seen in a few runs of Geekbench on a PC with an MSI X670E motherboard plus 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The processor achieved single-core scores of 2,092 and 2,174 points, along with 11,337 and 11,369 for multi-core.
In another benchmark we saw on Twitter, highlighted by @harukaze5719 (opens in new tab), the 7600X is shown recording a result of 2165 and 11432. So there seems to be some consistency with these pre-release leaks, pointing to single-core performance of around 2,140 on average and multi-core performance of 11,380 or higher.
This also coincides with what AMD said in its launch presentation, namely that the 7600X would be capable of around 2,175 for single-core.
Compared to the successful 5600X processor, AMD’s new 7600X is about 35% faster for single-core and nearly 40% faster for multi-core, passing average Geekbench scores for the Zen 3 chip. about to leave.
Analysis: Impressive scores and speed boost to boot
That’s a pretty impressive generational performance jump, of course, and the Twitter benchmark showing the single-core result of 2,165 also cites an Intel Core i9-12900KS score of 2,182 for comparison, indicating the Zen 4’s new mid-range performance. is very close on the heels of Intel’s current flagship. At least for this metric – and we have to be careful about reading too much into the results of a single set of benchmarks, as usual.
We’ll need a much more complete range of tests to determine the true power of the 7600X, and what many of us really want to see are real gaming benchmarks (as opposed to synthetic non-gaming tests). Mind you, AMD has already told us that, on average, the Ryzen 5 7600X is about 5% faster than the Core i9-12900K, with the caveat that this is for 1080p gaming – and of course we have to take any marketing advertisement with a degree of caution.
Still, these leaked benchmarks seem like a good indication that AMD’s launch hype looks like it will be backed up when we actually put these processors under review to get them through their paces properly.
Another interesting point here is that the 7600X is shown boosting to 5395MHz in these benchmarks, which is actually higher than the processor’s officially rated maximum boost of 5.3GHz.
As we explained before, however, AMD will quote a maximum boost speed for the official spec that every Ryzen CPU of this model is sure to hit, but in daily operation, users may see clock speeds slightly higher than that, likely to only brief peaks. (How high or how long these spikes can be depends on how lucky you are with the CPU you buy, as they all have slight variations in terms of performance).
That’s why, while the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X is rated at a 5.7GHz boost, it was seen running faster than 5.8GHz in another recent leak. With the flagship Raptor Lake (13900K) reportedly set to boost to 5.8GHz as well, the battle of clock speeds looks like it will be very close for next-gen chips – although performance depends much more on that frequency, it is clear .
A lighter PS5 review has just been released in Australia, cutting precious grams off Sony’s cumbersome flagship console.
The PS5 is a notoriously heavy kit, but these latest revisions have cut some of the fat. The new disc version of the PS5 weighs 3.9kg, weighing 300g lighter than the revised 2021 console. Meanwhile, the PS5 Digital Edition comes in at 3.4kg – 200g lighter than the previous digital revision.
After two iterations of hardware in so many years, Sony has managed to reduce the weight of its one-box beast. If you own the launch model of the PS5, your console weighs 4.5kg in comparison. The initial PS5 Digital Edition wasn’t much lighter, weighing in at 3.9kg. Each model has had its weight reduced by at least half a kilo, which is quite significant.
But what makes each PS5 review lighter? The 2021 revisions featured a smaller heatsink to reduce the console’s weight a bit. The downside was that the console got a little hotter as a result, which caused some speculation as to whether the overhaul performed worse than its predecessor.
We hope this can also be the case with the latest revision. But there may also be changes to other internal components so as not to put too much strain on the heatsink.
New PS5, same old problems?
We still don’t know how long it will take for this latest PS5 review to release globally. But the fact that it’s only available immediately in Australia leads us to think it won’t solve the console’s notorious shortage.
While it’s possible that using lighter or cheaper components could mean Sony is able to make more units, the difference is unlikely to be that significant. And there are a number of reasons for that.
The global semiconductor shortage is still ongoing and is expected to last beyond 2023. It also doesn’t help that supply chains are still struggling, thanks to that and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The only bright side to all of this is that Sony has stated its intention to ramp up PS5 production for the holiday season. And this latest console overhaul could be part of that plan.
Still, that doesn’t mean the PS5 availability issues are resolved. It doesn’t help that Sony has raised the price of the PS5 in territories that are in control of a cost-of-living crisis. So even though this lighter review has a positive correlation to PS5 availability, the console’s rising cost has certainly put it out of reach for a significant number of consumers.
The first leaked images of the GoPro Hero 11 Black have apparently arrived – and suggest that action camera makers may be struggling to make big evolutionary leaps, at least from a design perspective.
Hero 11 Black images come from WinFuture (opens in new tab), which has a strong track record of reliable GoPro leaks. So while it’s tempting to dismiss the images as models based on the Hero 10 Black, it seems likely that this is indeed the design of the action camera king’s next flagship.
And that’s certainly not a bad thing. While the Hero 11 Black’s only real change from its predecessor appears to be its logo, our review of the GoPro Hero 10 Black praised the camera’s physical design. The latter has a useful 1.4-inch front LCD for vloggers, a 2.27-inch rear touchscreen with improved responsiveness over the Hero 9 Black, and the usual waterproofing to 10 meters.
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This leaked image from WinFuture suggests that the Hero 11 Black will have an almost identical design to its predecessor (Image credit: WinFuture)
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Another leaked image from WinFuture suggests an edge-to-edge display won’t appear on GoPro’s next flagship (Image credit: WinFuture)
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It’s fair to say that almost all of the Hero 10 Black’s improvements were also under the hood – the main one was a new GP2 processor, which unlocked some new shooting modes like 5K/60p video and 4K/120p slow motion – although there was a cap as well. tougher lens with a water-repellent coating, which was helpful for water sports fans.
Still, the leaked images suggest that dramatic changes – such as a much larger sensor or an edge-to-edge display – are highly unlikely on the Hero 11 Black. And that might disappoint action camera fans who were hoping for a big reason to look forward to the new flagship, which is due for release in September (based on GoPro tradition).
Maximum evolution?
The leaked image of WinFuture’s Hero 11 Black suggests it will have the same 1.4-inch front LCD as its predecessor (Image credit: WinFuture)
The general conclusions we can draw about the Hero 11 Black based on these images are pretty limited. Firstly, there’s a slim chance they’re not the real deal, even though WinFuture’s previous history suggests this is unlikely. They also don’t give us any real idea of the Hero 11 Black’s internal or software changes.
What we can infer, however, is that the GoPro and action cameras in general have reached a kind of peak of evolution when it comes to design. The last major physical change to the GoPros was a front LCD, which the Hero 9 Black introduced in response to the original DJI Osmo Action.
The Hero 9 Black was the biggest redesign of GoPro’s flagship since the Hero 5 Black in 2016, however major physical improvements – a slightly bigger battery and some built-in mounting fingers – have been increasingly rare.
This matters? After all, we don’t criticize smartphones for bringing only minor changes to the notches or the bezel of the screen. Also, rather than changing a winning formula with its Hero Black lineup, GoPro has introduced more dramatic changes to its 360-degree camera, the GoPro Max.
We’d love to see the Hero 11 Black get features like a 1/4-inch threaded mount point, edge-to-edge rear screen, and maybe even a second lens with a different focal length, like on smartphones. But perhaps a fairer criticism is that GoPro hasn’t (yet) updated its GoPro Max for nearly three years.
safe ground
Insta360 Go 2 (above) introduced a new wearable design for action cameras (Image credit: Future)
Action cameras have certainly tried some interesting new ideas in recent years. The DJI Action 2 featured an intriguing modular design with a smaller main camera module, which had echoes of the old GoPro Hero 5 Session.
The Insta360 was also an innovator that bothered GoPro, introducing another modular system that came with a large 1-inch sensor on the Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition. We also like the tiny Insta360 Go 2, which comes with a smart remote charging case and versatile 360-degree models like the Insta360 One X2.
However, none of them knocked the Hero 10 Black off the top of our guide to the best action cameras you can buy. This suggests that the Hero 11 Black’s seemingly conservative design, assuming these leaked images are accurate, indicates that GoPro recognizes that it works for most people, so it’s best to keep it comfortably familiar.
It also suggests that we can expect some interesting internal changes in the next GoPro flagship. GoPro doesn’t release new models without at least a few standout features, so we’re still hoping to see them arrive in software form.
While a new sensor seems unlikely based on GoPro’s previous track record, we’d expect there to be a way for the current 1/2.3-inch 23MP chip to produce HDR video with some help from the GP2 processor, along with a 480fps 1080p slow motion. mode. Based on these leaks, it looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out.
The Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA), which was created to promote safe and secure interoperability across appliances and long-lasting systems within the connected home ecosystem, will exhibit its first demonstration of cloud-to-cloud connectivity at IFA 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
The demo is seen as a step forward in the joint efforts of multiple app brands to control multiple brands of appliances, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and TVs. HCA should reach this milestone in no time — the alliance was only launched in January 2022.
The purpose of Home Connectivity Alliance (opens in new tab) is to enable safe, long-term interoperability between heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and TVs within a connected, multi-vendor ecosystem. It will basically show you how home appliances from various companies can be controlled with one system.
Samsung takes the lead
(Image credit: Samsung)
It would now be possible to operate a wide range of devices from 13 alliance members, including Beko, Samsung, Grundig, LG, Electrolux Group, Haier, GE Appliances and Trane Technologies through the cloud using apps from multiple manufacturers.
The interoperability of smart home devices and long-lasting appliances gives consumers more choices and choices within their connected home environment. For example, older appliances can work with newer appliances – from all manufacturers – and save more energy and money at the same time.
“The aim of the HCA is to equip consumers with more features for their connected home applications through C2C interoperability, affecting new and existing devices from leading global participating brands,” Yoon Ho Choi, President of Home Connectivity Alliance and Global Head of Planning & Partnerships, Home IoT Business by Samsung Electronics.
It turns out that Samsung appears to be leading the 13-member group. Samsung SmartThings’ integrated home appliance solution is to make consumer electronics and mobile apps interoperable under the standard provided by the Home Connectivity Alliance, through an upgrade of Samsung’s smart home solution next year.
The upgrade will allow users of HCA member brands to control more than 40 functions across 15 white goods categories designed for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and entertainment. SmartThings will also be able to connect more than 300 brands of third-party devices to build a smart home ecosystem, considering the scalability of the SmartThings system.
The Home Connectivity Alliance also focuses on sustainability aspects as key appliances and HVAC systems are expected to work together to save energy in the home. Thanks to the alliance, data, including on energy consumption and how to optimize it, can be visualized. HCA plans to work with key forces in the energy management industry to create solutions that deliver holistic energy solutions for the home.
The long-awaited demonstration with the participation of HCA member companies will take place from Friday to Monday during IFA 2022 in Berlin.
Graphics card sales dropped sharply – in terms of discrete (standalone) and integrated (built-in processors) GPUs – in the second quarter, and Nvidia’s lineup took a particularly sharp defeat according to the latest from a firm of analysts.
As Tom’s Hardware (opens in new tab) reports, Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has produced figures for the second quarter of 2022 that show that overall GPU sales are down 14.9% compared to the previous quarter, due to demand for PCs decreasing – with the cost of living rising , no doubt starting to play a bigger part in this.
Shipments of standalone graphics cards dropped more than integrated graphics, down 22.6%, and Nvidia was the hardest hit, with a 25.7% drop in sales in the second quarter. This clearly contrasts with a much less impactful drop for AMD of 7.6% compared to the previous quarter.
Intel dropped 9.8% as integrated GPUs also dropped, with the number of PC processors being shipped down 7% from the previous quarter (and 34% year-over-year, a pretty surprising number as well).
These are some worrying drops, particularly for Nvidia, and the overall future of the GPU industry looks shaky as JPR notes, writing that: the jitters these events create have put Europe’s economy down; the UK is in recession with high inflation.
“Forecasting has never been more challenging, and as a result, our forecast and others will be revised frequently as new data emerges.”
Analysis: A claustrophobic and difficult time for Nvidia?
The falling graphics card sales underscore what we’ve been hearing for some time – that lack of supply is no longer the problem, but waning demand, particularly for Nvidia’s GPUs. The Green team made it clear enough after the company’s recent fiscal results that too many GeForce graphics cards were made, and now there’s an oversupply problem.
The really thorny part regarding this overshooting with the manufacturing of current-gen RTX 3000 GPUs is that the cost of living and inflation crisis are becoming more felt as time goes on, in addition to the release of high-end graphics cards. (RTX 4000, and RDNA 3 for AMD) is getting pretty close. So it’s increasingly likely that people will want to wait for the big leaps in performance that high-end products bring, rather than buying now – unless the price really is right.
Given all that, these numbers – and this particularly dramatic drop for Nvidia – aren’t surprising, and they confirm the recent rumor claim that Team Green will implement much greater price reduction measures than the reductions we’ve made. seen. In fact, we hear this is an imminent move – in September – from two reports now.
AMD is also discounting its current-gen RX 6000 cards even further, but it’s Nvidia in particular that suffers the biggest sales drops as we see here, with Team Green stuck in a nasty situation where the gap between current and next generation GPUs are rapidly shrinking, creating a seriously claustrophobic environment with little wiggle room.
That said, the theory is that big price cuts aren’t the only possible solution – Nvidia said it could look elsewhere to offload GPU oversupply, such as data centers for cloud services – but in reality, we hope a higher GPU price cuts to cards on the shelves soon, one way or another.
And with numbers coming in like this latest report from JPR, it seems more likely that Nvidia will take action on the pricing front – either that, or face having to delay the launch of the next-gen Lovelace, which is another possibility here. A staggered release with larger gaps between the RTX 4090 (supposedly out of the gate first) and other RTX 4000 models could ensue, to leave more room to free up excess RTX 3000 stock, possibly in combination with price drops for the latter.
Whatever the case, it increasingly looks like Nvidia needs to take some firmer actions to help navigate the GPU waters that are getting increasingly choppy as 2022 progresses.
Bang & Olufsen makes some of the most beautiful hi-fi and audio-visual products out there, so it stands to reason that the high-end Danish specialist can certainly create one of the best soundbars on the planet if they put their mind to it – and that’s what apparently occurred.
The Beosound Theater has just launched in Berlin, just steps away from the big tech show known as IFA – and we’re here to see (and hear) it.
The Beosound Theater is billed as “an innovative and meticulously crafted next-generation soundbar”, bringing with it great promise – the power of a multi-product home theater setup in a single product. Additionally, B&O tells us that their brand new ‘bar is “created with the ambition to be the most powerful and immersive soundbar in the world” as as well as making a visually stunning addition to your living room.
The Beosound Theater is actually bigger than it looks and can be wall mounted or supplied with an impressive motorized floor stand. (Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)
What’s it like to deliver a cinematic experience from a ‘bar? Beosound Theater comes with 12 speaker drivers, including two custom 6.5-inch long-throw woofers and 800 watts of amplification power, providing a sound pressure level of up to 112 dB.
Speech clarity is managed by a custom center channel, where the tweeter is mounted directly in front of the midrange. Aligning these drivers ensures, says B&O, better sound distribution, thus elevating the quality of the audio experience for everyone in the room, while directivity is designed to optimize speech quality.
This isn’t B&O’s first foray into TV sound. Based on the Beam Width and Beam Direction Control developed for Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 90 speakers (and who could forget the stunning Beovision Harmony TV and sound system in one, or the opulent Beosound Edge?) and released at IFA , the Beosound Theater features a new three-dimensional sound directivity thanks to the patent-pending combination of direct, side and up-firing speakers.
That means all the speaker drivers are working together not just to produce sound, but to control the beam’s width and direction – essentially, it’s B&O’s answer to Dolby Atmos in an individual product that sits under your TV. .
“We originally developed the Beam Width and Beam Directivity Control for the Beolab 90 to reduce the effect of sidewall reflections in the listening position – basically, to make the walls disappear,” said Jakob Dyreby, Senior Technology Specialist at B&O, adding: “At Beosound Theatre, we are using technology to direct the sound away from the listener, which increases the perception of amplitude and provides a much more immersive experience.”
At the same time, the Beosound Theater was built to last for decades due to its modular design, which allows it to be upgraded rather than replaced.
Review: A high-quality B&O TV audio experience for virtually any screen size – as long as you can afford it
B&O says the soundbar and stand can be installed on almost any TV, and the aluminum “wings” on either side of the bar are also extendable for customers whose TV screens grow as they are upgraded. (Image credit: )
Bang & Olufsen is known for its unique approach to craftsmanship and design, but this product certainly has substance under the hood as well.
While we suggest one of the best OLED TVs as a starting point for partnering with this particular ‘bar, the Beosound Theater is based on B&O’s core modularity principle, so customers can turn the soundbar into a complete soundbar. wall-mounted or floor-mounted The Bang & Olufsen TV home theater experience too – budget permitting.
This modular design thinking also applies to the TV screens and soundbar cover, both of which are replaceable. The aluminum “wings” are also extendable for customers whose TV screens grow as they’re upgraded – although it’s available in three sizes (they all look bigger and more impressive than our photos convey).
Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, Head of Product Circularity at B&O, explains: “The Beosound Theater is modularly designed to outlast many TVs in its lifetime. that can evolve with you over time,” adding, “Beosound Theater’s interface support gives you the ability to fit virtually any screen to the soundbar.”
See the aluminum “wings” on either side of the ‘bar extending? Organized. (Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)
This interface stand is motorized and forms a seamless connection between the stand and the TV screen, deftly hiding any clutter and presenting the TV as an integrated design. The stand also includes a compartment to fit smart TV boxes and hide excess cables from view – no one needs messy cables to spoil the aesthetics.
In terms of compatibility and connectivity, the Beosound Theater has seven outputs and can support up to 16 external speakers to become the heart of a complete Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround setup. In this configuration, the Beosound Theater would function as a center speaker that blends Dolby Atmos decoding and custom post-processing with Bang & Olufsen’s proprietary True Image algorithm, to maximize the capabilities of all Bang & Olufsen speakers. So you can buy the Beosound Theater as a soundbar and then add a pair of rear speakers like the Beolab 28 in a triangular configuration if you like.
Plus, the Beosound Theater comes with a new bass management system that the company says is “unlike anything else” – and since it’s B&O speaking here, we’re inclined to believe it. While other systems simply send bass to the strongest speaker (usually the subwoofer), B&O says the Beosound Theater uses all the Bang & Olufsen speakers in the system to work together as a single unit. Not only does this deliver the full potential of the entire system, but it also helps control resonance in your listening room, making sure the multiple speakers work with each other, not against each other.
The B&O Beosound Theater is designed to “reflect the effortless grace of sailing ships” (Image credit: )
And just look at that solid oak and polished aluminum design! The company says it was created “to reflect the effortless grace of sailboats”, with a keel-like aesthetic that makes it “feel like it’s resting on a sheet of aluminum, floating in the air like a fluid form”.
And it’s not just about looks – the software is also excellent. The Beosound Theater comes with Bang & Olufsen’s new setup technology called Roomsense. By placing the external microphone in the listening position, Beosound Theater will work with the Bang & Olufsen app to measure the distance from the viewer to the soundbar. But more than that, it will also assign a “role” to each speaker based on the different placements, perform sound compensation for each speaker (whether standing, against a wall or in a corner), as well as the overall room compensation to avoid unwanted resonance.
Designed to reflect a ship’s keel, but with extendable anodized aluminum ‘wings’ to grow with you should you increase the screen size. (Image credit: )
But that is not all. The soundbar also comes with Bang & Olufsen’s own proprietary software platform called Mozart, which B&O tells us has ensured the Beosound Theater can seamlessly connect with B&O products since 1986, creating a cross-generation home audio setup. .
And in addition to respecting the past, the Mozart platform also anticipates the future; the platform is packed with processing power and memory, so Bang & Olufsen can introduce new features, capabilities and connectivity over time to ensure an equally seamless experience for years to come – it’s almost as if the company reads our tips on how to get the best out of your Dolby Atmos soundbar.
prices? It is clear. Get ready. The Beosound Theater is available in a premium wood or fabric finish. MSRP starts at €6,490 EUR / £5,590 GBP / 49,400 DKK, which equates to around $6,549 or AU$9,445. We did say premium…
