Adam Breeden/ZDNETSay you picked up a shiny new TV this holiday season. You unbox it like a kid at Christmas and prepare yourself to binge-watch Squid Game 2. You think to yourself, "This is 2024. TV technology is sizzling, and it's going to look amazing no matter what." So you plug it in and don't take one look at the default settings. Big mistake.I've been guilty of it. And I'm okay with that because it's widely accepted that the majority of consumers neglect to alter the most basic settings when setting up their TVs. Even if your TV is a few years old, you may have never modified its defaults. Also: I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and here's why it might be worth the $13,000For Samsung TVs, in particular, you can change a few settings to improve your viewing experience and make a dystopian survival thriller look that much more appealing. Following are six tips for doing just that.1. Turn off Eco Mode Maria Diaz/ZDNETPretty much all TVs now come with a form of "Eco Mode" turned on by default. Eco Mode is designed to limit power usage by attenuating the TV's brightness and reducing its contrast level. A recent study found that enabling Eco Mode saves as little as $7 a year on your electric bill. (That's literally less than two cents per day.) Whether "eco" is short foreconomyorecology, that's not a significant saving, and there are myriad ways to more effectively reduce your carbon footprint.Also: I changed these 5 TV settings to lower my electric bill. Here's why they workTo disable Eco Mode, click the gear button on your Samsung remote to access the settings. Then follow this path: All Settings > General and Privacy > Power and Energy Saving > Energy Saving Solution. Lastly, toggle Energy Saving Solution off.2. Turn off Brightness OptimizationWhile you've already navigated to Power and Energy Saving, go ahead and disable Brightness Optimization by toggling it off as well.Many TVs now come with optical sensors that can detect how bright your room is and how warm or cold that light may be. Then, the TV adjusts automatically, supposedly optimizing brightness and color temperature based on that data. This isn't always reliable, and the feature might end up giving you worse results, especially in a room where illumination may change, like on a sunny day with big clouds darkening the sky.3. Choose a Picture Mode designed for film Jason Hiner/ZDNETI find that Movie, Cinema, or Filmmaker modes are generally best because they aim to provide the most accurate and faithful representation of the content creator's vision. Also, by reducing unnecessary image processing, these modes minimize the risk of introducing artifacts and other image quality issues.Go to All Settings > Picture Mode. Then flip through these three options (Movie, Cinema, or Filmmaker) to find your favorite.The default Standard mode tends to yield a cooler or bluer color temperature. TVs often come with a Vivid mode, which Samsung calls Dynamic mode. I'd advise staying away from that, as both Dynamic and Sports modes can make colors look too intense, with the whole picture having a harsh radiance. These modes are more commonly used by retailers when setting up display TVs, as the colors will pop more vibrantly in storefronts.4. Adjust Brightness levels to suit your eyesFinding an ideal brightness level will depend on what kind of content you're watching. While HDR (high dynamic range) is steadily becoming more prevalent, decades of film are still limited to SDR (standard dynamic range). However, you can easily adjust your brightness levels for both scenarios. For SDR, open any app, such as Prime, and don't start playing a video yet. Now go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Brightness (Note that on certain Samsung models, this is found under Picture Setup.) Move the sliders to find the sweet spot (in your opinion) for SDR brightness.Also: The next big HDMI leap is coming next month - what the 2.2 standard means for youTo adjust HDR brightness, you'll first need to find a video displayed in high dynamic range. Going to YouTube TV is a quick way to ensure you are watching HDR content because many of its videos are labeled with short descriptions indicating their type. Alternatively, you can simply search for "HDR video."The brightness level you choose is a matter of personal preference, but you will see a distinction when viewing both technologies (SDR/HDR). HDR looks best to me with the brightness maxed out. You might find that SDR looks ideal when set at a lower level.5. Experiment with Local DimmingAnother setting that impacts brightness levels is Local Dimming, which is available on Samsung TVs in three options. Go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Local Dimming.Experiment with this by sampling Low, Standard, and High to see which one suits you best. Set to Low, Local Dimming provides less halo and blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds. On Samsung TVs, my preference is High because it keeps flashpoints bright without surrounding images with a halo.Now that you've modified Local Dimming, you might want to go back and check your brightness levels on both SDR and HDR content to see if they're satisfactory.6. Turn off Motion Smoothing for cinematic viewing Jason Hiner/ZDNETMost movies are (and always have been) filmed at 24 frames per second. The purpose of Motion Smoothing is to interpolate images in footage shot at 24 FPS in order to reduce blur and juddering. This can be beneficial when watching sports because live television is shot at 30 FPS.Another common default feature, however, is Motion Smoothing, which has earned the reputation of giving TVs a "soap opera effect." By that description alone, you probably get the idea. I think of it as glossy vs. matte in photographic prints, withglossydescribing the soap opera effect, which resembles a live broadcast. While I'm always aiming for an immersive viewing experience, I don't need to feel like I'm on the set with the actors and crew shooting the scene.Also: The best Samsung TVs of 2024: Expert testedGo to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Picture Clarity SettingsFrom here, you can entirely turn Picture Clarity (Motion Smoothing) off or choose Custom Settings. There, you can adjust the sliders for Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction, which you might opt to increase if watching a soccer match or playing a video game. For conventional (filmic) aesthetics, though, turning off Motion Smoothing is the way to go.If you get a new Samsung TV this Christmas, congratulations! Now, take a few minutes to maximize its potential. If you have an older model, you can still treat yourself to a better-looking picture with a few clicks of the remote.Featured reviews

I often get asked about cheap power banks on the internet that have extravagant claims. Well, I bought one, and here's my buying advice.

If you're still using Windows 10, you know the end is nigh. If you want to keep your machine running smoothly and feeling familiar, check out these Linux distros.

Automation data analytic with 3d rendering ai robot with digital visualization for big data ... [+] scientistgettyFor a while now weve been talking about transformers, frontier neural network logic models, as a transformative technology, no pun intended.But now these attention mechanisms have other competing methodology that might push AIs ability to function even further ahead, toward what people are already calling AGI or artificial general intelligence, where AI gets better than people at routine tasks.To illustrate one of these new alternatives. Ill take liberally from a presentation by Konstantin Rusch that happened recently at TEDxMIT, and also get some help from ChatGPT along the way, to put some of the more technical material into plain English.Using Oscillating State-Space ModelsNew models are all powered by either transformers or liquid foundation models, Rusch said, but what if I told you theres a completely radically new approach, a new AI system that is more efficient, more expressive, and more capable?Then Rusch explained oscillating state-space models, where you take a mass-spring system, plot its position in time, and review what he called beautiful harmonic oscillations.This type of thing, he said, is abundant in biological neuroscience.MORE FOR YOUIf we look at a single biological neuron, the firing of the action potential is in fact nothing else then some sort of relaxation oscillator, he noted. But even if you look at whole networks, we find that those oscillatory dynamics emerge.He cited the example of the EEG invented by Hans Berger in 1924.Can we somehow abstract the essence, the core idea of oscillators, and build an AI system based on that? he asked.After sitting through this, I still wasnt completely clear on the oscillating state-space models, so I asked ChatGPT to explain it in a simple way, in two paragraphs.Heres what I got:Imagine youre watching a spring bounce up and down or tracking temperatures that rise and fall with the seasons. An oscillatory state-space model is a math tool that helps us describe and predict these kinds of back-and-forth patterns. It breaks the motion or changes into stateshidden parts of a system that evolve step by stepand shows how they circle around in a regular, repetitive way. Instead of steadily going up or down, these states swing like a pendulum, capturing the idea that something is repeating over time. By using state-space models, we can build equations that keep track of whats happening inside a system (like how stretched a spring is or how high or low the temperature might be), as well as what we can see or measure from the outside. When these equations describe recurring ups and downs, we call them oscillatory. This approach helps us forecast future behaviorlike figuring out when a spring will be at its lowest point or a climate cycle will peakso that we can plan or control things effectively, whether thats in engineering, economics, or even brain research.So this methodology helps keep track of whats happening inside a system not just something like a spring, but maybe a neural networkEmerging Neurological PatternsRusch continued to talk about how these systems mimic the human brain.We would expect the system to be very, very expressive, but then it would also further bridge the connection (and bridge) the gap between artificial and biological intelligence, he said.Contrasting oscillating state-space models with recurrent neural networks, he pointed out how the relationship between weighted connections works, and how theres dense connectivity in the system. He also addresses the principle of sparse representation. But all of that adds up to one thing: faster and more powerful systems.If you have a standard recurrent model, the computational time is proportional to the sequence length, he explained. For our approach, we can show that the computational time is actually proportional to log 2 of N. This is a tremendous speed up.Using Associated Parallel ScansMidway through the explanation, Rusch mentioned a term thats useful in understanding how these models make things a lot faster.Again, if you go and ask ChatGPT, you find that an associated parallel scan is a method in computing that applies a certain change to each part of a series or matrix. The model tells us this, succinctly:Imagine you have a list of numbers, like the distances your car traveled each hour on a road trip. A parallel scan could quickly figure out the running total at every hourhour 1, hour 2, hour 3, and so onby splitting the list into chunks and having each chunk do its own cumulative work. Afterward, it stitches those chunks together into one final list that shows the total distance youve covered at each step along the way. Because this happens in parallel, it can be way faster than making a single processor do every step one at a time.That helps explain some of the math behind these concepts, but toward the end of his presentation, Rusch moves into very different territory.Universality and Task RobotsUniversality is essentially the idea that a Turing machine could complete the work of other Turing machines in a unified field theory of capability.Rusch mentions this idea in transitioning from the experimental stuff to actual lab experiments.We trained a humanoid robot in our lab to perform some kitchen chores, he explained. Oscillating dynamics emerge physically meaningful representations, representations which were extremely close to human trajectories.This in itself points to a solution for some of the biggest challenges that people note about modern robotics.The argument often runs like this yes, AI is supremely intelligent in processing information and creating things, but what about physical dexterity?Too many people have misconceptions about what it would take for AI placed into a robot to be able to mimic human motions. This starts to lay out how that would work in detail, and so you would have robots capably doing the physical human work that we all take for granted is our exclusive domain doing the dishes, taking out the garbage, or caring for a human, with hygiene and other personal care. All that, or cooking you your favorite meal with whatever you have in the refrigerator.In a way, its that last jump that we havent yet seen. Our computers are super-smart, but dont have physical bodies. I would submit to you that all of that is going to be changing soon.

Can you spot five different types of Christmas injury risks in this photo? (Photo: Getty)gettyYou better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm telling you why. Accident causes may be coming to town. Christmas 2024 may bring you joy, rest and presents. But like any other December 25, it can bring Christmas injury risks that are not, shall we say, present during the rest of the year.Here are 12 of them, one for each day of Christmas:1. Christmas DecorationsYes, that elaborate display of Snoopy and Rudolph fighting in the Peloponnesian War on your rooftop may be cool. But what happens if it falls on someone. And it may be great that you somehow managed to get 2,173,341 ornaments on your Christmas tree. But what if someone swallows some of them or injures a foot while stepping on them.Thats why you should make sure that all decorations are secure before leaving them up. Avoid decorations that have very sharp edges or can readily catch fire. Keep people who may swallow things without thinkinglike young children or your fraternity matesaway from small ornaments.Putting up the decorations can be hazardous as well. Dont try to reach for places where you may become off balance. Use appropriate equipment such as sturdy step-stools or ladders. Get someone strong enough to support you and, no, this isnt your one-year old baby or that grandparent who needs a walker to stand.MORE FOR YOU2. Candles, Fireplaces, Stoves, Ovens And Other Potential Fire SourcesChestnuts may not be the only things roasting on an open fire. Christmas combines a lot of potential fire sources with lots of flammable stuff such as Christmas trees, gift wrapping, stockings, alcohol and you. Keep these two sets of things as separate as possible, and make sure that any fireplace, candle and electric item you use is properly working, has been thoroughly inspected and doesnt have defects like frayed wires. Double-check that things are turned off when not in use.3. Packaging And Gift WrappingIts a wrap. Gift wrapping can be hazardous as well. Not only can it catch fire, it can also be a choking, suffocation and strangulation hazard as well. Once youve freed your gifts of their wrapping, pack or throw any potentially dangerous materials away safely as soon as possible.4. ToysJust because something is called a toy and marketed for kids use doesnt mean that it has been adequately tested and is completely safe for kids or for adults for that matter. Anything that can be swallowed can be choking hazard. Anything that has sharp edges can cut through body tissue. Anything that is heavy can fall on toes, legs, hands, arms, necks or heads. Before anyone uses any toy make sure that they know the potential hazards.5. BatteriesLots of things you may get and use during the Christmas holidays may run on batteries including items, childrens toys and ahem adult toys. Batteries typically contain dangerous, corrosive, poisonous chemicals inside them. So quickly discard any batteries that appear to be leaking. Keep small batteries such as lithium ones that can be readily swallowed away from young children and food.6. AlcoholSurprise, surprise, people drink alcohol during the Holidays. And drinking any type of alcohol in any type of immoderate way can bring more than a shot of risks. Risks can range from mood swings to alcohol poisoning to drunken accidents. Keep alcohol away from anyone who shouldnt even be drinking the stuff such as your little kids. Monitor everyones alcohol consumptions. Someone protesting and saying, Dont worry, I can handle my alcohol, is a reason enough to worry that things may get out of hand.7. Holiday FoodsSalmonella. Here you go again. My, my, how can people resist you? Over the years, Ive covered for Forbes many different foodborne outbreaks from Salmonella and other microbes. And oh, Mamma Mia, can food poisoning be a risk for Holiday meals, especially with things like turkey that people are not used to cooking the rest of the year. Food allergies can be a problem too.But remember that food can bring injury risks as well. Food can have nuts, bits of dried fruit, bones and other small or sharp items that can be choking or gastrointestinal tissue damage hazards. However, before you think it is fruitcake-less to prevent food injury risks with any substantial food and serve nothing but gruel to everyone, keep in mind that a little caution can go a long way. Make sure that cooking operations are organized and do not resemble a rugby scrum in the kitchen. If you are going to get help in the kitchen, make sure that everyone is well-informed and directed so that they dont end up inadvertently introducing something risky into the food. Inspect food before you serve and eat it.And when eating something, be mindful of what you are eating. Dont get distracted. Chew your food carefully rather than think, Darn it, why did Bill send me this fruitcake, with every gram of your attention and plotting a response.8. Kitchen ItemsThe kitchen can be a hazardous location. (Photo: Getty)gettySpeaking of keeping things organized in the kitchen, the kitchen can be like a ninja warrior obstacle course, full of things that can hurt people in different ways. Now, people may know not to do things like put their heads in the blender. You could say that their heads are too big for that. But youd be surprised as to what immature things people may do with various kitchen items, like using knives or spatulas to launch butter packets so that they stick on the ceiling. As a result, seemingly innocent items can quickly turn into dangerous weapons. Heck, even a baguette can do serious damage when you swing it like Shohei Ohtani would a bat.9. People And Other AnimalsNews flash. People can do stupid things. So can other animals like dogs and cats. The jury is still out on who can be stupider. But the injury can result in any case. As Ive written for Forbes before, the Winter Holidays can be a particularly stressful and challenging time for many. All of this can bring out even more careless behaviors than seen the rest of the year, which can in turn put everyone else at greater risk. Therefore, take heed of any warning signs such increased agitation or discussions that are likely to end up in arguments and alleviate them as soon as possible.10. TravelLots of people are traveling for the Holidays. The combination of navigating unfamiliar places and stuff like stress and alcohol in different peoples bodies can raise the risk of accidents happening. Therefore, be mindful of your surroundings. Dont drink and drive. Be cautious when around hazards such as stairs and train tracks. Put down your freaking smartphone. You dont have to know what is happening to the Kardashians at every moment.11. Snow And Cold WeatherBeware of ice, snow or slush covered surfaces and clear them off as soon as possible. Otherwise, you chances of avoiding injury may go slip sliding away. Also, the cold and dry weather can leave you skin drier and more susceptible to damage. Therefore, keep your skin well-moisturized.12. SexChristmas may make you want to put a partridge in a pear tree or whatever euphemism you use for the word sex. But beware of being a bit too overzealous when riding the sleigh ride for two. It can lead to injury and not the type of holiday break that you want. Speaking of break, take a look at what I wrote about penile fractures during the Ring-a-ling-a ding-dong-ding season. A German study published in the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI) found the rate of penile fractures to be 43% higher around Christmas Day than around any other day of the year. A penile fracture is actually a tearing of tissue in the penis rather than a real fracture since there are no bones in your penis, regardless of what you might call an erection. Its also not the only injury that can result when sex is too vigorous or a bit off target. Therefore, before rocking around the Christmas tree in any way, remember what the Pointer Sisters sang about a slow hand and an easy touch.If you want to make this the most wonderful time of the year, do what you can to avoid Christmas injury. Make a list. Check it twice. You gotta find out. What around you will be naughty or nice. Dont let accident causes be coming to town.

The big picture: As Nvidia begins rolling out its hotly anticipated Blackwell server GPUs, information regarding an upcoming lineup refresh is starting to emerge. Set for launch in late 2025, GB300 features numerous upgrades in memory, connectivity, cooling, and other areas compared to its predecessor. Supply chain sources have revealed detailed specifications of Nvidia's GB300 data center GPU to UDN (translated by TechPowerUp). Codenamed "Blackwell Ultra," the chip aims to provide substantial performance enhancements over the company's recently introduced GB200.One of the most notable improvements is a memory increase, with GB300 growing from its predecessor's 192 GB to 288 GB of HBM3e RAM. Furthermore, Nvidia shifted the architecture from eight layers to 12, and the computing board uses LPCAMM memory.Each B300 chip at the heart of the GB300 will require 1,400W. Moreover, networking has been upgraded from ConnectX 7 to ConnectX 8, and optical modules have expanded from 800G to 1.6T.Each card promises a 50 percent FP4 performance improvement over GB200. Nvidia's utilization of FP4, which is well-suited to inference workloads, is one of the primary reasons behind the heightened anticipation for GB300.However, the increased performance comes with an extra cost. Each cabinet requires over 300 supercapacitors, which carry a roughly $20 to $25 production cost per unit. Nvidia will also offer optional battery backup units costing approximately $1,500 for a complete unit. // Related StoriesPrior reports indicated that the company is considering a socket configuration for GB300, which could simplify production and maintenance requirements. Unfortunately, the decision would also increase power and cooling demands.Mass production and shipments of GB200 are expected to peak in mid-2025 following delays stemming from late-stage design flaws and overheating problems. Despite the setbacks, orders from Nvidia's clients, including Microsoft, are backlogged for a year. The AI boom has created intense demand for Nvidia's server GPUs, increasing its market cap to over $3 trillion and making it one of the world's three most valuable companies.Blackwell Ultra is expected to arrive in late 2025, but it remains unclear whether this schedule will collide with Nvidia's next generation, Rubin, which might emerge around the same time. Rubin will utilize TSMC's 3nm N3 process node and HBM4 memory.Nvidia is also preparing to release its next-generation consumer Blackwell GPUs next year with a likely reveal coming during CES in January.

D.A. Pennebakersclassic documentary, streaming for free on the Criterion Channel through New Years Day, is still as enigmatic as itssubject, following the musician on his 1965 U.K. tour just months before the controversial plugged-in set at the Newport Folk Festival.

Some quantum fields have an infinite amount of entanglement that can be takenJurik Peter/ShutterstockEntanglement is one of the most valuable resources in the quantum realm for instance, it is the powerhouse behind quantum encryption and in theory, it may be possible to extract an infinite amount of it from the universe.Interacting with a quantum field usually changes its state, but Henrik Wilming at Leibniz University Hannover in Germany was looking for cases when this can be avoided. This led him to the idea of quantum

UV exposure during winter drops towards the poles, but does that mean we should use less SPF?Jon Bower/AlamyThis article is part of a special issue investigating key questions about skincare. Find the full series here.Even if we live far from the equator, we are often told to apply sun protection factor (SPF) lotions year-round to protect our skin from premature ageing and wrinkles. But is this backed up by solid science?Just 13.5 per cent of US adults use SPF creams as part of their daily routine, according to one survey. That is clearly a problem in the summer, when the sun is brightest. While we may not show signs of burning, UV rays can penetrate the deeper layers of skin and damage it. Besides contributing to wrinkles, this can lead to skin cancer and people who wear sunscreen are at a much lower risk of this.Photoageing is a cumulative effect that adds up over the decadesHowever, these rays are much weaker in winter at more northerly or southerly latitudes, and the benefits of SPF must be balanced against the costs. Brian Diffey, an emeritus professor of photobiology at Newcastle University in the UK, points out that wintertime use of SPF may contribute to vitamin D deficiency, for example. SPFs can also have an environmental cost, with some studies showing that they can wash into the oceans, where their component chemicals can be absorbed by corals and other marine life, harming them.Diffey has used historical climate records to calculate how

Big Lots, Party City, and The Container Store reported either bankruptcy or store closures recently.It's a cap on a tough year for many retailers.Shoppers of almost all income levels have been watching their spending in 2024.Trouble for a trio of retailers at the tail end of 2024 is a sadly fitting end to a tough year for retailers.Home storage chain The Container Store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday. The retailer plans to reorganize and its CEO said that the company "is here to stay," but it said in May its full-year consolidated net sales dropped almost 20% year-on-year, and in October that second-quarter sales on the same basis fell 10.5%.A day earlier, Party City said it would wind down operations and close all of its stores. That's on top of Big Lots, which said last Thursday it would start store-closing sales at all of its locations after its planned sale to a private equity firm fell through.The few days of bad news caps a rough year for many retailers. Over 2,000 stores have closed this year in the US, by Business Insider's count.Among the companies that have shuttered stores are drugstore chains CVS and Rite Aid, Family Dollar, and convenience store chain 7-Eleven.Even some big-name chains that aren't closing stores are still having trouble. Starbucks' sales fell in the latest quarter, showing that new CEO Brian Niccol brought in abruptly to help revitalize the company has plenty to address at the chain in 2025.Starbucks store employees have told BI that the coffee chain has operational issues to work out, from not scheduling enough workers at busy times to finding a better way to fill mobile orders.Big Lots, Party City, and The Container Store all have pointed to recent economic factors, namely inflation and consumers who are less willing to spend.In its statement on Saturday, for instance, Party City cited "an immensely challenging environment driven by inflationary pressures on costs and consumer spending, among other factors" in explaining the decision to wind down operations.Satish Malhotra, CEO of The Container Store, referenced a "challenging macro-economic environment" in an email to customers this week.Big Lots, meanwhile, has been saying for months that consumers were buying fewer couches, dining room sets, and other high-priced home furnishings. The chain saw "a significant consumer pullback in big-ticket items, particularly within the furniture and patio furniture categories," CEO Bruce Thorn said during an earnings call in June the last one that the company hosted before announcing its now-scrapped deal to sell itself to Nexus Capital Management.Inflation has decelerated this year for many items, yet shoppers are still cautious about what they buy, and prices for many items are still proportionally higher than before the pandemic. Many low-income consumers are having trouble stretching their paychecks to cover expenses, a development that has hurt Dollar General and other dollar stores.More affluent consumers have also slowed their spending, turning away from stores where they have to pay full price and toward off-price chains like Nordstrom Rack as well as store-brand groceries at Walmart.Even Target reported last month that many of its customers were sticking to buying essentials and shying away from impulse buys and more expensive items, leading the big box chain to cut its forecast.So far, the outlook for 2025 isn't great. Advance Auto Parts and Walgreens have plans to shut 1,200 stores between the two chains, for example.To be sure, all three retailers who reported bad news over the last few days faced challenges well before this month or even this year. Big Lots has been closing stores since last year. Party City filed for bankruptcy in January 2023. And The Container Store has reported quarterly drops in same-store sales for several consecutive quarters.But if shoppers remain value-conscious and stick to stores they perceive as offering the best deals going into 2025, retailers could continue to have a tough time in the new year.Do you work at a major retailer and have a story idea? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com