Unicorn HunterWeve all forgotten about one of the years best RPGs, and thats a crying shame because its the best strategy game Ive played in yearsVanillawares Unicorn Overlord might have one of the silliest names around, but beneath the comedy moniker is a stone cold classic.Image credit: VG247/Sega Article by Dom Peppiatt Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 24, 2024 I write about games for a living (lucky me, right?) and as much of a dream as that is, it has some downsides. If you can believe it. One of them is that I often dont find games very stimulating or motivating. When you need to play something thats not exactly to your taste as often as once a week to ensure youre covering it correctly, you often find yourself engaging work brain, rather than fun brain. Pumping 50 hours into CoD in a week can be rough when you also need to spend a lot of the 9-to-5 editing, running meetings, generating reports, or yelling to colleagues about Googles baffling new Core Update.Unicorn Overlord, which launched back in March this year, felt like a balm. It is perhaps the most motivating game I have played in years. Once I picked it up to preview, and got my review copy shortly after, I easily dumped 100 hours into it within two weeks. I played it in bed, I played it on my travels, I played it whilst waiting in line for a gig. It broke the curse of the so-so work game I had gotten into my head, and it made my life better as a result.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. So, how to sum up Unicorn Overlord? Its like a premium meal at a fancy restaurant you can only afford to eat at once a year; its glossy, its rich, its sumptuous. Its a bit off-beat, maybe not the sort of thing youd find yourself making at home or eating in other, lesser-renowned places. But it does what it does well; a fusion dish, somehow combining cosy elements with unusual flavours that just sing on the palette.Its a tactical RPG that can sorta play itself. It makes you feel like a proper commander of a small army; the onus is more on recruitment, management, and deployment, rather than actual battling. It takes the best bits of the Final Fantasy 12 Gambit System, and smushes it together with the best bits of the Tactics Ogre series, whilst liberally nicking ideas from Fire Emblem.In fact, it's all very 1990s. It even summons whispers of Langrisser and Shining Force. But Vanillaware, in its now-trademark way, remixes the tropes and expectations you have for the genre and spits out something altogether unique. Ive never played a game that feels like Unicorn Overlord, really, and therein lies the charm Knights into dreams. | Image credit: Vanillaware/Atlus/SEGATake the combat flow, for example. If you want, you can skip every single battle. The stats and the moment-to-moment gameplay is worked out in a spreadsheet, concealed from view. You can spend hours min/maxing your characters, selecting your squads, and sending your allied units into battle, knowing that they can trample any fool that dares come underfoot. But thats not really the point of the game, is it?Instead, like in Fire Emblem, theres a degree of player-directed storytelling in making characters team up and fight. Seeing their interactions and monitoring how their skills compliment or undercut each other is RPG catnip. Its compelling. Nigh-addictive, even. Playing Unicorn Overlord on Switch, and trying to perfect certain maps, I missed my stop on the Tube maybe eight times in a week. It's consuming, really.The joy - and the unique draw, for my money - of Unicorn Overlord is the way it makes you think about even the easiest engagements like theyre life or death. Play it on harder difficulties, and you will need to summon an intimate understanding of your whole army (you know, just like a real commander) if you want to have any chance of chiselling your way through the game. Come for the gameplay, stay for the food. | Image credit: AtlusYou know its a good RPG, because youll find yourself mouthing yes! to yourself if you manage to up your flying squads damage output by a paltry 5%. Youll find yourself muttering bastard if a 95% accuracy attack fails and you need to rethink, literally, your whole battle strategy for a given skirmish. Vanillaware deftly treads the line between challenge and reward, and if you choose to engage with the minutiae of the mechanics, youll find its one of the most dense and mechanically responsive RPG sandboxes in years. Seriously.In a year packed to the gills with noteworthy RPGs, Unicorn Overlord has been Unicorn Over-looked (sorry). If youre looking for something really special, and really unique, to get your teeth into this festive break, Id recommend this even over my actual GOTY suggestion. Its a perfect game to reset your brain ahead of the year to come.

Contractors working to improve Googles Gemini AI are comparing its answers against outputs produced by Anthropics competitor model Claude, according to internal correspondence seen by TechCrunch.Google would not say, when reached by TechCrunch for comment, if it had obtained permission for its use of Claude in testing against Gemini.As tech companies race to build better AI models, the performance of these models are often evaluated against competitors, typically by running their own models through industry benchmarks rather than having contractors painstakingly evaluate their competitors AI responses.The contractors working on Gemini tasked with rating the accuracy of the models outputs must score each response that they see according to multiple criteria, like truthfulness and verbosity. The contractors are given up to 30 minutes per prompt to determine whose answer is better, Geminis or Claudes, according to the correspondence seen by TechCrunch.The contractors recently began noticing references to Anthropics Claude appearing in the internal Google platform they use to compare Gemini to other unnamed AI models, the correspondence showed. At least one of the outputs presented to Gemini contractors, seen by TechCrunch, explicitly stated: I am Claude, created by Anthropic.One internal chat showed the contractors noticing Claudes responses appearing to emphasize safety more than Gemini. Claudes safety settings are the strictest among AI models, one contractor wrote. In certain cases, Claude wouldnt respond to prompts that it considered unsafe, such as role-playing a different AI assistant. In another, Claude avoided answering a prompt, while Geminis response was flagged as a huge safety violation for including nudity and bondage.Anthropics commercial terms of service forbid customers from accessing Claude to build a competing product or service or train competing AI models without approval from Anthropic. Google is a major investor in Anthropic.Shira McNamara, a spokesperson for Google DeepMind, which runs Gemini, would not say when asked by TechCrunch whether Google has obtained Anthropics approval to access Claude. When reached prior to publication, an Anthropic spokesperson did not comment by press time.McNamara said that DeepMind does compare model outputs for evaluations but that it doesnt train Gemini on Anthropic models.Of course, in line with standard industry practice, in some cases we compare model outputs as part of our evaluation process, McNamara said. However, any suggestion that we have used Anthropic models to train Gemini is inaccurate.Last week, TechCrunch exclusively reported that Google contractors working on the companys AI products are now being made to rate Geminis AI responses in areas outside of their expertise. Internal correspondence expressed concerns by contractors that Gemini could generate inaccurate information on highly sensitive topics like healthcare.You can send tips securely to this reporter on Signal at +1 628-282-2811.

In an era where its become tougher to raise venture capital, many companies have turned to non-dilutive, Revenue-Based Financing (RBF) as an alternative. As a result, plenty of startups have risen to meet that challenge, none more so than in the MENA region, which has taken to the model like a duck to water. The latest is CredibleX which has raised a $55 million Seed financing round led by Abu Dhabi-based Further Ventures in order to take advantage of the booming market for revenue financing in the Middle East.Providing working capital financing to small and medium-sized businesses, CredibleX operates in a market where we saw companies like MENA competitors FlapKap and Flow48 scale and raise capital in 2023, not to mention others elsewhere like Modifi (raised $353.6 million to date), Drip Capital ($528.1 million to date) and IncomLend ($25 million to date).So whats going on here?With MENA SMEs (Small/Medium Enterprises) still finding it difficult to access working capital from traditional banking channels, CredibleX has found a route to market. It partners with large aggregators and then goes after the SMEs in their vertical ecosystem.CEO and Cofounder Anand Nagaraj told TechCrunch: We believe this approach helps us in recovering repayments easily as we have a direct relationship with the debtor/payer. Most of the others in this space work with the SMEs to try and get an assignment of receivables/sales.In particular, revenue-based financing works quite well for SMEs in high-income countries like the UAE, and similar countries, since its harder to obtain financing from so-called Development Finance Institutions, which are primarily set up to invest in projects in less economically developed countries.How the platform works is very MENA region given the explosion of platforms set up for service-based industries like restaurants, of which there are millions in MENA.Heres an example: An SME such as a restaurant uses a platform like Talabat (acquired by Delivery Hero in 2015 for $158.52 million) to deliver its food, and wants to access RBF. It applies for a loan through the Talabat platform integrated with CredibleX, uploads its historical sales data/ratings, and then CredibleX makes the credit decision on issuing a loan, all within 24 hours.The restaurant then pays the loan back in the form of Talabat making payments directly to CredibleX (which also has similar relationships with 37 other such partners).The company started operations in March 2024 and claims to have so issued over AED 100 Mn (US$27Mn) to SMEs.Nagaraj previously worked at Citi, then set up Invoice Bazaar, a Supply Chain Finance platform helping SMEs that supply to large corporations with early payments. After exiting that startup in 2021, Anand, along with cofounders Ahmad Malik and Hassan Reda, launched CredibleX.Nagaraj explained: Our approach helps us to access a larger pool of SMEs and it certainly helps when things go bad, in terms of recovering repayments from the SMEs. CredibleX is also fully regulated by FSRA at Abu Dhabi Global Markets.The Seed round consists of equity from Further Ventures and debt from various providers including Kilgour Williams Capital. Further Ventures has LPs that include ADQ and Mastercard.

In BriefPosted:7:37 AM PST December 24, 2024Image Credits:Boston DynamicsWatch Boston Dynamics electric Atlas do a backflipA little early holiday surprise from Boston Dynamics this week, as Santa suit-wearing electric Atlas performs a backflip. The feat occurs about 13 minutes into a new video, showcasing yet another trick in the humanoid robots arsenal.Its worth noting that unlike with humans a robot performing a backflip isnt necessarily more complicated than walking. That said, roboticists tend to focus on useful tasks like locomotion first. Even so, its impressive to see how robust Boston Dynamics new robot is proving to be and that it managed to keep its Santa hat on the whole time.The electric Atlas is following in the footsteps of its hydraulic predecessor, which debuted the skill in 2017. More recently, Unitrees humanoid has shown of its own gymnastics abilities.Topics

Breakdown & ShowreelsYodha: VFX Breakdown by Redchillies VFXBy Vincent Frei - 24/12/2024 When the skies turn hostile the visuals soar! Redchillies VFX delivers really cool visual effects in Yodha, bringing the tension of a hijacked flight and a failing engine to life. Witness a soldiers high-stakes strategy to outsmart terrorists and save the passengers. Dont miss this VFX-driven action-packed thriller!WATCH IT ON Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024

Published December 24, 2024 10:00am EST close 'CyberGuy': Timeshare terror leaves retired couple $50K in the hole after being scammed The FBI is warning timeshare owners of a telemarketing scam tied to a Mexican drug cartel. Tech expert Kurt Knutsson provides steps to stay safe. The FBI is issuing a stark warning to timeshare owners about a widespread telemarketing scam linked to a violent Mexican drug cartel. This scheme targets unsuspecting property owners, leading to significant financial losses. Here's what you need to know and how to protect yourself. Illustration of a timeshare property (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The Dimitruks' devastating timeshare scam experienceIn late 2022, Mr. and Mrs. Dimitruk, a retired Canadian couple, received a call about selling their Florida timeshare. The scammers, aware of their specific timeshare details, promised a Mexican buyer willing to pay above market value. The fraudsters employed an intricate process involving a fake New York escrow company, ecurrencyescrow[.]llc. The Dimitruks were asked to complete forms and wire more than $3,000 for "administrative" and "processing" fees.For almost a year, the scammers made additional financial demands, citing various taxes and fees. The couple even sent $5,000 to pay off their remaining timeshare balance, believing it was part of the sale process. Mr. Dimitruk, a 73-year-old retired long-haul truck driver, revealed in an interview with KrebsOnSecurity that they lost more than $50,000 to this scam. Even after this substantial loss, the scammers continued to contact them, claiming their money was waiting and urging further payments. Fake New York escrow company email (KrebsOnSecurity) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Cartel connections to fraud schemesThe FBI has linked these timeshare fraud schemes to the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in Mexico. According to a July 2024 warning from theFBI and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, these scams are part of the cartel's efforts to diversify their revenue streams and finance other criminal activities, including drug trafficking.Since at least 2012, the cartel and other Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations have increasingly targeted U.S. owners of timeshare properties in Mexico, particularly older adults who are often more vulnerable to such scams. The proceeds from these fraudulent activities not only support the cartel's operations but also contribute to the manufacturing and trafficking of dangerous substances like fentanyl into the United States.How these scams workThe Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has expanded its criminal activities beyond traditional drug trafficking into sophisticated scams, including timeshare fraud targeting unsuspecting individuals, particularly Americans. Here are some of the methods employed by the cartel in executing these scams:Impersonation of legitimate entities: Scammers often pose as legitimate real estate agents, escrow companies or even officials from U.S. government agencies like the Treasury Department. This tactic is designed to instill a sense of trust and urgency in potential victims, making them more susceptible to fraud.Targeting vulnerable populations: The cartel primarily targets elderly Americans who own timeshares in Mexico. These individuals are often contacted with offers to buy their timeshares at inflated values, but they are required to pay various fees upfront, such as taxes or closing costs, before any transaction can be completed. Once these payments are made, the scammers disappear, leaving victims with significant financial losses.Use of call centers: The CJNG operates illegal call centers where employees, often unaware of the cartel's true nature, engage in telemarketing schemes. These centers are strategically located in regions with high unemployment rates, providing a pool of workers who may be desperate for jobs. The call centers not only facilitate scams but also serve as a means for the cartel to exert control over local populations through intimidation and violence.Complex fraud schemes: The scams can involve multiple layers of deception. For instance, victims may be contacted multiple times by different scammers posing as various professionals (e.g., lawyers or real estate agents) who claim they can assist with selling their timeshares or recovering lost funds. This re-victimization often leads to further financial exploitation.Violence and intimidation: The cartel employs extreme measures to maintain control over its operations and silence potential whistleblowers. Reports indicate that workers attempting to quit these call centers have faced dire consequences, including murder, which serves as a chilling message to others considering leaving the cartel's employment. This brutal enforcement mechanism not only protects their operations but also instills fear within communities.Digital infrastructure: The CJNG utilizes a network of fraudulent websites and domains that appear legitimate at first glance. These websites often mimic real escrow and real estate firms, making it difficult for victims to discern the authenticity of their interactions. Many of these domains have been linked back to a central hub that manages multiple scam operations simultaneously.By understanding these operational tactics, you can better appreciate the complexities and dangers associated with scams perpetrated by organized crime groups like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. This knowledge is crucial for potentially preventing future victimization. Government warning (U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Protecting yourself from timeshare scamsTo avoid falling victim to similar scams, it is crucial to take proactive steps to safeguard your financial interests:1) Verify the buyer's identity and offer legitimacy: Always confirm the identity of any potential buyer and the authenticity of their offer. Contact the timeshare company directly to validate any claims made by the buyer.2) Research any company that contacts you: Conduct thorough research on any business reaching out to you. Look for reviews, complaints and verify their credentials through reliable sources.3) Be wary of upfront fees: Legitimate transactions typically do not require upfront fees for administrative or processing purposes. If a company requests such payments, exercise caution.4) Use secure communication channels: Avoid sharing personal or financial information over unsecured methods such as phone calls or emails. Opt for secure communication channels whenever possible.5) Do not click on links: Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments from unsolicited emails. Scammers often use these tactics to steal your personal information. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.6) Consult with professionals before proceeding with transactions: Seek advice from a real estate attorney or a trusted financial advisor before engaging in any transactions. Their expertise can help you navigate potential pitfalls.7) Report suspicious activity to authorities: If you suspect you've been targeted by a timeshare scam, don't hesitate to promptly report it to local authorities, theFBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission. Reporting can help protect others from falling victim to similar schemes.8) Invest in personal data removal services: While the advice provided is valuable, the most crucial step in protecting yourself from such scams is to minimize your online presence. By reducing the amount of personal information available on the web, you make it significantly harder for scammers to target you. No service promises to remove all your data from the internet. However, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.Check out my top picks for data removal services here.Kurt's key takeawaysHere's the deal. These timeshare scammers are clever, they're persistent, and they're backed by some seriously bad dudes. But don't let that scare you into inaction. Remember, knowledge is power. By staying informed and skeptical, you're already one step ahead of these fraudsters. Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. And don't be afraid to ask for help or report suspicious activity. Let's make life a whole lot harder for these scammers and keep your hard-earned money where it belongs: in your pocket.What additional steps do you think authorities should take to combat telemarketing scams targeting vulnerable populations? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

ZDNET's key takeaways The Samsung Neo QLED (QN90D) 98-inch TV lists for $15,000, but is marked down to $13,000 at most vendors. Its picture quality rivals OLED models in contrast and motion handling while exceeding most of them in peak brightness. The location of its connection ports can make setting up such a large TV a bit fussy. more buying choices It's rare for me to be blown away by the picture quality of any TV I'm reviewing. But with Samsung's QN90D Neo QLED TV, that's what happened -- in a big-time (ultra-large) way.That's because Samsung sent the 98-inch model to our ZDNET lab in Louisville, and I had the pleasure of spending some time with it, fully daunted by its imposing $15,000 price tag. This is the most expensive model of any TV I've tested. Also: The next big HDMI leap is coming next month - what the 2.2 standard means for youSo, does the QN90D live up to its price point? If your budget falls into the $10K+ cost echelon, then you've already jumped the first hurdle in acquiring one. And if that's the case, then the answer is a resounding "Yes." details View at Best Buy To be clear, there are dozens of 98-inch TVs on the market that are much easier on the wallet than this puppy. For example, you can buy two of TCL's 98-inch QM8 Mini-LED for less than one QN90D. But there's a substantial difference in the technology behind these models, namely Samsung's treatment of Quantum Dot overlays on a mini-LED backlit display.Also:How I optimized this 98-inch TV to feel like a movie theater (and it's on sale)This formula is known as "Neo QLED," in which case Samsung has swapped out conventional LEDs for tens of thousands of mini-LEDs. These components consist of manufactured nanocrystals with ultra-fine semiconductor materials, allowing for a higher magnitude of these units to distribute light accurately and efficiently. The result, as Samsung puts it, is "brighter whites, darker blacks, and overall, a better color range in between."I can attest to this. The QN90D offered up a crystal-clear picture with glistering highlights, vibrant colors, and the truest blacks I've witnessed on a non-OLED set. With its spread of UHD micro dimming zones, dark areas are so piercingly black that focusing your eyes on shadows is like staring into a void. This is fine by me because they're shadows, and I'm a fan of higher contrast ratios. Adam Breeden/ZDNETBut in some extreme cases, dark objects were so dark that their features were lost. Picture a black-clad motorcyclist racing down a sunlit road -- black helmet, black jacket, black bike -- and in this distant, wide-angle shot, the cyclist and his bike become almost a uniform silhouette, revealing no distinguishable textures or dimensionality. To be clear, this would be a demanding ask of any TV for the scene I'm describing. A desirable level of detail in such inky blackness may only be captured on Samsung's Neo QLED 8K QN990C, which goes for an eye-watering $40,000 and is the subject of a different review altogether.What impressed me most was the in-your-face brightness and extraordinary color gamut of the QN90D. It's bright, but not offensively so. I'd rather call the overall effect "convincing." Viewing the motion graphics at the beginning of Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox productions, for example, felt like looking into the window of an uber-vivid metaverse. In a few instances, the color vibrance was so intense that some viewers might find it off-putting, such as the radioactive red glow of Netflix's logo. There are settings to reduce this intensity. For starters, you won't want to set the TV's picture mode to "Dynamic" because then every color will gleam with supersaturated abandon. (I'll speak more on setting options below.) Adam Breeden/ZDNETOtherwise, I didn't encounter disproportionate levels of color or tonality. This held true in my assessments of glare and reflection, plus a scope of the QN90D's viewing angles. Standing just two feet from the screen at an unreasonably tight angle, the picture only suffered a minor loss of coloration (a slight washout), yet it retained its 4K QLED sharpness.I was equally impressed with this TV's audio output. Even in the absence of a connected soundbar, the volume managed to fill our testing area more than adequately, and it did this at about one-tenth of its potential. While watching Kandahar on Prime, I never pushed the volume past 12. It frightens me to imagine the stentorian result of cranking it up to 100.Also: You can finally buy LG's transparent OLED TV - if you're willing to pay $60,000In addition to 4.2.2 channel speakers pumping out 60 watts of power, Samsung's OTS+ technology tracks the onscreen action and adjusts sounds accordingly. Its 98-inch panel consists of 8,276 square inches, allowing for more integrated speakers, which strategically create a 3D-like soundscape that seems to envelop you from all directions. No soundbar is necessary. (Although I don't discourage adding one to it.)I did change the QN90D's default sound mode to "Amplify" and noticed a marked improvement in the crispness of whispering dialogue in Dune 2andKandahar. The setting's name is a bit misleading because it doesn't amplify volume but clarity. The two films I mentioned above are excellent for TV testing. Like many movies, they have plenty of whispering dialogue but also gads of sweeping desert vistas.Color variation and rendering become more evident in viewing these mostly stark landscapes, which include everything from jutting rock formations to an actor's skin tone and Dune's reddish "spice" granules within swells of billowing sand. The bright and sunny drone shots in Kandahar, for example, were particularly stunning.My ideal picture settings for the Samsung QN90DWhen orienting myself with any new TV, I spend a lot of time testing out the settings. I toggle the options on and off while scrutinizing select scenes from certain movies. I adjust the sliders if available (e.g., tint). I experiment with Expert Settings (like switching Local Dimming to high and Contrast Enhancer to low, and vice-versa).I do a similar thing with audio. This practice of combining and/or separating setting variables is basically a trial-and-error endeavor in pursuit of seeing optimal results. Naturally, this is a subjective process because it's all about personal preferences.Also: I changed these 6 Samsung TV settings to significantly improve the picture qualityFor the QN90D, I only changed three picture settings from their default positions, and that's in large part owed to the Tizen software's AI capabilities:Under All Settings, you'll find Samsung's "Intelligent Mode" option. Turning that on disables the usual lineup of options under the Picture Mode menu (Dynamic, Eco, Filmmaker, etc.).The Picture Mode options are then replaced with three choices: "Optimized," "Eye Comfort," and "AI Customization." The latter indeed lets you customize your visual preference by selecting one of four image choices (each) for sports, movies, and general viewing.The Tizen OS's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor then used my image selections as ingredients to concoct what was, to me, the best picture possible.After all the experimentation, my selections solidified AI Customization as the clear winner in terms of a preferred picture mode. The contrast, brightness, and sharpness in scenes from these 4K flicks were incredibly satisfying. Adam Breeden/ZDNETConsider these design elements as you shopLike other new Samsung remotes, the QN90D's takes a little getting used to because of its diminutive size and its rocker buttons, which are relatively unconventional for remote controls. These small, flat, capsule-shaped buttons are designed to push toward or away from the TV to adjust the volume and navigate the menu. (The interface itself, I should note, only required a modicum of menu-diving to reach desired selections, making it one of the more user-friendly panels I've tested.)I acclimated to the remote's design swiftly, and I also appreciate the solar panel on its underside for a lifetime of use without cable charging or replacing batteries. But if it's just too much effort to pick up and use a TV remote, the QN90D also offers hands-free operation with its Bixby, Alexa, or Google voice assistants. Disappointingly, the remote is not backlit -- as I wish all TV remotes should be -- because I tend to do any binge-watching after sundown.A common complaint among users of the QN90D is the placement of its input array. Its four HDMI ports, two USBs, and other connection points are situated on the back right side of the panel. This is fairly standard for many TVs. For a television of this size, however, simply accessing the ports and then deciding how to run your wires to the nearest wall outlet can be an awkward affair. These grumblings likely stem from prior iterations of Samsung's QLED models (e.g., the QN95C) having a separate OneConnect box that can marry all your peripherals to the TV through a single translucent cable. For the QN90D, the lack of a dedicated HDMI switch is a practical concern in terms of access and positioning. And it's an aesthetic consideration if you can't stomach visible wires trailing from the electronic centerpiece of your living room.ZDNET's buying adviceI can overlook Samsung's decision to make the inputs a tad harder to reach because this TV is spectacular to watch and listen to. At $15,000, even an ultra-large 98-inch screen ought to be brimming with cutting-edge technology, elevated specs, and a profusion of cool features. The Samsung QN90D certainly qualifies with these traits.Most of all, though, it delivers an exceptional viewing experience that will dazzle your eyeballs and please your earholes. If I were in a higher tax bracket (and had a bigger house), I would undoubtedly put this massive entertainment purchase in my (gargantuan) shopping cart.Should you want a TV of similar size but with a more accessible price, consider the TCL Q6 and QM8, both of which ZDNET has tested and recommended for big-screen shoppers on a budget.Samsung 98-inch QN90D 4K QLED TV tech specsDisplay TypeNeo QLEDScreen Size98 inchesResolution4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160)Refresh Rate120HzHDR CompatibilityQuantum HDR 32xScreen Brightness1253 nitsContrast RatioInfiniteAudioDolby Atmos 4.2.2chProcessorNQ4 AI Gen2 ProcessorGaming FeaturesMotion Xcelerator, FreeSync Premium Pro, 4K @ 144HzInput Lag (Game Mode)2.9 msInputs4x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB 2.0, 1x Ethernet, 1x RFWi-FiWi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Smart TV PlatformTizen OSVoice AssistantBixby, Alexa, Google AssistantStreaming PlatformsNetflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and many moreDimensions (with stand)86.6" x 50.8" x 14.3"Weight (with stand)113.5 lbsHow we test TVsWhile testing and researching the TV featured in this review, I and other ZDNET experts kept these criteria in mind:Price:Not all budgets are created equal. And if you're working with a limited budget, that shouldn't mean you have to settle for a sub-par TV. Each TV model we review has been chosen across a variety of price points to help accommodate different needs.Screen size:The most important factor to consider, after price, when shopping for a new TV is whether or not it will fit into your space. While this specific screen size is exceptional, the QN90D is available in a wide variety of smaller sizes to suit different rooms.Picture and audio quality:A new TV doesn't mean much, even if it costs an arm and a leg, if it doesn't provide a great picture and clear audio. Each TV on this list has been ensured to support various HDR codecs, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as enhanced audio software like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and object-tracking sound.For a more detailed look, check outour extensive TV testing methodology.Featured reviews

The Shokz OpenSwim Pro bone conduction headphones sound fantastic even when underwater. The best part is that they're on sale for the holiday season.

ZDNET's key takeaways The LG G4 OLED is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $2,796. LG has made great strides with its OLED picture quality, and this model is truly exceptionalHowever, the regular price might be a turn-off since you can buy great TVs for half the price. more buying choices I'm not usually a fan of LG TVs, but I've tested the LG G4 OLED TV this year, and I have to admit that it has the most impressive picture quality of any TV I've ever bought, used, or tested.Also: The next big HDMI leap is coming next month - what the 2.2 standard means for youThough Cyber Week is over, you can still find the65-inch LG G4 on sale for over $700 off its retail price of $3,399 at both Amazon and Best Buy as retailers amp up their New Year's savings opportunities. At about $2,800, the LG G4 OLED is still an expensive TV (the best price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday was $2,300).For that price, you could get two 65-inch Sony X90L TVs -- my pick for the best TV for the money. But if picture quality is your number one priority and you have the budget, there's no TV on the planet with a better picture than the LG G4. details View at Amazon What makes the LG G4 OLED picture so good? Several things.First of all, there are the things that make all OLED screens great, and this is especially true for LG OLEDs because they are one of the leading innovators in the technology. We're talking about true blacks (as opposed to washed-out dark grays from LCD TVs), deep contrast, more vibrant colors, and amazing dynamic range in shots that have both dark and light elements. The LG G4 has all of those qualities -- and at the highest levels I've seen on any TV -- because it is LG's flagship OLED TV for 2024.Also: I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and watching Hollywood movies on it left me in aweSo, what's new in this year's LG G4? The biggest leap forward is in picture processing, and that's made possible by the new 11 AI Processor 4K. I've always considered Sony the king of picture processing, and it was a long way back to LG and Samsung, essentially tied for second place, with budget TV makers TCL and Hisense lagging the crowd. However, with the 2024 11 AI Processor, LG is now pushing Sony for the top spot in picture processing -- and that's saying a lot.Where this really matters is when it comes to out-of-the-box picture settings, upscaling older and lower-quality 720p and 1080p content, and the TV automatically adjusting the picture to make today's HDR content look amazing. In all of those areas, the LG G4 now rivals Sony. Adam Breeden/ZDNETAnd because LG has always arguably made the highest-quality OLED TV panels, this upgrade in picture processing lifts the LG G4 to the top of the class in picture quality. For movies, shows, gaming, and virtually any other content, the LG G4 brings them to life in vibrant color, smooth motion, and incredible contrast -- more than any other TV you can buy right now.Also: The best live TV streaming services of 2024: Expert testedI tried it with some of my favorite content with challenging visuals, includingDune, Avengers: End Game, and several other cutting-edge cinematic marvels. All of the content looked better than I've ever seen on any TV I've used, bought, or tested -- and that includes some of the best TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense over the past few years.What are the drawbacks?There are a few drawbacks to note about the LG G4. First, of course, is the premium price. As I've already mentioned, you could buy two 65-inch Sony X90L TVs for the price of one 65-inch LG G4. And I think most people would be extremely happy with the mid-range Sony X90L. But you're not most people if you're considering the LG G4.The other drawbacks are the remote and LG's built-in webOS software. Both are mediocre at best. I consider LG's remote to be the worst of any of the big five TV makers. It's large, chunky, and has a confusing number of buttons. A TV that is good and has such a premium design that is svelte and beautiful deserves a better-designed remote.Also: You can finally buy LG's transparent OLED TV - if you're willing to pay $60,000LG's built-in webOS software is nearly as disappointing as the remote control. It works fine, but it's not very intuitive, and it is nowhere close to being as well-thought-out as the TV hardware. The icons for content are small and sometimes hard to select, the menu system is a bit convoluted, and there are built-in ads running in the software, which makes it feel unnecessary for a TV this expensive. Adam Breeden/ZDNETThat said, in testing the 83-inch LG G4 in ZDNET's TV lab, I simply never used the remote or the built-in software. I attached an Apple TV 4K and used that remote and its interface to access all of the streaming services and content that I wanted. The combination of the LG G4 and Apple TV was glorious. So, if you buy an LG G4, I'd recommend adding a high-end streaming box like the Apple TV 4K, Google TV Streamer (4K), Amazon Fire TV Cube, or Nvidia Shield.The built-in sound in the LG G4 is fine but not great -- like virtually every other high-end or budget TV. So if you're buying a TV this expensive, I'm going to assume you're going to add a soundbar. At the very least, I'd recommend getting the Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2-channel soundbar -- my pick for best budget soundbar. And if you really want to kick into high gear, then I'd recommend the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which automatically calibrates itself to your room.Also: Changing these 5 soundbar settings made my living room feel like a movie theaterLastly, if you'd prefer a high-quality OLED TV with a great remote and great software built-in so that you don't have to run a separate streaming box, then I'd recommend the Sony A95L OLED TV, which runs Google TV and has a very premium remote. And if your TV is going to be in a very bright room with lots of windows or lights, then I'd recommend the Samsung S95D, which nearly matches the LG G4 in picture quality but comes with an incredible glare-free screen that looks amazing in any room.ZDNET's buying adviceWhile Sony and Samsung offer OLED TVs with similar price points, the flagshipLG G4 OLED is unmatched in picture quality, making it a solid recommendation at this sale price. Its powerful 11 AI Processor is on par with the vibrant colors, true blacks, and dynamic range displayed on its sleek panel. For a more immersive, theatre-like sound experience, consider adding a soundbar, as I mentioned above.Take advantage of these holiday discounts at either Amazon or Best Buy, whether you're gifting someone a smart TV with an exquisite picture or upgrading your home entertainment center.How we test TVsWhile testing and researching the TVs featured on this list, I and other ZDNET experts kept these criteria in mind:Price:Not all budgets are created equal. And if you're working with a limited budget, that shouldn't mean you have to settle for a sub-par TV. Each TV model on this list has been chosen across a variety of price points to help accommodate different needs.Screen size:The most important factor to consider, after price, when shopping for a new TV is whether or not it will fit into your space. Each best TV on this list was chosen because they are available in a wide variety of sizes to suit different rooms.Picture and audio quality:A new TV doesn't mean much, even if it costs an arm and a leg, if it doesn't provide a great picture and clear audio. Each TV on this list has been ensured to support various HDR codecs, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as enhanced audio software like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and object-tracking sound.For a more detailed look, check outour extensive TV testing methodology.Featured reviews

AI is a journeygettyIf you worry that your organization is falling behind in its artificial intelligence initiatives, dont feel so bad just about everyone is still in the learning and piloting stages. And if its unclear whether there will be return on investment at the end of all this work, there is financial advantage as well, research out of MIT finds.There are at least four logical stages in AI advancement, and most enterprises are still working through the experimental and pilot stages, an analysis of 721 companies by the MIT Center for Information System Research (CISR) concludes. As AI proceeds, there is now evidence that overall financial performance advances as well.Most enterprises in the survey were in the first two stages of AI maturity and had financial performance below the industry average, according to the reports authors, led by Peter Weill and Stephanie Woerner, both with MIT. Enterprises in stages three and four, on the other hand, had financial performance well above industry average exceeding 10 percentage points.Weill and Woerner identified and measured the following four stages of AI progress:Stage 1: Experiment and prepare (28% of organizations). In this stage enterprises focus on educating their workforce, formulating AI policies, becoming more evidence-based, and experimenting with AI technologies to grow more comfortable with automated decision-making, the researchers explained. Company leaders start taking a look at how to address concerns such as ethics and skills to ensure a smooth path forward.Companies in Stage 1 averaged 9.6 percentage points below the industry average, the study found.Stage 2: Build pilots and capabilities (34%). At this stage of AI, proponents define important metrics, begin to simplify and automate business processes, and develop the enterprise capabilities theyve learned. At this stage, use cases are piloted, with work on leveraging enterprise data and developing APIs. Work with large language models also commences at this stage.MORE FOR YOUCompanies in Stage 2 averaged 2.2 percentage points below the industry average.Stage 3: Develop AI-driven ways of working (31%). At this stage, AI essentially becomes industrialized, meaning it is available and replicable across the enterprise. This includes work on building a core platform for AI, ensuring transparency to decision-makers via dashboards, and ultimately transforming the organizational culture to encourages data-driven and innovative thinking. Foundation models and small language models are introduced and applied to enterprise opportunities.Companies in Stage 3 averaged 8.7 percentage points above the industry average.Stage 4: Become AI future ready (7%). At this achievement stage, AI is embedded in all decision-making throughout the enterprise, the researchers state. They leverage proprietary AI internally, and many sell new business services based on this capability, the AI capability as a service, or both to other enterprises.Companies in Stage 4 averaged 10.4 percentage points above the industry average.Successfully moving through these stages of AI growth requires a cross-enterprise collaborative effort, as the technology can recast and accelerate many parts of the enterprise. Weill and Woerner cite examples of well-known companies at various phases of their AI journeys, such as Kaiser Permanente in the process of identifying AI values and ethics, to DBS Bank committing to conducting one thousand AI experiments per year, which has led to 350 AI use cases. And heres the clincher DBS expects the economic impact of these to exceed $1 billion in 2025, they report.One thing is clear; AI success is a journey, and the ability to rapidly leverage and adapt resources and technology is key as new technologies and capabilities keep arising almost every day.