Netflix has begun streaming HDR10+ programming for AV1-enabled devices, enhancing the customer viewing experience for subscribers at the $25 per month Premium level. Previously, high-definition content had been limited to HDR10 and Dolby Vision, which it will continue to offer. Netflix has been “a pioneering adopter of High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology” starting nearly a decade ago, not only streaming in the format but also producing and encoding in it. “In the last five years, HDR streaming has increased by more than 300 percent” on Netflix while HDR-configured devices have more than doubled, according to the company. Continue reading Netflix Enhanced Viewing Supports HDR10+ on AV1 Devices

Japanese tech investment firm Softbank has agreed to acquire Silicon Valley chip startup Ampere for $6.5 billion, indicating that technology originating in smartphones will eventually become integral to global data centers and the future of artificial intelligence. The eight-year-old Ampere sells chips based on Arm technology, the processor type used in virtually all mobile phones. SoftBank purchased Arm in 2016 and has since been working to ensure the technology becomes used more broadly. Softbank says it will allow Ampere to retain its own name, operating it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Continue reading Softbank Agrees to Acquire Chipmaker Ampere for $6.5 Billion

Speaking in San Francisco during the Game Developers Conference this week, Netflix Games President Alain Tascan discussed how its gaming content can keep the platform’s 700 million-plus customers entertained between seasons. “We are not yet the Netflix of games, but that is where we are headed,” the executive said, calling gaming “the biggest shift in entertainment in the last 30 years.” In light of global youth’s involvement with games, “we see we need to be there,” Tascan said. Netflix added its first mobile games in 2021 and has since expanded by purchasing video game studios and building one from scratch. Continue reading Netflix Execs Discuss a Continued Push into Gaming Business

A new Discord Social SDK allows developers to integrate the platform in-app for games. Discord is massively popular with gamers; the company estimates PC players alone spend more than 1.5 billion hours each month on the platform. This free SDK can extend the user experience beyond the third-party content in which it becomes embedded to reach the platform’s community of over 200 million monthly active users. “Developers can power friends lists, cross-platform messaging, voice and more for all players — with or without a Discord account,” the company announced. Continue reading New Discord Social SDK Integrates Platform In-App for Games

Warner Bros. Discovery is updating its Discovery+ technology to offer expanded streaming features, initially for subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. As the service migrates to the same technical platform and infrastructure that powers WBD’s Max service globally, customers will gain features including more personalized recommendations, improved homepage and navigation, better in-app discovery and a mobile “share” to social media, among other things. “A singular unified platform has been central to our technology strategy, and this marks a major milestone in that journey,” WBD CTO Avi Saxena said of the change. Continue reading WBD Updates Discovery+ Tech Stack and Adds New Features

Apple’s iOS 18 update added Rich Communication Services (RCS), which meant better integration with Android users, including media sharing and chat. Now the GSMA has added end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which Apple will implement to allow iPhone users to share E2EE files and messages with Android users. The new specs make RCS the first mainstream messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between different providers, according to the GSMA. Coupled with SIM-based authentication, “E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for protection” from fraud and threats, GSMA adds. Continue reading End-to-End Encryption Bridges Gap Between iOS and Android

Snapchat has introduced AI Video Lenses for those paying $16 per month for its Platinum tier. Powered by Snap’s custom-built generative video model, the initial three releases are a fox that perches on your shoulder, rambunctious racoons and a large bouquet of flowers with a zoom out effect. After selecting an AI Video Lens and applying it to a Snap, the AI video generates in the background, auto-saving save to Memories while users are free to continue messaging and Snapping on the app. The resulting video can be shared with friends or to Stories and Spotlight. Continue reading Snap Launches Generative AI Video Lenses for Platinum Subs

CES 2025 welcomed over 141,000 attendees from around the globe to Las Vegas. With more than 4,500 exhibitors, including 1,400 startups, and more than 6,000 media attendees, CES highlights the innovation and technology trends addressing global challenges and shaping the future. This year’s show focused on artificial intelligence, unveiling a wave of innovative offerings — whether practical, visionary or experimental. Among the show’s major trends were AI integration across all industries, shifting demographics and purchasing patterns (with Gen Z the one to watch), sustainability and security, and smart devices and smarter homes. ETC@USC attended the conference for live reporting on products and services. Our post-show report features extensive coverage and perspectives related to key creative, business, and technology areas. Continue reading ETC’s CES 2025 Report: Focus on AI Innovation & Integration

Adobe has released a Photoshop mobile app that includes several design, editing and generative AI tools found useful in the desktop version of the popular graphics software. Initially being released globally to iOS users, Adobe says an Android version will be available later this year and that a revamped web app is also in the works. The mobile app includes features like layering, masking and Firefly’s AI-powered generative fill, which has proven popular with users. The iPhone app also ties into the full-featured, Adobe Cloud-based Photoshop so creators can access projects across multiple devices. Continue reading Adobe Introduces a Powerful, Free Photoshop App for Mobile

Apple has debuted a new smartphone for budget-conscious shoppers. The iPhone 16e has been dubbed “the SE killer” since it succeeds the previous bottom-line entry, which came out in 2022. Pricing begins at $599, with preorders starting Friday followed by general availability on February 28. The iPhone 16e features Apple’s speedy A18 chip, with 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. It also includes Apple Intelligence and a 48MP 2-in-1 camera system. With increasing global competition in the low-priced phone space, this latest entry intends to get the upscale Apple brand back into the game. Continue reading Apple Touts Affordability, AI with Feature-Packed iPhone 16e

TVs have become the primary viewing platform for YouTube in the U.S., surpassing mobile and desktop by watch time. The platform, which turns 20 this year, has gone from people “filming grainy videos of themselves on desktop computers to building studios and producing popular talk shows and feature-length films.” Content creators are “becoming the startups of Hollywood,” wrote CEO Neal Mohan in his annual letter to the YouTube user base. Mohan emphasized the company’s role in the entertainment ecosystem as 2024 marked the second consecutive year that YouTube was the most-watched streaming platform in the U.S., according to Nielsen. Continue reading TV Surpasses Mobile as YouTube’s Primary Viewing Platform

The long-awaited Apple TV app for Android mobile devices has officially launched on the Google Play Store, providing Android users access to original series and movies on Apple TV+ (currently offered as a seven-day free trial), in addition to MLS Season Pass (in time for Major League Soccer’s 2025 season that begins the weekend of February 22). Apple TV+ also offers a Major League Baseball double-header on Fridays with no local broadcast restrictions. Subscriptions to Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass are available through Google Play accounts for Android mobile and Google TV devices. The Apple TV+ subscription presently runs $9.99 per month. Continue reading Apple TV App Is Available via Google Play for Android Devices

T‑Mobile is acting to eliminate mobile dead zones by launching T-Mobile Starlink, which it says is “the first and only space‑based mobile network in the U.S. that automatically connects to your phone in areas no cellular network reaches.” For now, the service offers SMS text messaging, with “data and voice calls coming later,” according to T-Mobile. The beta is open to everyone, “even Verizon and AT&T customers,” with registration required for free access through July, at which point added fees will kick in for all but those on the T-Mobile Go5G Next plan, on sale now for $150 per month. Continue reading T-Mobile Launches Starlink-Based Mobile Service for Everyone

Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo has developed what it is calling the world’s thinnest book-style foldable phone. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Oppo Find N5 runs on Android and includes Google’s Gemini AI to power its Oppo AI intelligent features. The company has put a lot of effort into reducing the visibility of the display’s crease, said to be imperceptible at certain angles and nearly impossible to detect by touch. Beyond that, it has IPX6/IPX8/IPX9 water resistance ratings and 50W wireless charging. The Oppo Find N5 is scheduled for global release on February 20. Continue reading Oppo Find N5 Is World’s Thinnest ‘Book-Style’ Foldable Phone

Snap has created a lightweight AI text-to-image model that will run on-device, expected to power some Snapchat mobile features in the months ahead. Using an iPhone 16 Pro Max, the model can produce high-resolution images in approximately 1.4 seconds, running on the phone, which reduces computational costs. Snap says the research model “is the continuation of our long-term investment in cutting edge AI and ML technologies that enable some of today’s most advanced interactive developer and consumer experiences.” Among the Snapchat AI features the new model will enhance are AI Snaps and AI Bitmoji Backgrounds. Continue reading Snap Develops a Lightweight Text-to-Video AI Model In-House