🚢 “Cruise” into a virtual train ride: VR is coming to a new Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The restaurant is in a digital train car. Passengers sit in fancy booths with simulated sceneries on giant displays that look like windows. Subwoofers in the seats simulate the vibrations of the tracks. The first theme? Western. Giddyup!
Get a free 4K TV … with 1 key trade-off
A startup from the co-founder of Pluto TV is giving out at least 500,000 free TVs. Yep, you heard me right. The company started shipping them in July last year and planned to send half a million sets by the end of 2023. But it’s still accepting reservations, so it’s not too late to put your name on the list. More on that later.
The 55-inch 4K models from Telly have all the bells and whistles. The only catch? You pay with your data.
One long commercial break
The TVs have 4K HDR displays (not the very best you can buy, but totally solid), a built-in five-driver soundbar and a free 4K Android streaming stick. They have a dual-screen design combining a 55-inch 4K HDR Theater Display with a second Smart Screen.
You can control it with your voice — “Hey Telly” — or through built-in motion sensors. There’s also a camera for video calls.
The kicker: About a quarter of the smaller screen under the main one shows ads. And you can’t opt out of your TV’s tracking.
How smart is too smart?
In reality, all smart TVs are tracking what we do and watch — then packaging that up to sell to advertisers.
Take Vizio. The company made $1.6 million in gross profit selling TVs in the first quarter of 2023. But they earned $73.8 million in profits on the Platform Plus business — which includes selling advertising and viewer data. Yup, Vizio TVs are just there to sell ads and data.
So, how much money is Telly bringing in with these ads? The numbers are difficult to track down, but Connected TV (CTV) advertising generated nearly $26 billion in 2023 and is expected to keep growing. Yikes! FYI, CTV ads are the ones you see on streaming platforms.
When the product is free …
You’re the product. I say this all the time. To see what Telly gets, look no further than the terms of service. I read it, so you don’t have to.
Have a MacBook and an iPad? Use this new trick to control both at the same time
What is Universal Control for Apple devices? iOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 both ushered in a new era of Apple functionality.
Universal Control lets you use the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices and work seamlessly between them. Tap or click here to turn your iPad into a full-fledged computer.
Great smartphones well under $500
There are tons of smartphone options to choose from when you’re looking to upgrade or replace your phone — some with multiple HD cameras, others with high-end, top-notch displays. But while there are plenty of options to choose from, most brand-new smartphones available for purchase will make a serious dent in your wallet.