Say 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 $13,000 For 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 Pretty 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 for economy or ecology , 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 work To 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 Optimization While 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 I 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. Also: Samsung Frame TV 2024 vs. 2023: Comparing the key differences 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 eyes Finding 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 you To 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 Dimming Another 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 Most 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, with glossy describing 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 tested Go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Picture Clarity Settings (Note that on Samsung TVs, Motion Smoothing is called Picture Clarity or Auto Motion Plus.) From 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. ZDNET's product of the year: Why Oura Ring 4 bested Samsung, Apple, and others in 2024 I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and watching Hollywood movies on it left me in awe I let my 8-year-old test this Android phone for kids. Here's what you should know before buying This ThinkPad checks all my boxes for a solid work laptop. Here's why it stands outBeyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad
A private nuclear fallout shelter has long been a perk of the ultrawealthy. Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian, and Bill Gates have reportedly all invested in luxurious underground bunkers to survive the worst-case scenario of a nuclear war. But nuclear bunkers aren’t just for the elites. Increasingly, average homeowners are investing in a bunker , typically a structure made of steel, buried underground, and equipped with an NBC (nuclear, biochemical) air filtration system . “We’ve definitely seen a spike in customers. After the invasion of Ukraine, my phone rang about every 30 seconds,” says Ron Hubbard, CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters in Sulphur Springs, TX, which designs and builds private bunkers. The market for fallout shelters has increased from an estimated $137 million in 2023 to $175 million in 2030, according to a report from consulting firm Blue Weave . “My customers are concerned about nuclear war, biological attacks, or any kind of chemical attacks,” says Hubbard. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Gaza spurred sales. His shelters start at $20,000 and can run into the millions. Are nuclear bunkers necessary? Many experts say no. Provided a person doesn’t die in the initial blast, they point out there is a decent chance of survival. However, that survival might not be pretty. “In times of extreme stress, like the ones after a nuclear explosion, people become desperate,” says California real estate investor Jameson Tyler Drew, who has sold homes with “old Cold War” bunkers. “Food and water become difficult for most unprepared people to find.” One need only read the accounts of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, after the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on the cities in 1945, to know that surviving a nuclear blast is just the tip of the iceberg. Some experts warn that bunkers give the populace a false sense of safety—and distract them from demanding an end to the buildup of nuclear weapons. “Bunkers are, in fact, not a tool to survive a nuclear war, but a tool to allow a population to psychologically endure the possibility of a nuclear war,” Alicia Sanders-Zakre at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons told the Associated Press . Massachusetts Congressman James McGovern, who has been fighting for nonproliferation for 50 years, agrees. “If we ever get to a point where there’s all-out nuclear war, underground bunkers aren’t going to protect people,” he says. “Instead, we ought to be investing our resources and our energy trying to talk about a nuclear weapons freeze, initially.” The end of civil defense Bunkers—both public and private —hit their peak in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War. “While fallout shelters appear to be experiencing a renaissance, their heyday was unquestionably in the post-World War II years, a literal expression of the Atomic Age,” says Larry Samuel, author of “ Home Ownership in America .” “In fact, some real estate entrepreneurs of the 1950s and 1960s believed there could be a mass market for underground homes if they were promoted properly. ‘Underground home’ was the preferred term over the decidedly negative ‘fallout shelter.’” Many other countries—even those that have been in peacetime for decades—have civil defense mandates, with many public buildings required to have underground safety areas in case of attack. Switzerland, Norway, and Finland, for example, have vast networks of underground bunkers that can accommodate tens of thousands of people. “There’s no civil defense plan in the U.S.,” laments Hubbard. “If a nuclear bomb hit New York City, it would take everyone out.” In the U.S., fears of a nuclear bomb have generally been displaced by other fears, such as extreme weather events and mass shooters. But those who are concerned about nuclear annihilation aren’t waiting for the government to take action—they are buying their own bunkers and installing them in their backyards. While FEMA stipulates that each occupant of a bunker must have at least 10 square feet and 6.5 feet of headroom, those with the means also want to bring their above-ground luxuries below ground. They should also consult with their municipality to determine what permits might be needed. The most high-end bunkers—designed so people can comfortably live in them for months if not years—contain all the rooms a regular house would. Sometimes much more. Take the Survival Condo condominiums somewhere outside of Kansas City. (Most people don’t want to advertise the exact locations of their bunkers, lest they be overrun with unwanted guests.) The condos run from $1.5 million to $4 million. Common areas include an indoor swimming pool, spa, game room, cinema, putting green, gym, hydroponic food production, and a redundant water supply with 75,000-gallon backup tanks. What if you don’t have millions for a nuclear-proof condo? How to survive a nuclear attack Most experts agree you can survive a nuclear blast by finding shelter as soon as possible. “It will take about 15 minutes for the radioactive fallout to arrive for those a mile or more away from ground zero,” Michael Dillon, a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, told the Associated Press. “It’s going to literally be sand falling on your head, and you’re going to want to get out of that situation. You want to go to your most robust building.” “If your home wasn’t near the epicenter of the blast, the most you’ll have to deal with is the radioactive fallout,” adds Drew. “So long as you don’t expose yourself to this radioactive dust, you should survive.” He recommends buying an earthquake survival kit, stocking enough food and water for at least two weeks, duct-taping your doors and windows, and keeping dried apple juice powder on hand to “flush out harmful cesium isotopes.” If you must go outside, he recommends tossing your newly radioactive clothes and scrubbing them down with soap and water before reentering your house. Even Hubbard, who says he sells at least a bunker a day, admits that one doesn’t necessarily need a bunker to survive a nuclear bomb. “You want to go to the lowest-lying level place you can get and you want as much earth as you can get between you and the outside,” he advises. “Nuclear fallout decays at the rate of 90% per day; after four days, the radiation is at one-thousandth of its strength. You’re going to get that on a hot day with the sun on you. Nuclear war is very survivable if you’re prepared and know what to do.” He points out that hundreds of nuclear warheads have been dropped an hour outside of Las Vegas and “no one died.” These days, a few generations from the Cold War, investing in an expensive bunker might seem paranoid. But Hubbard says that even if his customers don’t think a nuclear war will start in their lifetimes, they want to have a bunker for the future. “A bunker will last centuries,” he says. “This is an investment for their children and grandchildren.” Though he admits sales have lately slowed a bit—thanks to President-elect Donald Trump.Trevor Lawrence's 2024 season likely came to a premature end on Wednesday. The Jaguars ' standout suffered a brutal injury on Sunday , falling victim to an Azeez Al-Shaair forearm to the head in Jacksonville's 23-20 defeat to the Texans. Lawrence, who was carted off the field after displaying the fencing response typically associated with head injuries , was soon diagnosed with a concussion. On Wednesday, the nature of his injury was laid bare for all to see. Lawrence was officially placed on injured reserve, all but assuring that his fourth year in teal and gold was finished. Here's what you need to know about the particulars of Lawrence's injury and projected absence. NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule How long is Trevor Lawrence out? The Jaguars placed Lawrence on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively pulling the plug on the fourth-year signal-caller's season. Lawrence suffered a concussion after absorbing a crushing shot to the head from Texans LB Al-Shaair while sliding to the ground on Sunday. Al-Shaair was handed a three-game ban for his antics. By placing Lawrence on IR, Jacksonville ensures that its long-term gunslinger misses out its next four contests. RELATED: Azeez Al-Shaair suspended for hit on Trevor Lawrence Theoretically, Lawrence could return to the fold for the Jags' season finale against Indianapolis. With Jacksonville currently projected to receive the first-overall pick , it seems unlikely that the franchise would give the reins back to its star QB for a one-off — especially if that one-off could jeopardize its draft stock. Lawrence finished his 2024 campaign with a 2-8 record across 10 starts. He completed 60.6 percent of his passes, tallying 2,045 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns to seven interceptions. The Jaguars' struggles weren't entirely of his own doing. Head coach Doug Peterson has come under the microscope in recent weeks, with his schematic shortcomings, questionable personnel moves, and inability to coax more out of his roster — which finished above .500 in each of the past two seasons — looking likely to condemn him to unemployment come the end of the year. Still, Lawrence took a step back during his fourth year in northeastern Florida. His completion percentage dropped to its lowest mark since his rookie season, and he posted a passer rating below league average. Trevor Lawrence stats 2024 CMP-ATT CMP% YDS PASS TDs INT SACK RTG RUSHES RUSH YDS RUSH TDs 172-284 60.3 2,045 11 7 18 85.2 26 119 3 Trevor Lawrence contract details Years: 5 Value: $275 million AAV: $55 million Lawrence inked a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars during the offseason. His deal doesn't actually kick in until the 2025 season, though. Lawrence earned $37 million this year, but he will see his average annual value (AAV) leap to $55 million in 2025. Of the $275 million Lawrence is set to receive, $200 million of it is guaranteed. He pocketed $142 million of that total at the time of his signing. Once Lawrence's contract kicks in, he'll join Joe Burrow and Jordan Love as the second-highest-paid hurlers in the league, trailing only Cowboys star Dak Prescott, per Spotrac . Jaguars QB depth chart Rank Player 1 Mac Jones 2 John Rhys Plumlee With Lawrence out for the foreseeable future, Mac Jones will take on starting responsibilities. The former first-round pick has thrown for 512 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions across five appearances this season. It's not the first time this season the Jaguars have called on their second-string slinger. Lawrence has dealt with an AC joint sprain since early November, the second time he's suffered the injury in his NFL career. This forced him to miss the team's past two contests.NEW YORK — Federal investigators in New York are seeking records from the manufacturer of an AI-powered weapons scanner that was briefly deployed this summer in New York City’s subway system. The tech company, Evolv, revealed in a public filing that it “received a voluntary document request from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York” on Nov. 1. It was unclear what the request was seeking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment on the request, which was first reported by the Daily News. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Evolv said the company was “pleased to cooperate with all government agencies and regulators who request information from our company.” The Massachusetts-based tech company, whose scanners have also been used at sports stadiums and schools, has faced allegations of misconduct. Last month, Evolv’s board of directors fired its chief executive following an internal investigation that found certain sales had been “subject to extra-contractual terms and conditions.” On Tuesday, the company announced it had resolved a previous probe launched by the Federal Trade Commission last year over allegations of deceptive marketing practices. The company is also under separate investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Despite the legal and regulatory scrutiny, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a pilot program this summer to bring a handful of scanners to the city’s subways to deter gun violence. The initiative drew immediate criticism from civil liberties groups who said the searches were unconstitutional, along with questions about its efficacy. In October, the city revealed the scanners did not detect any passengers with firearms — but falsely alerted more than 100 times. At the time, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said it was still “evaluating the outcome of the pilot” and had not entered into any contract with Evolv.
By DEVNA BOSE One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | NASA’s stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go National News | Imprisoned Proud Boys leader balks at answering a prosecutor’s questions about Capitol attack National News | 7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.Browns will have to be jinx busters to sweep Steelers for first time since 1988None
None