Windows PCs running Intel’s latest processors with WiDi (Wireless Display) built in will be able to stream content directly to Samsung TVs, which will support the technology, the two companies announced.
WiDi will be fully integrated into the TVs, removing the need for a third-party adapter when making a connection with a PC streaming the content. The Wi-Di-enabled TVs should be coming to market by the end of the year.
This isn’t the first time Intel has made a deal with a major TV manufacturer. Samsung’s rival, LG, was the first to integrate WiDi into some of its TVs that came to market last year. About 10 million TVs from LG, Toshiba and TCL already have WiDi, but that number could double now that Samsung is in the mix. There’s no word on whether future announcements regarding the technology are pending with other manufacturers, but Intel has indicated that it wants to put the technology in smartphones and tablets.
Though Apple Macs have Intel chips, the company has shunned WiDi, opting instead to develop its own proprietary AirPlay standard.
Just this week, Microsoft revealed Windows 8.1 would include support for Miracast, a wireless format meant to compete with AirPlay, which uses Wi-Fi Direct connections to stream media from a computer, smartphone or tablet over to another display device, like TVs and in-car infotainment screens. Even AV receivers could potentially be Miracast-enabled. Device manufacturers would have to ensure Miracast support is included, and Google has supported it since launching Android 4.0.
The movement to cut out wires in the living room looks to heat up further now that TV manufacturers are embracing them just a little bit more.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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