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Netflix has released their 2016 list of "Netflix Recommended TVs," and only two manufacturers made the cut.

The company states that a TV must meet at least five of seven specific criteria to get the badge: They must turn on instantly, must resume activity once it's been stopped, it must offer the latest version of the app, the app must launch quickly or resume quickly, and it must be easy to find the app either through a dedicated button on the remote or through a dedicated icon in the user interface.

Only LG and Sony made the cut this time, each with a few TVs:

LG 2016 4K UHD TVs with webOS 3.0
UH6300 series | UH6500 series | UH7500 series | UH8500 series | UH9500 series | G6 series
TV has Instant On feature so your TV wakes and apps are ready to use right away. The TV Resume feature means that when Netflix was the last used app, the TV comes right back to Netflix when turned back on again. Apps start quickly and the WebOS interface enables easy navigation and switching between apps and inputs.

Sony
2016 Android 4K UHD TVs
X85D series | X93D series | X94D series

TV has Instant On feature so your TV wakes and apps are ready to use right away. In addition, TV turns on and launches Netflix with one press of the Netflix button on remote. The TV Resume feature means that when Netflix was the last used app, the TV comes right back to Netflix when turned back on again. Apps launch quickly and return where you left off. Android TV interface enables easy navigation and switching between apps and inputs.

Nintendo has announced this week that their mobile app Miitomo is a hit, with over 1 million downloads in its first three days of availability.

The app is especially a hit in Japan, where it remains the top free download in the nation. The app was first announced in October, and it was met with criticism since it featured Mii characters and not blockbuster franchise characters like Mario, Donkey Kong or Zelda. That doesn't seem to be a problem now with over a million downloads.

Miitomo lets users create their own Mii and profile based on their interests, and then you can interact with other Miitomo users and friends in a virtual social network. Nintendo makes money through in-app purchases of items for your Miis.

Nintendo has promised a U.S. release of the game by the end of the month.

As part of their larger event yesterday, Apple has also made iOS 9.3 available to all devices.

The most important part of the update is Night Shift mode, which is aimed at reducing blue light eye strain (digital strain) in the same way f.lux and Twilight do for PC/Mac and Android.

Additionally, the update adds TouchID integration to the Notes app (for better security) and improved 3D Touch functions.

Finally, the update also patches critical security bugs, including one recently discovered by researchers at Johns Hopkins University that could have affected millions.

Spotify founder Daniel Ek has proudly announced that the company has reached 30 million paid subscribers.

The last milestone was reached in June of last year, when the company topped 20 million, suggesting growth is strong at the streaming music giant.

Although Ek did not note it, there are an estimated 75 million free users of the service, as well, adding significant revenue via ads.

Against Apple, it seems Spotify is certainly holding its own. However, Apple Music has added over 11 million paying subscribers since launch in June and has launched for Android, as well, increasing its potential base by 1 billion users. Additionally, no one can argue that if Apple has significant marketing power and an almost infinite amount of cash to spend.

As part of their event today, Apple announced a price drop on their smartwatch, which will now start at $300 rather than $350.

The price drop is intended to keep new consumers interested in the Apple Watch, and the company also unveiled a plethora of new band options to keep existing consumers interested, as well.

Included are the new $149 Milanese loop and $50 woven nylon bands in seven colors.

As expected, Apple used today's special event to unveil their iPhone SE.

The SE has a 4-inch display (just like the iPhone 5) but packs powerful specs that, for the most part, match that of the new iPhone 6s.

With prices starting at $399, it is cheaper than current model iPhones but you do lose at least 7/10ths of an inch in hardware screen real estate. Features include a 64-bit Apple A9 processor, an M9 GPU, a 12MP iSight camera, TouchID, 4K support, "Hey Siri" support, Apple Pay support, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE and iOS 9.3.

The new (old) iPhone SE is available for pre-order on Thursday and will begin shipping on the 31st.

Following a witch hunt by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman, daily fantasy giants DraftKings and FanDuel are officially shut down in the state.

The settlement between the sites and the AG bans New York bettors from adding funds to their accounts and from using existing funds to place any bets. The ban is in effect until September, when the appeal for daily fantasy sports legality is scheduled to be heard.

If the companies lose their appeal, then all lawsuits and future appeals will be dropped and the AG also agrees to drop any claims, reads the settlement.

Both sites are now geoblocking and IP blocking all New York residents, just like it does for all other "closed states."

Microsoft has dropped the price of the Xbox One again, to $299, $50 off the regular price.

The cut applies to all bundles, meaning you can get the new 1TB HDD/The Division bundle for $350, a pretty slick deal.

Additionally, the company has cut the price of some games by $20, including Halo 5, but Microsoft says the deals are all "for a limited time."

Finally, the company said that starting tomorrow, select games in the Xbox Store will be discounted anywhere from 40 to 60 percent, including new games like Far Cry Primal.

Entire AfterDawn team wishes to congratulate Jari (one of our founders, our long-time CTO) and his girlfriend Susanna, who became dad and mom today!

Specs for the v1.0:

Gender M
Weight 3720g
Height 49cm

Microsoft has said this week that they will continue support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on Intel Skylake devices, fully guaranteeing extended support until July 17th, 2018.

After that date, users will still receive some critical updates: "After July 2018, all critical Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 security updates will be addressed for Skylake systems until extended support ends for Windows 7, January 14, 2020 and Windows 8.1 on January 10, 2023."

The update includes PCs and Skylake-embedded devices.

Source:
ZDNet

According to Deadline, Netflix will pay $90 million for the new R-rated thriller 'Bright' starring Will Smith - far and away its largest deal to date.

Bright is a fantasy thriller that has Smith partnered with Joel Edgerton and the film is directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) with a script by Max Landis (American Ultra).

Netflix had bidding rivals in Warner Bros., MGM, and PalmStar, although it is clear Netflix was willing to overpay.

For their money, Netflix gets a high-profile director and actor and the potential for millions of new subscribers paying $8.99 per month.

Apple has said this weekend that the U.S. government and Apple will be able to cross-examine each other's witnesses in court, and that the tech giant will make two employees available.

The hearing is set for Tuesday, and all the witnesses have given written declarations in the legal briefs that have already been filed in the case.

Apple will make Chief Privacy Engineer Erik Neuenschwander and Global Law Enforcement Manager Lisa Olle available as witnesses. In his declaration, Neuenschwander says "that Apple would need to create a new operating system to bypass its own security and challenges a government claim that the company creates individual software for different phones," according to Reuters. Olle argued "that creating the new operating system would be burdensome for Apple and would spark more requests from law enforcement. Apple would need to hire people 'whose sole function would be to assist with processing and effectuating such orders.'"

On the government side, two FBI agents will be available as witnesses, electronics engineer Stacey Perino and Christopher Pluhar.

Hacktivist group Anonymous has waged war on Donald Trump, posting tons of personal information about the Presidential candidate online via Pastebin.

According to the post, the group has released Trump's social security number, home address, phone numbers and birth certificate.

The group is calling the operation #‎OpWhiteRose and #OpTrump, and the group has derided Trump and his policies of "hate" and "racism."

Pope Francis has joined Instagram, marking the second time the Pope has made his presence felt via social media.

So far, the Pontifex has posted four images/videos with the most popular seeing 230,000 likes.

In 2014, the Pope joined Twitter and currently has 9 million followers. In less than a day on Instagram he already has 1.3 million followers, so it's clear that many are looking to get their religion, visually.

If you use the platform you can check out the page here: Instagram

According to Kotaku, Sony is working on a "PlayStation 4.5," an upgrade to the PS4 that will increase graphical power and support 4K gaming.

It appears that the updated console is being built to enhance the gaming experience of the upcoming PlayStation VR headset. It will also help the console compete better with the high-end specs of the PCs required for rival devices like the Oculus Rift.

The existing PS4 can support 4K output for photos and most video but cannot support gaming in the high resolution.

There are plenty of questions about the console, but for right now we have no answers. If the rumor is true, expect a lot more news later this year.