Month: August 2022

Categories
Australia

Perth man denied bail over alleged Broome jogger rape as police say he shaved beard to alter appearance

A masked police officer with his arms folded, police tape across a footpath

A Perth man has been denied bail after it was revealed he allegedly shaved his beard to avoid identification over a sexual assault on a jogger in Broome last week.

Dean Osborne, 52, appeared in the Broome Magistrate’s Court on Monday, charged with three counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent, over the incident in Broome’s north on Friday morning.

Police allege Mr Osborne, an electrician on a contract working in the tourist town, was walking in the opposite direction to a woman who was out on a run around 5am.

The court heard as he passed her, he allegedly pushed her into bushes and sexually assaulted her.

Two officers speak to residents outside a house in Broome
Several residents nearby heard the woman screaming.(ABC Kimberley: Jessica Hayes)

Several members of the public heard the screams as well as neighbors in surrounding houses, but despite attempts to stop the accused he left the scene on foot.

In determining bail, Magistrate Andrew Maughan asked the prosecution to determine the strength of the police case against Osborne.

Police said they had found DNA on the victim in “multiple locations”, including Mr Osborne’s possessions at the scene.

They said his legs and arms appeared to be covered in scratches from the alleged victim, and he was caught on CCTV going from the scene back to his accommodation.

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Categories
US

How R9X Knife Bomb Became Prime Weapon for Hard-to-Reach Terrorists

How R9X Knife Bomb Became Prime Weapon for Hard-to-Reach Terrorists

  • The US killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a precision airstrike this month.
  • The circumstances of the strike suggest the US used the R9X variant of its Hellfire missile.
  • The R9X is basically a missile packed with swords, and the US is very secretive about its use.

The US killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al Qaeda and a deputy of the late Osama bin Laden, in a precision airstrike earlier this month.

One of the most wanted terrorists in the world, al-Zawahiri was killed as he stood on a balcony of a house in Kabul. The early morning strike was conducted by a drone that fired two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

Unlike past drone strikes in Afghanistan, including one in the final days of the US withdrawal last year, this strike is believed to have only killed its intended target and caused little collateral damage — suggesting that the CIA-led attack made use of one of the most secretive weapons in the US arsenal.

The AGM-114 R9X Hellfire missile

Sherpur area of ​​Kabul afghanistan

The Sherpur area of ​​Kabul following the US airstrike on Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, August 2, 2022.

REUTERS/Ali Khara


Developed in an attempt to reduce collateral damage and civilian casualties, the R9X Hellfire missile is probably one of the most, if not the most, precise munitions of its kind in the world.

While other versions of the Hellfire take out targets in the expected ways — through explosive force or with shrapnel — the R9X crushes or slices a target to death. It is essentially a flying bundle of swords that can kill the occupant of a car without harming people around the vehicle.

The missile itself is about 6 feet long and 100 pounds with six 18-inch blades that pop out of its midsection seconds before impact. Propelled by the missile, they can slice through most anything in their path and have a reported kill radius of 3 feet.

Precision drone strikes are nothing new in the US-led war on terror. Since 2001, US leaders have turned to unmanned aerial systems to monitor, track, and take out terrorists all over the world.

In this undated photo, Ayman al-Zawahiri (R) sits next to Osama bin Laden (L).

Ayman al-Zawahiri, right, and Osama bin Laden in an undated photo.

Visual News/Getty Images


The heavy reliance on drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere led to increased civilian casualties. That, along with terrorists’ attempts to surround themselves with civilians to avoid US airstrikes, prompted development of the R9X during the Obama administration, according to US officials who revealed the ammunition’s existence to The Wall Street Journal in 2019.

The US military has used the AGM-114 Hellfire for decades. Several variants tailored to different operational circumstances have been developed and become some of the most frequently used precision-guided munitions. In 2015 alone, units assigned to US Special Operations Command fired more than 1,000 Hellfire missiles of all variants, primarily against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.

The R9X variant is reserved for the most important and hardest-to-reach targets and doesn’t appear to be used often.

Some prominent cases of his employment include a 2019 strike in Yemen against Jamal al-Badawi, an Al Qaeda terrorist behind the USS Cole bombing in 2000; a 2017 strike in Syria against Ahmad Hasan Abu Khayr al-Masri, deputy leader of Al Qaeda; and a 2020 strike in Syria against Sayyaf al-Tunsi, a senior Al Qaeda member.

R9X Hellfire for special operators

MQ-1 Predator drone AGM-114 Hellfire missile

An MQ-1 Predator drone prepares for a night mission over southeastern Iraq, July 29, 2009.

US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Tony Ritter


The strike on al-Zawahiri was carried out by the CIA, but the US intelligence community isn’t the only one using the R9X.

US Special Operations Command is “the first purchaser” of the missile, the Pentagon says. SOCOM and the secretive unit within it, Joint Special Operations Command, have used the missile several times in the past to take out high-value targets across the Middle East.

The US special-operations community as a whole heavily invested in aerial drones after seeing early in the war on terror that they offer immense utility and flexibility to commanders. Today, all special-operations units use drones of all sizes.

The strike on al-Zawahiri was reportedly conducted with an MQ-9 Reaper, a newer, heavier version of the MQ-1 Predator. Another Predator variant, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, remains in use with the “Night Stalkers” of the US Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Categories
Business

2022 Kia EV6: 115 more electric cars available – but long wait times remain

2022 Kia EV6: 115 more electric cars available – but long wait times remain

An additional 115 Kia EV6 electric cars will be made available to buyers in the queue this year – but for new orders, long wait times of up to two years remain.

alex misoyannis
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Australia will be allocated close to 25 per cent more 2022 Kia EV6 electric cars for the rest of this year – but wait times look unlikely to improve from their current two-year mark.

As foreshadowed in June, Kia Australia’s initial allocation of 500 EV6s for 2022 will be increased to 615 cars, after successfully persuading head office in South Korea.

However, the increased allocation is unlikely to have a significant effect on wait times, with Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith telling Australian media last month the customer queue – at current production rates – still stretches at least two years.

“We had 500 [cars allocated to Australia at launch], we now have an extra 100 to bring us to 600 for this year, a 20 per cent increase,” Meredith said. “The waiting time based on current output? Probably about two years.”

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The Kia Australia executive said at the time the company “could sell about 3000 [EV6s] annually, based on current demand,” if there was unlimited supply.

“We would like to be able to deliver more cars more quickly and we appreciate the high level of interest in this car,” said Mr Meredith.

“We ask our customers to please be patient, place an order, and get in the queue – because then we can go to the factory and demonstrate how many orders we have.”

The expanded allocation does not include the upcoming, high-performance GT variant, due in showrooms before year’s end. It will have its own allocation – though Kia Australia has not confirmed how many examples will be available.

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The increased allotment of Kia EV6 electric cars mirrors its twin under the skin, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, shipments of which are slated to increase over the coming months.

Unlike Kia Australia and its lengthy waiting list at dealerships, Hyundai Australia has elected to sell the Ioniq 5 at fixed prices online, to better control stock allocation.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is released in batches (dubbed “drops”) of about 100 cars every one to two months, ready for delivery within weeks of ordering.

With the latest August 10 release included, Hyundai Australia has made 818 examples of the Ioniq 5 available to buyers over the past 12 months – 322 of which have been offered in the past three months.

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Since deliveries began early in 2022, Kia Australia has reported 346 examples of the EV6s as sold.

While Hyundai has reported 518 Ioniq 5s as sold over a similar period of time (coincidentally reporting 346 as sold in 2022).

It’s worth noting these totals are believed to include both customer vehicles, as well as those on each manufacturer’s fleet for media evaluation and promotional events (including by Kia at the Australian Open tennis event in January).

Prices were recently increased by $4600 across the Kia EV6 range – for new customers, and those already with an order. The range now starts from $72,590 plus on-road costs.

alex misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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Categories
Technology

Asmongold reveals he sent Blizzard Entertainment a message regarding drop chances of certain items in World of Warcraft

Asmongold reads out a message that he sent to Blizzard Entertainment (Image via Sportskeeda)

Twitch star Zack “Asmongold” revealed that he sent a message to Blizzard Entertainment regarding the drop rates of certain items in World of Warcraft.

The streamer is a known completionist and has been hosting mount and rare item collection streams on his alternate Twitch channel.

After being unable to get a rare item called Necroray Egg from an in-game box, Tribute of the Ambitious, Zack stated that he has taken the matter to Blizzard Entertainment and complained about the drop rates of such items.

Asmongold reads out a message he sent to Blizzard Entertainment regarding drop rates in World of Warcraft

The OTK (One True King) co-founder is a vocal critic of the game and does not shy away from providing his opinions on Blizzard Entertainment’s hugely popular MMORPG.

On August 8, Zack was busy farming rare items and mounts on stream. While he was at it, he completed the required activities to get a box called Tribute of the Ambitious, which had a chance to contain a rare mount, Necroray.

youtube-cover

After opening the box and failing to get the mount, Asmongold revealed that he complained about the matter to Blizzard Entertainment and asked his viewers if they were interested in seeing what he wrote to the game developer.

Fans expressed their eagerness, so the streamer opened a word document and began reading the message out loud:

“What is the design goal with the Necroray Eggs that drop from the Maldraxxus calling boxes? Personally, I’ve opened ~170 boxes and received 0 eggs, and while I thought maybe I was having bad luck, I looked online, and there were people who had opened over 300 without seeing a single egg.”

Asmongold claimed that the average player would likely spend a year farming the items in the hopes of acquiring them:

“Assuming the chance of getting an egg is between 1-50 and 1 and 100, an average player would have to spend an entire YEAR farming these callings, assuming equal representation of covenants (anyone serious would be Maldraxxus covenant so they could get the generic ‘complete Maw encounters’ and ‘collect rare items’ etc. callings to reward a Maldraxxus box as well as they are given based on your current covenant) to obtain just one of these eggs, let alone the three that are required to have all the mounts.”

Zack continued by saying that if the low chance of the item dropping was an intended design, he would continue farming them. However, it felt excessive that a player had to work so hard for an item that was merely a recolor of a mount that was released two expansions ago:

“As someone who’s collected every single paragon mount in the game, farming these has to be a dramatic departure from the rest in a generally negative way. Looking at comments on Wowhead, others feel the same. If this is actually the intended design, then so be it! I’ll keep farming lol. However, it seems disproportionate that a reward you need 3x of that’s just a recolor from the 7.3 Argus Ray takes seemingly over 10 times longer to obtain.”

The strong message to Blizzard Entertainment came to an end as Asmongold claimed that he did not want to come off as an angry mount collector and was only expressing legitimate concerns regarding the low chances of obtaining certain rewards:

“I don’t want to come off like a mount collector who’s salty, they didn’t get the drop (I am), but moreso draw attention and ask a legitimate question considering there’s a good chance it might not be intended, given the precedent set by previous paragon box/calling box rewards.”

After reading the message, Asmongold added some final thoughts on the subject:

“I genuinely don’t believe that there was any thinking involved. It’s just thrown in there haphazardly and without really any consideration. You know what another example is? It’s like Blizzard didn’t even know the health of Castle Nathria bosses went up. “

Fans react to Asmongold’s message to Blizzard Entertainment

Fans in the YouTube comment section provided a wide range of opinions, with some stating that the unending grind for items in the game has diminished their desire to play the MMORPG:

Fans react to the streamer's message to the game developers 1/2 (Image via Asmongold Clips/YouTube)
Fans react to the streamer’s message to the game developers 1/2 (Image via Asmongold Clips/YouTube)

Others present the following viewpoints:

Also Read
Story Continues below

Fans react to the streamer's message to the game developers 2/2 (Image via Asmongold Clips/YouTube)
Fans react to the streamer’s message to the game developers 2/2 (Image via Asmongold Clips/YouTube)

Asmongold is one of the biggest World of Warcraft enthusiasts on Twitch. He has played and streamed the game for more than 6,300 hours on his channel. Apart from WoW, he has also played other titles such as Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Final Fantasy XIV, and Lost Ark.

Edited by Siddharth Satish

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Categories
Entertainment

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen rocks chic jumpsuit as she steps out with her kids in LA

Doting mom: Chrissy Teigen was spotted while spending time with her children, Luna and Miles, during an outing at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen rocks chic jumpsuit as she steps out with her kids in LA… days after announcing pregnancy

By Sam Joseph Semon For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Chrissy Teigen was spotted while spending time with her children, Luna and Miles, during an outing at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

The 36-year-old social media personality kept her daughter and son, aged six and four, close while making her way through the shopping center.

The cookbook author is currently prepping to welcome a third child into her family, and she announced her pregnancy with a post that was shared to her Instagram account four days ago.

Doting mom: Chrissy Teigen was spotted while spending time with her children, Luna and Miles, during an outing at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon

Doting mom: Chrissy Teigen was spotted while spending time with her children, Luna and Miles, during an outing at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon

Teigen covered up her growing baby bump with a dark blue denim jumpsuit during the outing.

The media figure also rocked a pair of platform leather sandals while she spent time with her children.

The model accessorized with a pair of tinted aviator-style sunglasses that added a bit of glam to her outfit.

Her gorgeous brunette locks remained tied into a bun that sat on top of her head.

Fashionable: Teigen covered up her growing baby bump with a dark blue denim jumpsuit during the outing

Fashionable: Teigen covered up her growing baby bump with a dark blue denim jumpsuit during the outing

Shining bright: The model accessorized with a pair of tinted aviator-style sunglasses that added a bit of glam to her outfit

Shining bright: The model accessorized with a pair of tinted aviator-style sunglasses that added a bit of glam to her outfit

Teigen will share her forthcoming child with her longtime husband, John Legend.

The now-married couple initially met while working on the set of a music video in 2006.

The pair dated for several years before the singer popped the big question in 2011.

The two went on to hold a wedding ceremony that took place in Italy two years later.

Happy family: Teigen will share her forthcoming child with her longtime husband, John Legend

Happy family: Teigen will share her forthcoming child with her longtime husband, John Legend

Teigen and Legend subsequently started a family with Luna’s birth, which took place in 2016.

The happy couple went on to expand their family after they brought Miles into their lives two years later.

The social media personality later announced that she had become pregnant for a third time in August of 2020.

However, she later revealed that she had tragically lost her baby the following month.

Letting everyone know: Teigen went on to announce that she was pregnant for the fourth time with a post that were shared to her Instagram account last week

Letting everyone know: Teigen went on to announce that she was pregnant for the fourth time with a post that were shared to her Instagram account last week

Teigen subsequently gave the public further details about the loss with a post that was shared to her Instagram account, where she revealed that she and Legend had chosen to name their baby Jack.

She also shared a photo of herself mourning the loss of her child while spending time in hospital.

The author went on to reveal that she would not be able to carry another child in the future.

The social media personality did point out, however, that she was very grateful for the presence and support of her two children.

Letting everyone know: Teigen subsequently gave the public further details about the loss with a post that was shared to her Instagram account, where she revealed that she and Legend had chosen to name their baby Jack

Letting everyone know: Teigen subsequently gave the public further details about the loss with a post that was shared to her Instagram account, where she revealed that she and Legend had chosen to name their baby Jack

Teigen went on to announce that she was pregnant for the fourth time with a post that was shared to her Instagram account last week.

The model shared several shots to show off her growing baby bump to her nearly 39 million followers.

She also penned a lengthy message where she noted that she utilized in vitro fertilization to conceive her forthcoming child.

The author also wrote that ‘so far, everything is perfect and beautiful and I’m feeling hopeful and amazing.’

The social media personality has not announced when she is expecting to welcome her child.

Letting everyone see: The model shared several shots to her Instagram account to show off her growing baby bump to her nearly 39 million followers

Letting everyone see: The model shared several shots to her Instagram account to show off her growing baby bump to her nearly 39 million followers

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Categories
Sports

Shock blow as Magpies ruckman ruled out for the season

Shock blow as Magpies ruckman ruled out for the season

Brodie Grundy will undergo season-ending surgery on a fresh ankle injury to cut short his 2022 campaign.

Grundy has not played AFL since Round 6 after suffering a PCL injury. He had been nearing a return to the senior side but pulled up with ankle soreness following his first game back in the VFL in late July.

Scans have cleared him of a serious injury, but Collingwood head of football Graham Wright confirmed the 28-year-old would not return to the field this season.

“Brodie took part in the Club’s VFL game against the Southport Sharks just over a week ago and he pulled up sore from that match. He then participated in a training session early last week and was still experiencing soreness, so he was sent for scans which revealed a stress fracture in his left ankle,” Wright said in a club statement.

“The nature of the ankle injury is not long-term so Brodie will make a full recovery but after consulting with multiple specialists to assess all options available, it was determined arthroscopic surgery would be the best course of action.

“The pleasing thing for Brodie is that his knee has held up well – this is a separate injury – and unfortunately with only a couple of weeks left of the home-and-away season, he will be unable to take further part in matches in 2022.

Wright added that the injury was not expected to jeopardize Grundy’s pre-season for the 2023 campaign.





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Categories
US

Energy Experts Say Climate Bill Could Help Consumers Cut Utility Bill Costs

Energy Experts Say Climate Bill Could Help Consumers Cut Utility Bill Costs

The Inflation Reduction Act that was passed by the Senate on Sunday could lower electricity bills for consumers and the prices of things like rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicles, Democrats and some energy experts said.

Under the legislation, a home improvement credit for energy efficiency would allow households to deduct from their taxes up to 30 percent of the cost of upgrades like heat pumps and insulation. Another provision extends a program that allows households that are installing solar or battery storage systems to deduct 30 percent of the cost of those projects from their taxes.

Rewiring America, a nonprofit group that promotes energy efficiency, said it estimated that those and other measures in the legislation could save households $1,800 a year.

The package also continues an incentive for families to replace their gas-powered vehicles with electric. It extends a current $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles and $4,000 for a used one. Couples who earn less than $300,000 a year or individuals who earn less than $150,000 a year would be eligible for the credits, and consumers would get the discount at the dealership.

“This bill will help create jobs and lower costs for many American families,” in addition to slowing climate change, said Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware.

Republicans said they expected the measure to drive up inflation and said the credits would not help Americans.

“They’re not into buying an electric car any time in the near future,” Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, said of his constituents. “They’d like gas prices to come down because we’re producing more oil.”

Categories
Business

Woman finds flowers in her McDonald’s Chicken McSandwich

Woman finds flowers in her McDonald's Chicken McSandwich

There’s nothing quite like the disappointment of opening a food order and discovering what’s inside isn’t exactly what you ordered.

So spare a thought for this Macca’s customer who claims she found an unexpected item in her McChicken Sandwich.

The Irish woman was recorded by her boyfriend expressing her shock after she took a bite of her burger and pulled out what appears to resemble a dandelion.

“There’s a flower in my McChicken Sandwich,” she states, holding the mayo-covered piece of greenery.

“Is this actually for real?”

She then places the mysterious green item into the top of the burger box, showing it was an entire stem complete with yellowing buds.

The video of the unimpressed woman – captioned, “Flowers in chicken legend meal looks lovely so it does” – has clocked up over two million views since it was shared on TikTok on Sunday.

But while many people sympathized with the woman’s plight – others were suspicious.

“I work at McDonald’s. No you didn’t,” one bloke wrote.

“Yeah nah Maccies worker here, that’s not possible,” another agreed.

While another said: “I work in McDonald’s and I can assure you that everything is checked, so I feel like this has been planted in.”

Others tagged McDonald’s UK in the video, stating: “You owe her free food for life.”

“That’s true, I find these all the time in the bags of lettuce when at work,” one user said.

“Would have been in the lettuce mix. Staff wouldn’t have known it’s contaminated,” another argued.

Despite not being able to tell if the video was authentic, many saw the funny side, remarking it made the fast-food item “healthier”.

“That’s a weed, they must have run out of lettuce,” one teased.

“Still better than a bug or plastic. It is organic girl!” another laughed.

“Cost of living is so bad now, they’re just tricking us with dandelions instead of lettuce,” someone else joked.

It’s not the first time a hungry diner has found something unexpected in their Macca’s order – with a Sydney woman recently claiming there was a cockroach crawling in her fries.

The woman posted photos of the shock found on social media in April with the caption: “Straya – where you get a free live toy with every Happy Meal.”

As a result, McDonald’s launched an investigation into the gross discovery, which was found in an order delivered via UberEats.

It’s still unclear how the roach got into the food but Reddit users posted several theories.

“My guess is he crawled in while our food was sitting on the front porch of the wrong address for half an hour,” the woman said.

“I’m Australian and should be used to them I guess, but give me snakes, spiders and rats over cockroaches any day. Those things are unspeakably revolting.”

Other users agreed with the theory the cockroach got in the bag while it was being delivered.

“Christ, driver’s car must have been a dumpster fire, I reckon that’s the only way it got in there,” a user commented.

“I’ve not seen inside an Uber/Menulog etc bag but I reckon they’d be rank,” a second said.

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Categories
Technology

TCL C835 Mini LED TV Review

TCL C835 Mini LED TV Review

TCL has surprised me with its C835 Mini LED TV. Alongside the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG, I’d always associated TCL with more reserved, budget-friendly specifications and quality. However, with features that felt prohibitively expensive just a couple of years ago, the TCL Mini LED C835 ushers in next-gen TV tech with a favorable price tag, giving other major manufacturers a run for their money.

The Cheapest TCL C835 Mini LED TV Prices: 55″ – $1,595 / 65″ – $2,395 / 75″ – $3,195

TheDisplay

Rattling off the specs makes for impressive reading: a Quantum Dot Mini LED display, full array local dimming, a 144Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR and ALLM support, ONKYO speakers with an in-built subwoofer, support for Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced content, and Google TV.

But it’s first and foremost the display where the TCL C835 Mini LED shines.

And ‘shines’ is right; this thing is bright! The 4K Quantum Dot Mini LED screen works wonders for brightness and colors in both well-lit and dim environments, so much so that I needed to crank the brightness way down with the lights off.

TCL C835 MiniLEDTV

Firing up IMAX Enhanced content such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Disney+ looks incredible once you navigate through the picture settings to disable motion smoothing. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certification, which settings that automatically adjust to the displayed content, ensure you’re getting the best picture without messing around with options too much. The glossy finish is a touch reflective but allows the colors to pop.

Full array local dimming with hundreds of zones results in decent blacks that aren’t OLED-level inky but more than sufficient for a fantastic movie-watching experience. If you’re concerned about burn-in or an OLED holding up in a sun-soaked living space, a screen such as this would be worth considering.

Gaming Features

Of course, the gaming experience on the TCL C835 Mini LED is excellent.

The Quantum Dot Mini LED tech and HDR mean colour-rich games such as Horizon Forbidden West stunning look. Full array local dimming also ups the scare factor of horror games like The Quarry. The contrast looked amazing and greatly improved the experience compared to the similarly priced gaming monitor on which I’d previously been playing the game.

TCL C835 Mini LED TV VRR

Support of 4K 120 frames per second gaming, with automatic low latency support (ALLM) and a variable refresh rate (VRR), mean your not skimping out on all the next-gen features of your latest console via one of the two included HDMI 2.1 ports. 144Hz is possible through one of the ports with HDMI 2.1 compatible gaming PC too

TCL C835 Mini LED TV Ports

TCL’s game bar allows you to tweak some settings on the fly, display a stat bar and access an in-built aiming aid that adds crosshairs to your screen. However, I largely left the gaming settings alone; messing with the picture settings and disabling ALLM resulted in too big an increase in response time it immediately had me switching back.

The Design

Whilst the specs of the TCL C835 Mini LED feel premium, it’s perhaps the design of the TV where the comparatively low price point is a bit more noticeable.

Alongside the competition, the C835 is a touch on the thicker side. Although the bezel is nice and thin, if you’re looking for something to wall mount and sit flush against the wall, this likely isn’t a candidate. Resting it on an entertainment unit is no problem; the included stand is nice and minimal, but mine, unfortunately, came with a couple of dints and the white rubber feet that are visible from the front otherwise break the clean metallic gray finish.

TCL C835 MiniLEDTV

The in-built ONKYO speaker system complete with subwoofer is commendable for this price point — and will get you buy should you be putting off a soundbar purchase — but paled in comparison to the entry-level hi-fi system I coupled with the screen.

TCL C835 Mini LED TV Speakers

My only other complaint with regard to the design is the location of the ports which are mostly all aligned on the right edge of the screen whilst facing it. The power connector is the only exception, stretching to the opposite side of the screen. Althought they’re easy enough to stretch across the back and route down through the stand, doing so means you lose a good half a meter or so of cable length.

Streaming & Smart Capabilities

Google TV makes for a solid experience navigating the TCL C835 Mini LED’s menus. Content and settings are easily accessible, even if it wasn’t always clear looking through the options what picture settings the automatic adjustments to displayed content were locking off and altering.

Although it shouldn’t come as a shock given how well it handles the picture, I was also pleasantly surprised by how decent the processor was for the price. Scrolling through the menus feels snappy and apps open and load content sharply.

TCL C835 MiniLEDTV

I was a big fan of the remote control too. Devoid of any motion tracking or any gimmicks like that, the simple remote includes all the keys you need, including dedicated streaming buttons for Netflix, Stan, Prime Video, Disney+ and YouTube. The only hindrance is the button for the TCL Channel I never touched.

Setup was effortless, and connecting the TV to my Google Home was easy. Support for Alexa and Apple HomeKit is also a welcome addition. Almost all the apps I required game pre-installed, but thanks to the broad compatibility Google TV offers, everything else you may need is only a button press or two away.

TCL C835 MiniLEDTV

Conclusion

The TCL C835 is packed with features, meaning you don’t have to skimp on functionality to keep within your budget. The bright, vibrant display, content-friendly optimizations, and slick interface make for a great gaming and entertainment experience. Only a couple of design grievances and the lack of jaw-dropping picture quality offered by newer and significantly more expensive OLED tech hold it back. Considering it’s already dipped below $1,500, the TCL C835 Mini LED 55″ is a strong contender in its category and absolutely worth considering as an alternative to similarly priced Sony and Samsung TVs.

Positives

Color and picture looks fantastic

great for gaming

Optimises well for different content

ease of use

Wide compatibility

Affordable

Negatives

design grievances

Build quality leaves a little to be desired

Categories
Entertainment

Matt Smith reveals downside of filming House of the Dragon

Matt Smith reveals downside of filming House of the Dragon

It’s Matt Smith as you’ve rarely seen him.

The 39-year-old British actor has taken on his boldest role yet in HBO’s upcoming House of the Dragonthe much-anticipated prequel to game of Thrones debuting locally on Binge and Foxtel August 22.

Smith, who is best known for becoming the youngest actor to helm Doctor Who from 2010,-2014 as well as his Emmy-nominated performance as Prince Philip in Netflix’s The Crownenter the thrones-sphere as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

The main antagonist – Daemon is the impulsive, power-hungry brother of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) in a world set around 200 years before the events of GoT.

While joining a franchise as universally lauded as thrones was reason enough to jump on-board, it was the complexities of this character that enticed Smith most.

“I thought he was really interesting and unknown. And I thought I could add something to him,” Smith says.

“I think you always feel an element of nerves going into every part, it felt sort of slightly outside of anything I’d done before, which is which is why I was attracted to do it.”

That’s not to say I loved every minute of it.

Smith says the nature of this production took an extreme physical and emotional toll on him. From sitting in the makeup chair for two hours to having the iconic Targaryen silver-haired wig fitted, to waiting around in hot, heavy armor.

“It was a great privilege to be apart of something like this, but it was grievous as well. It was a tough shoot. And it was a year over Covid and it wasn’t easy. It’s not like it was just bells and whistles,” he says.

“And this type of show, there’s so many characters in it. There’s a lot of hanging about on the set.”

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Admittedly, Smith feels overwhelmed on every set, saying his roles become his “sole focus.”

So, how does he stay sane?

“A pint of Guinness, watch some football. Go to the gym, do the normal stuff, walk my dog, you know, [I would] just go and do something that had nothing to do with blonde wigs and swords,” he says.

Few sets are as dynamic as this one. game of Thrones won Emmys for its immense fight scenes. Season 6’s ‘Battle of the Bastards’ (which was directed by HotD director Miguel Sapochnik) is as edge-of-your-seat-viewing as it gets.

Though, rehearsing such battles to the point of perfection can be risky.

French actor Fabien Frankel, who plays Sir Christen Cole in the prequel, reveals he almost damaged the money-maker – Smith’s pin-up face.

“I hit Matt in the face in our first rehearsal,” Frankel says. “My sword cut him in the head. We didn’t even really know each other.

Smith interjects, “It was your shield (which) hit my sword.”

While they laugh about it now, Frankel genuinely feared he was “going to get fired.”

“It was like, you know, you don’t want to insult Matt Smith,” he says.

Smith was one of the millions of diehard thrones fans, having watched the entirety of its eight season run.

He says he feels privileged to be welcomed into the world of Westeros for a new era, but of course, that sort of legacy warrants high stakes.

“But ultimately, it’s a good pressure,” Smith says.

“That had its own cultural footprint. And its success will never be repeated.

“There’s a huge fan base there. They love it. And we’re going to try and deliver something that’s original and entertaining and move the story forward, even though we’re moving the story backwards.”

House of the Dragon premieres express from the US on Binge and Foxtel August 22

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