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It's Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.  Now that Movies Anywhere has supplanted Ultraviolet as the digital video locker of choice, it’s apparently time to start adding some features. The formerly Disney branded setup is much smoother to operate than the old locker system, and it now has announced a closed beta for Screen Pass. That’s a feature that enables you to share up to three films per month with other users. It’s a nice thing to have among friends and encourages more people to sign up for the service just to get tossed a few free movies from people they know. The only thing that bothers me is that, at least right now, its implementation falls short of what Ultraviolet was doing a decade ago. An overlooked part of the old service worked like this: “Ultraviolet also allows consumers to share their entire Ultraviolet digital library with other members on their account, and they can even watch the same title simultaneously from different locations.” Vudu even launched its own variation with Share My Movies, which let others stream or download movies for viewing on almost any screen. So far, the Movies Anywhere version works on much less than an entire library -- and with more restrictions. There’s no downloading, and according to the FAQ, you can only send movies if you’ve redeemed a code or bought something via a participating retailer in the past six months. If it’s easier for people to use then that’s good, but on its face, it appears less functional than what it replaces. That’s not the kind of progress I was hoping for. -- Richard (View in browser.) Relevant information.  As Dr. Kelly A. Reynolds explains, “Phones, laptops and other electronics travel with us everywhere, from bathrooms to buses to kitchens and restaurants. Like our hands, they pick up germs along the way. Frequently touched surfaces are vulnerable to increased contamination that can spread to hands, and then to entry points on the body where infection occurs, such as the eyes, nose and mouth.” So obviously, like your hands, you should clean your gadgets, too. But how? Kris Naudus has collected some advice for you, covering everything from wipes to UV sanitizers. | | Next gen becomes new gen.  Now we’ve found out more about what Xbox is bringing to the table, the folks at PlayStation are ready to talk PS5 specs. Today at 12 PM ET (9 AM PT, 4 PM GMT), Sony’s lead system architect Mark Cerny will livestream a “deep dive” into the system. An interview with Wired last April set the performance bar for what to expect, setting out 8K capabilities, ray-tracing support, a built-in SSD and backward compatibility with the PS4. Now it’s time to find out more. Tune in right here at the appointed time and we’ll see what PlayStation has to offer. | | Sponsored Content by Stack Commerce | | And it’s headed right to a PC gamer’s desk.  LG has started rolling out its 2020 OLED TVs, complete with US pricing and release dates for the collection. The highlight for many may be the smallest of the bunch -- the gaming-oriented 48-inch model in the CX series will arrive in June for $1,499. If you absolutely want a set this month, the 55-inch CX will be available for $1,799. Its 65-inch ($2,799) and 77-inch ($4,999) counterparts arrive in April and May, respectively. The new GX Gallery sets, which offer extra-thin designs without a breakout box, launch in April at prices ranging from $2,499 for a 55-inch set and $3,499 for a 65-inch to an eye-watering $5,999 for the 77-inch screen.
At the extreme high end are a couple of 8K monsters -- the ZX series ships in May at $19,999 for a 77-inch TV and $29,999 for the 88-inch flagship. | | You might not want to count on that March 27th reopening. Apple Stores are staying closed. Its huge stores are a magnet for crowds of people, chasing tech support or a new phone case, and in the face of the coronavirus, that’s not a good thing. Just pray that you don’t mess anything up with your iCloud account. | | But wait, there's more... | | | |
