Technologies

Samsung’s Newest Micro RGB TVs Have Billions of Colors, but That’s Not the Best Thing

While Samsung’s OLED is still the king of picture quality, Micro RGB has its own perks.

Last year, Samsung introduced its first Micro RGB TV, but that model was only available in a massive 115-inch size and had an equally enormous price tag of $27,000. For 2026, it unveiled two ranges — the R85H and R95H — with sizes between 55 and 100 inches, and prices starting at a much more reasonable $1,600.

Why are these called Micro RGB TVs? Firstly, they’re LCD TVs, like most of Samsung’s lineup, but the key difference here is that they use a different backlighting system. Where most LCD TVs use a specialized filter to generate colors, the premium R95 and more affordable R85 models use clusters of red, green and blue micro LEDs to either replace or augment the filters.

Samsung says the R95H hits 100% of the BT.2020 color area, which is more colors than most TVs could ever hope for. Yet, having seen this TV, and others that make the same claim, I don’t think it’s all that important. At least, not right now.

The competing TVs I’ve witnessed hitting this number have had a lot of colors, yes, but accuracy has been reduced in the process, even according to each company’s own test data. It’s more vital that a TV reproduce the color that’s present in the content you’re watching, rather than invent a whole new one. It’s worth adding that the TVs typically hit these numbers in Vivid mode, which is notorious for being cartoonishly bright and colorful.

A much more compelling feature of these TVs, however, is their use of Samsung Glare Free technology, which is designed to virtually eliminate reflections from windows or overhead lights on the screen. I’ve seen it in person, and it’s one of the best antireflective systems out there.

The TVs will also be capable of displaying Samsung’s own answer to Dolby Vision 2: HDR10 Plus Advanced, though it’s yet to be seen if this format will be supported through content.

The TVs are designed for gaming, too, and have dedicated gaming modes. For smooth movement, they include Samsung’s own Motion Xcelerator 165Hz and Motion Xcelerator 144Hz tech, on the R95H and R85H, respectively.

The R95H is compatible with the Wireless One Connect box if you want to keep your sources and TV separate. Both TVs come with the new Slim Fit Wall Mount, which allows access to existing ports with a hinge at the top of the TV.

As with most of the TVs announced at CES, these models have a plethora of AI modes, from the image and audio processors to the onboard chatbots from either Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity. Two of the most notable modes are AI Soccer Mode Pro (which can make the World Cup look like a video game) and AI Sound Controller Pro, which can amplify or cut different parts of the soundtrack, such as sound effects or dialogue.

While a 130-inch R95H was announced at CES, the company has yet to detail any pricing or availability for that model.

At a briefing earlier this year, I got a look at a preproduction version of the R95H, and Samsung representatives told me that the OLED TVs were still the best choice for picture quality, while the Micro RGBs were better for brightness and color. With their antireflective coatings and gaming features, I can see that these TVs will be popular with console gamers, especially.

However, Samsung is not the only manufacturer to announce Micro RGB TVs for 2026, and it’s harder to find one that isn’t. While I’m skeptical about the benefits of hitting 100% of BT.2020, this is a factor I’ll test when I get my hands on compatible models.

The R95H and R85 are available now:

85-inch R95H: $6,500
75-inch R95H: $4,500
65-inch R95H: $3,200
85-inch R85H: $4,000
75-inch R85H: $2,800
65-inch R85H: $2,100
55-inch R85H: $1,600

Technologies

SharkNinja’s New $499 Vacuum Flexes Under Furniture and Can Auto-Empty

The vacuum bends around furniture, and SharkNinja says its dock can hold debris for 45 days.

SharkNinja unveiled a new vacuum on Tuesday that has the ability to flex underneath furniture, along with an auto-empty dock. The $499 Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty System is lightweight and can store dust and debris for up to 45 days before you have to empty it.

The stick vacuum’s flexible headline feature, which SharkNinja refers to as MultiFlex Technology, appears in photos like a bendable straw to clean in tight spaces. The vacuum can also adjust its suction based on the surface it’s on, including boosting power when carpet and dirt are detected. Its intelligence system can also detect edges and use higher suction along walls and corners.

The inclusion of this vacuum’s auto-emptying dock could make it a particularly good value: CNET Home editor and vacuum expert Ajay Kumar told me that self-emptying stations are a big quality-of-life feature for cordless vacuums, allowing for quick cleanup while the vacuum charges.

While Kumar said that we will need to test this vacuum, Shark’s $500 Stratos vacuum was one of the top cordless vacuums he’s seen recently, even though it doesn’t self-empty. The addition of that feature for the same price makes it a promising upgrade for those looking to replace their vacuum.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 15, #1039

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 15, No. 1,039.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

I found today’s NYT Connections puzzle a bit tough. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Pomp and circumstance.

Green group hint: What a bore.

Blue group hint: Too easy.

Purple group hint: Checkmate!

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Graduation gear.

Green group: Tedious undertaking.

Blue group: Oversimplistic.

Purple group: Shapes of chess pieces.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is graduation gear. The four answers are cap, diploma, gown and tassel.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is tedious undertaking. The four answers are chore, grind, hassle and trial.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is oversimplistic. The four answers are facile, clip, shallow and trite.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is shapes of chess pieces. The four answers are castle, crown, horse and miter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 15 #773

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for April 15, No. 773.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Gift of the month.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: September is sapphire.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POST, POET, POETS, TONED, NAPE, STONE, STONED, TONE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: