Galaxy A14 5G gets One UI 5.1 in the US, along with April patch

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Galaxy A14 5G gets One UI 5.1 in the US, along with April patch
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Samsung is pushing the One UI 5.1 update to the Galaxy A14 5G in the US. The rollout began recently for users on Verizon’s network. The company should cover eligible units on all carriers across the nation over the next few days. The update also brings the April 2023 Android security patch.

Samsung launched the Galaxy A14 5G in January this year. It was the first Galaxy device to arrive in the US in 2023. The budget smartphone came running Android 13-based One UI 5.0 out of the box. One UI 5.1 wasn’t ready back then as it debuted with the Galaxy S23 series in February.

Over the past couple of months, Samsung has pushed One UI 5.1 to several dozen Galaxy smartphones and tablets around the world. The Galaxy A14 5G started picking up the new One UI version in March. Following the initial release in a handful of Asian countries, the company expanded the rollout to Europe and other regions earlier this month. It has now reached the US as well.

The One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy A14 5G on Verizon’s network comes with the firmware build number A146USQU2BWD4, SammyFans reports. Users on other networks should also get this release with a similar build number. More importantly, your phone will pick up a host of goodies with this update. Among those are a new Shared Family Album in Gallery, new gestures for minimizing or maximizing windows, enhanced modes and routines, activity-based wallpapers, dynamic widgets, and smart suggestions.

On top of these goodies, the Galaxy A14 5G is also gaining this month’s security patches. Samsung says the April SMR (Security Maintenance Release) contains fixes for more than 70 vulnerabilities. At least five of those are critical flaws. The company has already released the May security patch but the Galaxy A14 5G may not get it. This budget phone is only eligible for quarterly security updates. The company will skip a few releases and update it once every three months or so. Security updates will come at least until January 2027, though.

Galaxy A14 5G will also get Android 14 and Android 15

Along with four years of security updates, Samsung also promises two major Android OS updates for the Galaxy A14 5G. That means it will receive Android 14 and Android 15, along with the company’s latest One UI skin. Android 14 will bring One UI 6.0 and may start rolling at the fag end of this year or early next year. We will keep you posted.


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New Flat Panel Haptics to enable tactile feedback on touchscreens

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New Flat Panel Haptics to enable tactile feedback on touchscreens
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It’s no secret that ever since the first full touchscreen smartphones hit the market, keypads and keyboards have slowly disappeared. And while touchscreens have allowed for more screen real estate and greater app functionality, there is still a big fraction of people who prefer a tactile feel when interacting or typing on their smartphones. Now, to address this issue, researchers from the Future Interfaces Group (FIG) at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new technology called “Flat Panel Haptics.”

The Flat Panel Haptics technology uses Embedded Electroosmotic Pumps (EEOPs) stacked under an OLED panel to create protrusions based on different scenarios. Therefore, when an on-screen element requires a pop-up button, fluid fills a section of the EEOP layer and bends the OLED panel on top, creating a button that protrudes from the flat surface by as much as 1.5 mm and providing tactile feedback for users. And when the user or the software dismisses it, the liquid recedes.

“In this work, we present a new approach and vision for miniaturizing haptic shape-changing displays. Flat panel haptics takes inspiration from LCD flat panel visual displays, which embed their actuator element directly in a thin, compact form factor, and allow control of a display element through an applied voltage,” says FIG.

Advantages of the Technology and the Future

While other researchers and companies have attempted to create similar technologies in the past, the required hardware was always too bulky and inconvenient. However, the pumps developed by the Carnegie Mellon team make the entire system compact and thin, with a thickness of just 5mm. Moreover, the technology is self-contained and self-powered and only adds 40 grams of weight to the device.

The FIG believes that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with electronics. This is because touch screens, while on one hand, offer ample real estate for apps to display content and other information, they are challenging to navigate for people with visual impairment. Therefore, with the use of tactile touch displays, visually impaired users can use their smartphones without relying on auditory feedback.


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TCP vs UDP – What is the Difference?

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TCP vs UDP – What is the Difference?
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TCP and UDP

If you have ever had to configure a firewall, set up a router, or choose the best VPN for your computer, chances are you heard of the TCP and UDP protocols. However, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably confused about what they are, their purpose, and their main characteristics.

Today, we’ll look at the differences between TCP and UDP and the reasons why there are two transport layer protocols.

What is Transport Protocol?

Before we can dive deeper into the differences between TCP and UDP, you should know what a transport protocol is in the first place.

Both the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Transport Control Protocol (TCP) are mechanisms used by applications and software to transfer packets of data on the Internet.

In a nutshell, whenever you send data on the internet (such as sending a file over Skype or Facebook, or just a mail), the transfer protocol is like a postman that sends that information to the destination by splitting it into several small packages (packets).

They are both built on the IP protocol, meaning that each packet sent by either protocol is forwarded to an IP address through a series of intermediary routers.

In fact, neither one of them interacts directly with the IP layer. You probably heard of them as TCP/IP and UDP/IP – it’s the same thing. People call them TCP and UDP for the sake of simplicity.

However, they are, by far, the most used; the TCP and UDP are not the only two protocols working on top of IP. For example, many different VPN protocols are used to hide and encrypt data.

What is the TCP?

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that sends packets back and forth from the sender to the destination and vice-versa. It ensures that every packet is delivered to the server in the exact order it was sent initially by establishing a two-sided connection between the sender and receiver.

It also uses a flow control mechanism that stores data in buffers. This way, the application will send data only when it’s ready to be received, preventing the sender from being overwhelmed and avoiding bottlenecks. However, all this overhead work means that TCP is usually slower.

When is it More Convenient To Use TCP?

TCP is a reliable transmission protocol that ensures that data is sent in a specific order and error-checked at all times. Since packets are tracked and checked for corruption, no data is ever lost even if network issues occur in between.

TCP is the best choice if you are hosting a website or need to ensure that data is sent correctly and without risk of corruption. However, you need both sides to be online or communication cannot be set up.

Pros of TCP

  • Very reliable
  • Data lost will be resent
  • Delivery is guaranteed
  • Packets are checked for errors and corruption

Cons of TCP

  • Requires both sides to be online during the transfer
  • Slower than UDP
  • Doesn’t work offline

What is UDP?

As specified in the RFC768 document, UDP is the most straightforward protocol, quickest, and most efficient. Packets are lightweight since they’re sent with minimal headers, and no connection is established before datagrams are sent (connectionless). UDP is used to send emails – you send them even if the receiver it’s offline.

To keep things more straightforward (and faster), no recovery is set – all corrupted or missing packets are discarded and not requested again. The sender will keep sending the packets, regardless of whether the recipient receives them.

EHA

Packets are sent in a continuous stream with no flow control, meaning that data is transferred much quicker than TCP, but if a network issue occurs, all packets are dropped.

When is it More Convenient to Use UDP?

To keep things simple, UDP is better than TCP whenever you need speed over reliability. For example, it is the ideal choice in online gaming, where you only care about what’s happening in real time.

If you lost a packet while shooting someone, there’s no point in receiving it later. Other examples are applications that require speed and efficiency such as broadcasting platforms or streaming networks. UDP is usually preferred in log management activities to avoid TCP-related timeouts or connection issues.

Pros of UDP

  • Extremely quick and efficient
  • Reduced network traffic
  • Doesn’t require both parties to be connected

Cons of UDP

  • Delivery is never guaranteed
  • Packets may get lost or corrupted
  • Data cannot be sequenced

Conclusion

Both the TCP and UDP protocols have their benefits and drawbacks. Depending on your needs, you may prefer one or the other. Even today, many technologies, such as emails or online gaming, require the use of either a connectionless rather than a connection-oriented protocol, regardless of overhead, reliability, or speed.

Written By: Cyber Writes


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Could the Pixel Tablet be too niche?

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Could the Pixel Tablet be too niche?
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All eyes are on Google this year as the company is going to bring the first tablet into its Pixel family. At the time of writing this article, the price for it hasn’t been revealed. However, we know how much the charging dock is going to cost, and it’s pretty pricey at $129. So, it seems that Google is gearing up to offer an interesting tablet. The question is, could the Pixel Tablet be a bit too niche to pick up?

The mentality behind the Pixel Tablet is the same mentality behind notebook foldable phones: having one device that can switch modes and basically transform into another. In the case of the Pixel Tablet, it will act as a tablet when undocked and a smart display when docked.

It’s a neat idea! While this has been done before, it hasn’t been done with much success. Enter Google to turn this gimmick from trashed to trendy. The only thing is that we’re in the middle of a global economic struggle. People are watching every penny they spend that much closer, so it’s much more important to sell a tablet that will appeal to more people.

The Pixel Tablet might be a bit too niche

The Pixel Tablet is shaping up to be a pretty capable device. We’re looking at a large screen with a nice resolution, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and the powerful Google Tensor G2 SoC. The fact that this tablet’s going to be built from the ground up for this chip only sweetens the deal.

However, as powerful as this device is, it’s still a tablet. The tablet market has been on a consistent decline over the years, and it’s still falling despite the boost it got during the pandemic. So, getting people to buy the Pixel Tablet in the first place is already a struggle.

Also, while we’re still in the dark on the price, let’s not mince words; this is going to be a flagship tablet, so we should expect a flagship price.

Now, let’s factor in the next part of the equation, the dock. This is what’s going to turn this tablet into a smart display. More specifically, it’s going to turn it into a Nest Hub. At $129, the charging dock is a bit pricey. It’s not horrendous, but the fact that the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) costs $99 shines a pretty harsh light on it.

What makes it the Pixel Tablet niche?

Now, the reason why the Pixel Tablet could be too niche is that it’s trying to appeal to two niche markets at the same time. It’s looking to appeal to the tablet user and the smart display user. One might say that this is a good thing. Appealing to more markets might make it more likely that people will buy it.

However, it may not be as direct as that. Google is looking to appeal to the market of people who simultaneously want to use a tablet and a smart display. Those are two niche markets in and of themselves. The Pixel Tablet is meant to appeal to the Venn diagram intersection of those two markets, and that might be a small section of the graph.

Are there enough people out there who want both to justify a second-generation Pixel Tablet? While companies have blended tablets and smart displays before, there’s never really been a huge need for it. So, expecting someone to tack on an additional $129 for the full Pixel Tablet experience might be too much.

Without the stand, there’s not much to set it apart

The fact that the stand is a separate accessory that you’ll need to purchase might pose an issue because without it, what else is there to differentiate it from the other tablets?

The thing with Galaxy Tabs and iPads is that they have an immediate audience. It doesn’t matter what those devices have or lack, fans will flock to those devices en masse. Surface tablets have a full desktop operating system loaded onto them.

Those are the tablets that the Pixel Tablet is going to trade blows with when it launches; the upper-tier tablets. So, what will the Pixel Tablet have to combat them? Well, there’s the ability for it to seamlessly convert into a smart display. That’s significant, and there’s no doubt that this will attract some users.

But this tablet is going to need to appeal to the masses in order to maximize profits, and the common consumer won’t want to pay an additional $129. So, without the addition of the charging stand, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t have much to set it apart.

Sure, you get the optimized Android tablet experience, but there are other tablets like the OnePlus Pad, newer Galaxy Tabs, and the Lenovo tablets that have this. Yes, you’ll have the integration between it and other Pixel devices, but that requires you to have other Pixel devices.

As far as the specs go, there’s nothing that will make this tablet turn heads. We can expect the tablet to perfectly leverage the Tensor G2 SoC, but it has 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 2K display, four speakers, and a decent battery. These are really good, but nothing sticks out. The defining trait of the Pixel Tablet is its dock- an attachment.

The price could be the make-or-break aspect

One of the missing pieces to the puzzle is the price. We’re still in the dark about how much this tablet is going to cost. As stated, the specs are really good. They’re not extreme, but they could facilitate a hefty price tag.

However, there’s a chance that Google could wow us with the price. The trick is to sway people away from the Galaxy Tabs and the iPads of the world. So, if Google prices this tablet at or around the price for those tablets, then that’ll be a hard task chipping at their fanbases.

If Google can price this tablet low enough to (while making a profit, of course) undercut some of the mid-tier and upper-tier tablets from competitors, that could be a solid win for it. That would also convince customers to invest in the charging stand.

The Pixel Tablet seems like an interesting device, but there are some factors going against it at the moment. Maybe Google will surprise us; you never know. All we know is that we’re all excited to see this tablet take on the titans of the tablet world. We expect it to launch around Google I/O.


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Sony says PS VR2 will soon be available at retailers

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Sony says PS VR2 will soon be available at retailers
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The PS VR2 will soon be available at retailers, Sony says. The company announced the news on its official PlayStation Twitter account on April 27. Since its launch, the PS5-compatible headset has been excluded from retailers and was only available through the PlayStation Direct website. But that will change in the near future.

With the headset being available through more retailers than just Sony’s own website, it could help boost sales. As of right now the only place you can officially buy one at its regular price is PlayStation Direct. The headset can be found through third-party sellers at Walmart and Amazon, among others, but for hundreds more.

Opening up official sales through partners means consumers are likely to see them available physically in local stores. Alleviating the wait for shipping times. And that’s bound to help Sony grab more sales to push well beyond the current estimate of 270k to 300k that it reached within the headset’s first month back at the end of March.

Sony hasn’t said which retailers would sell the PS VR2

As of right now Sony has done no more than confirm its second-gen VR headset would be available from retail partners. It hasn’t said where consumers would be able to buy it outside of PlayStation Direct. Nor did the company mention when retailers would actually pick it up.

The company does say “soon” though, so it likely won’t be too far in the future. Engadget notes that UK retailer ShopTo is hinting at availability on May 12. So there is a chance it could show up other retailers globally on or around the same day. Though at this time it’s still unclear if that will be the case.

In addition to PS VR2 headsets making their way to other retailers, the PS5 has also reached nearly 40 million units sold worldwide.


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Video from the Google Design team teases bolder, more vibrant Material You colors in Android 14

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Video from the Google Design team teases bolder, more vibrant Material You colors in Android 14
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A video created by the Google Design team reveals much bolder color options for the Material You design language in Android 14. Inside Google, this new look is known as “Fidelity.” 9to5Google found that the bolder colors are not yet available in Android 14, but it was able to show how vibrant colors that Android takes from your wallpaper end up in your phone’s themes.
The base color that Android takes from your wallpaper will show up in your apps. Image credit 9to5 Google - Video from the Google Design team teases bolder, more vibrant Material You colors in Android 14

The base color that Android takes from your wallpaper will show up in your apps. Image credit 9to5 Google

Three examples that were shown by 9to5Google include “hot pink, sports car red, lime green, and jet black.” The color theme of the app clearly changes to reflect the base wallpaper color picked by Android. In dark mode, the same base wallpaper color is used for the app’s color theme but if wallpaper that is too dark is selected, some of the base colors will not stand out against the dark background.

A video that was included in a tweet made by the Google Design team includes the word “Personal” and the tweet that was sent by the Google Design team says, “Color is personal. Why design as if everyone sees color the same way?” We should learn more about “Fidelity” and the new Material You theming in less than two weeks. On May 10th, Google I/O 2023 will be held and Android 14 will be featured prominently.
The new Material You feature will use your wallpaper's base color even in dark mode. Image credit 9to5Google - Video from the Google Design team teases bolder, more vibrant Material You colors in Android 14

The new Material You feature will use your wallpaper’s base color even in dark mode. Image credit 9to5Google

At the same time, we should hear more about upcoming devices including the Pixel Fold, the Pixel Tablet, the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8 series, and perhaps the Pixel Watch 2. You should be able to stream the event from the Made by Google YouTube channel which you can visit by tapping on this link. For more information about Google I/O 2023, visit the official website.

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American Bar Association accused of data breach

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American Bar Association accused of data breach
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In a class action lawsuit, the American Bar Association (ABA) has been accused of “grossly fail[ing] to comply with security standards” and causing a data breach that affected approximately 1.5 million people.

The data breach, which occurred in March 2023, saw a malicious actor gain access to the ABA’s systems and steal the data of approximately 1.4 million members. The data stolen included personal information such as name, phone number, address and email address. The lawsuit also alleges that financial information was stolen during the breach.  

The plaintiff has accused the ABA of causing and enabling the data breach by “knowing[ly] violati[ng] of its obligations to abide by best practices and industry standards in protecting customers’ personal information”. They also claimed the ABA “grossly failed to comply with security standards… all in an effort to save money by cutting corners on security measures” that may have mitigated or prevented the breach.

The lawsuit goes on to accuse the ABA of failing to inform those affected of the breach both of the breach itself and the extent of it. This, it says, prevented those affected by the breach from adequately protecting themselves.

As of the time of writing, the ABA has not formally addressed the class action lawsuit.

Samsung faces class action lawsuit following data breach

In September 2022, Samsung was hit with a class action lawsuit following a data breach in July of that year, which saw the company’s US servers hacked and customer data accessed.

Samsung confirmed on August 4, 2022 that “name, contact and demographic information, date of birth and product registration information” may have been accessed by the hackers.

The lawsuit was filed with the US District Court for Nevada on September 6 by Shelby Harmer “on behalf of Samsung’s customers whose personally identifiable information was stolen by cybercriminals”. 

The lawsuit alleges that Samsung violated privacy and contract laws as well as failing to notify affected parties in a timely manner and safeguard customer’s personal and identifying information. The lawsuit also alleges that Harmer and all others who were affected by the breach “are currently at a very high risk of misuse of their private information”.

Harmer is suing Samsung for breach of contract, negligence and invasion of privacy, and is seeking certification of the class action lawsuit, a jury trial and damages, costs and fees. 


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Android 14 may bring bolder Material You colors

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Android 14 may bring bolder Material You colors
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Material You has remained relatively unchanged since it was introduced back in 2021. While we all appreciate the dynamic theming capability, people have been asking for more customization options for it. Well, according to 9To5Google, it seems that Google might bring bolder Material You colors for Android 14.

There have been some improvements to the dynamic theming capabilities in Android. Android 12 gave you four different options for wallpaper color schemes and Android 13 gave you 16 of them. So, Google is thinking about how to better customize your custom theme. The only issue is that no matter what color scheme you choose, you are stuck with the pastel color palette.

Android 14 may bring bolder Material You colors

The Pixel phones all have beautiful OLED displays, so it’d really be nice to have a color palette that utilizes their full capabilities. The pastel colors are definitely nice to look at, but sometimes, we want to see more robust colors.

Google recently posted a video to Twitter showing off this new bolder color palette. However, the company did not outright say that it’s coming to Android 14. It’s easy to assume that, seeing as we are in the beta testing stage for Android 14.

We see different portions of the UI in these new colors, and they’re all a lot bolder than what we see now. According to 9To5Google, these may be part of the upcoming Fidelity colors that we’ve heard about before.

This is all leaked information, so you’ll want to take it with a grain of salt. The code for this new theme is not present in the beta version of Android 14. Rather, the code for this was found in the Android Open-Source Project.

Based on the code, and a test app that 9To5Google was able to construct for this, it seems that the theme will directly mimic the wallpaper’s colors. So, instead of the software deadening the colors to make the pastel aesthetic, it may put them directly in the operating system.

At this point, it’s tough to tell, so we will have to wait and see. Future beta versions for Android 14 will come out. Hopefully, we will see this bolder aesthetic in future versions. In fact, there’s a chance that Google May introduce this during Google I/O which will happen on May 10th.


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Here’s what is coming to HBO MAX in May 2023

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Here’s what is coming to HBO MAX in May 2023
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Wondering what is making its way over to HBO MAX in May 2023? Well, we have you covered here. HBO MAX has quite a few shows and movies arriving on the service this month. Including a handful of originals.

Topping the charts this month is a new series called “White House Plumbers”. This is a new limited series that will premiere on May 1 and star Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. The two will star as real-life Watergate burglars and Nixon saboteurs who ended up destroying the very President that they were wanting to serve. You can check out a trailer for it below.

You can sign up for HBO MAX by clicking here. It does offer a free trial.

What’s new on HBO Max in May 2023

This month, there’s a good amount of content coming to HBO MAX, though a lot of it arrives on May 1. So you won’t have to wait long for an influx of new content. And that’s always good to see.

May 1

  • Absolute Power, 1997 (HBO)
  • Alpha Dog, 2006 (HBO)
  • American Honey, 2016 (HBO)
  • As Tears Go By, 1988
  • Betrayed, 1988 (HBO)
  • Black Mass, 2015 (HBO)
  • Blue Valentine, 2010 (HBO)
  • Calvary, 2014 (HBO)
  • Coffee and Cigarettes, 2003
  • Daddy Day Care, 2003 (HBO)
  • Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!, 2008 (HBO)
  • Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story, 2005 (HBO)
  • Eat Pray Love, 2010
  • The Forbidden Kingdom, 2008 (HBO)
  • Heartbreakers, 2001 (HBO)
  • The Hole In The Ground, 2019 (HBO)
  • Hustle & Flow, 2005 (HBO)
  • I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, 2007 (HBO)
  • The Karate Kid, 2010
  • Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014 (HBO)
  • The Last Castle, 2001 (HBO)
  • Lord Of Illusions, 1995 (HBO) (Director’s Cut)
  • Lucky You, 2007 (HBO)
  • Man Of The House, 2005 (HBO)
  • Mid90s, 2019 (HBO)
  • Midnight Sun, 2018 (HBO)
  • Mirror Mirror, 2012 (HBO)
  • Mirrors, 2008 (Extended Version) (HBO)
  • My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, 2016 (HBO)
  • Paper Moon, 1973 (HBO)
  • Paranoia, 2013 (HBO)
  • Parasite, 2019 (HBO)
  • The Rookie, 2002 (HBO)
  • Shark Night 3D, 2011 (HBO)
  • Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow, 2004 (HBO)
  • Soapdish, 1991 (HBO)
  • Some Like It Hot, 1959 (HBO)
  • Sorority Row, 2009 (HBO)
  • Step Brothers, 2008
  • White House Plumbers, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)
  • Windtalkers, 2002 (HBO)

May 2 

  • 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
  • Batwheels, Season 1E
  • Run All Night, (HBO)

May 3:

  • Fifty Shades of Grey, 2015 (HBO) (Unrated Version)

May 4

  • The Other Two, Max Original Season 3 Premiere

May 5 

  • Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Season 1

May 8 

  • Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!, 2008 (HBO)
  • Legion of Super-Heroes, 2023
  • Sky Captain and The World Of Tomorrow, 2004 (HBO)
  • The Conjuring, 2013 (HBO)
  • Two Sides of the Abyss (Die zwei Seiten des Abgrunds), Max Original Premiere

May 11 

May 14 

  • We Baby Bears: Little Falling Star, Season 1G

May 15

  • I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, 2007 (HBO)
  • Land of Gold, 2022
  • Unbreakable, 2000 (HBO)

May 16 

  • Angel City, Three-Part Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
  • Men in Black, 1997
  • Men in Black II, 2002
  • Men in Black III, 2012

May 19

  • The LEGO Batman Movie, 2017
  • Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, 2001 (HBO)
  • Parasite, 2019 (HBO)
  • Spy/Master, Max Original Premiere

May 20

  • Love to Love You, Donna Summer, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

May 22

  • Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014 (HBO)
  • Mid90s, 2018 (HBO)
  • San Andreas, 2015

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