[Official] Doctor Who Thread


Recommended Posts

On 13/06/2024 at 09:54, margrave said:

<rant> They are so concerned about a younger audience than why did we go thru Capaldi's Doctor and the Graham O'Brien companion with the 13th Doctor? LOL Why do they think need a gay Doctor and a trans character every other show with queer references non-stop to get a younger audience? I have been a Doctor Who fan since the Tom Baker era but rarely ever ran into someone that was a fan of the show until David Tennant.  I was running into people that were fans all the time and guess what? They were all younger and mostly female. It's almost like a Charismatic and younger, good looking Doctor that shows his emotions will pack in the younger ladies just fine even if white and straightish.

I am not against a different Doctor as of course it is a character that changes his appearance. I thought Jodi Winkter was great but the writing was terrible. I am not against trans characters as the Maestro was awesome. I loved Ncuti Gatwa in Sex Education (but the last season was horrible) but his Doctor is the same character but just more flamboyant/confidant but who also cries all the time. Good grief Charlie Brown! The thing that bugs me the most is why the hell is the sonic screwdriver not shaped like a screwdriver anymore but like a female vibration device? LOL

It feels like a different show and it's not doing anything for me so I removed it from my Disney+ watchlist. I never thought that would ever say not interested in Doctor Who anymore but that is where I am.</rant>

  • Like 2
On 13/06/2024 at 15:58, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

It feels like a different show and it's not doing anything for me so I removed it from my Disney+ watchlist. I never thought that would ever say not interested in Doctor Who anymore but that is where I am.</rant>

For me, as far as Disney goes, this was the final straw that broke the camels back.  I cancelled my Disney+ membership.  If they ever have anything worth watching in the future, I'll ask Captain Jack Sparrow to get it for me.

On 13/06/2024 at 07:58, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

<rant> They are so concerned about a younger audience than why did we go thru Capaldi's Doctor and the Graham O'Brien companion with the 13th Doctor? LOL Why do they think need a gay Doctor and a trans character every other show with queer references non-stop to get a younger audience? I have been a Doctor Who fan since the Tom Baker era but rarely ever ran into someone that was a fan of the show until David Tennant.  I was running into people that were fans all the time and guess what? They were all younger and mostly female. It's almost like a Charismatic and younger, good looking Doctor that shows his emotions will pack in the younger ladies just fine even if white and straightish.

I am not against a different Doctor as of course it is a character that changes his appearance. I thought Jodi Winkter was great but the writing was terrible. I am not against trans characters as the Maestro was awesome. I loved Ncuti Gatwa in Sex Education (but the last season was horrible) but his Doctor is the same character but just more flamboyant/confidant but who also cries all the time. Good grief Charlie Brown! The thing that bugs me the most is why the hell is the sonic screwdriver not shaped like a screwdriver anymore but like a female vibration device? LOL

It feels like a different show and it's not doing anything for me so I removed it from my Disney+ watchlist. I never thought that would ever say not interested in Doctor Who anymore but that is where I am.</rant>

Everything evolves.  

Writing is what it is.  If it were up to me I'd have a billion episodes written by Douglas Adams or Neil Gaiman.   Or both of them.  So I don't fault the acting for the writing.

Ncuti is really a nice breath of fresh air.  I have zero complaints.  He's engaging, he's charismatic, he's got the range and the rage but mostly brings the energy I like.  I can totally appreciate not all docs are for everyone.

We don't hold a show by catering to the aging audience.  I've seen zero disrepect to the Who that has come before.  Hell, to see Tom Baker (even as clips) was just cool.  But honestly some of the older stuff is just cringe.  The Sonic is just a tool, and it's always evolved.  Why did it need to extend?  Actually, how bout this - why exactly does it need to look like a screwdriver?  It's almost comical that it can do a lot of things but always looked like a glorified wand.  Jodie had a habit of whipping it out like it was a magic wand.  That flourish was completely odd to me.  It's just a tool.  But to expect it to never change is also like expecting the Tardis interior to never change.  In fact, it's practically iconic and lore that the sonic changes for every iteration. 

It is absolutely the same show.  It's silly pulpy scifi (and fantasy now to a degree).  Now with LessBrooding(tm). 

 

On 22/06/2024 at 16:52, mram said:

Writing is what it is.  If it were up to me I'd have a billion episodes written by Douglas Adams.

There's a rumour that "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was supposed to be something for "Doctor Who" in the 1970s.

On 22/06/2024 at 23:52, mram said:

The Sonic is just a tool, and it's always evolved.  Why did it need to extend?  Actually, how bout this - why exactly does it need to look like a screwdriver? 

Because it's not "a sonic", it's a sonic SCREWDRIVER.  It was always just meant to be a tool, but it just started to go all weird since Capaldi...

On 25/06/2024 at 22:55, FloatingFatMan said:

Because it's not "a sonic", it's a sonic SCREWDRIVER.  It was always just meant to be a tool, but it just started to go all weird since Capaldi...

Great point.  I mean we're literally debating what something should look like, when a time machine looks like a police call box and is different on the inside, so why can't a "screwdriver" look like anything it really wants to, especially since it's always been able to scan and report on stuff besides just opening things.  It always seemed odd to me that a "screwdriver" points at something and a glance from the Doctor always got some sort of "well this thingy-I-just-scanned is 6128 years old!"... when it has no screen.

So I mean, basically, we can't really blame Ncuti's Doctor for changing up the sonic screwdriver to something more relatable to what it actually does vs what we think it should look like.  I mean, seriously, Tennant literally made a force field with the sonic and projected a screen.  So, I guess I'm saying we shouldn't be too hung up on names.  :)

On 26/06/2024 at 08:00, mram said:

Great point.  I mean we're literally debating what something should look like, when a time machine looks like a police call box and is different on the inside, so why can't a "screwdriver" look like anything it really wants to, especially since it's always been able to scan and report on stuff besides just opening things.  It always seemed odd to me that a "screwdriver" points at something and a glance from the Doctor always got some sort of "well this thingy-I-just-scanned is 6128 years old!"... when it has no screen.

So I mean, basically, we can't really blame Ncuti's Doctor for changing up the sonic screwdriver to something more relatable to what it actually does vs what we think it should look like.  I mean, seriously, Tennant literally made a force field with the sonic and projected a screen.  So, I guess I'm saying we shouldn't be too hung up on names.  :)

TBH, it's just a minor issue as all it really is, is a McGuffin.  A device that enables the writers to get themselves out of the hole their poor story telling skills got them in to in the first place.  If they're just going to call it a "Sonic" now, then it can look like anything, but if it's the original name, it should at least try to look a bit like a screwdriver, no?  

Anyway, Dr Who has far worse problems than just a simple badly named plot device, as demonstrated by the plummeting viewing figures.

 

On 26/06/2024 at 04:50, FloatingFatMan said:

TBH, it's just a minor issue as all it really is, is a McGuffin.  A device that enables the writers to get themselves out of the hole their poor story telling skills got them in to in the first place.  If they're just going to call it a "Sonic" now, then it can look like anything, but if it's the original name, it should at least try to look a bit like a screwdriver, no?  

So what do we call this strange orange alcoholic beverage, also called a screwdriver?  Should this lose its cup-like shape?  😇

Just sayin man -- names be names, and it's just a macguffin (aptly put).  But once it became sunglasses quite a few years ago, I think we lost the argument that it had to look anything like a rod with a glowy bit at the end (which also is not present in any "screwdriver")

image.thumb.png.6936a66b92d01437e71339b7f4ed3100.png

 

On 26/06/2024 at 04:50, FloatingFatMan said:

Anyway, Dr Who has far worse problems than just a simple badly named plot device, as demonstrated by the plummeting viewing figures.

Not plummeting!

On 26/06/2024 at 17:00, mram said:

So what do we call this strange orange alcoholic beverage, also called a screwdriver?  Should this lose its cup-like shape?  😇

Just sayin man -- names be names, and it's just a macguffin (aptly put).  But once it became sunglasses quite a few years ago, I think we lost the argument that it had to look anything like a rod with a glowy bit at the end (which also is not present in any "screwdriver")

I did say it'd started going weird since Capaldi...

 

On 26/06/2024 at 17:00, mram said:

Not plummeting!

Sorry, but utterly plummeting...

image.png.1a9fcd2a1283c00ae90fea07dd534464.png

 

It's at it's lowest level in 32 years.  Once upon a time, Who used to command audiences of 15+ million per episode...

image.png.666ac37e522967633b314a2c789162a0.png

https://m.imdb.com/news/ni62755417/

So it's not all the fault of the latest season, it's been going downhill for a while, but the current series is the worst so far when it comes to ratings...

I'll grant you that shows should reflect the mores of the era they're made in, but what's the point of catering to modern societal sensibilities when people don't want to watch it? All you do is lose your audience, and Gatwa's been doing an especially good job of alienating the audience with his idiotic comments...

Just my opinion mind, but an actors job is to do the role they're hired too, not to lecture people and tell them to go outside and touch grass if they don't like his portrayal.  Because they will do exactly that, and have.

 

 

  • Like 3

Doctor Who has become a love hate show for me. The last couple of doctors for me have had a lot of problems. 

Peter Capaldi - I really was not a fan of him. Out of the episodes I watched of his (about 3/4) I never was like wow that was a really good story.

Jodie Whittaker - Loved her! But she has had the worst scripts in years. I watched all of her episodes. I really wasted my time with that. 

David Tennant (14th doctor) - Its David Tennant. The return of Donna was great. But the end of his small run was really stupid. 

Ncuti Gatwa - I kind of like him. But the leak before the season started that Ruby Sunday character was gonna leave at the end of the season kind of turned me off and once again the scripts were meh, although the last couple were good. 

 

The next doctor should finally be a ginger. 

Who has become yet another vehicle out of Hollyweird to force feed the woke nonsense destroying yet another show I used to love watching. Does he have to cry every episode? Oh, wait a minute Hollyweird is telling us that it's okay for men to cry, thanks for the lesson TV! /s

The other show I couldn't stand to watch, was ST: Discovery and I love Trek!

I've been rewatching a lot of shows from the 70's and 80's like The Fall Guy, Star Trek The Next Generation, The New Avengers and I plan to start rewatching The Muppets Show. Back when TV didn't try to force feed you social narratives from minority groups every 5 minutes of every episode.

There are many exceptions, some great TV I watched recently is Them and Outer Range on Amazon Prime, and I rather enjoyed NOS4A2.

  • Thanks 1
  • 8 months later...
On 26/06/2024 at 18:49, FloatingFatMan said:

Once upon a time, Who used to command audiences of 15+ million per episode

Once upon a time there were just 3 channels and you watched what was on.  NOTHING commands 15m+ per episode.  3.5m is still GREAT by today's numbers for same day viewing.  The rhetoric that it's tanking is a story that's pushed.

For what it's worth, I've not found any of it particularly "woke" (whatever that is meant to mean).  Even the episode where everyone was white and you don't realise it's racism until the end - it had a point, it had a story, it was astonishingly well conveyed.  If someone has an issue with things like that then it is really more their issue than anything.  Sure, if it's CONSTANT then yeah, you can argue the purpose of the show is now nothing more, but it's just not - unless you're deliberately going looking for it.

And the new doctor - my lord he's good.  He is so enjoyable to just have on screen!

On 25/03/2025 at 09:33, Dick Montage said:

Once upon a time there were just 3 channels and you watched what was on.  NOTHING commands 15m+ per episode.  3.5m is still GREAT by today's numbers for same day viewing.  The rhetoric that it's tanking is a story that's pushed.

For what it's worth, I've not found any of it particularly "woke" (whatever that is meant to mean).  Even the episode where everyone was white and you don't realise it's racism until the end - it had a point, it had a story, it was astonishingly well conveyed.  If someone has an issue with things like that then it is really more their issue than anything.  Sure, if it's CONSTANT then yeah, you can argue the purpose of the show is now nothing more, but it's just not - unless you're deliberately going looking for it.

And the new doctor - my lord he's good.  He is so enjoyable to just have on screen!

I haven't gone off Dr Who for anything "woke" related.  I've gone off it because of the bloody dreadful writing and utter disrespect for the fanbase for the last few years, and it's only gotten worse since Disney stuck their oar in.

And that new Doctor of yours is so good that he's already gone...

On 25/03/2025 at 09:38, FloatingFatMan said:

bloody dreadful writing

Admittedly, yes.  There have been some good "plots" that have suffered not-so-great storytelling and dialogue!

On 25/03/2025 at 09:38, FloatingFatMan said:

utter disrespect for the fanbase

Oh grow up!  Who has ALWAYS done exactly as it wished.  The dark era when it was predominantly radio plays created this mystique around the fanbase being somehow "special" - never was, never will be - the "fan base" is just consumers - some will stay, some will leave, some will join - always been the way.

On 25/03/2025 at 09:38, FloatingFatMan said:

And that new Doctor of yours is so good that he's already gone...

"Of mine"?  So he is not "yours"?  But you're so vocally protective of the franchise, telling us all how it "should" be!  No surprise that with such a vocally toxic  minority of it's "fan base" he may be considering his future.  But please, feel free to let me know of a verified source confirming his departure, as it's all conjecture at this point.

 

On 25/03/2025 at 09:38, FloatingFatMan said:

it's only gotten worse since Disney stuck their oar in

Disney have a distribution deal for a TV show produced by Bad Wolf.  They do not have creative control.

Look, I know you're struggling with a show that has passed you by, but come on man...  "Not my Star Trek", "Not my Doctor Who" - no, they aren't, and yet you're still watching just so you can be upset and complain?  There have been episodes and arcs I found a bit meh, but it's not upsetting me to the level you seem to be.  Find shows you currently like and enjoy them?

On 25/03/2025 at 11:29, Dick Montage said:

Look, I know you're struggling with a show that has passed you by, but come on man...  "Not my Star Trek", "Not my Doctor Who" - no, they aren't, and yet you're still watching just so you can be upset and complain?  There have been episodes and arcs I found a bit meh, but it's not upsetting me to the level you seem to be.  Find shows you currently like and enjoy them?

Actually no, I'm not "still watching", at all.  I haven't properly watched Who since halfway through Jodie's tenure when it became clear that the writing wasn't going to get any better.  Since then I've watched the Timeless Child purely after hearing how awful it was, and they were right, and I watched the 3 specials which is when I just gave up completely.

As for Trek,  I hated Discovery and quit watching that after season 3, and I didn't like the first 2 seasons of Picard.  I have it one more try for season 3 and they pulled it out of the fire finally.  SNW has been up and down, but in general, it's been far FAR better than Discovery and Picard; perhaps because they're trying to do right by the show at last?

And yes, I consider them MY shows on the grounds that they're what I grew up with; much like many people consider their favourite football team "Their" team.  I doesn't mean they or I claim actual OWNERSHIP of them, and you know that full well.

Oh, and Disney not having creative control? Sure, keep telling yourself that... :rolleyes:  The Empire of the Mouse surrenders nothing.

On 25/03/2025 at 11:52, FloatingFatMan said:

I watched the 3 specials which is when I just gave up completely.

They were terrible - I agree.  I have (for years)  found that Who is at it's worst as a special - they feel (for whatever this means) "more BBC" than any other episode.

On 25/03/2025 at 11:52, FloatingFatMan said:

As for Trek,  I hated Discovery and quit watching that after season 3, and I didn't like the first 2 seasons of Picard.  I have it one more try for season 3 and they pulled it out of the fire finally.  SNW has been up and down, but in general, it's been far FAR better than Discovery and Picard; perhaps because they're trying to do right by the show at last?

So by your own comments, you chose to watch 5 series of shows you disliked.  That feels like you're your own worst enemy there.  SNW is (IMO) peak new Trek, but - it begat that S31 "movie" so don't hold your breath.

On 25/03/2025 at 11:52, FloatingFatMan said:

I consider them MY shows on the grounds that they're what I grew up with; much like many people consider their favourite football team "Their" team

Tribalism is hardly a good thing?

On 25/03/2025 at 11:52, FloatingFatMan said:

I doesn't mean they or I claim actual OWNERSHIP of them

You seem to want to apply YOUR rules as to how they can use props, setpieces, characters.

On 25/03/2025 at 11:52, FloatingFatMan said:

Oh, and Disney not having creative control? Sure, keep telling yourself that..

Awaiting that source that legitimately shows otherwise.

FYI - I am not "arguing" with you, we're debating here as we often do.  You know when you post something that it's open to comment and response - as do I - so just so that we're clear, I don't 100% disagree with your points - and am welcoming and enjoying this back and forth.  I know that Dune is something close to your heart, and I have both enjoyed and disliked the various versions of that - and would equally be as involved in such a discussion.

On 25/03/2025 at 12:06, Dick Montage said:

So by your own comments, you chose to watch 5 series of shows you disliked.  That feels like you're your own worst enemy there.  SNW is (IMO) peak new Trek, but - it begat that S31 "movie" so don't hold your breath.

Some say hope is eternal, but eventually, hopelessness exists... :/ 

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:06, Dick Montage said:

Tribalism is hardly a good thing?

Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no, it depends on how you feel I guess?  Am I upset about the changes I don't like? Sure, but that's because I love the show.  Am I so upset that I'm going to go out and protest? Not really.  I'll complain, I'll be sad, and the finally, I'll move on.

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:06, Dick Montage said:

You seem to want to apply YOUR rules as to how they can use props, setpieces, characters.

I don't care about the props, but do you really feel that the "Timeless Child" took the lore of the Timelords and The Doctor in a good direction?  I sure as hell don't...

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:06, Dick Montage said:

Awaiting that source that legitimately shows otherwise.

All you have to do is look at every single IP Disney have gotten involved with, and how they've (de)volved...

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:06, Dick Montage said:

FYI - I am not "arguing" with you, we're debating here as we often do.  You know when you post something that it's open to comment and response - as do I - so just so that we're clear, I don't 100% disagree with your points - and am welcoming and enjoying this back and forth.  I know that Dune is something close to your heart, and I have both enjoyed and disliked the various versions of that - and would equally be as involved in such a discussion.

I enjoy the discourse too, so don't feel I'm angry at YOU! :p  Dune is close to my heart yes, Frank Herbert was a genius writer (do check out his non-Dune stuff!) but remember that I've been watching Doctor Who for my entire LIFE... My earliest memory of it is being terrified as I saw the Doctor (Pertwee) with a giant spider on his back and then die & regenerate in 1974 in his last episode... That kind of thing has an effect on a young mind, you know!  I accept things have to change and evolve to meet the audience, and for the most part have enjoyed the return of "New Who" even though I didn't like when they turned the Master into a raving lunatic and thought "Missy" would have been better as The Rani, but some things are a step too far, and the Timeless Child was, for me, that step.

I don't care about the accusations of  "woke", I don't care about the gender changing and other stuff. I DO care about terrible writing, retconning major lore, and worst of all? Throwing romance and emotional vulnerability at the Doctor.  The Doctor is not a softy, the Doctor is not a lover, the Doctor doesn't break down and weep at little things.  The Doctor is the person who protects you and makes the monsters go away.

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

Some say hope is eternal, but eventually, hopelessness exists...

I think the Trek franchise (OK, let's move this elsewhere if it annoys people) suffers the same as Star Wars.  Factions.  There are some people concerned with creating content for a platform, there are some people who have decent stories to tell and I will always accept there are some people who are using a platform for an agenda.  The balance is currently off.

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

Sure, but that's because I love the show

Do you though?  Or do you love what it was?  As they are wholly different now.  It has had at least two documented "reboots" (of sorts) in the last 20 years.  Heck, take that weird 90s TV movie, that's another reboot (IMO).  The original run of Who is (IMO)  1963-1989, and man - that's not bad going.  Was it always well received?  Absolutely not (Twin Dilemma, I'm looking at you).  What we got in 2005 was (IMO) something new that was sorta a continuation but sorta not.  Maybe that's the problem - and I totally get that... Are you a reboot or a continuation - you really can't chop and change because it's just confusing.  We adults are obviously more aware of "canon" than their current target audience however, so I have just let it go and accepted "meh, ok whatever".

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

do you really feel that the "Timeless Child" took the lore of the Timelords and The Doctor in a good direction?

No, it was abysmal.  And not just from the stance of "is it good to the story of the franchise", it was just dirge and an absolute downgrade for The Master!

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

All you have to do is look at every single IP Disney have gotten involved with, and how they've (de)volved..

Right, let's dissect this.  Star Wars is the obvious go-to here... See my above comment on factions, that holds true here.  Specifically: Disney+ (content for a platform) and Kathleen Kennedy (pushing an agenda)!  But then there's Filoni (OK, he pre-dates Disney involvement but he has been given a lot of scope to tell his stories), Favreau... Rogue One, Andor, Mandalorian, Bad Batch, final seasons of Clone Wars, they've output some great stuff.

Then Marvel... The first movie produced by Disney was The Avengers and while there've been some sloppy movies and shows (certainly post Endgame), I feel they are addressing this.  And the reason?  Predominantly content for content's sake.  D+ realistically launched way too soon with insufficient content - then we have that awkward pandemic situation, so cinemas were shut - they over-stretched their goals to fill D+.  And it wasn't for the better!  But look at all the great stuff that was put out by Disney - Endgame, Black Panther, Ragnarok, Winter Soldier, Civil War.  And those are items that Disney has control over, again Disney has no creative control over Who.  Their deal is with BBC to start with, not Bad Wolf.  I'd offer that the only influence they have had are
(1) increased funding - which can be a poison chalice leading to self indulgent production admittedly
(2) expanded audiences - which it's only right for production to consider

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

remember that I've been watching Doctor Who for my entire LIFE

Oh same.  I was terrified of some episodes, heck - they still make me uneasy.  The current Master (is he?  I dunno) is abysmal and literally personifies everything the Master was not.  I get you on that.  And yeah, Missy would have served a great purpose as the Rani, but I also like how they used them to address the whole "who says?" gender thing without directly affecting The Doctor.

 

On 25/03/2025 at 12:21, FloatingFatMan said:

The Doctor is not a softy, the Doctor is not a lover, the Doctor doesn't break down and weep at little things.  The Doctor is the person who protects you and makes the monsters go away.

Surely it's a character point that the Doctor evolves, has spent so much time around humanity that he has a fondness towards it and has been affected by it.  That's LITERALLY the purpose of Rose?

And as for not caring about changes - look, I always go back to this:  When Spielberg and Dreamworks first announced a new Transformers movie in 200(x) - at Comicon, they parked up a Red Freightliner truck with a grey trailer, with a large black tarp covering it.  It was a G1 Optimus Prime through and through.  Then the movie was released and we got the Peterbilt truck, with flame motifs.  It's not wrong at all to look at the difference and go "huh - that's not what I remember", and even moreso when they are quite so deliberately trading upon nostalgia to go "huh - that's not they sold us".  Trucks, races, genders, etc - there is nothing wrong per-se with disliking change.  But at that point I just step back and thing "OK, maybe it's not for me then" and make a decision as to whether it matters enough for me to carry on with it or not.  Starbuck being female was met with so much fan backlash - and then by the end of the 1st season, she was so much more Starbuck than Dirk Benedict ever was.  But yeah, a change needs to be earned - sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't - and I feel with Who, it's maybe 50/50.  Ncuti is literally excellent for the modern Doctor, as was Capaldi for what should have been a less modern doctor, and I'd even say that Whittaker could have been - but they are let down by bipolar writing.  Heck, John Hurt's "War Doctor" was interesting as an idea until he absolutely was not - because they introduce one type of character, then feel this need to give them stupid jokes!

  • 4 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Posts

    • ...but you're Johnny, from Australia?    
    • Glow 26.9 by Razvan Serea Glow provides detailed reporting on every hardware component in your computer, saving you valuable time typically spent searching for CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and other stats. With Glow, all the information is conveniently presented in one clean interface, allowing you to easily access and review the comprehensive hardware details of your system. Glow provides detailed information on various system aspects, including OS, motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card, storage, network, battery, drivers, and services. The well-organized format ensures easy access to the required information. You can export all the gathered data to a plain text file, facilitating sharing with others for troubleshooting purposes. No installation needed. Just decompress the archive, launch the executable, and access computer-related information. Glow runs on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit versions. Glow 26.9 changelog: New Features The processor hardware detection engine has been significantly enhanced beyond traditional Intel and AMD architectures. Native support is now available for modern platforms such as Apple Silicon (M-Series) and the newly introduced NVIDIA Spark. In addition, all ARM-based processors can now be accurately distinguished between ARM32 and ARM64 architectures, providing precise hardware reporting. This marks a major milestone for Glow's hardware detection capabilities. The RAM manufacturer identification algorithm has been expanded. JEDEC vendor codes for popular brands such as Patriot, PNY, Team Group, GeIL, Lexar (Longsys), and Asgard/Gloway have been integrated into the database. This significantly reduces the likelihood of incorrect or "Unknown Manufacturer" results and improves overall hardware detection accuracy. New Public IP Address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) features have been added to the Network section. To ensure reliability, this information is retrieved from the trusted service ipwho.is. When Hiding Mode is enabled, no requests are sent and these features remain hidden, as they may expose sensitive information. The search engine used in the Installed Drivers, Installed Services, and Installed Applications sections has been enhanced. You can now perform more flexible and accurate searches using initials, partial matches, and loosely arranged character sequences. The TS Preloader loading bar has been rebuilt using our modern TS Custom Controls graphics library, developed entirely in-house. As a result of this infrastructure upgrade, the loading bar now features smooth rendering and rounded corners that align with the visual style of Windows 11. [TS Updater] A new validation algorithm has been added to check whether the target application is currently running before the update process begins. Bug Fixes Resolved a condition that could prevent TS Preloader from shutting down safely during rare application crash scenarios. Fixed a text alignment issue in the Network section affecting the display of DNS addresses. Alignment is now rendered correctly. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue that could prevent the updated application's executable "*.exe" file from being located after the update process. [TS Updater] Fixed a bug that could leave outdated "*.sha256" files in the application directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed a rare issue that could cause subfolders to be moved into the root directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue during the first launch that could cause flickering and a temporary white window appearance due to Windows Defender interactions. Changes A small improvement has been made to the internet connectivity detection algorithm. Connectivity checks are now performed in the background with minimal impact on the user interface thread. The keyboard shortcuts in the top menu have been reorganized and simplified to provide a consistent experience across all Türkaysoft applications and to avoid potential conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts. The TS Preloader splash image has been updated with a Türkiye-themed stadium design to celebrate Türkiye's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—its first appearance in 24 years. Congratulations, Türkiye! The TS Custom Controls module has been updated to version 26.6, delivering improved stability and a more polished visual appearance. [TS Updater] The application icon has been redesigned to provide a more modern and refined look. Note: Always unzip the program before using it. Otherwise you may get an error. Download: Glow 26.9 | 1.8 MB (Open Source) Links: Glow Homepage | Screenshot | Github Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • DWARF mini review: the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures by Steven Parker DWARFLAB reached out to me asking if I was interested in checking out the DWARF mini, which is a portable astronomy telescope designed for amateur astronomers. Why do I say it's for amateurs? Well, for starters, it's not what you'd call "high end"; it's more of a professional-grade starting point for amateurs serious about capturing what's up there in our night and day skies. A typical amateur astronomer is most likely thousands of dollars deep into the hobby, and I will make no claims that this DWARF mini (at a fraction of the cost) could replace it all, okay? Well, if you read on, it will be clearer what I am trying to convey. Disclosure: DWARFLAB provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. I have always been interested in looking up and observing the night sky. I see satellites crossing the sky above my garden most nights, and I am always looking at the moon. Yeah, I have a 200MP camera on my phone, but at 200X zoom, AI takes over and makes the pretty moon pictures that I snap, the DWARF mini does not, you get an actual true picture of what you can barely see with the naked eye. Before we start, let's share the highlights of the DWARF mini in bite-sized format: Pocket-Sized & Ultra-Lightweight Weighing just 1.85 lbs (840g), the DWARF mini easily fits into a backpack or large pocket. Its all-in-one, compact design makes it the ultimate grab-and-go digital telescope for hiking, camping, or traveling to dark-sky locations. Intuitive App Control & Built-in Sky Atlas Go from unboxing to your first shot in just 3 minutes! The DWARFLAB App provides a seamless experience with an interactive star map. Simply select your target and start exploring without the steep learning curve of traditional setups. Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. Below, the Sun filter, charging cable, cleaning cloth, and documentation can be found. DWARFLAB also provided a Mini Hydraulic Tripod ($89.99), and I highly recommend getting it if you plan on purchasing the DWARF mini, as it fully supports the motorized tracking feature of the telescope; plus, at 840g, the weight of the telescope, you will need a tripod that supports more than the weight of a smartphone anyway. What's in the box DWARF Mini Smart Telescope × 1 Sun Filter x 1 Type-C to Type-C Cord x 1 Cleaning Cloth x 1 User Guide With that out of the way, here are the full specs: DWARF mini Dimensions (DWH): 60.70 mm x 100.38 × 183.61 (2.39" x 3.95" x 7.23") Weight: 840g (1.85lbs) Aperture diameter: 30 mm (telephoto), 3.4 mm (wide angle) Image Sensor: SONY IMX662 1/2.8" (Telephoto) OmniVision OS02K10 1/2.8" (Wide-angle) Focal length: 150 mm (telephoto), 6.7 mm (wide-angle) Equivalent focal length: 1016 mm (telephoto), 45 mm (wide-angle) Shutter Speed: Tele - 1/10000-90s, Wide - 1/10000-30s Maximum exposure time: 90s (telephoto & wide-angle), Both in EQ mode Rotation range: Lens: 225°, Base: 360° Effective Pixels: 2.07M Maximum Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Telephoto & Wide-angle) Built-in filters: Astro, Dark, Duo-Band (Telephoto), Astro (Wide-angle) Output: JPG, FITS, TIFF, MP4 Shooting Mode: Photos, Videos, Astronomy, Burst Shooting, Time-lapse Photography Storage: 64 GB Battery: Built-in 7000 mAh, supports external USB charging Charging Port: Type-C NPU: 1 TOPS Features: WiFi, NFC NFC One-Touch Connection Astronomy Post-Processing/Appointment Shooting/Astronomy Mosaic Wi-Fi Transmission Range: 15m (open environment) Color: Black Compatibility: iOS & Android smartphones/tablets Warranty: 2-years (24-months) MSRP: $399 Design Charge port On/off button Lens On the DWARF mini itself, it is a pretty minimal affair. On one side, there is a Type-C USB port to charge the non-removable 7000 mAh battery, and on the other side, a large button to power on or off the telescope. The button is flanked by an LED that is green when connected via the DWARFLAB app, or lights up red when being powered off. Below the button, there are four LEDs that indicate battery power. The DWARF mini does not have any sharp edges as all sides are rounded off; it has a good heft to it, but the weight of it feels quite balanced in the hand, so it isn't top or bottom-heavy. On the front there is the DWARFLAB logo which is quite small and there are no other markings on it. The tripod offers full 360° rotation of the motorized base, which allows for tracking for the time-lapse mode, but also for the 90-second captures of nearer objects in the sky, such as the Sun or the moon. Usage To get started, simply power on the DWARF mini and open the DWARFLAB app, tap on Connect, and it will scan for the DWARF mini over the Wi-Fi network. The device supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth for discovery, so connection issues were minimal in my experience with it. As previously noted in the specs, the DWARF mini will stay connected with a phone or tablet up to 15 meters in an open environment, such as a backyard. Lighting status Powering on: The green circular light will rotate and breathe in turn Powering off: The red circular light is gradually extinguished Connecting: Green light strip rotating Connected: Green light strip solid/always on 4 lights 1= 0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50-75%, 4= 75-100% battery power To view the full lighting status, such as tracking mode and connection failure, you can check the user guide on the official DWARFLAB page. DWARFLAB app Above, you can see the steps undertaken to connect the DWARFLAB app to my Galaxy S26 Ultra. Weirdly, I got an alert that a firmware update failed to get uploaded to the DWARF mini the first time, but upon retrying, it worked. Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader Dis Continued
    • The name, you mean? If so, it's actually the objects common name. There's another one called NGC 7293 which is also known as Helix Nebula (because we're looking at a helix structure top down) but other times also known as the Eye of God. You'll understand when you see it
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      X-No-file earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      504
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      270
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      75
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      71
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      69
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!