theverge--2020-08-13--Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store

Following its removal from the Apple App Store , Fortnite has also been kicked off of the Google Play Store for Android .
Earlier today , Epic Games snuck in an update for both the iPhone and Android versions of the game that allowed users to pay Epic directly for in-app purchases instead of using the officially sanctioned system for both platforms .
What followed was a wild ride : Apple kicked Fortnite off the App Store , then Epic sued Apple , and finally there was an in-game video parodying Apple ’ s own 1984 commercial , positioning Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google is in the conversation .
As with Apple , Google requires that games use the Google Play system for in-app purchases .
Although the Play Store ’ s rules are somewhat more lax than Apple ’ s when it comes to in-app purchases , Google does draw the line at games .
It ’ s quite clear-cut : “ Developers offering products within a game downloaded on Google Play or providing access to game content must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment.
” Google ’ s system takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple ’ s does .
Epic ’ s update earlier today ran afoul of that rule , and while Google took longer to make a decision to ban Fortnite over it than Apple , both companies reached the same conclusion .
A Google spokesperson emphasized to The Verge that Android is an open ecosystem that allows multiple stores and that Google Play ’ s policies need to apply equally to all developers .
It has no problem with those other stores existing nor with Epic distributing its game on them , the spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Android , however .
Epic itself points visitors to its website , where they can either download Fortnite through the Epic Games app or via the Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices .
This is different from iPhone and iPad , where it ’ s now impossible to install the game if you hadn ’ t already done so .
Epic has a history of tussling with Google over this Play Store rule .
In August 2018 , Epic pulled Fortnite from the Google Play Store and began distributing it directly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ installs from third-party sources , though it does make that process seem a bit dangerous because of the security warnings that appear when you do .
Eighteen months later , Epic capitulated and put Fortnite back into the Google Play Store , though not without some very angry rhetoric about it .
Here ’ s Epic ’ s statement from April 2020 : An app as popular as Fortnite being installed via other means — specifically other stores — has the potential to lessen the centrality of the Google Play Store on Android @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are already competing stores — Samsung is pushing its own store heavily on its Android devices , for example .
But in general , the Google Play Store has been the go-to software source for most people .
Epic is already actively encouraging users to also use the version that comes from Samsung ’ s store , telling users that they can get the discount that started this whole mess if they do : “ You ’ ll find that V-Bucks and real-money offers are now discounted by up to 20 % through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Samsung Galaxy Store.
” If Epic can get users in the habit of using other stores , that could mean users will start to want to use other stores for other app installs .
If you ’ ve used any recent Samsung Galaxy phone , you have seen it offer the option to handle the installs for some major apps .
It could mean that Google may be able skirt a monopoly issue with its decision , it would argue that there is real competition for app stores on Android .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Microsoft .
Its upcoming Game Pass Ultimate streaming service ( you know it as xCloud ) will be available both on Google Play and on Samsung ’ s Galaxy Store .
If you install it via Google Play , you won ’ t be able to purchase DLC content for Xbox games because of that 30 percent cut .
If you happen to install it via Samsung ’ s store , however , you are able to make in-app purchases .
Here ’ s Microsoft ’ s statement on the issue : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple ’ s ban — the lawsuit and the 1984 ad — it ’ s a sure bet that the company will have a response to Google as well .
We ’ ll obviously let you know what that is when it happens .

Following its removal from the Apple App Store, Fortnite has also been kicked off of the Google Play Store for Android. Earlier today, Epic Games snuck in an update for both the iPhone and Android versions of the game that allowed users to pay Epic directly for in-app purchases instead of using the officially sanctioned system for both platforms.
What followed was a wild ride: Apple kicked Fortnite off the App Store, then Epic sued Apple, and finally there was an in-game video parodying Apple’s own 1984 commercial, positioning Apple itself as the monopolist.
Now, Google is in the conversation. As with Apple, Google requires that games use the Google Play system for in-app purchases. Although the Play Store’s rules are somewhat more lax than Apple’s when it comes to in-app purchases, Google does draw the line at games. It’s quite clear-cut: “Developers offering products within a game downloaded on Google Play or providing access to game content must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment.” Google’s system takes a 30 percent cut, just as Apple’s does.
Epic’s update earlier today ran afoul of that rule, and while Google took longer to make a decision to ban Fortnite over it than Apple, both companies reached the same conclusion.
Google’s statement:
The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.
A Google spokesperson emphasized to The Verge that Android is an open ecosystem that allows multiple stores and that Google Play’s policies need to apply equally to all developers. It has no problem with those other stores existing nor with Epic distributing its game on them, the spokesperson said.
You can still install Fortnite on Android, however. Epic itself points visitors to its website, where they can either download Fortnite through the Epic Games app or via the Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices. This is different from iPhone and iPad, where it’s now impossible to install the game if you hadn’t already done so.
Epic has a history of tussling with Google over this Play Store rule. In August 2018, Epic pulled Fortnite from the Google Play Store and began distributing it directly. That is only possible because Android allows installs from third-party sources, though it does make that process seem a bit dangerous because of the security warnings that appear when you do.
Eighteen months later, Epic capitulated and put Fortnite back into the Google Play Store, though not without some very angry rhetoric about it. Here’s Epic’s statement from April 2020:
Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store.
An app as popular as Fortnite being installed via other means — specifically other stores — has the potential to lessen the centrality of the Google Play Store on Android — and maybe increase fragmentation. There are already competing stores — Samsung is pushing its own store heavily on its Android devices, for example. But in general, the Google Play Store has been the go-to software source for most people.
Epic is already actively encouraging users to also use the version that comes from Samsung’s store, telling users that they can get the discount that started this whole mess if they do: “You’ll find that V-Bucks and real-money offers are now discounted by up to 20% through the Epic Games app at epicgames.com and the Samsung Galaxy Store.”
If Epic can get users in the habit of using other stores, that could mean users will start to want to use other stores for other app installs. If you’ve used any recent Samsung Galaxy phone, you have seen it offer the option to handle the installs for some major apps. It could mean that Google may be able skirt a monopoly issue with its decision, it would argue that there is real competition for app stores on Android.
For just one other gaming-related example, look to Microsoft. Its upcoming Game Pass Ultimate streaming service (you know it as xCloud) will be available both on Google Play and on Samsung’s Galaxy Store. If you install it via Google Play, you won’t be able to purchase DLC content for Xbox games because of that 30 percent cut. If you happen to install it via Samsung’s store, however, you are able to make in-app purchases. Here’s Microsoft’s statement on the issue:
Our vision is to bring a complete, full-featured experience with in-app purchase capabilities to app stores. However, we are complying with all store policies and do not offer in-app purchases in some stores at this time. To access complete, in-app purchase capabilities, Samsung customers can download the Xbox Game Pass app from the Galaxy Store; SK Telecom customers can also get a complete experience through ONE Store.
(Meanwhile, Microsoft’s game streaming service isn’t allowed on the iPhone at all — and Microsoft isn’t happy about that, either.)


theverge--2020-08-13--Postmaster general under fire over Amazon stock holdings

Postmaster general Louis DeJoy is under fire over a new CNN report that shows he holds stock options in Amazon , an apparent conflict of interest .
Federal law prohibits employees of the executive branch from holding a financial interest in a company that could have an impact on their government duties .
Amazon is a significant customer of the USPS , with some analysts estimating the e-commerce giant uses the post office for around 40 percent of its shipping .
DeJoy held between $ 100,000 and $ 250,000 worth of stock in Amazon when he joined the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DeJoy divested the shares on June 24th but on the same day bought between $ 50,000 and $ 100,000 of Amazon stock options , which give him the right to buy shares in Amazon at $ 1,860 per share , according to CNN .
As a result , he still stands to benefit financially if Amazon ’ s share price increases .
( Amazon stock closed on Thursday at $ 3,161 per share . )
Democrats in Congress say DeJoy ’ s changes have made mail delivery slower and less reliable Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeJoy ’ s purchase of stock options in Amazon after his appointment as postmaster general was “ inexcusable , ” and said the Office of Inspector General “ must investigate this corruption.
” Democrats have also raised concerns that DeJoy retained a significant stake in his former company XPO Logistics , which is a contractor for the postal service .
In an email statement to The Verge , Warren wrote that DeJoy has a “ personal stake in the Postal Service ’ s decline— and his stake got bigger when he bought Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing broad criticism for his management of the post office since his appointment in May .
Numerous reports of slower mail delivery have led to accusations that the Trump administration is trying to sabotage the post office deliberately , possibly to disrupt the presidential election .
On August 7th , DeJoy reduced overtime for postal employees , implemented a hiring freeze , and announced plans to reassign two dozen postal executives .
More recently , a report from Vice on Thursday found that postal sorting machines were being deactivated at mail sorting facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats sent a letter to the USPS inspector general ’ s office asking for an investigation into some of the “ modifications ” DeJoy had made to the agency , specifically in regard to staffing and policies .
President Trump has also complained about Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos , questioning whether a financial arrangement to deliver Amazon packages was “ making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer.
” The group of Democrats urged the inspector general in their letter to investigate why the new measures were put into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting by mail in the November election , and to look into potential financial conflicts of interest .
The letter says the changes have made mail delivery “ slower and less reliable , ” putting at risk millions of Americans who rely on mail delivery for prescriptions , Social Security checks , and other kinds of mail .
DeJoy has pledged that mail related to the election would not be delayed .

Postmaster general Louis DeJoy is under fire over a new CNN report that shows he holds stock options in Amazon, an apparent conflict of interest.
Federal law prohibits employees of the executive branch from holding a financial interest in a company that could have an impact on their government duties. Amazon is a significant customer of the USPS, with some analysts estimating the e-commerce giant uses the post office for around 40 percent of its shipping.
DeJoy held between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of stock in Amazon when he joined the Trump administration, CNN reported, citing financial disclosures. DeJoy divested the shares on June 24th but on the same day bought between $50,000 and $100,000 of Amazon stock options, which give him the right to buy shares in Amazon at $1,860 per share, according to CNN. As a result, he still stands to benefit financially if Amazon’s share price increases. (Amazon stock closed on Thursday at $3,161 per share.)
Democrats in Congress say DeJoy’s changes have made mail delivery slower and less reliable
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tweeted that DeJoy’s purchase of stock options in Amazon after his appointment as postmaster general was “inexcusable,” and said the Office of Inspector General “must investigate this corruption.” Democrats have also raised concerns that DeJoy retained a significant stake in his former company XPO Logistics, which is a contractor for the postal service. In an email statement to The Verge, Warren wrote that DeJoy has a “personal stake in the Postal Service’s decline— and his stake got bigger when he bought Amazon stock after his appointment.”
DeJoy has faced broad criticism for his management of the post office since his appointment in May. Numerous reports of slower mail delivery have led to accusations that the Trump administration is trying to sabotage the post office deliberately, possibly to disrupt the presidential election. On August 7th, DeJoy reduced overtime for postal employees, implemented a hiring freeze, and announced plans to reassign two dozen postal executives. More recently, a report from Vice on Thursday found that postal sorting machines were being deactivated at mail sorting facilities around the country.
Warren and other Democrats sent a letter to the USPS inspector general’s office asking for an investigation into some of the “modifications” DeJoy had made to the agency, specifically in regard to staffing and policies.
President Trump has also complained about Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos, questioning whether a financial arrangement to deliver Amazon packages was “making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer.”
The group of Democrats urged the inspector general in their letter to investigate why the new measures were put into place, how the changes could affect voting by mail in the November election, and to look into potential financial conflicts of interest. The letter says the changes have made mail delivery “slower and less reliable,” putting at risk millions of Americans who rely on mail delivery for prescriptions, Social Security checks, and other kinds of mail. DeJoy has pledged that mail related to the election would not be delayed.


theverge--2020-08-13--Amazon can be held liable for products sold on Marketplace, appeals court rules

Amazon can be held liable for defective products sold on its Marketplace in California , an appeals court ruled Thursday .
The California Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed a 2019 trial court ruling and reinstated claims from a woman who says she suffered third-degree burns when a defective laptop battery she bought from a third-party seller on Amazon caught fire .
The decision could have dire repercussions for Amazon , which has argued for years that it only serves as an intermediary between buyers and third-party sellers on the Marketplace portion of its platform .
That stance has protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is , until now .
The company is now facing several other lawsuits over defective products in other courts .
Angela Bolger says she bought a replacement laptop battery on Amazon from E-Life , a fictitious company name for Lenoge Technology Ltd. , which shipped the battery to her in Amazon-branded packaging .
Several months later , Bolger claims , the battery exploded .
She says she was never notified of safety concerns that led to E-Life being banned from Amazon ’ s platform .
A lower court ruled in 2019 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
The trial court also ruled that the Communications Decency Act would not have shielded the company from Bolger ’ s claims under California state law .
Bolger appealed that ruling , arguing that in California , strict liability doesn ’ t depend just on whether a sale was made .
In its ruling , the appeals court said Amazon was central to the laptop battery sale in Bolger ’ s case .
“ Whatever term we use to describe Amazon ’ s role , be it ‘ retailer , ’ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ it was pivotal in bringing the product here to the consumer , ” the court wrote .
Amazon should be liable if a product on its website is defective , the court added .
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday .

Amazon can be held liable for defective products sold on its Marketplace in California, an appeals court ruled Thursday, which suggests that if you buy a defective third-party product on Amazon, it might be Amazon that’s responsible. The California Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed a 2019 trial court ruling and reinstated claims from a woman who says she suffered third-degree burns when a defective laptop battery she bought from a third-party seller on Amazon caught fire.
The decision could have dire repercussions for Amazon, which has argued for years that it only serves as an intermediary between buyers and its third-party sellers, which Amazon collectively refers to as the “Amazon Marketplace” even though it’s not a distinct place on Amazon. (Third-party sellers appear in normal Amazon listings, with only a small line of text to indicate that the actual seller isn’t Amazon itself.) That stance has protected Amazon from liability for Marketplace products, that is, until now. The company is now facing several other lawsuits over defective products in other courts.
Angela Bolger says she bought a replacement laptop battery on Amazon from E-Life, a fictitious company name for Lenoge Technology Ltd., which shipped the battery to her in Amazon-branded packaging. Several months later, Bolger claims, the battery exploded. She says she was never notified of safety concerns that led to E-Life being banned from Amazon’s platform.
A lower court ruled in 2019 that Amazon was not covered under product liability laws. The trial court also ruled that the Communications Decency Act would not have shielded the company from Bolger’s claims under California state law. Bolger appealed that ruling, arguing that in California, strict liability doesn’t depend just on whether a sale was made.
An Amazon spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company would appeal the decision. “The court’s decision was wrongly decided and is contrary to well-established law in California and around the country that service providers are not liable for third party products they do not make or sell,” the spokesperson said.
In its ruling, the appeals court said Amazon was central to the laptop battery sale in Bolger’s case. “Whatever term we use to describe Amazon’s role, be it ‘retailer,’ ‘distributor,’ or merely ‘facilitator,’ it was pivotal in bringing the product here to the consumer,” the court wrote. Amazon should be liable if a product on its website is defective, the court added.
Update, August 14th, 10:20AM ET: Added that Amazon declined comment.


theverge--2020-08-13--You can type ‘how to vote’ into Google now for instant state-by-state voting instructions

Election Day in the US — November 3rd — is almost here .
Now , if you type “ how to vote ” or “ how to register to vote ” into Google ’ s search box , it will automatically detect which state you live in and give you voting dates , ways to register to vote online , and more .
If you go to Google ’ s search engine or the Chrome web browser to search for specific voting information , you ’ ll now get some very specific results : If you search “ how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears on the webpage — below all of the ads , anyhow — is no longer the top search result for that phrase .
Instead , you ’ ll see specific information on how to vote in your state , including ID requirements , the deadline to vote , and important differences between voting by mail or in person .
If you search “ how to register to vote ” instead , Google will provide step-by-step instructions to register for in-person voting , how to sign up for a mail-in ballot , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Google is working with several nonpartisan third-party data partners , including Democracy Works , to pull official data directly from state and county election administrators .
Google ’ s search engine also provides relevant links to your state government ’ s website if you need additional information .

Election Day in the US — November 3rd — is almost here. Now, if you type “how to vote” or “how to register to vote” into Google’s search box, it will automatically detect which state you live in and give you voting dates, ways to register to vote online, and more.
If you go to Google’s search engine or the Chrome web browser to search for specific voting information, you’ll now get some very specific results:
Google search provides detailed answers to questions you may have about registering or voting in your state.
If you search “how to vote,” the first thing that appears on the webpage — below all of the ads, anyhow — is no longer the top search result for that phrase. Instead, you’ll see specific information on how to vote in your state, including ID requirements, the deadline to vote, and important differences between voting by mail or in person. If you search “how to register to vote” instead, Google will provide step-by-step instructions to register for in-person voting, how to sign up for a mail-in ballot, and check the status of your voter registration.
Aside from the ads, the first organic thing to appear is detailed information on how to vote in your state.


theverge--2020-08-13--Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with a warning that they’ll miss the next season

Apple has banned Fortnite from the App Store for violating store policies , and Epic is rallying players against the iPhone maker in part by telling them they could miss the game ’ s upcoming season if Apple doesn ’ t change its rules .
“ Because Apple has BLOCKED your ability to update , when Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 4 releases you will NOT be able to play the new Season on iOS , ” Epic said in a blog post titled “ # FreeFortnite.
” Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4 is scheduled to begin on August 27th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Epic by then , that means the game ’ s many iOS players will lose out on the chance to play Fortnite ’ s next major update in just a couple weeks .
New seasons typically introduce a significant amount of content , such as unique skins , notable changes to the game ’ s ever-evolving map , and gameplay features like drivable cars .
If you downloaded the latest version of Fortnite from the App Store before Apple pulled it , you shouldn ’ t have problems playing the game right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still off the App Store when the new season starts , you should still be able to play the current Fortnite version , 13.40 , on iOS , but you won ’ t be able to access any of the new season ’ s content , according to Epic .
Apple blocked Fortnite from the App Store because Epic introduced a way to buy V-bucks , Fortnite ’ s in-game currency , directly from Epic .
The new direct payment mechanism came as part of a price drop on V-Bucks across all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy V-Bucks through Apple ’ s payment system instead , the price was higher , ostensibly to cover Apple ’ s 30 percent cut it takes from digital purchases made on the App Store .
Epic is encouraging players to tweet at Apple to demand updates and a choice in payment platforms .
“ Apple is blocking your ability to get the latest Fortnite updates !
” Epic said in the # FreeFortnite blog .
“ All players should have a choice in payment providers and save up to 20 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Join the fight against @ AppStore on social with # FreeFortnite.
” Soon after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store , Epic aired a short mocking Apple ’ s “ 1984 ” ad that put a Fortnite-style twist on iconic imagery from the famous commercial .
As part of a message at the end of the short , Epic called on players to “ join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘ 1984.
’ ” Epic also sued Apple following its decision to yank Fortnite .
Epic instituted the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fortnite as well , and Google removed the app from the Google Play Store Thursday evening , also for violating store policies .
Android players still have ways to play Fortnite , however — they can download the game directly from Epic or from the Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices .
And by installing the game through a non-Play Store method , Android players should still be able to access content from Fortnite ’ s upcoming season .
Update August 13th , 6:56PM ET : Added that Google has removed Fortnite @ @ @ @ @

Apple has banned Fortnite from the App Store for violating store policies, and Epic is rallying players against the iPhone maker in part by telling them they could miss the game’s upcoming season if Apple doesn’t change its rules.
“Because Apple has BLOCKED your ability to update, when Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 4 releases you will NOT be able to play the new Season on iOS,” Epic said in a blog post titled “#FreeFortnite.”
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4 is scheduled to begin on August 27th. If nothing changes between Apple and Epic by then, that means the game’s many iOS players will lose out on the chance to play Fortnite’s next major update in just a couple weeks. New seasons typically introduce a significant amount of content, such as unique skins, notable changes to the game’s ever-evolving map, and gameplay features like drivable cars.
If you downloaded the latest version of Fortnite from the App Store before Apple pulled it, you shouldn’t have problems playing the game right now, Epic says. And if Fortnite is still off the App Store when the new season starts, you should still be able to play the current Fortnite version, 13.40, on iOS, but you won’t be able to access any of the new season’s content, according to Epic.
Apple blocked Fortnite from the App Store because Epic introduced a way to buy V-bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency, directly from Epic. The new direct payment mechanism came as part of a price drop on V-Bucks across all platforms. However, if you chose to buy V-Bucks through Apple’s payment system instead, the price was higher, ostensibly to cover Apple’s 30 percent cut it takes from digital purchases made on the App Store.
Epic is encouraging players to tweet at Apple to demand updates and a choice in payment platforms. “Apple is blocking your ability to get the latest Fortnite updates!” Epic said in the #FreeFortnite blog. “All players should have a choice in payment providers and save up to 20 percent. Apple wants to limit your payment choices! Join the fight against @AppStore on social with #FreeFortnite.”
Soon after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, Epic aired a short mocking Apple’s “1984” ad that put a Fortnite-style twist on iconic imagery from the famous commercial. As part of a message at the end of the short, Epic called on players to “join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984.’” Epic also sued Apple following its decision to yank Fortnite.
Epic instituted the new direct payments system in the Android version of Fortnite as well, and Google removed the app from the Google Play Store Thursday evening, also for violating store policies. Android players still have ways to play Fortnite, however — they can download the game directly from Epic or from the Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices. And by installing the game through a non-Play Store method, Android players should still be able to access content from Fortnite’s upcoming season.


theverge--2020-08-13--Watch Epic’s Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short mocking Apple right here

Epic just premiered a new short mocking Apple shortly after the iPhone-maker kicked Fortnite from the App Store for violating its guidelines on Thursday .
The short , titled “ Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite , ” directly mocks Apple ’ s iconic “ 1984 ” ad , taking famous imagery from the ad and giving it a cartoony Fortnite twist .
A man with an apple for a face on a giant screen talks to a soulless , black-and-white audience .
“ Today , we celebrate the anniversary of the platform unification directives , ” says the apple in a menacing voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given us their songs , their labor , their dreams .
In exchange , we have taken our tribute , our profits , our control .
This power is ours and ours alone .
We shall prevail.
” As he says that last line ( which is also used in Apple ’ s ad ) , a woman throws a Fortnite pickaxe at the screen , invoking the classic image from the “ 1984 ” commercial of a woman throwing a hammer at the screen .
After the pickaxe shatters the screen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Games has defied the App Store Monopoly .
In retaliation , Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices .
Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming “ 1984.
” And then , the hashtag # FreeFortnite appears .
Epic is now showing the short on loop on the Fortnite Twitch and YouTube channels .
More than 7,000 people are watching on Twitch and more than 26,000 people are watching on YouTube as of 4:37PM ET .
If you want to watch the original “ 1984 ” ad , check it out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ App Store after Epic introduced a direct payments system into Fortnite ’ s iOS app , which goes against App Store rules .
Shortly after Apple pulled Fortnite , Epic announced the short and also filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple .
After the video aired , Epic launched a # FreeFortnite website explaining its position .

Epic just premiered a new short mocking Apple shortly after the iPhone-maker kicked Fortnite from the App Store for violating its guidelines on Thursday. The short, titled “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite,” directly mocks Apple’s iconic “1984” ad, taking famous imagery from the ad and giving it a cartoony Fortnite twist.
A man with an apple for a face on a giant screen talks to a soulless, black-and-white audience. “Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the platform unification directives,” says the apple in a menacing voice. “For years, they have given us their songs, their labor, their dreams. In exchange, we have taken our tribute, our profits, our control. This power is ours and ours alone. We shall prevail.”
As he says that last line (which is also used in Apple’s ad), a woman throws a Fortnite pickaxe at the screen, invoking the classic image from the “1984” commercial of a woman throwing a hammer at the screen.
After the pickaxe shatters the screen, a message scrolls up: “Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming “1984.” And then, the hashtag #FreeFortnite appears.
Epic is now showing the short on loop on the Fortnite Twitch and YouTube channels. More than 7,000 people are watching on Twitch and more than 26,000 people are watching on YouTube as of 4:37PM ET.
If you want to watch the original “1984” ad, check it out here:


theverge--2020-08-14--PSA: Games Done Quick’s summer speedrunning event kicks off on August 16th

Games Done Quick ’ s ( GDQ ) next big speedrunning marathon for charity will kick off on August 16th at 11:30AM ET / 7:30AM PT on Twitch .
This year ’ s summer GDQ will be a bit different than past years due to the pandemic : instead of taking place in a giant room filled with people , it will be entirely virtual .
But just because the event is online doesn ’ t mean it should be any less interesting than past years .
The schedule is packed with runs , like a Hollow Knight race on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % on Wednesday , and Super Smash Bros. 64 Break the Targets All Characters Blindfolded ( !
! )
on Saturday .
There ’ s sure to be some more hidden gems in there .
After all , half the fun of GDQ for me is just tuning into the stream whenever I can and watching the incredible skill on display .
GDQ has been hosting speedrunning events since 2010 to raise money for charity , and donations raised during next week ’ s event will support Doctors Without Borders .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the organization , which was a record at the time , but GDQ eclipsed that during the Awesome Games Done Quick event in January by bringing in $ 3,164,002 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation .
Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online runs from Sunday , August 16th , until early in the morning on Sunday , August 23rd .

Games Done Quick’s (GDQ) next big speedrunning marathon for charity will kick off on August 16th at 11:30AM ET / 7:30AM PT on Twitch. This year’s summer GDQ will be a bit different than past years due to the pandemic: instead of taking place in a giant room filled with people, it will be entirely virtual.
But just because the event is online doesn’t mean it should be any less interesting than past years. The schedule is packed with runs, like a Hollow Knight race on Monday, Virtual Boy Wario Land Any% on Wednesday, and Super Smash Bros. 64 Break the Targets All Characters Blindfolded (!!) on Saturday. There’s sure to be some more hidden gems in there. After all, half the fun of GDQ for me is just tuning into the stream whenever I can and watching the incredible skill on display.
GDQ has been hosting speedrunning events since 2010 to raise money for charity, and donations raised during next week’s event will support Doctors Without Borders. Last year’s summer GDQ raised $3,039,596 for the organization, which was a record at the time, but GDQ eclipsed that during the Awesome Games Done Quick event in January by bringing in $3,164,002 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.


theverge--2020-08-14--Fortnite vs Apple vs Google: a brief and very incomplete timeline

If you weren ’ t watching tech news yesterday , you missed an entire afternoon ’ s worth of cramming handfuls of popcorn in your mouth as you stared wide-eyed at the screen wondering what madness was coming next .
It was A Day .
Epic baited both Apple and Google into banning Fortnite from their respective app stores and did so with a full game plan in mind — including an in-game anti-Apple video event and two very public lawsuits .
Beyond Epic , I have many tech topics to weigh in on from this week that I haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I ’ ve been working on our review and video for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra — hit me up if you have questions you ’ d like to see addressed in that .
But before we get to the Battle Royale between these three companies , I can ’ t not quickly talk about the Microsoft Duo .
Holy wow that phone/not-a-phone looks really interesting but also looks like it might be overpriced and underpowered .
I am decidedly on team “ specs don ’ t tell the whole story ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better specs are a safer bet , especially when the thing costs $ 1399.
” Long story short : I love the idea of folding devices but the burden of proof is on Microsoft with this one .
I absolutely can not wait to review it .
We ’ ll have plenty of analysis that goes much deeper into everything Fortnite on The Verge today .
Expect a long discussion on The Vergecast and articles from reporters on our tech and gaming crews .
We have a page where you can see all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to know about Epic ’ s fight against mobile app stores .
For my part , I ’ m just going to give you a brief and very incomplete timeline of some of the relevant app store dramas that bought us to the point where the most important gaming company on the planet created a video parodying Apple ’ s famous 1984 Superbowl commercial .
I will start ... earlier than you might expect .
January 22nd , 1984 : the national Super Bowl broadcast of Apple ’ s famous Macintosh advertisement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential ad .
Directed by Ridley Scott , it told the story of a revolutionary upstart that was going to break the totalitarian rule of the monopolist behemoth who dominated the industry .
June , 2016 : Apple very slightly changed its App Store rules to lower its cut on subscription apps from 30 percent to 15 percent after their first year .
It was a moment when Apple finally started easing up , if only slightly , on the rules that give it a 30 percent cut on everything in the store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took Fortnite off of the Google Play Store because it was angry about Google taking that same 30 percent cut .
Epic was able to do this in the first place because Android , unlike iOS , allows people to install apps directly from any source .
It just requires clicking “ OK ” on a bunch of relatively intimidating security warnings .
January 17th , 2020 : the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing in Colorado about how big tech treats smaller companies in its orbit .
Short answer : it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( which is suing Google ) , PopSockets , Tile , and Basecamp all testify to having been kicked around by Apple in various ways .
April 3rd , 2020 : we learned that Apple had given Amazon a special deal that let it do things that other developers couldn ’ t .
Apple claimed it was “ an established program , ” but we all saw through it : Amazon got a deal because Amazon had leverage .
April 21st , 2020 : Fortnite returned to the Google Play Store .
Turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps ( and maybe the lack of easy discovery ) was too much of a problem for Epic .
Epic ’ s CEO , Tim Sweeney , was pretty blunt about how unhappy he was that his app had to come back .
June 16th , 2020 : Basecamp ’ s new email app , Hey , was rejected from the Apple App Store because it didn ’ t offer a way to sign up directly on the iPhone — mainly so that it won ’ t have to pay Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just in time to keep it from ruining Apple ’ s developer conference ) a compromise was reached : Hey offered a kind of minimum functionality that let it sneak on to the App Store .
July 29th , 2020 : the judiciary committee met again , calling in the CEOs of Google , Apple , Amazon , and Facebook over video conference .
It went better than expected , if only because the committee displayed some semblance of technical knowledge .
Still , it didn ’ t create any enduring moments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pichai didn ’ t get pressured on App Store issues in any meaningful way .
August 6th , 2020 : Apple reiterated its policies surrounding streaming games platforms : not allowed .
Microsoft , Google , and Facebook all would like to offer their streaming game services to iPhone users , but Apple insists that it get a cut on digital purchases and that it have the ability to directly review and list every game .
Microsoft and Facebook issued condemnations of the policy .
Alright , that ’ s a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you it ’ s very incomplete — there ’ s a whole other Spotify timeline , European Union timeline , and Android timeline we could do here .
Anyway , from this incomplete timeline , here are the key points you should remember as we digest yesterday ’ s hijinks .
• First , there has been a lot of unhappiness related to Apple ’ s monopoly over app distribution on the iPhone , and anger at both Apple and Google over their 30 percent cut .
Developers are seeing an opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also been a general decline in trust and faith in big tech ( duh ) .
• Finally , there ’ s been growing interest from regulators to start enforcing some antitrust laws .
... And now , welcome to August 13th , 2020 .
I assure you , all of the events below happened in a single day .
┏ Epic offers new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android to get around app store fees .
Epic straight up pushed a server side update to its app that wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s no-no number one .
No-no number two is the big one , though : offering direct payments without giving Apple or Google a cut .
You can already see the seeds of what ’ s to come here .
The move was blatant and it was also designed to curry favor with users , presenting the new options with a 20 percent discount .
( Interestingly , not 30 percent , but also there are credit card fees and other issues that could account for that discrepancy .
Arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ┏ Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store .
Apple stuck to its guns .
Fortnite broke the rules , Fortnite is out .
┏ Epic will mock Apple ’ s most iconic ad as possible revenge for Fortnite ’ s App Store ban .
It becomes obvious that the original direct payment option was a setup all along .
Epic intends to make it a big issue and rally its fans to its cause .
to be clear , I am quite confident that nobody was surprised by this move .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to kick the app out of the store , Apple knew Epic would do something like this .
┏ Epic Games is suing Apple .
But did Apple know that Epic would sue ?
Who knows ?
There are two things to note about Epic ’ s lawsuit : • It starts with very readable , very passionate language about how Apple used to be good but now it ’ s bad .
• It very carefully positions its anti-trust argument by saying that Apple has a monopoly over iOS distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust arguments for every big tech company tends to hinge on some question of “ market definition.
” ┏ Microsoft releases Surface Duo press event video with 30 minutes of demos .
Yeah okay this has nothing to do with anything else , but it ’ s worth watching .
I love gadgets , what can I say ?
┏ Watch Epic ’ s Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short mocking Apple right here .
I can not begin to express how savvy this video is .
It mirrors Apple ’ s famous anti-IBM commercial shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bully .
It ... tells the story of a revolutionary upstart that is going to break the totalitarian rule of the monopolist behemoth who dominates the industry .
┏ Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with a warning that they ’ ll miss the next season .
Of course , there is a hashtag .
But also , there are real and immediate stakes .
Apple and Google banned Fortnite from their stores , but they still work on every device they ’ re already installed on .
So a bunch of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fight that will be over before it affects them .
Epic is making even those people realize that this is a problem for them .
┏ Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store .
I have to be honest with you , I expected Google to just sit this one out and let Epic break the rules for a day or two .
Nope .
Late in the day , Google acted .
It also pointed out that there are other ways you can install apps on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via other stores .
You know how back in the day Microsoft was happy Apple existed because then Microsoft could say it wasn ’ t a total monopoly ?
That ’ s exactly the vibe I get when Google talks about the Samsung Galaxy App Store .
Sidenote !
Both Epic and Microsoft are pointing users to Samsung ’ s store .
That ’ s because they ’ re apparently able to get their in-app purchases in without paying a 30 percent fee .
What fee are they paying Samsung ?
Unclear — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
┏ Epic is suing Google over Fortnite ’ s removal from the Google Play Store .
Epic had a lawsuit ready for Google too , but no video parody .
Of course , it followed the same script as the Apple lawsuit .
Google used to have this “ don ’ t be evil ” motto , you see .
┏ Google forced OnePlus to decimate a Fortnite launcher deal , claims Epic Games .
One tidbit in the Google lawsuit : we got another example of Google pushing around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google ’ s services front and center on their phones out of the box .
This seems like a small thing , but it ’ s very close to the practice that made the EU slap a huge fine on Google and force it to use a browser ballot on Android .
What have we learned ?
As I write this evening , I have a few very preliminary thoughts : • Apple and Google do not want to be pushed around by anybody , not even the most important game company today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fabulously wealthy and powerful that maybe they ’ re just too big to be pushed anyway .
• Whether you like him or not , you have to admit that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney sure does know how to put on a show .
No wonder Fortnite is so popular .
• The backlash against app stores is real and growing .
• Apple has largely managed to avoid being seen as a bully , but that perception could change .
Really , that ’ s one of Epic ’ s main goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what ’ s going to happen next , but I would be very surprised if Apple backs down first .
• One of Epic ’ s intended audiences — maybe the main one — is the regulators who are looking at potential antitrust actions .
There ’ s a lot of fodder here for them if they want it .
Disclosure : My wife works on the Oculus Store , including setting policies for that store .
I recuse myself from reporting on Oculus , VR , and Facebook and so am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are .
Here ’ s my ethics statement .

If you weren’t watching tech news yesterday, you missed an entire afternoon’s worth of cramming handfuls of popcorn in your mouth as you stared wide-eyed at the screen wondering what madness was coming next. It was A Day. Epic baited both Apple and Google into banning Fortnite from their respective app stores and did so with a full game plan in mind — including an in-game anti-Apple video event and two very public lawsuits.
Beyond Epic, I have many tech topics to weigh in on from this week that I haven’t had a chance to tackle because I’ve been working on our review and video for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra — hit me up if you have questions you’d like to see addressed in that.
But before we get to the Battle Royale between these three companies, I can’t not quickly talk about the Microsoft Duo. Holy wow that phone/not-a-phone looks really interesting but also looks like it might be overpriced and underpowered. I am decidedly on team “specs don’t tell the whole story” but I am also on team “better specs are a safer bet, especially when the thing costs $1399.” Long story short: I love the idea of folding devices but the burden of proof is on Microsoft with this one. I absolutely cannot wait to review it.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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We’ll have plenty of analysis that goes much deeper into everything Fortnite on The Verge today. Expect a long discussion on The Vergecast and articles from reporters on our tech and gaming crews. We have a page where you can see all the updates, too: Everything you need to know about Epic’s fight against mobile app stores.
For my part, I’m just going to give you a brief and very incomplete timeline of some of the relevant app store dramas that bought us to the point where the most important gaming company on the planet created a video parodying Apple’s famous 1984 Superbowl commercial. I will start... earlier than you might expect.
January 22nd, 1984: the national Super Bowl broadcast of Apple’s famous Macintosh advertisement. It was a stunning, wildly influential ad. Directed by Ridley Scott, it told the story of a revolutionary upstart that was going to break the totalitarian rule of the monopolist behemoth who dominated the industry.
June, 2016: Apple very slightly changed its App Store rules to lower its cut on subscription apps from 30 percent to 15 percent after their first year. It was a moment when Apple finally started easing up, if only slightly, on the rules that give it a 30 percent cut on everything in the store.
August 3rd, 2018: Epic took Fortnite off of the Google Play Store because it was angry about Google taking that same 30 percent cut. Epic was able to do this in the first place because Android, unlike iOS, allows people to install apps directly from any source. It just requires clicking “OK” on a bunch of relatively intimidating security warnings.
January 17th, 2020: the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing in Colorado about how big tech treats smaller companies in its orbit. Short answer: it’s often a “shakedown.” Sonos (which is suing Google), PopSockets, Tile, and Basecamp all testify to having been kicked around by Apple in various ways.
April 3rd, 2020: we learned that Apple had given Amazon a special deal that let it do things that other developers couldn’t. Apple claimed it was “an established program,” but we all saw through it: Amazon got a deal because Amazon had leverage.
April 21st, 2020: Fortnite returned to the Google Play Store. Turns out all those warnings about third party apps (and maybe the lack of easy discovery) was too much of a problem for Epic. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, was pretty blunt about how unhappy he was that his app had to come back.
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July 29th, 2020: the judiciary committee met again, calling in the CEOs of Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook over video conference. It went better than expected, if only because the committee displayed some semblance of technical knowledge. Still, it didn’t create any enduring moments. In particular, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai didn’t get pressured on App Store issues in any meaningful way.
August 6th, 2020: Apple reiterated its policies surrounding streaming games platforms: not allowed. Microsoft, Google, and Facebook all would like to offer their streaming game services to iPhone users, but Apple insists that it get a cut on digital purchases and that it have the ability to directly review and list every game. Microsoft and Facebook issued condemnations of the policy.
Alright, that’s a lot of history. Believe me when I tell you it’s very incomplete — there’s a whole other Spotify timeline, European Union timeline, and Android timeline we could do here. Anyway, from this incomplete timeline, here are the key points you should remember as we digest yesterday’s hijinks.
First, there has been a lot of unhappiness related to Apple’s monopoly over app distribution on the iPhone, and anger at both Apple and Google over their 30 percent cut. Developers are seeing an opportunity to push back.
There’s also been a general decline in trust and faith in big tech (duh).
Finally, there’s been growing interest from regulators to start enforcing some antitrust laws.
...And now, welcome to August 13th, 2020. I assure you, all of the events below happened in a single day.
┏ Epic offers new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android to get around app store fees. Epic straight up pushed a server side update to its app that wasn’t reviewed by either Apple or Google. That’s no-no number one. No-no number two is the big one, though: offering direct payments without giving Apple or Google a cut.
You can already see the seeds of what’s to come here. The move was blatant and it was also designed to curry favor with users, presenting the new options with a 20 percent discount. (Interestingly, not 30 percent, but also there are credit card fees and other issues that could account for that discrepancy. Arguing about it misses the point.)
┏ Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store. Apple stuck to its guns. Fortnite broke the rules, Fortnite is out.
┏ Epic will mock Apple’s most iconic ad as possible revenge for Fortnite’s App Store ban. It becomes obvious that the original direct payment option was a setup all along. Epic intends to make it a big issue and rally its fans to its cause.
to be clear, I am quite confident that nobody was surprised by this move. I am sure that before it made the decision to kick the app out of the store, Apple knew Epic would do something like this.
┏ Epic Games is suing Apple. But did Apple know that Epic would sue? Who knows? There are two things to note about Epic’s lawsuit:
It starts with very readable, very passionate language about how Apple used to be good but now it’s bad. It very carefully positions its anti-trust argument by saying that Apple has a monopoly over iOS distribution, not over all smartphones. The antitrust arguments for every big tech company tends to hinge on some question of “market definition.”
┏ Microsoft releases Surface Duo press event video with 30 minutes of demos. Yeah okay this has nothing to do with anything else, but it’s worth watching. I love gadgets, what can I say?
┏ Watch Epic’s Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short mocking Apple right here. I cannot begin to express how savvy this video is. It mirrors Apple’s famous anti-IBM commercial shot for shot. It re-contextualizes Apple as the bully. It ...tells the story of a revolutionary upstart that is going to break the totalitarian rule of the monopolist behemoth who dominates the industry.
┏ Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with a warning that they’ll miss the next season. Of course, there is a hashtag. But also, there are real and immediate stakes. Apple and Google banned Fortnite from their stores, but they still work on every device they’re already installed on. So a bunch of users might just shrug at this as a fight that will be over before it affects them. Epic is making even those people realize that this is a problem for them.
┏ Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store. I have to be honest with you, I expected Google to just sit this one out and let Epic break the rules for a day or two. Nope. Late in the day, Google acted. It also pointed out that there are other ways you can install apps on Android. Not just side-loading, but via other stores.
You know how back in the day Microsoft was happy Apple existed because then Microsoft could say it wasn’t a total monopoly? That’s exactly the vibe I get when Google talks about the Samsung Galaxy App Store.
Sidenote! Both Epic and Microsoft are pointing users to Samsung’s store. That’s because they’re apparently able to get their in-app purchases in without paying a 30 percent fee. What fee are they paying Samsung? Unclear — and Samsung did not return a request for comment.
┏ Epic is suing Google over Fortnite’s removal from the Google Play Store. Epic had a lawsuit ready for Google too, but no video parody. Of course, it followed the same script as the Apple lawsuit. Google used to have this “don’t be evil” motto, you see.
┏ Google forced OnePlus to decimate a Fortnite launcher deal, claims Epic Games. One tidbit in the Google lawsuit: we got another example of Google pushing around companies who might not want to put Google’s services front and center on their phones out of the box. This seems like a small thing, but it’s very close to the practice that made the EU slap a huge fine on Google and force it to use a browser ballot on Android.
What have we learned? As I write this evening, I have a few very preliminary thoughts:
Apple and Google do not want to be pushed around by anybody, not even the most important game company today. Apple and Google are so fabulously wealthy and powerful that maybe they’re just too big to be pushed anyway. Whether you like him or not, you have to admit that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney sure does know how to put on a show. No wonder Fortnite is so popular. The backlash against app stores is real and growing. Apple has largely managed to avoid being seen as a bully, but that perception could change. Really, that’s one of Epic’s main goals here. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I would be very surprised if Apple backs down first. One of Epic’s intended audiences — maybe the main one — is the regulators who are looking at potential antitrust actions. There’s a lot of fodder here for them if they want it.


theverge--2020-08-14--Instagram kept deleted photos and messages on its servers for more than a year

When you delete something from Instagram you expect it to be gone for good .
But when security researcher Saugat Pokharel requested a copy of photos and direct messages from the photo-sharing app , he was sent data he ’ d deleted more than a year ago , showing that the information had never been entirely removed from Instagram ’ s servers .
Instagram says this was due to a bug in its system that it ’ s now fixed , and Pokharel has been rewarded a $ 6,000 bug bounty for highlighting the problem .
As reported by TechCrunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year and says it was fixed earlier this month .
“ We ’ ve fixed the issue and have seen no evidence of abuse.
” “ The researcher reported an issue where someone ’ s deleted Instagram images and messages would be included in a copy of their information if they used our Download Your Information tool on Instagram , ” a spokesperson for Instagram told TechCrunch .
“ We ’ ve fixed the issue and have seen no evidence of abuse .
We thank the researcher for reporting this issue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how widespread this issue was and whether it affected all Instagram users or only a subset of them , but it ’ s certainly not an uncommon problem .
Whenever we delete data from online services there is usually a lag of some unspecified time before the data is fully removed from the site ’ s servers .
For Instagram , the company says it usually takes around 90 days to completely remove data .
But security researchers have found similar issues with other services in the past , including Twitter , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after they were supposedly deleted .
In this case , the problem was only exposed because Pokharel had the option to download a copy of his data from Instagram .
The Facebook-owned company introduced this download tool in 2018 to comply with the EU ’ s data privacy GDPR regulations .
GDPR mandates that EU citizens have a “ right of access ” to their data , allowing them to request a copy of all the information a company stores on them within a reasonable amount of time .
As we found with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information you receive is not always self-explanatory , but in the case of Instagram it ’ s easy enough to sort through .
It ’ s also the only easy way to find out if companies have been keeping your data long after you asked them to delete it .

When you delete something from Instagram you expect it to be gone for good. But when security researcher Saugat Pokharel requested a copy of photos and direct messages from the photo-sharing app, he was sent data he’d deleted more than a year ago, showing that the information had never been entirely removed from Instagram’s servers.
Instagram says this was due to a bug in its system that it’s now fixed, and Pokharel has been rewarded a $6,000 bug bounty for highlighting the problem. As reported by TechCrunch, Pokharel discovered the bug in October last year and says it was fixed earlier this month.
“We’ve fixed the issue and have seen no evidence of abuse.”
“The researcher reported an issue where someone’s deleted Instagram images and messages would be included in a copy of their information if they used our Download Your Information tool on Instagram,” a spokesperson for Instagram told TechCrunch. “We’ve fixed the issue and have seen no evidence of abuse. We thank the researcher for reporting this issue to us.”
It’s not clear how widespread this issue was and whether it affected all Instagram users or only a subset of them, but it’s certainly not an uncommon problem. Whenever we delete data from online services there is usually a lag of some unspecified time before the data is fully removed from the site’s servers. For Instagram, the company says it usually takes around 90 days to completely remove data. But security researchers have found similar issues with other services in the past, including Twitter, which retained direct messages between users for years after they were supposedly deleted.
In this case, the problem was only exposed because Pokharel had the option to download a copy of his data from Instagram. The Facebook-owned company introduced this download tool in 2018 to comply with the EU’s data privacy GDPR regulations.


theverge--2020-08-13--OnePlus forced by Google to decimate a Fortnite launcher deal, claims Epic Games

Epic Games sued Google over pulling Fortnite from the Google Play Store Thursday evening , following a similar lawsuit against Apple .
We might have expected that .
What we didn ’ t expect : Epic claims that Google forced phone manufacturer OnePlus to break off a deal that would have seen a special Fortnite launcher preinstalled on OnePlus phones — and demanded that another Android phonemaker , LG , abandon any plans to do the same .
With OnePlus , Epic claims that Google “ forced OnePlus to renege on the deal ” after Google expressed ‘ concern ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Play Store .
Epic also alleges that the original deal between Epic and OnePlus would have made the launcher available worldwide , but Google “ demanded that OnePlus not implement its agreement with Epic with the limited exception of mobile devices sold in India.
” Epic also alleges that Google “ prevented LG from pre-installing the Epic Games app on LG devices ” because — in LG ’ s words , apparently — LG had a contract “ to block side downloading off Google Play Store this year.
” Google declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when contacted by The Verge .
Without Google blocking these sorts of deals , Epic argues , the studio “ could and would negotiate with OEMs to make Fortnite and other Epic games directly available to consumers , free from Google ’ s anti-competitive restraints.
” Instead , after these deals were apparently scuttled , Epic gave in and wound up releasing Fortnite on the Play Store this April .
( It did wind up working with OnePlus on a different Fortnite feature . )
But today , Google kicked Fortnite from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policies after Epic implemented a new payment mechanism that allowed players to pay Epic directly for in-game currency .
( It still offered the option to pay through Google ’ s payment mechanism , but for a higher price . )
Epic ’ s complaint against Google alleges the company is violating the Sherman Act and California ’ s Cartwright Act by having a monopoly on the payment systems on the Play Store .
Apple booted Fortnite from the App Store store on Thursday for similar reasons to Google , and shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleging similar complaints as it did against Google .
Epic also parodied Apple ’ s iconic “ 1984 ” ad .
Update , 10:45PM ET : Added that Google declined to comment .

Epic Games sued Google over pulling Fortnite from the Google Play Store Thursday evening, following a similar lawsuit against Apple.
We might have expected that. What we didn’t expect: Epic claims that Google forced phone manufacturer OnePlus to break off a deal that would have seen a special Fortnite launcher preinstalled on OnePlus phones — and demanded that another Android phonemaker, LG, abandon any plans to do the same.
With OnePlus, Epic claims that Google “forced OnePlus to renege on the deal” after Google expressed ‘concern’ about Epic’s ability to bypass the Play Store. Epic also alleges that the original deal between Epic and OnePlus would have made the launcher available worldwide, but Google “demanded that OnePlus not implement its agreement with Epic with the limited exception of mobile devices sold in India.”
Epic also alleges that Google “prevented LG from pre-installing the Epic Games app on LG devices” because — in LG’s words, apparently — LG had a contract “to block side downloading off Google Play Store this year.”
Google declined to comment on the specifics of these deals when contacted by The Verge.
Without Google blocking these sorts of deals, Epic argues, the studio “could and would negotiate with OEMs to make Fortnite and other Epic games directly available to consumers, free from Google’s anti-competitive restraints.” Instead, after these deals were apparently scuttled, Epic gave in and wound up releasing Fortnite on the Play Store this April. (It did wind up working with OnePlus on a different Fortnite feature.)
But today, Google kicked Fortnite from the Play Store for violating the store’s policies after Epic implemented a new payment mechanism that allowed players to pay Epic directly for in-game currency. (It still offered the option to pay through Google’s payment mechanism, but for a higher price.) Epic’s complaint against Google alleges the company is violating the Sherman Act and California’s Cartwright Act by having a monopoly on the payment systems on the Play Store.
Apple booted Fortnite from the App Store store on Thursday for similar reasons to Google, and shortly after, Epic sued the iPhone-maker, alleging similar complaints as it did against Google. Epic also parodied Apple’s iconic “1984” ad.


theverge--2020-08-14--Facebook begins merging Instagram and Messenger chats in new update

Facebook appears to flipping the switch on integrating the chat systems for Instagram and Messenger .
On Friday evening , several editors at The Verge across the country — on both iOS and Android devices — noticed an update screen popped up in Instagram ’ s mobile app with the message “ There ’ s a New Way to Message on Instagram ” with a list of features including a “ new colorful look for your chats , ” more emoji reactions , swipe-to-reply , and the big one : “ chat with friends who use Facebook.
” Once you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the top right of Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo .
Chats on Instagram are indeed more colorful than before , with the sender ’ s messages shifting between blue and purple as you scroll .
However , at least for right now , it ’ s still not possible to message Facebook users from Instagram .
But Facebook has made clear its plans to unify the messaging platforms of its hugely popular apps to allow cross-messaging among Messenger , Instagram , and WhatsApp .
Facebook was said to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on only one of its apps could connect to others using different Facebook apps .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also said he wants the system to be end-to-end encrypted .
By integrating its most popular apps , Facebook may be able to compete more directly with Apple ’ s iMessage .
Facebook acquired Instagram for $ 1 billion in 2012 , and bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $ 19 billion .
The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment Friday evening .

Facebook has started flipping the switch on integrating the chat systems for Instagram and Messenger. On Friday evening, several editors at The Verge across the country — on both iOS and Android devices — noticed an update screen popped up in Instagram’s mobile app with the message “There’s a New Way to Message on Instagram” with a list of features including a “new colorful look for your chats,” more emoji reactions, swipe-to-reply, and the big one: “chat with friends who use Facebook.”
Once you hit update, the regular DM icon in the top right of Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo. Chats on Instagram are indeed more colorful than before, with the sender’s messages shifting between blue and purple as you scroll. However, at least for right now, it’s still not possible to message Facebook users from Instagram.
Facebook has made clear its plans to unify the messaging platforms of its hugely popular apps to allow cross-messaging among Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Facebook was said to be rebuilding the underlying infrastructure so users who were on only one of its apps could connect to others using different Facebook apps. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also said he wants the system to be end-to-end encrypted. By integrating its most popular apps, Facebook may be able to compete more directly with Apple’s iMessage.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed it was testing the experience. “A small set of people were able to update to a new test experience for Instagram messaging,” the spokesperson said in an email to The Verge. “We hope they enjoy the experience and we are looking forward to testing it in other countries so we can keep learning from this.”


theverge--2020-08-14--Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says Apple fight is about ‘basic freedoms of all consumers and developers’

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has issued a series of public comments on his personal Twitter account regarding the legal fight the Fortnite creator initiated with Apple yesterday , following the iPhone maker ’ s removal of the game from the App Store .
In the four-part thread , Sweeney says the fight isn ’ t about money .
Rather , he says Epic is fighting for “ the basic freedoms of all consumers and developers.
” “ At the most basic level , we ’ re fighting for the freedom of people who bought smartphones to install apps from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for creators of apps to distribute them as they choose , and the freedom of both groups to do business directly , ” Sweeney tweeted .
“ The primary opposing argument is : ‘ Smartphone markers can do whatever they want.
’ This as an awful notion .
We all have rights , and we need to fight to defend our rights against whoever would deny them .
Even if that means fighting a beloved company like Apple.
” Finally , there 's nothing wrong with fighting about money .
You work hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent it , the way it 's divided determines whether your money funds the creation of games or is taken by middlemen who use their power to separate gamers from game creators .
— Tim Sweeney ( @ TimSweeneyEpic ) August 14 , 2020 Yesterday , Epic orchestrated a calculated public performance designed to highlight what it claims are Apple ’ s alleged monopolistic practices .
Epic takes issue with Apple ’ s operation of the App Store and the rules that bar developers from using third-party payment systems that bypass the marketplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as restrictions banning developers from distributing software directly to consumers .
The feud began when the game developer implemented its own payment system into the iOS and Android versions of Fortnite .
When Apple ( and later on Google ) removed the app for violating its developer guidelines , Epic launched an explosive social media campaign under the banner # FreeFortnite , complete with a 62-page legal complaint and lawsuit in addition to a video parodying Apple ’ s iconic “ 1984 ” Macintosh ad that went live on YouTube and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has issued a series of public comments on his personal Twitter account regarding the legal fight the Fortnite creator initiated with Apple yesterday, following the iPhone maker’s removal of the game from the App Store. In the four-part thread, Sweeney says the fight isn’t about money. Rather, he says Epic is fighting for “the basic freedoms of all consumers and developers.”
“At the most basic level, we’re fighting for the freedom of people who bought smartphones to install apps from sources of their choosing, the freedom for creators of apps to distribute them as they choose, and the freedom of both groups to do business directly,” Sweeney tweeted. “The primary opposing argument is: ‘Smartphone markers can do whatever they want.’ This as an awful notion. We all have rights, and we need to fight to defend our rights against whoever would deny them. Even if that means fighting a beloved company like Apple.”


theverge--2020-08-14--Criminal probe looking into misconduct allegations by former NASA official, WSJ reports

A federal criminal probe is looking into allegations of misconduct by a former NASA official who abruptly resigned from his position at the agency in May , The Wall Street Journal reports .
Prosecutors are investigating if the official illegally disclosed information to Boeing about how to compete to build NASA ’ s new human lunar lander , the report states .
The target of the probe is Doug Loverro , who was NASA ’ s associate administrator for human spaceflight for around six months .
On May 19th , Loverro suddenly left NASA just a week before two of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to launch on a historic mission with SpaceX to the International Space Station .
At the time , Loverro said that he had taken a “ risk ” early in the year .
“ The risks we take , whether technical , political , or personal , all have potential consequences if we judge them incorrectly , ” he wrote in a memo at the time .
“ I took such a risk earlier in the year because I judged it necessary to fulfill our mission .
Now , over the balance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences.
” “ Over the balance of time , it is clear that I made a mistake.
” Rumors began to swirl that Loverro had acted improperly during NASA ’ s procurement of a new human landing system for the agency ’ s Artemis program , an initiative to send the first woman to the surface of the Moon .
Last year , NASA released a call for private companies to submit designs for landers that could carry astronauts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boeing reportedly submitted a bid , and now , investigators at the US attorney ’ s office in DC are reportedly wondering if Loverro tried to give Boeing some help during the competition .
Specifically , the probe is looking at whether Loverro gave crucial information about the procurement to Jim Chilton , senior vice president of the space and launch division at Boeing , outside of the established procurement channels , the WSJ reports .
According to the WSJ : Originally , NASA ’ s Office of the Inspector General was looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OIG probe is on hold as this new criminal one unfolds , according to the WSJ .
This investigation is still in its early stages and may not result in criminal charges .
But if the allegations turn out to be true , it ’ s possible that Loverro may have violated the Procurement Integrity Act , which “ prohibits the release of source selection and contractor bid or proposal information , ” according to the Department of Justice .
Loverro reportedly said he was trying to keep the procurement process agile by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process would be slowed down by potential challenges or appeals to the outcome , ” the WSJ writes .
Ultimately , NASA awarded final contracts to SpaceX , Blue Origin , and Dynetics to further refine the designs for their lander proposals .
Boeing ’ s absence from the winner ’ s list was widely noticed , as the company has long received major spaceflight hardware contracts for NASA .
Boeing is the main contractor for the International Space Station and is currently building NASA ’ s next-generation rocket , the Space Launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space .
Boeing ’ s relationship with NASA , however , has seemingly strained lately .
The company is a major partner with NASA through the agency ’ s Commercial Crew Program , which tasked Boeing and rival SpaceX to develop capsules that can take humans to and from the International Space Station .
Boeing launched its capsule — the CST-100 Starliner — on an uncrewed flight test to the station in December , but the mission suffered multiple software glitches that prevented the vehicle from actually reaching the ISS .
NASA conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming up with 80 corrective actions that Boeing needs to take with its Starliner program .

A federal criminal probe is looking into allegations of misconduct by a former NASA official who abruptly resigned from his position at the agency in May, The Wall Street Journal reports. Prosecutors are investigating if the official illegally disclosed information to Boeing about how to compete to build NASA’s new human lunar lander, the report states.
The target of the probe is Doug Loverro, who was NASA’s associate administrator for human spaceflight for around six months. On May 19th, Loverro suddenly left NASA just a week before two of the agency’s astronauts were set to launch on a historic mission with SpaceX to the International Space Station. At the time, Loverro said that he had taken a “risk” early in the year. “The risks we take, whether technical, political, or personal, all have potential consequences if we judge them incorrectly,” he wrote in a memo at the time. “I took such a risk earlier in the year because I judged it necessary to fulfill our mission. Now, over the balance of time, it is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences.”
“Over the balance of time, it is clear that I made a mistake.”
Rumors began to swirl that Loverro had acted improperly during NASA’s procurement of a new human landing system for the agency’s Artemis program, an initiative to send the first woman to the surface of the Moon. Last year, NASA released a call for private companies to submit designs for landers that could carry astronauts to and from the Moon. Aerospace heavyweight Boeing reportedly submitted a bid, and now, investigators at the US attorney’s office in DC are reportedly wondering if Loverro tried to give Boeing some help during the competition. Specifically, the probe is looking at whether Loverro gave crucial information about the procurement to Jim Chilton, senior vice president of the space and launch division at Boeing, outside of the established procurement channels, the WSJ reports. According to the WSJ:
Mr. Loverro, who wasn’t part of NASA’s official contracting staff, informed Mr. Chilton that the Chicago aerospace giant was about to be eliminated from the competition based on cost and technical evaluations, according to some of the people. Within days, Boeing submitted a revised proposal, they said. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration formally determined the bid changes came too late to be considered, and three other companies won contracts in April totaling nearly $1 billion.
Originally, NASA’s Office of the Inspector General was looking into these allegations, but now that OIG probe is on hold as this new criminal one unfolds, according to the WSJ. This investigation is still in its early stages and may not result in criminal charges. But if the allegations turn out to be true, it’s possible that Loverro may have violated the Procurement Integrity Act, which “prohibits the release of source selection and contractor bid or proposal information,” according to the Department of Justice.
Loverro reportedly said he was trying to keep the procurement process agile by “reducing the likelihood that the bidding process would be slowed down by potential challenges or appeals to the outcome,” the WSJ writes. Ultimately, NASA awarded final contracts to SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics to further refine the designs for their lander proposals. Boeing’s absence from the winner’s list was widely noticed, as the company has long received major spaceflight hardware contracts for NASA. Boeing is the main contractor for the International Space Station and is currently building NASA’s next-generation rocket, the Space Launch System, to take humans to deep space.


theverge--2020-08-14--How to use Google’s free transcription tools

If you ’ re in an important videoconferencing session and you are getting an infodump that you know you won ’ t remember , it can be very useful to have a transcription of that session .
Video and audio recordings are all well and good , but a text version of your meeting can be a lot easier to search if you ’ re looking for that one specific bit of data inside of an hour ’ s worth of conversation .
There are a number of third-party apps out there that provide AI transcribing for recorded audio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also offer extra features , such as the ability to simultaneously listen to the audio and watch for places that need correction or to integrate directly with other apps such as Zoom .
However , these are subscription services with fees .
If free is what you ’ re looking for , then there are a couple of workarounds that may help — although they do have certain limitations .
Even longtime users of Google Docs may not be aware of its voice typing tool , which converts speech into text .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble typing or just find speaking faster or easier than typing .
It can also be used as a transcription tool for any video or audio recording you may have .
You can even run it during a live videoconference to transcribe the conversation as it happens .
To use voice typing as a transcription tool : • If the language you ’ re using is not shown , click on the link above the microphone icon and choose your language • When you ’ re ready to start recording , click on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright red and begin transcribing .
Note : be careful to click on the microphone icon after you start the audio you want to transcribe .
Why ?
I ’ ll explain .
Once you ’ ve started the transcription feature , you can not leave the Google Docs page , or the feature will automatically shut off .
For example , if you ’ re transcribing a Zoom meeting , and you take a moment to click into your email , you are going to lose everything after that point until you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the microphone again .
In addition , the resulting transcription is — well , to be charitable , less than perfect .
If people are speaking clearly , the Google Docs transcription feature does a reasonable job , but any mumbles , asides , or less-than-clear speech can be completely lost .
In addition , forget commas , periods , and other niceties — if you want a fully grammatically correct document , you ’ ll have to fill those in later .
There is , however , an alternative .
Google ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that transcribes audio to your phone ’ s screen live as it “ hears ” it .
The app is extraordinarily simple : you install it , load it , and it immediately begins transcribing .
Originally built as an accessibility tool for people who are deaf or hard of hearing , Live Transcribe will save a transcription for three days .
If you want to keep the text for longer than that , you simply copy and paste it into a document .
To test these transcription apps , I ran each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge ’ s Dieter Bohn offering his take on the Pixel 4A .
As you can see from the screenshots below , while neither will take any prizes for accuracy , Live Transcribe handled the audio feed reasonably better than Docs did .
( Although I have to admit that I found the repeated mentions of the “ pixel for a ” from both apps rather funny . )
The verdict ?
If you only need a transcription of a meeting occasionally and don ’ t mind a number of errors and only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the like , then either might work for you , although I ’ d lean toward Live Transcribe .
Otherwise , check out the third-party transcription services .
They may not be free , but they ’ re more accurate , which very well may be worth it .

If you’re in an important videoconferencing session and you are getting an infodump that you know you won’t remember, it can be very useful to have a transcription of that session. Video and audio recordings are all well and good, but a text version of your meeting can be a lot easier to search if you’re looking for that one specific bit of data inside of an hour’s worth of conversation.
There are a number of third-party apps out there that provide AI transcribing for recorded audio, such as Rev and Otter.ai. They also offer extra features, such as the ability to simultaneously listen to the audio and watch for places that need correction or to integrate directly with other apps such as Zoom. However, these are subscription services with fees. If free is what you’re looking for, then there are a couple of workarounds that may help — although they do have certain limitations.
Google Docs voice typing
Even longtime users of Google Docs may not be aware of its voice typing tool, which converts speech into text. This can be very handy if you have trouble typing or just find speaking faster or easier than typing. It can also be used as a transcription tool for any video or audio recording you may have. You can even run it during a live videoconference to transcribe the conversation as it happens.
To use voice typing as a transcription tool:
Open a new Google Doc
Select Tools > Voice typing
If the language you’re using is not shown, click on the link above the microphone icon and choose your language
When you’re ready to start recording, click on the microphone icon. It will turn bright red and begin transcribing. Note: be careful to click on the microphone icon after you start the audio you want to transcribe. Why? I’ll explain.
Once you’ve started the transcription feature, you cannot leave the Google Docs page, or the feature will automatically shut off. For example, if you’re transcribing a Zoom meeting, and you take a moment to click into your email, you are going to lose everything after that point until you go back to your document and click the microphone again.
In addition, the resulting transcription is — well, to be charitable, less than perfect. If people are speaking clearly, the Google Docs transcription feature does a reasonable job, but any mumbles, asides, or less-than-clear speech can be completely lost. In addition, forget commas, periods, and other niceties — if you want a fully grammatically correct document, you’ll have to fill those in later.
There is, however, an alternative.
Google Live Transcribe
Google’s Live Transcribe is an Android app that transcribes audio to your phone’s screen live as it “hears” it. The app is extraordinarily simple: you install it, load it, and it immediately begins transcribing. Originally built as an accessibility tool for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Live Transcribe will save a transcription for three days. If you want to keep the text for longer than that, you simply copy and paste it into a document.
To test these transcription apps, I ran each while playing a YouTube video of The Verge’s Dieter Bohn offering his take on the Pixel 4A. As you can see from the screenshots below, while neither will take any prizes for accuracy, Live Transcribe handled the audio feed reasonably better than Docs did. (Although I have to admit that I found the repeated mentions of the “pixel for a” from both apps rather funny.)
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1 / 2 You can transcribe audio using Google Docs. It’s free, but not all that accurate. Previous Next
1 / 2 You can transcribe audio using Google Docs. It’s free, but not all that accurate.
(Incidentally, I also tried using Gmail’s voice-to-text mode on my mobile phone to get a transcription, but the app kept choking on me about 20 seconds in.)


theverge--2020-08-14--DC Universe’s original shows are heading to HBO Max

DC Universe ’ s original content — a list that includes Titans , Swamp Thing , Stargirl , and Young Justice — is heading to HBO Max , according to DC chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter .
The news comes as WarnerMedia is in the process of a larger reorganization at DC Comics , which was also hit by a wave of layoffs this week .
The writing has been on the wall for DC Universe ( at least in its current form ) ever since HBO Max launched .
Fragmenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongest brands across two streaming services and expecting that fans would be willing to shell out both $ 14.99 a month for HBO Max and $ 7.99 a month for DC Universe was never a realistic strategy .
There were also signs that the end was near : two of DC Universe ’ s most popular shows ( Doom Patrol and the animated Harley Quinn ) are already available on HBO Max .
The highly anticipated Snyder Cut of Justice League was announced as an HBO Max exclusive .
And when WarnerMedia announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ upcoming The Batman , it was for HBO Max , not the DC-focused service .
It also makes sense : all of that original and back catalog content that ’ s currently offered on DC Universe will still be just as exclusive to WarnerMedia on HBO Max , and it could help further incentivize customers to sign up for the service .
It ’ s not clear yet when the upcoming changes for DC Universe will occur , however .
Lee notes that DC Universe will likely stick around in some capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not for DC films and TV shows .
“ In regards to the community and experience that DCU created , and all the backlist content , something like 20,000 to 25,000 different titles , and the way it connected with fans 24-7 , there is always going to be a need for that , ” noted Lee .
“ So we ’ re excited to transform it and we ’ ll have more news on what that will look like .
It ’ s definitely not going away .
”

DC Universe’s original content — a list that includes Titans, Swamp Thing, Stargirl, and Young Justice — is heading to HBO Max, according to DC chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The news comes as WarnerMedia is in the process of a larger reorganization at DC Comics, which was also hit by a wave of layoffs this week.
The writing has been on the wall for DC Universe (at least in its current form) ever since HBO Max launched. Fragmenting content from one of WarnerMedia’s strongest brands across two streaming services and expecting that fans would be willing to shell out both $14.99 a month for HBO Max and $7.99 a month for DC Universe was never a realistic strategy.
There were also signs that the end was near: two of DC Universe’s most popular shows (Doom Patrol and the animated Harley Quinn) are already available on HBO Max. The highly anticipated Snyder Cut of Justice League was announced as an HBO Max exclusive. And when WarnerMedia announced a new spinoff series from Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman, it was for HBO Max, not the DC-focused service.
It also makes sense: all of that original and back catalog content that’s currently offered on DC Universe will still be just as exclusive to WarnerMedia on HBO Max, and it could help further incentivize customers to sign up for the service. It’s not clear yet when the upcoming changes for DC Universe will occur, however.


theverge--2020-08-14--Amazon can be liable for third-party sellers’ defective products, appeals court rules

Amazon can be held liable for defective products sold on its Marketplace in California , an appeals court ruled Thursday , which suggests that if you buy a defective third-party product on Amazon , it might be Amazon that ’ s responsible .
The California Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed a 2019 trial court ruling and reinstated claims from a woman who says she suffered third-degree burns when a defective laptop battery she bought from a third-party seller on Amazon caught fire .
The decision could have dire repercussions for Amazon , which has argued for years that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its third-party sellers , which Amazon collectively refers to as the “ Amazon Marketplace ” even though it ’ s not a distinct place on Amazon .
( Third-party sellers appear in normal Amazon listings , with only a small line of text to indicate that the actual seller isn ’ t Amazon itself . )
That stance has protected Amazon from liability for Marketplace products , that is , until now .
The company is now facing several other lawsuits over defective products in other courts .
Angela Bolger says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from E-Life , a fictitious company name for Lenoge Technology Ltd. , which shipped the battery to her in Amazon-branded packaging .
Several months later , Bolger claims , the battery exploded .
She says she was never notified of safety concerns that led to E-Life being banned from Amazon ’ s platform .
A lower court ruled in 2019 that Amazon was not covered under product liability laws .
The trial court also ruled that the Communications Decency Act would not have shielded the company from Bolger ’ s claims under California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing that in California , strict liability doesn ’ t depend just on whether a sale was made .
An Amazon spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company would appeal the decision .
“ The court ’ s decision was wrongly decided and is contrary to well-established law in California and around the country that service providers are not liable for third party products they do not make or sell , ” the spokesperson said .
In its ruling , the appeals court said Amazon was central to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s case .
“ Whatever term we use to describe Amazon ’ s role , be it ‘ retailer , ’ ‘ distributor , ’ or merely ‘ facilitator , ’ it was pivotal in bringing the product here to the consumer , ” the court wrote .
Amazon should be liable if a product on its website is defective , the court added .


theverge--2020-08-14--Vergecast: the app store chaos episode

Vergecast: the app store chaos episode

This week on The Vergecast , a topic very aligned with the theme of this podcast dominated the show : antitrust in the app store .
The Verge ’ s Nilay Patel , Dieter Bohn , Tom Warren , and Dan Seifert discuss the timeline of events that led to Epic Games suing both Apple and Google after Fortnite was kicked off of their mobile app stores .
The crew reads through statements from both sides of the drama and compares this to similar market complaints in the past .
Later in the show , the topic switches to Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Surface Duo .
The company announced a September 10th release date as well as its long-awaited technical specs for its new form factor device .
The crew discusses .
There ’ s a lot more in this episode — as you can tell by its length — so listen through to hear everything you need to know in tech news this week .
• Big Tech pledged a billion to racial justice , but it was pocket change • Big airlines are hoarding cash to survive the pandemic • Vaping linked to higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults , study finds • Fortnite vs Apple vs Google : a brief and very incomplete timeline • Epic offers new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android to get around app store fees • Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store • Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store • Epic is suing Google over Fortnite ’ s removal from the Google Play Store • Fortnite vs Apple vs Google : a brief and very incomplete timeline • Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next season • The Xbox Series X could launch on November 6th • When I don ’ t buy the new Xbox , Microsoft will laugh all the way to the bank • Google is re-adding a Calendar app to Android Auto so you can see how to get to your next appointment • Google promises the next Wear OS update will launch apps up to 20 percent faster

This week on The Vergecast, a topic very aligned with the theme of this podcast dominated the show: antitrust in the app store.
The Verge’s Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Tom Warren, and Dan Seifert discuss the timeline of events that led to Epic Games suing both Apple and Google after Fortnite was kicked off of their mobile app stores. The crew reads through statements from both sides of the drama and compares this to similar market complaints in the past.
Later in the show, the topic switches to Microsoft’s latest hardware endeavor, the Surface Duo. The company announced a September 10th release date as well as its long-awaited technical specs for its new form factor device. The crew discusses.
There’s a lot more in this episode — as you can tell by its length — so listen through to hear everything you need to know in tech news this week.
Stories discussed this episode: