theverge--2020-05-26--Google is reopening offices in July on a limited basis

Google will begin reopening offices starting on July 6th for a limited number of employees .
In a blog post published on Tuesday , CEO Sundar Pichai said that , while returning to work will be optional for the rest of the year , those who need to come in will be able to on a rotating basis — one day every couple weeks .
The company is also giving workers a $ 1,000 stipend for home office equipment to make remote work easier .
In September , Google plans to let more people back into the office , until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those who need to come in to do their jobs will be notified by June 10th .
Pichai also said the company will be more flexible with remote working options after the pandemic lifts .
“ Moving ahead , we are looking to develop more overall flexibility in how we work , ” he wrote .
“ Our campuses are designed to enable collaboration and community ... at the same time , we are very familiar with distributed work as we have many offices around the world and open-minded about the lessons we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The news comes a week after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company will allow employees to work remotely beyond the pandemic , saying it would be “ the most forward-leaning company on remote work at our scale.
” Twitter and Square already announced similar policies , extending remote working options for most employees indefinitely .

Google will begin reopening offices starting on July 6th for a limited number of employees. In a blog post published on Tuesday, CEO Sundar Pichai said that, while returning to work will be optional for the rest of the year, those who need to come in will be able to on a rotating basis — one day every couple weeks. The company is also giving workers a $1,000 stipend for home office equipment to make remote work easier.
In September, Google plans to let more people back into the office, until buildings reach about 30 percent capacity. Those who need to come in to do their jobs will be notified by June 10th.
Pichai also said the company will be more flexible with remote working options after the pandemic lifts. “Moving ahead, we are looking to develop more overall flexibility in how we work,” he wrote. “Our campuses are designed to enable collaboration and community...at the same time, we are very familiar with distributed work as we have many offices around the world and open-minded about the lessons we’ll learn through this period.”
The news comes a week after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company will allow employees to work remotely beyond the pandemic, saying it would be “the most forward-leaning company on remote work at our scale.”


theverge--2020-05-26--Democrats want to restrict political ad targeting ahead of the 2020 election

On Tuesday , Rep. Anna Eshoo ( D-CA ) introduced a bill that would upend political advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google .
The Banning Microtargeted Political Ads Act would bar platforms like Google and Facebook from allowing advertisers to target messages based on the demographic or behavioral data of their users .
The Federal Elections Commission would act as the primary enforcer of these proposed rules , but the bill leaves room for individuals to bring civil action on companies accused of violating it .
A court could award anywhere from $ 100 to $ 1,000 in relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5,000 for reckless ones .
“ Microtargeting political ads fractures our open democratic debate into millions of private , unchecked silos , allowing for the spread of false promises , polarizing lies , disinformation , fake news , and voter suppression , ” Eshoo said .
Since the 2016 election , lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have introduced proposals aimed at regulating political ads online .
In 2017 , Sens .
Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , Mark Warner ( D-VA ) , and John McCain ( R-AZ ) introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require heightened targeting and spending transparency .
Congress has yet to vote on these measures , but that hasn ’ t stymied further attempts at regulating the space .
Rep. David Cicilline ( D-RI ) announced last week his plan to introduce a bill that would only allow advertisers and platforms to target ads using age , gender , and location data .
His proposal is less stringent than Eshoo ’ s , which only allows for targeting based on home addresses .
The measure was introduced on Tuesday , according to Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our democracy .
Campaigns and foreign actors can use this technology to manipulate voters with high volumes of misleading information that is virtually impossible to keep track of , ” Cicilline said last week .
According to Ad Age , 2020 US presidential campaigns have already spent more than $ 1.3 billion in advertising across TV , radio , and digital platforms .
Some platforms like Facebook and Google created their own political ads databases as calls for regulation began to grow .
Twitter dropped all political advertising last November .
Following Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year , FEC Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post that platforms should “ sell political ads , but stop the practice of microtargeting those ads.
” In a statement Tuesday , Weintraub praised Eshoo ’ s bill .
“ The microtargeting of online political ads threatens the united character of our United States , ” Weintraub said .
“ Microtargeted ads are more likely to fuel divisiveness than those that face scrutiny – and counterargument – from a broader public .
”

On Tuesday, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced a bill that would upend political advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google.
The Banning Microtargeted Political Ads Act would bar platforms like Google and Facebook from allowing advertisers to target messages based on the demographic or behavioral data of their users. The Federal Elections Commission would act as the primary enforcer of these proposed rules, but the bill leaves room for individuals to bring civil action on companies accused of violating it. A court could award anywhere from $100 to $1,000 in relief for negligent violations and $500 to $5,000 for reckless ones.
“Microtargeting political ads fractures our open democratic debate into millions of private, unchecked silos, allowing for the spread of false promises, polarizing lies, disinformation, fake news, and voter suppression,” Eshoo said.
“Microtargeting political ads fractures our open democratic debate.”
Since the 2016 election, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have introduced proposals aimed at regulating political ads online. In 2017, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the Honest Ads Act, which would require heightened targeting and spending transparency.
Congress has yet to vote on these measures, but that hasn’t stymied further attempts at regulating the space. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) announced last week his plan to introduce a bill that would only allow advertisers and platforms to target ads using age, gender, and location data. His proposal is less stringent than Eshoo’s, which only allows for targeting based on home addresses. The measure was introduced on Tuesday, according to Politico.
“Microtargeting is a threat to our democracy. Campaigns and foreign actors can use this technology to manipulate voters with high volumes of misleading information that is virtually impossible to keep track of,” Cicilline said last week.
According to Ad Age, 2020 US presidential campaigns have already spent more than $1.3 billion in advertising across TV, radio, and digital platforms. Some platforms like Facebook and Google created their own political ads databases as calls for regulation began to grow. Twitter dropped all political advertising last November.
Following Twitter’s decision to ban political ads last year, FEC Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post that platforms should “sell political ads, but stop the practice of microtargeting those ads.” In a statement Tuesday, Weintraub praised Eshoo’s bill.


theverge--2020-05-26--BlizzCon 2020 is canceled

BlizzCon 2020 is canceled

Blizzard Entertainment will not host its annual BlizzCon event this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic .
The event is usually held later in the year , with BlizzCon 2019 kicking off on November 1st and concluding on November 2nd .
In early April , Blizzard announced that it was uncertain about hosting BlizzCon this year .
Despite canceling the convention , Blizzard may be looking to hold a virtual event in its place .
“ We ’ re talking about how we might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you in some way online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a blog post .
BlizzCon is just one of many video game conventions that have been canceled this year as a result of the pandemic .
QuakeCon , Gamescom , and Tokyo Game Show have all been canceled , too .
The biggest gaming event of the season , E3 , was canceled back in early March .
Some shows have decided to go virtual .
The popular fighting game tournament EVO will be held virtually this summer , and an unofficial E3 2020 replacement has come in the form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of games news slated to be unveiled all summer long .

Blizzard Entertainment will not host its annual BlizzCon event this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The event is usually held later in the year, with BlizzCon 2019 kicking off on November 1st and concluding on November 2nd. In early April, Blizzard announced that it was uncertain about hosting BlizzCon this year.
Despite canceling the convention, Blizzard may be looking to hold a virtual event in its place. “We’re talking about how we might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you in some way online,” BlizzCon executive producer Saralyn Smith said in a blog post.
BlizzCon is just one of many video game conventions that have been canceled this year as a result of the pandemic. QuakeCon, Gamescom, and Tokyo Game Show have all been canceled, too. The biggest gaming event of the season, E3, was canceled back in early March.


theverge--2020-05-26--Twitch signs multiyear deals with popular streamers Summit1G, Dakotaz, and JoshOG

Twitch has re-signed popular streamers Jaryd “ Summit1G ” Lazar , Brett “ Dakotaz ” Hoffman , and Josh “ JoshOG ” Beaver , ensuring they will stay with the service at a time when others are taking deals to stream elsewhere ( via The Washington Post ) .
The terms of the contracts were not disclosed , though they are “ multi-year content deals , ” according to a press release from Loaded , the talent agency that represents all three of them .
Combined , Lazar , Hoffman , and Beaver have more than 11 million Twitch followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers , making him one of the top 10 most-followed streamers on Twitch .
Hoffman has 4.3 million followers , and Beaver has 1.73 million followers .
“ At a time when community is paramount , these Creators are a core part of Twitch ’ s mission to bring people together , and we ’ re excited to continue our partnership as we build the future of gaming and live entertainment , ” said Michael Aragon , Twitch ’ s SVP of content , in a statement .
Some other popular streamers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other streaming platforms in recent months .
Tyler “ Ninja ” Blevins , Michael “ Shroud ” Grzesiek , and Cory “ King Gothalion ” Michael have all moved to Microsoft ’ s Mixer , for example , while Jack “ CouRage ” Dunlop and Rachel “ Valkyrae ” Hofstetter stream exclusively on YouTube .
Today ’ s signings aren ’ t Twitch ’ s first among this streamer exodus , however .
Twitch re-signed Ben “ DrLupo ” Lupo , Timothy “ TimTheTatman ” Betar , and Saqib “ Lirik ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disrespect ” Beahm in March .

Twitch has re-signed popular streamers Jaryd “Summit1G” Lazar, Brett “Dakotaz” Hoffman, and Josh “JoshOG” Beaver, ensuring they will stay with the service at a time when others are taking deals to stream elsewhere (via The Washington Post). The terms of the contracts were not disclosed, though they are “multi-year content deals,” according to a press release from Loaded, the management company that represents all three of them.
Combined, Lazar, Hoffman, and Beaver have more than 11 million Twitch followers. Lazar has more than 5 million followers, making him one of the top 10 most-followed streamers on Twitch. Hoffman has 4.3 million followers, and Beaver has 1.73 million followers.
“At a time when community is paramount, these Creators are a core part of Twitch’s mission to bring people together, and we’re excited to continue our partnership as we build the future of gaming and live entertainment,” said Michael Aragon, Twitch’s SVP of content, in a statement.
Today’s signings aren’t Twitch’s first among this streamer exodus, however. Twitch re-signed Ben “DrLupo” Lupo, Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar, and Saqib “Lirik” Zahid in December and Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm in March.


theverge--2020-05-26--Apple will reopen about 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the week

Apple will reopen around 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the week , the company confirmed to The Verge .
That will put Apple ’ s active retail locations in the country at roughly 130 out of 271 stores spread out across 21 states .
The company is reopening each location in phases , so some stores will support only curbside pickup , while others will allow in-store service and sales .
The states that will soon have active Apple Stores are : Arizona , California , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Mexico , New York , Ohio , Oregon , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Virginia , and Wisconsin , the report says .
New York ’ s only store to reopen will be its Victor location just outside Rochester , New York , with more of the state ’ s stores — including those in New York City — to reopen later .
“ This week we ’ ll return to serving customers in many US locations .
For customer safety and convenience , most stores will offer curbside or storefront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order pick-up and Genius Bar appointments , ” Apple said in a statement given to The Verge .
“ Others will be open for walk-in customers and we encourage everyone to check their local store webpage for more information about hours at their preferred location .
Customers can also visit apple.com for support by phone or chat .
We are committed to reopening our stores in a very thoughtful manner with the health and safety of our customers and teams as our top priority , and we look forward to seeing our customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks and temperature checks at the door More than half of Apple ’ s 510 worldwide retail stores are located throughout the US , but a vast majority of locations have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
In some states where shelter-in-place orders have been eased or lifted , the company has already resumed retail operations .
Those include stores in Alabama , Alaska , Idaho , and South Carolina , which were part of the first wave of Apple Store reopenings that began earlier in May .
Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , starting first with its 42 locations in mainland China , as countries have relaxed lockdown measures .
Apple ’ s focus so far has been less on selling products in its physical stores to walk-in customers and more on reopening its Genius Bar for service requests and repairs .
The company had to shut down its on-site repair operation in March as part of its broader store closures , which meant some customers had to wait to pick up products that were locked up or couldn ’ t be easily fixed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening , however , Apple will now let customers come back in to pick up devices , either through curbside pickup or through in-store service , depending on the location .
Retail chief Deirdre O ’ Brien published a blog post earlier this month outlining Apple ’ s strategy for social distancing within its stores and the other safety measures it was taking to keep customers and staff safe .
“ Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers , and we will provide them to customers who don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks will be conducted at the door , and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms — like cough or fever — or who have had recent exposure to someone infected with COVID‑19 , ” O ’ Brien wrote .
Additional measures include enhanced deep cleanings of all surfaces , display products , and other high-traffic areas .
“ We ’ ve also taken this time to consider how we can serve our customers ’ needs even more effectively , whether online or in our stores , ” O ’ Brien @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will mean curb‑side pick‑up and drop off .
If you choose to buy online , we can ship to your home or make your new items available for convenient pick‑up at our stores .
”

Apple will reopen around 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the week, the company confirmed to The Verge. That will put Apple’s active retail locations in the country at roughly 130 out of 271 stores spread out across 21 states. The company is reopening each location in phases, so some stores will support only curbside pickup, while others will allow in-store service and sales.
The states that will soon have active Apple Stores are: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, the report says. New York’s only store to reopen will be its Victor location just outside Rochester, New York, with more of the state’s stores — including those in New York City — to reopen later.
“This week we’ll return to serving customers in many US locations. For customer safety and convenience, most stores will offer curbside or storefront service only, where we provide online order pick-up and Genius Bar appointments,” Apple said in a statement given to The Verge. “Others will be open for walk-in customers and we encourage everyone to check their local store webpage for more information about hours at their preferred location. Customers can also visit apple.com for support by phone or chat. We are committed to reopening our stores in a very thoughtful manner with the health and safety of our customers and teams as our top priority, and we look forward to seeing our customers again soon.”
Apple will require face masks and temperature checks at the door
More than half of Apple’s 510 worldwide retail stores are located throughout the US, but a vast majority of locations have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In some states where shelter-in-place orders have been eased or lifted, the company has already resumed retail operations. Those include stores in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, and South Carolina, which were part of the first wave of Apple Store reopenings that began earlier in May. Apple has been slowly reopening its stores worldwide, starting first with its 42 locations in mainland China, as countries have relaxed lockdown measures.
Apple’s focus so far has been less on selling products in its physical stores to walk-in customers and more on reopening its Genius Bar for service requests and repairs. The company had to shut down its on-site repair operation in March as part of its broader store closures, which meant some customers had to wait to pick up products that were locked up or couldn’t be easily fixed and returned by mail. With more stores reopening, however, Apple will now let customers come back in to pick up devices, either through curbside pickup or through in-store service, depending on the location.
Retail chief Deirdre O’Brien published a blog post earlier this month outlining Apple’s strategy for social distancing within its stores and the other safety measures it was taking to keep customers and staff safe. “Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers, and we will provide them to customers who don’t bring their own. Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms — like cough or fever — or who have had recent exposure to someone infected with COVID‑19,” O’Brien wrote. Additional measures include enhanced deep cleanings of all surfaces, display products, and other high-traffic areas.


theverge--2020-05-26--YouTube took down Michael Moore’s film attacking renewable energy

The controversial film Planet of the Humans , produced by Michael Moore , was taken down from YouTube on Monday because of a copyright infringement claim .
The complaint was filed by photographer Toby Smith , who was alarmed that his work was used in a film that he doesn ’ t support , The Guardian reports .
“ I don ’ t agree with its message and I don ’ t like the misleading use of facts in its narrative , ” Smith said to The Guardian .
A few seconds of Smith ’ s video , Rare Earthenware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film , which criticizes renewable energy .
“ I don ’ t agree with its message and I don ’ t like the misleading use of facts in its narrative.
” In a statement to The Verge , director Jeff Gibbs denied any copyright violation in his film , which garnered more than 8 million views on YouTube .
“ This attempt to take down our film and prevent the public from seeing it is a blatant act of censorship by political critics of Planet of the Humans , ” Gibbs wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ law to shutdown a film that has opened a serious conversation about how parts of the environmental movement have gotten into bed with Wall Street.
” Although sources of archival footage are credited at the end of Gibbs ’ film , makers of Rare Earthenware say it doesn ’ t constitute fair use because “ the footage has been contorted to represent a pretty un-researched and for that reason rather dangerous narrative.
” The footage depicts the Shiguai coal mine in Inner Mongolia , China , and it ’ s used in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turbines are made .
In the context of the film , it seems to be used more as stock footage than an active commentary on Rare Earthenware , which could undermine Planet of the Humans ’ case for fair use .
“ The longer it stays offline , the better for the amazing work that the environmental movement has been doing in the last 10 years , ” says Liam Young , who co-founded the studio that collaborated with Smith on Rare Earthenware .
Young and Smith ’ s film traces the materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
‘ Planet of the Humans ’ has gotten some support from advocates for free speech Planet of the Humans has gotten some support from PEN America , a group that advocates for free speech .
“ Those who take issue with the film have every right to make their concerns and arguments heard , ” PEN America senior director Summer Lopez said in an April 29th statement .
“ But first and foremost , the public also has the essential right to view Moore ’ s film and make their own judgements.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental advocates followed the release of Planet of the Humans in April .
Among other things , the film makes the dubious claim that solar and wind power are potentially as harmful to the environment as fossil fuels and that environmentalists are essentially in the pockets of renewable energy corporations .
Those claims have been torn apart by environmentalists and scientists who say that the film ’ s assertions are misleading .
“ There is no perfect solution to our energy challenges .
But this film does not grapple with these thorny questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stokes , UC Santa Barbara assistant professor and author of the book on clean energy Short Circuiting Policy , wrote for Vox .
“ The weirdly misleading nature of this thing totally explains why it ’ s on YouTube , nor hosted by Netflix or Hulu or Amazon , or shown in theaters , or released in partnership with a credible news organization , ” climate journalist Emily Atkin wrote in her newsletter Heated on April 27th .
“ YouTube , after all , is a platform that ’ s been shown to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ The weirdly misleading nature of this thing totally explains why it ’ s on YouTube ” Stokes called the film “ a gift to Big Oil.
” It has gotten rave reviews from climate change skeptics like the oil-funded Heartland Institute , which yesterday posted a blog to its website that called Planet of the Humans “ an entertaining and educational primer on the hype , phoniness , and lies behind green energy projects.
” The film has already sown distrust within environmental circles .
“ I have no doubt that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the film are , at the least , disheartened … My work will be at least somewhat compromised and less effective , ” Bill McKibben , one of the environmentalists called out in Moore and Gibbs ’ film and a founder of the green group 350.org , wrote in Rolling Stone .
Planet of the Humans was also taken down from another platform , Films for Action , because of the copyright claim .
Films for Action had previously temporarily removed it following a harsh letter from filmmaker Josh Fox and notable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film is still up on Gibbs ’ Vimeo account .

The controversial film Planet of the Humans, produced by Michael Moore, was taken down from YouTube on Monday because of a copyright infringement claim. The complaint was filed by photographer Toby Smith, who was alarmed that his work was used in a film that he doesn’t support, The Guardian reports.
“I don’t agree with its message and I don’t like the misleading use of facts in its narrative,” Smith said to The Guardian. A few seconds of Smith’s video, Rare Earthenware, were used in Moore’s film, which criticizes renewable energy.
“I don’t agree with its message and I don’t like the misleading use of facts in its narrative.”
In a statement to The Verge, director Jeff Gibbs denied any copyright violation in his film, which garnered more than 8 million views on YouTube. “This attempt to take down our film and prevent the public from seeing it is a blatant act of censorship by political critics of Planet of the Humans,” Gibbs wrote. “It is a misuse of copyright law to shutdown a film that has opened a serious conversation about how parts of the environmental movement have gotten into bed with Wall Street.”
Although sources of archival footage are credited at the end of Gibbs’ film, makers of Rare Earthenware say it doesn’t constitute fair use because “the footage has been contorted to represent a pretty un-researched and for that reason rather dangerous narrative.”
The footage depicts the Shiguai coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, and it’s used in a montage about how solar panels and wind turbines are made. In the context of the film, it seems to be used more as stock footage than an active commentary on Rare Earthenware, which could undermine Planet of the Humans’ case for fair use.
“The longer it stays offline, the better for the amazing work that the environmental movement has been doing in the last 10 years,” says Liam Young, who co-founded the studio that collaborated with Smith on Rare Earthenware. Young and Smith’s film traces the materials used in electronics back to their sources.
‘Planet of the Humans’ has gotten some support from advocates for free speech
Planet of the Humans has gotten some support from PEN America, a group that advocates for free speech. “Those who take issue with the film have every right to make their concerns and arguments heard,” PEN America senior director Summer Lopez said in an April 29th statement. “But first and foremost, the public also has the essential right to view Moore’s film and make their own judgements.”
A firestorm of criticism from influential environmental advocates followed the release of Planet of the Humans in April. Among other things, the film makes the dubious claim that solar and wind power are potentially as harmful to the environment as fossil fuels and that environmentalists are essentially in the pockets of renewable energy corporations. Those claims have been torn apart by environmentalists and scientists who say that the film’s assertions are misleading.
“There is no perfect solution to our energy challenges. But this film does not grapple with these thorny questions; it peddles falsehoods,” Leah Stokes, UC Santa Barbara assistant professor and author of the book on clean energy Short Circuiting Policy, wrote for Vox.
“The weirdly misleading nature of this thing totally explains why it’s on YouTube, nor hosted by Netflix or Hulu or Amazon, or shown in theaters, or released in partnership with a credible news organization,” climate journalist Emily Atkin wrote in her newsletter Heated on April 27th. “YouTube, after all, is a platform that’s been shown to profit off the spread of climate misinformation.”
“The weirdly misleading nature of this thing totally explains why it’s on YouTube”
Stokes called the film “a gift to Big Oil.” It has gotten rave reviews from climate change skeptics like the oil-funded Heartland Institute, which yesterday posted a blog to its website that called Planet of the Humans “an entertaining and educational primer on the hype, phoniness, and lies behind green energy projects.”
The film has already sown distrust within environmental circles. “I have no doubt that many of the people who’ve seen the film are, at the least, disheartened … My work will be at least somewhat compromised and less effective,” Bill McKibben, one of the environmentalists called out in Moore and Gibbs’ film and a founder of the green group 350.org, wrote in Rolling Stone.


theverge--2020-05-27--Texas Instruments angers hobbyists with limits to calculator programming support

Texas Instruments has removed the ability for some of its most popular calculators to run programs written in assembly or C , Cemetech reports .
Hobbyists are not happy with the changes .
In addition to being used as educational tools , TI calculators are also relatively simple and cheap programming devices .
According to a customer support email posted on TI-Planet ( via Linus Tech Tips ) , affected calculators include the popular TI-84 Plus CE , as well as the TI-83 Plus CE-T , and the TI-83 Premium CE .
The functionality is disappearing in the devices ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s currently no way to roll back the software .
The popular TI-84 Plus CE is one of the calculators affected The change is being made to try and stop students from circumventing the calculators ’ exam mode restrictions , but in the process it also removes a key avenue that hobbyists have used to run their programs .
Although the calculators still support other programming languages like TI-BASIC and Python , these languages are reportedly far slower , with implications for what kinds of programs can reasonably be run .
TI enthusiasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be stopped by the change .
One forum poster on Planet Casio points out that people can still modify the calculators ’ Exam Mode notification LED , for example .
It ’ s also rare for exam moderators to check that students are running the most recent firmware on their calculators , so cheaters could theoretically run an older firmware version as a workaround .
No one is forcing hobbyists to upgrade their firmware , so it seems likely that many will hang on to their outdated software for as long as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big blow to the community as a whole , which will no longer be able to buy new calculators with support for the more powerful programming languages .

Texas Instruments has removed the ability for some of its most popular calculators to run programs written in assembly or C, Cemetech reports. Hobbyists are not happy with the changes. In addition to being used as educational tools, TI calculators are also relatively simple and cheap programming devices.
According to a customer support email posted on TI-Planet (via Linus Tech Tips), affected calculators include the popular TI-84 Plus CE, as well as the TI-83 Plus CE-T, and the TI-83 Premium CE. The functionality is disappearing in the devices’ latest firmware update, and there’s currently no way to roll back the software.
The popular TI-84 Plus CE is one of the calculators affected
The change is being made to try and stop students from circumventing the calculators’ exam mode restrictions, but in the process it also removes a key avenue that hobbyists have used to run their programs. Although the calculators still support other programming languages like TI-BASIC and Python, these languages are reportedly far slower, with implications for what kinds of programs can reasonably be run.
TI enthusiasts contend that determined cheaters won’t be stopped by the change. One forum poster on Planet Casio points out that people can still modify the calculators’ Exam Mode notification LED, for example. It’s also rare for exam moderators to check that students are running the most recent firmware on their calculators, so cheaters could theoretically run an older firmware version as a workaround.


theverge--2020-05-27--Is Google finally managing its messaging mess?

Sadly , the time has come for me to write about Rich Communication Services again .
There have been a few pieces of news about it in the past week or so and I find myself vaguely optimistic that by this time next year Google will be offering properly encrypted messaging to Android users with a relatively simple , seamless experience that ’ s well on its way to being universally available .
Plus , Google is finally starting to transition users from Hangouts to Google Chat in a real way under new management that is motivated to finally get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more attention during the pandemic .
But let ’ s stick with RCS for the moment .
Google has me at the spot where Charlie Brown is at his most tragically hopeful and Sisyphean : right before he resolves to run at the football and really kick it this time despite knowing in his heart Lucy will pull it away again .
Except the football in this case is the easy answer I ’ d like to give to Android users about how text messaging works on their phones .
Instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Deep breath . )
RCS is the more advanced replacement for SMS and if the carriers and phones of all texters in a thread support it then you ’ ll get chat-like features like typing indicators and bigger attachments .
But there ’ s no real way to know whether or not you ’ ll be getting RCS or plain old SMS until you open up a chat window with one or several people and then wait to see what you get .
If your carrier doesn ’ t support RCS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Messages and let Google handle RCS for you , but it will still fall back gracefully to SMS or MMS .
In any case , none of these solutions offer truly end-to-end encryption and there ’ s no indication Apple is even faintly interested in supporting it on the iPhone .
And yet , I ’ m going to take a run at that football .
Because while I don ’ t think there ’ s going to be a simple answer , I do see signs that Google is making tangible progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news is that T-Mobile will finally begin supporting proper cross-carrier RCS messaging via the “ Universal Profile.
” Until now , T-Mobile could technically say it supported RCS but in reality it only worked between certain T-Mobile phones .
If you ’ re reading this and are an Android user , chances you think this whole thing is moot because Google is already providing RCS services to anybody who wants them via its Android Messages app .
But the most common Android phones are Samsung phones and Samsung ships its own texting app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the default .
So T-Mobile figuring out how to get its RCS to talk to Google ’ s RCS via the globally accepted default is meaningful progress .
That doesn ’ t mean we don ’ t have more confusion in store .
Last year the major US carriers signed on to a joint agreement called the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative that was designed to do the thing Google had been asking them to do all along : support RCS Universal Profile .
What does T-Mobile ’ s announcement mean for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of this RCS interconnect confusion and politicking would just be a morbid fascination of mine if it weren ’ t for the fact that it all has direct and tangible effects on Android users ’ real lived experiences with text messaging .
So while I apologize for belaboring the minutiae , I am doing so to make a point : even though you ’ re paying a monthly bill , your needs are not the priority for your mobile carrier .
It ’ s much more important in the boardrooms of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accidentally giving up anything to another major tech company than it is to move more quickly towards the correct solution .
“ RCS is where we are like United Nations .
We try to herd a bunch of people.
” That ’ s not to absolve Google , but as its CEO Sundar Pichai told me in our interview earlier this month , “ RCS is where we are like United Nations .
We try to herd a bunch of people.
” Google is committed to keeping Android at least somewhat neutral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Google itself .
That ’ s why progress is so slow .
But all of this is just a new version of the SMS status quo , honestly , because RCS by default is not end-to-end encrypted .
Unlike iMessage and Signal , your texts are not as private as they could be .
Apparently that might change , as an internal dogfooding build of Android messages has a bunch of strings and settings for end-to-end encryption .
As it promised last July , Google is clearly working on some kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like ?
We ’ re still a little too early to say , but if I had to guess I ’ d say it will be something that ’ s available for people who use Google ’ s Android Messages app , but if anybody in the texting chain doesn ’ t it ’ ll fall back to regular RCS or even SMS .
See , the way RCS works is your app sends a ping to the other phones to ask whether it too can do RCS in a process called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCS , then you ’ re off to the races .
There ’ s no technical reason that capability exchange couldn ’ t also include a “ hey do you support end-to-end encryption ?
” message , too .
Maybe it will be more broad-based than that and become part of the official GSMA Universal Profile spec , such that apps like Samsung Messages will also work with it .
But if I had to guess , I ’ d say Google ’ s going with the minimum viable product .
Or maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google is doing , because the fastest way to create pressure is to show real consumer demand .
Right now , iMessage users have the option for secure , end-to-end encrypted messages when they text other iPhone users , built right into the default experience .
If Google comes through with encrypted messaging in Android Messages , it ’ ll have the same option for Android users when they text other Android Message users — again , built right into the default .
It would be nice if I didn ’ t need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentences .
It would be really nice if , as they have done with exposure tracing , Apple and Google could work together to create a system that protects user privacy in messaging as well .
If Google actually enables end-to-end encryption , who will be holding the secure messaging football ?
Google ?
The carriers ?
Apple ?
All I know is I ’ m standing here under a leafless tree , a determined glint in my eye , getting ready to take another run at it again .
Knowing full well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to yank it away .
┏ SpaceX ’ s first crewed launch : all the updates on the company ’ s historic mission for NASA .
Here are all of our SpaceX stories on the launch in one place .
┏ Here ’ s what to expect as SpaceX launches its first human crew to space .
Loren Grush provides the rundown of what to watch for .
┏ Sony ’ s Xperia 1 II ships in the US on July 24th for $ 1,199 .
For that price , those cameras better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years has been that it makes the best sensors but somehow whiffs on its own smartphone cameras .
Twelve hundred bucks is definitely put up or shut up money .
I will say that as a Sony camera user , I ’ m weirdly excited for the pro camera options here because Sony is using the same interface I ’ m already used to for it .
┏ Lenovo made two new tablets with detachable Bluetooth keyboards .
Putting Bluetooth in the keyboard on a Surface clone ( which is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe this form factor ) is maybe clever .
Honestly , is there a Windows computer Lenovo wouldn ’ t try out ?
┏ The Oppo Watch isn ’ t bad , but it does look like an Apple Watch .
Sam Byford : ┏ Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 review : perfect for work-from-home life .
Chris Welch says they ’ re competent in lots of categories even if they ’ re not class-leading .
Sometimes nailing the basics is exactly what you want .
More from The Verge ┏ The human cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russell Brandom talked to eight Instacart workers who got sick , yet despite promises from the company only three of them got sick pay .
Just incredibly terrible treatment of workers here .
┏ Nilay Patel interviewed Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield for the Vergecast , wherein Butterfield said that Microsoft is ‘ unhealthily preoccupied with killing us.
’ ┏ Emergency COVID-19 vaccines will have to convince a skeptical public .
You ’ ve already learned a lot of medical terminology in the past couple months .
As Nicole Wetsman writes , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more : ┏ HBO Max is full of potential , but its biggest hurdle remains AT & T ’ s messy execution .
It ’ s launching today .
Julia Alexander on all the ways AT & T is own-goaling itself on this launch strategy :

Sadly, the time has come for me to write about Rich Communication Services again. There have been a few pieces of news about it in the past week or so and I find myself vaguely optimistic that by this time next year Google will be offering properly encrypted messaging to Android users with a relatively simple, seamless experience that’s well on its way to being universally available.
Plus, Google is finally starting to transition users from Hangouts to Google Chat in a real way under new management that is motivated to finally get it right because everybody is paying way more attention during the pandemic.
But let’s stick with RCS for the moment. Google has me at the spot where Charlie Brown is at his most tragically hopeful and Sisyphean: right before he resolves to run at the football and really kick it this time despite knowing in his heart Lucy will pull it away again. Except the football in this case is the easy answer I’d like to give to Android users about how text messaging works on their phones.
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
By subscribing, you are agreeing to receive a daily newsletter from The Verge that highlights top stories of the day, as well as occasional messages from sponsors and / or partners of The Verge.
Instead, the answer is as it ever was. (Deep breath.) RCS is the more advanced replacement for SMS and if the carriers and phones of all texters in a thread support it then you’ll get chat-like features like typing indicators and bigger attachments. But there’s no real way to know whether or not you’ll be getting RCS or plain old SMS until you open up a chat window with one or several people and then wait to see what you get.
If your carrier doesn’t support RCS, you can still get it via Android Messages and let Google handle RCS for you, but it will still fall back gracefully to SMS or MMS. In any case, none of these solutions offer truly end-to-end encryption and there’s no indication Apple is even faintly interested in supporting it on the iPhone.
Good grief.
And yet, I’m going to take a run at that football. Because while I don’t think there’s going to be a simple answer, I do see signs that Google is making tangible progress towards better answers.
The most recent news is that T-Mobile will finally begin supporting proper cross-carrier RCS messaging via the “Universal Profile.” Until now, T-Mobile could technically say it supported RCS but in reality it only worked between certain T-Mobile phones.
If you’re reading this and are an Android user, chances you think this whole thing is moot because Google is already providing RCS services to anybody who wants them via its Android Messages app. But the most common Android phones are Samsung phones and Samsung ships its own texting app by default. And most people just use the default.
So T-Mobile figuring out how to get its RCS to talk to Google’s RCS via the globally accepted default is meaningful progress. That doesn’t mean we don’t have more confusion in store. Last year the major US carriers signed on to a joint agreement called the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative that was designed to do the thing Google had been asking them to do all along: support RCS Universal Profile. What does T-Mobile’s announcement mean for the CCMI? Stay tuned I guess!
All of this RCS interconnect confusion and politicking would just be a morbid fascination of mine if it weren’t for the fact that it all has direct and tangible effects on Android users’ real lived experiences with text messaging.
So while I apologize for belaboring the minutiae, I am doing so to make a point: even though you’re paying a monthly bill, your needs are not the priority for your mobile carrier. It’s much more important in the boardrooms of these carriers to make sure they’re not accidentally giving up anything to another major tech company than it is to move more quickly towards the correct solution.
“RCS is where we are like United Nations. We try to herd a bunch of people.”
That’s not to absolve Google, but as its CEO Sundar Pichai told me in our interview earlier this month, “RCS is where we are like United Nations. We try to herd a bunch of people.” Google is committed to keeping Android at least somewhat neutral in the tug of war between carriers and Google itself. That’s why progress is so slow.
But all of this is just a new version of the SMS status quo, honestly, because RCS by default is not end-to-end encrypted. Unlike iMessage and Signal, your texts are not as private as they could be.
Apparently that might change, as an internal dogfooding build of Android messages has a bunch of strings and settings for end-to-end encryption. As it promised last July, Google is clearly working on some kind of solution.
What will that solution look like? We’re still a little too early to say, but if I had to guess I’d say it will be something that’s available for people who use Google’s Android Messages app, but if anybody in the texting chain doesn’t it’ll fall back to regular RCS or even SMS.
See, the way RCS works is your app sends a ping to the other phones to ask whether it too can do RCS in a process called “capability exchange.” If both apps support RCS, then you’re off to the races. There’s no technical reason that capability exchange couldn’t also include a “hey do you support end-to-end encryption?” message, too.
Maybe it will be more broad-based than that and become part of the official GSMA Universal Profile spec, such that apps like Samsung Messages will also work with it. But if I had to guess, I’d say Google’s going with the minimum viable product. Or maybe that’s just what I hope Google is doing, because the fastest way to create pressure is to show real consumer demand.
Right now, iMessage users have the option for secure, end-to-end encrypted messages when they text other iPhone users, built right into the default experience. If Google comes through with encrypted messaging in Android Messages, it’ll have the same option for Android users when they text other Android Message users — again, built right into the default.
It would be nice if I didn’t need to add so many provisos to those sentences. It would be really nice if, as they have done with exposure tracing, Apple and Google could work together to create a system that protects user privacy in messaging as well.
If Google actually enables end-to-end encryption, who will be holding the secure messaging football? Google? The carriers? Apple? All I know is I’m standing here under a leafless tree, a determined glint in my eye, getting ready to take another run at it again. Knowing full well that one of them is definitely going to yank it away.
Rats.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
SpaceX’s first crewed launch
┏ SpaceX’s first crewed launch: all the updates on the company’s historic mission for NASA. Here are all of our SpaceX stories on the launch in one place.
┏ Here’s what to expect as SpaceX launches its first human crew to space. Loren Grush provides the rundown of what to watch for.
The Crew Dragon is designed to require minimal input from its passengers, but since this is a test, Hurley and Behnken will do some manual flying before they reach the space station. “It’s obviously something that we want to make sure we understand completely for future crews in case they ever have to fly the vehicle manually,” Hurley said during a press conference. The plan is for Hurley to take control right after Crew Dragon reaches orbit as well as when they approach the space station.
Gadget news
┏ Sony’s Xperia 1 II ships in the US on July 24th for $1,199. For that price, those cameras better finally deliver. Sony’s rap for years has been that it makes the best sensors but somehow whiffs on its own smartphone cameras. Twelve hundred bucks is definitely put up or shut up money.
I will say that as a Sony camera user, I’m weirdly excited for the pro camera options here because Sony is using the same interface I’m already used to for it.
┏ Lenovo made two new tablets with detachable Bluetooth keyboards. Putting Bluetooth in the keyboard on a Surface clone (which is not a knock, just the easiest way to describe this form factor) is maybe clever. Honestly, is there a Windows computer Lenovo wouldn’t try out?
The most interesting thing about the Oppo Watch software is its selection of built-in apps, which are accessible through a scrolling grid that’s halfway between the Apple Watch’s weird honeycomb and list views. There are the usual apps for phone calls, fitness tracking, timers, and weather, as well as an on-watch app store and China-specific services like Alipay. It’s a pretty robust feature set, including things like sleep tracking that haven’t come to the Apple Watch yet.
┏ Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 review: perfect for work-from-home life. Chris Welch says they’re competent in lots of categories even if they’re not class-leading. Sometimes nailing the basics is exactly what you want.
As you may have realized by now, the Surface Headphones 2 don’t best Sony and Bose in every category. But since Microsoft decided on a much smarter, more affordable price this time around, they don’t necessarily have to.
I just spent a week riding Carqon’s first production bicycle here in Amsterdam. It’s an 88-pound (40 kg) electric cargo bike designed to transport an adult and up to four kids a distance of up 75 miles (120 km) before needing a recharge. I came away a believer in the transformative power of the electric cargo bike to replace both diesel-gulping delivery vans and family cars in the world’s cities.
More from The Verge
┏ The human cost of Instacart’s grocery delivery. Russell Brandom talked to eight Instacart workers who got sick, yet despite promises from the company only three of them got sick pay. Just incredibly terrible treatment of workers here.
Under the circumstances, it was inevitable that customers would get frustrated. The app made it seem as though shoppers had access to a special warehouse where all of the goods were kept, like Amazon. Why would the app list a product for sale if you couldn’t actually buy it? Instacart would recoup the cost of a particular grocery order if buyers refused to pay, but there were lots of other ways angry customers could make life hard for shoppers, like clawing back tips or leaving a zero-star rating. And most of the time, customers didn’t get mad at stores; they got mad at shoppers. Instacart had arbitraged customer anger onto the most vulnerable people in the system.
┏ Emergency COVID-19 vaccines will have to convince a skeptical public. You’ve already learned a lot of medical terminology in the past couple months. As Nicole Wetsman writes, you’re going to need to learn yet more:
The challenge is, Quinn’s research shows that most people don’t have a good sense of the difference between drug approval and emergency authorization. She found that Americans have a limited understanding of FDA terminology around experimental products. “People don’t understand that kind of language,” she says. In one survey, she found people were unfamiliar with terms like “emergency use authorization,” “off-label” (which is when a drug is used for different disease than the one it was approved for), and “investigational new drug” (a drug that’s being tested in clinical trials).
┏ HBO Max is full of potential, but its biggest hurdle remains AT&T’s messy execution. It’s launching today. Julia Alexander on all the ways AT&T is own-goaling itself on this launch strategy:


theverge--2020-05-27--YouTube fixes error that deleted comments critical of the Chinese Communist Party

YouTube says it ’ s begun fixing an error in its moderation system that caused comments containing certain Chinese-language phrases critical of China ’ s Communist Party ( CCP ) to be automatically deleted .
The issue meant that comments containing the phrases “ 共匪 ” ( “ communist bandit ” ) and “ 五毛 ” ( “ 50-cent party ” ) were removed from the site in a matter of seconds .
The former phrase is an insult dating back to China ’ s Nationalist government , while the latter is derogatory slang for internet users paid to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originates from the claim that these users are paid 50 Chinese cents per post .
YouTube told The Verge that the issue that caused comments containing these phrases to be deleted had been fixed for a number of these terms , but that it was still investigating the deeper causes of the error — suggesting other terms may still be affected .
In The Verge ’ s tests , comments containing the two phrases above are no longer deleted from the platform .
The deletions were flagged by users as early as October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an official response to the problem after it was reported on yesterday by The Verge .
There ’ s no explanation for why the comments were being deleted Although the company has blamed the deletions on an error in its “ enforcement systems , ” it has not explained how this error came to be .
A spokesperson told The Verge only that the deletions were not the result of any change to YouTube ’ s moderation policy , and that the company has been relying on its automated systems more than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , implying that the automatic deletions are connected .
However , an increasing reliance on automatic comment filters wouldn ’ t explain why comments containing these phrases were being deleted six months ago , long before the pandemic began .
The deletions also seem particularly strange given YouTube is banned in China , giving the company no incentive to censor anti-CCP comments .
One hypothesis is that the terms in question were added to YouTube ’ s automated filters as a result of coordinated action by pro-CCP users , who may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of automated response that added them to the platform ’ s filters .
There have been similar examples of mysterious errors with a pro-CCP bias appearing in Google ’ s automated systems before .
Last year during the Hong Kong protests , Google Translate briefly translated the English phrase “ So sad to see Hong Kong become China ” into simplified Chinese that read ( in English ) as “ So happy to see Hong Kong become China.
” Google quietly fixed the issue without offering any details on the cause .
Without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including President Donald Trump have leapt on the story and used it to accuse YouTube ’ s parent company Google of a pro-China bias .
For months , now , the White House has pushed a message that US tech companies censor conservative voices and are biased against Republican policies .
Google itself has a long and complicated history with China , with the company showing it ’ s happy , at times , to censor information in a way that complies with the wishes of the CCP .
Most notably , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as Project Dragonfly for the Chinese market .
It was never launched and Google told a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last year that it had terminated the project .

YouTube says it’s begun fixing an error in its moderation system that caused comments containing certain Chinese-language phrases critical of China’s Communist Party (CCP) to be automatically deleted.
The issue meant that comments containing the phrases “共匪” (“communist bandit”) and “五毛” (“50-cent party”) were removed from the site in a matter of seconds. The former phrase is an insult dating back to China’s Nationalist government, while the latter is derogatory slang for internet users paid to defend the CCP from criticism online. It originates from the claim that these users are paid 50 Chinese cents per post.
YouTube told The Verge that the issue that caused comments containing these phrases to be deleted had been fixed for a number of these terms, but that it was still investigating the deeper causes of the error — suggesting other terms may still be affected. In The Verge’s tests, comments containing the two phrases above are no longer deleted from the platform.
The deletions were flagged by users as early as October last year, but YouTube only offered an official response to the problem after it was reported on yesterday by The Verge.
There’s no explanation for why the comments were being deleted
Although the company has blamed the deletions on an error in its “enforcement systems,” it has not explained how this error came to be. A spokesperson told The Verge only that the deletions were not the result of any change to YouTube’s moderation policy, and that the company has been relying on its automated systems more than ever recently as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, implying that the automatic deletions are connected.
However, an increasing reliance on automatic comment filters wouldn’t explain why comments containing these phrases were being deleted six months ago, long before the pandemic began. The deletions also seem particularly strange given YouTube is banned in China, giving the company no incentive to censor anti-CCP comments.
One hypothesis is that the terms in question were added to YouTube’s automated filters as a result of coordinated action by pro-CCP users, who may have mass-reported these terms, triggering some sort of automated response that added them to the platform’s filters.
There have been similar examples of mysterious errors with a pro-CCP bias appearing in Google’s automated systems before. Last year during the Hong Kong protests, Google Translate briefly translated the English phrase “So sad to see Hong Kong become China” into simplified Chinese that read (in English) as “So happy to see Hong Kong become China.” Google quietly fixed the issue without offering any details on the cause.
Without official explanation, politicians in the US including President Donald Trump have leapt on the story and used it to accuse YouTube’s parent company Google of a pro-China bias. For months, now, the White House has pushed a message that US tech companies censor conservative voices and are biased against Republican policies.


theverge--2020-05-27--Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5,000

Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5,000

Tesla has reduced the price of the Model 3 , Model S , and Model X in North America , Electrek reports .
The Model S and X both saw $ 5,000 price cuts to $ 74,990 and $ 79,990 respectively for their entry-level Long Range Plus versions , while their more expensive Performance versions have also been cut by $ 5k .
The Model 3 has received a smaller $ 2,000 price cut across all versions , with the online entry-level Standard Range Plus Model 3 now starting at $ 37,990 .
Pricing for the Model Y , Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Weibo post from Tesla ’ s official account confirmed that the company will also reduce the prices of the Model S and Model X cars sold in China .
However , the Chinese price of its Model 3 cars , which it produces domestically in the country , will not be cut as part of the changes .
The electric car company did not give an official reason for the price reductions , but Reuters reports that Tesla is trying to stimulate sales after a decline in vehicle demand caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly halved in April compared to the previous year , as people obeyed stay at home orders and cut down on non-essential travel .
Other automakers such as GM , Ford , and Fiat Chrysler are offering 0 percent financing and deferred payment options .

Tesla has reduced the price of the Model 3, Model S, and Model X in North America, Electrek reports. The Model S and X both saw $5,000 price cuts to $74,990 and $79,990 respectively for their entry-level Long Range Plus versions, while their more expensive Performance versions have also been cut by $5k. The Model 3 has received a smaller $2,000 price cut across all versions, with the online entry-level Standard Range Plus Model 3 now starting at $37,990. Pricing for the Model Y, Tesla’s newest car, is unchanged.
A Weibo post from Tesla’s official account confirmed that the company will also reduce the prices of the Model S and Model X cars sold in China. However, the Chinese price of its Model 3 cars, which it produces domestically in the country, will not be cut as part of the changes.


theverge--2020-05-27--Skullcandy’s new true wireless earbuds have built-in Tile tracking

Many true wireless earbuds now let you “ find ” them by either playing a sound ( if they ’ re powered on , out of their case , and nearby ) or pulling up the location where they were last paired to your phone .
But what if you could track your earbuds even when they ’ re powered down ?
That ’ s the appeal that has led an increasing number of brands to build Tile ’ s tracking technology into their devices — including laptops , suitcases , and headphones from Bose and Sennheiser — and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company is announcing several models of true wireless earbuds , and all of them offer Tile integration , letting you pinpoint their location just like the company ’ s standalone tracking tags .
If the earbuds are somewhere close , the Tile app will let you know that they ’ re nearby .
For cases where they aren ’ t , you ’ ll see the last known location and , if you activate Lost Mode , other Tile trackers will report back the location of your Skullcandy buds if they come into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that network of devices has found 90 percent of all items marked as lost in the Tile app . )
This is the first time we ’ ve seen Tile ’ s tech in true wireless buds .
Skullcandy says you can track the earbuds even when they ’ re in the charging case , and the earbuds “ are engineered so that each earbud acts as an individual Tile and therefore can be found individually.
” The new Skullcandy earbuds vary in style : the Push Ultras have a moldable ear hooks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also got identical physical controls on each earbud , whereas the Indy Fuel and Indy Evo have a protruding stem and rely on touch controls .
The least expensive of the bunch , the Sesh Evos , feature the most subtle design but lack wireless charging and have the shortest total battery life .
According to Skullcandy , either earbud can be used by itself in mono mode .
That ’ s true of all four new models .

Many true wireless earbuds now let you “find” them by either playing a sound (if they’re powered on, out of their case, and nearby) or pulling up the location where they were last paired to your phone. But what if you could track your earbuds even when they’re powered down? That’s the appeal that has led an increasing number of brands to build Tile’s tracking technology into their devices — including laptops, suitcases, and headphones from Bose and Sennheiser — and now Skullycandy is joining in.
Today the company is announcing several models of true wireless earbuds, and all of them offer Tile integration, letting you pinpoint their location just like the company’s standalone tracking tags. If the earbuds are somewhere close, the Tile app will let you know that they’re nearby. For cases where they aren’t, you’ll see the last known location and, if you activate Lost Mode, other Tile trackers will report back the location of your Skullcandy buds if they come into proximity with them. (Tile says that network of devices has found 90 percent of all items marked as lost in the Tile app.)
This is the first time we’ve seen Tile’s tech in true wireless buds. Skullcandy says you can track the earbuds even when they’re in the charging case, and the earbuds “are engineered so that each earbud acts as an individual Tile and therefore can be found individually.”
The new Skullcandy earbuds vary in style: the Push Ultras have a moldable ear hooks for maximum stability. They’ve also got identical physical controls on each earbud, whereas the Indy Fuel and Indy Evo have a protruding stem and rely on touch controls. The least expensive of the bunch, the Sesh Evos, feature the most subtle design but lack wireless charging and have the shortest total battery life. According to Skullcandy, either earbud can be used by itself in mono mode. That’s true of all four new models.
Image: Skullcandy
IP67 sweat / water / dust resistance
6-hour battery life (34 additional hours in case)
Wireless charging
Image: Skullcandy
IP55 sweat / water / dust resistance
6-hour continuous battery life (24 additional hours in case)
Wireless charging
Image: Skullcandy
IP55 sweat / water / dust resistance
6-hour continuous battery life (24 additional hours in case)
Image: Skullcandy


theverge--2020-05-27--Fujifilm releases app to turn mirrorless cameras into webcams

Fujifilm has released new software that lets you use certain X-series and GFX-series mirrorless cameras as ultra-high-quality webcams .
The app is called Fujifilm X Webcam and works over USB , letting you benefit from much sharper lenses and larger image sensors than the potato camera in your laptop .
You ’ re even able to use Fujifilm ’ s renowned film simulation modes .
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven unprecedented demand for webcams due to the shift to remote work , with extreme stock shortages and jacked-up prices .
Canon has already released a similar webcam utility for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s possible to make other companies ’ cameras work as webcams with a little extra hardware .
We published a guide to doing this earlier in the month .
Here ’ s how Dan Seifert ’ s laptop webcam compares to his Fujifilm mirrorless camera : Fujifilm X Webcam works with the X-H1 , X-Pro2 , X-Pro3 , X-T2 , X-T3 , X-T4 , and all GFX cameras .
The app is free , and right now it ’ s only available for Windows computers .
Here ’ s a tutorial on @ @ @ @ @

Fujifilm has released new software that lets you use certain X-series and GFX-series mirrorless cameras as ultra-high-quality webcams. The app is called Fujifilm X Webcam and works over USB, letting you benefit from much sharper lenses and larger image sensors than the potato camera in your laptop. You’re even able to use Fujifilm’s renowned film simulation modes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven unprecedented demand for webcams due to the shift to remote work, with extreme stock shortages and jacked-up prices. Canon has already released a similar webcam utility for many of its digital cameras, and it’s possible to make other companies’ cameras work as webcams with a little extra hardware.
We published a guide to doing this earlier in the month. Here’s how Dan Seifert’s laptop webcam compares to his Fujifilm mirrorless camera:
On the left is an image from Dan’s laptop’s built-in 720p webcam. On the right is a shot taken with Dan’s Fujifilm mirrorless camera connected to his computer.


theverge--2020-05-27--Zipline’s drones are delivering medical supplies and PPE in North Carolina

Zipline ’ s drones are delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment to a Novant Health Medical Center in Charlotte , North Carolina , the two companies announced today .
Importantly , considering the COVID-19 pandemic , the deliveries are entirely contactless .
Zipline says this is the first emergency drone logistics operation to help hospitals respond to the pandemic , and it ’ s also the longest-range drone delivery service that ’ s been approved in the US .
“ We ’ re likely in for a long-term fight against COVID-19 , ” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logistics will be an important tool in that effort .
The work underway here in North Carolina will provide the rest of the country with a blueprint for how to build the most resilient and responsive health care system possible.
” Transporting almost four pounds of cargo at up to 80 mph The service has begun by delivering supplies to Novant Health ’ s Huntersville medical center from a depot next to its facility in Kannapolis , North Carolina .
Once the drones reach their destination , they drop the supplies via parachute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need any additional infrastructure to receive deliveries .
Zipline says its drones can carry almost four pounds of cargo and travel at speeds of up to 80 mph .
For now , Zipline has been given Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) approval for flights over two routes , with round trips of between 20 and 30 miles .
However , the company ’ s drones have a total range of over 100 miles , meaning they ’ re capable of reaching 30 more Novant Health facilities , pending FAA approval .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zipline hope to get the FAA ’ s go-ahead to serve health facilities and even patients ’ homes as part of a full commercial service .
Although this is a US first for Zipline , this is not the first time the company ’ s drones have been used to deliver medical supplies globally .
In 2016 , the drone logistics company started delivering blood in Rwanda in what was , at the time , the first national drone delivery system .
In 2019 , it expanded operations to Ghana .
In total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flown over 1.8 million autonomous miles , and now , it ’ s using its drones to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in both countries .
Zipline and Novant Health aren ’ t the only companies to be using drones to deliver medical supplies in North America .
Most recently , back in April , UPS and CVS started using Matternet ’ s M2 drones to deliver prescription medication to a retirement community in Florida .
However , while Zipline ’ s drones deliver directly to medical facilities , in Florida Matternet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a pickup location , before a UPS ground vehicle takes the package to the resident ’ s door .
Alphabet ’ s Wing is also currently conducting drone deliveries in Virginia , although these consist of household items like food and coffee , rather than medical items .
That hasn ’ t stopped demand from increasing as a result of the pandemic , however , as people socially distance rather than heading to stores .

Zipline’s drones are delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment to a Novant Health Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the two companies announced today. Importantly, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the deliveries are entirely contactless. Zipline says this is the first emergency drone logistics operation to help hospitals respond to the pandemic, and it’s also the longest-range drone delivery service that’s been approved in the US.
“We’re likely in for a long-term fight against COVID-19,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo said in a statement. “Using contactless drone logistics will be an important tool in that effort. The work underway here in North Carolina will provide the rest of the country with a blueprint for how to build the most resilient and responsive health care system possible.”
Transporting almost four pounds of cargo at up to 80 mph
The service has begun by delivering supplies to Novant Health’s Huntersville medical center from a depot next to its facility in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Once the drones reach their destination, they drop the supplies via parachute, meaning the center doesn’t need any additional infrastructure to receive deliveries. Zipline says its drones can carry almost four pounds of cargo and travel at speeds of up to 80 mph.
For now, Zipline has been given Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for flights over two routes, with round trips of between 20 and 30 miles. However, the company’s drones have a total range of over 100 miles, meaning they’re capable of reaching 30 more Novant Health facilities, pending FAA approval. In the next two years, Novant and Zipline hope to get the FAA’s go-ahead to serve health facilities and even patients’ homes as part of a full commercial service.
Although this is a US first for Zipline, this is not the first time the company’s drones have been used to deliver medical supplies globally. In 2016, the drone logistics company started delivering blood in Rwanda in what was, at the time, the first national drone delivery system. In 2019, it expanded operations to Ghana. In total, the company says its drones have flown over 1.8 million autonomous miles, and now, it’s using its drones to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in both countries.
Zipline and Novant Health aren’t the only companies to be using drones to deliver medical supplies in North America. Most recently, back in April, UPS and CVS started using Matternet’s M2 drones to deliver prescription medication to a retirement community in Florida. However, while Zipline’s drones deliver directly to medical facilities, in Florida Matternet’s drones are used to deliver to a pickup location, before a UPS ground vehicle takes the package to the resident’s door.


theverge--2020-05-26--New Samurai Shodown collection will launch first for free on the Epic Games Store

A new collection of Samurai Shodown games is coming out in a couple of weeks , and it marks another notable exclusivity deal for the Epic Games Store .
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection will be released on Steam on June 18th and PS4 and Switch on July 28th for $ 39.99 , but you ’ ll be able to get it first on the Epic Games Store on June 11th , and it ’ ll be completely free for a week .
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection includes all six Neo Geo iterations of the classic fighting series , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ V Perfect , an unreleased game that was supposed to be the final Neo Geo title .
Each game has online modes and includes both the Japanese and English arcade versions .
There ’ s also a “ museum ” featuring interviews , music , development documents , and more .
So , it has finally been announced !
Samurai Shodown V Perfect , a game that has gone unreleased for 15 years , is included in the upcoming Samurai Shodown collection from @ SNKPofficial .
In this thread I 'll share with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so long !
https : //t.co/U5X8b0TVIq — brandon sheffield ( @ necrosofty ) May 27 , 2020 SNK announced this collection for Steam , PS4 , Switch , and Xbox One in March last year , but there ’ s no longer any mention of the Xbox version on its website .

A new collection of Samurai Shodown games is coming out in a couple of weeks, and it marks another notable exclusivity deal for the Epic Games Store. Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection will be released on Steam on June 18th and PS4 and Switch on July 28th for $39.99, but you’ll be able to get it first on the Epic Games Store on June 11th, and it’ll be completely free for a week.
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection includes all six Neo Geo iterations of the classic fighting series, plus a completed version of Samurai Shodown V Perfect, an unreleased game that was supposed to be the final Neo Geo title. Each game has online modes and includes both the Japanese and English arcade versions. There’s also a “museum” featuring interviews, music, development documents, and more.


theverge--2020-05-27--You can no longer subscribe to HBO via Apple TV Channels

HBO is no longer available as an Apple TV Channel for people who want to subscribe to it though the Apple TV app ( via 9to5Mac ) .
The change follows today ’ s launch of the new streaming service HBO Max .
Apple TV Channels first launched last year as a way to watch content from many different service providers all in one app , meaning you wouldn ’ t have to bounce around between different third-party apps to watch different content .
Now , though , it seems HBO wants to push users to watch HBO Max content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Apple ’ s .
If you subscribed to HBO through Channels , you ’ ll have access to HBO Max If you already subscribe to HBO through Apple TV ’ s Channels , you can apparently still see it in the Apple TV app , but it won ’ t be updated to include content that ’ s exclusive to HBO Max , according to 9to5Mac .
You also have free access to HBO Max thanks to a deal that was struck between Apple and WarnerMedia last month .
When that deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max would be integrated into the Apple TV app , but it appears that hasn ’ t happened yet .
There are a number of ways to access HBO Max , and my colleague Chaim Gartenberg has put together a handy guide on how you can stream HBO Max and how to know if you may already have access to it without needing to pay .
If you want to subscribe to HBO Max through Amazon ’ s Prime Video Channels portal , however , you can ’ t just yet .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contract negotiations , reports The Wall Street Journal , which is why the HBO Max app is not available on either Amazon Fire devices or Roku ones .
Amazon is blaming the dispute on AT & T , which owns HBO Max operator WarnerMedia , in a statement provided to The Verge : With a seamless customer experience , nearly 5 million HBO streamers currently access their subscription through Amazon ’ s Prime Video Channels .
Unfortunately , with the launch of HBO Max , AT & T is choosing to deny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded catalog .
We believe that if you ’ re paying for HBO , you ’ re entitled to the new programming through the method you ’ re already using .
That ’ s just good customer service and that ’ s a priority for us .
WarnerMedia defended itself in this statement given to Engadget : We are thrilled that HBO Max is widely available at launch to customers through a variety of devices and distribution partners as well as HBOMax.com .
Our goal is to make HBO Max available on every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible so they can enjoy beloved shows from HBO , the Warner Bros. movie and TV library and a diversity of hit programming exclusive to HBO Max .
We look forward to reaching agreements with the few outstanding distribution partners left , including with Amazon and on par with how they provide customers access to Netflix , Disney+ and Hulu on Fire devices .

HBO is no longer available as an Apple TV Channel for people who want to subscribe to it though the Apple TV app, according to 9to5Mac). The change follows today’s launch of the new streaming service HBO Max.
Apple TV Channels first launched last year as a way to watch content from many different service providers all in one app, meaning you wouldn’t have to bounce around between different third-party apps to watch different content. Now, though, it seems HBO wants to push users to watch HBO Max content on the HBO Max app instead of through Apple’s.
If you subscribed to HBO through Channels, you’ll have access to HBO Max
If you already subscribe to HBO through Apple TV’s Channels, you can apparently still see it in the Apple TV app, but it won’t be updated to include content that’s exclusive to HBO Max, according to 9to5Mac. You also have free access to HBO Max thanks to a deal that was struck between Apple and WarnerMedia last month. And if you do have access to HBO Max, you can watch HBO Max content inside the Apple TV app.
There are a number of ways to access HBO Max, and my colleague Chaim Gartenberg has put together a handy guide on how you can stream HBO Max and how to know if you may already have access to it without needing to pay.
If you want to subscribe to HBO Max through Amazon’s Prime Video Channels portal, however, you can’t just yet. The issue, it seems, is due to contract negotiations, reports The Wall Street Journal, which is why the HBO Max app is not available on either Amazon Fire devices or Roku ones. Amazon is blaming the dispute on AT&T, which owns HBO Max operator WarnerMedia, in a statement provided to The Verge:
With a seamless customer experience, nearly 5 million HBO streamers currently access their subscription through Amazon’s Prime Video Channels. Unfortunately, with the launch of HBO Max, AT&T is choosing to deny these loyal HBO customers access to the expanded catalog. We believe that if you’re paying for HBO, you’re entitled to the new programming through the method you’re already using. That’s just good customer service and that’s a priority for us.
WarnerMedia defended itself in this statement given to Engadget:
We are thrilled that HBO Max is widely available at launch to customers through a variety of devices and distribution partners as well as HBOMax.com. Our goal is to make HBO Max available on every platform possible to as many viewers globally as possible so they can enjoy beloved shows from HBO, the Warner Bros. movie and TV library and a diversity of hit programming exclusive to HBO Max. We look forward to reaching agreements with the few outstanding distribution partners left, including with Amazon and on par with how they provide customers access to Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu on Fire devices.


theverge--2020-05-27--Arizona sues Google over claims it illegally tracked location of Android users

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has filed a lawsuit against Google over allegations the company illegally tracked Android users ’ location without their consent and even when the location tracking features had been manually disabled , according to a report from The Washington Post .
The suit argues Google kept location tracking running in the background for certain features , like weather and for web searches using its search engine and Chrome browser , even after the user disabled app-specific location tracking .
Only when a user dug further into the Android system settings and turned off broader system-level tracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the complaint argues .
Google has found itself in similar controversies in the past over location tracking of Android users .
The company has responded to privacy concerns over the years with various stopgap measures like making it easier to auto-delete your location data , and cracking down on offending third-party apps that do so without consent .
But its efforts to improve privacy protections and the various settings you need to monitor to ensure you ’ re not being overly tracked remain complex and confusing to average users , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on just how much Google knows about you and what sources of data it maintains .
“ At some point , people or companies that have a lot of money think they can do whatever the hell they want to do.
” Brnovich is asking a court force Google to pay back profits it may have earned from monetizing this data through ads served to Arizona residents .
The Post says Arizona ’ s anti-fraud laws also might subject Google to $ 10,000 per fine violations .
Google did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point , people or companies that have a lot of money think they can do whatever the hell they want to do , and feel like they are above the law , ” Brnovich told The Post in an interview .
“ I wanted Google to get the message that Arizona has a state consumer fraud act .
They may be the most innovative company in the world , but that doesn ’ t mean they ’ re above the law.
” Google and its YouTube subsidiary , as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of regulatory and legal quagmires right now , following antitrust and privacy enforcement in the European Union that resulted in multi-billion fines against Google over the last decade .
Now , US politicians and regulators are following suit and have begun engaging in a broad and coordinated effort across the Department of Justice , the Federal Trade Commission , and state legislators to reign in Big Tech and enforce antitrust , privacy , and other laws .
These are rules Silicon Valley has largely flouted over the last couple of decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pace of technological change and the scale of Big Tech ’ s ability to exploit loopholes and skirt regulation for monetary gain and market consolidation .
YouTube settled with the FTC last year for violations of Children ’ s Online Privacy Protection Act ( COPPA ) , while Google is currently under investigation by all 50 state attorneys general and the subject of a broader antitrust probe led by the Justice Department .

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has filed a lawsuit against Google over allegations the company illegally tracked Android users’ location without their consent and even when the location tracking features had been manually disabled, according to a report from The Washington Post.
The suit argues Google kept location tracking running in the background for certain features, like weather and for web searches using its search engine and Chrome browser, even after the user disabled app-specific location tracking. Only when a user dug further into the Android system settings and turned off broader system-level tracking did Google stop surreptitiously siphoning location data, the complaint argues.
Google has found itself in similar controversies in the past over location tracking of Android users. The company has responded to privacy concerns over the years with various stopgap measures like making it easier to auto-delete your location data, and cracking down on offending third-party apps that do so without consent. But its efforts to improve privacy protections and the various settings you need to monitor to ensure you’re not being overly tracked remain complex and confusing to average users, and it can often seem impossible to keep tabs on just how much Google knows about you and what sources of data it maintains.
“At some point, people or companies that have a lot of money think they can do whatever the hell they want to do.”
Brnovich is asking a court force Google to pay back profits it may have earned from monetizing this data through ads served to Arizona residents. The Post says Arizona’s anti-fraud laws also might subject Google to $10,000 per fine violations.
“The Attorney General and the contingency fee lawyers filing this lawsuit appear to have mischaracterized our services. We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We look forward to setting the record straight,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement given to The Verge.
“At some point, people or companies that have a lot of money think they can do whatever the hell they want to do, and feel like they are above the law,” Brnovich told The Post in an interview. “I wanted Google to get the message that Arizona has a state consumer fraud act. They may be the most innovative company in the world, but that doesn’t mean they’re above the law.”
Google and its YouTube subsidiary, as well as the other major tech companies, are facing a number of regulatory and legal quagmires right now, following antitrust and privacy enforcement in the European Union that resulted in multi-billion fines against Google over the last decade.
Now, US politicians and regulators are following suit and have begun engaging in a broad and coordinated effort across the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and state legislators to reign in Big Tech and enforce antitrust, privacy, and other laws. These are rules Silicon Valley has largely flouted over the last couple of decades as lawmakers failed to keep up with the pace of technological change and the scale of Big Tech’s ability to exploit loopholes and skirt regulation for monetary gain and market consolidation.
YouTube settled with the FTC last year for violations of Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), while Google is currently under investigation by all 50 state attorneys general and the subject of a broader antitrust probe led by the Justice Department.


theverge--2020-05-27--HBO Max’s catalog is full of weird holes

HBO Max has arrived , bringing with it a precious few new original shows and an absolutely stuffed back catalog of terrific TV and movies .
In addition to HBO ’ s extremely good library , Max adds a mountain of content produced and / or licensed by parent company WarnerMedia , like Friends and the Harry Potter franchise .
It ’ s enough to please someone of every taste , but the more you dig , the more you find strange holes in the library — and the more you realize it ’ s not really clear what HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems are clearest in the big , non-HBO umbrellas you find titles gathered under on HBO Max .
DC , for example , is the place you ’ d expect to find , well , the movies in the DC Extended Universe .
They ’ re mostly there !
Except Birds of Prey , presumably because it ’ s too recent to join a streaming roster , and Man of Steel , the movie that kicked off the whole enterprise .
It makes it harder to understand what HBO Max is or what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Steel is the sort of small absence that will then clue you into a larger one : there isn ’ t a single Superman adaptation to be found .
No Christopher Reeve films , no Superman Returns , no animated movie or show , no Smallville or Lois & Clark .
Granted , DC shows and movies present a unique problem for HBO Max because DC Universe , a streaming platform exclusively for comic book-inspired content , exists under the WarnerMedia umbrella .
But this further muddies the waters and doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect from HBO Max .
This gets even more baffling in other , smaller instances .
Peter Jackson ’ s Middle-Earth epics are all present… except the middle Hobbit film , The Desolation of Smaug .
The entire Studio Ghibli library is finally in one place — but not Grave of the Fireflies .
HBO Max ’ s spread of classic films is an admirable array of highlights , with musicals like Million Dollar Mermaid and screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby , but outside of the broadest terms ( like “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wild West ” ) there ’ s nothing that feels truly comprehensive .
It ’ s very likely that many of these gaps aren ’ t due to anything particularly nefarious .
Some of them are more openly understandable than others — it ’ s hard to imagine that every Merrie Melodies short from the 1930s has a digital transfer ready to go , you know ?
There ’ s also the vagaries of streaming agreements , where WarnerMedia ’ s intellectual property isn ’ t necessarily available for its own platform until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failures of communication , curation , and plain-old neglect combine to form a new status quo in the streaming world .
It ’ s not unique to HBO Max , but it makes it harder to understand what HBO Max is or what it ’ s supposed to be .
As a service , HBO Max offers you a lot but promises little .
In its marketing , it tells you what you can expect ( Batman Begins was in its promotional ads ) , but not when to expect it ( none @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the service ) .
It ’ s nice to have selections from Cartoon Network and TCM right next to each other .
But those collections are only samples because a streaming service must also have a revolving door : new titles coming , old ones going .
The new normal in streaming entertainment is a litany of services with reasons for you to subscribe now , not whenever .
Because you can ’ t really know what you ’ re getting or what you ’ re losing more than thirty days out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect to have anything stick around .

HBO Max has arrived, bringing with it a precious few new original shows and an absolutely stuffed back catalog of terrific TV and movies. In addition to HBO’s extremely good library, Max adds a mountain of content produced and / or licensed by parent company WarnerMedia, like Friends and the Harry Potter franchise. It’s enough to please someone of every taste, but the more you dig, the more you find strange holes in the library — and the more you realize it’s not really clear what HBO Max is supposed to offer.
These problems are clearest in the big, non-HBO umbrellas you find titles gathered under on HBO Max. DC, for example, is the place you’d expect to find, well, the movies in the DC Extended Universe. They’re mostly there! Except Birds of Prey, presumably because it’s too recent to join a streaming roster, and Man of Steel, the movie that kicked off the whole enterprise.
It makes it harder to understand what HBO Max is or what it’s supposed to be
Man of Steel is the sort of small absence that will then clue you into a larger one: there isn’t a single Superman adaptation to be found. No Christopher Reeve films, no Superman Returns, no animated movie or show, no Smallville or Lois & Clark. Granted, DC shows and movies present a unique problem for HBO Max because DC Universe, a streaming platform exclusively for comic book-inspired content, exists under the WarnerMedia umbrella. But this further muddies the waters and doesn’t really make clear what you should expect from HBO Max.
This gets even more baffling in other, smaller instances. Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth epics are all present… except the middle Hobbit film, The Desolation of Smaug. The entire Studio Ghibli library is finally in one place — but not Grave of the Fireflies. HBO Max’s spread of classic films is an admirable array of highlights, with musicals like Million Dollar Mermaid and screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby, but outside of the broadest terms (like “The Legendary Charlie Chaplin” or “The Wild West”) there’s nothing that feels truly comprehensive.
It’s very likely that many of these gaps aren’t due to anything particularly nefarious. Some of them are more openly understandable than others — it’s hard to imagine that every Merrie Melodies short from the 1930s has a digital transfer ready to go, you know? There’s also the vagaries of streaming agreements, where WarnerMedia’s intellectual property isn’t necessarily available for its own platform until existing contracts expire. But collectively, failures of communication, curation, and plain-old neglect combine to form a new status quo in the streaming world. It’s not unique to HBO Max, but it makes it harder to understand what HBO Max is or what it’s supposed to be.