theverge--2020-09-26--The coronavirus pandemic by the numbers

The coronavirus pandemic by the numbers

I ’ m dwelling on numbers because this week , the US officially counted 200,000 COVID-19 deaths .
Words like “ grim milestone ” just don ’ t seem adequate in the face of that toll .
Numbers are valuable .
Case counts help scientists track the infection ’ s spread .
Death tolls help policy makers figure out where things are going right — or horribly wrong .
They ’ re utilitarian .
They can also hit like a derailed train .
Since I started this column two months ago , more than 345,470 people have died of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths were in the US .
That ’ s 345,470 people , each with families and friends and coworkers and enemies and cats and dogs and people who just saw them on the street while walking to the bus .
They ’ re gone .
Their desks and armchairs and beds are empty .
The people who loved them are red-eyed and sorting through the stuff they left behind .
Each human lost cuts deep into communities , and the US has etched a wound into itself that is deeper than any other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped looking at the numbers every hour , like I was doing this spring .
But every Friday , when I look at the numbers on Johns Hopkins ’ dashboard , it ’ s still a shock .
I know I ’ m not alone .
“ Shocked — that would be the word that I would say captures my response to our current death numbers from the vantage point of February , ” David Celentano , the head of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health ’ s epidemiology department , told Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first US death was alarming .
Now , around 800 people in the country are dying of the disease every day , and the sirens and alarm bells have blurred into the background of a horrible year .
When it comes to death , numbers like 200,000 are no more tragic than numbers like 145,763 , or 12 or one .
But the roundness of the number does help to turn up the volume on that incomprehensible din .
Visuals that compare the national death toll to our neighborhoods and cities , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interactive map , can help us understand the volume of death — body by body and block by block .
Comparisons to other death tolls can help us reckon with just how unprecedented this is .
“ The number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 67 days .
It is roughly equal to the population of Salt Lake City or Huntsville , Alabama , ” Carla K. Johnson wrote for The Associated Press .
Thinking beyond the US ’ s borders — more than 985,748 people have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different countries and territories around the world with populations smaller than that number .
Wrestling with the loss of a nation ’ s worth of people is not something that any one of us thought we ’ d be dealing with this year .
Every single death , every single case , ever since the pandemic roared into public consciousness in January , is one too many .
These numbers are the subject of all the science we talk about every week — they provide the data that researchers use to study this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers is also an urgent motivation behind this research .
Whether researchers are trying to find a vaccine , or a treatment , or figure out how the virus moves between us , or how it wrecks our bodies — the goal is the same .
No one can make those numbers go down — but it is still possible to keep them from going up .
Here ’ s what else happened this week .
Child deaths tied to covid-19 remain remarkably low , months into U.S. pandemic While the COVID-19 death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest in the world , the fatality rate for people under 20 remained extraordinarily low .
Experts are still trying to understand how the disease affects younger people .
( Lenny Bernstein/The Washington Post ) The Core Lesson of the COVID-19 Heart Debate There has been a lot of effort put into understanding some of the damage that COVID-19 can do to the heart .
Many studies have poured out of labs , as a flood of data has rushed into them — but many conclusions in the heart debate remain out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ed Yong discusses why , and finds that “ as pandemics get wider , they feel weirder.
” ( Ed Yong/The Atlantic ) What Do Two New Studies Really Tell Us About Coronavirus Transmission on Planes ?
This is a good breakdown of some of the limitations behind two case studies that looked at coronavirus transmission on planes .
( Jane C. Hu/Slate ) Johnson & Johnson Starts Phase 3 Trial for Single-Dose Coronavirus Vaccine This week , Johnson & Johnson started its large-scale trials for it ’ s vaccine in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this one is designed to only require a single dose — potentially making is easier to distribute .
A different company , Novavax , also entered phase three trials this week in the UK .
( Elliot Hannon/Slate ) Here come the tortoises : In the race for a Covid-19 vaccine , slow starters could still win out At STAT there ’ s a good update on some of the other vaccine candidates .
Pharma companies Merck and Sanofi are both moving more slowly and methodically , but are still very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helen Branswell/STAT ) A Covid-19 Vaccine for Children May Not Arrive Before Fall 2021 As vaccine development pushes ahead , one group is noticeably not represented in any of the vaccine trials underway in the US — kids .
“ Vaccine developers are keenly aware that children are not simply miniature adults.
” Carl Zimmer writes in The New York Times .
Creating a vaccine that is safe and effective for children will likely take a lot more work , and a lot more time .
( Carl Zimmer/The New York Times ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 vaccine .
But not the US or China .
How will a vaccine get distributed when we finally have a good candidate ?
Manufacturing and shipping issues aside , it ’ s going to be a massive political undertaking too .
For a look at the international relations side of vaccine distribution , read up on Covax , an initiative that aims to distribute billions of doses worldwide by the end of next year .
( Julia Belluz/Vox ) Averting a COVID-19 vaccination crisis will take careful communication In order for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be willing to take it .
The Verge ’ s Nicole Wetsman talked with a vaccine hesitancy researcher about this vaccine , and what concerns public health experts will have to overcome .
( For more expert opinions on a similar topic , check out Maggie Koerth ’ s ` How To Know When You Can Trust A COVID-19 Vaccine ` at Five Thirty Eight . )
( Nicole Wetsman/The Verge ) The code : How genetic science helped expose a secret coronavirus outbreak This is a great feature that dives deep into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meatpacking plant in Postville , Iowa .
( Sarah Kaplan , Desmond Butler , Juliet Eilperin , Chris Mooney and Luis Velarde/The Washington Post ) To the more than 32,397,479 people worldwide who have tested positive , may your road to recovery be smooth .
To the families and friends of the 985,748 people who have died worldwide — 203,549 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten .

I’m dwelling on numbers because this week, the US officially counted 200,000 COVID-19 deaths. Words like “grim milestone” just don’t seem adequate in the face of that toll.
Numbers are valuable. Case counts help scientists track the infection’s spread. Death tolls help policy makers figure out where things are going right — or horribly wrong. They’re utilitarian.
They can also hit like a derailed train.
Since I started this column two months ago, more than 345,470 people have died of COVID-19 around the world. 57,993 of those deaths were in the US.
That’s 345,470 people, each with families and friends and coworkers and enemies and cats and dogs and people who just saw them on the street while walking to the bus. They’re gone. Their desks and armchairs and beds are empty. The people who loved them are red-eyed and sorting through the stuff they left behind. Each human lost cuts deep into communities, and the US has etched a wound into itself that is deeper than any other covid-wound on Earth.
I’ve stopped looking at the numbers every hour, like I was doing this spring. But every Friday, when I look at the numbers on Johns Hopkins’ dashboard, it’s still a shock. I know I’m not alone.
“Shocked — that would be the word that I would say captures my response to our current death numbers from the vantage point of February,” David Celentano, the head of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health’s epidemiology department, told Vox this week.
A newsletter highlighting the COVID-19 research, developments, and stories that matter. Subscribe here!
In February, the first US death was alarming. Now, around 800 people in the country are dying of the disease every day, and the sirens and alarm bells have blurred into the background of a horrible year.
When it comes to death, numbers like 200,000 are no more tragic than numbers like 145,763, or 12 or one. But the roundness of the number does help to turn up the volume on that incomprehensible din. Visuals that compare the national death toll to our neighborhoods and cities, like The Washington Post’s brutal new interactive map, can help us understand the volume of death — body by body and block by block. Comparisons to other death tolls can help us reckon with just how unprecedented this is.
“The number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 67 days. It is roughly equal to the population of Salt Lake City or Huntsville, Alabama,” Carla K. Johnson wrote for The Associated Press.
Thinking beyond the US’s borders — more than 985,748 people have died of this disease. There are 74 different countries and territories around the world with populations smaller than that number.
Wrestling with the loss of a nation’s worth of people is not something that any one of us thought we’d be dealing with this year. Every single death, every single case, ever since the pandemic roared into public consciousness in January, is one too many.
These numbers are the subject of all the science we talk about every week — they provide the data that researchers use to study this disease. But the climb of these numbers is also an urgent motivation behind this research. Whether researchers are trying to find a vaccine, or a treatment, or figure out how the virus moves between us, or how it wrecks our bodies — the goal is the same. No one can make those numbers go down — but it is still possible to keep them from going up.
Here’s what else happened this week.
Research
Child deaths tied to covid-19 remain remarkably low, months into U.S. pandemic
While the COVID-19 death toll in the United States remained the highest in the world, the fatality rate for people under 20 remained extraordinarily low. Experts are still trying to understand how the disease affects younger people.
(Lenny Bernstein/The Washington Post)
The Core Lesson of the COVID-19 Heart Debate
There has been a lot of effort put into understanding some of the damage that COVID-19 can do to the heart. Many studies have poured out of labs, as a flood of data has rushed into them — but many conclusions in the heart debate remain out of reach. Over at The Atlantic, Ed Yong discusses why, and finds that “as pandemics get wider, they feel weirder.”
(Ed Yong/The Atlantic)
What Do Two New Studies Really Tell Us About Coronavirus Transmission on Planes?
This is a good breakdown of some of the limitations behind two case studies that looked at coronavirus transmission on planes.
(Jane C. Hu/Slate)
Development
Johnson & Johnson Starts Phase 3 Trial for Single-Dose Coronavirus Vaccine
This week, Johnson & Johnson started its large-scale trials for it’s vaccine in the US. Unlike many of the other candidates, this one is designed to only require a single dose — potentially making is easier to distribute. A different company, Novavax, also entered phase three trials this week in the UK.
(Elliot Hannon/Slate)
Here come the tortoises: In the race for a Covid-19 vaccine, slow starters could still win out
At STAT there’s a good update on some of the other vaccine candidates. Pharma companies Merck and Sanofi are both moving more slowly and methodically, but are still very much making progress towards a vaccine.
(Helen Branswell/STAT)
A Covid-19 Vaccine for Children May Not Arrive Before Fall 2021
As vaccine development pushes ahead, one group is noticeably not represented in any of the vaccine trials underway in the US — kids. “Vaccine developers are keenly aware that children are not simply miniature adults.” Carl Zimmer writes in The New York Times. Creating a vaccine that is safe and effective for children will likely take a lot more work, and a lot more time.
(Carl Zimmer/The New York Times)
156 countries are teaming up for a Covid-19 vaccine. But not the US or China.
How will a vaccine get distributed when we finally have a good candidate? Manufacturing and shipping issues aside, it’s going to be a massive political undertaking too. For a look at the international relations side of vaccine distribution, read up on Covax, an initiative that aims to distribute billions of doses worldwide by the end of next year.
(Julia Belluz/Vox)
Averting a COVID-19 vaccination crisis will take careful communication
In order for a vaccine to work, people have to be willing to take it. The Verge’s Nicole Wetsman talked with a vaccine hesitancy researcher about this vaccine, and what concerns public health experts will have to overcome. (For more expert opinions on a similar topic, check out Maggie Koerth’s `How To Know When You Can Trust A COVID-19 Vaccine` at Five Thirty Eight.)
(Nicole Wetsman/The Verge)
Perspectives
The code: How genetic science helped expose a secret coronavirus outbreak
This is a great feature that dives deep into how researchers uncovered a single outbreak at a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa.
(Sarah Kaplan, Desmond Butler, Juliet Eilperin, Chris Mooney and Luis Velarde/The Washington Post)
More than Numbers
To the more than 32,397,479 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.
To the families and friends of the 985,748 people who have died worldwide — 203,549 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten.


theverge--2020-09-26--How Duolingo designed the new characters for its Project World

Language app Duolingo is unveiling a new cast of characters that it hopes will help users better learn new languages , even during the toughest lessons .
The characters will act as guides within the app , cheering you on if you get an answer correct , or reacting in a disappointed ( or sassy ) way if you get one wrong .
The nine characters of Duolingo Project World all have unique personalities , and serve as guides to make a new language feel more familiar .
“ Obviously Duolingo is a very gamified language learning app , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We took a lot of cues from other games , and I think you realize how motivating characters can be ; when you remove the main character you have an emotional attachment to you ’ ll probably play that game less .
We wanted to establish some emotional connection , and have characters that encourage users , by giving them positive reinforcement.
” Learning a language can be a challenging journey that takes a lot of mental energy , Hartman notes ; you ’ re learning things like how to order food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ useful to communicate with other speakers , but maybe not the most scintillating conversation material .
“ So the question was : How you make these everyday scenarios fun ?
” In designing the characters that inhabit Duolingo World , Hartman says the team wanted to keep the same design elements of their mascot owl Duo , with his large eyes , simple body shape , and detached feet .
With most cartoon characters , the design is informed by the character ’ s personality— triangles are dynamic , squares are solid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the characters in Duolingo don ’ t really have story arcs , they ’ re only there to support the user .
Hartman says they decided to let the design drive the characters ’ personalities .
So a girl with purple hair and lots of sharp angles became an emo character named Lily ; a round fellow with a beard is kind-hearted Vikram ; and a blocky child character with a flourish of red hair became energetic Junior .
They went through many shapes and iterations before arriving at their final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also decided that in order for the experience to feel authentically immersive , they ’ d have to add voices , rather than relying on their default male or female voices .
They hired a voice actor for each character , and worked with Microsoft to create custom text-to-speech fonts .
“ It brings more personality to the app , and if you ’ re not hearing the same voice all the time , it helps train our learners ’ ears , ” Hartman said .
Duolingo will be releasing the individual characters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Choosing the names proved a bigger challenge than Hartman was expecting .
They needed names that sounded the same across languages , so that ruled out some early ideas , including “ Jun ” for one character because in Spanish it would be pronounced “ Hoon.
” And they renamed one character when they realized that in French “ Pete ” can sound like the word for “ fart.
” Hartman also says the team wanted to make sure they weren ’ t choosing names that might translate into something offensive in another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in every language we teach , ” he says .
“ That was a huge part of the development of the characters.
” He adds that having a diverse workforce proved valuable : “ All I had to do was go to a member of our team , and say ‘ tell me where we ’ ve gotten it wrong ’ and people were kind enough to help guide us.
” The last big redesign at Duolingo happened in 2018 , when the company changed Duo ’ s look and gave him more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilted into finishing your French lesson by a weepy green owl , I can ’ t help you ) , and redesigned the rest of the app to reflect his newer look .
There are no plans to get rid of Duo , Hartman says ; Duolingo is Duo ’ s world and these other characters live in it .
But , he adds , they decided not to design the new characters as other animals , because it didn ’ t quite feel right for what they were trying to accomplish .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ human culture , and it seemed weird to add a cast of characters not from our world , ” he said .
Duolingo started rolling out the new characters to appear in lessons in the app earlier this year , and have since been adding them to other features within the app as well .
For instance , they began appearing in Duolingo Stories in July , and earlier this month , showed up in mid-lesson animations to cheer learners on .
Then a funny thing happened : Fan art versions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So the company started a Fan Art Friday contest to encourage people to send in their art to be featured in Duolingo social posts .
The characters will officially roll out today at Duolingo ’ s annual Duocon conference .
They ’ ll be available in Duolingo courses in which both languages are one of Spanish , French , German , English , or Portuguese , with plans to eventually add them to other language courses in the app .
Hartman says Duolingo thinks of gamifying language learning as a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process more enjoyable , much in the way sports can make physical exercise seem like less of a grind .
“ It ’ s sometimes hard to get up and just run around your yard , but once you introduce a ball and healthy competition , you think less about how physically hard it is and more about the ball and the goal , ” he said .
“ Duolingo wants to introduce a ‘ mental ball ’ to keep learners motivated .
”

Language app Duolingo is unveiling a new cast of characters that it hopes will help users better learn new languages, even during the toughest lessons. The characters will act as guides within the app, cheering you on if you get an answer correct, or reacting in a disappointed (or sassy) way if you get one wrong. The nine characters of Duolingo Project World all have unique personalities, and serve as guides to make a new language feel more familiar.
“Obviously Duolingo is a very gamified language learning app,” says Duolingo art director Greg Hartman. “We took a lot of cues from other games, and I think you realize how motivating characters can be; when you remove the main character you have an emotional attachment to you’ll probably play that game less. We wanted to establish some emotional connection, and have characters that encourage users, by giving them positive reinforcement.”
Duolingo
Learning a language can be a challenging journey that takes a lot of mental energy, Hartman notes; you’re learning things like how to order food in Spanish, phrases that would be useful to communicate with other speakers, but maybe not the most scintillating conversation material. “So the question was: How you make these everyday scenarios fun?”
Keeping the Duo Design
In designing the characters that inhabit Duolingo World, Hartman says the team wanted to keep the same design elements of their mascot owl Duo, with his large eyes, simple body shape, and detached feet. With most cartoon characters, the design is informed by the character’s personality— triangles are dynamic, squares are solid, and circles are fun, for example. But the characters in Duolingo don’t really have story arcs, they’re only there to support the user. Hartman says they decided to let the design drive the characters’ personalities. So a girl with purple hair and lots of sharp angles became an emo
Duolingo
character named Lily; a round fellow with a beard is kind-hearted Vikram; and a blocky child character with a flourish of red hair became energetic Junior. They went through many shapes and iterations before arriving at their final nine designs, Hartman adds.
They also decided that in order for the experience to feel authentically immersive, they’d have to add voices, rather than relying on their default male or female voices. They hired a voice actor for each character, and worked with Microsoft to create custom text-to-speech fonts. “It brings more personality to the app, and if you’re not hearing the same voice all the time, it helps train our learners’ ears,” Hartman said.
Duolingo will be releasing the individual characters’ voices in the coming months.
Finding universal names
Choosing the names proved a bigger challenge than Hartman was expecting. They needed names that sounded the same across languages, so that ruled out some early ideas, including “Jun” for one character because in Spanish it would be pronounced “Hoon.” And they renamed one character when they realized that in French “Pete” can sound like the word for “fart.”
Hartman also says the team wanted to make sure they weren’t choosing names that might translate into something offensive in another language: “We checked each name in every language we teach,” he says. “That was a huge part of the development of the characters.” He adds that having a diverse workforce proved valuable: “All I had to do was go to a member of our team, and say ‘tell me where we’ve gotten it wrong’ and people were kind enough to help guide us.”
The last big redesign at Duolingo happened in 2018, when the company changed Duo’s look and gave him more expressions (if you’re not guilted into finishing your French lesson by a weepy green owl, I can’t help you), and redesigned the rest of the app to reflect his newer look.
There are no plans to get rid of Duo, Hartman says; Duolingo is Duo’s world and these other characters live in it. But, he adds, they decided not to design the new characters as other animals, because it didn’t quite feel right for what they were trying to accomplish. “Language is so deeply rooted in human culture, and it seemed weird to add a cast of characters not from our world,” he said.
Fan Art Fridays
Duolingo started rolling out the new characters to appear in lessons in the app earlier this year, and have since been adding them to other features within the app as well. For instance, they began appearing in Duolingo Stories in July, and earlier this month, showed up in mid-lesson animations to cheer learners on.
Then a funny thing happened: Fan art versions of the characters started showing up on social media. So the company started a Fan Art Friday contest to encourage people to send in their art to be featured in Duolingo social posts.
The characters will officially roll out today at Duolingo’s annual Duocon conference. They’ll be available in Duolingo courses in which both languages are one of Spanish, French, German, English, or Portuguese, with plans to eventually add them to other language courses in the app.


theverge--2020-09-27--Judge rejects TikTok creators’ request to delay ban, says they won’t suffer ‘irreparable harm’

A judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a request from three TikTok content creators to temporarily block a ban on the app set to go into effect Sunday night , which would bar new downloads from Google and Apple ’ s app stores in the US .
Douglas Marland , Cosette Rinab , and Alec Chambers said they “ earn a livelihood from the content they post on TikTok , ” saying the platform ’ s “ For You ” page is unique among social media platforms , because its algorithm allows “ little-known creators to show their content to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court filing .
Marland has 2.7 million TikTok subscribers , Rinab has 2.3 million , and Chambers has 1.8 million .
The three argued that they would “ lose access to tens of thousands of potential viewers and creators every month , an effect amplified by the looming threat to close TikTok altogether.
” “ They will still be able to create , publish , and share content for their millions of current followers ” Judge Wendy Beetlestone said that the ban would pose “ undoubtedly an inconvenience , ” but said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to prove they would suffer “ immediate , irreparable harm ” if new downloads are barred , since the app would remain operational for current subscribers —at least for the time being—if the ban takes effect .
“ They will still be able to create , publish , and share content for their millions of current followers , ” the judge wrote in her opinion .
A judge in Washington D.C. is expected to decide today whether to block the Trump administration ’ s ban on TikTok .
Late Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s request for an injunction against the ban , saying the injunction would “ infringe on the President ’ s authority to block business-to-business economic transactions with a foreign entity in the midst of a declared national-security emergency.
” TikTok argued in its request for an injunction that the Trump administration ’ s order violates its right to due process and freedom of speech .
President Trump originally gave parent company ByteDance until September 15th to sell the video-sharing app , citing security concerns , then ordered app stores to ban it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last-minute reprieve after the president approved a tentative deal with Oracle last Sunday .
A hearing is set for 9:30AM ET before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington .

A judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a request from three TikTok content creators to temporarily block a ban on the app set to go into effect Sunday night, which would bar new downloads from Google and Apple’s app stores in the US.
Douglas Marland, Cosette Rinab, and Alec Chambers said they “earn a livelihood from the content they post on TikTok,” saying the platform’s “For You” page is unique among social media platforms, because its algorithm allows “little-known creators to show their content to a large audience,” according to the court filing.
Marland has 2.7 million TikTok subscribers, Rinab has 2.3 million, and Chambers has 1.8 million. The three argued that they would “lose access to tens of thousands of potential viewers and creators every month, an effect amplified by the looming threat to close TikTok altogether.”
“They will still be able to create, publish, and share content for their millions of current followers”
Judge Wendy Beetlestone said that the ban would pose “undoubtedly an inconvenience,” but said in denying the request that the three had failed to prove they would suffer “immediate, irreparable harm” if new downloads are barred, since the app would remain operational for current subscribers —at least for the time being—if the ban takes effect. “They will still be able to create, publish, and share content for their millions of current followers,” the judge wrote in her opinion.
Earlier this month, a judge in the Northern District of California rejected a similar request for a temporary restraining order against the ban brought by a TikTok employee. Patrick S. Ryan, a technical program manager in TikTok’s Mountain View, California office, also claimed the ban would have affected his income: “Ryan is concerned that he could be prosecuted for receiving a paycheck from TikTok ... or alternatively that TikTok will decline to pay him for fear of violating the Executive Order,” according to court filing.
Judge Vince Chhabria said both scenarios represented “an unlikely chain of events,” and that Ryan was not likely to suffer irreparable harm without a restraining order.
A judge in Washington D.C. is expected to decide today whether to block the Trump administration’s ban on TikTok. Late Friday, the Justice Department filed its opposition to TikTok’s request for an injunction against the ban, saying the injunction would “infringe on the President’s authority to block business-to-business economic transactions with a foreign entity in the midst of a declared national-security emergency.”
TikTok argued in its request for an injunction that the Trump administration’s order violates its right to due process and freedom of speech.
President Trump originally gave parent company ByteDance until September 15th to sell the video-sharing app, citing security concerns, then ordered app stores to ban it effective September 20th. TikTok got a last-minute reprieve after the president approved a tentative deal with Oracle last Sunday.
A hearing is set for 9:30AM ET before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington.


theverge--2020-09-27--Judge halts Trump administration ban on TikTok downloads

A judge granted a preliminary injunction to video-sharing app TikTok on Sunday , blocking a ban on new downloads in the US that would have gone into effect at midnight .
US District Judge Carl Nichols issued his decision to grant a preliminary injunction just after 8PM ET , but his opinion has been sealed , pending review by the two sides ’ attorneys .
Nichols did not block “ at this time ” restrictions by the Commerce Department set to go into effect on November 12th , however .
Attorneys for TikTok argued Sunday morning during a dial-in hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be “ devastating , ” and urged a judge to block it until the entire case can be decided .
TikTok ’ s attorney said the ban that would prevent new downloads of TikTok from Apple and Google ’ s app stores at 11:59PM ET today was essentially “ shutting down speech.
” But the government ’ s lawyers argued that First Amendment claims by TikTok don ’ t apply , because the Trump administration considers the app a national security risk .
On August 6th , President Trump issued an order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WeChat , both China-based apps , constituted a national emergency .
He invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( IEEPA ) , which lets him ban transactions between US and foreign entities .
President Trump then issued an order August 14th giving ByteDance 90 days to either sell or spin off its TikTok business in the US .
That order is set to go into effect on November 12th and will effectively halt the app ’ s operations .
On September 18th , the Commerce Department issued an order to block transactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WeChat , effective September 20th .
But on September 19th , a tentative deal was announced that would create a new company , TikTok Global , based in the US and tasked with processing and storage for all US-based TikTok users .
Oracle would become TikTok ’ s trusted security partner under the terms of the deal .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross then delayed the ban until September 27th at 11:59PM .
The app store ban is “ arbitrary and capricious , ” TikTok attorney John Hall argued Sunday .
The company also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not apply , since IEEPA excludes information and communication technologies .
“ This is one of the fastest growing apps in the world , and those new users are the lifeblood of this business , which is true of any social media platform , ” said Hall .
“ If it disappears from the app stores , the effect would be devastating with respect to users , content , creators , and would damage its reputation with advertisers.
” Lawyers for the US government argued that preventing new users on the app would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most serious national security risks .
But such a ban would also block existing users from receiving new security updates to the app .
A TikTok spokesperson said in an email to The Verge Sunday night the the company was pleased with the judge ’ s decision , and said it planned to “ maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal , which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend , into an agreement.
” Under Nichols ’ order , the two sides must review his sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsealed , and both sides will meet by September 30th to schedule further proceedings in the case .
Update : September 27th , 8:24PM ET : Adds judge ’ s decision to halt the ban on new TikTok downloads .

A judge granted a preliminary injunction to video-sharing app TikTok on Sunday, blocking a ban on new downloads in the US that would have gone into effect at midnight. US District Judge Carl Nichols issued his decision to grant a preliminary injunction just after 8PM ET, but his opinion has been sealed, pending review by the two sides’ attorneys. Nichols did not block “at this time” restrictions by the Commerce Department set to go into effect on November 12th, however.
Attorneys for TikTok argued Sunday morning during a dial-in hearing that a ban by the Trump administration would be “devastating,” and urged a judge to block it until the entire case can be decided. TikTok’s attorney said the ban that would prevent new downloads of TikTok from Apple and Google’s app stores at 11:59PM ET today was essentially “shutting down speech.” But the government’s lawyers argued that First Amendment claims by TikTok don’t apply, because the Trump administration considers the app a national security risk.
On August 6th, President Trump issued an order saying the security concerns about TikTok and WeChat, both China-based apps, constituted a national emergency. He invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which lets him ban transactions between US and foreign entities. President Trump then issued an order August 14th giving ByteDance 90 days to either sell or spin off its TikTok business in the US. That order is set to go into effect on November 12th and will effectively halt the app’s operations.
On September 18th, the Commerce Department issued an order to block transactions with both TikTok parent company ByteDance and WeChat, effective September 20th.
But on September 19th, a tentative deal was announced that would create a new company, TikTok Global, based in the US and tasked with processing and storage for all US-based TikTok users. Oracle would become TikTok’s trusted security partner under the terms of the deal. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross then delayed the ban until September 27th at 11:59PM.
The app store ban is “arbitrary and capricious,” TikTok attorney John Hall argued Sunday. The company also says that the August 6th order should not apply, since IEEPA excludes information and communication technologies.
“This is one of the fastest growing apps in the world, and those new users are the lifeblood of this business, which is true of any social media platform,” said Hall. “If it disappears from the app stores, the effect would be devastating with respect to users, content, creators, and would damage its reputation with advertisers.”
Lawyers for the US government argued that preventing new users on the app would allow the Commerce department to address the most serious national security risks. But such a ban would also block existing users from receiving new security updates to the app.
A TikTok spokesperson said in an email to The Verge Sunday night that the company was pleased with the judge’s decision, and said it planned to “maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement.”
Under Nichols’ order, the two sides must review his sealed opinion to determine whether it can be unsealed, and both sides will meet by September 30th to schedule further proceedings in the case.
Update: September 27th, 8:24PM ET: Adds judge’s decision to halt the ban on new TikTok downloads.


theverge--2020-09-27--New Trailers: Resident Evil, Truth Seekers, The Queen’s Gambit and more

No spoilers , but I started Enola Holmes and I absolutely love Millie Bobby Brown in it , she ’ s so charming .
The looking-right-at-the-camera bit which I usually dislike ( except for Fleabag ! )
actually works really well to give us her inner thoughts .
Will report back once I ’ ve finished , but so far , it ’ s a refreshing reboot of the sometimes-stodgy Sherlock Holmes universe .
Here are this week ’ s new trailers , including a surprise teaser of a new Resident Evil series that looks , well , terrifying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Taylor Lyles for spotting this one ! )
.
We ’ re headed into October so the offerings are a bit spookier this week .
Surprise !
Resident Evil : Infinite Darkness is an upcoming “ CG anime series ” at Netflix .
The teaser trailer shows Claire Redfield with flashlight in a scary dark room , and Leon Kennedy rescuing an unknown man , and of course , there ’ s at least one zombie ( probably more , I ’ m guessing ) .
Not a ton of details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop on Netflix sometime in 2021 .
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back ( yaaaaay !
! )
in a new “ supernatural comedy drama series ” ( lol get allll the genres , I guess ) where they play paranormal investigators trying to solve a weird mystery .
Samson Kayo and Emma D ’ Arcy also star .
Truth Seekers hits Amazon Prime Video October 30th .
Oooh this one is based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James ( English lit majors , activate ! )
, and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill House series .
Apparitions , a pair of orphans , a Victorian country house with a lake ... it checks all the Gothic horror boxes .
The Haunting of Bly Manor arrives on Netflix October 9th .
OK , so it ’ s a series based on a sleep/meditation app with episodes “ designed to transform your feelings through enchanting music , scientifically engineered narratives , and astounding footage.
” It features “ sleep stories ” from the likes of Mahershala Ali , Idris Elba , Keanu Reeves , Nicole Kidman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why not , I guess ?
We all could use a little more chill because of < waves hands at everything > .
A World of Calm debuts on HBO Max October 1st .
Based on the 1983 best-selling novel by Walter Tevis , The Queen ’ s Gambit tells the story of an orphan who turns out to be a chess prodigy , and follows her ascent in the chess world alongside her struggles with addiction .
Really looking forward to this , Anya Taylor-Joy looks amazing in this trailer .
It @ @ @ @ @

No spoilers, but I started Enola Holmes and I absolutely love Millie Bobby Brown in it, she’s so charming. The looking-right-at-the-camera bit which I usually dislike (except for Fleabag!) actually works really well to give us her inner thoughts. Will report back once I’ve finished, but so far, it’s a refreshing reboot of the sometimes-stodgy Sherlock Holmes universe.
Here are this week’s new trailers, including a surprise teaser of a new Resident Evil series that looks, well, terrifying, of course (h/t to The Verge’s Taylor Lyles for spotting this one!). We’re headed into October so the offerings are a bit spookier this week.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
Surprise! Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is an upcoming “CG anime series” at Netflix. The teaser trailer shows Claire Redfield with flashlight in a scary dark room, and Leon Kennedy rescuing an unknown man, and of course, there’s at least one zombie (probably more, I’m guessing). Not a ton of details yet, but looks like this will drop on Netflix sometime in 2021.
Truth Seekers
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back (yaaaaay!!) in a new “supernatural comedy drama series” (lol get allll the genres, I guess) where they play paranormal investigators trying to solve a weird mystery. Samson Kayo and Emma D’Arcy also star. Truth Seekers hits Amazon Prime Video October 30th.
The haunting of bly manor
Oooh this one is based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (English lit majors, activate!), and is a follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House series. Apparitions, a pair of orphans, a Victorian country house with a lake... it checks all the Gothic horror boxes. The Haunting of Bly Manor arrives on Netflix October 9th.
a world of calm
OK, so it’s a series based on a sleep/meditation app with episodes “designed to transform your feelings through enchanting music, scientifically engineered narratives, and astounding footage.” It features “sleep stories” from the likes of Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Winslet. I mean, why not, I guess? We all could use a little more chill because of . A World of Calm debuts on HBO Max October 1st.
The Queen’s Gambit


theverge--2020-09-28--A week with the Xbox Series X: load times, game performance, and more

I ’ ve spent the past week with an Xbox Series X in my living room .
I ’ ve played a variety of games on this preview unit , testing load times , performance , and some of the new Series X features .
I switched back to an older Xbox One X briefly during testing , and it was like going from cable internet back to the days of a 56k modem .
That ’ s how much the Xbox Series X improves the games you already play every day .
Everything just feels better .
As this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to focusing on three areas for this initial hands-on : backward-compatible games , load times , and the new Quick Resume feature .
I ’ m going to focus on my impressions of using an Xbox Series X over the past week and the solid performance improvements I ’ ve seen across a variety of games .
We ’ ve already covered our initial hardware impressions of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S , alongside the new controller and 1TB expansion card .
You can find more about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and obvious improvement with existing games on the Xbox Series X is the massive changes to load times .
I noticed load times drop in pretty much every single game I ’ ve tested over the past week .
Games like Sea of Thieves , Warframe , and Destiny 2 have their load times cut by up to a minute or more on the Series X .
In Destiny 2 , for example , I can now load into a planet in the game in around 30 seconds , compared to over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly two minutes in total on a standard Xbox One .
These improved load times are identical to my custom-built PC that includes a fast NVMe SSD , and they genuinely transform how you play the game — you can get more quests and tasks done instead of sitting and looking at a planet loading .
Warframe and Sea of Thieves are equally impressive with their load times now .
I can now open Warframe and the game is ready to play just 25 seconds later .
That same load takes literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X .
Sea of Thieves now loads to menu screens in around 20 seconds , with another 28 seconds to load into a session .
On my Xbox One X , it takes a minute and 21 seconds to even load the game initially , and then another minute and 12 seconds to get into a game session .
None of these games have been fully optimized for the Xbox Series X either .
This is simply Microsoft ’ s backward compatibility support in action .
I switched back to my Xbox One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was painful to witness these old load times that added a minute or more to games .
Not only do games load faster , but in many cases they also feel a lot smoother .
Destiny 2 is a great example of a game that was held back by the weaker CPU and slow HDD in the Xbox One X.
It ’ s a title that hit native 4K previously , but the 6 teraflops of GPU performance in the One X was bottlenecked by a laptop-like CPU and an old spinning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stuck on 30fps .
While Bungie has committed to enhancing Destiny 2 for the Xbox Series X and PS5 with 60fps support , it already feels faster without the patch .
I would regularly notice frame rate drops in Destiny 2 on the Xbox One X when things got a little hectic on screen during a public event or in a raid with mobs of enemies coming at you .
I haven ’ t seen a single stutter running Destiny 2 on the Xbox Series X .
This console has also improved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow on the Xbox One .
Loading into the character menu sometimes takes a few seconds on the Xbox One X , but on the Series X it feels like I ’ m playing on my PC as it ’ s near instant .
These are minor improvements , but they ’ re the small things that add up and make a game more enjoyable to play .
I ’ ve noticed similar improvements across Warframe and Sea of Thieves , where games just seem to automatically benefit from the CPU , SSD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoothly .
The other benefit to the Xbox Series X and this next generation is that games aren ’ t separated out like they were in the shift from Xbox 360 to Xbox One .
Back then , you could only match Xbox One players in a lot of games , leaving out friends who still played on the Xbox 360 .
In every multiplayer game I ’ ve tested on Series X , I was able to join friends who were using an Xbox One and match against other Xbox One players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to fully test all of the games I wanted to during this initial preview period , which means analyzing performance more closely across a variety of games hasn ’ t been possible just yet .
Microsoft initially had around 300 games available for this preview Xbox Series X , before expanding that to beyond 500 over the weekend .
I haven ’ t been able to test titles like Forza Horizon 4 and Grand Theft Auto V as a result , as Microsoft seems to be unlocking games for this preview program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no unexpected issues .
None of the games I ’ ve tested are even fully enhanced for this new console , so there ’ s going to be a lot more to test in the coming weeks .
I ’ m sure the excellent folks over at Digital Foundry will also have their usual side-by-side comparisons for frame rates and performance soon .
It will be interesting to see how many existing games get enhanced to improve resolution render rates , frame rates , and more .
The Xbox One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you swap between games , but it felt like it never really worked properly or games didn ’ t support it .
It couldn ’ t be more different on the Xbox Series X .
Quick Resume utilizes the SSD inside the Series X to let you swap between multiple games freely .
It takes around five seconds to resume games where you left off , and I was able to switch between five games easily .
I even rebooted the Xbox Series X for an update and all of the games still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked flawlessly with Quick Resume , but some aren ’ t supported .
Titles like Sea of Thieves , that feature a big multiplayer arena , don ’ t work with the new feature .
It makes sense , though , since these games can ’ t quickly resume a live and evolving environment that changes every second .
The limit on the number of games you ’ re attempting to quickly resume will really depend on which ones you ’ re using .
I had no trouble flipping between five , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a game failed to resume and I had to restart it .
Another title resumed , but it was frozen for a couple of seconds before it came back to life .
Since the Xbox Series X I ’ m using is a prototype preview unit , I ’ ll reserve judgment on Quick Resume until our full review closer to launch .
Since I ’ m limited to talking about backward-compatible games , load times , and Quick Resume , I ’ ll have some further thoughts on the preview experience of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will say is that the Xbox Series X felt like I was playing on a familiar Xbox that ’ s a lot faster and more capable .
The experience of switching back to an Xbox One was genuinely dispiriting .
For running my existing Xbox games , the Series X feels like I ’ ve just upgraded my iPhone— everything feels smoother and faster .
These games aren ’ t even optimized for the console and they ’ re already running better , so I ’ m excited to see what truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Like any generation of game consoles , it will take months or even years to understand what the hardware advancements will do for game design .
We ’ re waiting to see how ray tracing gets implemented into next-gen games and how many are able to deliver up to 120fps at a 4K resolution .
The true next generation of games is still a mystery , but what I ’ ve seen from backward-compatible games over the past week is encouraging .
I ’ m hoping that game developers will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xbox Series X and PS5 , enabling them to deliver some game improvements we ’ re only used to seeing over on the PC side .
We ’ ll have full reviews of the Xbox Series X and Series S closer to launch , so stay tuned for lots more coverage of Microsoft ’ s next-gen consoles .

I’ve spent the past week with an Xbox Series X in my living room. I’ve played a variety of games on this preview unit, testing load times, performance, and some of the new Series X features. I switched back to an older Xbox One X briefly during testing, and it was like going from cable internet back to the days of a 56k modem. That’s how much the Xbox Series X improves the games you already play every day. Everything just feels better.
As this is a preview console, I was limited to focusing on three areas for this initial hands-on: backward-compatible games, load times, and the new Quick Resume feature. I’m going to focus on my impressions of using an Xbox Series X over the past week and the solid performance improvements I’ve seen across a variety of games. We’ve already covered our initial hardware impressions of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, alongside the new controller and 1TB expansion card. You can find more about the hardware right here:
Microsoft Xbox Series X $ 500 The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship console, serving as its most powerful (and biggest) option. While the Series S is aimed at smooth 1440p performance and takes a disc-less aproach, the $500 Series X is focused on fast, 4K gameplay. $500 at Walmart
Load times
The most significant and obvious improvement with existing games on the Xbox Series X is the massive changes to load times. I noticed load times drop in pretty much every single game I’ve tested over the past week. Games like Sea of Thieves, Warframe, and Destiny 2 have their load times cut by up to a minute or more on the Series X.
In Destiny 2, for example, I can now load into a planet in the game in around 30 seconds, compared to over a minute later on an Xbox One X and nearly two minutes in total on a standard Xbox One. These improved load times are identical to my custom-built PC that includes a fast NVMe SSD, and they genuinely transform how you play the game — you can get more quests and tasks done instead of sitting and looking at a planet loading.
Xbox Series X load times Game Xbox Series X Xbox One X CoD: Warzone 16 seconds 21 seconds Red Dead Redemption 2 52 seconds 1 min, 35 seconds The Outer Worlds 6 seconds 27 seconds Evil Within 2 33 seconds 43 seconds Sea of Thieves 20 seconds 1 min, 21 seconds Warframe 25 seconds 1 min, 31 seconds AC: Odyssey 30 seconds 1 min, 7 seconds No Man's Sky 1 min, 27 seconds 2 mins, 13 seconds Destiny 2 43 seconds 1 min, 52 seconds
Warframe and Sea of Thieves are equally impressive with their load times now. I can now open Warframe and the game is ready to play just 25 seconds later. That same load takes literally a minute longer on my Xbox One X. Sea of Thieves now loads to menu screens in around 20 seconds, with another 28 seconds to load into a session. On my Xbox One X, it takes a minute and 21 seconds to even load the game initially, and then another minute and 12 seconds to get into a game session.
Warframe load times.
None of these games have been fully optimized for the Xbox Series X either. This is simply Microsoft’s backward compatibility support in action. I switched back to my Xbox One X regularly throughout the week, and it was painful to witness these old load times that added a minute or more to games.
Game performance
Not only do games load faster, but in many cases they also feel a lot smoother. Destiny 2 is a great example of a game that was held back by the weaker CPU and slow HDD in the Xbox One X. It’s a title that hit native 4K previously, but the 6 teraflops of GPU performance in the One X was bottlenecked by a laptop-like CPU and an old spinning hard disk. This meant the game was stuck on 30fps.
While Bungie has committed to enhancing Destiny 2 for the Xbox Series X and PS5 with 60fps support, it already feels faster without the patch. I would regularly notice frame rate drops in Destiny 2 on the Xbox One X when things got a little hectic on screen during a public event or in a raid with mobs of enemies coming at you. I haven’t seen a single stutter running Destiny 2 on the Xbox Series X.
This console has also improved other parts of Destiny 2 that were slow on the Xbox One. Loading into the character menu sometimes takes a few seconds on the Xbox One X, but on the Series X it feels like I’m playing on my PC as it’s near instant. These are minor improvements, but they’re the small things that add up and make a game more enjoyable to play.
Destiny 2 slow character menu on Xbox One X.
I’ve noticed similar improvements across Warframe and Sea of Thieves, where games just seem to automatically benefit from the CPU, SSD, and GPU improvements to run more smoothly.
The other benefit to the Xbox Series X and this next generation is that games aren’t separated out like they were in the shift from Xbox 360 to Xbox One. Back then, you could only match Xbox One players in a lot of games, leaving out friends who still played on the Xbox 360. In every multiplayer game I’ve tested on Series X, I was able to join friends who were using an Xbox One and match against other Xbox One players.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully test all of the games I wanted to during this initial preview period, which means analyzing performance more closely across a variety of games hasn’t been possible just yet. Microsoft initially had around 300 games available for this preview Xbox Series X, before expanding that to beyond 500 over the weekend.
I haven’t been able to test titles like Forza Horizon 4 and Grand Theft Auto V as a result, as Microsoft seems to be unlocking games for this preview program cautiously to ensure they run well and there’s no unexpected issues. None of the games I’ve tested are even fully enhanced for this new console, so there’s going to be a lot more to test in the coming weeks.
I’m sure the excellent folks over at Digital Foundry will also have their usual side-by-side comparisons for frame rates and performance soon. It will be interesting to see how many existing games get enhanced to improve resolution render rates, frame rates, and more.
Quick Resume
The Xbox One had a fast resume feature to let you swap between games, but it felt like it never really worked properly or games didn’t support it. It couldn’t be more different on the Xbox Series X. Quick Resume utilizes the SSD inside the Series X to let you swap between multiple games freely. It takes around five seconds to resume games where you left off, and I was able to switch between five games easily.
I even rebooted the Xbox Series X for an update and all of the games still quickly resumed. Most games I tested worked flawlessly with Quick Resume, but some aren’t supported. Titles like Sea of Thieves, that feature a big multiplayer arena, don’t work with the new feature. It makes sense, though, since these games can’t quickly resume a live and evolving environment that changes every second.
Xbox Series X Quick Resume.
The limit on the number of games you’re attempting to quickly resume will really depend on which ones you’re using. I had no trouble flipping between five, but I did run into an issue where a game failed to resume and I had to restart it. Another title resumed, but it was frozen for a couple of seconds before it came back to life. Since the Xbox Series X I’m using is a prototype preview unit, I’ll reserve judgment on Quick Resume until our full review closer to launch.
A faster Xbox
Since I’m limited to talking about backward-compatible games, load times, and Quick Resume, I’ll have some further thoughts on the preview experience of the Xbox Series X soon. What I will say is that the Xbox Series X felt like I was playing on a familiar Xbox that’s a lot faster and more capable.
The experience of switching back to an Xbox One was genuinely dispiriting. For running my existing Xbox games, the Series X feels like I’ve just upgraded my iPhone— everything feels smoother and faster. These games aren’t even optimized for the console and they’re already running better, so I’m excited to see what truly optimized games will offer in the coming weeks.
Like any generation of game consoles, it will take months or even years to understand what the hardware advancements will do for game design. We’re waiting to see how ray tracing gets implemented into next-gen games and how many are able to deliver up to 120fps at a 4K resolution.
The true next generation of games is still a mystery, but what I’ve seen from backward-compatible games over the past week is encouraging. I’m hoping that game developers will have a lot fewer bottlenecks with both the Xbox Series X and PS5, enabling them to deliver some game improvements we’re only used to seeing over on the PC side.
We’ll have full reviews of the Xbox Series X and Series S closer to launch, so stay tuned for lots more coverage of Microsoft’s next-gen consoles.


theverge--2020-09-28--Roku’s Streambar is a compact soundbar with built-in streaming smarts

A year after Roku announced its Smart Soundbar , the company is back with the Streambar , which combines a compact soundbar with a 4K / HDR streaming device .
It ’ s compatible with all the apps and services you ’ d expect from Roku , and it combines this with four full-range speaker drivers to fill your living room with stereo audio .
The soundbar was announced today alongside the updated Roku Ultra streaming box , which now supports Dolby Vision .
The Streambar will retail for $ 129.99 ( £129 ) and ships in mid-October .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s previous Smart Soundbar is size .
While the original soundbar was over 32 inches long , the new Streambar is under half that at 14 inches .
Its smaller size should make it easier to fit into smaller living rooms or alongside bedroom TVs .
Otherwise , the Streambar ’ s specs are broadly similar to the Smart Soundbar .
It connects to your TV via HDMI ARC or optical audio , and it has a Bluetooth receiver and support for Spotify Connect if you want to stream music .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its back if you want to plug in a USB stick or external hard drive to play content locally , and this port can also be used for Ethernet with an adapter .
If you ’ re in the US , then like the Smart Soundbar , you can pair it with Roku ’ s wireless speakers and subwoofer to give yourself a surround sound setup .
Also like the Smart Soundbar , the Streambar includes software audio features for a couple of different use cases .
There ’ s one that makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels out the volume across the content you watch to reduce the volume of loud commercials .
There ’ s also a night mode so you can hear the TV without waking others in the house .
All of this is controlled with an included Roku voice remote .
The Streambar supports up to 4K content and HDR via the HDR10 and HLG standards .
Audio formats supported include PCM and Dolby Audio .
Support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos aren ’ t included here but can be found in the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexa , Google Assistant , and will be one of Roku ’ s devices that ’ s getting HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support .
The Streambar will be available in the US , Canada , Mexico , and the UK and is available to preorder starting today .

A year after Roku announced its Smart Soundbar, the company is back with the Streambar, which combines a compact soundbar with a 4K / HDR streaming device. It’s compatible with all the apps and services you’d expect from Roku, and it combines this with four full-range speaker drivers to fill your living room with stereo audio. The soundbar was announced today alongside the updated Roku Ultra streaming box, which now supports Dolby Vision. The Streambar will retail for $129.99 (£129) and ships in mid-October.
The big difference between the Streambar and Roku’s previous Smart Soundbar is size. While the original soundbar was over 32 inches long, the new Streambar is under half that at 14 inches. Its smaller size should make it easier to fit into smaller living rooms or alongside bedroom TVs.
The Streambar includes four full-range drivers. Image: Roku Around the back, there’s an HDMI, optical audio, and USB port. Image: Roku
Otherwise, the Streambar’s specs are broadly similar to the Smart Soundbar. It connects to your TV via HDMI ARC or optical audio, and it has a Bluetooth receiver and support for Spotify Connect if you want to stream music. There’s also a USB port on its back if you want to plug in a USB stick or external hard drive to play content locally, and this port can also be used for Ethernet with an adapter. If you’re in the US, then like the Smart Soundbar, you can pair it with Roku’s wireless speakers and subwoofer to give yourself a surround sound setup.
Also like the Smart Soundbar, the Streambar includes software audio features for a couple of different use cases. There’s one that makes speech easier to hear and another that levels out the volume across the content you watch to reduce the volume of loud commercials. There’s also a night mode so you can hear the TV without waking others in the house. All of this is controlled with an included Roku voice remote.
The Streambar supports up to 4K content and HDR via the HDR10 and HLG standards. Audio formats supported include PCM and Dolby Audio. Support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos aren’t included here but can be found in the new Roku Ultra. The Streambar integrates with Alexa, Google Assistant, and will be one of Roku’s devices that’s getting HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support.


theverge--2020-09-28--Roku is adding support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit later this year

Roku today announced that it plans to bring support for Apple ’ s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit features to many of its streaming players and Roku TVs by the end of the year .
The move will allow people to send content — music , videos , photos , etc .
— from their iPhone , iPad , or Mac to their Roku device .
That ’ s the AirPlay 2 part , and HomeKit will let Roku ’ s products be controlled with your iPhone via the Home app or Siri , and they can also be included in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HomeKit will be available on most of Roku ’ s current 4K-ready devices by the end of this year ; 1080p-only players won ’ t be getting the features .
They ’ ve already rolled out to many newer TVs from Samsung , LG , Vizio , and others , but the move to Roku ’ s platform is a big one .
Amazon ’ s Fire TV doesn ’ t currently offer either AirPlay or HomeKit support .
Roku also shared other new improvements coming in the company ’ s Roku OS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ad-supported Roku Channel will now be given its own standalone app ; until now , it ’ s been integrated as part of the main Roku app , which also acts as a controller for your Roku player ( s ) .
When you update to Roku OS 9.4 , you ’ ll also now find a “ live TV ” shortcut on your home screen .
This isn ’ t for cable or live over-the-air programming from an antenna ; instead , it ’ ll take you to the selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channel .
Other improvements include faster initial setup , a bunch of new themes , and better volume control for those using a surround sound setup consisting of Roku ’ s own speakers .
Roku says the 9.4 update will start rolling out to streaming players this month , and Roku TVs will receive it “ in phases over the coming months .
”

Roku today announced that it plans to bring support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit features to many of its streaming players and Roku TVs by the end of the year. The move will allow people to send content — music, videos, photos, etc. — from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to their Roku device. That’s the AirPlay 2 part, and HomeKit will let Roku’s products be controlled with your iPhone via the Home app or Siri, and they can also be included in smart home routines.
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will be available on most of Roku’s current 4K-ready devices by the end of this year; 1080p-only players won’t be getting the features. They’ve already rolled out to many newer TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, and others, but the move to Roku’s platform is a big one. Amazon’s Fire TV doesn’t currently offer either AirPlay or HomeKit support.
Roku also shared other new improvements coming in the company’s Roku OS 9.4 update. On Android and iOS, the ad-supported Roku Channel will now be given its own standalone app; until now, it’s been integrated as part of the main Roku app, which also acts as a controller for your Roku player(s).
When you update to Roku OS 9.4, you’ll also now find a “live TV” shortcut on your home screen. This isn’t for cable or live over-the-air programming from an antenna; instead, it’ll take you to the selection of free live programming on the Roku Channel.


theverge--2020-09-28--The new Roku Ultra has Dolby Vision and improved Wi-Fi performance

It ’ s fall , so that means it ’ s time for the annual refresh of Roku hardware .
In addition to the Streambar announced today , the company ’ s streaming player lineup is led by a refreshed Roku Ultra .
For the first time , the flagship device now supports Dolby Vision HDR .
Many Roku TVs already offer the format , but so far Roku ’ s standalone devices have not .
( They ’ ve had Dolby Atmos audio , however , which the Ultra retains . )
The company is also adding support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are increasingly starting to adopt .
Roku says the new Ultra also features significantly improved wireless performance with 50 percent greater range than the prior model .
There ’ s still an Ethernet port if you want a hardwired connection , though .
The 2020 Ultra costs the usual $ 99.99 .
You can get a great streaming player in Roku ’ s lineup for under half that price , but those won ’ t have Dolby Vision , Ethernet , or a remote finder button — and we all wish our gadgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This latest Ultra comes just after Amazon announced its upgraded Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite , which both cost under $ 50 , and as Google prepares to launch the new , very-leaked Chromecast with Google TV at an event later this week .
• Streaming Stick Plus : $ 49.99 , with headphone remote ( Best Buy exclusive ) $ 59.99

It’s fall, so that means it’s time for the annual refresh of Roku hardware. In addition to the Streambar announced today, the company’s streaming player lineup is led by a refreshed Roku Ultra. For the first time, the flagship device now supports Dolby Vision HDR. Many Roku TVs already offer the format, but so far Roku’s standalone devices have not. (They’ve had Dolby Atmos audio, however, which the Ultra retains.) The company is also adding support for the AV1 codec, which video platforms are increasingly starting to adopt.
Roku says the new Ultra also features significantly improved wireless performance with 50 percent greater range than the prior model. There’s still an Ethernet port if you want a hardwired connection, though.
The 2020 Ultra costs the usual $99.99. You can get a great streaming player in Roku’s lineup for under half that price, but those won’t have Dolby Vision, Ethernet, or a remote finder button — and we all wish our gadgets had the latter from time to time.
This latest Ultra comes just after Amazon announced its upgraded Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, which both cost under $50, and as Google prepares to launch the new, very-leaked Chromecast with Google TV at an event later this week.
Here’s how Roku’s streaming devices lineup shakes out:


theverge--2020-09-28--Samsung’s latest rugged tablet is designed to stand the test of time

Samsung ’ s Galaxy Tab Active 3 is a new rugged tablet designed for tough environments , the company announced today .
Alongside more typical features like an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance , the tablet can survive drops of up to 1.5 meters .
It ’ s also backed by Samsung ’ s promise to support “ up to three generations of Android OS upgrades.
” Like last year ’ s Galaxy Tab Active Pro , the Tab Active 3 has a couple of optimizations to make it easier to use with gloves .
Its navigation buttons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung says there ’ s an option in the settings to make the tablet usable while wearing “ thin work gloves.
” Its S Pen is also IP68 certified , so it should be able to put up with water and dust like the tablet itself .
It ’ s designed to be usable with gloves Otherwise , in terms of specs , the Tab Active 3 is a pretty typical Android tablet .
It will launch with Android 11 , Samsung says , and it ’ s powered by an Exynos 9810 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either 64 or 128GB of storage ( expandable by up to 1TB via microSD ) .
It supports fast-charging over USB or POGO pins , its 5,050mAh battery is removable , and it can also be used without a battery in a fixed location like an information kiosk when connected to a “ dedicated power source accessory.
” There ’ s a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel selfie camera , and Samsung specifically notes that the tablet ’ s cameras are optimized for barcode scanning .
It ’ s available with LTE connectivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s announcement doesn ’ t mention specific pricing information , but it says that the Tab Active 3 is destined for Europe and Asia , releasing in unnamed “ select markets ” from today .
For reference , the Tab Active 2 ’ s Wi-Fi and LTE versions retailed for $ 420 and $ 520 when they hit US retail in 2018 , while the Tab Active Pro was more expensive at $ 599.99 .

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active 3 is a new rugged tablet designed for tough environments, the company announced today. Alongside more typical features like an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, the tablet can survive drops of up to 1.5 meters. It’s also backed by Samsung’s promise to support “up to three generations of Android OS upgrades.”
Like last year’s Galaxy Tab Active Pro, the Tab Active 3 has a couple of optimizations to make it easier to use with gloves. Its navigation buttons are physical rather than touch-sensitive, and Samsung says there’s an option in the settings to make the tablet usable while wearing “thin work gloves.” Its S Pen is also IP68 certified, so it should be able to put up with water and dust like the tablet itself.
It’s designed to be usable with gloves
Otherwise, in terms of specs, the Tab Active 3 is a pretty typical Android tablet. It will launch with Android 11, Samsung says, and it’s powered by an Exynos 9810 processor, with 4GB of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of storage (expandable by up to 1TB via microSD). It supports fast-charging over USB or POGO pins, its 5,050mAh battery is removable, and it can also be used without a battery in a fixed location like an information kiosk when connected to a “dedicated power source accessory.” There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel selfie camera, and Samsung specifically notes that the tablet’s cameras are optimized for barcode scanning. It’s available with LTE connectivity and a Wi-Fi-only version.


theverge--2020-09-28--Uber wins appeal against London ban

Uber wins appeal against London ban

Uber has won its appeal after losing its license to operate in London , Bloomberg reports .
A judge ruled that the service is “ fit and proper ” and should be allowed to operate in the capital .
The company has been granted a license to operate for 18 months .
Uber had been allowed to continue operating in London throughout the appeals process .
In his decision , the judge admitted that Uber had made “ historical failings.
” Last year , London ’ s transport authority , Transport for London ( TfL ) , cited a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for not granting Uber a new license to operate .
In particular , Uber was criticized for allowing “ unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts , ” meaning that unauthorized drivers could masquerade as legitimate .
Uber lost its license over a “ pattern of failures ” 24 drivers were said to have made use of this loophole to share their accounts with 20 others , and a total of 14,788 trips are believed to have been made by the wrong driver , BBC News reports .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one the drivers who was able to take passengers using this method had their license revoked by TfL , the authority said last year .
In his ruling , deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said that he believed Uber has been working to improve its standards .
“ I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do , perhaps even more , ” the judge ruled , according to Bloomberg .
As part of the ruling , Uber was granted a license to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an increase on the 15 month temporary license granted to Uber back in 2018 .
More recently , Uber was allowed to operate while going through the appeals process .
The decision was criticized by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association , which represents some of London ’ s black-cab drivers .
In a statement posted on Twitter , it called the decision “ a disaster for London ” and said that Uber has created the “ false impression that it has changed for the better.
” Uber has faced multiple legal challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the employment status of its drivers .
In California , the company came close to having to shut down in August over an order that would have required it to classify its drivers as employees .
The order was subsequently blocked on appeal .
A decision on the same issue is due to be made by the UK ’ s supreme court later this year .
In a statement , Uber called the decision “ a recognition of Uber ’ s commitment to safety ” and added that it intends to “ continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company said that “ there is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app.
” Update September 28th , 8:09AM ET : Updated with statement from Uber and confirmation of the 18-month license term .

Uber has won its appeal after losing its license to operate in London, Bloomberg reports. A judge ruled that the service is “fit and proper” and should be allowed to operate in the capital. The company has been granted a license to operate for 18 months. Uber had been allowed to continue operating in London throughout the appeals process.
In his decision, the judge admitted that Uber had made “historical failings.” Last year, London’s transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), cited a “pattern of failures” as its reason for not granting Uber a new license to operate. In particular, Uber was criticized for allowing “unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts,” meaning that unauthorized drivers could masquerade as legitimate.
Uber lost its license over a “pattern of failures”
24 drivers were said to have made use of this loophole to share their accounts with 20 others, and a total of 14,788 trips are believed to have been made by the wrong driver, BBC News reports. All of these journeys were uninsured, and one the drivers who was able to take passengers using this method had their license revoked by TfL, the authority said last year.
In his ruling, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said that he believed Uber has been working to improve its standards. “I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more,” the judge ruled, according to Bloomberg.
As part of the ruling, Uber was granted a license to operate for 18 months. It’s an increase on the 15 month temporary license granted to Uber back in 2018. More recently, Uber was allowed to operate while going through the appeals process.
The decision was criticized by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, which represents some of London’s black-cab drivers. In a statement posted on Twitter, it called the decision “a disaster for London” and said that Uber has created the “false impression that it has changed for the better.”
Uber has faced multiple legal challenges in recent years, most notably surrounding the employment status of its drivers. In California, the company came close to having to shut down in August over an order that would have required it to classify its drivers as employees. The order was subsequently blocked on appeal. A decision on the same issue is due to be made by the UK’s supreme court later this year.
In a statement, Uber called the decision “a recognition of Uber’s commitment to safety” and added that it intends to “continue to work constructively with TfL.” The company said that “there is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app.”


theverge--2020-09-28--Amazon’s Prime Day kicks off on October 13th

Prime Day , Amazon ’ s annual deals extravaganza , will run from October 13th-14th , the company announced today .
Amazon says the two-day shopping event will feature “ over one million deals across every category , ” including brands like Panasonic , Roborock , Keurig , Under Armour , Coleman , Adidas , Lacoste , Marvel , Ticwatch , and more .
Amazon is aiming to support small businesses on its platform by incentivizing customers to buy from them in the run-up to Prime Day .
Starting today until October 12th , Prime members will receive a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending $ 10 at certain small businesses on Amazon .
The company is also committing to spending more than $ 100 million to promote small business through Prime Day and the holiday season .
• Save up to $ 100 on Fire TV Edition Smart TVs , including the new Toshiba 43-inch Smart HD Fire TV Edition TV which is now $ 179.99 • Blink Mini indoor cameras—one for $ 24.99 , two for $ 49.98 Typically , Amazon hosts Prime Day in July , but it got pushed back this year because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is usually a big money-maker for the company — analysts estimated that Amazon sold more than $ 6 billion worth of products .
And Amazon has offered nice discounts on its own hardware during past Prime Days , so it might be worth waiting until this year ’ s event if you ’ ve wanted to pick up a new Kindle e-reader or an Amazon Echo .
Amazon did just unveil a wide range of new hardware , however , and most of it won ’ t ship until after Prime Day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mind when shopping for deals .
Prime Day will start at 3AM ET on Tuesday , October 13 and will be held in the US , UK UAE , Spain , Singapore , Netherlands , Mexico , Luxembourg , Japan , Italy , Germany , France , China , Canada , Belgium , Austria , Australia , Turkey , and Brazil .
We ’ ll be covering all the best Prime Day deals right here at The Verge .

Prime Day, Amazon’s annual deals extravaganza, will run from October 13th-14th, the company announced today. Amazon says the two-day shopping event will feature “over one million deals across every category,” including brands like Panasonic, Roborock, Keurig, Under Armour, Coleman, Adidas, Lacoste, Marvel, Ticwatch, and more.
Amazon is aiming to support small businesses on its platform by incentivizing customers to buy from them in the run-up to Prime Day. Starting today until October 12th, Prime members will receive a $10 credit usable on Prime Day by spending $10 at certain small businesses on Amazon. The company is also committing to spending more than $100 million to promote small business through Prime Day and the holiday season.
Also starting today:
Two Echo Dot devices now $39.98
Fire TV Recast now $129.99
Save up to $100 on Fire TV Edition Smart TVs, including the new Toshiba 43-inch Smart HD Fire TV Edition TV which is now $179.99
Starting October 6:
Toshiba 32-inch Smart HD Fire TV Edition TV will cost $119.99
Insignia 43-inch Smart 4K UHD Fire TV Edition TV for $199.99
Save $40 on Echo Show 5
Blink Mini indoor cameras—one for $24.99, two for $49.98
Echo Show 5 and Blink Mini for $54.99
Typically, Amazon hosts Prime Day in July, but it got pushed back this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is usually a big money-maker for the company — analysts estimated that Amazon sold more than $6 billion worth of products. And Amazon has offered nice discounts on its own hardware during past Prime Days, so it might be worth waiting until this year’s event if you’ve wanted to pick up a new Kindle e-reader or an Amazon Echo.
Amazon did just unveil a wide range of new hardware, however, and most of it won’t ship until after Prime Day, so it’s worth keeping that in mind when shopping for deals.
Prime Day will start at 3AM ET on Tuesday, October 13 and will be held in the US, UK UAE, Spain, Singapore, Netherlands, Mexico, Luxembourg, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium, Austria, Australia, Turkey, and Brazil.


theverge--2020-09-28--Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Teams, and more are experiencing an outage

Some Microsoft services , including Outlook , Office 365 , and Microsoft Teams , are currently experiencing an outage , according to Microsoft ’ s Office status page .
“ Users may be unable to access multiple Microsoft 365 services , ” a notice on the page reads .
The company first acknowledged issues at 5:44PM ET via the Microsoft 365 Status Twitter account , and said it had rolled back a change thought to be the cause of the issue at 6:36PM ET .
But just 13 minutes later , the company tweeted again to say that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connections after rolling back a recent change.
” Microsoft said it is “ rerouting traffic to alternate infrastructure to improve the user experience while we continue to investigate the issue , ” in a 7:48PM ET tweet .
Microsoft ’ s Azure Active Directory service is experiencing issues , according to the Azure status page .
“ We ’ re working to resolve a service interruption impacting a subset of customers performing authentication operations , ” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement .
“ Visit the Azure Status page for updates. ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Added another tweet and statement from Microsoft .

Some Microsoft services, including Outlook, Office 365, and Microsoft Teams, experienced a multi-hour outage on Monday, but the issues have been resolved, according to the company.
“We’ve confirmed that the residual issue has been addressed and the incident has been resolved,” Microsoft tweeted at 12AM ET on Tuesday. “Any users still experiencing impact should be mitigated shortly.”
The company first acknowledged issues at 5:44PM ET via the Microsoft 365 Status Twitter account, and said it had rolled back a change thought to be the cause of the issue at 6:36PM ET. But just 13 minutes later, the company tweeted again to say that it was “not observing an increase in successful connections after rolling back a recent change.” Microsoft tweeted that services were mostly back at 10:20PM ET.
Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory service was also experiencing issues on Monday, but the company said those were “now mitigated” as of 11:21PM ET Monday night. Microsoft said the problems were caused by a configuration change to a backend storage layer, which the company rolled back.


theverge--2020-09-28--Google Meet’s noise cancelation feature is rolling out on iOS and Android

Google is rolling out its impressive noise cancelation in Google Meet to Android and iOS , but unfortunately , it won ’ t be available to everybody — you have to be a G Suite Enterprise or G Suite Enterprise for Education customer to take advantage of the handy feature , Google says .
Google rolled this out first for the web in June .
The technology is designed to dampen background noise like a keyboard or a barking dog while you ’ re on a Google Meet call .
If you want to get an idea of how effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VentureBeat video from June of Serge Lachapelle , a G Suite director of product management , demonstrating how the noise cancelation technology quiets a crinkling bag of snacks , a clicking pen , and a clinking glass ( skip to 1:50 for the noise cancelation demo ) : Google ’ s G Suite Updates blog says the noise cancelation feature is turned off by default on mobile , but you can turn it on while on a call by accessing the call ’ s settings .
( Here ’ s Google ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The feature is rolling out starting today and should be fully rolled out within a few days .

Google is rolling out its impressive noise cancelation in Google Meet to Android and iOS, but unfortunately, it won’t be available to everybody — you have to be a G Suite Enterprise or G Suite Enterprise for Education customer to take advantage of the handy feature, Google says. Google rolled this out first for the web in June.
The technology is designed to dampen background noise like a keyboard or a barking dog while you’re on a Google Meet call. If you want to get an idea of how effective it can be, check out this VentureBeat video from June of Serge Lachapelle, a G Suite director of product management, demonstrating how the noise cancelation technology quiets a crinkling bag of snacks, a clicking pen, and a clinking glass (skip to 1:50 for the noise cancelation demo):


theverge--2020-09-28--Watch ULA’s most powerful rocket launch a classified spy satellite

Just before midnight on Tuesday , the United Launch Alliance is set to launch its most powerful rocket from Cape Canaveral , Florida , lofting a classified spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office .
The mission is finally ready to fly a full month after the rocket ’ s first launch attempt , which was aborted just three seconds before liftoff .
The rocket going up on ULA ’ s mission is the Delta IV Heavy , a giant vehicle that consists of three rocket cores strapped together to provide extra thrust .
It ’ s one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it falls short of the power packed into SpaceX ’ s Falcon Heavy .
ULA doesn ’ t fly the Delta IV Heavy very often , as it ’ s an expensive vehicle to make , but the company uses the rocket for large , heavy satellites headed to super-high orbits .
The rocket ’ s payload is NROL-44 , and like all NRO missions , its purpose is cloaked in secrecy .
The office simply notes that “ NROL-44 supports NRO ’ s overall national security mission to provide intelligence data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.
” ULA has already launched 29 missions for the NRO , many of which have required the Delta IV Heavy .
ULA was all set to launch NROL-44 in the wee hours of the morning on August 29th .
ULA counted all the way down to just seconds before liftoff , with the Delta IV Heavy ’ s main engines briefly igniting .
But the engines quickly shut off and the rocket remained fixed on the launchpad .
ULA later learned that a piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abort .
It took the company a few weeks to replace the faulty equipment , and after some additional delays due to equipment on the launchpad , and a last-minute weather delay on Monday , ULA is finally ready to fly .
The Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to lift off on Tuesday at 11:58PM ET out of ULA ’ s launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station .
ULA ’ s launch blog will begin at 3:15PM ET , and its webcast will begin at 11:35PM ET , for anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a midnight launch .
Update September 28th , 6:49PM ET : This story was updated to indicate the new launch time following a weather delay .
Update September 28th , 4PM ET : This story was updated to indicate the new launch time following a month delay .
Update August 29th , 8:15AM ET : At just 3 seconds to liftoff , the Delta IV Heavy aborted the launch , just after the engines initially ignited and then shut off quickly .
ULA says “ an unexpected condition ” prompted the abort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noted the vehicle is in good shape , but the company will take at least a week to review all the data and try again .
Update August 27th , 2:30PM ET : ULA delayed the launch early Thursday morning due to a heater having issues on the launchpad .
The company will try to launch again on Saturday morning , August 29th .
This story was updated to reflect the changes .

Update October 1st, 7AM ET: Yet again, ULA stopped the launch mere seconds before takeoff, after a sensor reported a faulty reading. The main combustion chambers in the engines did not ignite, and CEO Tory Bruno says the rocket and the payload are “safe and unharmed.”
Original story: After many weeks of delays due to faulty equipment and bad weather, the United Launch Alliance is set to launch its most powerful rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, lofting a classified spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is finally ready to fly a full month after the rocket’s first launch attempt, which was aborted just three seconds before liftoff.
The rocket going up on ULA’s mission is the Delta IV Heavy, a giant vehicle that consists of three rocket cores strapped together to provide extra thrust. It’s one of the most powerful rockets in the world, though it falls short of the power packed into SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. ULA doesn’t fly the Delta IV Heavy very often, as it’s an expensive vehicle to make, but the company uses the rocket for large, heavy satellites headed to super-high orbits.
The rocket’s payload is NROL-44, and like all NRO missions, its purpose is cloaked in secrecy. The office simply notes that “NROL-44 supports NRO’s overall national security mission to provide intelligence data to the United States’ senior policymakers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.” ULA has already launched 29 missions for the NRO, many of which have required the Delta IV Heavy.
ULA was all set to launch NROL-44 in the wee hours of the morning on August 29th. ULA counted all the way down to just seconds before liftoff, with the Delta IV Heavy’s main engines briefly igniting. But the engines quickly shut off and the rocket remained fixed on the launchpad. ULA later learned a piece of ground equipment had failed, prompting the abort. It took the company a few weeks to replace the faulty equipment.
Further problems with equipment on the launchpad pushed back the launch time again, but ULA is hoping to get off the ground this week. Unfortunately the weather has not been agreeable, with bad conditions delaying attempts on Monday and Tuesday. But at last, there’s a 70 percent chance that the weather will cooperate for launch tonight — so perhaps today is the day.
The Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to lift off on Tuesday at 11:54PM ET from ULA’s launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. ULA’s launch blog will begin at 3:15PM ET, and its webcast will begin at 11:34PM ET, for anyone who is still awake and hoping to catch a midnight launch.


theverge--2020-09-28--B&O’s Beoremote Halo is the $900 ring your $40,000 speakers hopefully haven’t been waiting for

Bang & Olufsen ’ s Beoremote Halo is beautiful & expensive , but it ’ s not totally clear why it ’ s necessary , or what it actually ... is .
Here ’ s what we do know : It costs $ 900 , and is a round device with a rectangular touch screen that lets you control the Bang & Olufsen music system you obviously have in your home .
And of course it looks sexy as hell because B & O doesn ’ t do ugly .
Bang & Olufsen says the Halo “ gives you all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” lights up when you get close , and offers a one-button press to select your music .
So it ’ s a speaker ?
A radio ?
“ There is no need to use your mobile device or to pull anything out of your pocket and fiddle around trying to find the right app to get started.
” OK , no apps .
There are two Halo options for some reason : a wall-mounted version and a portable table stand variety .
The latter is already sold out online , assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The table stand version has a battery so you can move it from room to room , and the Halo can be charged via USB-C , or B & O ’ s Beoplay Qi charging pad ( which itself costs significantly more than most charging pads , at $ 125 ) .
The display will show your stored favorite songs , and will connect to the most recently accessed Bang & Olufsen music device in your house ( in case you have more than one ) .
It has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself which technology to use in specific situations.
” That ’ s sort of a fancy way of describing what most Bluetooth-enabled devices do , but OK. Look how pretty it is !
Even after reading the specs and description of what the Halo does , I ’ m still trying to figure out why you need a bespoke orb like this to play music in your house .
This isn ’ t an Echo , a Portal or a Google Home , there ’ s no voice assistant here .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home music system .
That ’ s all it does .
That is , if you have $ 900 to spend .
Bang & Olufsen is well known for its high-priced version of headphones , speakers , smart speakers , and other audio products , so it ’ s not a huge surprise that this remote control would be pricey and gorgeous .
But the description of the Halo isn ’ t quite living up to the usual B & O hype , imo : “ If you ’ re listening to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olufsen music system , you can press and hold a favourite button and the specific radio station will now be stored on this button .
The simplicity of storing a favourite is the [ same ] principle as car radios have used for decades.
” Nine hundred dollars for a sexy car radio ?
Or is it a remote control ?
I ’ m still very confused .

Bang & Olufsen’s Beoremote Halo is beautiful & expensive, but it’s not totally clear why it’s necessary, or what it actually... is. Here’s what we do know: It costs $900, and is a round device with a rectangular touch screen that lets you control the Bang & Olufsen music system you obviously have in your home. And of course it looks sexy as hell because B&O doesn’t do ugly.
Why do I need this? Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen says the Halo “gives you all the convenience of a simple user interface,” lights up when you get close, and offers a one-button press to select your music. So it’s a speaker? A radio? “There is no need to use your mobile device or to pull anything out of your pocket and fiddle around trying to find the right app to get started.” OK, no apps. There are two Halo options for some reason: a wall-mounted version and a portable table stand variety. The latter is already sold out online, assuming it was in stock to begin with.
The table stand version has a battery so you can move it from room to room, and the Halo can be charged via USB-C, or B&O’s Beoplay Qi charging pad (which itself costs significantly more than most charging pads, at $125). The display will show your stored favorite songs, and will connect to the most recently accessed Bang & Olufsen music device in your house (in case you have more than one). It has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity “and it will determine by itself which technology to use in specific situations.” That’s sort of a fancy way of describing what most Bluetooth-enabled devices do, but OK. Look how pretty it is!
That other device in the background is the $40,000 Beolab 50. That is not a typo. Bang & Olufsen
Even after reading the specs and description of what the Halo does, I’m still trying to figure out why you need a bespoke orb like this to play music in your house. This isn’t an Echo, a Portal or a Google Home, there’s no voice assistant here. It’s a round remote control for your home music system. That’s all it does. That is, if you have $900 to spend.
Bang & Olufsen is well known for its high-priced version of headphones, speakers, smart speakers, and other audio products, so it’s not a huge surprise that this remote control would be pricey and gorgeous. But the description of the Halo isn’t quite living up to the usual B&O hype, imo: “If you’re listening to a specific radio station on your Bang & Olufsen music system, you can press and hold a favourite button and the specific radio station will now be stored on this button. The simplicity of storing a favourite is the [same] principle as car radios have used for decades.”