theverge--2020-02-11--A first look at Microsoft’s new Windows 10X operating system for dual screens

Microsoft released its first emulator for Windows 10X today , allowing developers to get a first look at the new operating system variant for dual-screen devices .
Microsoft wants to give developers a head start on optimizing apps before devices launch later this year , so this basic emulator provides an early look at Windows 10X before it ’ s finalized .
My first thoughts ?
Windows 10X feels like a slightly more modern version of Windows 10 that has been cleaned up for future devices .
Windows 10X is designed exclusively for foldable and dual-screen hardware , and Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the biggest noticeable changes is the new Windows 10X Start menu .
It no longer includes the animated Live Tiles found on Windows 10 , Windows 8 , and Windows Phone , and it now includes a more simplified look .
The Windows 10X Start Menu includes apps you can pin in place , and a list of recent documents .
It looks a lot more like a task launcher than what exists in Windows 10 at the moment .
You can search for apps , documents , or even web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice input .
Cortana is nowhere to be found , though , not even in the settings section of Windows 10X .
Aside from a new Start menu , Windows 10X feels very similar to Windows 10 .
There are dark and light modes to choose from visually , but the biggest UX changes in Windows 10X can be found in the way you multitask with apps .
Unlike Windows 10 , you can ’ t simply have apps floating anywhere on a screen .
Apps open by default on a single screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two displays with a mouse or touch to have them fully stretch and span across dual-screen devices .
Microsoft is also making use of gestures for multitasking , and some of them feel similar to what exists in Windows 10 and Windows 8 .
Except there are tiny minimize and close buttons that feel occasionally tricky to touch in 10X .
Speaking of gestures , you swipe up from the bottom of the display to access the Start menu or list of running apps on the task bar .
You can also access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar that includes quick access to settings like volume , brightness , Bluetooth , rotation lock , and more .
Task View , which allows you to see apps running on Windows 10X , has also been updated and you can use it to summon apps onto a particular display .
If you ’ re used to the old Windows desktop or File Explorer , both of these have disappeared in Windows 10X .
If you right-click on the desktop in Windows 10X , you ’ re simply greeted with the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no app icons or documents are stored here .
Likewise , the traditional File Explorer has been replaced with a modern File Explorer that will guide Windows 10X users toward libraries of content , and will support external devices for file transfers .
The other new addition inside Windows 10X is the Wonder Bar .
It ’ s designed to sit above or below a hardware keyboard , or appear as part of the software keyboard in the OS .
It ’ s similar to Apple ’ s Touch Bar and provides rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even a software trackpad .
In the emulator , it ’ s still fairly basic right now , and it ’ s difficult to test without apps that are optimized for it .
Microsoft envisions ambient information appearing here from apps , or apps like Netflix taking advantage of picture-in-picture support to simply dock in the Wonder Bar .
Even apps like Windows Calculator that have an always-on-top mode could dock here .
I think this is the truly interesting part of Windows 10X , but it will rely on developers really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Overall , Windows 10X in its current early state feels like a more refined and modern version of Windows 10 .
It also feels a little bit more locked down and tweaked , but still unmistakably Windows 10 .
This is only a very early copy of Windows 10X and it ’ s running in a basic emulator right now , and Microsoft doesn ’ t plan to ship the OS until later this year .
Microsoft is likely keeping some of its Windows 10X work away from public eyes with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now .
A lot of the big changes are also under the hood , deep within the operating system .
These include a separation of apps , the OS , and drivers to allow Windows 10X updates to be installed and completed in less than 90 seconds .
Microsoft is also including container technology to run win32 apps in a lightweight virtual machine .
Microsoft ’ s container is used to ensure that older apps behave correctly on dual-screen devices , including the hit on battery life and the way apps are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does mean that there will be some app compatibility issues that some developers will need to work through , though .
As developers continue to dig into Windows 10X , we ’ re seeing new animations and design changes for the OS .
That ’ s bound to continue in the coming days as developers discover more , but we ’ re also hoping to learn a lot more about Microsoft ’ s ambitions with Windows 10X at the company ’ s Build developer conference in May .
Either way , if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emulator , we ’ ll be sure to share them .

Microsoft released its first emulator for Windows 10X today, allowing developers to get a first look at the new operating system variant for dual-screen devices. Microsoft wants to give developers a head start on optimizing apps before devices launch later this year, so this basic emulator provides an early look at Windows 10X before it’s finalized.
My first thoughts? Windows 10X feels like a slightly more modern version of Windows 10 that has been cleaned up for future devices.
Windows 10X is designed exclusively for foldable and dual-screen hardware, and Microsoft has customized it as a result. One of the biggest noticeable changes is the new Windows 10X Start menu. It no longer includes the animated Live Tiles found on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows Phone, and it now includes a more simplified look.
The Windows 10X Start Menu includes apps you can pin in place, and a list of recent documents. It looks a lot more like a task launcher than what exists in Windows 10 at the moment. You can search for apps, documents, or even web content, and this also supports basic voice input. Cortana is nowhere to be found, though, not even in the settings section of Windows 10X.
Aside from a new Start menu, Windows 10X feels very similar to Windows 10. There are dark and light modes to choose from visually, but the biggest UX changes in Windows 10X can be found in the way you multitask with apps. Unlike Windows 10, you can’t simply have apps floating anywhere on a screen. Apps open by default on a single screen and you can drag them across the two displays with a mouse or touch to have them fully stretch and span across dual-screen devices.
Microsoft is also making use of gestures for multitasking, and some of them feel similar to what exists in Windows 10 and Windows 8. Except there are tiny minimize and close buttons that feel occasionally tricky to touch in 10X.
Speaking of gestures, you swipe up from the bottom of the display to access the Start menu or list of running apps on the task bar. You can also access an updated Action Center from the task bar that includes quick access to settings like volume, brightness, Bluetooth, rotation lock, and more.
Task View, which allows you to see apps running on Windows 10X, has also been updated and you can use it to summon apps onto a particular display. If you’re used to the old Windows desktop or File Explorer, both of these have disappeared in Windows 10X. If you right-click on the desktop in Windows 10X, you’re simply greeted with the ability to change a background in settings, and no app icons or documents are stored here.
Likewise, the traditional File Explorer has been replaced with a modern File Explorer that will guide Windows 10X users toward libraries of content, and will support external devices for file transfers.
The other new addition inside Windows 10X is the Wonder Bar. It’s designed to sit above or below a hardware keyboard, or appear as part of the software keyboard in the OS. It’s similar to Apple’s Touch Bar and provides rich input options like GIFs or emoji, or even a software trackpad.
In the emulator, it’s still fairly basic right now, and it’s difficult to test without apps that are optimized for it. Microsoft envisions ambient information appearing here from apps, or apps like Netflix taking advantage of picture-in-picture support to simply dock in the Wonder Bar. Even apps like Windows Calculator that have an always-on-top mode could dock here. I think this is the truly interesting part of Windows 10X, but it will rely on developers really plugging into it and making it useful.
Overall, Windows 10X in its current early state feels like a more refined and modern version of Windows 10. It also feels a little bit more locked down and tweaked, but still unmistakably Windows 10. This is only a very early copy of Windows 10X and it’s running in a basic emulator right now, and Microsoft doesn’t plan to ship the OS until later this year.
Microsoft is likely keeping some of its Windows 10X work away from public eyes with this emulator as it does feel rather bare-bones right now. A lot of the big changes are also under the hood, deep within the operating system. These include a separation of apps, the OS, and drivers to allow Windows 10X updates to be installed and completed in less than 90 seconds.
Microsoft is also including container technology to run win32 apps in a lightweight virtual machine. Microsoft’s container is used to ensure that older apps behave correctly on dual-screen devices, including the hit on battery life and the way apps are displayed on screens. This new approach does mean that there will be some app compatibility issues that some developers will need to work through, though.
As developers continue to dig into Windows 10X, we’re seeing new animations and design changes for the OS. That’s bound to continue in the coming days as developers discover more, but we’re also hoping to learn a lot more about Microsoft’s ambitions with Windows 10X at the company’s Build developer conference in May.


theverge--2020-02-11--Feds claim Huawei can snoop on mobile networks

US officials say Huawei maintains backdoors into telecom networks across the world , according to a report by The Wall Street Journal .
The news comes after years of escalating sanctions against the company — including an executive order in May that prohibited US companies from licensing tech to Huawei — but the justifications for those sanctions have remained vague and clouded by secrecy .
Now , officials are getting specific , claiming the Chinese hardware manufacturer has maintained backdoors into some of the networks it builds , starting as early as 4G equipment sold in 2009 .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capability , but the claims are more specific than ever , and now coming from some of the nation ’ s top national security officials .
“ We have evidence that Huawei has the capability secretly to access sensitive and personal information in systems it maintains and sells around the world , ” national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien told the Journal .
There ’ s no indication of whether this capability has actually been used , although officials did tell the Journal that telecoms buying Huawei equipment are unaware of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reached by The Verge , Huawei security chief Andy Purdy denied the allegations .
“ We vigorously deny the allegation that we retain any such capability , ” Purdy said .
“ We also deny that we have ever improperly accessed customer information or customer data.
” The new US statements come after a surprise decision from the United Kingdom to allow Huawei to supply non-core equipment to the country ’ s networks .
The US had lobbied heavily against Huawei ’ s inclusion in the run-up to 5G , but ultimately was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exclude the vendor .
It ’ s unclear how other countries will respond to the allegations , but Huawei says the new claims aren ’ t surprising , given the last year of escalating pressure .
“ The US is committed to this , and I think it ’ s really prompted by the geopolitical situation between China and the US , ” Purdy told The Verge .
“ The US is unwilling to consider the facts and the evidence , and they ’ re going to do whatever they can to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networks around the world.
” Update 2/11 5:15PM ET : Updated with comment from Huawei .

US officials say Huawei maintains backdoors into telecom networks across the world, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The news comes after years of escalating sanctions against the company — including an executive order in May that prohibited US companies from licensing tech to Huawei — but the justifications for those sanctions have remained vague and clouded by secrecy. Now, officials are getting specific, claiming the Chinese hardware manufacturer has maintained backdoors into some of the networks it builds, starting as early as 4G equipment sold in 2009. There’s also no hard evidence of the capability, but the claims are more specific than ever, and now coming from some of the nation’s top national security officials.
“We have evidence that Huawei has the capability secretly to access sensitive and personal information in systems it maintains and sells around the world,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien told the Journal.
There’s no indication of whether this capability has actually been used, although officials did tell the Journal that telecoms buying Huawei equipment are unaware of the company’s level of access.
Reached by The Verge, Huawei security chief Andy Purdy denied the allegations. “We vigorously deny the allegation that we retain any such capability,” Purdy said. “We also deny that we have ever improperly accessed customer information or customer data.”
The new US statements come after a surprise decision from the United Kingdom to allow Huawei to supply non-core equipment to the country’s networks. The US had lobbied heavily against Huawei’s inclusion in the run-up to 5G, but ultimately was unable to convince the country to entirely exclude the vendor.
It’s unclear how other countries will respond to the allegations, but Huawei says the new claims aren’t surprising, given the last year of escalating pressure.
“The US is committed to this, and I think it’s really prompted by the geopolitical situation between China and the US,” Purdy told The Verge. “The US is unwilling to consider the facts and the evidence, and they’re going to do whatever they can to block our ability to provide products to communication networks around the world.”


theverge--2020-02-11--YouTube could compete with Apple and Amazon by offering third-party video subscription services

YouTube is reportedly mulling over offering third-party subscriptions to users that will take attention away from Amazon and Apple — and keep people in Google ’ s ecosystem .
The company is considering giving customers the ability to sign up for a “ wide range of subscription-streaming services run by entertainment companies , ” according to a new report from The Information .
Essentially , YouTube could allow people to purchase subscriptions to services from networks like Showtime , HBO , Netflix , CBS All Access , and others if it goes forward .
YouTube declined to comment on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are a number of companies that already do this , but Amazon and Apple are two of the biggest collectors of services and giving them to customers already using their products .
Amazon Prime Video subscribers ( the company currently has 150 million Prime members who all get Amazon Prime Video as part of their membership ) and Apple hardware users can purchase subscriptions through their respective Amazon ’ s Channels program or TV portals .
Amazon and Apple then take a portion of revenue from every sign-up the various services receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ would make $ 2.6 billion from its channels product in 2019 , growing to $ 3.6 billion in 2020 , ” according to The Information .
By offering a la carte versions of the traditional television bundle that more people are trying to escape and giving customers a way to pay for the subscriptions they want without having to deal with pesky cable contracts and cancelation fees , Amazon and Apple can control a growing portion of a growing customer base .
Amazon and Apple then take a portion of revenue from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a good business that Google is becoming more interested in as its subscription service on the YouTube side grows in general .
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told investors that YouTube has 20 million paid premium subscribers ( a combination of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music ) , and 2 million subscribers on its internet TV service , YouTube TV .
That ’ s a growth of more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube TV in less than a year , according to reports .
YouTube ’ s various subscription services are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically noted Google is interested in growing .
Just a quick glance at the numbers confirm that it ’ s a sector a company like Google should be interested in exploring .
Ratings tracking firm Nielsen ’ s new overall audience report confirms that nearly 20 percent of all TV watching in homes across the United States is being consumed via streaming services , both paid and ad-supported .
And 93 percent of people are willing to increase the number of services they pay for ( and they ’ re looking to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convenient and easy ) .
It ’ s what makes being a host to a number of these services important to companies like Amazon , Apple , and Roku .
Add to this that YouTube has 2 billion monthly users spending millions of hours watching content — 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute — and there ’ s a case that Google can make , suggesting they ’ re in a good spot to take on competitors .
The big issue is there ’ s no minimum guarantee this will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no minimum guarantee this will take off .
Consumers already have easy access to Amazon Channels and are already using Apple products .
Plus , high programming fees make the minimum guarantee harder to hit .
YouTube has the advantage of being able to lean on its advertising revenue ( $ 15 billion in 2019 ) and Google ’ s larger revenue to offset costs and possible losses .
But the goal is to eventually turn a profit , and that comes down to what services YouTube creates partnerships with .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video offerings didn ’ t take off , and has now reportedly shut down , is in part because the biggest services it used were niche apps like CollegeHumor , not major drivers like HBO .
Not to mention people who want HBO can easily get it through the network itself ( HBO Now ) , easily through the App Store , or as an add-on through their Amazon Prime Video membership .
Customers who subscribe to services like Hulu Live can also pick up subscriptions to other services via add-on options ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can sign up for something .
That ’ s where efficiency and simplicity come into play : Amazon and Apple are already hubs for people ’ s day-to-day content .
Amazon Prime Video and Channels work in large part because people are using Amazon to shop and are already paying for an ecosystem .
Apple has hardware that people carry in their pockets ; having everything channeled through the main retail hub that powers content on phones makes sense .
Whether Google ’ s YouTube can become a home for all TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon do , is yet to be seen .
But Google isn ’ t one to shy away from trying .

YouTube is reportedly mulling over offering third-party subscriptions to users that will take attention away from Amazon and Apple — and keep people in Google’s ecosystem.
The company is considering giving customers the ability to sign up for a “wide range of subscription-streaming services run by entertainment companies,” according to a new report from The Information. Essentially, YouTube could allow people to purchase subscriptions to services from networks like Showtime, HBO, Netflix, CBS All Access, and others if it goes forward. YouTube declined to comment on the report when asked by The Verge.
There are a number of companies that already do this, but Amazon and Apple are two of the biggest collectors of services and giving them to customers already using their products. Amazon Prime Video subscribers (the company currently has 150 million Prime members who all get Amazon Prime Video as part of their membership) and Apple hardware users can purchase subscriptions through their respective Amazon’s Channels program or TV portals.
Amazon and Apple then take a portion of revenue from every sign-up the various services receive. BMO Capital Markets projected that Amazon “would make $2.6 billion from its channels product in 2019, growing to $3.6 billion in 2020,” according to The Information. By offering a la carte versions of the traditional television bundle that more people are trying to escape and giving customers a way to pay for the subscriptions they want without having to deal with pesky cable contracts and cancelation fees, Amazon and Apple can control a growing portion of a growing customer base.
Amazon and Apple then take a portion of revenue from every sign-up the various services receive
It’s a good business that Google is becoming more interested in as its subscription service on the YouTube side grows in general. Google CEO Sundar Pichai told investors that YouTube has 20 million paid premium subscribers (a combination of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music), and 2 million subscribers on its internet TV service, YouTube TV. That’s a growth of more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube TV in less than a year, according to reports. YouTube’s various subscription services are a growing business, one that Pichai specifically noted Google is interested in growing.
Just a quick glance at the numbers confirm that it’s a sector a company like Google should be interested in exploring. Ratings tracking firm Nielsen’s new overall audience report confirms that nearly 20 percent of all TV watching in homes across the United States is being consumed via streaming services, both paid and ad-supported. And 93 percent of people are willing to increase the number of services they pay for (and they’re looking to do that in a way that’s convenient and easy).
It’s what makes being a host to a number of these services important to companies like Amazon, Apple, and Roku. Add to this that YouTube has 2 billion monthly users spending millions of hours watching content — 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute — and there’s a case that Google can make, suggesting they’re in a good spot to take on competitors.
The big issue is there’s no minimum guarantee this will take off
The big issue is there’s no minimum guarantee this will take off. Consumers already have easy access to Amazon Channels and are already using Apple products. Plus, high programming fees make the minimum guarantee harder to hit. YouTube has the advantage of being able to lean on its advertising revenue ($15 billion in 2019) and Google’s larger revenue to offset costs and possible losses.
But the goal is to eventually turn a profit, and that comes down to what services YouTube creates partnerships with. A big reason that Facebook’s subscription video offerings didn’t take off, and has now reportedly shut down, is in part because the biggest services it used were niche apps like CollegeHumor, not major drivers like HBO. Not to mention people who want HBO can easily get it through the network itself (HBO Now), easily through the App Store, or as an add-on through their Amazon Prime Video membership. Customers who subscribe to services like Hulu Live can also pick up subscriptions to other services via add-on options; there’s no end to how people can sign up for something.


theverge--2020-02-11--We still can’t agree how to regulate self-driving cars

There was a sense of déjà vu on Capitol Hill today as a House panel convened yet another hearing on how to best regulate autonomous vehicles .
But it wasn ’ t clear that any of the issues that sunk the previous effort had actually been resolved — which may mean that we ’ re headed for a very similar conclusion .
A quick recap in case you forgot : the Republican-controlled House of Representatives unanimously passed the SELF DRIVE Act in 2017 , which would speed the adoption of self-driving cars and bar states from setting performance standards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AV START , failed to pass after Democrats raised objections that it didn ’ t do enough to address safety and liability concerns .
today ’ s hearing — a formal kickoff to the effort to pass a new bill in the House — laid bare many of those same problems Late last year , a bipartisan contingent in both the Senate and House began meeting to revive the effort .
The hope was that with Democrats in control of the House , a bill could be crafted that addressed many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is still in the works , and today ’ s hearing laid bare many of the same problems that plagued the original effort .
Auto and tech industry representatives want more leeway to manufacture and deploy vehicles that lack traditional controls , like steering wheels , sideview mirrors , and pedals .
That means raising the cap on the number of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard exemptions given out each year from 2,500 per company to 10,000 per company .
( The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just handed out its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Nuro last week . )
And they want to preempt states and cities from passing laws regarding autonomous vehicles .
On the flip side are safety advocates , trial lawyers , and local officials who maintain that the promise of self-driving cars to reduce road deaths is just that — a promise .
They argue the technology is not ready for prime time , and they want Congress to empower regulators at NHTSA to require more data from autonomous vehicle operators , such as crash reporting and disengagements of the self-driving software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of forced arbitration rules that could prevent consumers from bringing injury or safety claims against companies .
The trial lawyers have been blamed for sinking the previous effort to pass legislation The trial lawyers , who have an enormously powerful lobbying group , have been blamed for sinking the previous effort to pass legislation .
Rep. Greg Walden ( R-OR ) noted in his opening remarks that Democrats and Republicans worked to get the trial lawyers to sign off on the bill before it passed in the House , and were disappointed when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill in the Senate .
Others were less diplomatic in pinning the blame on the lawyers .
Gary Shapiro , president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association , continuously lobbed bombs at his fellow witness , American Association for Justice ’ s Daniel Hinkle , during the course of the hearing , arguing that enabling self-driving cars to save lives was “ more important than protecting lucrative contingency fee settlements for trial lawyers.
” Hinkle didn ’ t take the bait , instead highlighting General Motors ’ notorious ignition switch scandal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate malfeasance .
In his testimony , he argued against federal preemption of state laws and for preventing companies from forcing consumers into arbitration hearings .
“ Forced arbitration is a one-sided , secretive , and rigged system which effectively immunizes the company from all public accountability , ” Hinkle said .
It was a clear sign that the same issues that plagued the last legislative effort had returned for this renewed effort .
But it wasn ’ t all déjà vu .
A new theme running through today ’ s hearing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge in self-driving technology to China .
Several lawmakers raised the specter of China overtaking the US as a call to speed up negotiations .
“ There ’ s a global race for autonomous vehicles , ” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers ( R-WA ) .
“ Do we want China to win that race ?
Or do we want to lead ?
” To be sure , autonomous vehicle operators based in the US are way ahead of their competitors in China , in terms of on-road testing and miles traveled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say could narrow the gap .
China has a master plan to lead in next-generation technology , including autonomous vehicles .
There are several Chinese companies in the race , including Baidu , Pony , TuSimple , and AutoX , that make great use of talent and resources in Silicon Valley to advance their capabilities .
But the US still has the edge .
“ Waymo , of course , way out in front of everyone , ” Michael Dunne , who runs the automotive consulting group ZoZo Go , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are led by US-educated Chinese people with a global reach and mindset ... Where China could race ahead is in regulations around data collection and swapping measures to convert roads and even cities to all autonomous.
” Others see the US-vs.-China rhetoric as a red herring .
“ I would love to see a [ Chinese ] AV tested against a US AV and then we might have some real evidence as to who is really ahead in the [ artificial intelligence ] race , ” Missy Cummings , director of Humans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Verge in an email .
“ My bet is that they both would fail equally spectacularly .
Our biggest threat is not that China is ahead in AI , it ’ s that in our rush to get ahead in AI , we will field some really terrible/lethal systems with embedded incompetent AI.
” This nuance was largely lost amid the fear mongering from lawmakers This nuance was largely lost amid the fear mongering from lawmakers and stakeholders about China ’ s imminent dominance in autonomous vehicles — though Alliance for Automotive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt at a clarification .
“ I do think we have a lead right now , ” said Bozzella , whose group represents major automakers like Ford , GM , BMW , Honda , Volkswagen , and Toyota .
“ My concern is we ’ re likely to stall if congressional action doesn ’ t go forward.
” Cathy Chase , president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety , noted that AV companies have the ability to test as many vehicles as they want on public roads in most states right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , ” Chase said .
“ There ’ s a big difference between testing and selling and deploying.
” There were other voices that emerged during the hearing .
Jeff Tumlin , the director of transportation at San Francisco ’ s Municipal Transportation Agency , noted that the bulk of the companies working on self-driving cars are located within his jurisdiction .
Citing the recent federal investigation into the fatal crash involving an Uber self-driving car , he urged lawmakers to require companies to install “ black box ” -like event data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data before and during inevitable crashes .
And he pushed for the creation of a national database of safety incidents involving self-driving cars that would be available to the public .
One moment of levity came from Mark Riccobono , president of the National Federation of the Blind , who noted that “ 100 percent of accidents today are caused by sighted drivers.
” Riccobono supports mass deployment of autonomous vehicles , arguing that his community is eager to use self-driving cars to improve their own personal mobility .
Still , the sticking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same : forced arbitration , exemptions , and federal preemption .
Neither side seems to have moved much since the last round of hearings .
And even if they did overcome their differences to pass a bill , it ’ s unclear that Congress would find a willing partner in President Trump .
Recent reports indicate that Trump is , at best , extremely ambivalent toward self-driving cars .
As first reported by The Verge , his administration quietly terminated an Obama-era federal committee on automation in transportation last year .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology in private conversations .
“ I would never get in a self-driving car ...
I don ’ t trust some computer to drive me around , ” Trump is reported to have said to an enthusiastic new Tesla owner in 2017 .
That could change , though , given the president ’ s predilection toward big donors .
A recent recording of a dinner Trump held with big-dollar donors in 2018 surfaced amid the recently failed impeachment effort , during which a trucking company owner lobbied the president to support the construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trucks .
We don ’ t know how the president responded , but let ’ s not forget that Trump likes trucks .

There was a sense of déjà vu on Capitol Hill today as a House panel convened yet another hearing on how to best regulate autonomous vehicles. But it wasn’t clear that any of the issues that sunk the previous effort had actually been resolved — which may mean that we’re headed for a very similar conclusion.
A quick recap in case you forgot: the Republican-controlled House of Representatives unanimously passed the SELF DRIVE Act in 2017, which would speed the adoption of self-driving cars and bar states from setting performance standards. But a complementary bill in the Senate, AV START, failed to pass after Democrats raised objections that it didn’t do enough to address safety and liability concerns.
today’s hearing — a formal kickoff to the effort to pass a new bill in the House — laid bare many of those same problems
Late last year, a bipartisan contingent in both the Senate and House began meeting to revive the effort. The hope was that with Democrats in control of the House, a bill could be crafted that addressed many of those concerns.
That bill, though, is still in the works, and today’s hearing laid bare many of the same problems that plagued the original effort. Auto and tech industry representatives want more leeway to manufacture and deploy vehicles that lack traditional controls, like steering wheels, sideview mirrors, and pedals. That means raising the cap on the number of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard exemptions given out each year from 2,500 per company to 10,000 per company. (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just handed out its first autonomous vehicle exemption to a California-based company called Nuro last week.) And they want to preempt states and cities from passing laws regarding autonomous vehicles.
On the flip side are safety advocates, trial lawyers, and local officials who maintain that the promise of self-driving cars to reduce road deaths is just that — a promise. They argue the technology is not ready for prime time, and they want Congress to empower regulators at NHTSA to require more data from autonomous vehicle operators, such as crash reporting and disengagements of the self-driving software. Trial lawyers want to get rid of forced arbitration rules that could prevent consumers from bringing injury or safety claims against companies.
The trial lawyers have been blamed for sinking the previous effort to pass legislation
The trial lawyers, who have an enormously powerful lobbying group, have been blamed for sinking the previous effort to pass legislation. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) noted in his opening remarks that Democrats and Republicans worked to get the trial lawyers to sign off on the bill before it passed in the House, and were disappointed when that same lobbying group later opposed the bill in the Senate.
Others were less diplomatic in pinning the blame on the lawyers. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, continuously lobbed bombs at his fellow witness, American Association for Justice’s Daniel Hinkle, during the course of the hearing, arguing that enabling self-driving cars to save lives was “more important than protecting lucrative contingency fee settlements for trial lawyers.”
Hinkle didn’t take the bait, instead highlighting General Motors’ notorious ignition switch scandal as an example of how trial lawyers uncover corporate malfeasance. In his testimony, he argued against federal preemption of state laws and for preventing companies from forcing consumers into arbitration hearings. “Forced arbitration is a one-sided, secretive, and rigged system which effectively immunizes the company from all public accountability,” Hinkle said.
It was a clear sign that the same issues that plagued the last legislative effort had returned for this renewed effort. But it wasn’t all déjà vu. A new theme running through today’s hearing was the prospect of the US losing its edge in self-driving technology to China. Several lawmakers raised the specter of China overtaking the US as a call to speed up negotiations.
“There’s a global race for autonomous vehicles,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). “Do we want China to win that race? Or do we want to lead?”
“There’s a global race for autonomous vehicles”
To be sure, autonomous vehicle operators based in the US are way ahead of their competitors in China, in terms of on-road testing and miles traveled. But there is a regulatory imbalance that experts say could narrow the gap. China has a master plan to lead in next-generation technology, including autonomous vehicles. There are several Chinese companies in the race, including Baidu, Pony, TuSimple, and AutoX, that make great use of talent and resources in Silicon Valley to advance their capabilities. But the US still has the edge.
“Waymo, of course, way out in front of everyone,” Michael Dunne, who runs the automotive consulting group ZoZo Go, told The Verge. “But these Chinese outfits are led by US-educated Chinese people with a global reach and mindset ... Where China could race ahead is in regulations around data collection and swapping measures to convert roads and even cities to all autonomous.”
Others see the US-vs.-China rhetoric as a red herring. “I would love to see a [Chinese] AV tested against a US AV and then we might have some real evidence as to who is really ahead in the [artificial intelligence] race,” Missy Cummings, director of Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, told The Verge in an email. “My bet is that they both would fail equally spectacularly. Our biggest threat is not that China is ahead in AI, it’s that in our rush to get ahead in AI, we will field some really terrible/lethal systems with embedded incompetent AI.”
This nuance was largely lost amid the fear mongering from lawmakers
This nuance was largely lost amid the fear mongering from lawmakers and stakeholders about China’s imminent dominance in autonomous vehicles — though Alliance for Automotive Innovation president John Bozzella did make one attempt at a clarification. “I do think we have a lead right now,” said Bozzella, whose group represents major automakers like Ford, GM, BMW, Honda, Volkswagen, and Toyota. “My concern is we’re likely to stall if congressional action doesn’t go forward.”
Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, noted that AV companies have the ability to test as many vehicles as they want on public roads in most states right now. “They can test unlimitedly right now,” Chase said. “There’s a big difference between testing and selling and deploying.”
There were other voices that emerged during the hearing. Jeff Tumlin, the director of transportation at San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency, noted that the bulk of the companies working on self-driving cars are located within his jurisdiction. Citing the recent federal investigation into the fatal crash involving an Uber self-driving car, he urged lawmakers to require companies to install “black box”-like event data recorders in their cars to capture sensor data before and during inevitable crashes. And he pushed for the creation of a national database of safety incidents involving self-driving cars that would be available to the public.
One moment of levity came from Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, who noted that “100 percent of accidents today are caused by sighted drivers.” Riccobono supports mass deployment of autonomous vehicles, arguing that his community is eager to use self-driving cars to improve their own personal mobility.
Still, the sticking points that sunk the last bill remain the same: forced arbitration, exemptions, and federal preemption. Neither side seems to have moved much since the last round of hearings. And even if they did overcome their differences to pass a bill, it’s unclear that Congress would find a willing partner in President Trump.
Recent reports indicate that Trump is, at best, extremely ambivalent toward self-driving cars. As first reported by The Verge, his administration quietly terminated an Obama-era federal committee on automation in transportation last year. And the president has been cool on the technology in private conversations. “I would never get in a self-driving car ... I don’t trust some computer to drive me around,” Trump is reported to have said to an enthusiastic new Tesla owner in 2017.
That could change, though, given the president’s predilection toward big donors. A recent recording of a dinner Trump held with big-dollar donors in 2018 surfaced amid the recently failed impeachment effort, during which a trucking company owner lobbied the president to support the construction of a 500-mile highway just for self-driving trucks.


theverge--2020-02-11--Hyundai will build electric vehicles with EV startup Canoo

Hyundai and Kia will build new electric vehicles based on the technological platform developed by California EV startup Canoo , the companies announced Tuesday .
Terms of the deal were not disclosed .
Canoo and Hyundai Motor Group , Hyundai and Kia ’ s parent company , will develop a new electric vehicle platform that ’ s based on the one that powers Canoo ’ s own vehicle , which was unveiled last year .
This EV platform will power small , “ cost-competitive ” electric vehicles , as well as “ purpose built vehicles , ” which would more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Hyundai previously showed off a purpose-built vehicle concept at this year ’ s Consumer Electronics Show . )
Hyundai and Kia each currently sell an electric SUV based off the same platform , and the larger Hyundai Motor Group has promised 23 electric vehicles by 2025 .
The deal is a significant victory for Canoo , which has only existed for about two years and employs around 300 people .
While pretty much every electric vehicle startup has talked about wanting to license out their technology or partner with legacy automakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of the only exceptions to date have been Michigan-based startup Rivian , which is working with Amazon and Ford , and Chinese startup Byton , which has a deal with Chinese state-owned automaker First Auto Works .
Canoo got started after its founders split from Faraday Future in late 2017 Canoo now joins that small list despite only coming into existence at the end of 2017 , when its founders started the company ( then called Evelozcity ) after an acrimonious split with famously troubled EV startup Faraday Future .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because having a household name like Hyundai do some work with a startup like Canoo proves that we have a good concept , and a good team , ” Ulrich Kranz , Canoo ’ s current CEO , told The Verge in a phone interview .
( Canoo was originally led by Stefan Krause , who served as Faraday Future ’ s chief financial officer following seven-year stints as CFO at both Deutsche Bank and BMW .
But Krause stepped away from the CEO role last year and is now the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canoo spent about a year talking to Hyundai about a deal , and that the South Korean manufacturer repeatedly sent teams to the startup ’ s Los Angeles headquarters to evaluate its progress before signing off .
He also said Hyundai will pay Canoo for the work it ’ s doing to get the partnership off the ground , but would not say how much or even whether it ’ s enough to sustain the startup ’ s operations moving forward .
He did say that Canoo is still seeking outside investment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in funding , though it wasn ’ t immediately clear where that money was coming from .
Since then , it ’ s come to light that the startup was funded by some powerful men .
As The Verge first reported in October 2019 , Canoo is backed by David Stern , a director at Prince Andrew ’ s startup incubator , and Pak Tam Li , the head of a massive investment firm in China and the son-in-law of a man who was once the fourth-most senior leader in China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ touchscreen supplier TPK , which is run by billionaire Michael Chiang , two people with knowledge of the company ’ s finances tell The Verge .
In fact , Canoo ’ s headquarters in Torrance , California is owned by a shell company set up by Foster Chiang , TPK ’ s vice chairman , according to property records .
The deal with Hyundai will not impact Canoo ’ s plans to release its own vehicle , Kranz said .
The company debuted a subscription-only EV in September 2019 that is something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That vehicle , which the company calls “ the Canoo , ” is supposed to hit the road in 2021 .
Kranz said Canoo has built 32 beta versions of the vehicle so far , 12 of which are fully operational and being tested on both public roads and closed courses .
( Canoo is building these beta vehicles with a contract manufacturer , which Kranz declined to name . )
Lots of startups want to partner with OEMs , but few get the chance Like many other startups , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ skateboard ” for this vehicle that houses the battery pack , electric motors , and other electronics .
This neat packaging of all that technology makes it possible to power multiple vehicles using the same adaptable platform , thereby cutting costs .
Kranz said that Hyundai liked how Canoo integrated more of the vehicle ’ s technology into the skateboard than some other companies have , which helped secure the deal .
“ We were highly impressed by the speed and efficiency in which Canoo developed their innovative EV architecture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us as we transition to become a frontrunner in the future mobility industry , ” Albert Biermann , the head of research and development for Hyundai Motor Group , said in a statement .
“ We will collaborate with Canoo engineers to develop a cost-effective Hyundai platform concept that is autonomous ready and suitable for mass adoption .
”

Hyundai and Kia will build new electric vehicles based on the technological platform developed by California EV startup Canoo, the companies announced Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Canoo and Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai and Kia’s parent company, will develop a new electric vehicle platform that’s based on the one that powers Canoo’s own vehicle, which was unveiled last year. This EV platform will power small, “cost-competitive” electric vehicles, as well as “purpose built vehicles,” which would more closely resemble shuttles or even autonomous people-movers. (Hyundai previously showed off a purpose-built vehicle concept at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.) Hyundai and Kia each currently sell an electric SUV based off the same platform, and the larger Hyundai Motor Group has promised 23 electric vehicles by 2025.
The deal is a significant victory for Canoo, which has only existed for about two years and employs around 300 people. While pretty much every electric vehicle startup has talked about wanting to license out their technology or partner with legacy automakers, almost none have landed a deal. Some of the only exceptions to date have been Michigan-based startup Rivian, which is working with Amazon and Ford, and Chinese startup Byton, which has a deal with Chinese state-owned automaker First Auto Works.
Canoo got started after its founders split from Faraday Future in late 2017
Canoo now joins that small list despite only coming into existence at the end of 2017, when its founders started the company (then called Evelozcity) after an acrimonious split with famously troubled EV startup Faraday Future.
“It’s really important for us, because having a household name like Hyundai do some work with a startup like Canoo proves that we have a good concept, and a good team,” Ulrich Kranz, Canoo’s current CEO, told The Verge in a phone interview. (Canoo was originally led by Stefan Krause, who served as Faraday Future’s chief financial officer following seven-year stints as CFO at both Deutsche Bank and BMW. But Krause stepped away from the CEO role last year and is now the company’s chairman.)
Kranz said Canoo spent about a year talking to Hyundai about a deal, and that the South Korean manufacturer repeatedly sent teams to the startup’s Los Angeles headquarters to evaluate its progress before signing off. He also said Hyundai will pay Canoo for the work it’s doing to get the partnership off the ground, but would not say how much or even whether it’s enough to sustain the startup’s operations moving forward. He did say that Canoo is still seeking outside investment.
Canoo supposedly launched with nearly $1 billion in funding, though it wasn’t immediately clear where that money was coming from. Since then, it’s come to light that the startup was funded by some powerful men. As The Verge first reported in October 2019, Canoo is backed by David Stern, a director at Prince Andrew’s startup incubator, and Pak Tam Li, the head of a massive investment firm in China and the son-in-law of a man who was once the fourth-most senior leader in China. Canoo has also received support from Taiwanese touchscreen supplier TPK, which is run by billionaire Michael Chiang, two people with knowledge of the company’s finances tell The Verge. In fact, Canoo’s headquarters in Torrance, California is owned by a shell company set up by Foster Chiang, TPK’s vice chairman, according to property records.
The deal with Hyundai will not impact Canoo’s plans to release its own vehicle, Kranz said. The company debuted a subscription-only EV in September 2019 that is something of a modern take on the VW Microbus. That vehicle, which the company calls “the Canoo,” is supposed to hit the road in 2021. Kranz said Canoo has built 32 beta versions of the vehicle so far, 12 of which are fully operational and being tested on both public roads and closed courses. (Canoo is building these beta vehicles with a contract manufacturer, which Kranz declined to name.)
Lots of startups want to partner with OEMs, but few get the chance
Like many other startups, and even some bigger automakers, Canoo developed a so-called “skateboard” for this vehicle that houses the battery pack, electric motors, and other electronics. This neat packaging of all that technology makes it possible to power multiple vehicles using the same adaptable platform, thereby cutting costs. Kranz said that Hyundai liked how Canoo integrated more of the vehicle’s technology into the skateboard than some other companies have, which helped secure the deal.


theverge--2020-02-12--The Galaxy Z Flip is neat, but the Galaxy S20 is important

Well !
Yesterday was a day .
I live-blogged the Samsung Unpacked keynote , where the Galaxy S20 , S20 Plus , and S20 Ultra were announced alongside the Galaxy Z Flip folding phone .
If there ’ s one big takeaway from Samsung ’ s presentation , it ’ s that DJ Koh has very much handed the reins of the mobile division to the newly-promoted TM Roh .
On to the phones .
Samsung skipped the usual corporate preamble and jumped immediately into the Z Flip unveiling .
It was a flex ( pun intended ) and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , we still got the corporate overview from Roh and a pile of partnership deal ( Samsung loves them so much ) .
Instead of a corporate preamble we got a corporate amble .
Anyway , all of these phones had leaked but the big surprise is how good the Z Flip is .
Samsung isn ’ t saying who makes the glass screen beyond that it ’ s being made in collaboration with a partner .
Compared to plastic folding screens , it ’ s night and day .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones .
Samsung has been iterating on this basic design for many years and and it knows what it is doing .
As you ’ ll read below , that causes a bit of cognitive dissonance .
But that might just be me , because I will tell you that the Galaxy S20 phones , despite being “ more of the same but more , ” garnered way more audience interest than the Z Flip .
In other words , the Z Flip is cool , but what people are really going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time comes .
Whether Samsung can convince people to do that upgrading a little earlier than usual is harder to discern .
Bottom line , though , is the S20 is where Samsung ’ s bread is buttered and our audience was right to pay more attention to the more consequential thing .
Now come the questions : will 5G matter ?
Will the cameras live up to Samsung ’ s very inflated rhetoric ?
Stand by for a review .
But yesterday was also a day because while I was busy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Verge was absorbing and writing about more monumental happenings .
For the purposes of this newsletter , the T-Mobile Sprint merger approval tops the list , but a real preview of Windows 10X is in that mix too .
There ’ s plenty for you to read below in the link list and when you click through in today ’ s newsletter , so the above is it from me for now .
There will also be plenty more to come about the merger , the phones , and Windows 10X .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be allowed to merge .
You can probably guess that I think this is a bad decision .
We ’ ll have a full legal analysis up soon , but in the short term I encourage you to at least skim the introductory segments , which will make you think you are losing your mind .
It boils down to something like “ the future is unknowable and all experts are biased and honestly the idea of pretending otherwise through a long trial sounds exhausting so fuck it they can merge.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobile networks .
For some time now , I ’ ve been frustrated by the significant gap between the strident rhetoric from US officials and the evidence they failed to provide to back it up .
It introduced the worry that the security fears were actually just a feint in the trade war .
I never bought that , I always thought the concern was sincere .
But truly , with allegations of spying you want to see something .
Yesterday ’ s revelations aren ’ t quite the full disclosure I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re still very significant .
┏ Amazon , Google , and Facebook ordered to turn over evidence for far-reaching FTC merger review .
This is either huge news or nothingburger news and we won ’ t know for some time .
If the FTC makes good on a threat to “ unwind ” mergers , it ’ s potentially huge .
But even then it won ’ t affect the big ones , which the FTC already reviewed .
If the FTC just uses it to inform future decisions which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ketchup on your nothingburger ?
┏ All of the biggest announcements from Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 event .
Here ’ s the big stuff from Samsung in a digestible form , if you want to just get caught up quick .
Otherwise , here are some extra thoughts I had after checking out all the phones in person , attending Samsung ’ s keynote , and talking to a lot of people .
┏ Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 , Plus , and Ultra first look : cameras , 5G , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big look at the big phones , all three of them , including video .
I tried to get at this a bit , but these phones really are simultaneously exciting and kind of boring .
They have every feature you could possible ask for in an Android phone , and yet they are still “ just ” Galaxy phones and look like them .
But calling them boring isn ’ t fair and I don ’ t actually think that .
The screens are incredible and we shouldn ’ t take that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait to dig into these cameras to see if Samsung ’ s grandiose claims have any relationship to reality .
Samsung needs to catch up to Apple and Google a bit in that department .
┏ How Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 Ultra achieves its 100x zoom .
Jon Porter does a fine job here and this is worth a read , but I still am going to remain skeptical until I can try it for real in a review .
I spoke to some Samsung reps at length about pixel binning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung put it : The 108MP sensor separates the RBG pixels in such a way that you get more of the benefits you ’ d normally get from a larger micron size ( like better low light performance ) .
Then when you go to full 108MP instead of the binned 12MP shot it demosaics to achieve that resolution .
What I wish Samsung had said is simply this : it ’ s a Quad Bayer array .
Idrees Patel at XDA developers has much more detail on how it works on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first look : folding glass changes everything .
My hands on , including video .
Anyway , I will have much more to say with this phone very soon , but in the meantime this sums up some of it : ┏ Here ’ s how Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 stacks up against the Pixel 4 , and OnePlus 7T and here is how it compares with the iPhone 11 .
┏ Samsung confirms its AirDrop-like ‘ Quick Share ’ is launching on the Galaxy S20 .
It ’ s a bummer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a convenient Wi-Fi direct sharing protocol for Android is one of those invisible problems .
AirDrop really is great and Android/Windows people don ’ t know what they ’ re missing out on .
I don ’ t have any inside information on what Google ’ s hopefully more universal solution will be , but I do have fact to share : it ’ s long overdue .
┏ A first look at Microsoft ’ s new Windows 10X operating system for dual screens .
Tom Warren has a good set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s my take : it is the first desktop OS ( which is an antiquated term but I guess it ’ s the best we have ) that fully integrates the UI ideas we ’ ve learned from mobile .
A lot of people are pointing to Windows 8 as the precursor for some of these changes and sure , I buy that .
But I think the real inspiration here is that Microsoft can piggy back off all the skills we ’ ve built up using phones and tablets .
Comparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and interface choices with iPadOS is going to be a lot of very fun work .
┏ Microsoft promises Windows 10X updates will take ‘ less than 90 seconds ’ .
Basically , it sounds like Microsoft is keeping a separate partition which has the updated OS installed to it .
Then at boot it can just switch to that partition and the next update can be applied to the old partition .
Android has this capability , and it ’ s another example of Windows 10X taking a good mobile idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft ’ s new Windows 10X emulator lets anyone play around with the dual-screen OS .
You can play around with it yourself , but it takes some doing .
┏ Microsoft backtracks on plans to force Chrome default search to Bing .
Good .
The more I thought about the angrier I got .
Microsoft was using Office 365 ( its popular , widely used software ) to change the behavior of an unrelated app it doesn ’ t even make ( Google Chrome ) to use Bing ( its unpopular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of that chain of causality are appropriate .
More from The Verge ┏ The high cost of a free coding bootcamp .
Important story from Zoe Schiffer and Megan Farokhmanesh .
I think I might actually like the idea of an Income Sharing Agreement instead of tuition for certain types of schooling , but only if it protects students at least as much as it protects the schools .
The power imbalance here is a big problem , so when the classes ended up being a mess there was little the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GeForce Now is losing all Activision Blizzard games , a bad sign for cloud gaming .
Like me , Sean Hollister draws a connection to the fights cable channels have with cable networks all the time .
Bummed that my vague fear this is coming to streaming games so quickly became a reality .

Well! Yesterday was a day. I live-blogged the Samsung Unpacked keynote, where the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra were announced alongside the Galaxy Z Flip folding phone. If there’s one big takeaway from Samsung’s presentation, it’s that DJ Koh has very much handed the reins of the mobile division to the newly-promoted TM Roh.
On to the phones. Samsung skipped the usual corporate preamble and jumped immediately into the Z Flip unveiling. It was a flex (pun intended) and it worked to energize the crowd. Of course, we still got the corporate overview from Roh and a pile of partnership deals (Samsung loves them so much). Instead of a corporate preamble we got a corporate amble.
Anyway, all of these phones had leaked but the big surprise is how good the Z Flip is. Samsung isn’t saying who makes the glass screen beyond that it’s being made in collaboration with a partner. Compared to plastic folding screens, it’s night and day.
I was less surprised by the various Galaxy S20 phones. Samsung has been iterating on this basic design for many years and and it knows what it is doing. As you’ll read below, that causes a bit of cognitive dissonance. But that might just be me, because I will tell you that the Galaxy S20 phones, despite being “more of the same but more,” garnered way more audience interest than the Z Flip.
Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge
In other words, the Z Flip is cool, but what people are really going to do is buy the S20 when upgrade time comes. Whether Samsung can convince people to do that upgrading a little earlier than usual is harder to discern. Bottom line, though, is the S20 is where Samsung’s bread is buttered and our audience was right to pay more attention to the more consequential thing.
Now come the questions: will 5G matter? Will the cameras live up to Samsung’s very inflated rhetoric? Stand by for a review.
But yesterday was also a day because while I was busy at a phone event, the rest of the Verge was absorbing and writing about more monumental happenings. For the purposes of this newsletter, the T-Mobile Sprint merger approval tops the list, but a real preview of Windows 10X is in that mix too.
There’s plenty for you to read below in the link list and when you click through in today’s newsletter, so the above is it from me for now. There will also be plenty more to come about the merger, the phones, and Windows 10X.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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Very big non-Samsung news
┏ T-Mobile and Sprint win lawsuit and will be allowed to merge. You can probably guess that I think this is a bad decision. We’ll have a full legal analysis up soon, but in the short term I encourage you to at least skim the introductory segments, which will make you think you are losing your mind. It boils down to something like “the future is unknowable and all experts are biased and honestly the idea of pretending otherwise through a long trial sounds exhausting so fuck it they can merge.”
In his decision, Southern District of New York judge Victor Marrero rejected that argument. “The court concludes that the proposed merger is not reasonably likely to substantially lessen competition in the” mobile service market, Marrero wrote, and would likely “enhance competition in the relevant markets to the benefit of all consumers.”
┏ Feds claim Huawei can snoop on mobile networks. For some time now, I’ve been frustrated by the significant gap between the strident rhetoric from US officials and the evidence they failed to provide to back it up. It introduced the worry that the security fears were actually just a feint in the trade war. I never bought that, I always thought the concern was sincere. But truly, with allegations of spying you want to see something. Yesterday’s revelations aren’t quite the full disclosure I’ve been hoping for, but they’re still very significant.
the justifications for those sanctions have remained vague and clouded by secrecy. Now, officials are getting specific, claiming the Chinese hardware manufacturer has maintained backdoors into some of the networks it builds, starting as early as 4G equipment sold in 2009. There’s also no hard evidence of the capability, but the claims are more specific than ever, and now coming from some of the nation’s top national security officials.
┏ Amazon, Google, and Facebook ordered to turn over evidence for far-reaching FTC merger review. This is either huge news or nothingburger news and we won’t know for some time. If the FTC makes good on a threat to “unwind” mergers, it’s potentially huge. But even then it won’t affect the big ones, which the FTC already reviewed. If the FTC just uses it to inform future decisions which will be heavily lobbied anyway, do you like ketchup on your nothingburger?
More from Samsung
┏ All of the biggest announcements from Samsung’s Galaxy S20 event. Here’s the big stuff from Samsung in a digestible form, if you want to just get caught up quick. Otherwise, here are some extra thoughts I had after checking out all the phones in person, attending Samsung’s keynote, and talking to a lot of people.
┏ Samsung’s Galaxy S20, Plus, and Ultra first look: cameras, 5G, and 120Hz screens. Here’s my big look at the big phones, all three of them, including video. I tried to get at this a bit, but these phones really are simultaneously exciting and kind of boring. They have every feature you could possible ask for in an Android phone, and yet they are still “just” Galaxy phones and look like them.
But calling them boring isn’t fair and I don’t actually think that. The screens are incredible and we shouldn’t take that for granted. And I cannot wait to dig into these cameras to see if Samsung’s grandiose claims have any relationship to reality. Samsung needs to catch up to Apple and Google a bit in that department.
┏ How Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra achieves its 100x zoom. Jon Porter does a fine job here and this is worth a read, but I still am going to remain skeptical until I can try it for real in a review. I spoke to some Samsung reps at length about pixel binning and demosaicing today. Here’s how Samsung put it: The 108MP sensor separates the RBG pixels in such a way that you get more of the benefits you’d normally get from a larger micron size (like better low light performance). Then when you go to full 108MP instead of the binned 12MP shot it demosaics to achieve that resolution.
┏ Samsung Galaxy Z Flip first look: folding glass changes everything. My hands on, including video. Anyway, I will have much more to say with this phone very soon, but in the meantime this sums up some of it:
I’m not 100 percent sold on having the hinge provide so much resistance, but I do think Samsung has figured some of its folding problems out. It’s a shame the first introductions to folding phones were so compromised, because this seems really promising.
┏ Samsung confirms its AirDrop-like ‘Quick Share’ is launching on the Galaxy S20. It’s a bummer that this is Galaxy-only. The lack of a convenient Wi-Fi direct sharing protocol for Android is one of those invisible problems. AirDrop really is great and Android/Windows people don’t know what they’re missing out on. I don’t have any inside information on what Google’s hopefully more universal solution will be, but I do have fact to share: it’s long overdue.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
Windows 10X finally starts to become clear
┏ A first look at Microsoft’s new Windows 10X operating system for dual screens. Tom Warren has a good set of first impressions of Windows 10X. Here’s my take: it is the first desktop OS (which is an antiquated term but I guess it’s the best we have) that fully integrates the UI ideas we’ve learned from mobile. A lot of people are pointing to Windows 8 as the precursor for some of these changes and sure, I buy that. But I think the real inspiration here is that Microsoft can piggy back off all the skills we’ve built up using phones and tablets. Comparing Windows 10X’s constraints, possibilities, and interface choices with iPadOS is going to be a lot of very fun work.
┏ Microsoft promises Windows 10X updates will take ‘less than 90 seconds’. Basically, it sounds like Microsoft is keeping a separate partition which has the updated OS installed to it. Then at boot it can just switch to that partition and the next update can be applied to the old partition. Android has this capability, and it’s another example of Windows 10X taking a good mobile idea and applying it to Windows.
┏ Microsoft’s new Windows 10X emulator lets anyone play around with the dual-screen OS. You can play around with it yourself, but it takes some doing.
┏ Microsoft backtracks on plans to force Chrome default search to Bing. Good. The more I thought about the angrier I got. Microsoft was using Office 365 (its popular, widely used software) to change the behavior of an unrelated app it doesn’t even make (Google Chrome) to use Bing (its unpopular, little used search engine). Zero parts of that chain of causality are appropriate.
More from The Verge
┏ The high cost of a free coding bootcamp. Important story from Zoe Schiffer and Megan Farokhmanesh. I think I might actually like the idea of an Income Sharing Agreement instead of tuition for certain types of schooling, but only if it protects students at least as much as it protects the schools. The power imbalance here is a big problem, so when the classes ended up being a mess there was little the students could do.
┏ Nvidia’s GeForce Now is losing all Activision Blizzard games, a bad sign for cloud gaming. Like me, Sean Hollister draws a connection to the fights cable channels have with cable networks all the time. Bummed that my vague fear this is coming to streaming games so quickly became a reality.


theverge--2020-02-12--YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook put on notice as UK names new internet regulator

The UK government has announced ambitious new plans to regulate the internet which will give websites a “ duty of care ” to protect their UK users from illegal content related to child exploitation and terrorism , as well as harmful content more generally .
The proposals say that the UK ’ s existing broadcast regulator Ofcom will be responsible for enforcing the new rules , which are expected to include the power to fine internet companies that don ’ t comply .
Full details of the legislation and Ofcom ’ s power to enforce it are set to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government will set the direction of the legislation , Ofcom will have the flexibility to decide how to respond to new “ online dangers ” as they emerge .
Details coming later in the spring The proposals include two main requirements , The Guardian notes .
The first is for illegal content , such as that depicting child sexual abuse or promoting terrorism , to be removed quickly and even prevented from being posted in the first place .
For content that is merely “ harmful ” rather than illegal , online platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what behavior and content is acceptable on their sites , and enforce those rules consistently and transparently .
This covers content that may encourage or glorify self-harm or suicide .
The government believes that flexibility is necessary to protect users ’ rights online , including free speech and press freedoms .
The government says the regulation will apply to any websites that allow user-generated content , which includes comments , forums , or video sharing .
This definition suggests that it won ’ t just be social media networks that will be impacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deemed to pose a low risk to the general pubic will not be covered .
However , as we have seen , online content moderation is a huge challenge even for the largest tech companies like Facebook and Google that can easily afford it .
It ’ s likely to be even more difficult for smaller organizations .
In a statement , Ofcom said it welcomed the decision to be appointed regulator .
“ We will work with the Government to help ensure that regulation provides effective protection for people online and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps can be taken in advance of legislation , ” it said .
The UK government ’ s most recent plan to regulate content on the internet resulted in failure .
Late last year the country scrapped its long-delayed plans to introduce age verification for accessing porn online .
The proposals were widely criticized for raising privacy issues , as well as consolidating control with a major porn conglomerate MindGeek , which was set to provide the age verification system .
The UK isn ’ t the first European country to want more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , Bloomberg notes that Germany started enforcing new laws governing online hate speech and fake news , with fines up to €50 million for sites that fail to remove offending content .

The UK government has announced ambitious new plans to regulate the internet which will give websites a “duty of care” to protect their UK users from illegal content related to child exploitation and terrorism, as well as harmful content more generally. The proposals say that the UK’s existing broadcast regulator Ofcom will be responsible for enforcing the new rules, which are expected to include the power to fine internet companies that don’t comply.
Full details of the legislation and Ofcom’s power to enforce it are set to be announced later this spring. Although the government will set the direction of the legislation, Ofcom will have the flexibility to decide how to respond to new “online dangers” as they emerge.
Details coming later in the spring
The proposals include two main requirements, The Guardian notes. The first is for illegal content, such as that depicting child sexual abuse or promoting terrorism, to be removed quickly and even prevented from being posted in the first place.
For content that is merely “harmful” rather than illegal, online platforms will be required to be upfront about what behavior and content is acceptable on their sites, and enforce those rules consistently and transparently. This covers content that may encourage or glorify self-harm or suicide. The government believes that flexibility is necessary to protect users’ rights online, including free speech and press freedoms.
The government says the regulation will apply to any websites that allow user-generated content, which includes comments, forums, or video sharing. This definition suggests that it won’t just be social media networks that will be impacted by the regulation. Sites that are deemed to pose a low risk to the general pubic will not be covered.
However, as we have seen, online content moderation is a huge challenge even for the largest tech companies like Facebook and Google that can easily afford it. It’s likely to be even more difficult for smaller organizations.
In a statement, Ofcom said it welcomed the decision to be appointed regulator. “We will work with the Government to help ensure that regulation provides effective protection for people online and, if appointed, will consider what voluntary steps can be taken in advance of legislation,” it said.
The UK government’s most recent plan to regulate content on the internet resulted in failure. Late last year the country scrapped its long-delayed plans to introduce age verification for accessing porn online. The proposals were widely criticized for raising privacy issues, as well as consolidating control with a major porn conglomerate MindGeek, which was set to provide the age verification system.