theverge--2020-08-04--Prototype of SpaceX’s future Starship rocket flies short hop to 500 feet

Just two days after returning its first astronauts back to Earth , SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of its next-generation , deep-space rocket in south Texas , sending the vehicle up to 500 feet and then landing it back down on Earth .
It ’ s the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air .
The prototype is that of SpaceX ’ s Starship , a spacecraft the company wants to build to transport people to deep-space worlds like the Moon and Mars .
The final version of the spaceship would stand at nearly 400 feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be capable of sending more than 100 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit , according to SpaceX .
Starship is designed to fly to space mounted on top of a giant rocket booster , known as Super Heavy , and both vehicles will be powered by SpaceX ’ s new powerful rocket engine , called Raptor .
the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air The prototype that flew today is still a far cry from Starship ’ s final form .
Only one Raptor engine , mounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried it into the air , whereas the final version of Starship is designed to host six main Raptor engines .
Starship will also sport a nosecone at its top , while this prototype had a weighted block on its head to simulate mass .
However , today ’ s success marks a big turning point for SpaceX , which had not been having good luck with its Starship testing over the past year .
Prior to this test , four of SpaceX ’ s previous Starship prototypes either exploded , burst , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is the first larger-scale prototype to not only take flight but to survive early testing .
Today ’ s flight , often referred to as “ hop , ” is meant to test out controlled takeoff and landing of the vehicle .
Starship is designed to do propulsive landings on other worlds , using its onboard engines to gently lower itself down to the surface of the Moon or perhaps Mars one day .
It ’ s a technique similar to how SpaceX lands its Falcon 9 rockets after flight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in size and shape to Starship could launch and then land back down again , at least from a low altitude .
SpaceX has actually flown a Starship prototype on a short hop before , though it was very different than the one that flew today .
A little less than a year ago , the company sent a much smaller version of Starhip , nicknamed Starhopper , up to 500 feet before landing it back down again .
That vehicle had a significantly different shape , with CEO Elon Musk likening it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Starship prototype resembles more of a grain silo .
It ’ s possible that this prototype could fly again after today .
However , SpaceX has already created a sixth prototype , and the company has been quickly developing new vehicles for testing every few months .
Eventually , SpaceX will attempt to perform flights that go much higher than 500 feet , and the company will add more hardware to its prototypes , including more Raptor engines .

Just two days after returning its first astronauts back to Earth, SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of its next-generation, deep-space rocket in south Texas, sending the vehicle up to 500 feet and then landing it back down on Earth. It’s the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air.
The prototype is that of SpaceX’s Starship, a spacecraft the company wants to build to transport people to deep-space worlds like the Moon and Mars. The final version of the spaceship would stand at nearly 400 feet high and 30 feet wide, and be capable of sending more than 100 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit, according to SpaceX. Starship is designed to fly to space mounted on top of a giant rocket booster, known as Super Heavy, and both vehicles will be powered by SpaceX’s new powerful rocket engine, called Raptor.
the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air
The prototype that flew today is still a far cry from Starship’s final form. Only one Raptor engine, mounted on the base of the vehicle, carried it into the air, whereas the final version of Starship is designed to host six main Raptor engines. Starship will also sport a nosecone at its top, while this prototype had a weighted block on its head to simulate mass.
However, today’s success marks a big turning point for SpaceX, which had not been having good luck with its Starship testing over the past year. Prior to this test, four of SpaceX’s previous Starship prototypes either exploded, burst, or imploded before they could actually fly. This is the first larger-scale prototype to not only take flight but to survive early testing.
Today’s flight, often referred to as “hop,” is meant to test out controlled takeoff and landing of the vehicle. Starship is designed to do propulsive landings on other worlds, using its onboard engines to gently lower itself down to the surface of the Moon or perhaps Mars one day. It’s a technique similar to how SpaceX lands its Falcon 9 rockets after flight. This short hop showed that vehicle similar in size and shape to Starship could launch and then land back down again, at least from a low altitude.
today’s success marks a big turning point for SpaceX
SpaceX has actually flown a Starship prototype on a short hop before, though it was very different than the one that flew today. A little less than a year ago, the company sent a much smaller version of Starhip, nicknamed Starhopper, up to 500 feet before landing it back down again. That vehicle had a significantly different shape, with CEO Elon Musk likening it to a water tower. Today’s Starship prototype resembles more of a grain silo.


theverge--2020-08-04--Former Google exec Anthony Levandowski sentenced to 18 months for stealing self-driving car secrets

Controversial engineer Anthony Levandowski , who worked for the Google division that would become Waymo before founding trucking company Otto and selling it to Uber , has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for trade secret theft during his various stints in the self-driving industry .
His sentencing closes the book on a multi-year legal saga stemming from Levandowski ’ s high-rising and equally fast-falling career in Silicon Valley spanning much of the past decade .
Levandowski was initially sentenced back in March , when the US District Attorney ’ s office recommended a 27-month sentence .
Judge William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in prison , to be served at a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic , according to TechCrunch .
“ The last three and a half years have forced me to come to terms with what I did .
I want to take this time to apologize to my colleagues at Google for betraying their trust , and to my entire family for the price they have paid and will continue to pay for my actions , ” Levandowski said in a statement .
“ The last three and a half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms with what I did.
” Levandowski was once a superstar engineer in the fast-growing world of self-driving cars who helped jumpstart a Google division dedicated to the technology .
He was later accused of stealing documents from his time at Google before founding Otto , a self-driving truck company .
He would go on to sell Otto to Uber in 2016 , which allowed him to join the ride-hailing company as a high-ranking executive in its self-driving division .
Shortly after the sale , Google ’ s self-driving unit , then called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for trade secret theft , alleging its acquisition of Otto allowed the company to gain access to sensitive and confidential Waymo technology Levandowski illegally took with him on his way out .
Uber and Waymo settled the lawsuit , but Levandowski was still on the hook for criminal charges of trade secret theft brought by the US Attorney ’ s Office of the Northern District of California after he refused to hand over any documents during the court case .
Levandowski ultimately reached a plea deal , and as part of today ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 757 million in restitution to Google and a fine of $ 95,000 , TechCrunch reports .
In addition to those fines , Levandowski was forced to declare bankruptcy after a separate court ruling found he illegally poached Waymo engineers and was ordered to pay Google $ 179 million , which he could not afford .
According to TechCrunch , Levandowski isn ’ t done in the legal department .
He filed another lawsuit last month alleging Uber owes him money as part of its agreement to acquire Otto that it never paid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively killed the deal ’ s prospects and the financial rewards it would have given Levandowski .
It ’ s not clear how that will play out , but he ’ s asking for at least $ 4.1 billion , which is roughly equivalent to the last reported valuation of Uber Freight , the self-driving trucking business the company salvaged from its Otto acquisition .

Controversial engineer Anthony Levandowski, who worked for the Google division that would become Waymo before founding trucking company Otto and selling it to Uber, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for trade secret theft during his various stints in the self-driving industry. His sentencing closes the book on a multi-year legal saga stemming from Levandowski’s high-rising and equally fast-falling career in Silicon Valley spanning much of the past decade.
Levandowski was initially sentenced back in March, when the US District Attorney’s office recommended a 27-month sentence. Judge William Alsup on Wednesday sentenced Levandowski to 18 months in prison, to be served at a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to TechCrunch.
“The last three and a half years have forced me to come to terms with what I did. I want to take this time to apologize to my colleagues at Google for betraying their trust, and to my entire family for the price they have paid and will continue to pay for my actions,” Levandowski said in a statement.
“The last three and a half years have forced me to come to terms with what I did.”
“Anthony Levandowski’s theft of autonomous technology trade secrets has been enormously disruptive and harmful to Waymo, constituted a betrayal, and the effects would likely have been even more severe had it gone undetected,” a Waymo spokesperson tells The Verge. “We echo Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Wawrzyniak’s sentiment that this theft ‘erases the contributions of many, many other people that have also put their blood, sweat and tears into this project that makes a safer self-driving car.’ Judge Alsup’s decision today to sentence Levandowski to 18 months in prison for stealing trade secrets from us represents a win for trade secret laws that promote cutting-edge technology development.”
Levandowski was once a superstar engineer in the fast-growing world of self-driving cars who helped jumpstart a Google division dedicated to the technology. He was later accused of stealing documents from his time at Google before founding Otto, a self-driving truck company. He would go on to sell Otto to Uber in 2016, which allowed him to join the ride-hailing company as a high-ranking executive in its self-driving division.
Shortly after the sale, Google’s self-driving unit, then called Waymo, filed a lawsuit against Uber for trade secret theft, alleging its acquisition of Otto allowed the company to gain access to sensitive and confidential Waymo technology Levandowski illegally took with him on his way out.
Uber and Waymo settled the lawsuit, but Levandowski was still on the hook for criminal charges of trade secret theft brought by the US Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of California after he refused to hand over any documents during the court case. Levandowski ultimately reached a plea deal, and as part of today’s sentencing he will pay nearly $757,000 in restitution to Google and a fine of $95,000, TechCrunch reports.
In addition to those fines, Levandowski was forced to declare bankruptcy after a separate court ruling found he illegally poached Waymo engineers and was ordered to pay Waymo $179 million, which he could not afford.
According to TechCrunch, Levandowski isn’t done in the legal department. He filed another lawsuit last month alleging Uber owes him money as part of its agreement to acquire Otto that it never paid, because the trade secret showdown with Waymo effectively killed the deal’s prospects and the financial rewards it would have given Levandowski. It’s not clear how that will play out, but he’s asking for at least $4.1 billion, which is roughly equivalent to the last reported valuation of Uber Freight, the self-driving trucking business the company salvaged from its Otto acquisition.


theverge--2020-08-04--Disney is launching a new Star-branded streaming service internationally

Disney plans to launch a new general entertainment streaming platform overseas in 2021 under the Star brand name , CEO Bob Chapek announced today .
Chapek didn ’ t give too many details about the platform , including in which countries Star would launch or pricing , but he noted that it would include content from ABC , FX , Freeform , Searchlight , and 20th Century Studios .
Star will not carry licensed content , which is different from Disney ’ s other general entertainment streaming service , Hulu .
More information is expected to be announced at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans for Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Star .
The announcement comes as Disney hits major streaming milestones , including surpassing 60 million Disney Plus subscribers worldwide , and 100 million subscribers overall to its streaming offerings — Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Disney Plus .
Streaming remains the lone bright spot for the company , which saw major revenue drops this quarter .
“ In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally , we want to mirror our successful Disney Plus strategy by using our Disney Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own , which is , of course , Star , ” Chapek said .
The launch of Star also brings up another important question : what about Hulu ?
Former CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney was targeting an international launch in 2021 , but Chapek said in May that the company had no immediate plans to “ make any investment in that business internationally.
” Chapek didn ’ t say if Star is replacing Hulu , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is launching a general entertainment service under Star instead of just expanding Hulu internationally .
“ I think it ’ s important to look at the differences at how we plan to enter the market , ” Chapek said .
“ Hulu aggregates third party content ; this will not ... Hulu has no brand awareness outside of the US.
” Disney Stars Studio is a big brand overseas compared to Hulu , which is a US-specific name .
When Disney acquired Indian media and entertainment conglomerate Star India and subsequent streaming service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox deal , the company changed the name to create Disney Plus HotStar , uniting the two brands .
Now , Star is known as Disney ’ s Star India .
Having “ Star ” become the international brand name , on top of Disney Plus , makes sense .
But does this mean Hulu also heading to international territories ?
Or is Star replacing Hulu entirely ?
The Verge has reached out to Disney for clarification .

Disney plans to launch a new general entertainment streaming platform overseas in 2021 under the Star brand name, CEO Bob Chapek announced today. Chapek didn’t give too many details about the platform, including in which countries Star would launch or pricing, but he noted that it would include content from ABC, FX, Freeform, Searchlight, and 20th Century Studios.
Star will not carry licensed content, which is different from Disney’s other general entertainment streaming service, Hulu. More information is expected to be announced at an upcoming investors day that will focus on plans for Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Star. The announcement comes as Disney hits major streaming milestones, including surpassing 60 million Disney Plus subscribers worldwide, and 100 million subscribers overall to its streaming offerings — Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Disney Plus. Streaming remains the lone bright spot for the company, which saw major revenue drops this quarter.
“In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally, we want to mirror our successful Disney Plus strategy by using our Disney Plus technical platform, bringing in content we already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own, which is, of course, Star,” Chapek said.
The launch of Star also brings up another important question: what about Hulu? Former CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney was targeting an international launch in 2021, but Chapek said in May that the company had no immediate plans to “make any investment in that business internationally.” Chapek didn’t say if Star is replacing Hulu, but he spent some time explaining why the company is launching a general entertainment service under Star instead of just expanding Hulu internationally.
“I think it’s important to look at the differences at how we plan to enter the market,” Chapek said. “Hulu aggregates third party content; this will not...Hulu has no brand awareness outside of the US.”
Disney Stars Studio is a big brand overseas compared to Hulu, which is a US-specific name. When Disney acquired Indian media and entertainment conglomerate Star India and subsequent streaming service HotStar in 2019 as part of the Fox deal, the company changed the name to create Disney Plus HotStar, uniting the two brands. Now, Star is known as Disney’s Star India. Having “Star” become the international brand name, on top of Disney Plus, makes sense.


theverge--2020-08-04--Riot Games addresses industry burnout and crunch by giving employees a week off

Riot Games , the developer of League of Legends and Valorant , will be giving employees the week of August 10th off to “ disconnect , recharge , and reboot , ” the studio announced in a blog post published Tuesday .
Riot has recently expanded beyond its global smash hit League of Legends , including releasing auto battler Teamfight Tactics , Hearthstone-like card game Legends of Runeterra ( which are both set in the League of Legends universe ) , and Valorant , a brand-new tactical shooter that takes cues from Counter Strike : Global Offensive and Overwatch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enforced overtime , referred to as “ crunch , ” to ship and maintain games , Riot is giving employees a break to help with their health .
“ As game developers , we ’ re all hyper aware of the effects of crunch ” “ As game developers , we ’ re all hyper aware of the effects of crunch and project-based deadlines , ” Riot said in its blog .
“ We owe it to ourselves and to you to prioritize our health as a team ( well , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new experiences long into the future.
” Riot also said it would be “ shifting some patches and release timelines a bit ” to accommodate the break and that “ a few teams are also staggering their time off to make sure everything is running smoothly.
” Other developers have dealt with crunch in different ways , and many studios have become more transparent in recent years about measures to combat burnout thanks in large part to media reports on game developer working conditions and industry pushes for unionization .
Epic Games gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July of 2019 following a Polygon report detailing months of intense crunch to support the massively popular Fortnite .
Epic has also given staff a two-week break around Christmas in the past , according WRAL TechWire .
And Epic Games employee Jay Hosfelt said the company “ shuts the studio down for 2 weeks in the summer and two in the winter , ” in a June 2019 tweet .
EA-owned studio Respawn said it wouldn ’ t rush updates to its own hit battle royale shooter , Apex Legends , to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just a day after Polygon ’ s report about Epic Games was published .
Riot has taken a number of steps to improve its company culture , which has come under scrutiny in the past for alleged sexist behavior from some employees and toxic management that failed to address repeated abuses .
The studio settled with current and former female employees for $ 10 million in December 2019 in a lawsuit that accused Riot of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment .

Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends and Valorant, will be giving employees the week of August 10th off to “disconnect, recharge, and reboot,” the studio announced in a blog post published Tuesday.
Riot has recently expanded beyond its global smash hit League of Legends, including releasing auto battler Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone-like card game Legends of Runeterra (which are both set in the League of Legends universe), and Valorant, a brand-new tactical shooter that takes cues from Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch. But in an industry known for overwork and enforced overtime, referred to as “crunch,” to ship and maintain games, Riot is giving employees a break to help with their health.
“As game developers, we’re all hyper aware of the effects of crunch”
“As game developers, we’re all hyper aware of the effects of crunch and project-based deadlines,” Riot said in its blog. “We owe it to ourselves and to you to prioritize our health as a team (well, many teams) so we can bring you new experiences long into the future.” Riot also said it would be “shifting some patches and release timelines a bit” to accommodate the break and that “a few teams are also staggering their time off to make sure everything is running smoothly.”
Other developers have dealt with crunch in different ways, and many studios have become more transparent in recent years about measures to combat burnout thanks in large part to media reports on game developer working conditions and industry pushes for unionization.
Epic Games gave employees a two-week vacation between June and July of 2019 following a Polygon report detailing months of intense crunch to support the massively popular Fortnite. Epic has also given staff a two-week break around Christmas in the past, according WRAL TechWire. And Epic Games employee Jay Hosfelt said the company “shuts the studio down for 2 weeks in the summer and two in the winter,” in a June 2019 tweet.
EA-owned studio Respawn said it wouldn’t rush updates to its own hit battle royale shooter, Apex Legends, to help “avoid crunch” in April 2019, just a day after Polygon’s report about Epic Games was published.


theverge--2020-08-04--Mulan is heading to Disney Plus on September 4th for $30

Disney ’ s live-action adaptation of Mulan will be released on Disney Plus on September 4th for $ 29.99 , the company announced today .
Disney executives walked through the new plan for Mulan ’ s release during an earnings call with analysts today .
The $ 30 fee will be on top of the $ 6.99 subscriber fee for Disney Plus customers .
Chapek also made it seem like non-subscribers can pay $ 30 for the film as well , but The Verge has emailed Disney to confirm .
“ We thought it was important to find alternative ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timely manner , ” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said .
In countries where Disney Plus is not available , Disney is releasing Mulan in theaters on the same date .
The new release date follows Warner Bros. ’ announcement that Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet would get a staggered release .
Tenet will open in approximately 70 international territories on August 26th before getting a limited release in the United States on September 3rd .
It will go city by city in the United States as the country battles climbing coronavirus cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pulling the film from its theatrical calendar .
Two of Disney ’ s other upcoming films , The New Mutants and Black Widow , remain with their respective release dates of August 28th and November 6th .
A spokesperson at the time told Variety that “ it ’ s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis.
” Mulan has faced a bumpy road .
The film was originally supposed to be released on March 27th , got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed again to August 21st .
Having Mulan on Disney Plus should help Disney a little , but whether it performs the way Disney needs it to remains unclear .

Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan will be released on Disney Plus on September 4th for $29.99, the company announced today.
Disney executives walked through the new plan for Mulan’s release during an earnings call with analysts today. The $30 fee will be on top of the $6.99 subscriber fee for Disney Plus customers. The company told Insider that the $30 acts as a purchase — as long as people subscribe to Disney Plus, they’ll be able to access the film. Chapek also made it seem like non-subscribers can pay $30 for the film as well, but The Verge has emailed Disney to confirm.
“We thought it was important to find alternative ways to bring [Mulan] in a timely manner,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said. In countries where Disney Plus is not available, Disney is releasing Mulan in theaters on the same date. The new release date follows Warner Bros.’ announcement that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet would get a staggered release. Tenet will open in approximately 70 international territories on August 26th before getting a limited release in the United States on September 3rd. It will go city by city in the United States as the country battles climbing coronavirus cases.
Last month, Disney delayed Mulan indefinitely, pulling the film from its theatrical calendar. Two of Disney’s other upcoming films, The New Mutants and Black Widow, remain with their respective release dates of August 28th and November 6th. A spokesperson at the time told Variety that “it’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis.”
Mulan has faced a bumpy road. The film was originally supposed to be released on March 27th, got pushed to July 24th, and was delayed again to August 21st. Having Mulan on Disney Plus should help Disney a little, but whether it performs the way Disney needs it to remains unclear.


theverge--2020-08-04--Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has pretty much every feature leaked in new AT&T video

Samsung ’ s Unpacked event tomorrow will be the official showcase for the heavily rumored and much-leaked Galaxy Note 20 .
For those who wanted yet another look at the phone in full before it ’ s unveiling , an AT & T promotional video pretty much shows off every inch of the device and even details its most important specs and new features .
The video , which popped up on Twitter courtesy of South American tech blogger Karlos Peru , appears to have been prepped as a piece of marketing material to promote the new phone and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t tell us anything groundbreaking that we didn ’ t already know or suspect about Samsung ’ s upcoming extra-large phones , but it is pretty staggering that a video with this much information and detail is popping up ahead of an official announcement .
The video details , of course , the two phones — the standard Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra , both of which will have 5G capabilities .
It also details the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor and the Ultra version ’ s 6.9-inch Infinity-O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to have a 3200 x 1440 resolution with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz .
The video even details the difference between the two devices ’ screens , with the standard version being a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display .
The video goes through the new S Pen , a Microsoft Office stylus integration for Word and PowerPoint , 8K video capabilities , the 64-megapixel camera on the standard Note 20 and 108-megapixel one for the Ultra variant , and 30x Space Zoom ( 50x for the Ultra ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ battery size , this promotional spot has it , too .
According to the video , the standard Note 20 will have a 4,300mAh battery , while the Ultra will have a 4,500mAh one .
Finally , the video also details the color options : mystic green , mystic gray , and mystic bronze for the standard ; mystic bronze , mystic black , and mystic white for the Ultra .
This basically all aligns with what we ’ re expecting to see tomorrow .
But again , it ’ s still always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaks ahead of an official product event , and it ’ s pretty clear at this point Samsung has no proper way to contain stuff like this unless it radically changes its approach to events , marketing , and perhaps even internal design and manufacturing .

Samsung’s Unpacked event tomorrow will be the official showcase for the heavily rumored and much-leaked Galaxy Note 20. For those who wanted yet another look at the phone in full before it’s unveiling, an AT&T promotional video pretty much shows off every inch of the device and even details its most important specs and new features.
The video, which popped up on Twitter courtesy of South American tech blogger Karlos Peru, appears to have been prepped as a piece of marketing material to promote the new phone and its larger Ultra variant. It doesn’t tell us anything groundbreaking that we didn’t already know or suspect about Samsung’s upcoming extra-large phones, but it is pretty staggering that a video with this much information and detail is popping up ahead of an official announcement.
The video details, of course, the two phones — the standard Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, both of which will have 5G capabilities. It also details the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor and the Ultra version’s 6.9-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which is said to have a 3200 x 1440 resolution with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The video even details the difference between the two devices’ screens, with the standard version being a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display.
The video goes through the new S Pen, a Microsoft Office stylus integration for Word and PowerPoint, 8K video capabilities, the 64-megapixel camera on the standard Note 20 and 108-megapixel one for the Ultra variant, and 30x Space Zoom (50x for the Ultra). In case you were wondering about the battery size, this promotional spot has it, too. According to the video, the standard Note 20 will have a 4,300mAh battery, while the Ultra will have a 4,500mAh one. Finally, the video also details the color options: mystic green, mystic gray, and mystic bronze for the standard; mystic bronze, mystic black, and mystic white for the Ultra.


theverge--2020-08-04--Disney faces an Avengers: Endgame-sized hole as earnings plummet

Disney continues to face financial woes in just about every part of its business , but one year after Avengers : Endgame came out , it ’ s clear just how much the pandemic has affected its studios division .
Disney didn ’ t release any major films last quarter , and the third quarter earnings report shows how much that impacted the company .
Overall , revenue hit $ 11.78 billion , down from $ 20.2 billion the year before , but most of that came from streaming .
Studio revenues decreased 55 percent in the quarter to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That means Disney made $ 1.7 billion this quarter , and $ 3.8 billion in the same time frame last year .
What it shows is there ’ s a big Avengers : Endgame hole in the calendar , and it ’ s a perfect example of just how much of an impact the pandemic has had on one of Disney ’ s core businesses .
“ Theatrical distribution in the quarter was negatively impacted by COVID-19 as theaters were generally closed domestically and internationally , ” the report reads .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter compared to the release of Avengers : Endgame , Aladdin and Dark Phoenix in the prior-year quarter.
” “ Theatrical distribution in the quarter was negatively impacted by COVID-19 as theaters were generally closed domestically and internationally ” Last year , revenue in the third quarter for Disney ’ s studios business saw $ 3.8 billion — an increase of 33 percent over the previous quarter .
That ’ s an impressive sum , helped by Avengers : Endgame , the biggest movie in history .
It ’ s even more impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its film division ( $ 170 million in operating revenue ) because of underwhelming 20th Century Fox movies , particularly Dark Phoenix .
Even with those losses , Disney had enough blockbusters to bring in sizable revenue , leaving executives to pat each other on the back for a job well done .
Now , Disney ’ s theatrical arm is up in the air .
Mulan was taken off the theatrical calendar , and questions are already being lobbed about what it means for Black Widow , which is due out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next several months is crucial .
Could Disney release its biggest films of the year ( Mulan and Black Widow ) as a staggered release ?
Warner Bros. is exploring the staggered release route with Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet , which will see the film premiere in 70 international territories on August 26th before being released in select cities in the United States on September 3rd .
Could Mulan debut internationally before hitting US theaters ?
Or could Disney use a combination of digital rentals and its booming streaming business in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people can head back to the movies ?
It seems unlikely considering how much Mulan and Black Widow could make in theaters , but that was in the Before Times .
Things might not be going great for the House of Mouse , but the company ’ s streaming division is continuing to grow at an incredible speed .
Disney Plus now boasts more than 60 million subscribers .
Disney ’ s streaming division also saw revenues increase two percent over the quarter to $ 4 billion .
A lone bright spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing challenges of the pandemic , we ’ ve continued to build on the incredible success of Disney Plus as we grow our global direct-to-consumer businesses , ” CEO Bob Chapek said in the earnings report .
“ The global reach of our full portfolio of direct-to-consumer services now exceeds an astounding 100 million paid subscriptions — a significant milestone and a reaffirmation of our DTC strategy , which we view as key to the future growth of our company.
” Disney Plus , Hulu , and even ESPN Plus all saw growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Disney Plus that continued to shine .
Part of that comes from Hamilton landing on the streamer — a high-profile film that brought in a bunch of new subscribers for Disney Plus .
While Disney is facing the same production woes as its competitors , the company can bring older titles to its platform until new shows — like The Mandalorian ’ s second season in October — debut .
“ Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic , we ’ ve continued to build on the incredible success of Disney Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Disney is already doing this ; the company has turned boring licensing deals into a “ Summer Movie Nights ” festival , marking each week with an X-Men movie or the arrival of Pixar ’ s The Incredibles 2 .
While Disney owns Pixar and the X-Men franchise following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox , the films were tied up in previous licensing deals and unavailable until now .
They ’ re not new films by any means , but the marketing makes it seem like Disney Plus has a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be enough to get some people to reengage with the platform or sign up .
The big question is whether Disney Plus and Hulu are enough to weather the storm .
Disney ’ s parks and cruise sector faced total closures or limited reopenings in countries like China for the quarter , and similar to Comcast , Google , and Twitter , advertising revenue for networks like ESPN and ABC was down year over year .
Disney ’ s ability to quickly bounce back is far from a certainty .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell 36 percent compared to 2019 due to the lack of sports , according to Variety .
Its media networks division is hopeful things will get better with the return of sports , but that could go awry , too , if games are canceled .
Disney reported its media division decreased 2 percent to $ 6.6 billion .
Parks face a similar problem .
The phased reopening seems to be going well for Disney so far , but cases in Florida and California continue to grow .
Those parks could see shutdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parks revenues for the quarter decreased 85 percent , according to the report .
Disney ’ s earnings aren ’ t great , but they ’ re not unexpected .
As streaming remains the lone bright spot , it ’ ll be interesting to see just how much Disney leans on it in the coming months , as executives figure out how to get things back to some semblance of normalcy .

Disney continues to face financial woes in just about every part of its business, but one year after Avengers: Endgame came out, it’s clear just how much the pandemic has affected its studios division.
Disney didn’t release any major films last quarter, and the third quarter earnings report shows how much that impacted the company. Overall, revenue hit $11.78 billion, down from $20.2 billion the year before, but most of that came from streaming. Studio revenues decreased 55 percent in the quarter to $1.7 billion, the company announced. That means Disney made $1.7 billion this quarter, and $3.8 billion in the same time frame last year. What it shows is there’s a big Avengers: Endgame hole in the calendar, and it’s a perfect example of just how much of an impact the pandemic has had on one of Disney’s core businesses.
“Theatrical distribution in the quarter was negatively impacted by COVID-19 as theaters were generally closed domestically and internationally,” the report reads. “No significant titles were released in the current quarter compared to the release of Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin and Dark Phoenix in the prior-year quarter.”
“Theatrical distribution in the quarter was negatively impacted by COVID-19 as theaters were generally closed domestically and internationally”
Last year, revenue in the third quarter for Disney’s studios business saw $3.8 billion — an increase of 33 percent over the previous quarter. That’s an impressive sum, helped by Avengers: Endgame, the biggest movie in history. It’s even more impressive considering that Disney also saw substantial losses in its film division ($170 million in operating revenue) because of underwhelming 20th Century Fox movies, particularly Dark Phoenix. Even with those losses, Disney had enough blockbusters to bring in sizable revenue, leaving executives to pat each other on the back for a job well done.
Now, Disney’s theatrical arm is up in the air. Mulan was taken off the theatrical calendar, and questions are already being lobbed about what it means for Black Widow, which is due out on November 6th. What happens over the next several months is crucial. Could Disney release its biggest films of the year (Mulan and Black Widow) as a staggered release? Warner Bros. is exploring the staggered release route with Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which will see the film premiere in 70 international territories on August 26th before being released in select cities in the United States on September 3rd. Could Mulan debut internationally before hitting US theaters?
Or could Disney use a combination of digital rentals and its booming streaming business in the interim until theaters can reopen safely and people can head back to the movies? It seems unlikely considering how much Mulan and Black Widow could make in theaters, but that was in the Before Times. Things might not be going great for the House of Mouse, but the company’s streaming division is continuing to grow at an incredible speed. Disney Plus now boasts more than 60 million subscribers. Disney’s streaming division also saw revenues increase two percent over the quarter to $4 billion. A lone bright spot for the company.
“Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we’ve continued to build on the incredible success of Disney Plus as we grow our global direct-to-consumer businesses,” CEO Bob Chapek said in the earnings report. “The global reach of our full portfolio of direct-to-consumer services now exceeds an astounding 100 million paid subscriptions — a significant milestone and a reaffirmation of our DTC strategy, which we view as key to the future growth of our company.”
Disney Plus, Hulu, and even ESPN Plus all saw growth in the last quarter, but it was Disney Plus that continued to shine. Part of that comes from Hamilton landing on the streamer — a high-profile film that brought in a bunch of new subscribers for Disney Plus. While Disney is facing the same production woes as its competitors, the company can bring older titles to its platform until new shows — like The Mandalorian’s second season in October — debut.
“Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we’ve continued to build on the incredible success of Disney Plus as we grow our global direct-to-consumer businesses”
Disney is already doing this; the company has turned boring licensing deals into a “Summer Movie Nights” festival, marking each week with an X-Men movie or the arrival of Pixar’s The Incredibles 2. While Disney owns Pixar and the X-Men franchise following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the films were tied up in previous licensing deals and unavailable until now. They’re not new films by any means, but the marketing makes it seem like Disney Plus has a couple of exciting new additions, and it may be enough to get some people to reengage with the platform or sign up.
The big question is whether Disney Plus and Hulu are enough to weather the storm. Disney’s parks and cruise sector faced total closures or limited reopenings in countries like China for the quarter, and similar to Comcast, Google, and Twitter, advertising revenue for networks like ESPN and ABC was down year over year.
Disney’s ability to quickly bounce back is far from a certainty. The company’s ad revenue in June alone fell 36 percent compared to 2019 due to the lack of sports, according to Variety. Its media networks division is hopeful things will get better with the return of sports, but that could go awry, too, if games are canceled. Disney reported its media division decreased 2 percent to $6.6 billion. Parks face a similar problem. The phased reopening seems to be going well for Disney so far, but cases in Florida and California continue to grow. Those parks could see shutdowns again if cases continue to climb. Parks revenues for the quarter decreased 85 percent, according to the report.


theverge--2020-08-04--Virgin Atlantic files for bankruptcy due to COVID-19

Virgin Atlantic Airways has filed for bankruptcy protection for its United States business , as it tries to nail down a £1.2 billion ( $ 1.6 billion ) rescue plan announced last month .
It ’ s the second of Richard Branson ’ s airlines to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic , after Virgin Australia filed for “ administration ” — a form of bankruptcy in countries like Australia and England — earlier this year .
Virgin Atlantic filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday .
Chapter 15 is a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts recognize restructuring efforts happening abroad .
The company is not yet going out of business or liquidating its operations , which is what Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection is for .
That said , Virgin Atlantic told a London court that it will run out of cash next month if the rescue plan is not approved .
In particular , Virgin Atlantic is trying to renegotiate leases on most of its planes as well as loans it has taken in the past and can ’ t fully repay .
Virgin Atlantic , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has administrative offices in Atlanta , Georgia and a team in New York as well .
( Virgin America , a different airline run by Branson focused on the US market , was bought by Alaska airlines in 2017 . )
The airline will run out of cash if the plan isn ’ t approved The company has an asset management firm waiting to loan it £170 million ( $ 222 million ) to stop the immediate financial bleeding as soon as the five-year plan gets the okay from stakeholders and creditors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue plan comes from shareholders , including £200 million ( $ 261 million ) from Branson ’ s larger Virgin Group , cost savings , and possibly private investors .
In court filings , Virgin Atlantic ’ s lawyers say the company already has support for the plan from a “ substantial proportion of its stakeholders.
” “ The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on not only [ Virgin Atlantic ] , but the aviation industry as a whole , occasioning the near shutdown of the global passenger aviation industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in the filing .
“ While [ Virgin Atlantic ] has taken various measures to manage its liquidity in light of the unprecedented financial and operating conditions it faces , a more comprehensive recapitalization is necessary to secure the future of its business and ensure that it is able to meet its liabilities and funding requirements beyond mid-September 2020 .
”

Virgin Atlantic Airways has filed for bankruptcy protection for its United States business, as it tries to nail down a £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) rescue plan announced last month. It’s the second of Richard Branson’s airlines to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic, after Virgin Australia filed for “administration” — a form of bankruptcy in countries like Australia and England — earlier this year.
Virgin Atlantic filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Chapter 15 is a way for foreign companies to let US bankruptcy courts recognize restructuring efforts happening abroad. The company is not yet going out of business or liquidating its operations, which is what Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection is for.
That said, Virgin Atlantic told a London court that it will run out of cash next month if the rescue plan is not approved. In particular, Virgin Atlantic is trying to renegotiate leases on most of its planes as well as loans it has taken in the past and can’t fully repay. Virgin Atlantic, which operates mostly in the United Kingdom, has administrative offices in Atlanta, Georgia and a team in New York as well. (Virgin America, a different airline run by Branson focused on the US market, was bought by Alaska airlines in 2017.)
The airline will run out of cash if the plan isn’t approved
The company has an asset management firm waiting to loan it £170 million ($222 million) to stop the immediate financial bleeding as soon as the five-year plan gets the okay from stakeholders and creditors. The rest of the value of the rescue plan comes from shareholders, including £200 million ($261 million) from Branson’s larger Virgin Group, cost savings, and possibly private investors. In court filings, Virgin Atlantic’s lawyers say the company already has support for the plan from a “substantial proportion of its stakeholders.”


theverge--2020-08-05--Quibi launches a completely free ad-supported tier in Australia, New Zealand

Quibi is beginning to offer a completely free tier to subscribers in Australia and New Zealand as the struggling streaming company tries to build its subscriber base .
An email sent to customers in Australia , shared with The Verge , notes that for subscribers in both Australia and New Zealand , Quibi is “ now offering an ad-supported free plan so you can choose the right option for you.
” The company is also rolling out a cheaper subscription tier — going from $ 12.99 to $ 6.99 AUD ( roughly $ 9 to $ 5 in USD ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly reduced ” price and is rolling existing customers into the plan .
It ’ s unclear if Quibi has plans to launch a free , ad-supported tier in other countries , but The Verge has reached out for more information .
“ No need to take action , just enjoy the extra six bucks , ” the email reads .
It ’ s a big move for Quibi — one that comes less than six months after the service launched .
Quibi ’ s faced a difficult road .
The company is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and none of its series have managed to make a splash in the mainstream market .
The streamer did secure 10 primetime Emmy nominations but exclusively in short-form categories typically dominated by YouTube originals .
To say that Quibi didn ’ t launch with its own version of The Mandalorian or even Love Life would be the biggest understatement .
That ’ s part of the issue Quibi is facing .
Quibi charges $ 4.99 a month in the United States for an ad-supported plan and $ 7.99 a month for subscribers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads .
Eight dollars a month makes it more expensive than Disney Plus , and $ 5 a month puts it in line with Apple TV Plus — another streaming service trying to find its footing but has at least found some early success with The Morning Show .
An ad-supported free tier is something every media critic and analyst has yelled at Quibi to explore , even before the streaming service launched .
It ’ s incredibly hard to get people to sign up for a service , especially in an oversaturated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it ’ s even harder without a library of popular IP , a big show to draw people in , and attention around the platform in general .
Anecdotally , I have never heard anyone outside Media Twitter and Tech Twitter talk about Quibi .
A free tier will hopefully bring new subscribers in for Quibi — subscribers that it desperately needs .
There are some hurdles that Quibi will have to figure out .
For example , since all of its content is under 10 minutes , forcing people to sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nightmare user experience .
But if Quibi can manage to bring subscribers in and hold them there until Quibi figures out what its breakout show is , the streamer could see some growth .
As I noted last month : A free tier would help Quibi scale its subscriber count and bring people in who might be put off by the price ( or risk of getting charged after a trial ) .
Consumers are more likely to open an app and watch an episode or two if they ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed is cleared and new tweets are read , why not open Quibi ?
A free tier would act as a bridge of sorts : it would encourage more people to download the app , sign up , and watch videos while Quibi figures out its content plan .
Quibi can start testing new pricing models once it finds a hit , but Quibi needs a constant , sizable audience to do so .
Quibi still has a long road ahead of it , but a free tier might just hold the company @ @

Quibi is beginning to offer a completely free tier to subscribers in Australia and New Zealand as the struggling streaming company tries to build its subscriber base.
An email sent to customers in Australia, shared with The Verge, notes that for subscribers in both Australia and New Zealand, Quibi is “now offering an ad-supported free plan so you can choose the right option for you.” The company is also rolling out a cheaper subscription tier — going from $12.99 to $6.99 AUD (roughly $9 to $5 in USD). The company calls it a “significantly reduced” price and is rolling existing customers into the plan. It’s unclear if Quibi has plans to launch a free, ad-supported tier in other countries, but The Verge has reached out for more information.
“No need to take action, just enjoy the extra six bucks,” the email reads.
It’s a big move for Quibi — one that comes less than six months after the service launched. Quibi’s faced a difficult road. The company is struggling to grow its subscriber base, and none of its series have managed to make a splash in the mainstream market. The streamer did secure 10 primetime Emmy nominations but exclusively in short-form categories typically dominated by YouTube originals. To say that Quibi didn’t launch with its own version of The Mandalorian or even Love Life would be the biggest understatement.
That’s part of the issue Quibi is facing. Quibi charges $4.99 a month in the United States for an ad-supported plan and $7.99 a month for subscribers who don’t want to deal with ads. Eight dollars a month makes it more expensive than Disney Plus, and $5 a month puts it in line with Apple TV Plus — another streaming service trying to find its footing but has at least found some early success with The Morning Show.
An ad-supported free tier is something every media critic and analyst has yelled at Quibi to explore, even before the streaming service launched. It’s incredibly hard to get people to sign up for a service, especially in an oversaturated market like the one that exists today; it’s even harder without a library of popular IP, a big show to draw people in, and attention around the platform in general. Anecdotally, I have never heard anyone outside Media Twitter and Tech Twitter talk about Quibi.
A free tier will hopefully bring new subscribers in for Quibi — subscribers that it desperately needs. There are some hurdles that Quibi will have to figure out. For example, since all of its content is under 10 minutes, forcing people to sit through a barrage of ads could become a nightmare user experience. But if Quibi can manage to bring subscribers in and hold them there until Quibi figures out what its breakout show is, the streamer could see some growth. As I noted last month:
A free tier would help Quibi scale its subscriber count and bring people in who might be put off by the price (or risk of getting charged after a trial). Consumers are more likely to open an app and watch an episode or two if they’re not paying for it; once their Instagram feed is cleared and new tweets are read, why not open Quibi? A free tier would act as a bridge of sorts: it would encourage more people to download the app, sign up, and watch videos while Quibi figures out its content plan. Quibi can start testing new pricing models once it finds a hit, but Quibi needs a constant, sizable audience to do so.
Quibi still has a long road ahead of it, but a free tier might just hold the company over.


theverge--2020-08-05--Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Unpacked event live blog

Samsung is holding an online-only “ Unpacked ” event to announce its latest products .
We ’ re expecting the Note 20 , Note 20 Ultra , Galaxy Buds Live , Galaxy Watch 3 , Tab S7 and S7 Plus tablets , and maybe even a new Galaxy Z Fold foldable .
It ’ s going to be a lot .
Samsung has a history of throwing supremely ostentatious live events , but going for an overwhelming media experience isn ’ t really going to work when everybody ’ s just watching a live stream at home .
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle it because the last actual in-person event many people in the consumer tech world got to go to was Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 reveal .
Here ’ s to hoping we can expect a little Weird Samsung .
It ’ s been too long since the company let itself get truly strange at an event , and we could all stand to live in the surreal for an hour or so .
You can watch along right here and read our live blog of the announcements as they happen .
Watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ background

Samsung is holding an online-only “Unpacked” event to announce its latest products. We’re expecting the Note 20, Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch 3, Tab S7 and S7 Plus tablets, and maybe even a new Galaxy Z Fold foldable. It’s going to be a lot.
Samsung has a history of throwing supremely ostentatious live events, but going for an overwhelming media experience isn’t really going to work when everybody’s just watching a live stream at home. We don’t yet know how Samsung will handle it because the last actual in-person event many people in the consumer tech world got to go to was Samsung’s Galaxy S20 reveal.
Here’s to hoping we can expect a little Weird Samsung. It’s been too long since the company let itself get truly strange at an event, and we could all stand to live in the surreal for an hour or so.
You can watch along right here and read our live blog of the announcements as they happen.
Samsung Unpacked fall 2020 live blog


theverge--2020-08-05--Ninja returns to Twitch for first time since Mixer shut down

Ninja is back on Twitch — for the moment , at least .
Tyler “ Ninja ” Blevins started streaming Fortnite on his Twitch account Wednesday morning , nearly a year to the day after he left the service for an exclusivity deal with Mixer .
It ’ s the first time that Blevins has streamed on Twitch since leaving .
With Mixer shutting down last month , Ninja has been released from his contract and is free to stream where he ’ d like .
So far , he seems to be testing the waters and showing streaming services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling in impressive numbers .
His Twitch stream neared 100,000 viewers just 15 minutes after it went live .
His debut stream on YouTube last month now has more than 4 million views .
There ’ s no indication that Blevins has an exclusivity deal with Twitch or any other platform at this point .
After signing to Mixer , Ninja kicked off a contract battle as the biggest platforms competed to lock down top streamers .
With Mixer and Microsoft ’ s big budget out of the picture , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue , but there ’ s still huge competition in the space .
YouTube and Facebook Gaming has grown significantly over the past year , and with no place he ’ s required to be , Blevins seems to be checking out his options .

Ninja is back on Twitch — for the moment, at least. Tyler “Ninja” Blevins started streaming Fortnite on his Twitch account Wednesday morning, nearly a year to the day after he left the service for an exclusivity deal with Mixer. It’s the first time that Blevins has streamed on Twitch since leaving.
With Mixer shutting down last month, Ninja has been released from his contract and is free to stream where he’d like. So far, he seems to be testing the waters and showing streaming services that he’s still capable of pulling in impressive numbers. His Twitch stream neared 100,000 viewers just 15 minutes after it went live. His debut stream on YouTube last month now has more than 4 million views.


theverge--2020-08-05--NASA astronaut on SpaceX Crew Dragon return: ‘Sounded like an animal’

As NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley careened to Earth inside SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon capsule on Sunday , the two said that the vehicle truly came “ alive ” when it plunged through Earth ’ s atmosphere .
The capsule vibrated , jolted , and roared while the surrounding air heated up and scorched the outside of the vehicle — and the astronauts got it all on tape .
“ I did record some audio of it , but it doesn ’ t sound like a machine .
It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the thrusters and the atmospheric noise , ” Behnken said during a press conference following the landing .
“ It just continues to gain magnitude as you descend down through the atmosphere.
” “ It doesn ’ t sound like a machine , it sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere.
” Both Behnken and Hurley made history in late May when they launched to the International Space Station inside SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon , becoming the first two people to fly in the vehicle and the first crew to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space capsule .
The two named their capsule Endeavour , after the Space Shuttle that Behnken and Hurley both previously flew in .
After launch , Behnken said the ride was pretty lively , arguing that the Crew Dragon lived up to its namesake .
“ Dragon was huffing and puffing all the way into orbit , and we were definitely driving or riding a Dragon all the way up , ” he said while on station .
Two months after arriving at the ISS , the duo returned to Earth in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capsule undocked from the space station on Saturday evening and slowly distanced itself from the ISS , before taking a harrowing dive through the planet ’ s atmosphere and then splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday afternoon .
Behnken noted that their trip was relatively smooth between undocking and the start of the dive , since he and Hurley were still in space , orbiting Earth .
But the process of getting out of orbit became a vigorous one .
Just an hour before landing , the Crew Dragon ejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece of hardware that provided support during the mission .
The capsule then fired its onboard thrusters , taking the vehicle out of orbit and setting it on course for Earth .
Soon after , the Crew Dragon heated up immensely as it careened through the planet ’ s upper atmosphere , experiencing temperatures of up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit .
Eventually , it deployed a series of parachutes to slow the capsule down so that it could touch down gently in the water off of Pensacola .
“ Very much like getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a baseball bat ” The astronauts could really feel each of those important steps , according to Behnken , who described them in vivid detail .
“ All the separation events — from the trunk separation through the parachute firings — were very much like getting hit in the back of a chair with a baseball bat , you know , just a crack , ” he said .
“ And then you get some sort of a motion associated with that usually , pretty light for the trunk separation .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty significant jolt.
” The Crew Dragon splashed down at around 2:48PM ET on Sunday , and SpaceX recovery vessels quickly met up with the capsule to get Behnken and Hurley out of the water .
Soon after , recreational boats swarmed the area , defying restrictions from the US Coast Guard in order to get a close view of the capsule .
The astronauts said they weren ’ t really aware of them while inside the Crew Dragon .
“ [ Atmospheric ] reentry is a pretty demanding environment as you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the windows were not spared any of that , ” Hurley said .
“ The look out the windows , you could basically tell that it was daylight but very little else .
So we didn ’ t really see anything clearly out of the windows until the SpaceX recovery crews got near with the fast boats , and then we can see a head or two out there.
” The two said that there were really no big surprises with the landing Overall , the two said that there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thanks to all of the training and simulations they had done leading up to the mission .
“ My credit once again is to the folks at SpaceX — the production folks , the people that put Endeavour together and then certainly our training folks , ” Hurley said at the press conference .
“ The mission went just like the simulators ... from start to finish all the way — there was really no surprises.
” Now that Behnken and Hurley ’ s trip is over , NASA will spend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from this mission in order to certify the Crew Dragon for regular trips to and from the station .
In fact , SpaceX is already slated to fly its next Crew Dragon in mid- to late-September , carrying a crew of four NASA astronauts to the ISS .
Behnken and Hurley believe that the Crew Dragon is more than ready for those flights once that analysis is done .
“ I think for both of us , it still feels pretty surreal.
” “ From a crew perspective , I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next crew ] is ready when they finish the engineering and analysis associated with certification , ” Behnken said .
Hurley noted that SpaceX and NASA plan to sync up video of Crew Dragon ’ s launch and landing along with the crew ’ s audio from inside the capsule .
“ That will be passed on for multiple crews for them to use , ” he said .
Now that they ’ re back on solid ground , the two hope to spend time with their families , but they say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of SpaceX ’ s first crewed mission to orbit .
“ I think for both of us , it still feels pretty surreal and I know that ’ s a little bit overused but I don ’ t know how else to describe it , ” Hurley said .
“ One minute , you ’ re bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico and , you know , less than two days later you ’ re in a news conference .
”

As NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley careened to Earth inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on Sunday, the two said that the vehicle truly came “alive” when it plunged through Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule vibrated, jolted, and roared while the surrounding air heated up and scorched the outside of the vehicle — and the astronauts got it all on tape.
“I did record some audio of it, but it doesn’t sound like a machine. It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere with all the puffs that are happening from the thrusters and the atmospheric noise,” Behnken said during a press conference following the landing. “It just continues to gain magnitude as you descend down through the atmosphere.”
“It doesn’t sound like a machine, it sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere.”
Both Behnken and Hurley made history in late May when they launched to the International Space Station inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, becoming the first two people to fly in the vehicle and the first crew to travel to orbit in a privately made space capsule. The two named their capsule Endeavour, after the Space Shuttle that Behnken and Hurley both previously flew in. After launch, Behnken said the ride was pretty lively, arguing that the Crew Dragon lived up to its namesake. “Dragon was huffing and puffing all the way into orbit, and we were definitely driving or riding a Dragon all the way up,” he said while on station.
Photo by Bill Ingalls / NASA
Two months after arriving at the ISS, the duo returned to Earth in the Crew Drago over the weekend. The capsule undocked from the space station on Saturday evening and slowly distanced itself from the ISS, before taking a harrowing dive through the planet’s atmosphere and then splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday afternoon.
Behnken noted that their trip was relatively smooth between undocking and the start of the dive, since he and Hurley were still in space, orbiting Earth. But the process of getting out of orbit became a vigorous one. Just an hour before landing, the Crew Dragon ejected its attached trunk — a large cylindrical piece of hardware that provided support during the mission. The capsule then fired its onboard thrusters, taking the vehicle out of orbit and setting it on course for Earth. Soon after, the Crew Dragon heated up immensely as it careened through the planet’s upper atmosphere, experiencing temperatures of up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Eventually, it deployed a series of parachutes to slow the capsule down so that it could touch down gently in the water off of Pensacola.
“Very much like getting hit in the back of a chair with a baseball bat”
The astronauts could really feel each of those important steps, according to Behnken, who described them in vivid detail. “All the separation events — from the trunk separation through the parachute firings — were very much like getting hit in the back of a chair with a baseball bat, you know, just a crack,” he said. “And then you get some sort of a motion associated with that usually, pretty light for the trunk separation. But with the parachutes, it was a pretty significant jolt.”
Photo by Bill Ingalls / NASA
The Crew Dragon splashed down at around 2:48PM ET on Sunday, and SpaceX recovery vessels quickly met up with the capsule to get Behnken and Hurley out of the water. Soon after, recreational boats swarmed the area, defying restrictions from the US Coast Guard in order to get a close view of the capsule. The astronauts said they weren’t really aware of them while inside the Crew Dragon. “[Atmospheric] reentry is a pretty demanding environment as you know with the different scorches on the vehicle, and the windows were not spared any of that,” Hurley said. “The look out the windows, you could basically tell that it was daylight but very little else. So we didn’t really see anything clearly out of the windows until the SpaceX recovery crews got near with the fast boats, and then we can see a head or two out there.”
The two said that there were really no big surprises with the landing
Overall, the two said that there were really no big surprises with the landing, thanks to all of the training and simulations they had done leading up to the mission. “My credit once again is to the folks at SpaceX — the production folks, the people that put Endeavour together and then certainly our training folks,” Hurley said at the press conference. “The mission went just like the simulators...from start to finish all the way — there was really no surprises.”
Photo by Bill Ingalls / NASA
Now that Behnken and Hurley’s trip is over, NASA will spend the upcoming weeks looking at all of the data from this mission in order to certify the Crew Dragon for regular trips to and from the station. In fact, SpaceX is already slated to fly its next Crew Dragon in mid- to late-September, carrying a crew of four NASA astronauts to the ISS. Behnken and Hurley believe that the Crew Dragon is more than ready for those flights once that analysis is done.
“I think for both of us, it still feels pretty surreal.”
“From a crew perspective, I think we’re perfectly comfortable saying that [the next crew] is ready when they finish the engineering and analysis associated with certification,” Behnken said. Hurley noted that SpaceX and NASA plan to sync up video of Crew Dragon’s launch and landing along with the crew’s audio from inside the capsule. “That will be passed on for multiple crews for them to use,” he said.


theverge--2020-08-05--Instagram launches Reels, its attempt to keep you off TikTok

With TikTok ’ s future uncertain , Instagram is hoping to lure some creators away with the rollout of a direct competitor , Reels , which is launching in more than 50 countries today , including the US , UK , Japan , and Australia , on both iOS and Android .
Similar to TikTok , Reels lets people create short-form videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers and discovered while browsing the app .
It ’ s the newest opportunity for Instagram to bring in users , increase the amount of time people spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish itself as a video entertainment platform .
Reels allows people to record videos up to 15 seconds long and add popular music , as well as an array of filters and effects , over top of them .
For creators looking to use Instagram Reels as a new way to build a following , Instagram has revamped its Explore page to create a specific landing spot for Reels at the top of the screen that people can vertically scroll through — similar to TikTok ’ s “ For You Page.
” Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you want to become the next Charli D ’ Amelio , having a public profile will allow your Reels to be widely discovered .
For people who want to share with friends , Reels created under private accounts will only post to a person ’ s Feed and Stories .
The feature lives entirely inside of Instagram ; it ’ s not a new app .
The launch of Reels comes as TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States by President Donald Trump or a possible partial acquisition by Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among the troubles in its path , accusing the company of plagiarizing its product with Instagram Reels .
Robby Stein , Instagram ’ s product director , said that while TikTok popularized the short video format , the two products are different .
“ I think TikTok deserves a ton of credit for popularizing formats in this space , and it ’ s just great work , ” Stein told The Verge .
“ But at the end of the day , no two products are exactly alike , and ours are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar line to people who remember when Instagram first launched Stories in 2016 , and the company was accused of creating a Snapchat clone .
Stein said that his team received “ very similar feedback when we launched Stories.
” But Instagram Stories quickly surpassed Snapchat in daily users and has continued to be a massively successful product .
That history of success is one of the strongest reasons for Instagram ’ s team to think it can pull Reels off .
TikTok did it first , but maybe Instagram can do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on what Stein believes Instagram does best : creating easy-to-use technology for whoever wants to make a video .
When opening Instagram to make a Reel , people will be able to slide to a new section of the camera that comes with an assortment of tools .
Reels can be recorded either all at once or as a series of clips , or people can upload videos from their photo gallery .
The camera ’ s new features are similar to TikTok ’ s , with options to mess with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a timer , and add audio .
Instagram ’ s product team is “ really positioning Instagram camera around a few core formats , ” according to Stein .
Stories is designed as more of a social feature — quick little snippets people want to share with their followers .
Reels is designed with entertainment in mind , an area that Instagram wants to really focus on .
Part of that focus includes the redesign of Instagram ’ s Explore page .
More than 50 percent of people use Instagram ’ s Explore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and now there ’ ll be a dedicated hub for Reels .
This is essentially Reels ’ equivalent of the “ For You Page ” on TikTok , a place for creators to possibly go viral or find new followers .
“ We ’ re going big with entertainment and [ making Explore ] the permanent place for you to go lean back , relax , and be inspired every day , ” Stein said .
“ It ’ s our hope that with this format we have a new chapter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference from TikTok is its tie-ins to the overarching Instagram ecosystem , Stein says .
People can send Reels to their friends directly on Instagram and they can use Instagram-specific AR filters and tools — everything that people want to do is part of an existing network .
TikTok and Instagram are more than camera products , though .
They ’ re communities for established and burgeoning creators .
Stein said the company ’ s main goal is to “ support the entire creator ecosystem , ” including giving creators the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding new tools to make their videos pop .
For now , though , Instagram won ’ t be paying popular creators for their videos , as TikTok has started to offer .
TikTok is starting to pay some creators , but Instagram has no plans to pay yet Instagram already allows for influencers and creators to earn revenue through brand deals and sponsored posts , but Instagram doesn ’ t directly pay people for content .
TikTok didn ’ t either until very recently .
The company announced last month that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund in the US to pay top creators for their videos .
TikTok is hoping to expand that fund north of $ 1 billion .
The message is simple : we want you to stay on TikTok and create for TikTok , and we ’ re going to pay you to do it .
Stein had “ nothing to share ” for now about direct payments to creators , but he stressed that allowing people to monetize is important .
There are a few other features that Reels will not have at launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ duet ” with each other — a core TikTok feature that lets people interact with , build upon , and remix videos .
Instagram also won ’ t allow people to upload songs directly into the app ’ s system .
Musicians looking to use the app as a place to make a song go viral “ can add original audio by just recording and that can live on later , ” Stein said , adding that “ other people could use it and remix it , ” but the actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reels isn ’ t its own world like TikTok is or Vine was .
It ’ s another thing to do on Instagram and another way to find entertainment beyond scrolling through Stories and our Feeds .
That lack of focus might seem like a weakness , but Stein sees it differently .
“ I think one of the really fun parts of this , ” he says , “ is it ’ s just another format on Instagram .
”

With TikTok’s future uncertain, Instagram is hoping to lure some creators away with the rollout of a direct competitor, Reels, which is launching in more than 50 countries today, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia, on both iOS and Android.
Similar to TikTok, Reels lets people create short-form videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers and discovered while browsing the app. It’s the newest opportunity for Instagram to bring in users, increase the amount of time people spend in the app every day, and establish itself as a video entertainment platform.
Reels allows people to record videos up to 15 seconds long and add popular music, as well as an array of filters and effects, over top of them. For creators looking to use Instagram Reels as a new way to build a following, Instagram has revamped its Explore page to create a specific landing spot for Reels at the top of the screen that people can vertically scroll through — similar to TikTok’s “For You Page.”
Both private and public options are available. If you want to become the next Charli D’Amelio, having a public profile will allow your Reels to be widely discovered. For people who want to share with friends, Reels created under private accounts will only post to a person’s Feed and Stories. The feature lives entirely inside of Instagram; it’s not a new app.
The launch of Reels comes as TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States by President Donald Trump or a possible partial acquisition by Microsoft. ByteDance also said Sunday that Facebook was among the troubles in its path, accusing the company of plagiarizing its product with Instagram Reels. Robby Stein, Instagram’s product director, said that while TikTok popularized the short video format, the two products are different.
“I think TikTok deserves a ton of credit for popularizing formats in this space, and it’s just great work,” Stein told The Verge. “But at the end of the day, no two products are exactly alike, and ours are not either.”
That’s a familiar line to people who remember when Instagram first launched Stories in 2016, and the company was accused of creating a Snapchat clone. Stein said that his team received “very similar feedback when we launched Stories.” But Instagram Stories quickly surpassed Snapchat in daily users and has continued to be a massively successful product. That history of success is one of the strongest reasons for Instagram’s team to think it can pull Reels off. TikTok did it first, but maybe Instagram can do it better.
Part of that strategy is focusing on what Stein believes Instagram does best: creating easy-to-use technology for whoever wants to make a video. When opening Instagram to make a Reel, people will be able to slide to a new section of the camera that comes with an assortment of tools. Reels can be recorded either all at once or as a series of clips, or people can upload videos from their photo gallery. The camera’s new features are similar to TikTok’s, with options to mess with the speed, apply special effects, set a timer, and add audio.
Instagram’s product team is “really positioning Instagram camera around a few core formats,” according to Stein. Stories is designed as more of a social feature — quick little snippets people want to share with their followers. Reels is designed with entertainment in mind, an area that Instagram wants to really focus on. Part of that focus includes the redesign of Instagram’s Explore page. More than 50 percent of people use Instagram’s Explore page in a month, Stein said, and now there’ll be a dedicated hub for Reels. This is essentially Reels’ equivalent of the “For You Page” on TikTok, a place for creators to possibly go viral or find new followers.
“We’re going big with entertainment and [making Explore] the permanent place for you to go lean back, relax, and be inspired every day,” Stein said. “It’s our hope that with this format we have a new chapter of entertainment on Instagram.”
Reels’ biggest difference from TikTok is its tie-ins to the overarching Instagram ecosystem, Stein says. People can send Reels to their friends directly on Instagram and they can use Instagram-specific AR filters and tools — everything that people want to do is part of an existing network.
TikTok and Instagram are more than camera products, though. They’re communities for established and burgeoning creators. Stein said the company’s main goal is to “support the entire creator ecosystem,” including giving creators the ability to scale their reach on the platform and adding new tools to make their videos pop. For now, though, Instagram won’t be paying popular creators for their videos, as TikTok has started to offer.
TikTok is starting to pay some creators, but Instagram has no plans to pay yet
Instagram already allows for influencers and creators to earn revenue through brand deals and sponsored posts, but Instagram doesn’t directly pay people for content. TikTok didn’t either until very recently. The company announced last month that it’s starting a $200 million fund in the US to pay top creators for their videos. TikTok is hoping to expand that fund north of $1 billion. The message is simple: we want you to stay on TikTok and create for TikTok, and we’re going to pay you to do it. Stein had “nothing to share” for now about direct payments to creators, but he stressed that allowing people to monetize is important.
There are a few other features that Reels will not have at launch. People won’t be able to “duet” with each other — a core TikTok feature that lets people interact with, build upon, and remix videos. Instagram also won’t allow people to upload songs directly into the app’s system. Musicians looking to use the app as a place to make a song go viral “can add original audio by just recording and that can live on later,” Stein said, adding that “other people could use it and remix it,” but the actual song can’t be uploaded directly.


theverge--2020-08-05--TikTok is banning deepfakes to better protect against misinformation

TikTok is establishing new moderation policies today to better protect its platform against misinformation , election interference , and other forms of manipulative content ahead of the 2020 election .
The company , which is currently embroiled in an unprecedented acquisition negotiation with Microsoft following threats of a US ban , says it now explicitly bans deepfakes .
Deepfakes are artificial intelligence-powered manipulations of audio and video designed to mislead people about something someone may have done or said .
“ We ’ re adding a policy which prohibits synthetic or manipulated content that misleads users by distorting the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause harm , ” Vanessa Pappas , the general manager of TikTok ’ s US operation , writes in a blog post published Wednesday .
“ Our intent is to protect users from things like shallow or deep fakes , so while this kind of content was broadly covered by our guidelines already , this update makes the policy clearer for our users.
” Deepfakes are most commonly associated with face-swapping videos used to create pornographic content .
They do not presently appear to be in use by any major political campaign , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reelection campaign have created or shared less sophisticated edits and other deceptive content , often taken from right-wing meme makers , that has been labeled similarly misleading .
“ Our intent is to protect users from things like shallow or deep fakes.
” Still , the techniques to create deepfakes have only grown in sophistication and ease of use in recent years , and the technology has raised concerns deepfakes may be at some point be used to to make deceptive edits of politicians saying or expressing support for things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many major social media platforms and even some states have banned deepfakes for use in political advertising as a result .
The policies used to ban deepfakes are often broad enough to also include any manipulated video intended to cause harm , as TikTok ’ s new policy is crafted .
That makes these deepfake bans less about the specific AI-powered tech itself and more about defending against the use of deceptive video of any kind to tarnish political opponents online .
Those types of less sophisticated edits , especially those favored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallen under a new category Pappas mentioned above : shallow fakes , or not quite full-blown AI-powered video or audio generation , but instead selective and deceptive editing that can sometimes be equally as harmful .
TikTok already bans political ads , but the company says this deepfake ban is intended to make it even harder to use its platform to push deceptive media for political gain .
As part of the same rollout of new moderation policies , TikTok is making more explicit its ban on “ coordinated inauthentic behavior , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bot accounts that mislead people about the identity of the account holder with the purpose of trying to sway public opinion or exert some other form of influence like sowing political divisions over hot-button topics .
TikTok says it ’ s also expanding its fact-checking partnerships with PolitiFact and Lead Stories “ to fact check potential misinformation related to the 2020 US election , ” and it ’ s adding an election misinformation option to its in-app reporting mechanism to let users flag suspicious content or accounts .
The app will also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to point users toward reputable information on the race , voting , and other related topics .
The company also highlighted its partnership with the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Countering Foreign Influence Task Force as another front in its fight against foreign interference .

TikTok is establishing new moderation policies today to better protect its platform against misinformation, election interference, and other forms of manipulative content ahead of the 2020 election. The company, which is currently embroiled in an unprecedented acquisition negotiation with Microsoft following threats of a US ban, says it now explicitly bans deepfakes. Deepfakes are artificial intelligence-powered manipulations of audio and video designed to mislead people about something someone may have done or said.
“We’re adding a policy which prohibits synthetic or manipulated content that misleads users by distorting the truth of events in a way that could cause harm,” Vanessa Pappas, the general manager of TikTok’s US operation, writes in a blog post published Wednesday. “Our intent is to protect users from things like shallow or deep fakes, so while this kind of content was broadly covered by our guidelines already, this update makes the policy clearer for our users.”
Deepfakes are most commonly associated with face-swapping videos used to create pornographic content. They do not presently appear to be in use by any major political campaign, although the White House and President Trump’s reelection campaign have created or shared less sophisticated edits and other deceptive content, often taken from right-wing meme makers, that has been labeled similarly misleading.
“Our intent is to protect users from things like shallow or deep fakes.”
Still, the techniques to create deepfakes have only grown in sophistication and ease of use in recent years, and the technology has raised concerns deepfakes may at some point be used to to make deceptive edits of politicians saying or expressing support for ideas that may discredit them or harm their reputations. Many major social media platforms and even some states have banned deepfakes for use in political advertising as a result.
The policies used to ban deepfakes are often broad enough to also include any manipulated video intended to cause harm, as TikTok’s new policy is crafted. That makes these deepfake bans less about the specific AI-powered tech itself and more about defending against the use of deceptive video of any kind to tarnish political opponents online. Those types of less sophisticated edits, especially those favored by the Trump campaign, fall under a new category Pappas mentioned above: shallow fakes, or not quite full-blown AI-powered video or audio generation, but instead selective and deceptive editing that can sometimes be equally as harmful.
TikTok already bans political ads, but the company says this deepfake ban is intended to make it even harder to use its platform to push deceptive media for political gain. As part of the same rollout of new moderation policies, TikTok is making more explicit its ban on “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” which is the use of fake and bot accounts that mislead people about the identity of the account holder with the purpose of trying to sway public opinion or exert some other form of influence like sowing political divisions over hot-button topics.


theverge--2020-08-05--LastPass can now proactively tell you if your passwords have been compromised — for a price

Password management service LastPass can now proactively tell you if your logins have been compromised in data breaches — but only if you ’ re a paid LastPass subscriber .
The tool comes as part of a new security dashboard designed to give you a better understanding of the strength of all of your passwords .
The new “ dark web monitoring ” tool actively checks your logins against Enzoic ’ s database ( previously PasswordPing , who LastPass started partnering with in 2017 ) .
If the monitoring tool finds one of your logins in the database , LastPass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dashboard and by sending you an email .
That alert will show you which site was breached and will link out to that website so you can change your password .
The new security dashboard , on the other hand , will be available for free and paid LastPass users The new security dashboard , on the other hand , will be available for free and paid LastPass users , and it can tell you which of your passwords are weak , reused , or otherwise at-risk .
The updated dashboard takes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool that also recommended which passwords you should change ( including those that had been compromised as reported by Enzoic ’ s database ) , but required you to run it manually every time you wanted to check .
LastPass says the new dashboard is now available on desktop and will be available in the company ’ s mobile apps in the coming weeks .
You can already get similar monitoring tools from other password managers , such as the paid service 1Password , or you can check yourself to see if a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Have I Been Pwned database .
And Apple plans to offer password monitoring in Safari for free as part of iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur .
But LastPass ’ s new features could be beneficial to those who already rely on the service to help keep track of their passwords .

Password management service LastPass can now proactively tell you if your logins have been compromised in data breaches — but only if you’re a paid LastPass subscriber. The tool comes as part of a new security dashboard designed to give you a better understanding of the strength of all of your passwords.
The new “dark web monitoring” tool actively checks your logins against Enzoic’s database (previously PasswordPing, who LastPass started partnering with in 2017). If the monitoring tool finds one of your logins in the database, LastPass will alert you in the new security dashboard and by sending you an email. That alert will show you which site was breached and will link out to that website so you can change your password.
The new security dashboard, on the other hand, will be available for free and paid LastPass users
The new security dashboard, on the other hand, will be available for free and paid LastPass users, and it can tell you which of your passwords are weak, reused, or otherwise at-risk. The updated dashboard takes the place of the Security Challenge, a tool that also recommended which passwords you should change (including those that had been compromised as reported by Enzoic’s database), but required you to run it manually every time you wanted to check. LastPass says the new dashboard is now available on desktop and will be available in the company’s mobile apps in the coming weeks.


theverge--2020-08-05--Unagi launches $39-a-month subscription for its stylish electric scooters

Unagi , which makes one of the most stylish electric scooters on the market today , is the latest company to try its hand at a subscription service .
Unagi has always operated under the belief that people who are sick of wonky scooter-sharing services , with their broken vehicles and unreliability , would rather own a scooter than rent one .
Not only that , but Unagi figures there are enough people in the world willing to shell out $ 1,000 for a really fancy-looking electric scooter that ’ s been endorsed by famous musicians like Chance the Rapper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 turning some people off to sharing scooters altogether and even more people strapped for cash , the company realized it needed an alternative to personal ownership , especially for those who are intrigued by electric scooters but not enough to shell out a G-note for one .
Deliveries are guaranteed to arrive within 24 hours Thus , we ’ ve got Unagi All Access , the Oakland , California-based company ’ s subscription service that ’ s set to launch on August 5th in New York City and Los Angeles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get one of Unagi ’ s sleek electric two-wheelers delivered to their front door .
Deliveries are guaranteed to arrive within 24 hours , Unagi CEO David Hyman tells me .
Maintenance and insurance for scooter theft or damage are also covered by the monthly fee .
There will be an initial service fee of $ 50 , which brings the first month ’ s cost up to $ 89 .
But Unagi is also offering an annual plan that comes out to just $ 34 a month for those who think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least a year .
Unagi isn ’ t the first scooter company to dip its toes into the world of subscriptions .
Bird and Lime have been experimenting with subscriptions for their shared electric scooters with mixed results .
And electric bikes are jumping on the subscription bandwagon , too , with Dance in Berlin and Swapfiets and VanMoof as well .
Subscriptions have been a mixed bag for the auto industry .
Ford walked away from its service last fall following low demand .
Cadillac shut down its service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resurrect it several months later with fewer options .
Other automakers have had some success .
BMW , Porsche , Audi , Volvo , Nissan , and Jaguar are still offering some variation of a subscription service .
Even the big car rental companies , Hertz and Enterprise , are getting in on the action .
Most of these subscriptions are only available in specific cities and are still in the pilot phase .
Hyman thinks Unagi can have more success with subscriptions , mainly because of his own personal experience with subscription @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MOG , a pioneering music subscription service that he eventually sold to Beats by Dre in 2012 for a reported $ 14 million .
Hyman and the majority of his team joined Beats after the buyout , and MOG ultimately evolved into Beats Music .
He also served as CEO of Beats for seven months in 2012 , before allegedly getting ousted prior to the sale to Apple .
Hyman later sued Beats founder Dr. Dre for $ 20 million , alleging he was pushed out to avoid having to pay him his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a real estate company before launching Unagi in 2018 .
“ I launched one of the first subscription services in the world , ” Hyman said .
“ We were the first to do unlimited downloads , we had so many firsts .
”

Unagi, which makes one of the most stylish electric scooters on the market today, is the latest company to try its hand at a subscription service.
Unagi has always operated under the belief that people who are sick of wonky scooter-sharing services, with their broken vehicles and unreliability, would rather own a scooter than rent one. Not only that, but Unagi figures there are enough people in the world willing to shell out $1,000 (actually $990) for a really fancy-looking electric scooter that’s been endorsed by famous musicians like Chance the Rapper and Billie Eilish.
But now, with COVID-19 turning some people off to sharing scooters altogether and even more people strapped for cash, the company realized it needed an alternative to personal ownership, especially for those who are intrigued by electric scooters but not enough to shell out a G-note for one.
Deliveries are guaranteed to arrive within 24 hours
Thus, we’ve got Unagi All Access, the Oakland, California-based company’s subscription service that’s set to launch on August 5th in New York City and Los Angeles. For $39 a month, customers can get one of Unagi’s Model One dual-motor electric two-wheelers delivered to their front door. Deliveries are guaranteed to arrive within 24 hours, Unagi CEO David Hyman tells me, and maintenance and insurance for scooter theft or damage are also included in the monthly fee.
There will be an initial service fee of $50, which brings the first month’s cost up to $89. But Unagi is also offering an annual plan that comes out to just $34 a month for those who think they may want to have the scooter for at least a year.
“From a pricing perspective, put it in context: $39 a month is $1.40 a day,” Hyman says. “If you get a Lime or Bird [scooter], it’s five bucks a ride... So this is a fraction of the cost and you get a much nicer ride.”
Despite the addition of another motor, the scooter is still comparatively lightweight, clocking in at only 26 pounds. The scooter has three drive modes: Beginner (9-11 mph); Advanced (13-15 mph); and Professional (15-19 mph). The lithium-ion battery allows for a range of up to 15.5 miles. And Unagi is using a blend of aluminum and carbon fiber for the frame.
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
Unagi also offers a financing option for a little over $45 a month. But Hyman says his market research suggests the subscription option is more appealing to consumers. “When we created that subscription option and let people choose the, the number of people that chose subscription was incredible,” he said.
Unagi isn’t the first scooter company to dip its toes into the world of subscriptions. Bird and Lime have been experimenting with subscriptions for their shared electric scooters with mixed results. And electric bikes are jumping on the subscription bandwagon, too, with Dance in Berlin and Swapfiets and VanMoof as well.
Subscriptions have been a mixed bag for the auto industry. Ford walked away from its service last fall following low demand. Cadillac shut down its service, Book, in 2018, only to resurrect it several months later with fewer options.
Other automakers have had some success. BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volvo, Nissan, and Jaguar are still offering some variation of a subscription service. Even the big car rental companies, Hertz and Enterprise, are getting in on the action. Most of these subscriptions are only available in specific cities and are still in the pilot phase.
Hyman thinks Unagi can have more success with subscriptions, mainly because of his own personal experience with subscription services. He was the founder of MOG, a pioneering music subscription service that he eventually sold to Beats by Dre in 2012 for a reported $14 million. Hyman and the majority of his team joined Beats after the buyout, and MOG ultimately evolved into Beats Music.
He also served as CEO of Beats for seven months in 2012, before allegedly getting ousted prior to the sale to Apple. Hyman later sued Beats founder Dr. Dre for $20 million, alleging he was pushed out to avoid having to pay him his share of the company. He worked at a real estate company before launching Unagi in 2018.
“I launched one of the first subscription services in the world,” Hyman said. “We were the first to do unlimited downloads, we had so many firsts.”