theverge--2020-02-06--How big tech companies could team up to stop deepfakes

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Thanks to everyone who came out for last night ’ s sold-out event with Anna Wiener !
We can ’ t wait to meet even more of you at our next Interface Live .
Expect details soon !
The president was narrowly acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate on Wednesday , as Republican partisans refused to even hear evidence in the case .
The move ushered in a legitimately scary new era of American politics , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to indulge his most corrupt and authoritarian impulses , with little to no reason to fear that the legislative branch will hold him in check .
( He celebrated acquittal by tweeting a graphic showing him staying in power for tens of thousands of years . )
The institutions that prop up our democracy — that uphold the rule of law — are eroding .
That ’ s one reason why the spread of misinformation , hate speech , and other malicious content on social platforms has felt like such a crisis in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chunk of our political discourse takes place on , or is informed by , what we see on Facebook , YouTube , and Twitter .
As they ’ ve grown in size and influence , they ’ ve all become institutions in their own right .
An open question is whether they can have a positive effect in upholding democratic values and the rule of law — or whether they will accelerate the polarization of the electorate until it reaches some awful breaking point .
For that reason , around here we pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight disinformation .
To be sure , even a perfect information environment doesn ’ t guarantee a good outcome in a democracy — the case against Trump included multiple smoking guns , and Republican senators simply chose to ignore them — but governance benefits from a shared set of facts .
So let ’ s see what they ’ re up to .
On Monday , YouTube laid out its policies for handling disinformation .
None of the policies are new , but the announcement served as a kind of statement of purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa caucus .
Here ’ s Julia Alexander in The Verge : Tech platforms are generally loath to evaluate claims of truth , particularly those involving politicians , but the big three are all dead set on removing anything that gives the wrong date for an election .
Confidence in content moderation !
You love to see it .
On Tuesday , Twitter followed suit with some fresh new policies to counter disinformation — specifically , altered photos and videos , or as they are increasingly being called , synthetic media .
Beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will add labels or outright remove deepfaked tweets .
Here ’ s Davey Alba and Kate Conger in the New York Times : This is much more difficult than removing tweets that misstate the date of the election .
For one thing , it leaves open the question of how Twitter will handle parody and satire .
Still , I liked this quote from Yoel Roth , the company ’ s head of site integrity : “ Whether you ’ re using advanced machine learning tools or just slowing down a video using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our focus under this policy is to look at the outcome , not how it was achieved.
” Looking at the outcome is a useful frame for making individual policy decisions .
There are lots of terrible pieces of social content that are essentially harmless , because no one sees them .
And then there are the small few that go viral and do lots of damage .
It makes sense that Twitter would focus its moderation efforts at that level .
Promising to intervene in cases where there is serious harm isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also scalable .
Elsewhere , disinformation researcher Aviv Ovadya has some good suggestions for how tech platforms can respond to the threat of synthetic media .
My favorite : they could use their monopoly powers to require app developers to insert watermarks — which could then be easily detected by other tech monopolies .
Ovadya writes : A further lever that could make these controls more ubiquitous would be if the Apple and Google app stores required all synthetic media tools to implement them .
This would then have those companies impacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be created on their platforms .
Finally , a company like Facebook also take advantage of the existence of hidden watermarks to treat synthesized content differently , impacting distribution ( and governing their own influence ; though they may be able to offer some of that governing power to independent bodies , as they do with third party fact checkers ) .
All of these restrictions are limited in impact — for example , malicious actors might still find tools that don ’ t have any controls .
But with the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder to access and inferior in quality , as they may be more difficult to monetize if they are not available on popular platforms .
No mitigation to this challenge is a silver bullet .
We need defense-in-depth .
Many of the concerns I have about Big Tech are rooted in the sheer size of the companies , and all the unintended consequences that come with scale .
If the big guys want to show off the benefits that come with scale , insisting on an ecosystem that watermarks synthetic media could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : YouTube sent Clearview AI a letter demanding that the facial-recognition company stop scraping its site to build a database of faces for law enforcement .
Clearview ’ s CEO made clear he plans to fight it , though — and legal precedent is on his side .
Trending down : Instagram is still promoting anti-vaxx content .
It keeps saying that it has removed vaccine misinformation , but reporters keep finding it .
⭐ Cybersecurity experts examined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said it looked “ hastily thrown together ” and that it was built by someone who was “ following a tutorial.
” Drag them !
Jason Koebler , Joseph Cox , and Emanuel Maiberg of Vice explain what happened : Shadow , the company behind the Iowa caucus app , is part of a web of startups connected to the well-funded nonprofit Acronym .
Here ’ s how it landed a contract with the Iowa Democratic Party — and why the project went so wrong .
( Emily Glazer , Deepa Seetharaman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal ) The first legal challenge to Singapore ’ s law against online misinformation was rejected today .
It ’ s a blow to opponents who say the law is being used to stifle dissent before elections .
Which , y ’ know , it is .
The Justice Department is ramping up its antitrust probe of Google , reaching out to more than a dozen companies including publishers , advertising firms and agencies .
The move suggests Google ’ s online ad tools have become a major focus of the investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Wall Street Journal ) White House adviser Peter Navarro said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos backed out of a meeting the two had planned , regarding counterfeit products on the platform .
An Amazon spokeswoman said senior executives have met with Navarro and other White House officials “ on multiple occasions.
” ( Jeff Stein and Abha Bhattarai / The Washington Post ) Amazon ’ s search for government incentives for its second headquarters location was reportedly driven in part by Jeff Bezos ’ jealousy of Elon Musk .
Bezos wanted Amazon to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did when it opened its plant in Nevada .
( Spencer Soper , Matt Day , and Henry Goldman / Bloomberg ) California ’ s new privacy law has created a new market for privacy-focused startups .
They ’ re offering personal data scrubbing and software to help companies comply with the law .
( David Ingram / NBC ) Last year , Waymo re-classified some of its workers from contractors to vendors .
Now , those same workers are complaining about slashed benefits and unruly customers .
They say the company hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns .
( Colin Lecher and Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge ) Face masks are mandatory in at least two provinces in China , as the government tries to contain the coronavirus .
Now , residents are saying the masks trip up facial recognition technology , which is used for many everyday transactions .
( Anne Quito / Quartz ) Companies like WeChat and ByteDance are working to stop misinformation about the coronavirus in China .
They ’ re filling a void left by the government which has been slow to acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post ) Regulators in Ireland launched inquiries into Google and Tinder over how they process user data .
They currently have 23 ongoing inquiries into big US tech companies , which also include Facebook and Twitter .
( Associated Press ) ⭐ Facebook is shutting down the mobile web arm of its Audience Network starting on April 11 .
The network offered advertisers a way to extend their Facebook ad campaigns to a network of third-party apps .
Lara O ’ Reilly at Digiday explains the decision : Facebook issued a security advisory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could allow an attacker to remotely access files on a users ’ computer .
The company has shipped a new version of the app to fix the flaw .
( Sean Gallagher / Ars Technica ) Jeff Weiner announced he is stepping down as CEO of Linkedin , after 11 years running the company .
Ryan Roslansky , LinkedIn ’ s senior vice president of product , is taking over .
Weiner will become executive chairman — a fake job befitting a former CEO of LinkedIn .
( Nicholas Thompson / Wired ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has started pouring money into YouTube ads , after being kicked off Facebook last year .
The paper has been known to spread conspiracy theories .
( Kevin Roose / The New York Times ) YouTube has pledged to spend $ 100 million on kids programming .
It ’ s focused on videos that “ drive outcomes associated with the following character strengths ” : Courage , compassion , communication , gratitude , curiosity , humility , teamwork , integrity , perseverance , self-control , empathy and creativity .
Make the president watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) BuzzFeed is recruiting teenagers to make election-themed TikTok and Instagram videos .
The teen ambassadors will part part of the outlet ’ s 2020 coverage .
( Sarah Scire / NiemanLab ) Justin Bieber is really trying to make his song “ Yummy ” go viral on TikTok .
It ’ s the latest example of the platform ’ s cultural relevance — and of the way stars are eternally damned to master new platforms if they hope to maintain their place in the zeitgeist .
( Julia Alexander / The Verge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in revenue last year , the company ’ s latest earnings release shows .
Its parent company Match Group made $ 2.1 billion , meaning Tinder represents half its income .
( Ashley Carman / The Verge ) Tinder ’ s chief product officer , Ravi Mehta , has left the company after less than a year in the role .
He allegedly clashed with CEO Elie Seidman about the direction of the app .
Now Seidman will run the product team .
( Alex Heath / The Information ) Send us tips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be hopeful about American democracy .
Please !
casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

Thanks to everyone who came out for last night’s sold-out event with Anna Wiener! We can’t wait to meet even more of you at our next Interface Live. Expect details soon!
The president was narrowly acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate on Wednesday, as Republican partisans refused to even hear evidence in the case. The move ushered in a legitimately scary new era of American politics, in which Trump has effectively been given free rein to indulge his most corrupt and authoritarian impulses, with little to no reason to fear that the legislative branch will hold him in check. (He celebrated acquittal by tweeting a graphic showing him staying in power for tens of thousands of years.)
The institutions that prop up our democracy — that uphold the rule of law — are eroding. That’s one reason why the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and other malicious content on social platforms has felt like such a crisis in the past three years. An enormous chunk of our political discourse takes place on, or is informed by, what we see on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. As they’ve grown in size and influence, they’ve all become institutions in their own right. An open question is whether they can have a positive effect in upholding democratic values and the rule of law — or whether they will accelerate the polarization of the electorate until it reaches some awful breaking point.
For that reason, around here we pay attention when the platforms take action to fight disinformation. To be sure, even a perfect information environment doesn’t guarantee a good outcome in a democracy — the case against Trump included multiple smoking guns, and Republican senators simply chose to ignore them — but governance benefits from a shared set of facts. So let’s see what they’re up to.
On Monday, YouTube laid out its policies for handling disinformation. None of the policies are new, but the announcement served as a kind of statement of purpose ahead of the (disastrous!) Iowa caucus. Here’s Julia Alexander in The Verge:
When it comes to manipulated videos, YouTube will remove “content that has been technically manipulated or doctored in a way that misleads users (beyond clips taken out of context) and may pose a serious risk of egregious harm.” The company previously took down a video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that was manipulated to make her appear intoxicated. [...] Videos that also tell people incorrect information about voting, including trying to mislead people by using an incorrect voting date, are also not allowed. Neither are videos that advance “false claims related to the technical eligibility requirements for current political candidates and sitting elected government officials to serve in office.” YouTube will further terminate channels that attempt to impersonate another person or channel, or artificially increase the number of views, likes, and comments on a video.
Tech platforms are generally loath to evaluate claims of truth, particularly those involving politicians, but the big three are all dead set on removing anything that gives the wrong date for an election. Confidence in content moderation! You love to see it.
On Tuesday, Twitter followed suit with some fresh new policies to counter disinformation — specifically, altered photos and videos, or as they are increasingly being called, synthetic media. Beginning in March, Twitter said, it will add labels or outright remove deepfaked tweets. Here’s Davey Alba and Kate Conger in the New York Times:
To determine whether a tweet should be removed or labeled, Twitter said in a blog post, it will apply several tests: Is the media included with a tweet significantly altered or fabricated to mislead? Is it shared in a deceptive manner? In those cases, the tweet will probably get a label. But if a tweet is “likely to impact public safety or cause serious harm,” it will be taken down. Twitter said it might also show a warning to people before they engaged with a tweet carrying manipulated content, or limit that tweet’s reach.
This is much more difficult than removing tweets that misstate the date of the election. For one thing, it leaves open the question of how Twitter will handle parody and satire. Still, I liked this quote from Yoel Roth, the company’s head of site integrity: “Whether you’re using advanced machine learning tools or just slowing down a video using a 99-cent app on your phone, our focus under this policy is to look at the outcome, not how it was achieved.”
Looking at the outcome is a useful frame for making individual policy decisions. There are lots of terrible pieces of social content that are essentially harmless, because no one sees them. And then there are the small few that go viral and do lots of damage. It makes sense that Twitter would focus its moderation efforts at that level. Promising to intervene in cases where there is serious harm isn’t just sensible — it’s also scalable.
Elsewhere, disinformation researcher Aviv Ovadya has some good suggestions for how tech platforms can respond to the threat of synthetic media. My favorite: they could use their monopoly powers to require app developers to insert watermarks — which could then be easily detected by other tech monopolies. Ovadya writes:
A further lever that could make these controls more ubiquitous would be if the Apple and Google app stores required all synthetic media tools to implement them. This would then have those companies impacting creation and partially governing how synthetic media can be created on their platforms. Finally, a company like Facebook also take advantage of the existence of hidden watermarks to treat synthesized content differently, impacting distribution (and governing their own influence; though they may be able to offer some of that governing power to independent bodies, as they do with third party fact checkers). All of these restrictions are limited in impact — for example, malicious actors might still find tools that don’t have any controls. But with the right incentives, those tools are likely be harder to access and inferior in quality, as they may be more difficult to monetize if they are not available on popular platforms. No mitigation to this challenge is a silver bullet. We need defense-in-depth.
Many of the concerns I have about Big Tech are rooted in the sheer size of the companies, and all the unintended consequences that come with scale. If the big guys want to show off the benefits that come with scale, insisting on an ecosystem that watermarks synthetic media could be an excellent place to start.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: YouTube sent Clearview AI a letter demanding that the facial-recognition company stop scraping its site to build a database of faces for law enforcement. Clearview’s CEO made clear he plans to fight it, though — and legal precedent is on his side.
🔽 Trending down: Instagram is still promoting anti-vaxx content. It keeps saying that it has removed vaccine misinformation, but reporters keep finding it.
Governing
⭐ Cybersecurity experts examined The App from the doomed Iowa caucus and said it looked “hastily thrown together” and that it was built by someone who was “following a tutorial.” Drag them! Jason Koebler, Joseph Cox, and Emanuel Maiberg of Vice explain what happened:
Election security experts have been saying for years that we should not put election systems online, and that we shouldn’t be using apps to transmit results. And, if U.S. election officials are going to use apps like this, that they should be open to scrutiny and independent security audits. “We were really concerned about the fact there was so much opacity. I said over and over again trust is the product of transparency times communication. The DNC steadfastly refused to offer any transparency. It was hard to know what to expect except the worst,” Greg Miller, cofounder of the Open Source Election Technology Institute, which publicly warned the IDP against using the app weeks ago, told Motherboard.
Shadow, the company behind the Iowa caucus app, is part of a web of startups connected to the well-funded nonprofit Acronym. Here’s how it landed a contract with the Iowa Democratic Party — and why the project went so wrong. (Emily Glazer, Deepa Seetharaman and Alexa Corse / The Wall Street Journal)
The first legal challenge to Singapore’s law against online misinformation was rejected today. It’s a blow to opponents who say the law is being used to stifle dissent before elections. Which, y’know, it is.
The Justice Department is ramping up its antitrust probe of Google, reaching out to more than a dozen companies including publishers, advertising firms and agencies. The move suggests Google’s online ad tools have become a major focus of the investigation. (Keach Hagey and Rob Copeland / The Wall Street Journal)
White House adviser Peter Navarro said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos backed out of a meeting the two had planned, regarding counterfeit products on the platform. An Amazon spokeswoman said senior executives have met with Navarro and other White House officials “on multiple occasions.” (Jeff Stein and Abha Bhattarai / The Washington Post)
Amazon’s search for government incentives for its second headquarters location was reportedly driven in part by Jeff Bezos’ jealousy of Elon Musk. Bezos wanted Amazon to receive government handouts the size that Tesla did when it opened its plant in Nevada. (Spencer Soper, Matt Day, and Henry Goldman / Bloomberg)
California’s new privacy law has created a new market for privacy-focused startups. They’re offering personal data scrubbing and software to help companies comply with the law. (David Ingram / NBC)
Last year, Waymo re-classified some of its workers from contractors to vendors. Now, those same workers are complaining about slashed benefits and unruly customers. They say the company hasn’t been very responsive to their concerns. (Colin Lecher and Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge)
Face masks are mandatory in at least two provinces in China, as the government tries to contain the coronavirus. Now, residents are saying the masks trip up facial recognition technology, which is used for many everyday transactions. (Anne Quito / Quartz)
Companies like WeChat and ByteDance are working to stop misinformation about the coronavirus in China. They’re filling a void left by the government which has been slow to acknowledge the crisis. (South China Morning Post)
Regulators in Ireland launched inquiries into Google and Tinder over how they process user data. They currently have 23 ongoing inquiries into big US tech companies, which also include Facebook and Twitter. (Associated Press)
Industry
⭐ Facebook is shutting down the mobile web arm of its Audience Network starting on April 11. The network offered advertisers a way to extend their Facebook ad campaigns to a network of third-party apps. Lara O’Reilly at Digiday explains the decision:
The open web environment outside Facebook’s properties has changed significantly in the years since its Audience Network launched. The majority of browsers have now turned off third-party web tracking by default. And Google, whose web browser commands the largest market share, indicated last month that it plans to switch off support for third-party cookies within two years. That move would likely hamper Facebook’s Audience Network. The open real-time bidding environment is also under increasing scrutiny from regulators, particularly in Europe where the U.K.’s data protection authority has repeatedly called on ad tech companies to clean up their act or else face penalties under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Facebook issued a security advisory about a flaw in WhatsApp Desktop that could allow an attacker to remotely access files on a users’ computer. The company has shipped a new version of the app to fix the flaw. (Sean Gallagher / Ars Technica)
Jeff Weiner announced he is stepping down as CEO of Linkedin, after 11 years running the company. Ryan Roslansky, LinkedIn’s senior vice president of product, is taking over. Weiner will become executive chairman — a fake job befitting a former CEO of LinkedIn. (Nicholas Thompson / Wired)
The pro-Trump media outlet The Epoch Times has started pouring money into YouTube ads, after being kicked off Facebook last year. The paper has been known to spread conspiracy theories. (Kevin Roose / The New York Times)
YouTube has pledged to spend $100 million on kids programming. It’s focused on videos that “drive outcomes associated with the following character strengths”: Courage, compassion, communication, gratitude, curiosity, humility, teamwork, integrity, perseverance, self-control, empathy and creativity. Make the president watch it! (Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg)
BuzzFeed is recruiting teenagers to make election-themed TikTok and Instagram videos. The teen ambassadors will part part of the outlet’s 2020 coverage. (Sarah Scire / NiemanLab)
Justin Bieber is really trying to make his song “Yummy” go viral on TikTok. It’s the latest example of the platform’s cultural relevance — and of the way stars are eternally damned to master new platforms if they hope to maintain their place in the zeitgeist. (Julia Alexander / The Verge)
Tinder brought in $1.2 billion in revenue last year, the company’s latest earnings release shows. Its parent company Match Group made $2.1 billion, meaning Tinder represents half its income. (Ashley Carman / The Verge)
Tinder’s chief product officer, Ravi Mehta, has left the company after less than a year in the role. He allegedly clashed with CEO Elie Seidman about the direction of the app. Now Seidman will run the product team. (Alex Heath / The Information)
And finally...
It’s been a rough decade for Tyler.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-02-06--Netflix begins streaming data-saving AV1 videos on Android

Netflix is rolling out support for the new AV1 video codec in its Android app , which the company claims compresses video 20 percent more efficiently than the VP9 codec it currently uses .
The company says the codec can be enabled now for “ selected titles ” by enabling the “ Save Data ” option , although it doesn ’ t detail exactly which titles are supported .
Eventually , Netflix says it plans to roll out AV1 on all its platforms , and is working with device and chipset manufacturers to broaden compatibility .
AV1 is important not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but because the royalty-free video coding format has the support of the major tech players .
The group behind the standard , the Alliance for Open Media ( AOMedia ) , was founded in 2015 by a group of companies including Amazon , Google , Intel , Microsoft , and Netflix , and in 2018 Apple joined their efforts .
Apple is a particularly significant addition , since its devices don ’ t currently support the predominant VP9 standard , which is why you can ’ t watch YouTube in 4K on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pro .
Although Netflix notes that the plan is to eventually use AV1 across all platforms , it sounds like the codec is still in its early stages .
Restricting its use to the “ Save Data ” option , for example , suggests that it ’ s not the best choice for picture quality .
And , as Engadget notes , enabling the codec for YouTube playback generates a warning that “ Streaming AV1 in HD requires a powerful computer.
” That makes us wonder how AV1-encoded Netflix videos will impact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also the question of how many Android devices support the codec , which Netflix ’ s announcement doesn ’ t address .
We have contacted Netflix to ask for additional detail and will update this article when we hear back .

Netflix is rolling out support for the new AV1 video codec in its Android app, which the company claims compresses video 20 percent more efficiently than the VP9 codec it currently uses. The company says the codec can be enabled now for “selected titles” by enabling the “Save Data” option, although it doesn’t detail exactly which titles are supported. Eventually, Netflix says it plans to roll out AV1 on all its platforms, and is working with device and chipset manufacturers to broaden compatibility.
AV1 is important not just because it consumes less mobile data, but because the royalty-free video coding format has the support of the major tech players. The group behind the standard, the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), was founded in 2015 by a group of companies including Amazon, Google, Intel, Microsoft, and Netflix, and in 2018 Apple joined their efforts. Apple is a particularly significant addition, since its devices don’t currently support the predominant VP9 standard, which is why you can’t watch YouTube in 4K on devices like the Apple TV or iPad Pro.


theverge--2020-02-06--Huawei sues Verizon for alleged patent violations

Huawei has announced that it ’ s suing Verizon for alleged patent violations , marking the latest twist in the Chinese tech giant ’ s adversarial relationship with the US .
The lawsuit , filed in the Eastern and Western district courts in Texas , claims that Verizon is using 12 patents owned by Huawei without authorization .
The patents relate to network technology , with titles like “ Sending Method , Receiving and Processing Method and Apparatus for Adapting Payload Bandwidth for Data Transmission.
” None of them involve 5G , but a person familiar with the matter who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network functionality .
Huawei is the world ’ s biggest maker of telecoms equipment and often makes a point of highlighting its R & D expenditure , which reached almost 15 percent of the company ’ s revenue in 2018 at $ 15 billion .
“ We have no choice but to seek a legal remedy.
” “ Since 2015 , Huawei has received more than $ 1.4 billion dollars in patent license fees , ” the company says in a statement .
“ To date , it has also paid over $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patented technologies developed by industry peers .
80 percent of these license fees have gone to companies in the United States.
” “ Verizon ’ s products and services have benefited from patented technology that Huawei developed over many years of research and development , ” adds Huawei ’ s chief legal officer Song Liuping .
“ For years now we have successfully negotiated patent license agreements with many companies .
Unfortunately , when no agreement can be reached , we have no choice but to seek a legal remedy.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to last year , with The Wall Street Journal reporting in June that the Chinese company was demanding payment to license more than 200 patents .
The New York Times said licensing fees for these patents could amount to more than $ 1 billion .
A person familiar with the situation tells The Verge that Huawei isn ’ t demanding a specific sum because it would need more data from Verizon to work out an estimate , but it could stretch into hundreds of millions of dollars .
Huawei is focusing on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Verizon is using them and courts prefer to deal with smaller numbers at a time , the person says .

Huawei has announced that it’s suing Verizon for alleged patent violations, marking the latest twist in the Chinese tech giant’s adversarial relationship with the US. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern and Western district courts in Texas, claims that Verizon is using 12 patents owned by Huawei without authorization.
The patents relate to network technology, with titles like “Sending Method, Receiving and Processing Method and Apparatus for Adapting Payload Bandwidth for Data Transmission.” None of them involve 5G, but a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity describes them as crucial to network functionality. Huawei is the world’s biggest maker of telecoms equipment and often makes a point of highlighting its R&D expenditure, which reached almost 15 percent of the company’s revenue in 2018 at $15 billion.
“We have no choice but to seek a legal remedy.”
“Since 2015, Huawei has received more than $1.4 billion dollars in patent license fees,” the company says in a statement. “To date, it has also paid over $6 billion dollars for the legitimate use of patented technologies developed by industry peers. 80 percent of these license fees have gone to companies in the United States.”
“Verizon’s products and services have benefited from patented technology that Huawei developed over many years of research and development,” adds Huawei’s chief legal officer Song Liuping. “For years now we have successfully negotiated patent license agreements with many companies. Unfortunately, when no agreement can be reached, we have no choice but to seek a legal remedy.”
The dispute between Huawei and Verizon dates back to last year, with The Wall Street Journal reporting in June that the Chinese company was demanding payment to license more than 200 patents. The New York Times said licensing fees for these patents could amount to more than $1 billion.
A person familiar with the situation tells The Verge that Huawei isn’t demanding a specific sum because it would need more data from Verizon to work out an estimate, but it could stretch into hundreds of millions of dollars. Huawei is focusing on these 12 patents because it has strong evidence that Verizon is using them and courts prefer to deal with smaller numbers at a time, the person says.


theverge--2020-02-06--Nintendo says the coronavirus is delaying Switch production

Nintendo has informed consumers in its home market of Japan that production and shipments of the Switch console and accessories will experience delays due to the effect of the new coronavirus .
The Animal Crossing-themed variant of the Switch , which was only announced last week , has had its preorder availability pushed back from Saturday to an unspecified date .
The company apologizes for the trouble and says it ’ ll keep on monitoring the situation .
It ’ s not clear whether the delays will affect shipments elsewhere .
Nintendo specifically references hardware produced in China and sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company started diversifying its supply chain and building some units in Southeast Asia specifically for the US market to avoid US tariffs .
Most Switch consoles are said to be built by Foxconn , which is keeping its Chinese factories shuttered for at least another week .
Nintendo also warns that Ring Fit Adventure will experience further delays in Japan .
The popular new fitness RPG , which makes use of a pilates ring-style controller , had already been selling well domestically to the point that Nintendo ’ s president Shuntaro Furukawa apologized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to East Asia last week .

Nintendo has informed consumers in its home market of Japan that production and shipments of the Switch console and accessories will experience delays due to the effect of the new coronavirus. The Animal Crossing-themed variant of the Switch, which was only announced last week, has had its preorder availability pushed back from Saturday to an unspecified date. The company apologizes for the trouble and says it’ll keep on monitoring the situation.
It’s not clear whether the delays will affect shipments elsewhere. Nintendo specifically references hardware produced in China and sold in Japan, but last year the company started diversifying its supply chain and building some units in Southeast Asia specifically for the US market to avoid US tariffs. Most Switch consoles are said to be built by Foxconn, which is keeping its Chinese factories shuttered for at least another week.


theverge--2020-02-05--Unpublished writer decided  to cybersquat on a famous author’s website, and it backfired

An enterprising cybersquatter who is not Patrick deWitt has commandeered patrickdewitt.net in an attempt to attract attention for their own novel ( as first reported by LitHub ) .
And while the squatter has backed off some of his more audacious demands by scrubbing them from the website , screenshots and archived versions of the site still exist because this is the internet and that ’ s how things work around here .
It ’ s slightly different than what most people think of as cybersquatting , since the person currently in control of patrickdewitt.net doesn ’ t appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the site .
The person actually seems disappointed that so far , deWitt hasn ’ t even acknowledged the situation .
They just really , really want deWitt to read the excerpt of their unpublished novel , In God ’ s Silence , Them Devils Sang , which the morbidly curious can read on the fake website ( with disclaimers on every page stating “ this is not Patrick deWitt ” ) .
“ I don ’ t think [ deWitt ] even uses the internet ... ” The problem with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered , deWitt apparently doesn ’ t really use the internet much .
” I kinda thought I could blackmail his publishers into reading it , ” the squatter told Willamette Week .
“ Turns out I was wrong .
No one gave a fuck .
No one ’ s really emailed that website , except the odd confused person trying to tell him off for his characters being cruel to animals or some similar gibberish .
I don ’ t think [ deWitt ] even uses the internet.
” The Verge reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to be interviewed unless we agreed to keep them anonymous .
( We declined ) .
Since our initial email exchange , however , their more aggressive demands have been removed from the website ( but they live on elsewhere ) : The contact page has since been scrubbed of everything except “ this is not Patrick deWitt.
” Likewise , the “ about ” page used to have an appeal to deWitt , as an archived version of the page shows : PS .
Mr deWitt , If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me know .
I ’ m not trying to blackmail you , your producers , the publishing house or your literary agent .
I just want y ’ all to read my manuscript .
Oh fuck , I just realized that ’ s the dictionary definition of blackmail .
Sorry , I guess I just meant I don ’ t really give a fuck about money .
But that ’ s now gone , too .
Overall , the squatter ’ s plan seemed , at best , a little undercooked ; even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manuscript and somehow got it published , what was the next step ?
Remain anonymous forever ?
HarperCollins , the actual deWitt ’ s publisher , did not respond to an email from The Verge seeking comment .
It ’ s not clear what recourse deWitt or his representatives might have if they wanted to pursue the squatter , but under the Anti-Cybersquatting Piracy Act ( ACPA ) , a trademark owner can bring action against someone who registers a domain name for a variety of reasons including a bad faith intent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been easier to just start a blog ?

An enterprising cybersquatter who is not Patrick deWitt has commandeered patrickdewitt.net in an attempt to attract attention for their own novel (as first reported by LitHub). And while the squatter has backed off some of his more audacious demands by scrubbing them from the website, screenshots and archived versions of the site still exist because this is the internet and that’s how things work around here.
It’s slightly different than what most people think of as cybersquatting, since the person currently in control of patrickdewitt.net doesn’t appear to be asking for payment to return control of the site. The person actually seems disappointed that so far, deWitt hasn’t even acknowledged the situation. They just really, really want deWitt to read the excerpt of their unpublished novel, In God’s Silence, Them Devils Sang, which the morbidly curious can read on the fake website (with disclaimers on every page stating “this is not Patrick deWitt”).
“I don’t think [deWitt] even uses the internet...”
The problem with the scheme is that, as the squatter discovered, deWitt apparently doesn’t really use the internet much. ”I kinda thought I could blackmail his publishers into reading it,” the squatter told Willamette Week. “Turns out I was wrong. No one gave a fuck. No one’s really emailed that website, except the odd confused person trying to tell him off for his characters being cruel to animals or some similar gibberish. I don’t think [deWitt] even uses the internet.”
The Verge reached out to the squatter, who didn’t want to be interviewed unless we agreed to keep them anonymous. (We declined). Since our initial email exchange, however, their more aggressive demands have been removed from the website (but they live on elsewhere):
The contact page has since been scrubbed of everything except “this is not Patrick deWitt.” Likewise, the “about” page used to have an appeal to deWitt, as an archived version of the page shows:
PS. Mr deWitt, If you want the site back, just let me know. I’m not trying to blackmail you, your producers, the publishing house or your literary agent. I just want y’all to read my manuscript. Oh fuck, I just realized that’s the dictionary definition of blackmail. Sorry, I guess I just meant I don’t really give a fuck about money.
But that’s now gone, too. Overall, the squatter’s plan seemed, at best, a little undercooked; even if deWitt and his people read the manuscript and somehow got it published, what was the next step? Remain anonymous forever?
HarperCollins, the actual deWitt’s publisher, did not respond to an email from The Verge seeking comment. It’s not clear what recourse deWitt or his representatives might have if they wanted to pursue the squatter, but under the Anti-Cybersquatting Piracy Act (ACPA), a trademark owner can bring action against someone who registers a domain name for a variety of reasons including a bad faith intent to profit from the mark.


theverge--2020-02-06--Apple’s contract for indie repair shops is so invasive that some refuse to sign it

Last August , Apple announced it would let more indie repair shops buy genuine iPhone parts and tools so they could do common iPhone repairs .
It seemed like an exception to Apple ’ s tight restrictions around who it deems worthy of repairing your phone .
But it sounds like Apple drew up a contract so draconian that some shops are refusing to sign it , making us wonder whether Apple meant to assist the repair industry at all .
Vice obtained a copy of the contract , and the terms sound extremely invasive .
Apple can apparently do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop at any time to make sure it isn ’ t using knockoff repair parts , for example .
And if Apple finds that a shop used knockoff parts in more than two percent of its transactions , it might have to pay a lot of money — the contract says Apple can fine that shop $ 1,000 for each transaction that happened during that audit , period .
The shop would also have to reimburse Apple for its investigation .
Apple can supposedly request some customer information at any time And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the contract also reportedly lets Apple make inspections for up to five years after that shop leaves the program .
Repair shops are also supposedly required to give Apple customer information such as names , phone numbers , and home addresses whenever Apple asks .
Not all repair shops are refusing to sign the contract , though .
Some told Vice they appreciated how Apple was giving them a way to get parts from the manufacturer , and one shop owner said he would welcome the audits because “ I know everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fine and above board.
” The restrictive contract ultimately isn ’ t too surprising for Apple , which likes to keep its devices locked down and instead push users towards repairs at its stores or by authorized service providers .
Last year , for example , Apple began showing notices to some iPhone users who had third-party battery or screen replacements that said those parts couldn ’ t be verified as genuine — even if the parts actually were .
Apple also apparently successfully lobbied to postpone California ’ s right-to-repair bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to be moving in a more repair-friendly direction by letting independent repair shops buy genuine parts , the terms required to actually get those parts suggest that Apple ’ s stance toward third-party repairs hasn ’ t really changed all that much .

Last August, Apple announced it would let more indie repair shops buy genuine iPhone parts and tools so they could do common iPhone repairs. It seemed like an exception to Apple’s tight restrictions around who it deems worthy of repairing your phone. But it sounds like Apple drew up a contract so draconian that some shops are refusing to sign it, making us wonder whether Apple meant to assist the repair industry at all.
Vice obtained a copy of the contract, and the terms sound extremely invasive. Apple can apparently do unannounced audits and inspections of a repair shop at any time to make sure it isn’t using knockoff repair parts, for example. And if Apple finds that a shop used knockoff parts in more than two percent of its transactions, it might have to pay a lot of money — the contract says Apple can fine that shop $1,000 for each transaction that happened during that audit, period. The shop would also have to reimburse Apple for its investigation.
Apple can supposedly request some customer information at any time
And if a repair shop ever leaves the program, the contract also reportedly lets Apple make inspections for up to five years after that shop leaves the program. Repair shops are also supposedly required to give Apple customer information such as names, phone numbers, and home addresses whenever Apple asks.
Not all repair shops are refusing to sign the contract, though. Some told Vice they appreciated how Apple was giving them a way to get parts from the manufacturer, and one shop owner said he would welcome the audits because “I know everything in our house we’re selling is fine and above board.”
The restrictive contract ultimately isn’t too surprising for Apple, which likes to keep its devices locked down and instead push users towards repairs at its stores or by authorized service providers. Last year, for example, Apple began showing notices to some iPhone users who had third-party battery or screen replacements that said those parts couldn’t be verified as genuine — even if the parts actually were. Apple also apparently successfully lobbied to postpone California’s right-to-repair bill last year.


theverge--2020-02-06--Boeing’s passenger spacecraft actually suffered a second unknown software glitch during debut flight

Boeing ’ s new passenger spacecraft suffered a second major software bug during its debut flight to space in December — one that would have ended in a “ catastrophic spacecraft failure ” had it not been corrected .
Fortunately , Boeing patched the issue before it became a problem , but the issue has safety experts worried about the company ’ s ongoing oversight of its space vehicles .
The spacecraft under close scrutiny is Boeing ’ s new Starliner capsule , a vehicle designed to take crews to and from the International Space Station for NASA .
Boeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight on December 20th , without any people on board .
The flight was meant demonstrate the vehicle ’ s ability to get to space , dock with the International Space Station , and then return to Earth — all the major things it will have to do when astronauts are inside .
But the mission didn ’ t go quite as planned .
A software glitch during the launch prevented Starliner from firing its main engines at the right time , and the capsule got into the wrong orbit as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the space station and had to land much earlier than expected .
Now it seems that there was a second software glitch that Boeing caught while the Starliner was in orbit , according to NASA ’ s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel , which had a public meeting today .
While the details are fuzzy , the glitch would have caused the Starliner ’ s thrusters to needlessly fire while it descended to Earth , and the capsule would have moved uncontrollably .
“ The panel has a larger concern with the rigor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Boeing disclosed the first software bug during the launch , but both organizations have kept quiet on this second issue .
It was only made public today during the safety panel ’ s meeting .
NASA and Boeing did not provide comment to multiple requests prior to publication .
The Verge will update this post if more information becomes available .
Both Boeing and NASA are investigating the causes behind these software issues , according to the panel .
But panel members are worried about Boeing ’ s testing processes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s protocols surrounding management and handling of Starliner .
“ The panel has a larger concern with the rigor of Boeing ’ s verification processes , ” Paul Hill , a member of ASAP , said during the meeting .
In the meantime , NASA is still trying to figure out if it wants Boeing to repeat the uncrewed test flight of Starliner , since the vehicle never reached the space station .
It ’ s possible NASA may not require Boeing to do another test flight and instead let the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle .
That decision will be made in the coming weeks .

Boeing’s new passenger spacecraft suffered a second major software bug during its debut flight to space in December — one that would have ended in a “catastrophic spacecraft failure” had it not been corrected. Fortunately, Boeing patched the issue before it became a problem, but the issue has safety experts worried about the company’s ongoing oversight of its space vehicles.
The spacecraft is Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, which is designed to take crews to and from the International Space Station for NASA. Boeing launched the Starliner on its first test flight on December 20th, without any people on board. The flight was meant to demonstrate the vehicle’s ability to get to space, dock with the International Space Station, and then return to Earth — all of the major things it will have to do when astronauts are inside.
But the mission didn’t go quite as planned. A software glitch during the launch prevented Starliner from firing its main engines at the right time, and the capsule got into the wrong orbit as a result. The vehicle never made it to the space station and had to land much earlier than expected. Now it seems that there was a second software glitch that Boeing caught while the Starliner was in orbit, according to NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), which had a public meeting on Thursday. The glitch would have caused the Starliner’s thrusters to needlessly fire while it descended to Earth, and the capsule would have moved uncontrollably. This could have caused the Starliner to bump into another piece of equipment that it shed during the descent.
“The panel has a larger concern with the rigor of Boeing’s verification processes.”
NASA and Boeing disclosed the first software bug during the launch, but both organizations have kept quiet on this second issue until now. It was only made public during the safety panel’s meeting. In fact, after the Starliner landed in December, NASA assured the public that the landing had gone smoothly. “I can tell you this morning, we’re all very excited that a whole lot more things did go right — went very, very well as a matter of fact,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a press conference after the Starliner’s premature landing. There was no mention of the second software issue during the press conference.
Boeing’s Starliner after landing in New Mexico, following its short flight. Photo by Bill Ingalls / NASA
In a statement on Thursday night, Boeing told The Verge that it “investigated a valve mapping software issue, which was diagnosed and fixed in flight.” The company says the “error in the software would have resulted in an incorrect thruster separation and disposal burn,” adding that “what would have resulted from that is unclear.”
On Friday, NASA finally released a statement of its own, detailing how both software bugs went unnoticed before the launch, “despite multiple safeguards.” Flight controllers on the ground had to intervene in both issues to prevent Boeing from losing the vehicle. “Software defects, particularly in complex spacecraft code, are not unexpected,” NASA wrote in a blog post on Friday. “However, there were numerous instances where the Boeing software quality processes either should have or could have uncovered the defects. Due to these breakdowns found in design, code and test of the software, they will require systemic corrective actions.”
“they will require systemic corrective actions.”
Both Boeing and NASA are investigating the causes behind these software issues, and the space agency expects to have more definitive answers about what caused the glitches by the end of February. But the safety panel’s members are worried about Boeing’s testing processes, and they want NASA to look into the company’s protocols surrounding management and handling of Starliner. “The panel has a larger concern with the rigor of Boeing’s verification processes,” Paul Hill, a member of ASAP, said during the meeting.
NASA says it plans to perform an Organizational Safety Assessment of Boeing’s involvement in the Commercial Crew Program, the initiative to develop new private spacecraft to ferry NASA astronauts to and from the ISS. NASA has already conducted one of these for its other Commercial Crew provider, SpaceX. That review was triggered after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk smoked marijuana on Joe Rogan’s podcast, triggering concerns over the company’s workplace safety culture. At the time, Boeing also received an audit but only a limited one, according to The Washington Post. Now, it seems Boeing will get the full review.
In the meantime, NASA is still trying to figure out if it wants Boeing to repeat the uncrewed test flight of Starliner since the vehicle never reached the space station. It’s possible NASA may not require Boeing to do another test flight and will instead let the company proceed with putting astronauts on board the vehicle. In preparation for that decision, Boeing has reserved $410 million of its budget in case it needs to do the flight over. A decision on that will be made in the coming weeks.
Update February 6th, 7:40PM ET: Added statement from Boeing.


theverge--2020-02-06--Google reportedly testing Play Music’s best feature for YouTube Music

In 2018 , Google executive T. Jay Fowler confirmed on Twitter that the company planned to migrate Google Play Music subscriber catalogs , playlists , and preferences over to YouTube Music , which at the time it had just re-relaunched as its own paid streaming service with Fowler at the helm .
A few months shy of two years later , 9to5Google reports that Google has developed an internal beta version of YouTube Music that may add at least some of this long-awaited functionality .
Specifically , 9to5Google says the new version adds support for user-uploaded music — one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It might not sound exciting to everyone , but humor me for a moment .
Music streaming services have almost everything you might imagine listening to in the cloud .
But a user-uploaded music feature is great to have in those rare instances when a particular artist or album isn ’ t available to stream .
Being able to upload files yourself without having to use a different music app is wonderful .
There ’ s no indication as to whether this internal version of YouTube Music also includes playlist and preference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Verge has reached out to Google for comment on this development .
Google originally told The Verge it planned to transition Play Music subscribers to YouTube Music in 2019 .
That obviously didn ’ t happen , but this may be a sign that 2020 could be the year when YouTube Music absorbs more of its Google predecessor and becomes a serious music streaming service .

In 2018, Google executive T. Jay Fowler confirmed on Twitter that the company planned to migrate Google Play Music subscriber catalogs, playlists, and preferences over to YouTube Music, which at the time it had just re-relaunched as its own paid streaming service with Fowler at the helm. A few months shy of two years later, 9to5Google reports that Google has developed an internal beta version of YouTube Music that may add at least some of this long-awaited functionality.
Specifically, 9to5Google says the new version adds support for user-uploaded music — one of the best features of Google Play Music. It might not sound exciting to everyone, but humor me for a moment. Music streaming services have almost everything you might imagine listening to in the cloud. But a user-uploaded music feature is great to have in those rare instances when a particular artist or album isn’t available to stream. Being able to upload files yourself without having to use a different music app is wonderful.
There’s no indication as to whether this internal version of YouTube Music also includes playlist and preference migration, as was promised in 2018. The Verge has reached out to Google for comment on this development.


theverge--2020-02-06--Jeff Bezos is feuding with a White House economist

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is refusing to meet with White House adviser Peter Navarro and the trade czar is “ fuming , ” the Washington Post reported Wednesday .
It ’ s the latest feud in the never-ending saga of beef between Bezos and Donald Trump , who has leveled ongoing Twitter tirades against Amazon and the Bezos-owned Washington Post since 2016 .
According to the Post ’ s report , Navarro approached Bezos at an opulent Alfalfa Club dinner in Washington , DC last month in hopes of securing a meeting with the chief executive to discuss counterfeit products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long struggled with counterfeit listings , and works with US Customs in taking down the listings when they are identified .
Bezos reportedly responded , saying “ ‘ Just call Jay Carney ; tell him we ’ ll meet .
We ’ ll get it done.
” Carney is a former press secretary to President Barack Obama who now works in communications at Amazon .
Over the past few weeks , Amazon has repeatedly offered Navarro meetings with other senior-level company executives , but not Bezos .
These denials have enraged Navarro .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ main reason he wants to meet with Bezos is because he could “ in the blink of an eye , put a complete halt to the counterfeiting ” taking place on the Amazon platform .
“ It ’ s a rare occurrence where a single individual can have an enormous impact on the issue — but so far , it ’ s ‘ see no evil , ’ ” Navarro continued .
Then , of course , what could have been one day of headlines has rolled into two as Bezos himself took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicked off by Navarro , polling his followers on how he should have responded without naming the adviser .
Let ’ s say you ’ re at a big cocktail party and someone you don ’ t know comes up to you while you ’ re talking to your dad and girlfriend and asks for a meeting .
Let ’ s say this person is the kind of person who actually uses the word ‘ minions ’ to describe the people who work for you.
” One commenter speaks for us all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of here.
” Emily Birnbaum of The Hill asked Navarro on Thursday how he felt about Bezos ’ s Instagram message about him , and he responded : It ’ s not the first time Bezos has been ensnared in controversy created by members of the Trump administration .
President Trump himself frequently attacks the Washington Post for being owned by Bezos and curses the billionaire on Twitter .
Amazon is also in the middle of an enormous federal lawsuit , challenging the administration ’ s decision to award a $ 10 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 6:48 p.m. : Shortly after publication , an Amazon spokeswoman told The Verge , “ Senior Amazon executives met with administration officials , including Mr. Navarro , on multiple occasions to discuss our shared goal of combatting counterfeit goods .
We are eager to continue this collaboration and will make our executives available to meet as often as necessary to effectively address the issue .

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is refusing to meet with White House adviser Peter Navarro and the trade czar is “fuming,” the Washington Post reported Wednesday. It’s the latest feud in the never-ending saga of beef between Bezos and Donald Trump, who has leveled ongoing Twitter tirades against Amazon and the Bezos-owned Washington Post since 2016.
According to the Post’s report, Navarro approached Bezos at an opulent Alfalfa Club dinner in Washington, DC last month in hopes of securing a meeting with the chief executive to discuss counterfeit products on his platform. The company has long struggled with counterfeit listings, and works with US Customs in taking down the listings when they are identified.
Bezos reportedly responded, saying “‘Just call Jay Carney; tell him we’ll meet. We’ll get it done.” Carney is a former press secretary to President Barack Obama who now works in communications at Amazon. Over the past few weeks, Amazon has repeatedly offered Navarro meetings with other senior-level company executives, but not Bezos.
These denials have enraged Navarro. He told the Post yesterday that the main reason he wants to meet with Bezos is because he could “in the blink of an eye, put a complete halt to the counterfeiting” taking place on the Amazon platform. “It’s a rare occurrence where a single individual can have an enormous impact on the issue — but so far, it’s ‘see no evil,’” Navarro continued.
Then, of course, what could have been one day of headlines has rolled into two as Bezos himself took to Instagram to respond to the drama kicked off by Navarro, polling his followers on how he should have responded without naming the adviser.
Let’s say you’re at a big cocktail party and someone you don’t know comes up to you while you’re talking to your dad and girlfriend and asks for a meeting. Let’s say this person is the kind of person who actually uses the word ‘minions’ to describe the people who work for you.”
One commenter speaks for us all, writing, “Prime Now me out of here.”
Emily Birnbaum of The Hill asked Navarro on Thursday how he felt about Bezos’s Instagram message about him, and he responded:
A wonderfully banal passive aggressive post from the would-be author of ‘Zen and the Art of Counterfeit Trafficking.’ Simply meeting with a White House representative to discuss a very serious issue would have be so much more constructive.
It’s not the first time Bezos has been ensnared in controversy created by members of the Trump administration. President Trump himself frequently attacks the Washington Post for being owned by Bezos and curses the billionaire on Twitter. Amazon is also in the middle of an enormous federal lawsuit, challenging the administration’s decision to award a $10 billion Pentagon contract to Microsoft.


theverge--2020-02-06--The FCC’s broadband survey is missing 20 million people, a new study suggests

A new report estimates there are 42.8 million people in the US without broadband access , nearly twice the official estimate reached by the Federal Communication Commission .
The report was conducted by BroadbandNow , a company that helps consumers check their area for broadband availability .
In its 2019 report , the FCC estimated only 21.3 million Americans lacked broadband access .
BroadbandNow chose nine ISPs — which it does not name in the report— that had “ tools [ that ] allow users to enter an address and receive a response as to whether wired and/or fixed wireless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own tools showed service was not available for some 13 percent of the more than 11,000 addresses BroadbandNow used in its sample .
The way the FCC interprets the data is widely criticized The report states the company was not able to check availability for smaller , local ISPs , so “ conservatively assumed that residents of these addresses could receive broadband.
” Even though that reduced the number of people potentially “ unserved ” by broadband access , it still showed the FCC number was woefully low .
Rural areas feel this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa , for instance , only 77 percent of rural Iowans have access to high-speed fixed broadband according to the latest figures .
The reason for the discrepancy , the BroadbandNow report states , is the way the FCC interprets census data collected from ISPs on Form 477 ; basically , if an ISP provides service to at least one household in a census block , the FCC considers the whole census block as “ covered ” by that ISP .
A census block can include anywhere from 1,000 to 8,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The agency has revised the reporting rules for Form 477 , but it ’ s not clear if or when its information about broadband access will be updated .
BroadbandNow ’ s report is hardly the first to detail the problems with how the FCC estimates broadband access .
Companies like Microsoft have also accused the agency of overstating broadband access , leading many consumer groups and legislators to question the data .
Since BroadbandNow ’ s study uses a sample and is based partly on the reliability of ISPs ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only an estimate , but the research does seem to find more unserved Americans than the FCC .
The confusion about how many people lack internet access has potentially big ramifications .
This estimate is how the agency determines where to fund broadband expansion , which can have an impact particularly in rural parts of the country .
The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund has $ 20.4 billion slated to be distributed to areas unserved by ISPs starting later this year , based on the FCC ’ s data .
BroadbandNow ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a dent in the problem .

A new report estimates there are 42.8 million people in the US without broadband access, nearly twice the official estimate reached by the Federal Communication Commission. The report was conducted by BroadbandNow, a company that helps consumers check their area for broadband availability. In its 2019 report, the FCC estimated only 21.3 million Americans lacked broadband access.
BroadbandNow chose nine ISPs — which it does not name in the report— that had “tools [that] allow users to enter an address and receive a response as to whether wired and/or fixed wireless service is available.” The ISPs’ own tools showed service was not available for some 13 percent of the more than 11,000 addresses BroadbandNow used in its sample.
The way the FCC interprets the data is widely criticized
The report states the company was not able to check availability for smaller, local ISPs, so “conservatively assumed that residents of these addresses could receive broadband.” Even though that reduced the number of people potentially “unserved” by broadband access, it still showed the FCC number was woefully low. Rural areas feel this lack of internet access most acutely; in Iowa, for instance, only 77 percent of rural Iowans have access to high-speed fixed broadband according to the latest figures.
The reason for the discrepancy, the BroadbandNow report states, is the way the FCC interprets census data collected from ISPs on Form 477; basically, if an ISP provides service to at least one household in a census block, the FCC considers the whole census block as “covered” by that ISP. A census block can include anywhere from 1,000 to 8,000 people, with the average at about 4,000 people. The agency has revised the reporting rules for Form 477, but it’s not clear if or when its information about broadband access will be updated.
BroadbandNow’s report is hardly the first to detail the problems with how the FCC estimates broadband access. Companies like Microsoft have also accused the agency of overstating broadband access, leading many consumer groups and legislators to question the data.
Since BroadbandNow’s study uses a sample and is based partly on the reliability of ISPs’ own reporting tools, the resulting figure is only an estimate, but the research does seem to find more unserved Americans than the FCC.


theverge--2020-02-06--How to mute notifications and block ‘heavy’ ads in the latest version of Chrome

Google is in the process of rolling out the official build of Chrome 80 , its latest version , and while most of the upgrades are behind the scenes , there are a couple of features that can make surfing just a little better , and that can be enabled manually .
One of these will let you avoid all those annoying drop-down requests from websites asking you if you want to allow notifications , and the other will make your online travels just a bit faster by eliminating too-large ads .
First , make sure you have version 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ icon at the top right and select “ Help ” > “ About Google Chrome.
” • If the version of Chrome listed is 79 , then hit the button that will manually update .
After a minute or two , you should have updated to version 80 .
If , like me , you really hate those pop-up windows in new sites that urge you to permit notifications , there is now a way to make them less intrusive ( without having to shut off all notifications completely ) .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead get a quiet prompt on the bottom of the screen informing you that a notification has been blocked ( along with a small bubble on top that lets you allow the notification if you want to ) .
Google will apparently roll this feature out automatically for users who repeatedly refuse notifications .
However , if you don ’ t want to wait , there ’ s a way to activate it manually .
• First , send your browser to chrome : //flags/ # quiet-notification-prompts .
You ’ ll see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Enable it , and restart your browser .
• Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and then go to “ Settings ” > “ Advanced ” > “ Privacy and Security ” > “ Site Settings ” > “ Notifications.
” • Where previously there was just a toggle to turn notifications on and off , you ’ ll now also find a toggle labeled “ Use quieter messaging ( blocks notification prompts from interrupting you ) .
” Turn the toggle on , and you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wipe ads off its browser , it is making some strides to rein in the more intrusive .
A new feature called Heavy Ad Intervention will block any ads that take up too many system resources ( although the company is not clear on what “ too many ” consists of ) .
• Click on the button to the right of “ Heavy Ad Intervention ” and switch it to “ Enabled.
” Restart your browser .
This is a difficult feature to test , since it ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually be blocked .
But if only a few of the most performance-consuming advertisements are eliminated , it can ’ t be anything but an improvement .
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

Google is in the process of rolling out the official build of Chrome 80, its latest version, and while most of the upgrades are behind the scenes, there are a couple of features that can make surfing just a little better, and that can be enabled manually. One of these will let you avoid all those annoying drop-down requests from websites asking you if you want to allow notifications, and the other will make your online travels just a bit faster by eliminating too-large ads.
First, make sure you have version 80 of Chrome.
Click the three-dot icon at the top right and select “Help” > “About Google Chrome.”
If the version of Chrome listed is 79, then hit the button that will manually update. After a minute or two, you should have updated to version 80.
Quieter messaging
If, like me, you really hate those pop-up windows in new sites that urge you to permit notifications, there is now a way to make them less intrusive (without having to shut off all notifications completely).
According to 9to5Google, you can now arrange to instead get a quiet prompt on the bottom of the screen informing you that a notification has been blocked (along with a small bubble on top that lets you allow the notification if you want to). Google will apparently roll this feature out automatically for users who repeatedly refuse notifications. However, if you don’t want to wait, there’s a way to activate it manually.
First, send your browser to chrome://flags/#quiet-notification-prompts. You’ll see a feature called “Quieter notification permission prompts.” Enable it, and restart your browser.
Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and then go to “Settings” > “Advanced” > “Privacy and Security” > “Site Settings” > “Notifications.”
Where previously there was just a toggle to turn notifications on and off, you’ll now also find a toggle labeled “Use quieter messaging (blocks notification prompts from interrupting you).” Turn the toggle on, and you’re done.
Heavy Ad Intervention
While Google is not about to wipe ads off its browser, it is making some strides to rein in the more intrusive. A new feature called Heavy Ad Intervention will block any ads that take up too many system resources (although the company is not clear on what “too many” consists of).
To enable this feature:
In the address field, enter chrome://flags/#enable-heavy-ad-intervention.
Click on the button to the right of “Heavy Ad Intervention” and switch it to “Enabled.” Restart your browser.
This is a difficult feature to test, since it’s hard to say which or how many ads will actually be blocked. But if only a few of the most performance-consuming advertisements are eliminated, it can’t be anything but an improvement.


theverge--2020-02-06--The Outer Worlds Switch release delayed due to the coronavirus

Video game publisher Private Division is delaying its Nintendo Switch port of Obsidian Entertainment ’ s The Outer Worlds due to the coronavirus outbreak .
The company announced the news today via Twitter , adding that the virus is “ impacting the Virtuos team working on the port , ” and that they ’ d like to give them enough time to properly finish development .
The physical version will now be released via cartridge , too , following complaints over the boxed Switch product containing only a download code .
The coronavirus continues to have unexpected consequences on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told customers in Japan that production and shipments would be delayed due to supplies produced in China .
That includes the highly anticipated Animal Crossing-themed console .
Obsidian ’ s first-person RPG was originally expected to launch on Switch March 6th .
In a followup tweet , Private Division added that the Virtuos team is fine , “ but their office has remained closed during this time .
We ’ re working with the team to determine an updated development timeline , and will share more regarding a new launch date shortly.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of games like Dark Souls : Remastered and Final Fantasy XII : The Zodiac Age , is a company game developers and publishers contract to help them develop ports , and a number of its employees are based in the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Xi ’ an .

Video game publisher Private Division is delaying its Nintendo Switch port of Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds due to the coronavirus outbreak. The company announced the news today via Twitter, adding that the virus is “impacting the Virtuos team working on the port,” and that they’d like to give them enough time to properly finish development. The physical version will now be released via cartridge, too, following complaints over the boxed Switch product containing only a download code.
The coronavirus continues to have unexpected consequences on the game industry. Earlier today, Nintendo told customers in Japan that production and shipments would be delayed due to supplies produced in China. That includes the highly anticipated Animal Crossing-themed console. Obsidian’s first-person RPG was originally expected to launch on Switch March 6th.


theverge--2020-02-06--How to stop Netflix autoplay

How to stop Netflix autoplay

Netflix has finally answered the plea of many , many customers and now offers a way to disable autoplaying videos when you ’ re browsing the home screen .
If you ’ re tired of trailers for shows or movies starting to play whenever you briefly pause on a selection , this is the option you ’ ve been waiting for .
The important thing to know is that you can only change this setting by signing into Netflix with a web browser ; as of now , there ’ s no way to do it from the Netflix app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV .
But the process couldn ’ t be much easier .
• Sign into your Netflix account on the web .
• Click your profile photo in the upper right and choose “ Manage Profiles.
” • Choose the profile you want to disable autoplay for .
Beneath the options for your profile name , language , and parental controls , you ’ ll see a section for autoplay controls .
• You can uncheck “ Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices ” to prevent Netflix from automatically starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re streaming a TV series .
This option has been around for several years , but it ’ s possible you ’ ve never noticed it .
• You can also uncheck “ Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices ” to stop clips from playing when you ’ re navigating around the Netflix home screen and other sections of the service .
This is the new setting , the one that will let you browse the service without a trailer starting up every time you stop on a given show or movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across all the devices you ’ re using Netflix on .
However , the company notes you might sometimes notice a delay before your chosen setting takes effect .
To get around this , all you have to do is switch to another profile on your Netflix account and then switch right back to your own .
After that , autoplay should immediately be disabled ( if that ’ s your preference ) .
Once autoplay is off , you ’ ll be able to carry on with your indecisive scrolling through Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hopefully you ’ ll have an easier time picking something now that you won ’ t be bothered by videos playing everywhere you go .
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Netflix has finally answered the plea of many, many customers and now offers a way to disable autoplaying videos when you’re browsing the home screen. If you’re tired of trailers for shows or movies starting to play whenever you briefly pause on a selection, this is the option you’ve been waiting for.
The important thing to know is that you can only change this setting by signing into Netflix with a web browser; as of now, there’s no way to do it from the Netflix app on your smartphone, tablet, or TV. But the process couldn’t be much easier.
Sign into your Netflix account on the web.
Click your profile photo in the upper right and choose “Manage Profiles.”
Choose the profile you want to disable autoplay for. Beneath the options for your profile name, language, and parental controls, you’ll see a section for autoplay controls.
You can uncheck “Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices” to prevent Netflix from automatically starting up the next episode when you’re streaming a TV series. This option has been around for several years, but it’s possible you’ve never noticed it.
You can also uncheck “Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices” to stop clips from playing when you’re navigating around the Netflix home screen and other sections of the service. This is the new setting, the one that will let you browse the service without a trailer starting up every time you stop on a given show or movie.
Any changes you make will apply across all the devices you’re using Netflix on. However, the company notes you might sometimes notice a delay before your chosen setting takes effect. To get around this, all you have to do is switch to another profile on your Netflix account and then switch right back to your own. If that fails, log out of Netflix and log back in again. After that, autoplay should immediately be disabled (if that’s your preference).
Once autoplay is off, you’ll be able to carry on with your indecisive scrolling through Netflix’s many rows of entertainment options. Hopefully you’ll have an easier time picking something now that you won’t be bothered by videos playing everywhere you go.


theverge--2020-02-06--Uber lost $8.5 billion in 2019, but it thinks it can get profitable by the end of 2020

Uber reported its fourth quarter earnings on Thursday , in which it posted a net loss of $ 1.1 billion .
It was not quite as much as the previous quarter , when it lost $ 1.2 billion , or as stunning as Q2 , which saw Uber lose a jaw-dropping $ 5.2 billion in just three months .
Overall , Uber says it lost $ 8.5 billion in 2019 — a sign of just how steep Uber ’ s path to profitability will be .
That said , the company says it thinks it can finally eke out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of 2020 .
Of that Q4 loss of $ 1.1 billion , Uber says $ 243 million was due to stock-based compensation .
The company brought in $ 4.1 billion in revenue over the three-month period ending in December .
Gross bookings , or total customer payments to Uber before payments to drivers and other fees or discounts , grew to $ 18.1 billion , representing a 28 percent year-over-year growth .
Uber has been under pressure from investors to stem its enormous losses and show how it can start posting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both went public this year , have set records for the amount of money lost in the run-up to their respective IPOs .
And since going public , both companies have continued to lose money , raising questions about the long-term sustainability of app-based ride-hailing as a business .
Uber had to lay off around 1,000 workers last year amid restructuring efforts .
The company is also facing enormous pressure from regulators .
Uber is still struggling to comply with California ’ s groundbreaking new gig work law that makes it harder for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractors .
It also lost its license in London after regulators identified a “ pattern of failures.
” Originally , Uber said it was targeting 2021 as its first profitable year .
In a call with investors , Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he was challenging his employees to move the timeline for profitability up to the fourth quarter of 2020 .

Uber reported its fourth quarter earnings on Thursday, in which it posted a net loss of $1.1 billion. It was not quite as much as the previous quarter, when it lost $1.2 billion, or as stunning as Q2, which saw Uber lose a jaw-dropping $5.2 billion in just three months.
Overall, Uber says it lost $8.5 billion in 2019 — a sign of just how steep Uber’s path to profitability will be. That said, the company says it thinks it can finally eke out a profit on an adjusted based at the end of 2020.
Of that Q4 loss of $1.1 billion, Uber says $243 million was due to stock-based compensation. The company brought in $4.1 billion in revenue over the three-month period ending in December. Gross bookings, or total customer payments to Uber before payments to drivers and other fees or discounts, grew to $18.1 billion, representing a 28 percent year-over-year growth.
Uber has been under pressure from investors to stem its enormous losses
Uber has been under pressure from investors to stem its enormous losses and show how it can start posting a profit. Uber and Lyft, which both went public this year, have set records for the amount of money lost in the run-up to their respective IPOs. And since going public, both companies have continued to lose money, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of app-based ride-hailing as a business. Uber had to lay off around 1,000 workers last year amid restructuring efforts.
The company is also facing enormous pressure from regulators. Uber is still struggling to comply with California’s groundbreaking new gig work law that makes it harder for the company to classify drivers as independent contractors. It also lost its license in London after regulators identified a “pattern of failures.”


theverge--2020-02-06--Vaio’s SX12 is now the lightest 6-core laptop you can buy

Japanese manufacturer Vaio has released what looks to be the lightest laptop you can buy so far with a hexa-core chip .
The new SX12 is just 2.01 pounds — and it packs an Intel Core i7-10710U “ Comet Lake ” processor , featuring six cores and 12 threads .
There are laptops lighter than two pounds out there ( though there aren ’ t a lot ) .
The Acer Swift 7 , for example , is just 1.96 pounds .
In fact , the 1.92-pound Dynabook Portege X30L-G could be an even lighter laptop with the same hexacore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those looking for ultra-portability often have to make sacrifices when it comes to specs and performance — for instance , that Acer Swift 7 not only has fewer cores , but its dual-core Core i7 processor also had trouble handling everyday multitasking in our review .
It ’ s encouraging to see a six-core processor in such small frames , though we won ’ t know how well it performs until we ’ ve gotten our hands on a unit .
The SX12 is priced like a premium product .
The configuration with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more expensive than the Dell XPS 13 with the same processor , which starts at $ 1,349.99 .
You can also get the same model with a Core i5-10210U ( with only four cores ) and just 8GB RAM for $ 1,299 , downgrade to a 256GB SSD for $ 1,199 , or upgrade to a $ 2,199 version with both the Core i7 and a 1TB SSD .
The company claims that the hexa-core chip will improve the device ’ s performance by 40 percent compared to last year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , this could end up being an excellent machine .
Vaio also includes the 10710U in its upgraded version of the SX14 , its 14-inch ultrabook .
( At 2.34 pounds , the SX14 is also pretty light , though not quite as extreme for the 14-inch category . )
The SX14 performed decently well when we tested it last April — Verge editor Barbara Krasnoff found its performance “ quite satisfactory.
” That unit had an eighth-gen quad-core Core i7 .
There are a few other things to look forward to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having just about every port you might need , including a USB-C port , two USB 3.0 ports and a USB 3.1 port , an HDMI port , LAN , a VGA connector , an SD card slot , an AC power adapter , and a headphone jack .
Its camera also supports Windows Hello facial recognition .
Like the most recent XPS 13 , however , the new SX12 ’ s main attraction is the processor .
But it ’ s important to note that more cores doesn ’ t always mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack the cooling capacity to run at high speeds for long periods of time , which is a big part of the reason they don ’ t tend to sport hexa-core chips .
Vaio claims to be overcoming this obstacle with its “ TruePerformance ” technology , which it says enables laptops to handle longer spikes .
Also , in our tests of the XPS 13 , the very same 10710U chip performed worse than its quad-core “ Ice Lake ” counterparts at heavy creative tasks , including Photoshop work , because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ultimately , this release is a sign that Vaio thinks it can put a six-core chip in a two-pound laptop , and others seem to agree — but we won ’ t know if that makes for a good $ 1,599 machine until we ’ ve tested the thing ourselves .
Update February 2nd , 5:40PM ET : Added that the Dynabook Portege X30L-G may offer the same chip in an even lighter laptop when it arrives later this month .

Japanese manufacturer Vaio has released what looks to be the lightest laptop you can buy so far with a hexa-core chip. The new SX12 is just 2.01 pounds — and it packs an Intel Core i7-10710U “Comet Lake” processor, featuring six cores and 12 threads.
There are laptops lighter than two pounds out there (though there aren’t a lot). The Acer Swift 7, for example, is just 1.96 pounds. In fact, the 1.92-pound Dynabook Portege X30L-G could be an even lighter laptop with the same hexacore processor later this month.
But typically those looking for ultra-portability often have to make sacrifices when it comes to specs and performance — for instance, that Acer Swift 7 not only has fewer cores, but its dual-core Core i7 processor also had trouble handling everyday multitasking in our review. It’s encouraging to see a six-core processor in such small frames, though we won’t know how well it performs until we’ve gotten our hands on a unit.
Vaio
The SX12 is priced like a premium product. The configuration with the i7 is $1,599 — that’s more expensive than the Dell XPS 13 with the same processor, which starts at $1,349.99. You can also get the same model with a Core i5-10210U (with only four cores) and just 8GB RAM for $1,299, downgrade to a 256GB SSD for $1,199, or upgrade to a $2,199 version with both the Core i7 and a 1TB SSD.
The company claims that the hexa-core chip will improve the device’s performance by 40 percent compared to last year’s model. If they’re right, this could end up being an excellent machine. Vaio also includes the 10710U in its upgraded version of the SX14, its 14-inch ultrabook. (At 2.34 pounds, the SX14 is also pretty light, though not quite as extreme for the 14-inch category.) The SX14 performed decently well when we tested it last April — Verge editor Barbara Krasnoff found its performance “quite satisfactory.” That unit had an eighth-gen quad-core Core i7.
Vaio
There are a few other things to look forward to. The SX12 line is known for having just about every port you might need, including a USB-C port, two USB 3.0 ports and a USB 3.1 port, an HDMI port, LAN, a VGA connector, an SD card slot, an AC power adapter, and a headphone jack. Its camera also supports Windows Hello facial recognition.
Like the most recent XPS 13, however, the new SX12’s main attraction is the processor. But it’s important to note that more cores doesn’t always mean a faster machine. Thinner laptops often lack the cooling capacity to run at high speeds for long periods of time, which is a big part of the reason they don’t tend to sport hexa-core chips. Vaio claims to be overcoming this obstacle with its “TruePerformance” technology, which it says enables laptops to handle longer spikes.
Also, in our tests of the XPS 13, the very same 10710U chip performed worse than its quad-core “Ice Lake” counterparts at heavy creative tasks, including Photoshop work, because the Ice Lake chips feature upgraded integrated graphics.
Ultimately, this release is a sign that Vaio thinks it can put a six-core chip in a two-pound laptop, and others seem to agree — but we won’t know if that makes for a good $1,599 machine until we’ve tested the thing ourselves.


theverge--2020-02-07--iPhone maker Foxconn tells Shenzhen staff not to return to work

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has told employees at its Shenzhen HQ not to return to work on February 10th as planned , but to await further instruction , Bloomberg reports .
Meanwhile , a Foxconn subsidiary has refitted production lines in Shenzhen to make medical face masks for Foxconn workers , according to Reuters .
Both developments are meant to protect Foxconn workers and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Foxconn manufactures the majority of its iPhones in a separate location north of Shenzhen , in Zhengzhou , while others are assembled by Pegatron outside of Shanghai .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Shenzhen .
Bloomberg says it ’ s unclear if the Shenzhen policy extends to Foxconn ’ s other facilities .
“ We urge you not to return to Shenzhen ” “ To safeguard everyone ’ s health and safety and comply with government virus prevention measures , we urge you not to return to Shenzhen , ” the company wrote in a text message to employees , and seen by Bloomberg , “ We ’ ll update you on the situation in the city .
The company will protect everyone ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Foxconn says it has refit some of its production lines to produce medical face masks , according to Reuters .
The masks will initially be produced for use by its hundreds of thousands of employees , but by the end of the month the company hopes to be making two million masks a day .
As a major iPhone manufacturing partner , and China ’ s largest private employer , Foxconn ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak is seen as a key indicator of what impact the virus could have on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zhengzhou facility is meant to return to production on February 10th , although the company had said that employees returning from outside the province will be sequestered for 14 days , reports Bloomberg .

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has told employees at its Shenzhen HQ not to return to work on February 10th as planned, but to await further instruction, Bloomberg reports. Meanwhile, a Foxconn subsidiary has refitted production lines in Shenzhen to make medical face masks for Foxconn workers, according to Reuters. Both developments are meant to protect Foxconn workers and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Foxconn manufactures the majority of its iPhones in a separate location north of Shenzhen, in Zhengzhou, while others are assembled by Pegatron outside of Shanghai. Only a small amount are made by Foxconn in Shenzhen. Bloomberg says it’s unclear if the Shenzhen policy extends to Foxconn’s other facilities.
“We urge you not to return to Shenzhen”
“To safeguard everyone’s health and safety and comply with government virus prevention measures, we urge you not to return to Shenzhen,” the company wrote in a text message to employees, and seen by Bloomberg, “We’ll update you on the situation in the city. The company will protect everyone’s work-related rights and interests in the duration.”
Foxconn has also refit some of its production lines to produce medical face masks, according to Reuters. The masks will initially be produced for use by its hundreds of thousands of employees, but by the end of the month the company hopes to be making two million masks a day.


theverge--2020-02-07--WhatsApp dark mode for iPhone arrives in latest beta

WhatsApp is finally getting a dark mode soon on iPhone soon .
A new beta version of WhatsApp for iOS @ @ @ @ @ enabled , indicating that it will soon be available for all iPhone users .
MacRumors @ @ @ @ @ include a dark mode , although no beta testers have shared what the mode looks @ @ @ @ @ a long-awaited feature , though .
Most popular iOS apps have already been updated to @ @ @ @ @ WhatsApp is a big omission .
WhatsApp is also testing a similar dark theme for @ @ @ @ @ appeared in beta last month .
It ’ s easy to obtain the APK and @ @ @ @ @ risk ) the WhatsApp beta for Android , but iOS users have to join the @ @ @ @ @ been full for months .
With both iOS and Android beta versions of WhatsApp now @ @ @ @ @ it won ’ t be long until everyone can finally try it out .

WhatsApp is finally getting a dark mode soon on iPhone soon. A new beta version of WhatsApp for iOS has appeared with dark mode enabled, indicating that it will soon be available for all iPhone users. MacRumors reports that the testing notes include a dark mode, although no beta testers have shared what the mode looks like.
It’s a long-awaited feature, though. Most popular iOS apps have already been updated to include dark mode, and WhatsApp is a big omission. WhatsApp is also testing a similar dark theme for its Android app, which appeared in beta last month.