theverge--2020-10-22--Meet the 24-year-old who’s tracking every broken McDonald’s ice-cream machine in the US

We ’ ve all been there .
You ’ re craving a McFlurry , or a Shamrock Shake .
You drive to McDonald ’ s , excited to fill yourself up with cold and sugary goodness .
But when you finally make it to the counter , you hear those dreaded , devastating words : “ The ice cream machine is broken.
” A few hours ago , a 24-year-old software engineer launched McBroken , a website that aims to end such incidents once and for all .
The site displays a map of every McDonald ’ s location in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dots .
Locations with a working ice-cream machine get a green dot ; locations without one , a red dot .
A column on the right compiles statistics — currently , 7.54 percent of McDonald ’ s ice-cream machines in the US are broken , as are 15.22 percent of those in New York .
Rashiq Zahid came up with McBroken over the summer .
In July , he visited a McDonald ’ s in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin and attempted to order a McSundae from a touchscreen kiosk — but no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to order from the mobile app , but was similarly thwarted .
His trip had been for naught .
“ I was like , there must be something that can be done about this , ” Zahid said .
Zahid started with the McDonald ’ s mobile app , which already lets you place an order at any McDonald ’ s location .
It works like shopping on Amazon or Grubhub — you add the items you want to a cart , and pay when you ’ re ready .
But if your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working ice-cream machine , you can ’ t add any items containing ice cream to your cart — they ’ re marked as “ Currently unavailable.
” “ I love poking around in different apps and just looking at the security features and the internal APIs , ” Zahid said .
“ I am pretty familiar with how to reverse-engineer apps .
I was like ‘ Okay , this should be pretty easy.
’ ” It turned out to be harder than he ’ d thought .
Initially , he created an API @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every McDonald ’ s location to its cart once every minute .
The app figured out what he was up to and blocked him — “ It was like , you can ’ t do this , you look like a bot , ” he recalled .
After a night of trial and error , Zahid figured out the magic time frame .
Now , his bot attempts to add a McSundae every 30 minutes .
If the bot successfully adds the item , it lets McBroken know that the location ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , the location gets a red dot .
( A Twitter user claiming to be a McDonald ’ s employee has confirmed that the method works . )
Zahid first tested McBroken in Germany , which has around 1,500 locations .
He biked to every location in Berlin , placing manual sundae orders to determine if his bot was returning the correct information .
It passed with flying colors .
Today , he ’ s expanded to the states .
“ I was like , this would be pretty interesting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the US , which is basically the capital of McDonald ’ s , ” Zahid told The Verge .
Within 20 minutes of its launch , McBroken received 10,000 visitors .
It ran sluggishly at first , and eventually crashed .
“ I ’ m running this on a server that costs $ 5 a month , so it was bound to crash , ” Zahid said .
After an hour of troubleshooting , which involved offloading some traffic , Zahid now assures me that the site “ works perfect.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a joke — and is shocked to hear that people find it legitimately useful .
“ I just made it for fun , ” said Zahid .
“ But people were like ‘ Wow , this is the best thing I ’ ve seen this entire week.
’ ” Who knows if McDonalds will end up shutting this operation down — but David Tovar , McDonald ’ s VP of US Communications , seems to be in support .
“ Only a true @ McDonalds fan would go to these lengths to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” he tweeted this evening .
For now , keep an eye on McBroken to prevent McDonald ’ s from breaking your heart .

We’ve all been there. You’re craving a McFlurry, or a Shamrock Shake. You drive to McDonald’s, excited to fill yourself up with cold and sugary goodness. But when you finally make it to the counter, you hear those dreaded, devastating words: “The ice cream machine is broken.”
A few hours ago, a 24-year-old software engineer launched McBroken, a website that aims to end such incidents once and for all. The site displays a map of every McDonald’s location in the US, denoted by clusters of dots. Locations with a working ice-cream machine get a green dot; locations without one, a red dot. A column on the right compiles statistics — currently, 7.54 percent of McDonald’s ice-cream machines in the US are broken, as are 15.22 percent of those in New York.
Rashiq Zahid came up with McBroken over the summer. In July, he visited a McDonald’s in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin and attempted to order a McSundae from a touchscreen kiosk — but no ice cream was available. He attempted to order from the mobile app, but was similarly thwarted. His trip had been for naught.
“I was like, there must be something that can be done about this,” Zahid said.
So he built a bot.
McBroken displays a map of every McDonald’s location in the US.
Zahid started with the McDonald’s mobile app, which already lets you place an order at any McDonald’s location. It works like shopping on Amazon or Grubhub — you add the items you want to a cart, and pay when you’re ready. But if your chosen location doesn’t have a working ice-cream machine, you can’t add any items containing ice cream to your cart — they’re marked as “Currently unavailable.”
“I love poking around in different apps and just looking at the security features and the internal APIs,” Zahid said. “I am pretty familiar with how to reverse-engineer apps. I was like ‘Okay, this should be pretty easy.’”
Previous Next
1 / 3 Click a dot to see when it was last checked. Previous Next
1 / 3 Click a dot to see when it was last checked.
It turned out to be harder than he’d thought. Initially, he created an API that attempted to add a McSundae from every McDonald’s location to its cart once every minute. The app figured out what he was up to and blocked him — “It was like, you can’t do this, you look like a bot,” he recalled.
After a night of trial and error, Zahid figured out the magic time frame. Now, his bot attempts to add a McSundae every 30 minutes. If the bot successfully adds the item, it lets McBroken know that the location’s machine is working. If it can’t, the location gets a red dot. (A Twitter user claiming to be a McDonald’s employee has confirmed that the method works.)
Zahid first tested McBroken in Germany, which has around 1,500 locations. He biked to every location in Berlin, placing manual sundae orders to determine if his bot was returning the correct information. It passed with flying colors. Today, he’s expanded to the states.
“I was like, this would be pretty interesting for Germany, but it would be amazing for the US, which is basically the capital of McDonald’s,” Zahid told The Verge.
Within 20 minutes of its launch, McBroken received 10,000 visitors. It ran sluggishly at first, and eventually crashed. “I’m running this on a server that costs $5 a month, so it was bound to crash,” Zahid said. After an hour of troubleshooting, which involved offloading some traffic, Zahid now assures me that the site “works perfect.”
But he’d intended the tool to be a joke — and is shocked to hear that people find it legitimately useful. “I just made it for fun,” said Zahid. “But people were like ‘Wow, this is the best thing I’ve seen this entire week.’”


theverge--2020-10-22--Google will sell you a $349 Pixel 4A for $216 over two years

You can now buy the Pixel 4A from Google for just $ 9 per month over 24 months as part of the new Google Fi phone subscription program .
That monthly cost means you ’ d pay just just $ 216 for the phone , a substantial savings over its $ 349 upfront price .
After you ’ ve made all 24 payments , you own the phone .
You can also elect to add in a $ 6 per month device protection plan , meaning your monthly subscription cost is $ 15 .
That protection plan covers up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss or theft claim in a year .
( Loss and theft replacement isn ’ t available to New York state residents , however . )
At $ 15 per month over 24 months , you ’ d pay $ 360 for the Pixel 4A over the course of the subscription , which is only $ 11 more than the phone ’ s typical $ 349 upfront cost .
But if you were hoping you could sign up for this subscription , not get a protection plan , and then pay off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 on a Pixel 4A , that ’ s not an option — you lose the discount on the phone if you pre-pay your remaining balance ahead of time , according to Google ’ s terms for the subscription .
And despite falling under the Google Fi branding , the subscription doesn ’ t include a Google Fi cell phone plan , meaning you have to buy a Google Fi Flexible or Unlimited plan separately to make calls or use wireless data .
If you ’ re already a Google Fi subscriber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be added to your monthly Fi bill , according to Google ’ s terms .
Right now , the only phone you can purchase through the subscription is the Pixel 4A ; you can ’ t buy the new Pixel 5 or Pixel 4A 5G ( which don ’ t even come out in the US until next week ) .
But my colleague Dieter Bohn found that the Pixel 4A has a good camera , good battery life , and good software , so depending on what you need , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — especially with this new subscription plan .

You can now buy the Pixel 4A from Google for just $9 per month over 24 months as part of the new Google Fi phone subscription program. That monthly cost means you’d pay just just $216 for the phone, a substantial savings over its $349 upfront price. After you’ve made all 24 payments, you own the phone.
You can also elect to add in a $6 per month device protection plan, meaning your monthly subscription cost is $15. That protection plan covers up to two incidents of accidental damage and one loss or theft claim in a year. (Loss and theft replacement isn’t available to New York state residents, however.) At $15 per month over 24 months, you’d pay $360 for the Pixel 4A over the course of the subscription, which is only $11 more than the phone’s typical $349 upfront cost.
But if you were hoping you could sign up for this subscription, not get a protection plan, and then pay off the device in full to save more than $100 on a Pixel 4A, that’s not an option — you lose the discount on the phone if you pre-pay your remaining balance ahead of time, according to Google’s terms for the subscription.
And despite falling under the Google Fi branding, the subscription doesn’t include a Google Fi cell phone plan, meaning you have to buy a Google Fi Flexible or Unlimited plan separately to make calls or use wireless data. If you’re already a Google Fi subscriber, though, the phone subscription cost will be added to your monthly Fi bill, according to Google’s terms.


theverge--2020-10-22--TikTok will now tell you why it removed your video

You know what you did .
Or do you ?
Until recently , TikTok wouldn ’ t necessarily explain why @ @ @ @ @ videos from the platform .
You ’ d simply be told that it violated the @ @ @ @ @ guidelines ” somehow .
But today , TikTok is announcing that it will give you @ @ @ @ @ of why your video is gone , by naming the specific policy it fell afoul @ @ @ @ @ pretty similar to how other companies do it .
As before , you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ appeal .
Maybe you ’ ll have some idea what you ’ re appealing now @ @ @ @ @ s been experimenting with these notifications for a few months , and that appeals have @ @ @ @ @ percent .
( I guess they did know what they ’ d done . )
@ @ @ @ @ was coming : in July , when the company released its second transparency report , @ @ @ @ @ started keeping track of the specific reasons why it removes each video .

You know what you did. Or do you? Until recently, TikTok wouldn’t necessarily explain why it removed one of your videos from the platform. You’d simply be told that it violated the company’s “community guidelines” somehow.
But today, TikTok is announcing that it will give you at least a vague idea of why your video is gone, by naming the specific policy it fell afoul of. That’s pretty similar to how other companies do it.
Here’s what TikTok’s new content violation notifications look like. The only real change is the name of the specific policy. Image: TikTok
As before, you’ll be able to submit an appeal. Maybe you’ll have some idea what you’re appealing now. TikTok says it’s been experimenting with these notifications for a few months, and that appeals have actually gone down by 14 percent. (I guess they did know what they’d done.)


theverge--2020-10-22--Moog’s limited-edition theremin marks 100 years of weird sounds

The sounds of the theremin , once the instrument of the future , have now been tingling our spines for 100 years .
In commemoration , Moog is introducing its new limited-edition Claravox Centennial , named for theremin virtuosa Clara Rockmore .
Moog says the Claravox offers “ the highest quality control and sound available in a theremin.
” With two modes , Traditional and Modern , it enables thereminists to switch between heterodyne analog and digital oscillators .
It has the same wave-shaping circuit as Moog ’ s Etherwave Pro theremin , and DIN MIDI , USB , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DAWs and use as a controller .
It ’ s also lovely just to look at , with a walnut cabinet , brass antennas , and plenty of knobs to fiddle with .
Electronic instruments , and their inventors and players , are some of the most fascinating elements of music history .
When I worked in a music library , I would often spend slower shifts digging through our collections of scores and vinyls in search of graphic notations and electronic music .
Clicking around the Moog site today is a joy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the history of the theremin , old photos and videos of theremin pioneers , and an audio compilation with recordings of Rockmore , Bob Moog , and Leon Theremin .
While sci-fi horror soundtracks may be the most recognizable home of the theremin ’ s eerie sounds , it has the ( literal ) range for incredibly moving renditions of classical compositions .
Rockmore herself was essential in legitimizing the theremin as a concert instrument .
To demonstrate the Claravox , Moog produced a rendition of “ Clair de Lune ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribute to Clara Rockmore and her pianist sister .
With the Claravox coming in at $ 1,499 , you may want to adjust your budget before trying to preorder one of the limited units .
But if you don ’ t manage to snag one , you can at least join me in listening to samples and staring longingly at the beautiful photos on Moog ’ s site .
The theremin , the instrument you don ’ t touch , the one that inspired Bob Moog ’ s synths , is enrapturing any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a way , ” writes composer Albert Glinsky , “ that ’ s the genius of what Leon Theremin created 100 years ago : an interface that just never gets old .
”

The sounds of the theremin, once the instrument of the future, have now been tingling our spines for 100 years. In commemoration, Moog is introducing its new limited-edition Claravox Centennial, named for theremin virtuosa Clara Rockmore.
Moog says the Claravox offers “the highest quality control and sound available in a theremin.” With two modes, Traditional and Modern, it enables thereminists to switch between heterodyne analog and digital oscillators. It has the same wave-shaping circuit as Moog’s Etherwave Pro theremin, and DIN MIDI, USB, and CV inputs and outputs for connection to DAWs and use as a controller. It’s also lovely just to look at, with a walnut cabinet, brass antennas, and plenty of knobs to fiddle with.
Electronic instruments, and their inventors and players, are some of the most fascinating elements of music history. When I worked in a music library, I would often spend slower shifts digging through our collections of scores and vinyls in search of graphic notations and electronic music. Clicking around the Moog site today is a joy: there’s a scrapbook timeline of the history of the theremin, old photos and videos of theremin pioneers, and an audio compilation with recordings of Rockmore, Bob Moog, and Leon Theremin.
While sci-fi horror soundtracks may be the most recognizable home of the theremin’s eerie sounds, it has the (literal) range for incredibly moving renditions of classical compositions. Rockmore herself was essential in legitimizing the theremin as a concert instrument. To demonstrate the Claravox, Moog produced a rendition of “Clair de Lune” on theremin and piano, a duet in tribute to Clara Rockmore and her pianist sister.
With the Claravox coming in at $1,499, you may want to adjust your budget before trying to preorder one of the limited units. But if you don’t manage to snag one, you can at least join me in listening to samples and staring longingly at the beautiful photos on Moog’s site.


theverge--2020-10-22--Quibi will shut down ‘on or around’ December 1st

Quibi will shut down for good “ on or around December 1st , ” according to a new blog posted on the company ’ s support site .
The announcement comes one day after company executives declared Quibi was shutting down for good .
It ’ s unclear where Quibi ’ s content will be available after the app shuts down .
The company does recommend , however , following the Quibi hashtag on Twitter for any news about its library catalog .
Earlier today , co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg told CNBC the company is currently trying to find buyers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many of those shows Quibi owns the rights to , or for how long , but Katzenberg said he believes there are interested parties .
Quibi ’ s executives are currently in the process of trying to wind down the company and figure out how to get investors back part of their money .
The company is also still currently embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit with Eko , whose founder claims that Katzenberg ’ s team ripped off Eko ’ s streaming technology for Quibi ’ s “ Turnstyle ” feature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the recent announcements .
Over the last few months , it seemed like Quibi was doomed .
Some people predicted Quibi would ultimately fail before the company even launched .
Up until this week , Katzenberg , Whitman , and other executives at the company fought back against those concerns .
Ultimately , however , Quibi did fail — here are 11 reasons why .

Quibi will shut down for good “on or around December 1st,” according to a new blog posted on the company’s support site. The announcement comes one day after company executives declared Quibi was shutting down for good.
It’s unclear where Quibi’s content will be available after the app shuts down. The company does recommend, however, following the Quibi hashtag on Twitter for any news about its library catalog. Earlier today, co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg told CNBC the company is currently trying to find buyers for its shows. It’s unclear how many of those shows Quibi owns the rights to, or for how long, but Katzenberg said he believes there are interested parties.
Quibi’s executives are currently in the process of trying to wind down the company and figure out how to get investors back part of their money. The company is also still currently embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit with Eko, whose founder claims that Katzenberg’s team ripped off Eko’s streaming technology for Quibi’s “Turnstyle” feature. Eko plans to keep the lawsuit going despite the recent announcements.


theverge--2020-10-22--FDA approves remdesivir to treat COVID-19

The Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized patients .
The drug , manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Gilead , is the first approved COVID-19 treatment in the United States .
Remdesivir , now marketed under the brand name Veklury , was authorized for emergency use by the FDA in May .
That emergency authorization indicated that the FDA thought the benefits of using the drug outweighed the risks , even though there was no clear evidence showing that it helped patients with COVID-19 at the time .
“ The FDA is committed to expediting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this unprecedented public health emergency , ” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement .
The drug works by preventing viruses from making copies of themselves .
It was first developed by Gilead to treat Ebola , and research over the past few years showed that it could block the coronaviruses SARS and MERS from replicating inside cells .
That ’ s why scientists turned to it for this new coronavirus .
For the past few months , remdesivir has been part of the standard treatment for COVID-19 patients in many hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the treatment appear to be limited .
Clinical trials of the drug show that it may help some patients recover more quickly , but that it may not prevent death from the disease .
Most clinical trials have given remdesivir to the sickest patients , who may not see the biggest benefit from the drug — because it stops the virus from replicating , it could be more effective earlier on in someone ’ s illness , before the virus has spread through their body .
Ever since the initial data was released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the treatment would probably have a small effect on patients .
It ’ s not a cure-all , even though it could be beneficial .
In April , Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said it “ doesn ’ t seem like a knockout 100 percent , ” but it could block the virus .
The FDA does have some limitations on the drug .
It is only approved for hospitalized patients , and it ’ s not yet approved for children under 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its review that there still wasn ’ t good data on how the drug would affect children , people who are pregnant , or anyone with kidney or liver issues .
There also isn ’ t good data on interactions between drugs .
“ These limitations result , in part , from the important public health priority of expediting the review of a safe and effective therapeutic in the setting of an unmet medical need , ” the agency wrote .
Gilead will be required to do additional research to answer those questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , the FDA ’ s approval of remdesivir happened very quickly .
The speed at which this particular treatment was tested and approved shows the importance of early investment in research outside of an emergency .
The only reason that remdesivir was able to head into clinical trials so soon after the pandemic began was due to the foundational work from scientists studying the drug over the past decade .
Gilead will continue to study remdesivir and is now running studies testing the drug in children and in COVID-19 patients who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief medical officer said in an open letter that it would have enough doses to treat “ all clinically appropriate patients globally ” by next week .

The Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. The drug, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Gilead, is the first approved COVID-19 treatment in the United States.
Remdesivir, now marketed under the brand name Veklury, was authorized for emergency use by the FDA in May. That emergency authorization indicated that the FDA thought the benefits of using the drug outweighed the risks, even though there was no clear evidence showing that it helped patients with COVID-19 at the time.
“The FDA is committed to expediting the development and availability of COVID-19 treatments during this unprecedented public health emergency,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement.
The drug works by preventing viruses from making copies of themselves. It was first developed by Gilead to treat Ebola, and research over the past few years showed that it could block the coronaviruses SARS and MERS from replicating inside cells. That’s why scientists turned to it for this new coronavirus.
For the past few months, remdesivir has been part of the standard treatment for COVID-19 patients in many hospitals in the US. The benefits of the treatment appear to be limited. Clinical trials of the drug show that it may help some patients recover more quickly, but that it may not prevent death from the disease.
Most clinical trials have given remdesivir to the sickest patients, who may not see the biggest benefit from the drug — because it stops the virus from replicating, it could be more effective earlier on in someone’s illness, before the virus has spread through their body.
Ever since the initial data was released in the spring, experts have said that the treatment would probably have a small effect on patients. It’s not a cure-all, even though it could be beneficial. In April, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it “doesn’t seem like a knockout 100 percent,” but it could block the virus.
The FDA does have some limitations on the drug. It is only approved for hospitalized patients, and it’s not yet approved for children under 12 years old. The FDA noted in its review that there still wasn’t good data on how the drug would affect children, people who are pregnant, or anyone with kidney or liver issues. There also isn’t good data on interactions between drugs. “These limitations result, in part, from the important public health priority of expediting the review of a safe and effective therapeutic in the setting of an unmet medical need,” the agency wrote. Gilead will be required to do additional research to answer those questions.
Compared to the regular drug approval process, the FDA’s approval of remdesivir happened very quickly. The speed at which this particular treatment was tested and approved shows the importance of early investment in research outside of an emergency. The only reason that remdesivir was able to head into clinical trials so soon after the pandemic began was due to the foundational work from scientists studying the drug over the past decade.


theverge--2020-10-22--Amazon’s warehouse injury rates are so high that it faces a more costly workers’ comp classification

Just last month , a stunning report showed how Amazon fulfillment centers across the country saw rising injury rates between 2016 and 2019 , sourced from internal company data .
And now , proposed legislation in Washington state would mean Amazon could pay a higher workers ’ compensation premium than other warehouse-owning companies next year .
To make this happen , the state wants to put warehouses that function like Amazon ’ s into a separate risk classification .
While the proposed classification for “ fulfillment centers ” doesn ’ t say the word Amazon anywhere , how they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company : Have an online marketplace to sell their own merchandise and third-party sellers ’ merchandise ; Sell their own name brand merchandise retail online ; Use automated vehicles and robotics within the facility ; Emphasize quick timelines and monitor employee for speed ; and Amazon is currently the only business covered by this new classification , Michael D. Ratko , the deputy assistant director of the Washington Department of Labor & Industries Insurance Services Division , told The Seattle Times .
The department found in 2019 that Amazon ’ s fulfillment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims and insurance costs compared to other warehouse operators , according to The Seattle Times .
And although warehousing insurance premiums went up 18 percent in 2020 , non-Amazon warehouse operators have been seeing their workers ’ compensation claim rates move downward .
“ Further review of the warehouse classification concluded that fulfillment centers were more hazardous and were submitting claims more often , ” Ratko said to The Seattle Times .
This new “ fulfillment centers ” classification would have different a per-hour workers ’ compensation premium than other warehouses .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent higher for Amazon and 20 percent lower for other warehouses than they were in 2020 .
Amazon ’ s new rate would be higher than those for mechanized logging operations , law enforcement agencies , and more than 260 other industries , according to The Seattle Times .
Amazon has not replied to a request for comment .

Have an online marketplace to sell their own merchandise and third-party sellers’ merchandise;
Sell their own name brand merchandise retail online;
Offer warehousing and order fulfillment services for third-party sellers;
Use automated vehicles and robotics within the facility;
Emphasize quick timelines and monitor employee for speed; and
Offer same-day or two-day delivery options


theverge--2020-10-22--Minecraft will require a Microsoft account to play in 2021

Minecraft players have been able to play without a Microsoft account for the past six years that the company has owned the game , but that will change in 2021 , the official Minecraft blog announced yesterday .
Players who own the original version of the game and do not switch to a Microsoft account will be unable to play .
The game has existed in two separately developed versions since its 2011 launch on consoles .
Previously , the original Minecraft : Java Edition used Mojang accounts , while Minecraft : Bedrock Edition , the name for the console @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , used Microsoft accounts .
After this change , the accounts will be the same , but there ’ s still no crossplay : you still won ’ t be able to play with friends using the other version of the game .
the new accounts will offer two-factor authentication and safety features previously available in the ‘ Bedrock Edition ’ of the game Mojang says players migrating from Mojang accounts will not lose any information and that the new accounts will offer two-factor authentication ( 2FA ) and other safety features previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game , like parental controls and the ability to block chats and invitations — a concern for younger players on multiplayer servers .
Players will be emailed in batches in the coming months on how to migrate and will receive an additional notification on their profile page when they ’ re able to create a new account .
Alongside the blog post , Mojang created a video to explain the switch and preempt player complaints : For anyone worried , the video is reassuring about the compatibility of user-generated content and multiplayer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how positively you ’ ll feel .
The video also doesn ’ t mention something that could make many players angry : usernames for Java Edition players are at risk .
In support articles addressing the change , Mojang is clear that your username won ’ t be affected in-game , but if someone is already using your name or it doesn ’ t meet Microsoft ’ s standards , you might be forced to log in with a different one .
There may not be as many names available to pick from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight years to snap them up .
Mojang says that it was easier to use Microsoft accounts to offer these new features rather than create them from scratch , but if they ’ re so important to offer in the first place , why did they take so long to arrive ?
Players have requested two-factor authentication for as long as the game has offered a place to buy and sell content — that ’ s three years , if you ’ re counting .
Protecting your virtual objects from theft seems like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change , but it didn ’ t until now .
I can ’ t help but wonder if this is an issue Microsoft forced , simplifying the management of their biggest game before the launch of next-generation consoles .
While not as incendiary as Facebook ’ s decision to require Facebook accounts for the use of Oculus headsets , Minecraft is still one of the biggest games in the world and now many players will have to take action if they still want to play .

Minecraft players have been able to play without a Microsoft account for the past six years that the company has owned the game, but that will change in 2021, the official Minecraft blog announced yesterday. Players who own the original version of the game and do not switch to a Microsoft account will be unable to play.
The game has existed in two separately developed versions since its 2011 launch on consoles. Previously, the original Minecraft: Java Edition used Mojang accounts, while Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, the name for the console and Windows store version of the game, used Microsoft accounts. After this change, the accounts will be the same, but there’s still no crossplay: you still won’t be able to play with friends using the other version of the game.
the new accounts will offer two-factor authentication and safety features previously available in the ‘Bedrock Edition’ of the game
Mojang says players migrating from Mojang accounts will not lose any information and that the new accounts will offer two-factor authentication (2FA) and other safety features previously available in the Bedrock Edition of the game, like parental controls and the ability to block chats and invitations — a concern for younger players on multiplayer servers.
Players will be emailed in batches in the coming months on how to migrate and will receive an additional notification on their profile page when they’re able to create a new account. Alongside the blog post, Mojang created a video to explain the switch and preempt player complaints:
For anyone worried, the video is reassuring about the compatibility of user-generated content and multiplayer, but it makes some big assumptions about how positively you’ll feel. The video also doesn’t mention something that might bother players: usernames for Java Edition could change.
In support articles addressing the change, Mojang is clear that your username won’t be affected in-game, but if someone is already using your name as a Gamertag you’ll have to accept the addition of a suffix at the end (e.g. minecraftfan #1734) or choose a new one to log-in with. Names that don’t meet Microsoft’s safety guidelines will also have to change. The added suffix might become more common as there’s likely less names to choose from, especially given the eight years console players have had to snap them up.
Mojang says that it was easier to use Microsoft accounts to offer these new features rather than create them from scratch, but if they’re so important to offer in the first place, why did they take so long to arrive? Players have requested two-factor authentication for as long as the game has offered a place to buy and sell content — that’s three years, if you’re counting. Protecting your virtual objects from theft seems like an important enough reason to prompt a change, but it didn’t until now. I can’t help but wonder if this is an issue Microsoft forced, simplifying the management of their biggest game before the launch of next-generation consoles.
While not as incendiary as Facebook’s decision to require Facebook accounts for the use of Oculus headsets, Minecraft is still one of the biggest games in the world and now many players will have to take action if they still want to play.


theverge--2020-10-22--FuboTV now lets you watch four channels at once on Apple TV

If you never used Sony ’ s now-shuttered PlayStation Vue internet TV service , you ’ re probably unaware of one of its best features : multiview .
PS Vue allowed you to watch multiple channels on-screen at once , which is something most of the bigger TV apps — Sling TV , YouTube TV , Hulu , etc .
— don ’ t currently offer .
But now , FuboTV is putting a bigger focus on multiview .
You could already stream two channels simultaneously with the FuboTV app on Apple TV , and starting today , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the feature is particularly popular with sports fans since it lets them keep an eye on multiple games at the same time .
But you can use it with other networks as well .
Want to stress yourself out with election coverage in all four slots ?
Nothing ’ s stopping you .
“ We believe Multiview 2.0 sets the foundation to build upon better experiences on Apple TV and , of course , we will work to bring it to our other apps and supported devices , ” the FuboTV team wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FuboTV starts at $ 59.99 per month for the standard plan , with step-up “ family ” and “ elite ” plans adding more streaming flexibility and content .
And though FuboTV puts an emphasis on the fact that it provides a lot of sports programming , it lacks the Sinclair-owned group of Fox regional sports networks ( including YES ) .
Other streaming TV services , including YouTube TV and now Hulu ( as of tomorrow ) , have also dropped Sinclair ’ s sports lineup .

If you never used Sony’s now-shuttered PlayStation Vue internet TV service, you’re probably unaware of one of its best features: multiview. PS Vue allowed you to watch multiple channels on-screen at once, which is something most of the bigger TV apps — Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu, etc. — don’t currently offer. But now, FuboTV is putting a bigger focus on multiview. You could already stream two channels simultaneously with the FuboTV app on Apple TV, and starting today, that’s expanding to four.
FuboTV says the feature is particularly popular with sports fans since it lets them keep an eye on multiple games at the same time. But you can use it with other networks as well. Want to stress yourself out with election coverage in all four slots? Nothing’s stopping you.
“We believe Multiview 2.0 sets the foundation to build upon better experiences on Apple TV and, of course, we will work to bring it to our other apps and supported devices,” the FuboTV team wrote in a blog post.


theverge--2020-10-23--YouTubers’ #TeamTrees campaign overcame big hurdles in its first year

A year after YouTubers launched a campaign to raise enough money to plant 20 million trees , the campaign is in a critical phase : planting the trees and ensuring their survival .
Even though fundraising was a resounding success , making sure the planet gets its bang for that buck will be harder .
The charity coordinating the tree planting , Arbor Day Foundation , says it ’ s on track to reach its goal of having all 20 million trees in the ground by the end of 2022 .
But it faced some bumps in the road this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires unfolded .
Jimmy “ MrBeast ” Donaldson got the campaign , dubbed # TeamTrees , rolling last October as a way to commemorate his YouTube channel reaching 20 million subscribers .
More than 600 YouTubers , including popular creators like Mark Rober ( 8.7M subscribers ) , Marshmello ( 40.2M ) , and Marques Brownlee ( 9.5M ) , jumped on board .
By December , they had surpassed their goal of raising $ 20 million dollars , enough to plant 20 million trees .
The Arbor Day Foundation set a goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees in the ground this year and is nearly two-thirds of the way there , with 4.6 million planted .
The foundation partners with other organizations and forest services around the world that plant the trees .
In Madagascar , 100,000 mangroves , trees that are especially good at protecting shorelines from rising sea levels and storm surges , have already been planted .
Senegal is set to be home to a million new fruit and nut trees by the end of 2020 ; the country will host the largest number of trees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
The place with the next highest number of trees is Michigan , where more than 657,000 trees were planted in the state ’ s pine forests .
“ I was bracing myself for the impacts of COVID “ Because of the pandemic , the Arbor Day Foundation says that about 10 percent of the projects that were supposed to be part of # TeamTrees were canceled .
Many of the canceled projects were reforestation efforts based in the upper Midwest of the US .
But that was ultimately a smaller blow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I was bracing myself for the impacts of COVID to the program .
And of course there were definitely impacts , but not nearly what I thought it would be , ” says Bradley Brandt , who manages forest restoration programs for the Arbor Day Foundation .
“ The good news is that [ our partners ] are working outdoors , and so you can still plant trees and do what you need to do outdoors as long as you do it safely.
” Historic wildfires were another cause for concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record-smashing amount of land across the West Coast of the US .
“ I ’ m more concerned about them as we speak right now because California is having the largest fire season on record , ” Brandt says .
How projects will move forward in the West , as a result , is still up in the air , according to Brandt .
“ They ’ re busy right now as they ’ re trying to put out fires , and they ’ re working on the safety of human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards talking with me about restoration quite yet , ” Brandt says .
But pretty soon , Brandt expects there to be a huge need to restore forests that have burned .
When the Arbor Day Foundation ’ s partners do begin replanting in devastated areas , they ’ ll need to think about what trees will be the most resilient .
Climate change is driving more severe droughts and fire seasons in places like California .
“ The Forest Service is dealing with climate change right now .
And they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions about tree species — are the species we ’ re planting right now going to be a great idea in 30 years ?
” Brandt says .
Forests are becoming more vulnerable in a warming world Forests , from the giant sequoias in California to mangrove forests in the tropics , are becoming more vulnerable in a warming world .
But they also play a big role in slowing down climate change by taking in and storing the planet-heating carbon dioxide that people release by burning fossil fuels .
For efforts like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in climate solutions , the right trees need to be planted in the right places .
Planting new species or seeding row after row of the same species in places where they weren ’ t before can harm native ecosystems .
Restoring and protecting damaged forests is a safer route and has been especially effective when paired with programs that support local communities and Indigenous peoples who call those forests home .
Arbor Day Foundation says it considers all of that when choosing tree planting partners .
That ’ ll be key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since trees only trap carbon while they ’ re alive and thriving , their success in the decades — if not centuries — to come will also be important for our survival in a warming world .

A year after YouTubers launched a campaign to raise enough money to plant 20 million trees, the campaign is in a critical phase: planting the trees and ensuring their survival. Even though fundraising was a resounding success, making sure the planet gets its bang for that buck will be harder. The charity coordinating the tree planting, Arbor Day Foundation, says it’s on track to reach its goal of having all 20 million trees in the ground by the end of 2022. But it faced some bumps in the road this year as the ongoing pandemic and historic wildfires unfolded.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson got the campaign, dubbed #TeamTrees, rolling last October as a way to commemorate his YouTube channel reaching 20 million subscribers. More than 600 YouTubers, including popular creators like Mark Rober (8.7M subscribers), Marshmello (40.2M), and Marques Brownlee (9.5M), jumped on board. By December, they had surpassed their goal of raising $20 million dollars, enough to plant 20 million trees.
The Arbor Day Foundation set a goal of getting a little over 7 million trees in the ground this year and is nearly two-thirds of the way there, with 4.6 million planted. The foundation partners with other organizations and forest services around the world that plant the trees. In Madagascar, 100,000 mangroves, trees that are especially good at protecting shorelines from rising sea levels and storm surges, have already been planted. Senegal is set to be home to a million new fruit and nut trees by the end of 2020; the country will host the largest number of trees being planted in a single place this year. The place with the next highest number of trees is Michigan, where more than 657,000 trees were planted in the state’s pine forests.
“I was bracing myself for the impacts of COVID“
Because of the pandemic, the Arbor Day Foundation says that about 10 percent of the projects that were supposed to be part of #TeamTrees were canceled. Many of the canceled projects were reforestation efforts based in the upper Midwest of the US. But that was ultimately a smaller blow from COVID-19 than the foundation initially expected.
“I was bracing myself for the impacts of COVID to the program. And of course there were definitely impacts, but not nearly what I thought it would be,” says Bradley Brandt, who manages forest restoration programs for the Arbor Day Foundation. “The good news is that [our partners] are working outdoors, and so you can still plant trees and do what you need to do outdoors as long as you do it safely.”
Historic wildfires were another cause for concern this year, as blazes burned through a record-smashing amount of land across the West Coast of the US. “I’m more concerned about them as we speak right now because California is having the largest fire season on record,” Brandt says.
How projects will move forward in the West, as a result, is still up in the air, according to Brandt. “They’re busy right now as they’re trying to put out fires, and they’re working on the safety of human beings … they’re not as geared towards talking with me about restoration quite yet,” Brandt says. But pretty soon, Brandt expects there to be a huge need to restore forests that have burned.
When the Arbor Day Foundation’s partners do begin replanting in devastated areas, they’ll need to think about what trees will be the most resilient. Climate change is driving more severe droughts and fire seasons in places like California. “The Forest Service is dealing with climate change right now. And they’re starting to have to make some tough decisions about tree species — are the species we’re planting right now going to be a great idea in 30 years?” Brandt says.
Forests are becoming more vulnerable in a warming world
Forests, from the giant sequoias in California to mangrove forests in the tropics, are becoming more vulnerable in a warming world. But they also play a big role in slowing down climate change by taking in and storing the planet-heating carbon dioxide that people release by burning fossil fuels.
For efforts like #TeamTrees to play a starring role in climate solutions, the right trees need to be planted in the right places. Planting new species or seeding row after row of the same species in places where they weren’t before can harm native ecosystems. Restoring and protecting damaged forests is a safer route and has been especially effective when paired with programs that support local communities and Indigenous peoples who call those forests home.


theverge--2020-10-23--ClipDrop finally makes AR practical

ClipDrop finally makes AR practical

ClipDrop , a new app that lets your phone ’ s camera quickly grab objects from your environment and place them into desktop apps , is now available to try .
It ’ s a neat twist on AR , that makes the physical world digital , instead of projecting digital images onto the world around you .
Promotional videos of the beta app show it being able to photograph everything from plants to TVs and then quickly imported into documents as cropped objects .
Digne says the tool lets you import images and even text from books , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and websites , including Photoshop ( where ClipDrop has a plugin available to allow objects to be dropped in as a new layer with an editable mask ) , Google Docs , PowerPoint , Figma , Canva , and Pitch .
Of course , you can also just the app to grab images of everyday objects around you to share as you normally would within iOS and Android .
In addition to the iOS and Android apps , the software is also available for Windows and macOS , letting you grab images and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quickly import them into documents .
The idea behind ClipDrop first emerged as a tech demo back in May and quickly attracted a lot of attention .
Developers Cyril Diagne and Jonathan Blanchet told Gizmodo that they ’ ve had over 100,000 people registered on their beta waiting list wanting to try out the software , and have spent the last few months turning this early demo into a commercial product .
Although ClipDrop is now publicly available , Diagne warns it ’ s still in beta and that users should expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we tried it for ourselves we found it did a good job at picking out items from a cluttered desk using an iPhone X , although Gizmodo reports it could occasionally get confused by shadows or objects crowded close together .
You get five free photo clips with a download of the software , but clipping more requires a subscription .
ClipDrop is currently priced at $ 39.99 for a year , but after November 20th the price raises to $ 79.99 a year , or $ 9.99 a month .
Clipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gizmodo .

ClipDrop, a new app that lets your phone’s camera quickly grab objects from your environment and place them into desktop apps, is now available to try. It’s a neat twist on AR, that makes the physical world digital, instead of projecting digital images onto the world around you. Promotional videos of the beta app show it being able to photograph everything from plants to TVs and then quickly imported into documents as cropped objects.
Digne says the tool lets you import images and even text from books, for example, into a variety of software and websites, including Photoshop (where ClipDrop has a plugin available to allow objects to be dropped in as a new layer with an editable mask), Google Docs, PowerPoint, Figma, Canva, and Pitch. Of course, you can also just use the app to grab images of everyday objects around you to share as you normally would within iOS and Android.
In addition to the iOS and Android apps, the software is also available for Windows and macOS, letting you grab images and text from your desktop or the web and quickly import them into documents.
The idea behind ClipDrop first emerged as a tech demo back in May and quickly attracted a lot of attention. Developers Cyril Diagne and Jonathan Blanchet told Gizmodo that they’ve had over 100,000 people registered on their beta waiting list wanting to try out the software, and have spent the last few months turning this early demo into a commercial product.
Although ClipDrop is now publicly available, Diagne warns it’s still in beta and that users should expect some “bugs and rough edges.” When we tried it for ourselves we found it did a good job at picking out items from a cluttered desk using an iPhone X, although Gizmodo reports it could occasionally get confused by shadows or objects crowded close together.


theverge--2020-10-23--Where to buy the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro

Apple ’ s newest iPhones — the iPhone 12 , 12 mini , 12 Pro , and 12 Pro Max — were announced earlier this month , and they ’ ve generated a lot of interest from iPhone fans .
In fact , with this many iPhone models , it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which iPhone 12 model is best for you .
( To make things easier , my colleague Chaim Gartenberg wrote an in-depth article detailing key differences between the each model in the iPhone 12 line . )
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you where you can order them and what deals you can get from each vendor .
And if it ’ s the iPhone 12 mini or the 12 Pro Max that you ’ re after , preorders for both phones start on Friday , November 6th with shipments slated for Friday , November 13th .
We ’ ll have preorder links and pricing details for each carrier as we get closer to the release date .
Where to buy the iPhone 12 • You can order the iPhone 12 directly through Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you have an iPhone 11 Pro Max , you can get up to $ 500 in credit toward your purchase thanks to Apple ’ s trade-in program .
• Visible has the iPhone 12 ( unlocked ) available starting at $ 740 .
Alongside a new phone , the retailer will also include a set of $ 200 Bose Wireless headphones .
• Verizon is offering a $ 30 discount if you purchase an iPhone 12 , knocking the starting price down to $ 799 or $ 33.33 per month for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to $ 550 in trade-in credit for other select phones , including the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus .
• Like Verizon , AT & T is offering the iPhone 12 starting at $ 799 or $ 26.67 per month for 30 months .
AT & T is offering a promotion that will allow customers to get the phone for $ 0 with a trade-in on an eligible device .
• T-Mobile is offering the same promotion as Verizon and AT & T , with the iPhone 12 starting at $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the iPhone 12 for $ 799 with Verizon or AT & T , or $ 729.99 with Sprint if you add a line or create a new account .
If you have a phone to trade in , Best Buy is offering the iPhone 12 for free with eligible trade-ins .
• You can buy the iPhone 12 at Target , but the only carrier it ’ s currently offering is AT & T .
Where to buy the iPhone 12 Pro • You can buy the iPhone 12 Pro directly through Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 999 .
If you are trading in an older iPhone , you can receive up to $ 500 in credit toward your purchase thanks to Apple ’ s trade-in program .
• Visible has the iPhone 12 Pro ( unlocked ) available starting at $ 740 .
Alongside a new phone , the retailer will also include a set of $ 200 Bose Wireless headphones .
• Verizon is offering the iPhone 12 Pro at $ 999 or $ 41.66 per month .
It ’ s offering up to $ 550 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus .
• AT & T is offering the iPhone 12 Pro starting at $ 999 or $ 33.34 per month .
If you are trading in an older phone , you can get up to $ 800 off the purchase , depending on which phone you trade in .
• T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 12 Pro with a starting price of $ 999 .
If you are a new customer or you are adding a line to your account , T-Mobile will give you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For existing customers , you can get half off your iPhone 12 Pro in bill credits when upgrading to this model .
If you have been with T-Mobile or Sprint ( pre-merger ) for more than five years , you can receive and additional $ 200 off your iPhone 12 Pro .
• Best Buy is offering the iPhone 12 Pro at $ 999 with Verizon or AT & T , or $ 899 with Sprint if you add a new line to the account or add a line to an existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promotion to get the iPhone 12 Pro for as low as $ 6.67 a month with a eligible trade-in .
• Target has the iPhone 12 Pro available , but the only carrier currently available is AT & T .

Apple’s newest iPhones — the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max — were announced earlier this month, and they’ve generated a lot of interest from iPhone fans. In fact, with this many iPhone models, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which iPhone 12 model is best for you. (To make things easier, my colleague Chaim Gartenberg wrote an in-depth article detailing key differences between the each model in the iPhone 12 line.)
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are available for purchase online and in-store. Below, we tell you where you can order them and what deals you can get from each retailer.
And if it’s the iPhone 12 mini or the 12 Pro Max that you’re after, preorders for both phones start on Friday, November 6th with shipments slated for Friday, November 13th. We’ll have preorder links and pricing details for each carrier as we get closer to the release date.
iPhone 12 Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Where to buy the iPhone 12
Related How to choose between all the new iPhone 12 models
iPhone 12 Pro Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Where to buy the iPhone 12 Pro


theverge--2020-10-23--Xbox chief hints at TV streaming sticks for xCloud

Microsoft ’ s head of gaming and Xbox , Phil Spencer , has hinted that the company is planning TV streaming sticks for its xCloud cloud gaming service .
In an interview with Stratechery , Spencer discusses the potential for additional tiers of Xbox Game Pass , which could include a free bundled TV stick to play xCloud games .
“ I think you ’ re going to see lower priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.
” Spencer also teases the potential for an “ Xbox Game Pass Platinum ” with guaranteed access to new Xbox hardware .
Microsoft has been bundling Xbox subscriptions and hardware together in something called Xbox All Access , which includes access to Xbox Game Pass and the latest Xbox Series X and Series X consoles .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiment with in the future .
The idea of an Xbox game streaming TV stick isn ’ t a new one for Microsoft .
The software giant was preparing lightweight Xbox streaming devices back in 2016 , but it canceled the hardware .
Microsoft has been investigating streaming sticks and hardware ever since the company originally demonstrated Halo 4 streaming from the cloud to Windows and Windows Phones all the way back in 2013 .
Spencer ’ s first public mention of Xbox streaming TV sticks implies the hardware could be ready soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only bundled xCloud game streaming with its highest Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier ( $ 14.99 per month ) .
There ’ s certainly room for additional tiers , and easier access to the service beyond just Android devices .
Microsoft partnered with Samsung earlier this year for xCloud , and it ’ s only a matter of time before we see the company ’ s game streaming service appear on Samsung TVs .
2021 could be an interesting year for xCloud , especially as Microsoft is planning to upgrade its server blades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardware .
We should also start to see xCloud appear on Facebook Gaming next year .
Microsoft is also working on a web-based iOS solution for xCloud that will debut in early 2021 .
Spencer confirms our recent report on this iOS workaround in the Stratechery interview , but warns that not being in the App Store is still a challenge for xCloud .
“ We have a good solution on iOS that I think it ’ ll be coming kind of early next year , I feel good about the solution that @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Microsoft’s head of gaming and Xbox, Phil Spencer, has hinted that the company is planning TV streaming sticks for its xCloud cloud gaming service. In an interview with Stratechery, Spencer discusses the potential for additional tiers of Xbox Game Pass, which could include a free bundled TV stick to play xCloud games.
“I think you’re going to see lower priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xCloud,” says Spencer. “You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.”
Spencer also teases the potential for an “Xbox Game Pass Platinum” with guaranteed access to new Xbox hardware. Microsoft has been bundling Xbox subscriptions and hardware together in something called Xbox All Access, which includes access to Xbox Game Pass and the latest Xbox Series X and Series X consoles. It’s a bundle that Spencer is obviously keen to experiment with in the future.
Microsoft’s xCloud service. Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge
The idea of an Xbox game streaming TV stick isn’t a new one for Microsoft. The software giant was preparing lightweight Xbox streaming devices back in 2016, but it canceled the hardware. Microsoft has been investigating streaming sticks and hardware ever since the company originally demonstrated Halo 4 streaming from the cloud to Windows and Windows Phones all the way back in 2013.
Spencer’s first public mention of Xbox streaming TV sticks implies the hardware could be ready soon, though. Microsoft has so far only bundled xCloud game streaming with its highest Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier ($14.99 per month). There’s certainly room for additional tiers, and easier access to the service beyond just Android devices.
Microsoft partnered with Samsung earlier this year for xCloud, and it’s only a matter of time before we see the company’s game streaming service appear on Samsung TVs. 2021 could be an interesting year for xCloud, especially as Microsoft is planning to upgrade its server blades to the more capable Xbox Series X hardware. We should also start to see xCloud appear on Facebook Gaming next year.


theverge--2020-10-23--Here’s how Apple imagined AirTags would work one year ago

As well as letting you find lost items , Apple has considered allowing its unannounced , but heavily leaked AirTags to do everything from measuring your posture to helping your phone display information relevant to the building you ’ re in .
The details have emerged in a pair of patent applications that were filed a year ago and were found by Patently Apple after they were made public yesterday .
Since there have been so many leaks about Apple ’ s Tile-like tracking pucks , we already have a good idea about their features , which involve helping you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So what ’ s most interesting in these patent applications is the other use cases Apple has been thinking about .
One series of diagrams shows how the trackers could be stuck on your body and used to track your posture , or even control a character onscreen .
Another pointed out by MacRumors describes how the tags could be mounted in a building , and used to prompt your phone to display helpful information like a map when it senses you ’ re close .
Beyond these alternative use cases , Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mounting base for a wirelessly locatable tag ” and a “ Fastener with a constrained retention ring ” don ’ t contain many surprises about the AirTags core functionality .
The tags themselves are described as being small and easily attached to items like “ keys , purses , or wallets , to help an owner find lost , misplaced , or stolen objects ” and are likely to be waterproof and drop-proof .
Here are a couple of diagrams from the patents showing how the tags could attach to accessories like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find the device they ’ re attached to , Apple describes how the tags ’ ultra wideband technology could help your phone locate them within an accuracy of a couple of feet or less , and the tags themselves “ can produce audible and/or haptic outputs ” to help you find them .
Or , if you ’ re not close enough , the device can transmit data through any other people ’ s devices who are around , a feature that seems likely to tie into Apple ’ s Find My app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long now that it seems like only a matter of time before they ’ re announced .
Reports indicate that they entered production last month , and a recent rumor suggests we could see an announcement soon .

As well as letting you find lost items, Apple has considered allowing its unannounced, but heavily leaked AirTags to do everything from measuring your posture to helping your phone display information relevant to the building you’re in. The details have emerged in a pair of patent applications that were filed a year ago and were found by Patently Apple after they were made public yesterday.
Since there have been so many leaks about Apple’s Tile-like tracking pucks, we already have a good idea about their features, which involve helping you to keep track of your belongings. So what’s most interesting in these patent applications is the other use cases Apple has been thinking about. One series of diagrams shows how the trackers could be stuck on your body and used to track your posture, or even control a character onscreen.
One diagram shows the trackers being used to control an onscreen character Image: Apple / USPTO Another shows the trackers used to track posture. Image: Apple / USPTO
Another pointed out by MacRumors describes how the tags could be mounted in a building, and used to prompt your phone to display helpful information like a map when it senses you’re close.
Beyond these alternative use cases, Apple’s patent applications for a “Mounting base for a wirelessly locatable tag” and a “Fastener with a constrained retention ring” don’t contain many surprises about the AirTags core functionality. The tags themselves are described as being small and easily attached to items like “keys, purses, or wallets, to help an owner find lost, misplaced, or stolen objects” and are likely to be waterproof and drop-proof. Here are a couple of diagrams from the patents showing how the tags could attach to accessories like a watch strap.
The tags could be embedded in a watch strap... Image: Apple / USPTO ... to help you find a watch. Image: Apple / USPTO
When you need to find the device they’re attached to, Apple describes how the tags’ ultra wideband technology could help your phone locate them within an accuracy of a couple of feet or less, and the tags themselves “can produce audible and/or haptic outputs” to help you find them. Or, if you’re not close enough, the device can transmit data through any other people’s devices who are around, a feature that seems likely to tie into Apple’s Find My app.


theverge--2020-10-23--Here’s our first look at Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro

Huawei announced the Mate 40 Pro yesterday , and now we have one in hand .
It might not be easy to recommend Huawei phones outside of China , since the Trump administration ’ s targeted sanctions have prevented it working with US companies like Google , but devices like the P40 Pro Plus and last year ’ s Mate 30 Pro have had hardware as impressive as anything else on the global smartphone market .
The situation shouldn ’ t be any different with the new Mate 40 Pro .
It ’ s likely to be Huawei ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are still questions over the extent to which the company is actually able to manufacture it .
I thought the Mate 30 Pro was the best-looking phone released in 2019 , and the Mate 40 Pro builds on that design .
The unit I have is in the “ Mystic Silver ” colorway , which Huawei is promoting the most heavily .
It ’ s a lot more unusual than the name makes it sound — the back is frosted glass , but there ’ s a kaleidoscopic effect where the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It looks great .
The camera module is circular , as it was last year , but this time the lenses are arranged in a ring around the Leica logo .
I think I preferred the Mate 30 Pro ’ s two-tone glossy effect a little better , but Huawei says this year ’ s model was inspired by a black hole , so make of that what you will .
This is still an attractive device from behind .
Around the front , the notch has been jettisoned in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dual selfie cameras .
The OLED display is a little bigger this year at 6.76 inches , and it still has the 88-degree “ waterfall ” curves on the edges , which Huawei calls a “ horizon ” display .
These edges mean the power button on the side is still pushed back further to the rear than on most other phones .
Unlike the Mate 30 Pro , however , Huawei has found space for physical volume buttons this time , which should be an improvement in usability .
Overall the Mate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technically impressive Huawei flagship phone , and I ’ m looking forward to finding out what the company has managed to achieve — particularly with the camera and the new Kirin 9000 processor .
The software , of course , will be another matter entirely .
Stay tuned for a full review .

Huawei announced the Mate 40 Pro yesterday, and now we have one in hand. It might not be easy to recommend Huawei phones outside of China, since the Trump administration’s targeted sanctions have prevented it working with US companies like Google, but devices like the P40 Pro Plus and last year’s Mate 30 Pro have had hardware as impressive as anything else on the global smartphone market.
The situation shouldn’t be any different with the new Mate 40 Pro. It’s likely to be Huawei’s most advanced device yet — even if there are still questions over the extent to which the company is actually able to manufacture it.
I thought the Mate 30 Pro was the best-looking phone released in 2019, and the Mate 40 Pro builds on that design. The unit I have is in the “Mystic Silver” colorway, which Huawei is promoting the most heavily. It’s a lot more unusual than the name makes it sound — the back is frosted glass, but there’s a kaleidoscopic effect where the phone shimmers different colors depending on the light. It looks great.
The camera module is circular, as it was last year, but this time the lenses are arranged in a ring around the Leica logo. I think I preferred the Mate 30 Pro’s two-tone glossy effect a little better, but Huawei says this year’s model was inspired by a black hole, so make of that what you will. This is still an attractive device from behind.
Around the front, the notch has been jettisoned in favor of a double-wide hole punch cutout for the dual selfie cameras. The OLED display is a little bigger this year at 6.76 inches, and it still has the 88-degree “waterfall” curves on the edges, which Huawei calls a “horizon” display.
These edges mean the power button on the side is still pushed back further to the rear than on most other phones. Unlike the Mate 30 Pro, however, Huawei has found space for physical volume buttons this time, which should be an improvement in usability.


theverge--2020-10-23--Samsung thinks its new 85-inch Interactive Display is the digital whiteboard for the COVID-19 classr

Samsung thinks its new 85-inch Interactive Display is the digital whiteboard for the COVID-19 classroom

Samsung would like you to believe its new 85-inch Interactive Display can bridge the gap between students in the classroom and students studying at home , now that blended-learning is the new normal across the country .
In reality , it ’ s just a slightly bigger digital whiteboard — but assuming it doesn ’ t cost too much , the tweaked vision does sound intriguing .
Now that COVID-19 has swept the country , some students are huddling around tiny Chromebook screens at home while others stay in class , and Samsung ’ s internet-connected digital whiteboard promises to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other , whether they ’ re in that classroom drawing on the board or adding to it in real-time from their laptop at home .
The goal here isn ’ t to necessarily connect everyone better – they ’ ve had a few months to get a handle on that over Zoom – but rather to let the kind of collaboration that can happen when everyone ’ s together , happen while students are apart .
While the Interactive Display is mostly just a larger version of Samsung ’ s existing Flip 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s as large as an actual school whiteboard ( though it weighs far more at 164 pounds ) .
Compared to the previous 55- and 65-inch models , more students could theoretically use the board at once .
Samsung imagines the display primarily mounted in a classroom where they can use its 4K touchscreen and support for four pens ( it comes with two ) to write and draw ; it supports up to 20 fingers ( and pen tips ) simultaneously .
Teachers might be able to hook up multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display , too , with two HDMI 2.0 ports compared to the one on the Flip 2 .
But before you petition your school for one , it ’ s worth mentioning that the device has no announced price .
The 65-inch Flip 2 comes in at $ 2,599.00 , and Samsung ’ s 85-inch TVs start at $ 1,799.99 , so perhaps the Interactive Display won ’ t cost too much more than those ?
Still , most schools are even more constrained during the pandemic than they would be normally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come bundled with some of the education software Samsung is advertising .
I think it would be great for these to be used in schools , but to me , Samsung ’ s framing for the Interactive Display sounds a little more opportunistic than realistic .

Samsung would like you to believe its new 85-inch Interactive Display can bridge the gap between students in the classroom and students studying at home, now that blended-learning is the new normal across the country. In reality, it’s just a slightly bigger digital whiteboard — but assuming it doesn’t cost too much, the tweaked vision does sound intriguing.
Now that COVID-19 has swept the country, some students are huddling around tiny Chromebook screens at home while others stay in class, and Samsung’s internet-connected digital whiteboard promises to let students and teachers collaborate with each other, whether they’re in that classroom drawing on the board or adding to it in real-time from their laptop at home. The goal here isn’t to necessarily connect everyone better – they’ve had a few months to get a handle on that over Zoom – but rather to let the kind of collaboration that can happen when everyone’s together, happen while students are apart.
Samsung’s 65-inch Flip 2 Samsung
While the Interactive Display is mostly just a larger version of Samsung’s existing Flip 2 digital whiteboards, the 85-inch size means it’s as large as an actual school whiteboard (though it weighs far more at 164 pounds). Compared to the previous 55- and 65-inch models, more students could theoretically use the board at once. Samsung imagines the display primarily mounted in a classroom where they can use its 4K touchscreen and support for four pens (it comes with two) to write and draw; it supports up to 20 fingers (and pen tips) simultaneously. Teachers might be able to hook up multiple computers or other video sources to the display, too, with two HDMI 2.0 ports compared to the one on the Flip 2.


theverge--2020-10-23--NASA’s OSIRIS-REx was so good at grabbing asteroid rocks that they’re overflowing

NASA ’ s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft did its job a little too well on Tuesday , when it tried to scoop up a handful of rocks from an asteroid named Bennu more than 200 million miles from Earth .
The vehicle actually grabbed too much material with its robotic arm , jamming the lid at the end of the arm open — and letting part of the asteroid sample escape out into space .
“ We were almost a victim of our own success here , ” said Dante Lauretta , the principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
OSIRIS-REx ’ s mission is to bring a sample of asteroid material back to Earth so that scientists can study the rocks in a lab .
But because OSIRIS-REx bit off more than it could chew , its mission team is racing to stow the sample inside the spacecraft ’ s belly , so the vehicle doesn ’ t lose too much material to the void .
“ Time is of the essence , and no , we won ’ t sleep , ” said Thomas Zurbuchen , NASA ’ s associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference .
“ We were almost a victim of our own success here.
” The good news is that OSIRIS-REx seems to have grabbed an abundant and diverse group of asteroid rocks .
The team ’ s goal was to snag up to 60 grams ( 2.1 ounces ) of rocks from Bennu ’ s surface , and images from the spacecraft show that OSIRIS-REx likely grabbed up to 400 grams ( 14.1 ounces ) of material , according to the mission team .
The sample includes rocks that range in size , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevented the spacecraft from sealing the sample shut .
The engineers are confident that the rocks aren ’ t escaping too quickly , so the spacecraft should be able to store a good amount inside the spacecraft before too much is depleted .
They think that they lost between 1 to 10 grams of material yesterday , after moving the robotic arm around .
However , NASA doesn ’ t plan to stow the sample inside OSIRIS-REx until Monday .
The mission team has to take time to figure out all the commands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process will still work with rocks spilling out into space .
It ’ s unclear how much of the sample will be lost as they wait .
There ’ s another complication , too : just moving the robotic arm around with the sample inside causes rocks to flee outward , so stowing the materials risks losing more pebbles .
The engineers think they may lose up to 10 more grams of rocks just by stowing the sample inside the spacecraft .
But it ’ s better to stow something than to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving the robotic arm around with the sample inside causes rocks to flee outward To grab the sample from Bennu , OSIRIS-REx is equipped with a robotic arm that has a cylindrical sample collector at the end .
On Tuesday afternoon , OSIRIS-REx slowly approached Bennu and gently tapped its surface with the collector .
At the moment of contact , the collector puffed out a bunch of nitrogen gas , shaking up all the rocks and pebbles on the asteroid ’ s surface .
Some of those rocks shot up inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out into space .
The OSIRIS-REx team couldn ’ t tell right away if it had a sample or not , as they had to wait to get images from the spacecraft .
But they soon knew they had a problem when they finally got an up-close picture of the sample collector .
The pictures show that part of the lid is jammed open by a centimeter ; tiny pieces of asteroid can be seen hovering around the arm .
If the sample grab had gone more smoothly , NASA would have waited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material inside OSIRIS-REx .
In fact , the mission team had planned to do a spin maneuver on Saturday with the spacecraft , twirling the vehicle up with its robotic arm outstretched .
This would have helped the team figure out just how much material the spacecraft had collected .
The engineers could measure the spacecraft ’ s inertia , comparing it to a time before when the spacecraft didn ’ t have a sample in its arm .
But the spin is effectively canceled .
“ It would risk loss of material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go down , ” Lauretta said .
“ the most important thing is to get the sample safely stowed.
” That means the OSIRIS-REx team won ’ t truly know how much sample is in the spacecraft ’ s belly as the vehicle returns back to Earth .
“ I think we ’ re going to have to wait till we get home to know precisely how much we have and that , as you can imagine — that ’ s hard , ” Lauretta said .
“ We were looking forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s possible that all of the sample could fall out before Monday , and we wouldn ’ t truly know until the spacecraft comes back to our planet .
The OSIRIS-REx team also doesn ’ t plan to grab another sample from Bennu , so this is it .
That ’ s why engineers are working quickly to store this sample on Monday .
“ I am highly confident that it was successful — that we have more than the 60 grams of material that we promised Thomas and the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , adding , “ the most important thing is to get the sample safely stowed and minimize any more loss .
”

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft did its job a little too well on Tuesday, when it tried to scoop up a handful of rocks from an asteroid named Bennu more than 200 million miles from Earth. The vehicle actually grabbed too much material with its robotic arm, jamming the lid at the end of the arm open — and letting part of the asteroid sample escape out into space.
“We were almost a victim of our own success here,” said Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission at the University of Arizona, in a press conference.
OSIRIS-REx’s mission is to bring a sample of asteroid material back to Earth so that scientists can study the rocks in a lab. But because OSIRIS-REx bit off more than it could chew, its mission team is racing to stow the sample inside the spacecraft’s belly, so the vehicle doesn’t lose too much material to the void. “Time is of the essence, and no, we won’t sleep,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for science, in a press conference.
“We were almost a victim of our own success here.”
The good news is that OSIRIS-REx seems to have grabbed an abundant and diverse group of asteroid rocks. The team’s goal was to snag up to 60 grams (2.1 ounces) of rocks from Bennu’s surface, and images from the spacecraft show that OSIRIS-REx likely grabbed up to 400 grams (14.1 ounces) of material, according to the mission team. The sample includes rocks that range in size, and some are so big that they prevented the spacecraft from sealing the sample shut.
An artistic rendering of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft about to grab a sample from asteroid Bennu Image: NASA
The engineers are confident that the rocks aren’t escaping too quickly, so the spacecraft should be able to store a good amount inside the spacecraft before too much is depleted. They think that they lost between 1 to 10 grams of material yesterday, after moving the robotic arm around. However, NASA doesn’t plan to stow the sample inside OSIRIS-REx until Monday. The mission team has to take time to figure out all the commands for the spacecraft and ensure that this process will still work with rocks spilling out into space. It’s unclear how much of the sample will be lost as they wait.
There’s another complication, too: just moving the robotic arm around with the sample inside causes rocks to flee outward, so stowing the materials risks losing more pebbles. The engineers think they may lose up to 10 more grams of rocks just by stowing the sample inside the spacecraft. But it’s better to stow something than to wait for everything to leak out.
just moving the robotic arm around with the sample inside causes rocks to flee outward
To grab the sample from Bennu, OSIRIS-REx is equipped with a robotic arm that has a cylindrical sample collector at the end. On Tuesday afternoon, OSIRIS-REx slowly approached Bennu and gently tapped its surface with the collector. At the moment of contact, the collector puffed out a bunch of nitrogen gas, shaking up all the rocks and pebbles on the asteroid’s surface. Some of those rocks shot up inside the collector, while others danced and twirled out into space.
The OSIRIS-REx team couldn’t tell right away if it had a sample or not, as they had to wait to get images from the spacecraft. But they soon knew they had a problem when they finally got an up-close picture of the sample collector. The pictures show that part of the lid is jammed open by a centimeter; tiny pieces of asteroid can be seen hovering around the arm.
If the sample grab had gone more smoothly, NASA would have waited a little while longer to stow the material inside OSIRIS-REx. In fact, the mission team had planned to do a spin maneuver on Saturday with the spacecraft, twirling the vehicle up with its robotic arm outstretched. This would have helped the team figure out just how much material the spacecraft had collected. The engineers could measure the spacecraft’s inertia, comparing it to a time before when the spacecraft didn’t have a sample in its arm. But the spin is effectively canceled. “It would risk loss of material so that is not a prudent path to go down,” Lauretta said.
“the most important thing is to get the sample safely stowed.”
That means the OSIRIS-REx team won’t truly know how much sample is in the spacecraft’s belly as the vehicle returns back to Earth. “I think we’re going to have to wait till we get home to know precisely how much we have and that, as you can imagine — that’s hard,” Lauretta said. “We were looking forward to a sample mass measurement.” So it’s possible that all of the sample could fall out before Monday, and we wouldn’t truly know until the spacecraft comes back to our planet.


theverge--2020-10-23--Facebook wants the NYU Ad Observatory to quit collecting data about its ad targeting

Facebook wants a New York University research project to stop collecting data about the social platform ’ s political ad-targeting , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The Ad Observatory , a project of NYU ’ s engineering school with more than 6,000 volunteers , uses its AdObserver browser extension to scrape data from political ads shown on Facebook .
But Facebook says the program is violates its terms of service , which bar scraping .
A Facebook official sent a letter to the Ad Observatory researchers October 16th , saying that “ scraping tools , no matter how well-intentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collecting information from us.
” The letter also threatened further enforcement action if the project did not shut down and delete the data it has collected , according to the WSJ .
The company could change its own code to block the NYU team from collecting further data , a Facebook spokesperson told the WSJ .
The NYU group discovered this week that Facebook was not labeling all political ads to show who had paid for them as its own disclosure rules require , BuzzFeed News reported .
Last month , Facebook unveiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting into place to try to stave off election interference in the November 3rd US presidential election .
It said it would stop taking political ads for a week before the election , would put a voter information center at the top of users ’ Instagram and Facebook feeds , and would labels to misleading posts about election results .
Facebook did not immediately reply to an email from The Verge seeking comment .

Facebook wants a New York University research project to stop collecting data about the social platform’s political ad-targeting, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The Ad Observatory, a project of NYU’s engineering school with more than 6,000 volunteers, uses its AdObserver browser extension to scrape data from political ads shown on Facebook. But Facebook says the program is violates its terms of service, which bar scraping.
A Facebook official sent a letter to the Ad Observatory researchers October 16th, saying that “scraping tools, no matter how well-intentioned, are not a permissible means of collecting information from us.” The letter also threatened further enforcement action if the project did not shut down and delete the data it has collected, according to the WSJ. The company could change its own code to block the NYU team from collecting further data, a Facebook spokesperson told the WSJ.
The NYU group discovered this week that Facebook was not labeling all political ads to show who had paid for them as its own disclosure rules require, BuzzFeed News reported.
Last month, Facebook unveiled a list of new provisions it was putting into place to try to stave off election interference in the November 3rd US presidential election. It said it would stop taking political ads for a week before the election, would put a voter information center at the top of users’ Instagram and Facebook feeds, and would labels to misleading posts about election results.


theverge--2020-10-23--Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 17th .
“ The hearing will focus on the platforms ’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles and provide a valuable opportunity to review the companies ’ handling of the 2020 election , ” according to a press release .
Last week , the New York Post published a story claiming that Hunter Biden introduced his father , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , to an executive at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma .
Reporters at other publications disputed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Twitter both took action to restrict the story from spreading .
Facebook reduced the story ’ s reach and said it was eligible for third-party fact-checking .
Twitter banned linking to the story entirely , but eventually reversed that decision .
Dorsey has already said that Twitter ’ s communication about why it decided to block the story ’ s URL originally was “ not great.
” The CEOs are appearing voluntarily , though the committee approved subpoenas yesterday that would have forced the two men to testify .
Zuckerberg and Dorsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commerce Committee on October 28th , where they ’ ll be joined by Google CEO Sundar Pichai .
That hearing is focused on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act .

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 17th. “The hearing will focus on the platforms’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles and provide a valuable opportunity to review the companies’ handling of the 2020 election,” according to a press release.
Last week, the New York Post published a story claiming that Hunter Biden introduced his father, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, to an executive at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Reporters at other publications disputed the allegations in the story, and Facebook and Twitter both took action to restrict the story from spreading.
Facebook reduced the story’s reach and said it was eligible for third-party fact-checking. Twitter banned linking to the story entirely, but eventually reversed that decision. Dorsey has already said that Twitter’s communication about why it decided to block the story’s URL originally was “not great.”


theverge--2020-10-23--Judge again blocks Trump administration push to ban WeChat in the US

A judge in California has rejected a request from the Department of Justice to reverse a previous decision allowing WeChat to remain active in US app stores .
US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler said new evidence the government presented did not change her opinion about the messaging app , owned by Chinese company Tencent app .
WeChat will remain active in US app stores for the time being .
“ The record does not support the conclusion that the government has ‘ narrowly tailored ’ the prohibited transactions to protect its national-security interests , ” Beeler wrote in her decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the restrictions ‘ burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government ’ s legitimate interests.
’ ” President Trump issued an executive order in August to ban WeChat , invoking the Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act .
The administration also sought to ban video sharing app TikTok , owned by Beijing-based ByteDance , on the same grounds , and President Trump demanded the company be sold .
But rather than a sale , a tentative agreement made Oracle TikTok ’ s trusted technology partner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entity called TikTok Global .
The deal has not yet been finalized .
On September 27th , US District Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction against a ban on new downloads of TikTok in the US hours before it would have taken effect .
Tencent can collect a “ digital facsimile of a person ’ s life ” on WeChat , Justice Department attorney Serena Orloff said at a hearing earlier this month , furthering the administration ’ s position that Tencent is connected to the Chinese Communist Party .
Beeler ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban of US transactions on WeChat .
And while the government claimed it has identified “ significant ” threats to national security , Beeler did not appear persuaded .
She said in her September 20th order that a group of WeChat users calling themselves the WeChat Alliance had demonstrated there were “ serious questions ” about whether the ban would potentially violate their First Amendment rights .
The group , which is not officially connected to WeChat , said there is no alternative app that can do everything WeChat does , and argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers in the US to connect with family in China as well as receive information locally .
WeChat has some 19 million US users and 1 billion users globally .
The Justice Department has appealed Beeler ’ s decision to the Ninth Circuit , but a decision is not expected before December .

A judge in California has rejected a request from the Department of Justice to reverse a previous decision allowing WeChat to remain active in US app stores. US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler said new evidence the government presented did not change her opinion about the messaging app, owned by Chinese company Tencent app. WeChat will remain active in US app stores for the time being.
“The record does not support the conclusion that the government has ‘narrowly tailored’ the prohibited transactions to protect its national-security interests,” Beeler wrote in her decision. The evidence “supports the conclusion that the restrictions ‘burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government’s legitimate interests.’” President Trump issued an executive order in August to ban WeChat, invoking the Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act.
Tencent can collect a “digital facsimile of a person’s life” on WeChat, Justice Department attorney Serena Orloff said at a hearing earlier this month, furthering the administration’s position that Tencent is connected to the Chinese Communist Party.
Beeler’s earlier order blocked the Commerce Department ban of US transactions on WeChat. And while the government claimed it has identified “significant” threats to national security, Beeler did not appear persuaded. She said in her September 20th order that a group of WeChat users calling themselves the WeChat Alliance had demonstrated there were “serious questions” about whether the ban would potentially violate their First Amendment rights.
The group, which is not officially connected to WeChat, said there is no alternative app that can do everything WeChat does, and argued it is the primary way for Chinese speakers in the US to connect with family in China as well as receive information locally. WeChat has some 19 million US users and 1 billion users globally.


theverge--2020-10-23--Among Us developers scramble to block massive ‘Eris Loris’ spam attack

The developer of Among Us , a social intuition murder mystery game that ’ s fast become one of the most popular multiplayer titles of the year , is currently battling against a particularly pernicious spam attack .
The spam is promoting a mysterious online handle , “ Eris Loris , ” and it became bad enough that Among Us studio InnerSloth had to perform emergency maintenance starting late last night .
Hacking and other forms of cheating in Among Us has grown considerably since the game emerged as a popular online pastime during the pandemic this past summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Among Us has only grabbed more of the spotlight just these past few days , following a hugely successful Twitch stream from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) alongside high-profile streamers to encourage voting in the upcoming US election .
Yet it was only just yesterday players started experiencing the “ Eris Loris ” spam in their online matches .
Developer InnerSloth said on Thursday it was “ super duper aware of the current hacking issue ” and it would be pushing out an emergency server update to try to address it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday when players discovered their in-game chat logs filling up with messages promoting Loris ’ YouTube channel , with some messages threatening users with hacking of their personal devices if they didn ’ t subscribe .
Other messages promoted both the YouTube channel and President Donald Trump .
A Eurogamer report published today features an interview with the supposed creator of the spam attack on Discord .
The hacker claims to have recruited dozens of others to participate by contributing servers , although it ’ s unclear exactly how the hackers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once .
The end goal , it appears , is to promote the Eris Loris YouTube channel , which advertises hacks and other game cheating services .
The spam attack may have hit as many as 1.5 million games , affecting close to 5 million players if the hackers ’ claims are to be believed .
Loris is also a self-described Trump supporter , the report says .
Whatever is actually happening here , Among Us players are undoubtedly being bombarded with some type of highly coordinated attack that ’ s compromising the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ InnerSloth developer Forest Willard , the emergency server update began rolling out some time in the middle of the night , affecting in-progress games and resulting in potential false positives .
But it ’ s unclear if the issue has since been resolved or whether InnerSloth is planning future maintenance to address it .
Players on Twitter continue to report Eris Loris-related spam in the game .

The developer of Among Us, a social intuition murder mystery game that’s fast become one of the most popular multiplayer titles of the year, is currently battling against a particularly pernicious spam attack. The spam is promoting a mysterious online handle, “Eris Loris,” and it became bad enough that Among Us studio InnerSloth had to perform emergency maintenance starting late last night.
Hacking and other forms of cheating in Among Us has grown considerably since the game emerged as a popular online pastime during the pandemic this past summer, according to a report from Kotaku. And Among Us has only grabbed more of the spotlight just these past few days, following a hugely successful Twitch stream from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) alongside high-profile streamers to encourage voting in the upcoming US election.
Yet it was only just yesterday players started experiencing the “Eris Loris” spam in their online matches. Developer InnerSloth said on Thursday it was “super duper aware of the current hacking issue” and it would be pushing out an emergency server update to try to address it.
The spam attack began some time on Thursday when players discovered their in-game chat logs filling up with messages promoting Loris’ YouTube channel, with some messages threatening users with hacking of their personal devices if they didn’t subscribe. Other messages promoted both the YouTube channel and President Donald Trump.
A Eurogamer report published today features an interview with the supposed creator of the spam attack on Discord. The hacker claims to have recruited dozens of others to participate by contributing servers, although it’s unclear exactly how the hackers are managing to spam so many matches at once.
The end goal, it appears, is to promote the Eris Loris YouTube channel, which advertises hacks and other game cheating services. The spam attack may have hit as many as 1.5 million games, affecting close to 5 million players if the hackers’ claims are to be believed. Loris is also a self-described Trump supporter, the report says.