theverge--2020-10-30--The host of Scam Goddess is in for the long con

Laci Mosley picks up the phone mid-fitting , as she preps for a show she can ’ t tell me about .
“ Do you want to do this another time ?
” I ask .
“ Sorry , just a sec , ” she says , then asks if we can reschedule in an hour .
I half hope that she ’ ll ghost me ( this is an article about scams , after all ) but she doesn ’ t , which is ultimately lucky .
She might be busy jetting between Hollywood sets and podcast studios , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louboutins and talk about her all-time favorite cons .
Mosley is the LA-based actor and comedian behind the podcast Scam Goddess , where she chats with fellow comedy writers about “ scams , cons , robberies , and fraud ” — words that also double as her theme song .
The show ’ s recent deep dives include Lou Pearlman , a record producer turned convicted Ponzi schemer ; Jessica Krug , a white professor who posed as Black ; and Seth Lookhart , a hoverboard-riding dentist ultimately convicted of Medicaid fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hot in fraud ” segment , where a listener sends Mosley a recent con , which she dissects with her guest .
But the best parts are the scam-adjacent digressions : In an episode about Instagram grifter Caroline Calloway , a listener describes a former co-worker ’ s Tinder con , which began with him swiping right on everyone , in order to cast a wide net .
“ I mean honestly , love is a numbers game , ” Mosley says , pausing from reading the note .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to not date at all.
” Her guest , actor Jameela Jamil , responds : “ I mean I didn ’ t have my first kiss until I was 21 , so I feel like it ’ s okay to just move at your own pace .
Why did you not date ?
” Mosley quips : “ I was busy .
I was trying to get to the money.
” The rest of the show is dedicated to “ historic hoodwinks ” where Mosley walks her guest through the twists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the college admissions scandal to a devious romance scheme .
Sharilyn Vera , her research assistant , compiles detailed notes , which Mosley reads off during the segment .
This part is all improv — Mosley doesn ’ t look at the notes ahead of time , which makes her reactions even funnier .
What sets Mosley apart is that she doesn ’ t look down on scam artists .
In fact , she says there ’ s a lot that can be learned from fraudsters .
“ I derive a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about scammers , ” she says .
“ I mean , I don ’ t want to do full-time crime , but at the same time , I love to see it.
” On Monday , Mosley announced she ’ s taking her podcast to Team Coco , Conan O ’ Brien ’ s podcast and production company .
She ’ s also now a commentator on Whoopi Goldberg ’ s The Con which airs Wednesdays at 10PM ET on ABC .
I wanted to start with the question you ask your guests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scams ?
Why do you find them interesting ?
Laci Mosley : It kind of goes hand in hand with my life .
I used to go to nightclubs with my girlfriends and we would always find ways to sneak into VIP .
One time we were at this really exclusive party .
Beyoncé was there , Jay-Z was there , all these people were there and we couldn ’ t get into the VIP section .
And so , one of my homegirls saw some cups and she was like , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in black .
Let ’ s just hold these cups over our head and act like we ’ re going in to serve the guests.
” So we put the cups over our head and was like , “ Okay.
” And they let us through .
“ I don ’ t want to do full-time crime , but I love to see it ” Getting over was always fun for me .
I just love people who do that .
There ’ s something about con artists , they have this confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : even if you don ’ t belong there , feeling like you belong there and showing people you belong there .
That ’ s all you really need in life .
I don ’ t want to do full-time crime , but at the same time , I love to see it .
I love to watch people .
Yeah , there ’ s something very relatable about scammers .
I don ’ t think I have the confidence to do it , but I love it and understand the impulse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can .
I think we all can get to the point where we have the confidence of scammers , because that ’ s really what separates a lot of people who are wildly successful from other people .
We ’ re always lied to by capitalism .
We ’ re lied to in this way of like , “ These people who have more than you , who have more money or wealth , they ’ re just more special than you .
They have something you don ’ t. ” And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They just have the confidence to act like they were supposed to be everywhere that they were supposed to be .
And even if they didn ’ t have the tools or the information or the language , they just picked it up along the way .
So I think it ’ s just about feeling like you deserve everything .
And we live in a system that teaches us that we don ’ t , because that ’ s how they oppress people .
So I love doing this show , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from capitalism .
I always say , like , everything is made up : names , rules , laws .
They change all the time .
I mean , look at weed .
There are so many people rotting in prison over minor drug offenses for marijuana , and now you can go to the weed Apple Store and buy weed in a way that looks so technologically advanced and cool .
Everything ’ s made up .
So I just want people to not feel confined by rules and [ laughs ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around what separates a scam-scam from say , an unjust legal system ?
I think that they are very much the same .
It ’ s just that one has a different vibe to us .
Like the scam of authority and power is that we all have to empirically follow these rules , right ?
We all have to adhere to these things because they are law .
When in actuality , it ’ s just somebody who told you that .
All these laws were made by people and all these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Bezos be cleaning up these Amazon murders like next-day shipping !
” So for me , they kind of walk the same line .
It ’ s just that one is viewed differently than the other .
And I mean this more with scams that are conning the system .
Like if you ’ re conning an individual person on the street , then that ’ s a completely different thing than the government scam .
But if you ’ re getting over on major corporations and the government , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
I mean , you look at any billionaire , you ’ ll find dead bodies , you ’ ll find tax evasion .
Jeff Bezos be cleaning up these Amazon murders like next-day shipping !
I guess to more clearly answer your question , I think that there are different types of scam industries , but I do think that the fundamentals of scams are so similar to the society that we ’ ve built and how it works .
You know what I mean ?
‘ Cause it was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scam everybody else .
The founding fathers made a country that would be a utopia for straight white men .
And it still pretty much is .
Do you have a favorite scam that you ’ ve covered in the past year ?
It feels like this was a year full of scams .
It was .
My favorite scam is still the first episode of the show .
And that ’ s Anna Delvey with Paul F. Tompkins .
They ’ re doing a TV show about her on Netflix .
[ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article by Jessica Pressler for New York Magazine , which shares a parent company , Vox Media , with The Verge . ]
“ She said , ‘ I am not a good person , ’ and I thought wow , how liberating.
” And the reason I love Anna Delvey so much is because not only did she have confidence , she had props , she had actors , she had a trainer friend , and she made it look like she was paying him .
And then beyond that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she literally said to the judge in the courtroom , she said , “ I am not a good person.
” And I thought , wow , how liberating .
Not that I want people to be bad or whatever , but just to see somebody who is so fricking honest with themselves and what they ’ re about , versus everyone pretending to be good people .
Like Donald Trump ’ s not a good person .
And I would love it if he was just like , “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get somewhere with that .
I think she ’ s out now , also .
She just got early parole .
Really ?
Oh my god , I ’ m so happy for her .
How do you choose which scams to cover ?
This is a true con show .
So it ’ s like true crime , except I really don ’ t like to cover nice ladies getting murdered or whatever .
I try to give people a break from that .
So I try to choose scam artists that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most part .
Now sometimes the scam is so good that I have to cover it , but I ’ ll be like , “ Okay , I don ’ t like this man .
He ’ s a bad man.
” Like for example , Lou Pearlman .
Lou Pearlman was a hilarious scammer .
He was also an awful human being .
So I ’ ll make that distinction .
But I like to highlight scammers that I really like over dastardly people .
And then also something that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I love a wild person who ’ s doing a lot of crazy shit .
And then like , who are they scamming ?
I try to stay away from stuff that feels like you ’ re a predator .
But sometimes we do have to cover people who have been duped .
Love relationships and stuff like that .
So , yeah .
But I look for stuff that ’ s fun , nonviolent , and just a good-ass time .
That ’ s one of my favorite things about your show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a subversive way .
We don ’ t always see scammers covered in that light .
Sometimes I watch shows where they ’ re trying to catch the scammers and it just feels not fun .
Cause it ’ s like , “ You ’ re the hater , you ’ re the hater guy that we all ... we don ’ t like you.
” I pride myself in trying to be kind and find the good in people .
Especially if I feel like they haven ’ t done anything that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the things that made me really happy was I had one of the scammers that I covered for “ Scammer of the Week , ” this rapper Chad Focus .
He was buying billboards and all this stuff with his company credit card to promote his rap album and his music was actually kind of good .
And we played some of it on the show and when he got out of jail , he emailed me and was like , “ Thank you for the shout out.
” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your show and feel understood — the scammer and the victim .
Right .
And now that doesn ’ t always happen .
We did have a Twitter fight with Caroline Calloway .
She doesn ’ t seem like a true scammer to me , though ... Oh , she is .
She just came out with a book called Scammer and then had everyone preorder it and never mailed it .
It still hasn ’ t come out and she stopped posting all that .
Okay , I take that back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oh my god , she ’ s one of my favorites .
Can you tell me a bit more about the Scam Goddess team ?
I know you work closely with a research assistant .
So , Sharilyn Vera is my research assistant and she ’ s fantastic .
Chelsea Jacobson is my producer .
Marina Paiz is my engineer .
We have an all-female team .
We ’ re all women .
We ’ re pretty diverse , which is great because Chelsea is Jewish .
And for some reason , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , I said that Anne Frank was the most famous Jewish girl and I was like , is this problematic ?
I didn ’ t mean it in a bad way .
And so we have fun conversations like that .
“ We seriously fully didn ’ t know that he died ” I rarely read the episodes beforehand because I like to do improv on the entire episode .
And it ’ s just more fun and fresh for me if I ’ ve not seen it .
At first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to this show are like , “ Laci doesn ’ t read these beforehand ?
” And then they get used to us .
I want people to feel like we ’ re on a journey together .
And we ’ re learning about the person together .
And the only time I think it ’ s even obvious that I haven ’ t read one is Lou Pearlman .
We seriously fully didn ’ t know that he died .
And I was talking about him in present tense , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are beating your ass , Lou.
” And then I was like , “ Lou dead ?
” You recently announced some big news — Scam Goddess is joining Team Coco [ Conan O ’ Brien ’ s podcast and production studio ] .
How did you decide to bring your show there ?
I decided to join Team Coco because I ’ ve always admired Conan O ’ Brien ’ s work and when he took an interest in my show , I saw an opportunity to grow and learn from one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His team is so enthusiastic and hardworking and the experience has been wonderful .
Team Coco produces Scam Goddess alongside Earwolf now , and I couldn ’ t imagine a better situation .
“ I feel like I scammed my way into being an expert ” I ’ m also a talking head on the new ABC series The Con hosted by Whoopi Goldberg .
It was my first shoot during COVID and my first time being a consultant on a documentary-style show .
I feel like I scammed my way into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve also just learned a lot about con artists studying them for years .
I ’ m having a lot of fun with this show and it ’ s growing in ways I certainly didn ’ t fathom .
It makes me so curious and excited for what ’ s to come and incredibly grateful for everything I ’ ve experienced .
Do you have any scam predictions for what types of schemes we might see more of in the future ?
My fraud forecast is , you ’ re going to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I mean by that is people reaching out on a one-on-one individual basis .
Either with , like , “ Hey , I have this opportunity for you to make money really easily from home , ” or , “ Hey , I know you ’ re working from home and I ’ m from your payroll department and I need this information , ” or it ’ s coming via text message or social media .
That has gotten very large on the scam front , too .
So you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inviting you to the “ circle of gold , ” and that ’ s a pyramid scheme .
Even dating apps , people are getting DMs that are like , “ Hey , I lost this money or I just need this money for the taxes and fees , and then I ’ ll send you back your portion.
” Why do you think 2020 was such a big year on the scam beat ?
Did it feel that way to you ?
I think 2020 was a great year for scams and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where I think everyone across the USA realized that everything we fucking knew about our government was a scam .
They have been lying to us .
They are not helping us .
In a time where everyone needed a stimulus , there was only one check that went out .
You know what I mean ?
Outside of unemployment , we ’ re seeing that you ’ ve been paying taxes , you ’ ve been showing up , you ’ ve been doing your part , so where ’ s your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that this really opened everyone ’ s eyes to how much we ’ ve allowed ourselves to be scammed by authority and by people who are not taking care of the best interests of the country .
It ’ s been a wonderful year for us to take capitalism ’ s boot and just loosen it on the neck a little bit , you know what I mean ?
It ’ s more like a toe now .
It ’ s more of a stiletto .
So I think that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been edited for clarity and length .

Laci Mosley picks up the phone mid-fitting, as she preps for a show she can’t tell me about. “Do you want to do this another time?” I ask. “Sorry, just a sec,” she says, then asks if we can reschedule in an hour. I half hope that she’ll ghost me (this is an article about scams, after all) but she doesn’t, which is ultimately lucky. She might be busy jetting between Hollywood sets and podcast studios, but not too busy to put on Louboutins and talk about her all-time favorite cons.
Mosley is the LA-based actor and comedian behind the podcast Scam Goddess, where she chats with fellow comedy writers about “scams, cons, robberies, and fraud” — words that also double as her theme song. The show’s recent deep dives include Lou Pearlman, a record producer turned convicted Ponzi schemer; Jessica Krug, a white professor who posed as Black; and Seth Lookhart, a hoverboard-riding dentist ultimately convicted of Medicaid fraud.
Each episode opens with a “what’s hot in fraud” segment, where a listener sends Mosley a recent con, which she dissects with her guest. But the best parts are the scam-adjacent digressions: In an episode about Instagram grifter Caroline Calloway, a listener describes a former co-worker’s Tinder con, which began with him swiping right on everyone, in order to cast a wide net. “I mean honestly, love is a numbers game,” Mosley says, pausing from reading the note. “I treat it like the casino ... I used to not date at all.” Her guest, actor Jameela Jamil, responds: “I mean I didn’t have my first kiss until I was 21, so I feel like it’s okay to just move at your own pace. Why did you not date?” Mosley quips: “I was busy. I was trying to get to the money.”
The rest of the show is dedicated to “historic hoodwinks” where Mosley walks her guest through the twists and turns of a world-class fraud, from the college admissions scandal to a devious romance scheme. Sharilyn Vera, her research assistant, compiles detailed notes, which Mosley reads off during the segment. This part is all improv — Mosley doesn’t look at the notes ahead of time, which makes her reactions even funnier.
What sets Mosley apart is that she doesn’t look down on scam artists. In fact, she says there’s a lot that can be learned from fraudsters. “I derive a lot of confidence from reading from scammers and learning about scammers,” she says. “I mean, I don’t want to do full-time crime, but at the same time, I love to see it.”
On Monday, Mosley announced she’s taking her podcast to Team Coco, Conan O’Brien’s podcast and production company. She’s also now a commentator on Whoopi Goldberg’s The Con which airs Wednesdays at 10PM ET on ABC.
I wanted to start with the question you ask your guests — what’s your relationship with scams? Why do you find them interesting?
Laci Mosley: It kind of goes hand in hand with my life. I used to go to nightclubs with my girlfriends and we would always find ways to sneak into VIP. One time we were at this really exclusive party. Beyoncé was there, Jay-Z was there, all these people were there and we couldn’t get into the VIP section. And so, one of my homegirls saw some cups and she was like, “Yo, we’re already dressed in black. Let’s just hold these cups over our head and act like we’re going in to serve the guests.” So we put the cups over our head and was like, “Okay.” And they let us through.
“I don’t want to do full-time crime, but I love to see it”
Getting over was always fun for me. I just love people who do that. There’s something about con artists, they have this confidence, usually to the point of delusion: even if you don’t belong there, feeling like you belong there and showing people you belong there. That’s all you really need in life.
I don’t want to do full-time crime, but at the same time, I love to see it. I love to watch people.
Yeah, there’s something very relatable about scammers. I don’t think I have the confidence to do it, but I love it and understand the impulse.
Yeah. But I think we all can. I think we all can get to the point where we have the confidence of scammers, because that’s really what separates a lot of people who are wildly successful from other people. We’re always lied to by capitalism. We’re lied to in this way of like, “These people who have more than you, who have more money or wealth, they’re just more special than you. They have something you don’t.” And that’s simply not the truth. They just have the confidence to act like they were supposed to be everywhere that they were supposed to be. And even if they didn’t have the tools or the information or the language, they just picked it up along the way. So I think it’s just about feeling like you deserve everything.
And we live in a system that teaches us that we don’t, because that’s how they oppress people. So I love doing this show, too, because I like to liberate people from capitalism. I always say, like, everything is made up: names, rules, laws. They change all the time.
I mean, look at weed. There are so many people rotting in prison over minor drug offenses for marijuana, and now you can go to the weed Apple Store and buy weed in a way that looks so technologically advanced and cool. Everything’s made up. So I just want people to not feel confined by rules and [laughs] laws.
Do you have a philosophy around what separates a scam-scam from say, an unjust legal system?
I think that they are very much the same. It’s just that one has a different vibe to us. Like the scam of authority and power is that we all have to empirically follow these rules, right? We all have to adhere to these things because they are law. When in actuality, it’s just somebody who told you that. All these laws were made by people and all these scams were made by people.
“Jeff Bezos be cleaning up these Amazon murders like next-day shipping!”
So for me, they kind of walk the same line. It’s just that one is viewed differently than the other. And I mean this more with scams that are conning the system. Like if you’re conning an individual person on the street, then that’s a completely different thing than the government scam. But if you’re getting over on major corporations and the government, you’re basically doing what they do every day. I mean, you look at any billionaire, you’ll find dead bodies, you’ll find tax evasion. Jeff Bezos be cleaning up these Amazon murders like next-day shipping!
I guess to more clearly answer your question, I think that there are different types of scam industries, but I do think that the fundamentals of scams are so similar to the society that we’ve built and how it works. You know what I mean? ‘Cause it was set up by people so that they could scam everybody else. The founding fathers made a country that would be a utopia for straight white men. And it still pretty much is.
Do you have a favorite scam that you’ve covered in the past year? It feels like this was a year full of scams.
It was. My favorite scam is still the first episode of the show. And that’s Anna Delvey with Paul F. Tompkins. They’re doing a TV show about her on Netflix. [Disclosure: The show is based on an article by Jessica Pressler for New York Magazine, which shares a parent company, Vox Media, with The Verge.]
“She said, ‘I am not a good person,’ and I thought wow, how liberating.”
And the reason I love Anna Delvey so much is because not only did she have confidence, she had props, she had actors, she had a trainer friend, and she made it look like she was paying him. And then beyond that in court, when she was being sentenced, she literally said to the judge in the courtroom, she said, “I am not a good person.” And I thought, wow, how liberating.
Not that I want people to be bad or whatever, but just to see somebody who is so fricking honest with themselves and what they’re about, versus everyone pretending to be good people. Like Donald Trump’s not a good person. And I would love it if he was just like, “I’m a bad guy.” We could get somewhere with that.
I think she’s out now, also. She just got early parole.
Really? Oh my god, I’m so happy for her.
How do you choose which scams to cover?
This is a true con show. So it’s like true crime, except I really don’t like to cover nice ladies getting murdered or whatever. I try to give people a break from that. So I try to choose scam artists that I can root for, for the most part. Now sometimes the scam is so good that I have to cover it, but I’ll be like, “Okay, I don’t like this man. He’s a bad man.” Like for example, Lou Pearlman. Lou Pearlman was a hilarious scammer. He was also an awful human being. So I’ll make that distinction. But I like to highlight scammers that I really like over dastardly people.
And then also something that’s fun. I love fun details. I love a wild person who’s doing a lot of crazy shit.
And then like, who are they scamming? I try to stay away from stuff that feels like you’re a predator. But sometimes we do have to cover people who have been duped. Love relationships and stuff like that. So, yeah. But I look for stuff that’s fun, nonviolent, and just a good-ass time.
That’s one of my favorite things about your show — you root for the scammer in a subversive way. We don’t always see scammers covered in that light.
Sometimes I watch shows where they’re trying to catch the scammers and it just feels not fun. Cause it’s like, “You’re the hater, you’re the hater guy that we all... we don’t like you.”
I pride myself in trying to be kind and find the good in people. Especially if I feel like they haven’t done anything that is oppressive or wrong to other people.
One of the things that made me really happy was I had one of the scammers that I covered for “Scammer of the Week,” this rapper Chad Focus. He was buying billboards and all this stuff with his company credit card to promote his rap album and his music was actually kind of good. And we played some of it on the show and when he got out of jail, he emailed me and was like, “Thank you for the shout out.”
I feel like both sides could listen to your show and feel understood — the scammer and the victim.
Right. And now that doesn’t always happen. We did have a Twitter fight with Caroline Calloway.
She doesn’t seem like a true scammer to me, though...
Oh, she is.
Really?
She just came out with a book called Scammer and then had everyone preorder it and never mailed it. It still hasn’t come out and she stopped posting all that.
Okay, I take that back.
She’s a true artist. Oh my god, she’s one of my favorites.
Can you tell me a bit more about the Scam Goddess team? I know you work closely with a research assistant.
So, Sharilyn Vera is my research assistant and she’s fantastic. Chelsea Jacobson is my producer. Marina Paiz is my engineer. We have an all-female team. We’re all women. We’re pretty diverse, which is great because Chelsea is Jewish. And for some reason, there’s always something... like, for example, I said that Anne Frank was the most famous Jewish girl and I was like, is this problematic? I didn’t mean it in a bad way. And so we have fun conversations like that.
“We seriously fully didn’t know that he died”
I rarely read the episodes beforehand because I like to do improv on the entire episode. And it’s just more fun and fresh for me if I’ve not seen it.
At first, the people who will come and listen to this show are like, “Laci doesn’t read these beforehand?” And then they get used to us. I want people to feel like we’re on a journey together. And we’re learning about the person together. And the only time I think it’s even obvious that I haven’t read one is Lou Pearlman. We seriously fully didn’t know that he died. And I was talking about him in present tense, I was like, “I hope they are beating your ass, Lou.” And then I was like, “Lou dead?”
You recently announced some big news — Scam Goddess is joining Team Coco [Conan O’Brien’s podcast and production studio]. How did you decide to bring your show there?
I decided to join Team Coco because I’ve always admired Conan O’Brien’s work and when he took an interest in my show, I saw an opportunity to grow and learn from one of the best to ever do it. His team is so enthusiastic and hardworking and the experience has been wonderful. Team Coco produces Scam Goddess alongside Earwolf now, and I couldn’t imagine a better situation.
“I feel like I scammed my way into being an expert”
I’m also a talking head on the new ABC series The Con hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. It was my first shoot during COVID and my first time being a consultant on a documentary-style show. I feel like I scammed my way into being an expert, but I’ve also just learned a lot about con artists studying them for years. I’m having a lot of fun with this show and it’s growing in ways I certainly didn’t fathom. It makes me so curious and excited for what’s to come and incredibly grateful for everything I’ve experienced.
Do you have any scam predictions for what types of schemes we might see more of in the future?
My fraud forecast is, you’re going to see a lot more interpersonal scams. And what I mean by that is people reaching out on a one-on-one individual basis. Either with, like, “Hey, I have this opportunity for you to make money really easily from home,” or, “Hey, I know you’re working from home and I’m from your payroll department and I need this information,” or it’s coming via text message or social media. That has gotten very large on the scam front, too. So you’re on Facebook and someone’s inviting you to the “circle of gold,” and that’s a pyramid scheme. Even dating apps, people are getting DMs that are like, “Hey, I lost this money or I just need this money for the taxes and fees, and then I’ll send you back your portion.”
Why do you think 2020 was such a big year on the scam beat? Did it feel that way to you?
I think 2020 was a great year for scams and for scammers because this is the time where I think everyone across the USA realized that everything we fucking knew about our government was a scam. They have been lying to us. They are not helping us. In a time where everyone needed a stimulus, there was only one check that went out. You know what I mean? Outside of unemployment, we’re seeing that you’ve been paying taxes, you’ve been showing up, you’ve been doing your part, so where’s your government? Not here, right?
I think that this really opened everyone’s eyes to how much we’ve allowed ourselves to be scammed by authority and by people who are not taking care of the best interests of the country. It’s been a wonderful year for us to take capitalism’s boot and just loosen it on the neck a little bit, you know what I mean? It’s more like a toe now. It’s more of a stiletto. So I think that’s really liberating.


theverge--2020-10-30--DropLabs’ EP-01 speaker shoes make for an excellent VR accessory

A good set of headphones is key for boosting immersion in a VR game .
I didn ’ t realize that a nice pair of shoes could amplify it even further .
Not just any shoes , mind you .
I ’ ve been testing out DropLabs ’ $ 300 EP-01 , a pair of Yeezy-inspired shoes with bass-rattling speakers embedded in their soles .
When they ’ re really bumping , it feels like what I imagine it ’ d be like to stand on a concert PA while it pushes out sound .
You can tune the intensity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Android app , which you ’ ll need to use anyway to initialize the shoes .
Have you ever initialized shoes ?
DropLabs intends for the EP-01 to be worn in everyday life , wirelessly providing the beat to whatever music you ’ re listening to in your headphones .
They ’ re certainly stylish enough to not give away that they hide speakers within them , and their tech-packed sole gives me a confidence-boosting lift off the ground .
But truthfully , I think the EP-01 ’ s true calling is for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality headset fastened to your head .
Applied in VR , they provide an ingredient I didn ’ t realize had been missing .
Ambient world sounds , music thumps , gun shots , and practically everything else that emits a sound in the lows and mids frequency zones will let the EP-01 push blasts of bass up your shins .
They can do this for standard non-VR games that you might be playing on PC or on a console , but there ’ s something special about using them in virtual reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Setting up the EP-01 for VR or other kinds of gaming is simple enough , but far more clumsy and restrictive than if you ’ re just on a walkabout listening to music via Bluetooth .
In addition to buying the shoes , you ’ ll need DropLabs ’ proprietary $ 25 low-latency gaming cable , which lets you connect a set of wired headphones and the EP-01 to an audio source , like a computer , console controller , or really any device that has a 3.5mm jack .
These shoes have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is what the low-latency cable snaps onto ( DropLabs includes a wall charger with each shoe purchase that connects to them in the same manner ) .
The cable does its job without issue and no drivers are necessary to install before you can jump in , but unfortunately , this cable is too short to be useful for non-stationary VR .
If you want to get up and walk around for a room-scale experience , people who are taller than around five feet , five inches will likely accidentally yank off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magnetically attached cables connecting the shoes to your headset at some point .
In my case , I ’ m around five feet , nine inches , so not super tall , and I had to awkwardly hunch while using the Oculus Quest 2 to make sure everything remained attached .
My experience wearing the EP-01 with room-scale VR was far more immersive than when I was sitting down with them on my feet .
I could dance to the beat in Tetris Effect as I organized descending tetrominoes , or while I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Infinite .
I think I screamed when I was surprised by the intense sensory experience caused when a big , shield-carrying Combine soldier flanked me in Half-Life : Alyx .
Feeling sounds like footsteps coming from the game worlds made me feel that much more in the game .
That said , if it works out better for you to remain seated , I think you ’ ll still have a great , multisensory experience .
Just remember to occasionally charge the shoes and turn them off when you ’ re done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have six-hour battery life , and I ’ ve only had to recharge them once , what with me using them mostly in fits and starts at home .
But if you forget to power them down , your speaker shoes will eventually die and become regular — yet very heavy — shoes .
When I first wrote about the DropLabs speaker shoes a few months ago , I knew I needed to try them out .
I needed to know what it would be like to have $ 300 Bluetooth-connected shoes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m listening to from my phone .
And since I ’ m usually playing PC games , I also needed to try out the optional accessory that lets you connect these shoes to your computer with a wire to sync up game audio coming through my headset to the shoes , cumbersome as it seemed to have my head and my feet wired into a computer simultaneously .
I can report now that the zany-sounding experience is exactly what I thought it ’ d be , for better or worse .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve ever worn , as well as the most comfortable speaker shoes to grace my feet .
Jokes aside , these are most worth your money if you are really into VR .
Yet , you ’ ll still be subject to their clumsy , wired setup that requires you to spend an additional $ 25 on top of $ 300 .
I can ’ t otherwise recommend them for casual wear , unless you really want to simulate wearing two Bluetooth-connected ankle weights strapped to your feet while you walk around .

A good set of headphones is key for boosting immersion in a VR game. I didn’t realize that a nice pair of shoes could amplify it even further.
Not just any shoes, mind you. I’ve been testing out DropLabs’ $300 EP-01, a pair of Yeezy-inspired shoes with bass-rattling speakers embedded in their soles. When they’re really bumping, it feels like what I imagine it’d be like to stand on a concert PA while it pushes out sound. You can tune the intensity of the bass via an iOS or Android app, which you’ll need to use anyway to initialize the shoes. Have you ever initialized shoes?
DropLabs intends for the EP-01 to be worn in everyday life, wirelessly providing the beat to whatever music you’re listening to in your headphones. They’re certainly stylish enough to not give away that they hide speakers within them, and their tech-packed sole gives me a confidence-boosting lift off the ground. But truthfully, I think the EP-01’s true calling is for stationary gaming at home with a virtual reality headset fastened to your head.
Applied in VR, they provide an ingredient I didn’t realize had been missing. Ambient world sounds, music thumps, gun shots, and practically everything else that emits a sound in the lows and mids frequency zones will let the EP-01 push blasts of bass up your shins. They can do this for standard non-VR games that you might be playing on PC or on a console, but there’s something special about using them in virtual reality.
Have you ever initialized shoes?
Setting up the EP-01 for VR or other kinds of gaming is simple enough, but far more clumsy and restrictive than if you’re just on a walkabout listening to music via Bluetooth. In addition to buying the shoes, you’ll need DropLabs’ proprietary $25 low-latency gaming cable, which lets you connect a set of wired headphones and the EP-01 to an audio source, like a computer, console controller, or really any device that has a 3.5mm jack. These shoes have magnetic charging ports on their rears, which is what the low-latency cable snaps onto (DropLabs includes a wall charger with each shoe purchase that connects to them in the same manner).
The cable does its job without issue and no drivers are necessary to install before you can jump in, but unfortunately, this cable is too short to be useful for non-stationary VR. If you want to get up and walk around for a room-scale experience, people who are taller than around five feet, five inches will likely accidentally yank off one, or both, of the magnetically attached cables connecting the shoes to your headset at some point. In my case, I’m around five feet, nine inches, so not super tall, and I had to awkwardly hunch while using the Oculus Quest 2 to make sure everything remained attached.
Related The 12 best new and updated games for the Oculus Quest 2
My experience wearing the EP-01 with room-scale VR was far more immersive than when I was sitting down with them on my feet. I could dance to the beat in Tetris Effect as I organized descending tetrominoes, or while I blasted all of the targets in Rez: Infinite. I think I screamed when I was surprised by the intense sensory experience caused when a big, shield-carrying Combine soldier flanked me in Half-Life: Alyx. Feeling sounds like footsteps coming from the game worlds made me feel that much more in the game. That said, if it works out better for you to remain seated, I think you’ll still have a great, multisensory experience.
Just remember to occasionally charge the shoes and turn them off when you’re done to save battery. DropLabs claims these have six-hour battery life, and I’ve only had to recharge them once, what with me using them mostly in fits and starts at home. But if you forget to power them down, your speaker shoes will eventually die and become regular — yet very heavy — shoes.
When I first wrote about the DropLabs speaker shoes a few months ago, I knew I needed to try them out. I needed to know what it would be like to have $300 Bluetooth-connected shoes that vibrate in tandem with music that I’m listening to from my phone. And since I’m usually playing PC games, I also needed to try out the optional accessory that lets you connect these shoes to your computer with a wire to sync up game audio coming through my headset to the shoes, cumbersome as it seemed to have my head and my feet wired into a computer simultaneously.
I can report now that the zany-sounding experience is exactly what I thought it’d be, for better or worse. They’re the best-sounding shoes I’ve ever worn, as well as the most comfortable speaker shoes to grace my feet.


theverge--2020-10-30--The Mandalorian is back, and with it a reason to open Disney Plus again

If you haven ’ t opened your Disney Plus app since The Mandalorian ended in December 2019 , you ’ re not alone .
It wasn ’ t long after The Mandalorian ’ s first season ended that op-eds and tweetstorms started to appear decrying Disney Plus as an empty wasteland .
Sure , The Simpsons was available to stream , but when it came to opening the app daily trying to find something new to watch , many people ( without kids begging to watch Frozen 2 over and over again ) weren ’ t impressed .
Data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Data , shows that while The Mandalorian was a guaranteed hit , Disney Plus has dwindled in interest since January .
The streamer has also failed to continuously crack Nielsen ’ s Top 10 weekly streaming rankings in the United States , which are mostly dominated by shows and films on Netflix .
The looming question is : does it matter ?
Disney Plus has seen unprecedented growth over the last year , boasting more than 60 million subscribers — a number Disney executives told investors and analysts they planned to reach by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gives people ESPN Plus and Hulu for $ 13 a month , has also helped Disney ’ s streaming services reach more than 100 million subscribers around the world .
The company ’ s direct-to-consumer planning is paying off faster than executives thought possible , leading to a public reorganization that prioritizes streaming and major shareholders asking Disney to invest even more .
That big looming question can actually be divided into two parts .
Disney Plus is fine as an overarching service that mostly appeals to families with younger kids ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing a content drought that could become a problem .
Without a steady stream of shows and films that appeal to people who aren ’ t just looking to rewatch the same movie over and over , Disney Plus will remain a complementary platform , not a primary service , according to Shelley Yong , an analyst at 7Park Data who covers streaming entertainment .
“ It ’ s definitely a complimentary service , especially in terms of viewership compared to the big three ” “ We know that Disney has a Hulu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might make it a primary service for some in the United States , ” Yong tells The Verge .
“ But as of right now , it ’ s definitely a complimentary service , especially in terms of viewership compared to the big three.
” Data from third-party firms shows a few bumps for Disney Plus viewing and interest in the time since it launched : the first Mandalorian season , Hamilton debuting , and Mulan landing as a Premier Access title .
The share of people watching Disney Plus sat between 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 — the time The Mandalorian was running — but dropped between January and July 2020 , according to 7Park data .
It jumped to more than 30 percent of viewers when Hamilton hit .
More importantly , Disney CEO Bob Chapek told staff in an all-hands , which was obtained by The Verge , that it represented a different audience that was important to Disney Plus ’ growth .
Outside of The Mandalorian , Disney has failed to produce a top 10 digital series that ’ s entirely new , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that while continued interest in watching Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , and Hulu has remained steady , Disney Plus has wavered .
It ’ s not that Disney Plus doesn ’ t offer quality .
But the streaming landscape , demands consistency on top of quality .
While Disney isn ’ t going to match Netflix ’ s pace — one that now costs Netflix billions in annual content spending — consistently having an eye-catching popular show or film that brings in subscribers , including those who aren ’ t necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kids , is vital .
Disney didn ’ t plan to have a drought this long “ Whenever there ’ s a hit , that ’ s when people are using the service , ” Yong says .
“ If you compare it to Netflix , Hulu , or Amazon , Disney Plus isn ’ t driving the bulk of attention on these platforms .
Disney Plus needs more and different content to compete going forward if they ’ re asking people to spend an additional $ 7 a month on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exacerbated by the pandemic .
Disney didn ’ t plan to have a drought this long .
If the pandemic hadn ’ t occurred , Disney would have started rolling out highly anticipated shows by August : The Falcon and the Winter Soldier first , then The Mandalorian ’ s second season , and WandaVision to finish the year .
If things had worked out with Lizzie McGuire , that likely would have premiered this year , too .
Alongside nature documentaries and nonfiction series through National Geographic and a brand-new season of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stack the last half of the year .
The pandemic made much of that impossible .
Production delays affected reshoots , while pre-production on other series couldn ’ t start .
More people were spending time streaming than ever before , and while Disney Plus continued to grow ( leading to shareholders asking for Disney to invest even more in its streaming business and a massive reorganization at the company ) Disney had little to offer outside of its library — especially compared to Netflix .
Certain movies that were meant to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Artemis Fowl found their way to Disney Plus , but there wasn ’ t a batch of series that made people go , “ I have to open Disney Plus and keep returning.
” As AT & T CEO John Stankey said about HBO Max on a recent earnings call , getting customers relies on originals ; the library is hopefully what keeps them afterward .
Hence , The Mandalorian .
It ’ s vital for Disney because it ’ s one of the rare titles on Disney Plus that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again on a weekly basis .
It also comes at an important time for Disney , as subscribers who came in through free one-year plans offered by partners like Verizon are set to see those deals expire .
The Mandalorian might be the show that convinces people to continue subscribing , gets those who canceled their plans to resubscribe , and convinces those who have skipped over the app for months on end to finally open it again .
It ’ s what comes after The Mandalorian , however , that matters more @ @ @ @

If you haven’t opened your Disney Plus app since The Mandalorian ended in December 2019, you’re not alone.
It wasn’t long after The Mandalorian’s first season ended that op-eds and tweetstorms started to appear decrying Disney Plus as an empty wasteland. Sure, The Simpsons was available to stream, but when it came to opening the app daily trying to find something new to watch, many people (without kids begging to watch Frozen 2 over and over again) weren’t impressed. Data from third-party firms, including Reelgood and 7Park Data, shows that while The Mandalorian was a guaranteed hit, Disney Plus has dwindled in interest since January. The streamer has also failed to continuously crack Nielsen’s Top 10 weekly streaming rankings in the United States, which are mostly dominated by shows and films on Netflix.
The looming question is: does it matter? Disney Plus has seen unprecedented growth over the last year, boasting more than 60 million subscribers — a number Disney executives told investors and analysts they planned to reach by 2024. The Disney Plus bundle, which gives people ESPN Plus and Hulu for $13 a month, has also helped Disney’s streaming services reach more than 100 million subscribers around the world. The company’s direct-to-consumer planning is paying off faster than executives thought possible, leading to a public reorganization that prioritizes streaming and major shareholders asking Disney to invest even more.
That big looming question can actually be divided into two parts. Disney Plus is fine as an overarching service that mostly appeals to families with younger kids; Disney Plus is also, however, facing a content drought that could become a problem. Without a steady stream of shows and films that appeal to people who aren’t just looking to rewatch the same movie over and over, Disney Plus will remain a complementary platform, not a primary service, according to Shelley Yang, an analyst at 7Park Data who covers streaming entertainment.
“It’s definitely a complimentary service, especially in terms of viewership compared to the big three”
“We know that Disney has a Hulu and Disney Plus bundle, and that might make it a primary service for some in the United States,” Yang tells The Verge. “But as of right now, it’s definitely a complimentary service, especially in terms of viewership compared to the big three.”
Data from third-party firms shows a few bumps for Disney Plus viewing and interest in the time since it launched: the first Mandalorian season, Hamilton debuting, and Mulan landing as a Premier Access title. The share of people watching Disney Plus sat between 20 and 23 percent in November and December 2019 — the time The Mandalorian was running — but dropped between January and July 2020, according to 7Park data. It jumped to more than 30 percent of viewers when Hamilton hit. More importantly, Disney CEO Bob Chapek told staff in an all-hands, which was obtained by The Verge, that it represented a different audience that was important to Disney Plus’ growth.
Outside of The Mandalorian, Disney has failed to produce a top 10 digital series that’s entirely new, according to Parrot Analytics. Data from Reelgood also shows that while continued interest in watching Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu has remained steady, Disney Plus has wavered. It’s not that Disney Plus doesn’t offer quality. But the streaming landscape, demands consistency on top of quality. While Disney isn’t going to match Netflix’s pace — one that now costs Netflix billions in annual content spending — consistently having an eye-catching popular show or film that brings in subscribers, including those who aren’t necessarily interested in Disney and don’t have kids, is vital.
Disney didn’t plan to have a drought this long
“Whenever there’s a hit, that’s when people are using the service,” Yang says. “If you compare it to Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon, Disney Plus isn’t driving the bulk of attention on these platforms. Disney Plus needs more and different content to compete going forward if they’re asking people to spend an additional $7 a month on a service.”
This problem has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Disney didn’t plan to have a drought this long. If the pandemic hadn’t occurred, Disney would have started rolling out highly anticipated shows by August: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier first, then The Mandalorian’s second season, and WandaVision to finish the year. If things had worked out with Lizzie McGuire, that likely would have premiered this year, too. Alongside nature documentaries and nonfiction series through National Geographic and a brand-new season of The Simpsons, Disney was ready to stack the last half of the year.
The pandemic made much of that impossible. Production delays affected reshoots, while pre-production on other series couldn’t start. More people were spending time streaming than ever before, and while Disney Plus continued to grow (leading to shareholders asking for Disney to invest even more in its streaming business and a massive reorganization at the company) Disney had little to offer outside of its library — especially compared to Netflix. Certain movies that were meant to be theatrical releases, like Hamilton, Mulan, and Artemis Fowl found their way to Disney Plus, but there wasn’t a batch of series that made people go, “I have to open Disney Plus and keep returning.” As AT&T CEO John Stankey said about HBO Max on a recent earnings call, getting customers relies on originals; the library is hopefully what keeps them afterward.
Hence, The Mandalorian. It’s vital for Disney because it’s one of the rare titles on Disney Plus that will get people excited about opening the app again on a weekly basis. It also comes at an important time for Disney, as subscribers who came in through free one-year plans offered by partners like Verizon are set to see those deals expire. The Mandalorian might be the show that convinces people to continue subscribing, gets those who canceled their plans to resubscribe, and convinces those who have skipped over the app for months on end to finally open it again. It’s what comes after The Mandalorian, however, that matters more than anything else.


theverge--2020-10-30--Here are the best AirPods deals you can get right now

Apple AirPods are among the most popular headphones on the market .
They ’ re compact , easy to pair with your devices , and they offer reliable connectivity , which can sometimes be a problem with truly wireless earphones .
So there ’ s a chance that you might be looking for a deal on them .
Surprisingly , they ’ re no stranger to the occasional price cut .
There are commonly discounts on even the more expensive AirPods Pro , which offer noise cancellation and better sound than the standard second-generation model .
We ’ ll run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below , including the second-generation AirPods , the more expensive second-generation AirPods that include a wireless charging case , and finally , the AirPods Pro .
You can currently find the best price on Apple ’ s most affordable AirPods at Amazon , Best Buy and Target .
Normally $ 159 , but you can get them for $ 130 right now at both retailers .
This is nearly the lowest price we ’ ve seen yet , though they may get cheaper as we approach the holidays .
You ’ ll need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take advantage of this model ’ s key feature ( if you have no use for it , just get the more affordable option above ) , but even the best ones are fairly inexpensive .
Most retailers commonly offer a $ 30 discount on Apple ’ s AirPods that include a Qi-ready wireless charging case , and that ’ s currently the sale price .
But keep a lookout for deals that double this price cut down to $ 140 , which is the lowest price that we ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently go down to $ 108 at Walmart , but the deal was only available in select US states .
Apple ’ s high-end truly wireless earbuds , the AirPods Pro , are frequently available for less than their $ 249 retail price .
At most retailers , that price drop is only $ 15 .
Though , if you aren ’ t getting at least $ 30 off the regular price , I ’ d personally hold off on buying them .
The lowest we ’ ve seen the AirPods Pro sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not common .
Currently , you can get them as low as $ 195 at Woot , but that deal will likely sell out .
If it does , Amazon and Walmart have the AirPods Pro for $ 200 .
Compared to the options above , the AirPods Pro have better sound quality , noise cancellation , and now support Apple ’ s new spatial audio feature .
We think they ’ re the best wireless earbuds that iPhone owners should buy .

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods toward the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model slowly dip to around $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly a year, we’re seeing their price fall more often, too.
Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.
The best AirPods (second-gen) deals
In 2021, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.
Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds have dropped to as low as $79.99 before, but right now they’re only on sale for around $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Alternatively, if you prefer the model with the wireless charging case, it’s available at Adorama for $129.99 ($20 off).
The best AirPods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life render them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.
In September, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. They are currently on sale at Amazon and Target for $149.99 ($20 off). You can also buy the option with a MagSafe charging case at B&H Photo and Costco (members only) for around $169.95 ($9 off).
The best AirPods Pro deals
In case you missed it, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event in September, a pair of earbuds that feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation. They also sport swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears.
They typically retail for $249, but right now they’re on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $199 ($50 off), which nearly matches their all-time low. If you live close to a Micro Center, you can also pick them up in-store for $194.99 ($5 off).
The first-gen AirPods Pro are also still available for purchase, and sometimes much cheaper than the second-gen model. They have better sound quality than the non-premium models listed above, as well as active noise cancellation. They also come with swappable silicone tips — albeit three, not four — and support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which adds an immersive surround sound effect to select content.
At the end of 2021, Apple launched a new configuration of the first-gen AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case that supports Apple’s MagSafe technology, just like the third-gen AirPods. While they used to retail for $249, we’ve seen them drop to around $159, and sometimes they even sell for as low as $129. Right now, however, they’re not on sale, which is why we suggest buying the second-gen AirPods Pro while they’re still discounted.
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The best AirPods Max deals
The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.
Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. That said, the Max are receiving a sizable discount at Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo, where you can pick them up in select colors for around $477 ($72 off) at checkout. If you live near a Micro Center, you can also buy them for $469.99 ($80 off).


theverge--2020-10-30--Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War needs up to 250GB of space on PC

Activision has revealed the full PC specifications for Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War , and the storage requirements are hefty .
If you ’ re planning to play the game in 4K with ultra settings enabled and ray tracing , you ’ ll need to free up 250GB of space .
That ’ s the top end of the specs , but anything else still requires 175GB of space .
That ’ s a lot of storage , and for some , it could take up an entire 250GB SSD or get very close to it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning to play the multiplayer mode , then the space requirement drops to just 50GB .
Aside from storage requirements , Activision is also recommending Nvidia ’ s latest RTX 3080 graphics card for 4K ultra settings and ray tracing or the RTX 3070 for ray tracing in general .
The recommended specs for the full game include a GTX 970 or equivalent , Intel Core i5-2500K or equivalent , and 12GB of RAM .
At the very minimum , for the multiplayer mode , you ’ ll need a GTX 670 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Core i3-4340 .
Activision hasn ’ t revealed how big Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War will be on existing consoles or even next-gen ones like the Xbox Series X and PS5 .
It ’ s unlikely to take up 250GB of space on consoles , but given the existing storage requirements for Call Of Duty : Modern Warfare , these PC specifications don ’ t look encouraging .
Call Of Duty : Modern Warfare has been criticized for its high storage requirements , and a recent patch reduced the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 170GB .
Hopefully we ’ ll get some similar reductions for Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War at some point in the future .
The latest Call of Duty installment will launch on November 13th .

Activision has revealed the full PC specifications for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and the storage requirements are hefty. If you’re planning to play the game in 4K with ultra settings enabled and ray tracing, you’ll need to free up 250GB of space. That’s the top end of the specs, but anything else still requires 175GB of space. That’s a lot of storage, and for some, it could take up an entire 250GB SSD or get very close to it.
Thankfully, if you’re only planning to play the multiplayer mode, then the space requirement drops to just 50GB.
Aside from storage requirements, Activision is also recommending Nvidia’s latest RTX 3080 graphics card for 4K ultra settings and ray tracing or the RTX 3070 for ray tracing in general. The recommended specs for the full game include a GTX 970 or equivalent, Intel Core i5-2500K or equivalent, and 12GB of RAM. At the very minimum, for the multiplayer mode, you’ll need a GTX 670, 8GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i3-4340.
Activision hasn’t revealed how big Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be on existing consoles or even next-gen ones like the Xbox Series X and PS5. It’s unlikely to take up 250GB of space on consoles, but given the existing storage requirements for Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, these PC specifications don’t look encouraging.


theverge--2020-10-30--Apple added a secret button to your iPhone, and you may not have even noticed

In today ’ s digital age , it sometimes feels like hardware has taken a back seat to the software that drives our devices .
Button of the Month is a monthly column that explores the physical pieces of our phones , tablets , and controllers that we interact with every day .
Your iPhone got a new button last month , and you may not have even noticed .
No , Apple didn ’ t sneak into your house and secretly superglue a button onto your smartphone .
But it did release iOS 14 , the latest version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature called Back Tap .
Back Tap adds a fascinating new “ button ” to your phone that blurs the line between hardware and software .
Back Tap turns the entire back of your iPhone into a giant touch-sensitive button that you can double or triple tap to trigger specific functions on your phone .
There ’ s a good chance that you haven ’ t noticed it yet .
Apple slipped the settings for Back Tap into its Accessibility menu .
Its intended purpose is to give users more options for interacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tap ’ s options reflect that , with settings to open the app switcher , notification menu , or control center ; scroll through an app or webpage ; trigger Siri ; or take a screenshot .
But Back Tap also ties into Apple ’ s incredibly robust Shortcuts app , which means you can effectively make those new buttons do almost anything you can imagine .
It ’ s a fascinating kind of button : entirely invisible to the naked eye , completely nonfunctional until it ’ s enabled through software , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interact with , or accomplish nearly any task on your smartphone with just a quick tap .
That software customization is key .
It ’ s easy to imagine a world where Apple limited Back Tap to just a few preset options focused on making the iPhone UI more accessible .
But by opening it up to Shortcuts , the company turned Back Tap into a tool of limitless creativity , letting users come up with their own ways to take advantage of the new button on the back of their devices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s almost unheard of for iOS devices .
Imagine if Apple let you remap the side button ( for Siri and Apple Pay ) on an iPhone 12 to , say , launch Google Assistant or send a preset text message to your partner .
It ’ s practically unthinkable .
It works well , too .
The software is responsive , and whatever Apple ’ s doing to differentiate between an intentional tap and just regularly holding your phone , it works well .
I ’ ve found it particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toggle system settings .
Back Tap repurposes the existing sensors and hardware on your iPhone with software to create a new hardware interaction that wasn ’ t available before .
It ’ s a new physical button users can interact with — but one that ’ s almost completely free of Apple ’ s limitations .
Physical buttons , of course , are the most direct form of interaction .
It ’ s why Samsung insists on a bespoke Bixby button and why Netflix pays for a spot on your Roku remote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to give up control of the physical buttons on your iPhone , Back Tap — with its almost button — is the next best thing .

Your iPhone got a new button last month, and you may not have even noticed.
No, Apple didn’t sneak into your house and secretly superglue a button onto your smartphone. But it did release iOS 14, the latest version of its iPhone software, which includes a feature called Back Tap. Back Tap adds a fascinating new “button” to your phone that blurs the line between hardware and software.
Back Tap turns the entire back of your iPhone into a giant touch-sensitive button that you can double or triple tap to trigger specific functions on your phone. There’s a good chance that you haven’t noticed it yet. Apple slipped the settings for Back Tap into its Accessibility menu.
Its intended purpose is to give users more options for interacting with their devices. Most of Back Tap’s options reflect that, with settings to open the app switcher, notification menu, or control center; scroll through an app or webpage; trigger Siri; or take a screenshot.
But Back Tap also ties into Apple’s incredibly robust Shortcuts app, which means you can effectively make those new buttons do almost anything you can imagine. It’s a fascinating kind of button: entirely invisible to the naked eye, completely nonfunctional until it’s enabled through software, but can be tasked to open, interact with, or accomplish nearly any task on your smartphone with just a quick tap.
Software customization is key here
That software customization is key. It’s easy to imagine a world where Apple limited Back Tap to just a few preset options focused on making the iPhone UI more accessible. But by opening it up to Shortcuts, the company turned Back Tap into a tool of limitless creativity, letting users come up with their own ways to take advantage of the new button on the back of their devices.
(It’s not just Apple. Google experimented with a similar, albeit more limited, feature for Android 11, although it didn’t end up making the final cut. Some enterprising developers have since replicated the feature for any Android device.)
This is also a level of control that’s almost unheard of for iOS devices. Imagine if Apple let you remap the side button (for Siri and Apple Pay) on an iPhone 12 to, say, launch Google Assistant or send a preset text message to your partner. It’s practically unthinkable.
It works well, too. The software is responsive, and whatever Apple’s doing to differentiate between an intentional tap and just regularly holding your phone, it works well. I’ve found it particularly useful for triggering Control Center to quickly toggle system settings.
A button that’s almost completely free of Apple’s limitations
Back Tap repurposes the existing sensors and hardware on your iPhone with software to create a new hardware interaction that wasn’t available before. It’s a new physical button users can interact with — but one that’s almost completely free of Apple’s limitations.


theverge--2020-10-30--LG offers 5G for less with $359 mid-range K92 5G handset

Smartphones with 5G access are getting cheaper and cheaper , and the latest mid-range handset from LG is one of the most affordable yet : the new K92 5G is priced from just $ 359 , and offers 5G access for three US carriers : AT & T , Cricket Wireless , and UScellular .
Apart from this , it looks like a pretty average device , with a 6.7-inch 1080p display , 4,000 mAh battery , 6GB of RAM , and 128GB of internal storage — all powered by Qualcomm ’ s mid-range ( but 5G capable ) Snapdragon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same 690 used in OnePlus ’ recently-announced Nord N10 5G , which costs around $ 400 in European markets and is also 5G capable .
( OnePlus hasn ’ t said when the Nord N10 5G will be coming to the US though , but notes it ’ ll be available “ at a later date.
” ) The LG K92 5G also has a healthy array of cameras , back and front .
Four rear sensors include a 64-megapixel standard lens , 5-megapixel ultrawide , 2-megapixel macro lens , and 2-megapixel depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16-megapixel hole-punch lens on the front , too .
Oh , and you also get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and USB-C charging .
The $ 349 price means that LG undercuts its rival Samsung , which has itself been pushing down the prices of 5G handsets over the past year .
Samsung announced its Galaxy A42 5G in September , later confirming it would sell for £349 in the UK ( about $ 455 ) , but that ’ s still not as cheap as the new K92 .
How much lower can @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Smartphones with 5G access are getting cheaper and cheaper, and the latest mid-range handset from LG is one of the most affordable yet: the new K92 5G is priced from just $359, and offers 5G access for three US carriers: AT&T, Cricket Wireless, and UScellular.
Apart from this, it looks like a pretty average device, with a 6.7-inch 1080p display, 4,000 mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage — all powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range (but 5G capable) Snapdragon 690 chipset.
That’s the same 690 used in OnePlus’ recently-announced Nord N10 5G, which costs around $400 in European markets and is also 5G capable. (OnePlus hasn’t said when the Nord N10 5G will be coming to the US though, but notes it’ll be available “at a later date.”)
The LG K92 5G also has a healthy array of cameras, back and front. Four rear sensors include a 64-megapixel standard lens, 5-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro lens, and 2-megapixel depth sensor, while there’s a 16-megapixel hole-punch lens on the front, too. Oh, and you also get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and USB-C charging.


theverge--2020-10-30--Playdate, the tiny handheld with a crank, is delayed to early 2021

You ’ ll have to wait a bit longer for Panic ’ s odd little handheld : In an update published today , the company announced that Playdate will slip from its original 2020 window and now ship in early 2021 .
The device is the software developer ’ s first piece of physical hardware , a handheld with a unique crank alongside traditional buttons for controlling the device .
Teenage Engineering co-designed the Playdate and it bears many of the company ’ s minimalistic touches in a bright , playful yellow .
Panic announced in March that its staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Malaysian factory producing the Playdate had temporarily shut down .
The company says adapting to these issues ultimately led to the decision to push back the launch to 2021 .
There ’ s good news alongside the delay , though .
The hardware for the Playdate is finalized and approved by the FCC , meaning it can head into production next month .
Additionally , the planned first season of games for the handheld are locked and more games have been commissioned to be included as well .
Panic also announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simulator , a software for designing games and tinkering with the device .
Since the original announcement of the handheld , Panic has claimed that every Playdate will double as a devkit , which means that anyone can use the device to develop and test games .
Since the Playdate has no storefront , Panic also intends for designers of games to distribute them as they see fit .
The Playdate will be $ 149 and available at the official Playdate website at launch .
Panic says there ’ ll be 20,000 Playdate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company believes should be enough to meet demand , and it ’ ll order more batches after that .
In the meantime , Panic suggests you sign-up for its mailing list so you can know as soon as the Playdate is available for purchase .
While you wait , you can check out our early look at the device from last year and start imagining all the ways you ’ ll use that crank .

You’ll have to wait a bit longer for Panic’s odd little handheld: In an update published today, the company announced that Playdate will slip from its original 2020 window and now ship in early 2021.
The device is the software developer’s first piece of physical hardware, a handheld with a unique crank alongside traditional buttons for controlling the device. Teenage Engineering co-designed the Playdate and it bears many of the company’s minimalistic touches in a bright, playful yellow.
Playdate with final packaging. Image: Panic
Panic announced in March that its staff was moving to work from home and that the Malaysian factory producing the Playdate had temporarily shut down. The company says adapting to these issues ultimately led to the decision to push back the launch to 2021.
There’s good news alongside the delay, though. The hardware for the Playdate is finalized and approved by the FCC, meaning it can head into production next month. Additionally, the planned first season of games for the handheld are locked and more games have been commissioned to be included as well.
The Playdate Simulator Image: Panic
Panic also announced Windows and Linux versions of the Playdate Simulator, a software for designing games and tinkering with the device. Since the original announcement of the handheld, Panic has claimed that every Playdate will double as a devkit, which means that anyone can use the device to develop and test games. Since the Playdate has no storefront, Panic also intends for designers of games to distribute them as they see fit.


theverge--2020-10-30--Ubisoft detailed which of its PS4 games won’t work on PS5, but now it’s not sure

Earlier today , Ubisoft released its own backward compatibility list to point out which older PS4 games won ’ t run on the PS5 .
Instead of sharing that list at Sony ’ s website , Ubisoft flagged the titles on its own website — but it appears that list may have been inaccurate , and the company has now taken it down .
“ We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5 , ” an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email .
Prior to taking down the post , Ubisoft claimed that the following nine games would not work on PS5 : Ubisoft tells us it should have the correct list of games next week .
“ We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being ” Interestingly , these games do not appear on Sony ’ s PS5 backward compatibility list , which currently has ten titles that Sony says will not work on the new console .
In contrast , all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will run on Microsoft ’ s Xbox Series X and S consoles , according to the company .
Sony previously said that the PS5 will support an “ overwhelming majority ” of PS4 titles with more than 4,000 games released on the console expected to be playable on the next-gen hardware , but they will come with a few limitations .
What ’ s most surprising is that Star Trek : Bridge Crew and Space Junkies , two PlayStation VR titles , are supposedly not backward compatible .
Sony has already said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you will need a special adapter to use the headset with the new console .
Update October 30th , 8:42PM ET : Updated to include a statement from Ubisoft that confirmed the company has pulled its blog post .

Earlier today, Ubisoft released its own backward compatibility list to point out which older PS4 games won’t run on the PS5. Instead of sharing that list at Sony’s website, Ubisoft flagged the titles on its own website — but it appears that list may have been inaccurate, and the company has now taken it down.
“We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5,” an Ubisoft spokesperson told The Verge in an email.
Prior to taking down the post, Ubisoft claimed that the following nine games would not work on PS5:
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles Trilogy Pack
Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles India
Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles China
Assassin’s Creed: Chronicles Russia
Risk
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Werewolves Within
Space Junkies
Ubisoft tells us it should have the correct list of games next week.
“We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being”
Interestingly, these games do not appear on Sony’s PS5 backward compatibility list, which currently has ten titles that Sony says will not work on the new console. In contrast, all of the Ubisoft titles released on the Xbox One will run on Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S consoles, according to the company.
Sony previously said that the PS5 will support an “overwhelming majority” of PS4 titles with more than 4,000 games released on the console expected to be playable on the next-gen hardware, but they will come with a few limitations.
What’s most surprising is that Star Trek: Bridge Crew and Space Junkies, two PlayStation VR titles, are supposedly not backward compatible. Sony has already said that the PS5 will support the PlayStation VR, but you will need a special adapter to use the headset with the new console.


theverge--2020-10-30--In its latest confusing decision, Twitter reinstates The New York Post

Rupert Murdoch ’ s tabloid The New York Post is back on Twitter , after Twitter updated its policy on policy changes .
This story is going to be confusing , but not as confusing as Twitter ’ s attempts at moderation .
To recap : On October 14th , The New York Post published a ( contested and possibly part of a disinformation campaign , though this is absolutely not the point I am here to tell you about ) story about Hunter Biden , the son of presidential candidate Joe Biden .
Very little of the contents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion we are about to have , except this : some of the materials in it , Twitter alleges , seem to be the result of hacking .
Got all that so far ?
Great , there ’ s more Twitter suspended The New York Post ’ s account for six tweets that linked to the story and blocked links to the story in question , citing its hacked materials policy , as well as a policy about private information .
This caused , perhaps predictably , a massive uproar .
On October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety lead , Vijaya Gadde , tweeted that Twitter ’ s hacked materials policy would change , and the company would “ no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them.
” On October 16th , Jack Dorsey tweeted that blocking the URL “ was wrong , ” and a Twitter spokesperson told The New York Times that the information that was previously “ private information ” had spread so widely that it no longer counted as “ private.
” Therefore , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information policy .
Got all that so far ?
Great , there ’ s more .
Despite inspiring the policy change on hacked materials and no longer violating the policy on private information , The New York Post remained suspended , because of a different policy .
See , Twitter has a policy on policy changes .
If you were , say , a tabloid that had been suspended because of an old policy , a new policy wouldn ’ t supercede your suspension .
Not even if you ’ d inspired the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has updated its policy on policy changes , and The New York Post is taking a victory lap .
It didn ’ t have to go like this .
Facebook , for instance , chose to limit the article ’ s reach while fact-checkers combed through it — but the company didn ’ t remove it .
Basically , Facebook triggered its “ virality circuit breaker , ” which , as Casey Newton points out , allowed The Post to post without giving it unwarranted lift , in case the article was disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it was less severe .
Here we are , one Senate hearing and two policy changes later Pilfered documents are unquestionably part of the journalistic tradition .
This tradition was particularly part of the 2016 presidential election , when reporters published stories with emails from the Democratic National Committee that had been obtained through hacking .
As a result , platforms began planning for what they would do in case of a similar 2020 hack-and-leak operation .
Twitter evidently felt that The New York Post ’ s article rose to that level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foul on the whole thing and made everyone sit through a tiresome Senate hearing on October 28th .
So , here we are , one Senate hearing and two policy changes later .
Insofar as it is possible to draw a moral from this bizarre saga , it seems to be this : Twitter ’ s moderation still doesn ’ t make any damn sense .
But congratulations to them on updating their policy on policy changes .

Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The New York Post is back on Twitter, after Twitter updated its policy on policy changes. This story is going to be confusing, but not as confusing as Twitter’s attempts at moderation.
To recap: On October 14th, The New York Post published a (contested and possibly part of a disinformation campaign, though this is absolutely not the point I am here to tell you about) story about Hunter Biden, the son of presidential candidate Joe Biden. Very little of the contents of the Post story are pertinent to the discussion we are about to have, except this: some of the materials in it, Twitter alleges, seem to be the result of hacking.
Got all that so far? Great, there’s more
Twitter suspended The New York Post’s account for six tweets that linked to the story and blocked links to the story in question, citing its hacked materials policy, as well as a policy about private information. This caused, perhaps predictably, a massive uproar. On October 15th, Twitter’s trust and safety lead, Vijaya Gadde, tweeted that Twitter’s hacked materials policy would change, and the company would “no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them.”
On October 16th, Jack Dorsey tweeted that blocking the URL “was wrong,” and a Twitter spokesperson told The New York Times that the information that was previously “private information” had spread so widely that it no longer counted as “private.” Therefore, the Post article no longer violated the private information policy.
Got all that so far? Great, there’s more. Despite inspiring the policy change on hacked materials and no longer violating the policy on private information, The New York Post remained suspended, because of a different policy. See, Twitter has a policy on policy changes. If you were, say, a tabloid that had been suspended because of an old policy, a new policy wouldn’t supercede your suspension. Not even if you’d inspired the new policy.
So today, Twitter has updated its policy on policy changes, and The New York Post is taking a victory lap.
It didn’t have to go like this. Facebook, for instance, chose to limit the article’s reach while fact-checkers combed through it — but the company didn’t remove it. Basically, Facebook triggered its “virality circuit breaker,” which, as Casey Newton points out, allowed The Post to post without giving it unwarranted lift, in case the article was disinformation. That decision was also controversial, but it was less severe.
Here we are, one Senate hearing and two policy changes later
Pilfered documents are unquestionably part of the journalistic tradition. This tradition was particularly part of the 2016 presidential election, when reporters published stories with emails from the Democratic National Committee that had been obtained through hacking. As a result, platforms began planning for what they would do in case of a similar 2020 hack-and-leak operation. Twitter evidently felt that The New York Post’s article rose to that level.


theverge--2020-10-30--Apple will replace AirPods Pro for free with faulty noise cancellation, static or crackling

Today , exactly one year after Apple first launched the AirPods Pro — and thus the same day the very first AirPods Pro owners will see their one-year warranties expire — Apple has launched a repair program that offers free repairs or replacements for another whole year if your AirPods Pro experience issues with noise cancellation or static .
Crackling or static sounds that increase in loud environments , with exercise or while talking on the phone Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected , such as a loss of bass sound , or an increase in background sounds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says only a “ small percentage of AirPods Pro ” are affected by the issues , but it apparently wasn ’ t just an early batch — Apple says affected units were manufactured “ before October 2020 , ” meaning every AirPods Pro ever made might be eligible .
That ’ s quite a recall if so .
Apple says it will repair faulty AirPods Pro for two years after you first buy them .
We ’ ve heard complaints about degraded noise cancellation before , and at least one Verge editor has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s nice to hear that Apple isn ’ t just cutting buyers off as soon as that warranty expires .

Crackling or static sounds that increase in loud environments, with exercise or while talking on the phone
Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected, such as a loss of bass sound, or an increase in background sounds, such as street or airplane noise


theverge--2020-10-30--Starbucks says nearly a quarter of all US retail orders are placed from a phone

Almost a quarter of all transactions at Starbucks stores in the US are mobile orders through the company ’ s app , an earnings document revealed yesterday .
Ordering ahead through the Starbucks app is the company ’ s suggested way to get in and out of its locations faster during the pandemic , hopefully making it easier to maintain social distancing in the process .
Starbucks launched “ Mobile Order & Pay ” in 2015 , combining the company ’ s existing payment system with new online ordering features that let you order ahead for pickup at stores .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how popular that feature has become , slowly growing over time until it dramatically increased over the course of 2020 — from 17 percent at the end of last year all the way to 24 percent of US retail orders last quarter .
Mobile orders are the latest entry in Starbucks ’ aggressive push onto phones , a project that started in earnest with the wide launch of mobile payments and the company ’ s app in 2011 .
The move quickly proved successful : by 2013 , mobile payments made up 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US .
Starbucks ’ mobile payments have been so popular , they even beat out general purpose mobile payment systems .
Research conducted by eMarketer in 2018 showed the Starbucks app was the most popular in-person or “ proximity ” mobile payment method overall , with 23 million people in the US making purchases at least once every six months .
This surpassed Google and Apple ’ s own mobile payment options at the time : Growth in delivery and mobile ordering seems to be connected to COVID-19 and the increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
Pew Research Center in April found that “ Roughly a third of Americans living in urban ( 35 % ) and suburban ( 36 % ) areas say they have ordered from a local restaurant online or through an app because of the outbreak ” .
Drive-thrus and mobile orders turn Starbucks into a fast food experience that ’ s a little different from the company ’ s traditional “ Third Place ” approach , but now that the interiors of stores are limited or closed during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s survival .
In Starbucks ’ Q3 earnings call , Kevin Johnson , the company ’ s CEO , said that COVID-19 validated the company ’ s long-term plans around drive-thrus , contactless pickups and deliveries .
This growth in mobile orders several months later seems to be further confirmation of COVID-19 ’ s effects on the business and Starbucks ’ ability to adapt to them .

Almost a quarter of all transactions at Starbucks stores in the US are mobile orders through the company’s app, an earnings document revealed yesterday. Ordering ahead through the Starbucks app is the company’s suggested way to get in and out of its locations faster during the pandemic, hopefully making it easier to maintain social distancing in the process.
Starbucks launched “Mobile Order & Pay” in 2015, combining the company’s existing payment system with new online ordering features that let you order ahead for pickup at stores. This week’s new stats show how popular that feature has become, slowly growing over time until it dramatically increased over the course of 2020 — from 17 percent at the end of last year all the way to 24 percent of US retail orders last quarter.
Mobile orders are the latest entry in Starbucks’ aggressive push onto phones, a project that started in earnest with the wide launch of mobile payments and the company’s app in 2011. The move quickly proved successful: by 2013, mobile payments made up 10 percent of the company’s transactions in the US.
Starbucks’ mobile payments have been so popular, they even beat out general purpose mobile payment systems. Research conducted by eMarketer in 2018 showed the Starbucks app was the most popular in-person or “proximity” mobile payment method overall, with 23 million people in the US making purchases at least once every six months. This surpassed Google and Apple’s own mobile payment options at the time:
Growth in delivery and mobile ordering seems to be connected to COVID-19 and the increased viability of online ordering and delivery overall during the pandemic. Pew Research Center in April found that “Roughly a third of Americans living in urban (35%) and suburban (36%) areas say they have ordered from a local restaurant online or through an app because of the outbreak”.
Drive-thrus and mobile orders turn Starbucks into a fast food experience that’s a little different from the company’s traditional “Third Place” approach, but now that the interiors of stores are limited or closed during the pandemic, these features are vital to the company’s survival.


theverge--2020-10-30--TikTok ban once again blocked by judge, this time thanks to three influencers

TikTok got another reprieve from the Trump administration ’ s attempted ban today , as a federal judge in Pennsylvania blocked the government from moving ahead with restrictions that would have effectively shut down the app next month .
The judge granted a preliminary injunction against a series of bans by the US Commerce Department that were set to go into effect on November 12th .
The bans seemingly would have made the app unusable by restricting web hosting , content delivery , and more .
TikTok is suing the Trump administration and Commerce Department to block its app from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from another lawsuit : three TikTok creators who were concerned that the ban would prevent them from earning a living .
The judge sided with their argument that TikTok videos constitute “ informational materials , ” which are protected under the relevant law .
The Commerce Department likely overstepped its authority , the judge found “ The short videos created and exchanged on TikTok are expressive and informative , and are analogous to the ‘ films , ’ ‘ artworks , ’ ‘ photographs , ’ and ‘ news wire feeds ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic Powers Act , the judge wrote .
It ’ s not the first time this order has been blocked in court .
Another portion of the Commerce Department ’ s restrictions , set to block downloads on September 27th , was halted as part of a separate lawsuit .
“ We are pleased that the judge has halted this ban , which exceeds the President ’ s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act , namely portions of the Act that reflect our nation ’ s deep commitment to free speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney for the influencers who brought the lawsuit , said in a statement emailed to The Verge .
“ We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our community , who have worked to protect their rights to expression , to their careers , and to support small businesses , particularly during the pandemic , ” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement .
“ We support our creative community in continuing to share their voices , both through the platform and the legal options available to them , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home for them to do so.
” This reprieve suggests that TikTok is in the clear for the moment since the impending ban is now on hold .
That doesn ’ t necessarily stop the Trump administration from coming back with another tack , but whether the administration pushes ahead with a different attempt at a ban — which have all been backed up by vague national security concerns — may depend on how Tuesday ’ s election goes and if they have reason to keep stoking a fight with a company in @ @

TikTok got another reprieve from the Trump administration’s attempted ban today, as a federal judge in Pennsylvania blocked the government from moving ahead with restrictions that would have effectively shut down the app next month.
The judge granted a preliminary injunction against a series of bans by the US Commerce Department that were set to go into effect on November 12th. The bans seemingly would have made the app unusable by restricting web hosting, content delivery, and more.
TikTok is suing the Trump administration and Commerce Department to block its app from being banned, but this ruling actually came from another lawsuit: three TikTok creators who were concerned that the ban would prevent them from earning a living. The judge sided with their argument that TikTok videos constitute “informational materials,” which are protected under the relevant law.
The Commerce Department likely overstepped its authority, the judge found
“The short videos created and exchanged on TikTok are expressive and informative, and are analogous to the ‘films,’ ‘artworks,’ ‘photographs,’ and ‘news wire feeds’ expressly protected under” the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the judge wrote.
It’s not the first time this order has been blocked in court. Another portion of the Commerce Department’s restrictions, set to block downloads on September 27th, was halted as part of a separate lawsuit.
“We are pleased that the judge has halted this ban, which exceeds the President’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, namely portions of the Act that reflect our nation’s deep commitment to free speech,” Ambika Kumar Doran, lead attorney for the influencers who brought the lawsuit, said in a statement emailed to The Verge.
“We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our community, who have worked to protect their rights to expression, to their careers, and to support small businesses, particularly during the pandemic,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “We support our creative community in continuing to share their voices, both through the platform and the legal options available to them, and we are committed to continuing to provide a home for them to do so.”