theverge--2020-07-24--Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus is back on sale for under $1,000 on Amazon

If you ’ re in the market for a new smartphone and prefer Android over Apple , look no further ; you can purchase Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 Plus for $ 950 again today on Amazon ; $ 50 less than its smaller-screen sibling , the S20 5G .
The Galaxy S20 Plus 5G usually retails for $ 1,200 and includes a 120Hz screen refresh rate plus 5G network support .
My colleague Dieter Bohn pointed out in his dual review that despite 5G not justifying part of the phone ’ s retail price , he praised the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing out his favorite feature was the screens on both devices .
Microsoft ’ s Surface Laptop 3 has seen a big discount for the last several days .
You can buy one at a discounted price at Amazon , Best Buy , or the Microsoft Store , with each retailer having different color variants in stock .
The discount starts at $ 800 , which nabs you a base model , featuring 8GB of RAM , 128 SSD , and Intel ’ s quad-core 10th Gen Core i5-1035G7 with Iris Plus Graphics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular noise-canceling true wireless earbuds , the WF-1000XM3 , were under $ 200 , and they are back on sale for the same price at Amazon in addition to Best Buy .
While not at the lowest price we have seen them , a $ 178 price tag is a steal for these earbuds , which include not only a lengthy six-hour battery life but also noise cancellation .
Of course , earbuds are not for everyone .
If the WF-1000XM3 are too small for your fancy , the Beats Solo Pro wireless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Amazon today for only $ 230 .
In his review , my colleague Chris Welch praised the headphones for having better resistance to sweat intake , making these a good pair of headphones to wear while going on jogs or hitting the gym .
Bose ’ s SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II is on sale for $ 99 at Amazon .
Portable speakers are a summer essential , whether you need something to play tunes on while you ’ re sitting poolside or looking for some music to play while you grill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until some more blockbuster games are launching .
Until then , if you are a PC gamer looking for some new games to add to your library and may have missed the Steam Summer Sale , the Epic Games Store has its own summer sale going on right now with up to 75 percent in savings until August 6th .
You can save big on numerous titles available on the Epic Games digital storefront .
Highlights from the sale including some of the best games of 2019 , such as Control by Remedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and popular sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds , which are all $ 30 each .

If you’re in the market for a new smartphone and prefer Android over Apple, look no further; you can purchase Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus for $950 again today on Amazon; $50 less than its smaller-screen sibling, the S20 5G.
The Galaxy S20 Plus 5G usually retails for $1,200 and includes a 120Hz screen refresh rate plus 5G network support. My colleague Dieter Bohn pointed out in his dual review that despite 5G not justifying part of the phone’s retail price, he praised the phone’s large screen, while also pointing out his favorite feature was the screens on both devices.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus / Was $1,200, now 21% off $950 at Amazon
The Surface Laptop 3 comes in two different sizes: 13.5 and 15 inches Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 has seen a big discount for the last several days. You can buy one at a discounted price at Amazon, Best Buy, or the Microsoft Store, with each retailer having different color variants in stock. The discount starts at $800, which nabs you a base model, featuring 8GB of RAM, 128 SSD, and Intel’s quad-core 10th Gen Core i5-1035G7 with Iris Plus Graphics.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 / Was $1,000, now 20% off. The same configuration is also discounted at Best Buy and the Microsoft Store. $800 at Amazon
Sony’s WF-1000XM3 include noise cancellation Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Last month, Sony’s popular noise-canceling true wireless earbuds, the WF-1000XM3, were under $200, and they are back on sale for the same price at Amazon in addition to Best Buy. While not at the lowest price we have seen them, a $178 price tag is a steal for these earbuds, which include not only a lengthy six-hour battery life but also noise cancellation.
Sony WF-1000XM3 true wireless earbuds / Was $230, now 23% off. The same deal is also available at Best Buy. $178 at Amazon
Of course, earbuds are not for everyone. If the WF-1000XM3 are too small for your fancy, the Beats Solo Pro wireless noise-canceling on-ear headphones are also on sale at Amazon today for only $230. In his review, my colleague Chris Welch praised the headphones for having better resistance to sweat intake, making these a good pair of headphones to wear while going on jogs or hitting the gym.
Beats Solo Pro wireless noise-cancelling on-ear headphones / Was $300, now 23% off $230 at Amazon
The Beats Solo Pro come in six colors Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Bose’s SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II is on sale for $99 at Amazon. Portable speakers are a summer essential, whether you need something to play tunes on while you’re sitting poolside or looking for some music to play while you grill outside.
Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II / Was $130, now 23% off $99 at Amazon
We have a few months until some more blockbuster games are launching. Until then, if you are a PC gamer looking for some new games to add to your library and may have missed the Steam Summer Sale, the Epic Games Store has its own summer sale going on right now with up to 75 percent in savings until August 6th.


theverge--2020-07-27--Biden’s staff must delete TikTok from their personal and work phones

Staffers from Democrat Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign must remove TikTok from personal and work phones , a campaign official told The Verge .
That ’ s because of security concerns around the popular app .
TikTok can access users ’ clipboard content on iOS — potentially a problem for anyone using a password manager to log into secure accounts .
Some politicians are particularly wary of TikTok because the video-sharing app is owned by Chinese internet company Bytedance .
The White House is threatening a ban too The Biden campaign ’ s policy — first reported by Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
The US departments of State and Homeland Security , the US Army , and the US Navy have already banned TikTok on government issued-devices , and the Democratic and Republican national committees have warned against using the app .
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 6th that the White House was considering a ban on the social media app .
On July 15th , President Donald Trump ’ s chief of staff , Mark Meadows , said that restrictions against the app could come in “ weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s snooping isn ’ t limited to the US government .
India banned TikTok — and a number of other China-based apps , including WeChat — on June 29th .
Wells Fargo has banned employees from using TikTok on company phones .
Amazon sent an email asking that employees remove TikTok from their phones on July 10th — then , later that day , said the email was sent “ in error.
” Despite the caution and bans , it ’ s not clear that TikTok is collecting data in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media apps .
A company spokesperson told The Verge on July 13th that “ [ w ] e have never provided user data to the Chinese government , nor would we do so if asked .
”

Staffers from Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign must remove TikTok from personal and work phones, a campaign official told The Verge. That’s because of security concerns around the popular app.
TikTok can access users’ clipboard content on iOS — potentially a problem for anyone using a password manager to log into secure accounts. Some politicians are particularly wary of TikTok because the video-sharing app is owned by Chinese internet company Bytedance.
The White House is threatening a ban too
Suspicion of TikTok’s snooping isn’t limited to the US government. India banned TikTok — and a number of other China-based apps, including WeChat — on June 29th. Wells Fargo has banned employees from using TikTok on company phones. Amazon sent an email asking that employees remove TikTok from their phones on July 10th — then, later that day, said the email was sent “in error.”


theverge--2020-07-27--Intel’s hardware chief is leaving the company

The executive in charge of almost all of Intel ’ s hardware , chief engineering officer Dr. Venkata ( Murthy ) Renduchintala , is leaving the company on August 3rd , Intel announced on Monday .
His departure comes on the heels of Intel ’ s announcement that its next-gen 7nm chips are delayed until at least 2022 , and after years of delays for the company ’ s 10nm processors as well , which bottlenecked advancements for much of the laptop industry .
Intel did not cite a specific reason for Renduchintala ’ s departure .
Intel poached Renduchintala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put him in charge of everything from the design to engineering to manufacturing of Intel ’ s chips — and other hardware bets — under one group , the Technology , Systems Architecture and Client Group .
That division will now be split up into five different teams , divvying up responsibilities in technology development , manufacturing , design engineering , architecture , and supply chain management , and the leaders of each of those groups will report directly to Intel CEO Bob Swan .
On Thursday , Swan spent part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of Intel abandoning the practice of manufacturing its own chips , something it had long done and touted as a strength even after competitors like AMD outsourced actual chip production .
Intel is rumored to be in talks with TSMC , where it might have to compete with Apple , Qualcomm , AMD and Nvidia for the Taiwanese semiconductor giant ’ s attentions , among other customers .

The executive in charge of almost all of Intel’s hardware, chief engineering officer Dr. Venkata (Murthy) Renduchintala, is leaving the company on August 3rd, Intel announced on Monday.
His departure comes on the heels of Intel’s announcement that its next-gen 7nm chips are delayed until at least 2022, and after years of delays for the company’s 10nm processors as well, which bottlenecked advancements for much of the laptop industry. Intel did not cite a specific reason for Renduchintala’s departure.
Intel poached Renduchintala from Qualcomm in February 2016, and put him in charge of everything from the design to engineering to manufacturing of Intel’s chips — and other hardware bets — under one group, the Technology, Systems Architecture and Client Group. That division will now be split up into five different teams, divvying up responsibilities in technology development, manufacturing, design engineering, architecture, and supply chain management, and the leaders of each of those groups will report directly to Intel CEO Bob Swan.


theverge--2020-07-27--Years before big hack, Twitter contractors reportedly spied on celebs, including Beyoncé

Years before the July 15th attack on Twitter that let hackers compromise some of the social network ’ s most high-profile accounts to tweet Bitcoin scams , Twitter contractors apparently were able to use Twitter ’ s internal tools to spy on some celebrities , including Beyoncé , according to a report from Bloomberg chronicling longtime security concerns at the company .
The tools in question typically allow certain Twitter staffers to do things like reset accounts or respond to content violations , but they could apparently also be used to spy on or hack an account , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ porous that at one point in 2017 and 2018 some contractors made a kind of game out of creating bogus help-desk inquiries that allowed them to peek into celebrity accounts , including Beyonce ’ s , to track the stars ’ personal data including their approximate locations gleaned from their devices ’ IP addresses , ” Bloomberg reported .
And snooping on user accounts was apparently rampant enough that Twitter ’ s full-time security team in the US “ struggled to keep track of the intrusions , ” Bloomberg said .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make changes to user accounts Some of those contractors were reportedly employed by professional services vendor Cognizant , which still works with Twitter , according to Bloomberg .
More than 1,500 full-time employees and contractors have access to make changes to user accounts , a Twitter spokesperson relayed to Bloomberg , who also said that “ we have no indication that the partners we work with on customer service and account management played a part ” in the breaches that took place earlier this month .
Twitter has already shared that its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15th hack as part of a “ coordinated social engineering attack ” that targeted employees who had access to internal tools .
Attackers called at least one Twitter employee to try to “ obtain security information that would help them access Twitter ’ s internal user-support tools , ” according to Bloomberg .
It ’ s still unclear exactly how the attackers got access to Twitter ’ s internal tools — The New York Times reported that one individual involved in the attack got access to the tools after seeing credentials for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Motherboard talked to someone who said they paid a Twitter employee for the access .
The penalty for abusing Twitter ’ s internal tools can include termination of employment , the company tells The Verge .
Bloomberg also reported that concerns about access to Twitter accounts had been shared with the company ’ s board of directors “ almost annually during a period from 2015 to 2019 , ” and that “ [ t ] hose presentations weren ’ t always presented as an urgent threat to Twitter security or its users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar with the board ’ s presentations.
” 130 accounts were targeted in the July 15th attack , and for 45 of those accounts , the hackers were able to reset the password , access the account , and send tweets , according to Twitter .
The company believes that attackers accessed the direct messages of up to 36 of those 130 targeted accounts and that the hackers attempted to download the “ Your Twitter Data ” archives , which includes DMs , for up to 8 accounts .

Years before the July 15th attack on Twitter that let hackers compromise some of the social network’s most high-profile accounts to tweet Bitcoin scams, Twitter contractors apparently were able to use Twitter’s internal tools to spy on some celebrities, including Beyoncé, according to a report from Bloomberg chronicling longtime security concerns at the company.
The tools in question typically allow certain Twitter staffers to do things like reset accounts or respond to content violations, but they could apparently also be used to spy on or hack an account, according to Bloomberg. “The controls were so porous that at one point in 2017 and 2018 some contractors made a kind of game out of creating bogus help-desk inquiries that allowed them to peek into celebrity accounts, including Beyonce’s, to track the stars’ personal data including their approximate locations gleaned from their devices’ IP addresses,” Bloomberg reported. And snooping on user accounts was apparently rampant enough that Twitter’s full-time security team in the US “struggled to keep track of the intrusions,” Bloomberg said.
More than 1,500 full-time employees and contractors have access to make changes to user accounts
Some of those contractors were reportedly employed by professional services vendor Cognizant, which still works with Twitter, according to Bloomberg. More than 1,500 full-time employees and contractors have access to make changes to user accounts, a Twitter spokesperson relayed to Bloomberg, who also said that “we have no indication that the partners we work with on customer service and account management played a part” in the breaches that took place earlier this month.
Twitter has already shared that its own tools were compromised in the July 15th hack as part of a “coordinated social engineering attack” that targeted employees who had access to internal tools. Attackers called at least one Twitter employee to try to “obtain security information that would help them access Twitter’s internal user-support tools,” according to Bloomberg. It’s still unclear exactly how the attackers got access to Twitter’s internal tools — The New York Times reported that one individual involved in the attack got access to the tools after seeing credentials for them in an internal company Slack channel, while Motherboard talked to someone who said they paid a Twitter employee for the access.
The penalty for abusing Twitter’s internal tools can include termination of employment, the company tells The Verge.
Bloomberg also reported that concerns about access to Twitter accounts had been shared with the company’s board of directors “almost annually during a period from 2015 to 2019,” and that “[t]hose presentations weren’t always presented as an urgent threat to Twitter security or its users’ privacy, according to four people familiar with the board’s presentations.”
130 accounts were targeted in the July 15th attack, and for 45 of those accounts, the hackers were able to reset the password, access the account, and send tweets, according to Twitter. The company believes that attackers accessed the direct messages of up to 36 of those 130 targeted accounts and that the hackers attempted to download the “Your Twitter Data” archives, which includes DMs, for up to 8 accounts.


theverge--2020-07-27--The MTA’s got porn in its Google search results

On the list of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ’ s most-pressing problems right now , porn is nowhere near the top .
But that doesn ’ t mean the agency , which operates New York City ’ s subway and bus systems as well as its commuter rail systems , isn ’ t irked that obscene language keeps showing up in its search results on Google .
The problem was first noticed by the Queens Daily Eagle newspaper , which published its findings in an article titled “ The MTA has a porn problem.
” It turned out that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Google , you ’ d get some , shall we say , less-than-delicate-sounding language among your results .
And the description kept showing up for at least 13 stations along Metro-North ’ s Hudson line .
This was no isolated incident .
As you can see , as of Monday , July 27th , at 3:57PM ET , the X-rated results are still showing up when you search for the Ossining Metro-North station .
The MTA probably would have preferred that Queens Daily Eagle headline include the addendum “ — and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s because these bawdy search results were exclusive to the company based in Mountain View .
The MTA ’ s search results on Bing and Yahoo were decidedly G-rated .
I have so many questions about this particular string of words — how can a dildo be flirtatious ?
I ’ m so confused — but I don ’ t want to get sidetracked by the ribald content because , at its heart , this is a tech problem , and The Verge is a tech site .
Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To be clear , these results were not redirecting to any actual porn sites .
They are just showing up in the Google search results .
I see my job as a journalist to take risks in the service of my readers .
So with that in mind , I clicked on the link and was surprised — and relieved — to see the MTA ’ s regular , terribly designed website for the Ossining Station come up .
As previously noted , the MTA could do without this .
The agency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget shortfall this year and a $ 16.2 billion gap through 2024 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic , has way bigger fish to fry right now — like whether the federal government is going to free up the money so the MTA ( and many other desperate public transportation agencies ) can continue to exist .
As such , a spokesperson was eager to lay this all at Google ’ s doorstep .
“ Google needs to fix this now.
” “ This is offensive and inappropriate language that is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the spokesperson said in a statement .
“ There is no issue with the MTA ’ s website .
We reached out to Google yesterday to ask them to fix this immediately .
Google needs to fix this now.
” For its part , Google owned up to the problem .
“ This is an error in our systems that we are working to diagnose and fix , ” a spokesperson said .
“ We apologize for any concern or offense this may have caused.
” Apparently the issue is with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crawlers which pages or files the crawler can or can ’ t request from your site .
When a page uses robots.txt to prohibit certain content from appearing in its search results — like , I don ’ t know , “ Flirtatious something something for something something blonde something ” — Google may still list the page and form a title for it from other sources that link to it .
Normally , the company ’ s systems work to prevent forming any titles that might be obscene .
That system failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to figure out why .
Google recommends sites that really want to block certain content from making uninvited cameos in their search results use the noindex tag rather than robots.txt .
Noindex prevents a page from appearing in Google ’ s listings at all .
The MTA sounds satisfied that the search giant will eventually figure out what went wrong .
“ We appreciate that Google is now engaged in addressing this unacceptable situation , ” the agency spokesperson said .
“ We look forward to Google ’ s promptly identifying all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you really must know how to get from Grand Central Terminal to Metro-North ’ s Hastings-on-Hudson stop , may I recommend you DuckDuckGo it instead ?

On the list of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s most-pressing problems right now, porn is nowhere near the top. But that doesn’t mean the agency, which operates New York City’s subway and bus systems as well as its commuter rail systems, isn’t irked that obscene language keeps showing up in its search results on Google.
The problem was first noticed by the Queens Daily Eagle newspaper, which published its findings in an article titled “The MTA has a porn problem.” It turned out that if you searched for a Metro-North station name in Google, you’d get some, shall we say, less-than-delicate-sounding language among your results. And the description kept showing up for at least 13 stations along Metro-North’s Hudson line. This was no isolated incident.
As you can see, as of Monday, July 27th, at 3:57PM ET, the X-rated results are still showing up when you search for the Ossining Metro-North station.
The MTA probably would have preferred that Queens Daily Eagle headline include the addendum “— and it’s Google’s fault.” That’s because these bawdy search results were exclusive to the company based in Mountain View. The MTA’s search results on Bing and Yahoo were decidedly G-rated.
I have so many questions about this particular string of words — how can a dildo be flirtatious? I’m so confused — but I don’t want to get sidetracked by the ribald content because, at its heart, this is a tech problem, and The Verge is a tech site. Let’s focus on the ones and zeroes.
To be clear, these results were not redirecting to any actual porn sites. They are just showing up in the Google search results. I see my job as a journalist to take risks in the service of my readers. So with that in mind, I clicked on the link and was surprised — and relieved — to see the MTA’s regular, terribly designed website for the Ossining Station come up.
As previously noted, the MTA could do without this. The agency, which is facing a $4 billion budget shortfall this year and a $16.2 billion gap through 2024 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, has way bigger fish to fry right now — like whether the federal government is going to free up the money so the MTA (and many other desperate public transportation agencies) can continue to exist. As such, a spokesperson was eager to lay this all at Google’s doorstep.
“Google needs to fix this now.”
“This is offensive and inappropriate language that is being generated by a Google search algorithm,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “There is no issue with the MTA’s website. We reached out to Google yesterday to ask them to fix this immediately. Google needs to fix this now.”
For its part, Google owned up to the problem. “This is an error in our systems that we are working to diagnose and fix,” a spokesperson said. “We apologize for any concern or offense this may have caused.”
Apparently the issue is with a file called robots.txt that tells search engine crawlers which pages or files the crawler can or can’t request from your site. When a page uses robots.txt to prohibit certain content from appearing in its search results — like, I don’t know, “Flirtatious something something for something something blonde something” — Google may still list the page and form a title for it from other sources that link to it. Normally, the company’s systems work to prevent forming any titles that might be obscene. That system failed in this case, and Google is working to figure out why.
Google recommends sites that really want to block certain content from making uninvited cameos in their search results use the noindex tag rather than robots.txt. Noindex prevents a page from appearing in Google’s listings at all.
The MTA sounds satisfied that the search giant will eventually figure out what went wrong. “We appreciate that Google is now engaged in addressing this unacceptable situation,” the agency spokesperson said. “We look forward to Google’s promptly identifying all possible solutions.”


theverge--2020-07-27--Trump’s vehicle emissions rollback faces EPA Inspector General probe

The Environmental Protection Agency ’ s Inspector General has opened an investigation into its own agency ’ s role in the Trump administration ’ s replacement of an Obama-era rule that curbed greenhouse gas emissions in cars .
The Inspector General ’ s office will examine whether there were any “ irregularities ” during the process of crafting the new rule — dubbed the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicles rule , or SAFE — which holds automakers to weaker fuel economy standards through 2025 .
Those potential “ irregularities ” were flagged in May by Sen. Tom Carper ( DE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a letter to the EPA Inspector General at the time .
“ I ’ m pleased that the EPA Inspector General is opening an investigation into this rule , which was the product of the most procedurally problematic process my office has ever reviewed .
If the EPA IG follows the facts , I have no doubt they will find that the Trump Administration failed to follow the law , ” Carper said in a statement Monday .
Trump spent years trying to roll back the Obama-era rule “ EPA will respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” EPA Spokesperson James Hewitt said in a statement .
“ As finalized , the SAFE Vehicles Rule provides a sensible , single national program that strikes the right regulatory balance , protects our environment , and sets reasonable targets for the auto industry , while supporting our economy and the safety of American families.
” The probe is the newest development the years-long fight over the Obama-era rule , which was one of Trump ’ s first major policy actions after taking office in 2017 .
It ’ s also one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an Inspector General — a form of oversight that has proved so potent that the president has fired or replaced multiple Inspectors General this year alone .
The Obama-era rule was announced in 2009 and was put in place in 2012 .
It required automakers to improve the average fuel economy of their new vehicle fleets by 5 percent every year out to 2025 ( model year 2026 ) , ultimately arriving at 54 miles per gallon .
On its way out the door in 2016 and early 2017 , the Obama-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the progress being made and found automakers were “ over-complying ” with the rule and left it in place .
In March 2017 , Trump tasked the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with performing a new review of the rule , which was one of Obama ’ s signature climate crisis policies , after automakers told him they wanted more flexibility .
His administration initially tried to freeze the progressive standards entirely , but ultimately settled on 1.5 percent increases in average fuel economy — essentially adding 1 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere , increasing gasoline consumption by around 80 billion gallons and oil consumption by 2 billion barrels .
The Trump administration tried to justify this by arguing that the looser regulations would lower the upfront cost of a new car by around $ 1,000 .
It also argued that if the Obama-era rule was left in place , more people would buy used cars that are dirtier and less safe specifically because the new cars would be that much more expensive .
There are many reasons to debate those findings , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
The lengthy process of crafting the rule ( and arriving at those conclusions ) was also reportedly a mess , full of shoddy math and infighting between EPA and NHTSA .
It ’ s that process that the EPA ’ s Inspector General will now take a look at .
In a letter to the EPA , the Inspector General is asking for “ [ a ] ny briefing materials or written summaries ” that were drawn up for the rule , comments and communication from agency staff to NHTSA related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more .
“ The documents obtained by my office — which have now also been formally requested by the EPA Inspector General — demonstrate significant irregularities and illegalities throughout the Trump Administration ’ s preparation and finalization of its SAFE Vehicles rule , which was fraught with fatal flaws from the start , ” Carper said Monday .
Janet McCabe , who led the EPA ’ s Office of Air and Radiation under Obama and worked on the original emissions program , said in an email to The Verge that “ many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA ’ s rulemaking process .
“ It appeared that EPA was deferring to DOT on issues of methodology and analysis in ways that would help support an outcome that ignored progress in the real world and not be in keeping with EPA ’ s responsibility under the Clean Air Act , ” she said .

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Inspector General has opened an investigation into its own agency’s role in the Trump administration’s replacement of an Obama-era rule that curbed greenhouse gas emissions in cars. The Inspector General’s office will examine whether there were any “irregularities” during the process of crafting the new rule — dubbed the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicles rule, or SAFE — which holds automakers to weaker fuel economy standards through 2025.
Those potential “irregularities” were flagged in May by Sen. Tom Carper (DE), who asked for an investigation in a letter to the EPA Inspector General at the time.
“I’m pleased that the EPA Inspector General is opening an investigation into this rule, which was the product of the most procedurally problematic process my office has ever reviewed. If the EPA IG follows the facts, I have no doubt they will find that the Trump Administration failed to follow the law,” Carper said in a statement Monday.
Trump spent years trying to roll back the Obama-era rule
“EPA will respond to the OIG through the appropriate channels,” EPA Spokesperson James Hewitt said in a statement. “As finalized, the SAFE Vehicles Rule provides a sensible, single national program that strikes the right regulatory balance, protects our environment, and sets reasonable targets for the auto industry, while supporting our economy and the safety of American families.”
The probe is the newest development the years-long fight over the Obama-era rule, which was one of Trump’s first major policy actions after taking office in 2017. It’s also one of many Trump decisions to be examined by an Inspector General — a form of oversight that has proved so potent that the president has fired or replaced multiple Inspectors General this year alone.
The Obama-era rule was announced in 2009 and was put in place in 2012. It required automakers to improve the average fuel economy of their new vehicle fleets by 5 percent every year out to 2025 (model year 2026), ultimately arriving at 54 miles per gallon. On its way out the door in 2016 and early 2017, the Obama-era EPA performed a “mid-term review” of the progress being made and found automakers were “over-complying” with the rule and left it in place.
In March 2017, Trump tasked the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with performing a new review of the rule, which was one of Obama’s signature climate crisis policies, after automakers told him they wanted more flexibility. His administration initially tried to freeze the progressive standards entirely, but ultimately settled on 1.5 percent increases in average fuel economy — essentially adding 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing gasoline consumption by around 80 billion gallons and oil consumption by 2 billion barrels.
The Trump administration tried to justify this by arguing that the looser regulations would lower the upfront cost of a new car by around $1,000. It also argued that if the Obama-era rule was left in place, more people would buy used cars that are dirtier and less safe specifically because the new cars would be that much more expensive.
There are many reasons to debate those findings, and the Trump administration rule is being challenged in court. The lengthy process of crafting the rule (and arriving at those conclusions) was also reportedly a mess, full of shoddy math and infighting between EPA and NHTSA.
It’s that process that the EPA’s Inspector General will now take a look at.
In a letter to the EPA, the Inspector General is asking for “[a]ny briefing materials or written summaries” that were drawn up for the rule, comments and communication from agency staff to NHTSA related to the draft of the rule, and more.
“The documents obtained by my office — which have now also been formally requested by the EPA Inspector General — demonstrate significant irregularities and illegalities throughout the Trump Administration’s preparation and finalization of its SAFE Vehicles rule, which was fraught with fatal flaws from the start,” Carper said Monday.
Janet McCabe, who led the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under Obama and worked on the original emissions program, said in an email to The Verge that “many have expressed concern” about the Trump EPA’s rulemaking process.


theverge--2020-07-27--What to expect from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 event

It ’ s official : Samsung ’ s next big product launch is happening on August 5th at 10AM ET , and it ’ ll be a virtual event as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
The main product reveal is almost certainly going to be the next phone in Samsung ’ s Galaxy Note series , its top-of-the-range smartphone lineup that pairs some of the most powerful phone hardware around with a big , beautiful screen and its signature S Pen stylus .
Alongside it , however , we ’ re expecting to see anything from new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung hasn ’ t been shy about teasing additional product reveals .
And since we originally published this article , Samsung said in a blog post that it plans to unveil five devices at the event , and more recently , it used a teaser trailer to show off five silhouettes .
To our eyes , they look like silhouettes for a new tablet , smartwatch , true wireless earbuds , a foldable smartphone , and , of course , the Note 20 .
Last year , the company launched a new smartwatch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent reports about products Samsung has in development including a Galaxy Tab S7 tablet , a Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch , Galaxy Buds Live true wireless earbuds , and a successor to the Galaxy Fold called the Galaxy Z Fold 2 .
This article originally noted that rumors suggested Samsung might unveil a 5G version of its Galaxy Z Flip handset , but the company has since officially announced it , so that ’ s off the table for August .
Read on for a rundown of everything we ’ re expecting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
Samsung ’ s stylus-equipped Note phones tend to be the company ’ s big focus at its August Unpacked event each year .
This year , we ’ re expecting Samsung to have at least two Note phones to show off , including a standard Note 20 ( which will reportedly have a flat 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 display ) as well as a bigger Note 20 Ultra with a curved 6.9-inch 3200 x 1440 display , according to WinFuture .
Some reports have also referred to a Note 20 Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there ’ s also been speculation that this could be the same device as either the regular Note 20 or the Ultra .
Leaks point to at least two Note 20 devices Our first proper look at Note 20 Ultra came to us from Samsung itself , which appeared to mistakenly post a photograph of the phone on its website .
It wasn ’ t much , but it was enough to confirm that the device exists ( which… duh ) and will have a redesigned camera bump this time around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with a fourth sensor that could be either a 3D ToF sensor or a laser autofocus , which would help with portrait shots and focus speed , respectively .
We subsequently got another look at the Note 20 Ultra , thanks to a short hands-on video and photos from YouTuber Jimmy Is Promo whose channel specializes in news about Samsung phones .
Included in his leak were a couple of shots of the front of the device , showing off its Note 10-style centered hole-punch selfie camera , along with its slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Renders of the phone that were subsequently published by WinFuture , appear to corroborate this leak .
When it comes to the step-down Note 20 , meanwhile , WinFuture has shared what appear to be marketing renders of the phone .
These images appear to show that the Note 20 has a less prominent camera bump and flatter screen that doesn ’ t curve around the edges of the device .
In terms of cameras , the leaked images and video of the Note 20 Ultra appear to show that Samsung ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is making a comeback from the S20 Ultra , allowing for the kinds of zoom that , until recently , were difficult to pull off in the limited space allowed by a smartphone .
When it comes to the Note 20 Plus ( which may or may not be the same device ) , leaker Ice Universe initially said that its main camera will have a 108-megapixel main sensor like the S20 Ultra .
However , he also said that this time , its zoom lens will reportedly top out at 50x rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S20 Ultra , and that its zoom lens will have a 13-megapixel rather than a 48-megapixel sensor .
( WinFuture has since corroborated that the Ultra ’ s camera ’ s main sensor and ultrawide cameras would have resolutions of 108-megapixels and 12-megapixels , though reported that its zoom lens will be 12 megapixels . )
That sounds like a downgrade , but in practice , the S20 Ultra ’ s 100X zoom shots were mostly unusable , so stopping at 50X this time around seems sensible .
Using a lower-resolution sensor could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots .
The Note 20 , meanwhile , will reportedly have a 64-megapixel zoom camera with an optical zoom of 3x , according to WinFuture , while its maximum zoom overall will top out at 30x .
This zoom camera will reportedly be joined by 12-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras .
According to the Jimmy is Promo video , the Note ’ s signature S Pen has a broadly similar design to last year ( the video even shows the Note 20 ’ s stylus being slotted into the Note 10 and vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a new “ pointer ” mode that could allow you to remotely control an on-screen cursor using the S Pen .
It ’ s potentially a big step forward from the Note 10 ’ s relatively simple gesture controls , giving you more options if you want to control your phone remotely using just its stylus .
And the S Pen on the Ultra may only have 9 milliseconds of latency , while the S Pen on the standard Note 20 could have a higher 26 milliseconds of latency , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re expecting to see a Snapdragon 865 or even an 865 Plus processor powering the Note 20 Ultra .
Neither processor has an integrated 5G modem , but since they ’ re designed to work with Qualcomm ’ s X55 5G modem , the Note 20 lineup is likely to be 5G-enabled .
The Note 20 Ultra will apparently have a 6.9-inch screen with a 3200 x 1440 resolution with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz , according to WinFuture .
Other reports suggest the Note 20 Plus ’ screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120Hz .
So regardless of whatever the actual name for the super-powered note is , it seems like its screen should look every bit as smooth as on the Galaxy S20 .
The big question is whether you ’ ll be able to use this 120Hz refresh rate while the screen is set to its maximum 1440p resolution since this wasn ’ t possible on the S20 series .
One leak has claimed that you ’ ll be able to on the Ultra , but it ’ s far from certain .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Note 20 Plus will have a Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide ( LTPO ) display similar to what we saw Apple use on the Apple Watch Series 5 .
It ’ s a technology that could give Samsung much more control over the phone ’ s refresh rate , with the option of reducing it when necessary to conserve battery life .
It ’ s a useful technology to have , and it could help mitigate the higher-power draw of a 120Hz display .
According to WinFuture , meanwhile , the standard Note 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 , and it will be limited to a refresh rate of 60Hz .
Finally , both the Ultra and the standard Note 20 may be optimized to play games over Microsoft ’ s xCloud game streaming service , according to WinFuture .
Samsung released a 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip , its recent smartphone that folds to become more compact , on July 22nd , so if the company is going to show a foldable at its August 5th event , it seems likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galaxy Fold .
( The Fold , in contrast to the Z Flip , is a tablet that folds to become the size of a smartphone . )
SamMobile recently reported that successor will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as part of Samsung ’ s attempt to unify its foldable branding , and leaker Max Weinbach reports it will be unveiled in August to release in October .
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is in development and may be unveiled in August The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the device , which should mean it ’ s much more usable while folded compared to the original Galaxy Fold with its small cover display .
Its internal screen , meanwhile , is rumored to have a much smaller hole-punch cutout for its selfie camera compared to the beefy notch on the Galaxy Fold .
You can get an idea of how it might look from this blurry image of the foldable that leaked earlier this month .
It ’ ll also reportedly support 5G , which seems sensible for what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handset .
If some slightly older rumors are to be believed , the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will have an 8-inch display covered by ultra-thin glass , a 108-megapixel camera , and it will also come with an S Pen stylus .
It ’ ll reportedly be powered by a Snapdragon 865 processor .
At this point , a new Galaxy Watch is almost a given .
Samsung appears to be skipping the Galaxy Watch 2 entirely and is jumping straight to the Galaxy Watch 3 , which has already appeared in regulatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renders , and even a hands-on video .
The big rumor is the return of a physical rotating bezel , which was sadly missing from last year ’ s Galaxy Watch Active and Active 2 and provides a convenient physical control for the smartwatch .
The watch will reportedly be available in 41mm and 45mm sizes and LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants .
Samsung ’ s Tizen software appears to be getting a facelift for the new smartwatch .
New watchfaces could let you add custom details like your heart rate or step count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are also reportedly new gesture controls for taking photos or answering incoming calls .
We ’ ve been fans of Samsung ’ s smartwatches in the past and currently rate the Galaxy Watch Active 2 as the best smartwatch for Android users , so we ’ ve got high hopes .
Alongside the Galaxy Watch 3 , Samsung also has what appears to be a new fitness tracker on the way if a recent Federal Communications Commission filing is to be believed .
Details are currently slim on the device , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Galaxy Fit from last year , but expect heart rate tracking and automatic exercise detection .
Given Samsung ’ s subsequent comments about having five devices to unveil , however , it seems unlikely that we ’ ll see this new fitness device make an appearance .
Earlier this year , Samsung released a pair of true wireless earbuds , the Galaxy Buds Plus , that quickly became our top pick for the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today .
Now , it looks like it might have another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single biggest missing feature : active noise cancellation .
Bean-shaped earbuds are reportedly on the way First leaked back in April by WinFuture , the Galaxy Buds Live have subsequently appeared in Samsung ’ s official Galaxy Buds companion app , confirming the name and support for active noise cancellation .
Reports indicate that the new noise-canceling functionality means that battery life won ’ t be as good as the Galaxy Buds Plus , with as little as 4.5 rather than 11 hours of playback , according to WinFuture .
Apparently , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum of 20 hours of charge when used alongside their case , the design of which was shown in a recent leak from Evan Blass .
If you want a look at what appear to be the final designs and colors for the headphones , check out this video from Twitter user @ h0x0d , which appears to show a leaked marketing clip : The Galaxy Buds Live will reportedly retail for €190 , according to WinFuture , which translates to roughly $ 225 or £174 .
There aren ’ t many manufacturers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Samsung continues to release new entries in its Galaxy Tab lineup year after year .
According to a recent report from SamMobile , it will have a Tab S7 and S7 Plus to show off at its August Unpacked event .
If reports are accurate , the S7 and S7 Plus will have 11-inch LCD and 12.4-inch OLED displays , respectively , and be powered by Snapdragon 865 Plus processors .
Both will work with Samsung ’ s S Pen , and you ’ ll have the option of either 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 256GB of storage .
There ’ s also apparently a 5G version of the Tab S7 Plus , but it will be limited to supporting sub-6GHz 5G , meaning there ’ s no support for mmWave ’ s gigabit speeds .
Finally , expect in-display fingerprint sensors on the tablets , though SamMobile can ’ t confirm whether they ’ ll have an optical or ultrasonic sensor .
At this point , it ’ s probably foolish to expect Samsung ’ s Galaxy Home to make an appearance .
First announced back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced delay after delay , although Samsung has announced and released a miniature version in South Korea .
Given the delays , it ’ s almost getting to the point where we ’ re half-expecting Samsung to announce an AirPower-style cancellation .
But we ’ d be surprised if it did so at a time when it could steal the Note 20 ’ s thunder .
Update July 27th , 4:07PM ET : Updated with new details and rumors as well as the official announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G .

Samsung’s next big product launch is right around the corner, taking place on August 5th at 10AM ET, though it’ll be a virtual event as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The main product reveal is almost certainly going to be the next phone in Samsung’s Galaxy Note series, its top-of-the-range smartphone lineup that pairs some of the most powerful phone hardware around with a big, beautiful screen and its signature S Pen stylus.
But Samsung hasn’t been shy about teasing additional product reveals. The company said in a blog post that it plans to unveil five devices at the event, and more recently, it used a teaser trailer to show off five silhouettes. To our eyes, they look like silhouettes for a new tablet, smartwatch, true wireless earbuds, a foldable smartphone, and, of course, the Note 20.
Last year, the company launched a new smartwatch and laptop
This article originally noted that rumors suggested Samsung might unveil a 5G version of its Galaxy Z Flip handset, but the company has since officially announced it, so that’s off the table for August.
Read on for a rundown of everything we’re expecting to see at Samsung’s next Unpacked event.
The biggest Galaxy Note 20 Ultra leak came from Samsung, which posted what appeared to be a photo of the phone on its own site. Image: Samsung Russia
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 series
Samsung’s stylus-equipped Note phones tend to be the company’s big focus at its August Unpacked event each year. This year, we’re expecting Samsung to have at least two Note phones to show off, including a standard Note 20 (which will reportedly have a flat 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 display) as well as a bigger Note 20 Ultra with a curved 6.9-inch 3200 x 1440 display, according to WinFuture. Some reports have also referred to a Note 20 Plus with a 6.87-inch 2345 x 1084 display, but there’s also been speculation that this could be the same device as either the regular Note 20 or the Ultra.
Leaks point to at least two Note 20 devices
Our first proper look at Note 20 Ultra came to us from Samsung itself, which appeared to mistakenly post a photograph of the phone on its website. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to confirm that the device exists (which… duh) and will have a redesigned camera bump this time around. This seems to include three cameras along with a fourth sensor that could be either a 3D ToF sensor or a laser autofocus, which would help with portrait shots and focus speed, respectively.
We subsequently got another look at the Note 20 Ultra, thanks to a short hands-on video and photos from YouTuber Jimmy Is Promo whose channel specializes in news about Samsung phones. Included in his leak were a couple of shots of the front of the device, showing off its Note 10-style centered hole-punch selfie camera, along with its slightly smaller bezels and a larger camera bump. Renders of the phone that were subsequently published by WinFuture, appear to corroborate this leak.
When it comes to the step-down Note 20, meanwhile, WinFuture has shared what appear to be marketing renders of the phone. These images appear to show that the Note 20 has a less prominent camera bump and flatter screen that doesn’t curve around the edges of the device.
Image: WinFuture
In terms of cameras, the leaked images and video of the Note 20 Ultra appear to show that Samsung’s “folded” periscope zoom lens is making a comeback from the S20 Ultra, allowing for the kinds of zoom that, until recently, were difficult to pull off in the limited space allowed by a smartphone. When it comes to the Note 20 Plus (which may or may not be the same device), leaker Ice Universe initially said that its main camera will have a 108-megapixel main sensor like the S20 Ultra. However, he also said that this time, its zoom lens will reportedly top out at 50x rather than the 100x we saw with the S20 Ultra and that its zoom lens will have a 13-megapixel rather than a 48-megapixel sensor. (WinFuture has since corroborated that the Ultra’s camera’s main sensor and ultrawide cameras would have resolutions of 108-megapixels and 12-megapixels, though reported that its zoom lens will be 12 megapixels.) That sounds like a downgrade, but in practice, the S20 Ultra’s 100X zoom shots were mostly unusable, so stopping at 50X this time around seems sensible. Using a lower-resolution sensor could also mean better low-light performance from zoom shots.
The Note 20, meanwhile, will reportedly have a 64-megapixel zoom camera with an optical zoom of 3x, according to WinFuture, while its maximum zoom overall will top out at 30x. This zoom camera will reportedly be joined by 12-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras.
Samsung’s images show a handset with a large camera bump featuring three rear cameras. Image: Samsung Russia
According to the Jimmy is Promo video, the Note’s signature S Pen has a broadly similar design to last year (the video even shows the Note 20’s stylus being slotted into the Note 10 and vice versa), but it will reportedly have a new “pointer” mode that could allow you to remotely control an on-screen cursor using the S Pen. It’s potentially a big step forward from the Note 10’s relatively simple gesture controls, giving you more options if you want to control your phone remotely using just its stylus. And the S Pen on the Ultra may only have 9 milliseconds of latency, while the S Pen on the standard Note 20 could have a higher 26 milliseconds of latency, according to separate WinFuture reports.
Internally, we’re expecting to see a Snapdragon 865 or even an 865 Plus processor powering the Note 20 Ultra. Neither processor has an integrated 5G modem, but since they’re designed to work with Qualcomm’s X55 5G modem, the Note 20 lineup is likely to be 5G-enabled.
The Note 20 Ultra will apparently have a 6.9-inch screen with a 3200 x 1440 resolution with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, according to WinFuture. Other reports suggest the Note 20 Plus’ screen will also have a refresh rate of 120Hz. So regardless of whatever the actual name for the super-powered note is, it seems like its screen should look every bit as smooth as on the Galaxy S20. The big question is whether you’ll be able to use this 120Hz refresh rate while the screen is set to its maximum 1440p resolution since this wasn’t possible on the S20 series. One leak has claimed that you’ll be able to on the Ultra, but it’s far from certain.
Elsewhere, there have also been reports that the Note 20 Plus will have a Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO) display similar to what we saw Apple use on the Apple Watch Series 5. It’s a technology that could give Samsung much more control over the phone’s refresh rate, with the option of reducing it when necessary to conserve battery life. It’s a useful technology to have, and it could help mitigate the higher-power draw of a 120Hz display.
According to WinFuture, meanwhile, the standard Note 20 will have a slightly smaller 6.7-inch display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080, and it will be limited to a refresh rate of 60Hz.
Finally, both the Ultra and the standard Note 20 may be optimized to play games over Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming service, according to WinFuture.
Samsung’s Galaxy foldables
Samsung released a 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip, its recent smartphone that folds to become more compact, on July 22nd. So if the company is going to show a foldable at its August 5th event, it seems likely it will be a successor to the Galaxy Fold. (The Fold, in contrast to the Z Flip, is a tablet that folds to become the size of a smartphone.) SamMobile recently reported that successor will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as part of Samsung’s attempt to unify its foldable branding, and leaker Max Weinbach reports it will be unveiled in August to release in October.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is in development and may be unveiled in August
Our best look at the Galaxy Z Fold 2 arrived last week when MySmartPrice published a series of renders of the foldable device. The images show a number of the device’s rumored features. There’s what appears to be a much bigger display on the front of the device (it’s rumored to be 6.23 inches), which should mean it’s much more usable while folded compared to the original Galaxy Fold’s 4.6-inch cover display. The renders also show a bigger internal screen (rumors claim it’ll be 7.7 inches, compared to 7.3 inches for the original Fold), with a smaller hole-punch cutout for its selfie camera compared to the beefy notch on the Galaxy Fold.
The renders match the design of an earlier (albeit blurry) picture that emerged of the device as well as a photo of what appears to be a real-world photo of the foldable.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will also reportedly support 5G, which makes sense given the phone is rumored to use a Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. It could also have a 4,356mAh battery and 15W wireless charging, according to MySmartPrice.
The new foldable, like its predecessor, could also be quite expensive; MySmartPrice claims the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will cost $1,980, the same price as the first Fold.
Leaked images show a watch with two physical buttons and a rotating bezel. Image: Evan Blass
New wearables
At this point, a new Galaxy Watch is almost a given. Samsung appears to be skipping the Galaxy Watch 2 entirely and is jumping straight to the Galaxy Watch 3, which has already appeared in regulatory filings as well as leaked images, renders, and even a hands-on video.
The big rumor is the return of a physical rotating bezel, which was sadly missing from last year’s Galaxy Watch Active and Active 2 and provides a convenient physical control for the smartwatch. The watch will reportedly be available in 41mm and 45mm sizes and LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants.
In terms of software, Samsung’s Tizen operating system appears to be getting a facelift for the new smartwatch. New watchfaces could let you add custom details like your heart rate or step count to the edges of the display. There are also reportedly new gesture controls for taking photos or answering incoming calls. We’ve been fans of Samsung’s smartwatches in the past and currently rate the Galaxy Watch Active 2 as the best smartwatch for Android users, so we’ve got high hopes.
Samsung also has what appears to be a new fitness tracker on the way if a recent Federal Communications Commission filing is to be believed. Details are currently slim on the device, which appears to be a successor to Samsung’s Galaxy Fit from last year, but expect heart rate tracking and automatic exercise detection. Given Samsung’s comments about having five devices to unveil, however, it seems unlikely that we’ll see this new fitness device make an appearance this week.
The Galaxy Buds Live have a bean-shaped design and will reportedly have active noise cancellation. Image: Evan Blass
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live earbuds
Earlier this year, Samsung released a pair of true wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Plus, that quickly became our top pick for the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today. Now, it looks like it might have another pair on the way that include their single biggest missing feature: active noise cancellation.
Bean-shaped earbuds are reportedly on the way
First leaked back in April by WinFuture, the Galaxy Buds Live have subsequently appeared in Samsung’s official Galaxy Buds companion app, confirming the name and support for active noise cancellation. Numerous pictures of the earbuds have leaked over the past few months, but some recently leaked images from Ishan Agarwal do a nice job of showing them from basically every angle.
Reports indicate that the new noise-canceling functionality means that battery life won’t be as good as the Galaxy Buds Plus, with as little as 4.5 rather than 11 hours of playback, according to WinFuture. Apparently, you’ll be able to get a maximum of 20 hours of charge when used alongside their case, the design of which was shown in a recent leak from Evan Blass. If you want a look at what appear to be the final designs and colors for the headphones, check out this video from Twitter user @h0x0d, which appears to show a leaked marketing clip:
The Galaxy Buds Live will reportedly retail for €190, according to WinFuture, which translates to roughly $225 or £174.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus
There aren’t many manufacturers that take Android tablets seriously these days, but Samsung continues to release new entries in its Galaxy Tab lineup year after year. According to a recent report from SamMobile, it will have a Tab S7 and S7 Plus to show off at its August Unpacked event.
If reports are accurate, the S7 and S7 Plus will have 11-inch LCD and 12.4-inch OLED displays, respectively, and be powered by Snapdragon 865 Plus processors. Both will work with Samsung’s S Pen, and you’ll have the option of either 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. There’s also apparently a 5G version of the Tab S7 Plus, but it will be limited to supporting sub-6GHz 5G, meaning there’s no support for mmWave’s gigabit speeds. Finally, expect in-display fingerprint sensors on the tablets, though SamMobile can’t confirm whether they’ll have an optical or ultrasonic sensor.
The Galaxy Home, first announced in 2018, is still yet to be released. Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Anything else?
Samsung’s executives have gone on the record to say that the company has just five devices to announce at its event this week, so it seems unlikely that we’re going to see any extra surprise hardware announcements. That said, there’s a part of us that would love to see Samsung’s Galaxy Home make an appearance.
First announced back in 2018, the Bixby-powered smart speaker has faced delay after delay, and although Samsung has since announced and released a miniature version in South Korea, the full-size model seems to be no closer to release. Given the delays, it’s almost getting to the point where we’re half-expecting Samsung to announce an AirPower-style cancellation. But we’d be surprised if it did so at a time when it could steal the Note 20’s thunder.


theverge--2020-07-27--Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 standard promises 50 percent charge in less than five minutes

Qualcomm has introduced Quick Charge 5 , the company ’ s latest fast-charging standard , and it ’ s bringing some big promises : more than 100W charging speeds on a smartphone , with the ability to charge a device from 0 to 50 percent in five minutes or fully charge a phone in 15 minutes .
It ’ s been a few years since Qualcomm introduced its last major quick-charging standard , Quick Charge 4 ( which also had an enhanced version , Quick Charge 4+ ) , but the new version represents the biggest leap yet for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed is concerned .
Qualcomm isn ’ t being shy about how big of an improvement this is : the company says that Quick Charge 5 is up to 70 percent more efficient than Quick Charge 4 , up to 4 times faster at charging , while still running 10 degrees Celsius cooler than the old version .
As noted by Anandtech , Quick Charge 5 is actually leveraging the existing USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply ( PD-PPS ) standard ( a subset of the existing USB-C PD spec ) , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and current levels during the charging process .
The advantage to that is that Quick Charge 5 is , in theory , universal — any USB PD-PPS charger should be able to charge your Quick Charge 5 device at full speed .
Another key change here is the fact that Quick Charge 5 now supports 2S battery systems for two battery cells wired in series , which allows for double the charging voltage .
In turn , that increases charging speeds .
It ’ s also backwards compatible : older Quick Charge accessories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quick Charge 5-rated hardware , albeit at the fastest speed that those chargers can provide .
( USB-C PD devices and iPhones , on the other hand , will still only get fast-charging benefits from the USB PD-based Quick Charge 4 and up . )
That leads to the biggest advantage of all : the fact that Quick Charge 5 is part of Qualcomm ’ s overall parts package .
Qualcomm is already one of the biggest processor and modem suppliers , and tons of companies use its power solutions for the easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Quick Charge 5 will likely start popping up on tons of phones when the first devices start shipping in Q3 2020 .

Qualcomm has introduced Quick Charge 5, the company’s latest fast-charging standard, and it’s bringing some big promises: more than 100W charging speeds on a smartphone, with the ability to charge a device from 0 to 50 percent in five minutes or fully charge a phone in 15 minutes.
It’s been a few years since Qualcomm introduced its last major quick-charging standard, Quick Charge 4 (which also had an enhanced version, Quick Charge 4+), but the new version represents the biggest leap yet for the company — at least where sheer charging speed is concerned. Qualcomm isn’t being shy about how big of an improvement this is: the company says that Quick Charge 5 is up to 70 percent more efficient than Quick Charge 4, up to 4 times faster at charging, while still running 10 degrees Celsius cooler than the old version.
As noted by Anandtech, Quick Charge 5 is actually leveraging the existing USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply (PD-PPS) standard (a subset of the existing USB-C PD spec), which allows for even greater control over voltage and current levels during the charging process. The advantage to that is that Quick Charge 5 is, in theory, universal — any USB PD-PPS charger should be able to charge your Quick Charge 5 device at full speed.
Another key change here is the fact that Quick Charge 5 now supports 2S battery systems for two battery cells wired in series, which allows for double the charging voltage. In turn, that increases charging speeds.
It’s also backwards compatible: older Quick Charge accessories and devices will still work with new Quick Charge 5-rated hardware, albeit at the fastest speed that those chargers can provide. (USB-C PD devices and iPhones, on the other hand, will still only get fast-charging benefits from the USB PD-based Quick Charge 4 and up.)


theverge--2020-07-27--Tenet will be released internationally first because the US is a mess

Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet will skip the United States for its initial release because of ongoing safety concerns surrounding the pandemic .
It will instead roll out to several international territories weeks before the US gets it .
Warner Bros. is gearing up to release Tenet in 70 international territories , including Australia , Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Korea , Russia , and the United Kingdom on August 26th , according to a press release .
Tenet will then roll out into select theaters in the United States beginning September 3rd .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release Tenet in China right now , Variety reported .
Tenet ’ s staggered release is something executives talked about last week during AT & T ’ s earnings call , but it ’ s not an ideal situation .
Releasing the film internationally in markets where there aren ’ t as many coronavirus cases will hopefully boost box office revenue for the studio , especially without a national opening in the United States .
It also remains unclear which select cities in the US are set to receive the film , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t .
Unlike other countries around the world that have flattened the curve and slowed the spread of COVID-19 , the United States is seeing new cases peak in several states every day .
Some states have refused to allow theaters to open because of growing cases and ongoing concerns .
Warner Bros. ’ decision to release Tenet on a city-by-city basis in the United States just goes to show how desperate Warner Bros. is to get the movie out .
John Stankey , CEO of Warner Bros. parent company AT & T @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t the type of movie that could be released city by city , but that ’ s the new situation the company has found itself in .
From Warner Bros. ’ perspective , it ’ s understandable ; Tenet is a $ 200 million movie , and there ’ s ongoing pressure from Nolan to make Tenet the movie that sees people return to theaters .
The company has struggled to figure out what to do with its summer blockbuster .
Tenet was delayed three times previously as Warner Bros. and Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their two biggest films of the summer — Tenet and Mulan .
Some critics called for both studios to delay their films into 2021 , at a time that made more sense for filmgoers but the studios are trying to figure out how to make any kind of revenue .
For some movies , that means releasing films as digital releases .
Warner Bros. moved its animated Scooby-Doo movie to an on-demand rental title before it landed on WarnerMedia ’ s streaming service , HBO Max , for example .
Other studios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly anticipated theatrical titles , like Hamilton , and moved it exclusively to Disney Plus .
Stankey told analysts on last week ’ s earnings call that while some movies make more sense to take off the calendar and go straight to home video , movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984 do not .
“ Do I think there can be some things that we built for theatrical release that migrates into a [ streaming ] construct ?
Sure , ” Stankey said .
“ Is It going to happen on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I would be very surprised ... actually , I can assure you on Tenet that ’ s not going to be the case.
” Of course , Warner Bros. could delay Tenet again .
That ’ s the main thing to take away from this never-ending game of release date musical chairs .
Nothing is ever certain .

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet will skip the United States for its initial release because of ongoing safety concerns surrounding the pandemic. It will instead roll out to several international territories weeks before the US gets it.
Warner Bros. is gearing up to release Tenet in 70 international territories, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United Kingdom on August 26th, according to a press release. Tenet will then roll out into select theaters in the United States beginning September 3rd. The studio does not have plans currently to release Tenet in China right now, Variety reported.
Tenet’s staggered release is something executives talked about last week during AT&T’s earnings call, but it’s not an ideal situation. Releasing the film internationally in markets where there aren’t as many coronavirus cases will hopefully boost box office revenue for the studio, especially without a national opening in the United States. It also remains unclear which select cities in the US are set to receive the film, but hotspots like Los Angeles likely won’t. Unlike other countries around the world that have flattened the curve and slowed the spread of COVID-19, the United States is seeing new cases peak in several states every day. Some states have refused to allow theaters to open because of growing cases and ongoing concerns.
Warner Bros.’ decision to release Tenet on a city-by-city basis in the United States just goes to show how desperate Warner Bros. is to get the movie out. John Stankey, CEO of Warner Bros. parent company AT&T, previously told CNBC that Tenet wasn’t the type of movie that could be released city by city, but that’s the new situation the company has found itself in. From Warner Bros.’ perspective, it’s understandable; Tenet is a $200 million movie, and there’s ongoing pressure from Nolan to make Tenet the movie that sees people return to theaters.
The company has struggled to figure out what to do with its summer blockbuster. Tenet was delayed three times previously as Warner Bros. and Disney played a game of release date chicken with their two biggest films of the summer — Tenet and Mulan. Some critics called for both studios to delay their films into 2021, at a time that made more sense for filmgoers but the studios are trying to figure out how to make any kind of revenue.
For some movies, that means releasing films as digital releases. Warner Bros. moved its animated Scooby-Doo movie to an on-demand rental title before it landed on WarnerMedia’s streaming service, HBO Max, for example. Other studios like Disney have taken some of its highly anticipated theatrical titles, like Hamilton, and moved it exclusively to Disney Plus.
Stankey told analysts on last week’s earnings call that while some movies make more sense to take off the calendar and go straight to home video, movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984 do not.
“Do I think there can be some things that we built for theatrical release that migrates into a [streaming] construct? Sure,” Stankey said. “Is It going to happen on a movie like Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984? I would be very surprised... actually, I can assure you on Tenet that’s not going to be the case.”


theverge--2020-07-27--Suikoden follow-up Eiyuden Chronicle successfully funded on Kickstarter

It didn ’ t take long for the long-awaited successor to Suikoden to get funded on Kickstarter .
Today , just a few hours after the crowdfunding campaign launched , Eiyuden Chronicle managed to surpass its funding goal of $ 500,000 .
The game is being helmed by a new studio called Rabbit & Bear , founded by some of the key creative minds behind the classic PlayStation-era roleplaying series , including Yoshitaka Murayama , director and writer on the first two Suikoden games .
The studio describes Eiyuden Chronicle as a game that aims to celebrate classic JRPGS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat , and a large , fantastical world to explore .
There are also cats — lots and lots of cats .
Aside from Murayama , the creative team also includes Junko Kawano , the lead artist on Suikoden 1 and 4 ; Junichi Murakami , art director on Castlevania : Aria of Sorrow ; Suikoden Tactics director Osamu Komuta ; and composers Motoi Sakuraba and Michiko Naruke .
“ Over the past years the core creators have met up at different events , and of course you talk about the glory days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Verge last week .
“ One common thing that always came up was ‘ Isn ’ t it about time we make a game for ourselves ?
Something we really want to make ?
Something we can make for the fans ?
’ And that dream provided the spark for this current project.
” Currently , the game is slated to launch on PC in 2022 , though if funding hits $ 1 million , it could also come to platforms like the Xbox One , Xbox Series X , PS4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s next generation console.
” “ For this campaign , the launch timing will most likely put us right in the middle of a console transition period , meaning that some people will own next-gen consoles , and some will not .
This is less than ideal when trying to run a Kickstarter campaign that you want to cater to the maximum number of people .
We need to determine a single quality baseline for the game , ” the Kickstarter page reads .
Because of this , the studio notes that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes and downgrades , and it hopes that there “ will be something akin to a Switch 2 ” to make the porting process more seamless .

It didn’t take long for the long-awaited successor to Suikoden to get funded on Kickstarter. Today, just a few hours after the crowdfunding campaign launched, Eiyuden Chronicle managed to surpass its funding goal of $500,000. The game is being helmed by a new studio called Rabbit & Bear, founded by some of the key creative minds behind the classic PlayStation-era roleplaying series, including Yoshitaka Murayama, director and writer on the first two Suikoden games.
The studio describes Eiyuden Chronicle as a game that aims to celebrate classic JRPGS, with features like sprite-based characters, turn-based combat, and a large, fantastical world to explore. There are also cats — lots and lots of cats. Aside from Murayama, the creative team also includes Junko Kawano, the lead artist on Suikoden 1 and 4; Junichi Murakami, art director on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow; Suikoden Tactics director Osamu Komuta; and composers Motoi Sakuraba and Michiko Naruke.
“Over the past years the core creators have met up at different events, and of course you talk about the glory days as well as regrets,” Murayama told The Verge last week. “One common thing that always came up was ‘Isn’t it about time we make a game for ourselves? Something we really want to make? Something we can make for the fans?’ And that dream provided the spark for this current project.”
Currently, the game is slated to launch on PC in 2022, though if funding hits $1 million, it could also come to platforms like the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and “Nintendo’s next generation console.”


theverge--2020-07-28--Animal Crossing’s next summer update adds dreaming and cloud saves

The promised second summer update for Animal Crossing : New Horizons is coming very soon , and it brings with it some exciting changes .
According to Nintendo , the two big gameplay additions are the ability to dream and new fireworks shows .
Meanwhile , for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers , a cloud backup system is also coming so you won ’ t lose your island .
For dreaming , Nintendo says players will be able to take a nap in any bed in their house .
“ While dozing off , you may find yourself in a strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Luna , ” the company explains .
“ Luna offers visits to other islands as a dream , and with her help , you can share your island as a dream with others too .
She will grant those who share their island a ‘ Dream Address ’ which players can exchange and use to visit each other ’ s island in a dream .
In dreams , nothing is permanent because nothing you do is saved , so explore to your heart ’ s content.
” The fireworks shows will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place every Sunday evening in August at 7PM local time .
Players will be able to buy raffle tickets during these events to earn prizes .
Perhaps the biggest part of the update , though , is the long-requested option for players to back up their islands via cloud saves .
Here ’ s how Nintendo describes the feature : Nintendo Switch Online members can enable the new island backup service , which automatically uploads island and user save data to the internet at certain times .
If your Nintendo Switch system is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to recover your island paradise as long as you ’ ve enabled island backup .
In the event of loss or damage , contact Nintendo Consumer Support about restoring the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch system .
After your island data and individual player data is restored , you can get back to building your island community .
The company also says that “ a function specific to Animal Crossing : New Horizons to move users and save data to another system is planned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced in the future.
” This will be the second major summer update for the game , following the recent addition of swimming .
The update will be available starting on July 30th , and the company also teased a fall update for the future .

The promised second summer update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is coming very soon, and it brings with it some exciting changes. According to Nintendo, the two big gameplay additions are the ability to dream and new fireworks shows. Meanwhile, for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, a cloud backup system is also coming so you won’t lose your island.
For dreaming, Nintendo says players will be able to take a nap in any bed in their house. “While dozing off, you may find yourself in a strange realm where you’ll be greeted by Luna,” the company explains. “Luna offers visits to other islands as a dream, and with her help, you can share your island as a dream with others too. She will grant those who share their island a ‘Dream Address’ which players can exchange and use to visit each other’s island in a dream. In dreams, nothing is permanent because nothing you do is saved, so explore to your heart’s content.”
The fireworks shows will be a regular occurrence, meanwhile, taking place every Sunday evening in August at 7PM local time. Players will be able to buy raffle tickets during these events to earn prizes.
Perhaps the biggest part of the update, though, is the long-requested option for players to back up their islands via cloud saves. Here’s how Nintendo describes the feature:
Nintendo Switch Online members can enable the new island backup service, which automatically uploads island and user save data to the internet at certain times. If your Nintendo Switch system is lost or damaged, you may be able to recover your island paradise as long as you’ve enabled island backup. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Consumer Support about restoring the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch system. After your island data and individual player data is restored, you can get back to building your island community.
The company also says that “a function specific to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to move users and save data to another system is planned for later this year. Details will be announced in the future.”