theverge--2020-12-23--The government blacklisted DJI drones, but some drone companies are more confused than worried

Last week , the US Department of Commerce put Chinese drone maker DJI on its Entity List , limiting how it can work with US companies .
The news startled DJI ’ s huge American user base , including companies that rely on DJI for entire fleets of commercial drones .
But it ’ s likely less onerous than it initially sounded — even if , like many Trump administration decisions , it comes with a dose of uncertainty .
The Trump administration has repeatedly used sanctions to crack down on Chinese tech giants , sometimes on nebulous or disputed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with Huawei and ZTE , and it ’ s pursued confusing , legally ambiguous bans on the Chinese social apps WeChat and TikTok .
While the Entity List is primarily meant for restricting companies that threaten national security , DJI is being censured for enabling “ wide-scale human rights abuses within China , ” following reports that it provided surveillance drones for Chinese detention camps .
Banning DJI would devastate the US drone industry — but that ’ s seemingly not happening Completely banning DJI drones would be a catastrophic blow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not happening .
DJI dominates hobbyist and commercial small drone sales , thanks to its comparatively low prices , sophisticated designs , and early entry to the market .
“ It ’ s the equivalent of taking Apple out of the smartphone game , ” says Daniel Windham , a geographic information system ( GIS ) specialist who works with DJI drones .
After the announcement , however , DJI asserted that Americans could still buy its products .
“ DJI is disappointed in the US Department of Commerce ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to buy and use DJI products normally , ” the company said in a statement .
That tallies with other companies ’ interpretation of the order .
“ The challenge with the order has been just figuring it out , ” says Mike Winn , CEO of drone data analysis company DroneDeploy .
“ Our understanding , after talking to lots of experts and lawyers , is that US companies are restricted from exporting US technologies.
” Companies can get around this by applying for a license — something that has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with Huawei .
“ I think in the short term , we don ’ t see a big problem here.
” “ At this point , we simply don ’ t have enough data.
” Limiting engagement with DJI could still cause trouble for companies that sell components to the company , and it could force DJI to adapt its supply chain .
But for people buying , using , and reselling the drones , it would be less of a problem .
“ Often , this type of order restricts a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If that is the case , there would be zero impact , ” says Kerry Garrison , general manager of drone vendor Multicopter Warehouse .
Garrison notes that the federal government had already placed restrictions on buying the Chinese-made drones , although it could cause larger problems if the government bans using federal grants to buy them .
“ At this time , we simply don ’ t have enough data yet to really know for sure what this will all amount to.
” The Trump administration announced its ban just a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take office , and it ’ s unclear what tack Biden will take toward the drone maker .
But Martin Chorzempa , a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics , believes there ’ s not much political appetite for loosening restrictions on China .
“ Any of these actions that they would reverse would have a political cost , ” Chorzempa says .
And since DJI isn ’ t accused of violating a concrete sanctions rule or creating a specific technical vulnerability , there ’ s not a simple fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even if the ban stands , though , DJI ’ s business may be unusually well-structured to withstand cutoffs .
“ While I ’ m sure there ’ s going to be some changes for DJI , they are a very highly vertically integrated company and they produce a lot of their own hardware , ” says Winn .
DJI ’ s drones benefit immensely from US-made software applications , but these are built on top of DJI ’ s own software development kit .
It ’ s not tied to an American-made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huawei depended on Google — a dependence that has locked phone buyers out of popular Android apps .
Rivals have still called to “ think twice ” about using DJI Some competitors have nonetheless hailed the DJI ban as an opportunity .
The decision “ sends an unmistakable signal to the marketplace : companies should think twice about doing business with a known violator of human rights , ” said Brendan Groves , the policy head at rival drone company Skydio .
Similarly , open-source drone platform Auterion argued that the blacklisting would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legal risk , pushing businesses toward US-made alternatives .
But Winn doesn ’ t think DJI will be supplanted anytime soon .
“ We think it ’ s very exciting that there are more options .
But the reality is that DJI has about 75 percent market share.
” If it were truly shut out of the American market , it would leave a “ big , big hole ” to fill .
“ We don ’ t yet know of a company that could do that , ” he says .

Last week, the US Department of Commerce put Chinese drone maker DJI on its Entity List, limiting how it can work with US companies. The news startled DJI’s huge American user base, including companies that rely on DJI for entire fleets of commercial drones. But it’s likely less onerous than it initially sounded — even if, like many Trump administration decisions, it comes with a dose of uncertainty.
The Trump administration has repeatedly used sanctions to crack down on Chinese tech giants, sometimes on nebulous or disputed grounds. It banned US companies from dealing with Huawei and ZTE, and it’s pursued confusing, legally ambiguous bans on the Chinese social apps WeChat and TikTok. While the Entity List is primarily meant for restricting companies that threaten national security, DJI is being censured for enabling “wide-scale human rights abuses within China,” following reports that it provided surveillance drones for Chinese detention camps.
Banning DJI would devastate the US drone industry — but that’s seemingly not happening
Completely banning DJI drones would be a catastrophic blow to the industry — but early indications suggest that’s not happening. DJI dominates hobbyist and commercial small drone sales, thanks to its comparatively low prices, sophisticated designs, and early entry to the market. “It’s the equivalent of taking Apple out of the smartphone game,” says Daniel Windham, a geographic information system (GIS) specialist who works with DJI drones.
After the announcement, however, DJI asserted that Americans could still buy its products. “DJI is disappointed in the US Department of Commerce’s decision. Customers in America can continue to buy and use DJI products normally,” the company said in a statement.
That tallies with other companies’ interpretation of the order. “The challenge with the order has been just figuring it out,” says Mike Winn, CEO of drone data analysis company DroneDeploy. “Our understanding, after talking to lots of experts and lawyers, is that US companies are restricted from exporting US technologies.” Companies can get around this by applying for a license — something that has allowed Intel, for instance, to continue working with Huawei. “I think in the short term, we don’t see a big problem here.”
“At this point, we simply don’t have enough data.”
Limiting engagement with DJI could still cause trouble for companies that sell components to the company, and it could force DJI to adapt its supply chain. But for people buying, using, and reselling the drones, it would be less of a problem. “Often, this type of order restricts a foreign company from purchasing US products. If that is the case, there would be zero impact,” says Kerry Garrison, general manager of drone vendor Multicopter Warehouse. Garrison notes that the federal government had already placed restrictions on buying the Chinese-made drones, although it could cause larger problems if the government bans using federal grants to buy them. “At this time, we simply don’t have enough data yet to really know for sure what this will all amount to.”
The Trump administration announced its ban just a month before President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office, and it’s unclear what tack Biden will take toward the drone maker. But Martin Chorzempa, a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, believes there’s not much political appetite for loosening restrictions on China. “Any of these actions that they would reverse would have a political cost,” Chorzempa says. And since DJI isn’t accused of violating a concrete sanctions rule or creating a specific technical vulnerability, there’s not a simple fix for getting taken off the list.
Even if the ban stands, though, DJI’s business may be unusually well-structured to withstand cutoffs. “While I’m sure there’s going to be some changes for DJI, they are a very highly vertically integrated company and they produce a lot of their own hardware,” says Winn. DJI’s drones benefit immensely from US-made software applications, but these are built on top of DJI’s own software development kit. It’s not tied to an American-made operating system the way that phone maker Huawei depended on Google — a dependence that has locked phone buyers out of popular Android apps.
Rivals have still called to “think twice” about using DJI
Some competitors have nonetheless hailed the DJI ban as an opportunity. The decision “sends an unmistakable signal to the marketplace: companies should think twice about doing business with a known violator of human rights,” said Brendan Groves, the policy head at rival drone company Skydio. Similarly, open-source drone platform Auterion argued that the blacklisting would make “every transaction” with DJI a legal risk, pushing businesses toward US-made alternatives.


theverge--2020-12-23--Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 review: powerful portable gaming

If you ’ re looking for the absolute most powerful gaming hardware out there ... well , you don ’ t want the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 .
You want a desktop or a laptop that weighs seven pounds , requires multiple power bricks , and is basically a desktop .
But if you still want something you can realistically carry around , the Strix is about as powerful as it gets .
We ’ ve reviewed a number of Asus laptops this year that are members of the ROG Zephyrus gaming line — powerful , while still portable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Zephyrus if you want decent gaming results but also want an everyday work machine you could bring into the office or class .
The Strix line eschews the latter role .
These are gaming laptops .
They are just for games .
They ’ re not cheap , they ’ re not subtle , and they hold nothing back .
That ’ s where the Strix Scar 15 stands out .
Every aspect is designed with the gaming enthusiast in mind , and there are a number of unique features for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come with a few trade-offs — and folks who might need to use their machine for tasks besides gaming should consider other options .
The Strix Scar 15 starts at $ 2,199.99 on the Asus store .
The base model comes with a Core i7-10875H , an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super , 1GB of SSD storage , and a 240Hz screen .
The model we ’ re looking at today is a significant step up from that : it costs $ 2,799.99 and is powered by Intel ’ s eight-core Core i9-10980HK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are joined by 32GB of RAM , 2TB of storage , and a 1920 x 1080 300Hz screen ( 3ms response time ) .
The 10980HK is a workhorse — it ’ s one of the most powerful mobile chips on the market — and 300Hz is the fastest display you can get on a 15-inch laptop .
If you clicked on this review , you ’ re probably most curious about the frame rates this laptop is putting up .
Suffice to say : they ’ re good .
On CS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scar averaged 248fps .
Thanks to this model ’ s 300Hz screen , the chips aren ’ t just rendering 248fps ; you ’ re actually seeing 248fps .
You ’ ll see a frame rate difference between this system and an identical one with a 240Hz display , albeit a small one .
( But to folks who play a lot of esports and first-person shooters , a small difference can matter . )
The chips aren ’ t just rendering 248fps — you ’ re actually seeing 248fps Overall , CS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Scar only dipped below 100fps once when I was running through a thick flurry of dust .
Not all titles are able to take full advantage of the 300Hz screen , unless you plan on bumping the quality settings down .
The Strix put up 67fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider ’ s highest settings with ray tracing on Ultra .
On Red Dead Redemption II ( one of the most demanding games out there ) cranked up to Ultra , the Scar averaged 54fps .
Both games were quite playable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or slowdown .
Those results are right on par with the MSI GE66 Raider ( which put up 50fps on Red Dead and 70fps on Tomb Raider ) and beat the smaller Zephyrus G14 by a significant margin .
It ’ s worth noting that while I was letting the Scar rip in Turbo mode ( the highest power profile available ) the 10980HK got quite hot throughout my gaming session , spending a chunk of time in the mid-90s and even hitting 99 degrees Celsius a couple of times .
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CPU spent more time in the mid-high 80s , and I only saw a 1-2fps difference as a result .
So if you ’ re worried about frying your hardware , you won ’ t miss much if you stay on the Performance profile .
The 10980HK got quite hot throughout my gaming session Moving on to other laptop stuff .
Apart from its chips , what distinguishes the Strix Scar 15 as a gaming laptop is the design .
It features a customizable per-key RGB keyboard , a luminous logo on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip around the front three sides .
A glowing strip may seem obnoxious , but this one is actually more subdued than strips you may have seen on gaming rigs like MSI ’ s GE66 Raider .
It wraps around the underside of the deck , so you don ’ t see it full-on ; the effect is less garish gamer than the GE66 Raider and more fancy nightclub .
( You can turn all of the RGB stuff off , of course .
But then , what ’ s the point ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ design , which is printed with what Asus calls “ Cybertext.
” Basically , Republic of Gamers is written all over it in an urban-chic sort of font .
It ’ s subtle and far from distracting , but it gives the whole product a subtle sci-fi vibe .
Speaking of the keyboard deck : the palm rests are coated in a unique “ soft-touch paint.
” It ’ s much smoother than your typical palm rest ( you can very much feel the difference when you touch the rest of the chassis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hands on .
Asus keyboards are often among my favorites , and the Strix Scar ’ s keyboard is no exception .
I love typing on this .
I feel like my fingers are flying while using it .
There ’ s a satisfying click with very little resistance .
And I especially appreciate the convenient row of hotkeys at the top , which includes volume controls , a microphone mute , one that changes the performance profile , and another button that brings up Armoury Crate ( Asus ’ app where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
You have a good port selection at your disposal If you ’ d rather plug in your own peripherals , you have a good port selection at your disposal .
There are three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and an audio jack on the left side , while the back houses one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port ( which supports DisplayPort , but not PD charging ) , the charging port , one LAN RJ-45 , and one HDMI 2.0 .
That ’ s most of what you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glaring omission : Thunderbolt .
Plenty of people may not care about this , but it ’ s a port I ’ m disappointed not to see on a $ 2,799 laptop .
On the right side is a Keystone II reader .
A Keystone II is a physical key on which you can save personal settings .
You can also use it to access a private storage space , which Asus refers to as a “ shadow drive.
” This can be encrypted if you have Windows 10 Pro .
( Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ ll need to upgrade from Windows 10 Home if you buy the base configuration . )
The Keystone II is a neat idea considering how many settings and profiles there are to keep track of on the Strix .
In the ROG app GameVisual , you can choose between color presets for different types of games ( FPS mode enhances brightness and contrast , RPG mode prioritizes vivid colors , etc. )
.
In Aura Creator , you can customize your keyboard ’ s colors and animation .
In GameFirst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the programs you have running ; there are presets like Gaming First , Live Streaming First , and Multimedia First .
One more thing I like : the speakers .
Music sounded great , with a nice surround quality .
The Strix won ’ t replace a good external speaker and percussion was a bit tinny .
But vocals were quite clear , and at maximum volume , I never heard distortion .
The laptop ’ s fans get quite loud during gaming , but I had no trouble hearing my games ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also switch to the Silent profile if the whine is bothering you . )
There ’ s lots of good stuff on the Strix , as you can see .
But there are trade-offs , too .
Most of them aren ’ t super relevant to gaming ( and thus , forgivable on a laptop like the Strix ) , but they ’ re worth bearing in mind nonetheless .
For one : there ’ s no webcam .
It ’ s not a deal-breaker — streamers will be using their own equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big minus for anyone who would otherwise use the Strix for an occasional work meeting or virtual catch-up with friends .
I also have a couple of issues with the trackpad .
It has discrete clickers , which require a bit more skittering around to press than integrated buttons .
I like these particular clickers more than most , but they ’ re still easy to miss and I sometimes found myself whacking chassis when trying to click .
Generally , I found it less responsive and less accurate than I wanted it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was clicking when I wasn ’ t , causing me to accidentally drag things everywhere .
The touchpad also has a nifty feature where it can morph into an LED number pad if you press an integrated NumLock button in the top-right corner — but I hit this button with my palm while typing and accidentally activated the Numpad several times .
Unlike with Asus ’ ZenBooks that also have this feature , you can ’ t navigate with the touchpad while the Numpad is up , so I kept having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( You can disable the touchpad itself with F10 , but there ’ s not an easy way to disable the NumPad without disabling the touchpad . )
The biggest downside , though , is battery life .
I averaged two hours and 28 minutes of sustained multitasking and office work with the Strix on the Battery Saver profile with the screen around 200 nits of brightness .
( With all the battery-saving features off and a slightly heavier load , I got as low as one hour . )
The Strix is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t expecting hours upon hours of juice .
Still , plenty of competitors do better : The MSI GE66 Raider ( also powering an LED strip and RGB keyboard ) made it through four hours of that same workload .
Gaming on battery is possible , but not great .
Red Dead ran mostly in the high teens and low 20s .
I got an hour and 15 minutes of the game on a charge , but I started to see stuttering when the Strix was down to 60 percent ( about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game became unplayable at 10 percent .
Realistically , if you plan on bringing the Scar anywhere , you ’ ll need to bring the massive 280W adapter and spend some time charging the device .
( It took 45 minutes to charge up to 60 percent during very light Chrome use . )
Overall , these nitpicks emphasize Asus ’ priority with the Scar .
It ’ s not a laptop that ’ s meant to double as a travel companion or a work-from-home driver — don ’ t buy it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t mean the Scar isn ’ t great at what it ’ s supposed to be great at , which is gaming .
Its results are on par with those of the best 15-inch rigs on the market , and it offers useful customization software with a unique colorful design to boot .
If you need the best frame rates and the fastest screen , the Strix Scar 15 is a fine purchase .

If you’re looking for the absolute most powerful gaming hardware out there... well, you don’t want the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15. You want a desktop or a laptop that weighs seven pounds, requires multiple power bricks, and is basically a desktop. But if you still want something you can realistically carry around, the Strix is about as powerful as it gets.
We’ve reviewed a number of Asus laptops this year that are members of the ROG Zephyrus gaming line — powerful, while still portable and attractive. You’d buy a Zephyrus if you want decent gaming results but also want an everyday work machine you could bring into the office or class. The Strix line eschews the latter role. These are gaming laptops. They are just for games. They’re not cheap, they’re not subtle, and they hold nothing back.
“Strike. Slay. Stun.” is the Strix Scar’s motto.
That’s where the Strix Scar 15 stands out. Every aspect is designed with the gaming enthusiast in mind, and there are a number of unique features for those customers. Of course, those also come with a few trade-offs — and folks who might need to use their machine for tasks besides gaming should consider other options.
8 Verge Score Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 $ 2799.99 The Good Good gaming performance
300Hz screen
Excellent keyboard
Customization options abound The Bad No webcam
No Thunderbolt 3
Battery life is meh $2800 at Asus How we rate and review products
The Strix Scar 15 starts at $2,199.99 on the Asus store. The base model comes with a Core i7-10875H, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super, 1GB of SSD storage, and a 240Hz screen. The model we’re looking at today is a significant step up from that: it costs $2,799.99 and is powered by Intel’s eight-core Core i9-10980HK and an RTX 2070 Super, which are joined by 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and a 1920 x 1080 300Hz screen (3ms response time). The 10980HK is a workhorse — it’s one of the most powerful mobile chips on the market — and 300Hz is the fastest display you can get on a 15-inch laptop.
Asus says the design was inspired by a collaboration with BMW Designworks Group. See it?
If you clicked on this review, you’re probably most curious about the frame rates this laptop is putting up. Suffice to say: they’re good.
On CS:GO at maximum settings, the Strix Scar averaged 248fps. Thanks to this model’s 300Hz screen, the chips aren’t just rendering 248fps; you’re actually seeing 248fps. You’ll see a frame rate difference between this system and an identical one with a 240Hz display, albeit a small one. (But to folks who play a lot of esports and first-person shooters, a small difference can matter.)
The chips aren’t just rendering 248fps — you’re actually seeing 248fps
Overall, CS:GO was a smooth experience. The Scar only dipped below 100fps once when I was running through a thick flurry of dust.
Not all titles are able to take full advantage of the 300Hz screen, unless you plan on bumping the quality settings down. The Strix put up 67fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s highest settings with ray tracing on Ultra. On Red Dead Redemption II (one of the most demanding games out there) cranked up to Ultra, the Scar averaged 54fps. Both games were quite playable on those settings, without any stuttering or slowdown. Those results are right on par with the MSI GE66 Raider (which put up 50fps on Red Dead and 70fps on Tomb Raider) and beat the smaller Zephyrus G14 by a significant margin.
You can connect a G-Sync monitor via USB-C. With HDMI 2.0b, you can view content at up to 60Hz on a connected 4K monitor or TV.
It’s worth noting that while I was letting the Scar rip in Turbo mode (the highest power profile available) the 10980HK got quite hot throughout my gaming session, spending a chunk of time in the mid-90s and even hitting 99 degrees Celsius a couple of times. When I swapped to the regular Performance profile, the CPU spent more time in the mid-high 80s, and I only saw a 1-2fps difference as a result. So if you’re worried about frying your hardware, you won’t miss much if you stay on the Performance profile.
The 10980HK got quite hot throughout my gaming session
Moving on to other laptop stuff. Apart from its chips, what distinguishes the Strix Scar 15 as a gaming laptop is the design. It features a customizable per-key RGB keyboard, a luminous logo on the lid, and a bright LED strip around the front three sides. A glowing strip may seem obnoxious, but this one is actually more subdued than strips you may have seen on gaming rigs like MSI’s GE66 Raider. It wraps around the underside of the deck, so you don’t see it full-on; the effect is less garish gamer than the GE66 Raider and more fancy nightclub. (You can turn all of the RGB stuff off, of course. But then, what’s the point?)
Another cool thing is the deck design, which is printed with what Asus calls “Cybertext.” Basically, Republic of Gamers is written all over it in an urban-chic sort of font. It’s subtle and far from distracting, but it gives the whole product a subtle sci-fi vibe.
Speaking of the keyboard deck: the palm rests are coated in a unique “soft-touch paint.” It’s much smoother than your typical palm rest (you can very much feel the difference when you touch the rest of the chassis) and is quite nice to lay your hands on.
Asus keyboards are often among my favorites, and the Strix Scar’s keyboard is no exception. I love typing on this. I feel like my fingers are flying while using it. There’s a satisfying click with very little resistance. And I especially appreciate the convenient row of hotkeys at the top, which includes volume controls, a microphone mute, one that changes the performance profile, and another button that brings up Armoury Crate (Asus’ app where you can adjust various settings and features).
You have a good port selection at your disposal
If you’d rather plug in your own peripherals, you have a good port selection at your disposal. There are three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and an audio jack on the left side, while the back houses one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (which supports DisplayPort, but not PD charging), the charging port, one LAN RJ-45, and one HDMI 2.0. That’s most of what you’ll need but there’s one glaring omission: Thunderbolt. Plenty of people may not care about this, but it’s a port I’m disappointed not to see on a $2,799 laptop.
On the right side is a Keystone II reader. A Keystone II is a physical key on which you can save personal settings. You can also use it to access a private storage space, which Asus refers to as a “shadow drive.” This can be encrypted if you have Windows 10 Pro. (Only this model ships with that operating system. You’ll need to upgrade from Windows 10 Home if you buy the base configuration.)
You can link a shadow drive to multiple keystones to share access or create backups.
The Keystone II is a neat idea considering how many settings and profiles there are to keep track of on the Strix. In the ROG app GameVisual, you can choose between color presets for different types of games (FPS mode enhances brightness and contrast, RPG mode prioritizes vivid colors, etc.). In Aura Creator, you can customize your keyboard’s colors and animation. In GameFirst VI, you can prioritize bandwidth between the programs you have running; there are presets like Gaming First, Live Streaming First, and Multimedia First.
The Keystone II is a neat idea
One more thing I like: the speakers. Music sounded great, with a nice surround quality. The Strix won’t replace a good external speaker and percussion was a bit tinny. But vocals were quite clear, and at maximum volume, I never heard distortion. The laptop’s fans get quite loud during gaming, but I had no trouble hearing my games’ audio over them. (You can also switch to the Silent profile if the whine is bothering you.)
Asus says its “smart amp” technology makes real-time adjustments to the Strix’s speaker output to minimize distortion and prevent damage.
There’s lots of good stuff on the Strix, as you can see. But there are trade-offs, too. Most of them aren’t super relevant to gaming (and thus, forgivable on a laptop like the Strix), but they’re worth bearing in mind nonetheless.
For one: there’s no webcam. It’s not a deal-breaker — streamers will be using their own equipment anyway — but it’s a big minus for anyone who would otherwise use the Strix for an occasional work meeting or virtual catch-up with friends.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 specs 15.6-inch FHD display (300Hz)
Intel Core i9-10980Hk
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
1TB PCIe SSD + 1TB PCIe SSD
No webcam
Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) (802.11ax)
66Whr 4-cell battery
280W AC adaptor
I also have a couple of issues with the trackpad. It has discrete clickers, which require a bit more skittering around to press than integrated buttons. I like these particular clickers more than most, but they’re still easy to miss and I sometimes found myself whacking chassis when trying to click. Generally, I found it less responsive and less accurate than I wanted it to be. Occasionally, it thought I was clicking when I wasn’t, causing me to accidentally drag things everywhere.
The touchpad also has a nifty feature where it can morph into an LED number pad if you press an integrated NumLock button in the top-right corner — but I hit this button with my palm while typing and accidentally activated the Numpad several times. Unlike with Asus’ ZenBooks that also have this feature, you can’t navigate with the touchpad while the Numpad is up, so I kept having to interrupt my workflow to deactivate it. (You can disable the touchpad itself with F10, but there’s not an easy way to disable the NumPad without disabling the touchpad.)
The biggest downside, though, is battery life. I averaged two hours and 28 minutes of sustained multitasking and office work with the Strix on the Battery Saver profile with the screen around 200 nits of brightness. (With all the battery-saving features off and a slightly heavier load, I got as low as one hour.) The Strix is a gaming laptop, so I wasn’t expecting hours upon hours of juice. Still, plenty of competitors do better: The MSI GE66 Raider (also powering an LED strip and RGB keyboard) made it through four hours of that same workload.
Agree to Continue: Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. As with other Windows 10 computers, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 presents you with multiple things to agree to or decline upon setup. The mandatory policies, for which an agreement is required, are: A request for your region and keyboard layout
Windows 10 License Agreement and Asus privacy agreement
A PIN In addition, there is a slew of optional things to agree to: Wi-Fi network
Microsoft account
Device privacy settings: online speech recognition, Find My Device, Inking and Typing, Advertising ID, Location, Diagnostic data, Tailored experiences
Customize your device for various purposes (gaming, schoolwork, creativity, entertainment, family, and/or business)
Link your Android smartphone
OneDrive backup
Office 365
Allow Microsoft to access your location, location history, contacts, voice input, speech and handwriting patterns, typing history, search history, calendar details, messages, apps, and Edge browsing history to aid Cortana’s personalized experiences and suggestions
Asus member registration
Set up McAfee account That’s five mandatory agreements and 16 optional ones.
Gaming on battery is possible, but not great. Red Dead ran mostly in the high teens and low 20s. I got an hour and 15 minutes of the game on a charge, but I started to see stuttering when the Strix was down to 60 percent (about half an hour in) and the game became unplayable at 10 percent. Realistically, if you plan on bringing the Scar anywhere, you’ll need to bring the massive 280W adapter and spend some time charging the device. (It took 45 minutes to charge up to 60 percent during very light Chrome use.)
Overall, these nitpicks emphasize Asus’ priority with the Scar. It’s not a laptop that’s meant to double as a travel companion or a work-from-home driver — don’t buy it to be your primary PC.
See that “NumLK” thing in the top-right corner? The NumPad pops up if you tap that.
But that doesn’t mean the Scar isn’t great at what it’s supposed to be great at, which is gaming. Its results are on par with those of the best 15-inch rigs on the market, and it offers useful customization software with a unique colorful design to boot. If you need the best frame rates and the fastest screen, the Strix Scar 15 is a fine purchase.


theverge--2020-12-23--Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra S Pen support confirmed by FCC

An FCC listing confirms that Samsung ’ s S Pen stylus can be used with the company ’ s upcoming flagship Galaxy S21 Ultra phone .
The confirmation , first discovered by Android Authority , comes in a test report for model number SMG998B .
The discovery lends clarity to recent statements from Samsung mobile president TM Roh , who said that some of the “ most well-loved features ” of the Galaxy Note will be coming to other Samsung devices in 2021 .
The FCC test report explicitly describes an EUT ( Equipment Under Test ) device that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both hover and click modes .
“ The EUT can also used with a stylus device ( S Pen ) .
The EUT operates with the S Pen in two different inductive coupling modes of S Pen motion detection ( Hover and Click ) operating in the range of 0.53 –0.6MHz.
” The listing also confirms wireless power transfer ( to charge things like the upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds ) , Wi-Fi 6E , and UWB on the yet to be announced Galaxy S21 Ultra .
Last week Roh also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 with help from partners , like using UWB to locate objects or your family pet , open doors , and personalize car experiences .
Everything should become clear at the upcoming Samsung event in January , presumably on Thursday the 14th if rumors hold .

An FCC listing confirms that Samsung’s S Pen stylus can be used with the company’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S21 Ultra phone. The confirmation, first discovered by Android Authority, comes in a test report for model number SMG998B. The discovery lends clarity to recent statements from Samsung mobile president TM Roh, who said that some of the “most well-loved features” of the Galaxy Note will be coming to other Samsung devices in 2021.
The FCC test report explicitly describes an EUT (Equipment Under Test) device that can be used with an S Pen in both hover and click modes. “The EUT can also used with a stylus device (S Pen). The EUT operates with the S Pen in two different inductive coupling modes of S Pen motion detection (Hover and Click) operating in the range of 0.53 –0.6MHz.”
The relevant section of the FCC test report showing S-PEN support and other features. Screengrab: FCC filing
The listing also confirms wireless power transfer (to charge things like the upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds), Wi-Fi 6E, and UWB on the yet to be announced Galaxy S21 Ultra. Last week Roh also said that Samsung planned to do more with ultra-wideband in 2021 with help from partners, like using UWB to locate objects or your family pet, open doors, and personalize car experiences.


theverge--2020-12-23--Telegram gets Discord-like group voice chats

Telegram is adding a new group voice chats feature that ’ s similar to an always-on Discord room .
Voice chats are now part of existing text chats , and operate as a persistent option to speak live with friends or family .
As they ’ re always available , you can dip in and out of voice chats just like you would in a Discord room or call .
Telegram is supporting “ a few thousand participants , ” so even bigger groups for things like live events will include voice chats .
The feature appears at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enabled , allowing anyone to join the conversation freely .
On the desktop versions of Telegram for Windows and Mac , you can also use a push-to-talk key for voice chats to control your microphone input .
Telegram has also built a useful voice chat overlay for Android , which operates as a system-wide floating widget .
It lets you see who ’ s talking or operate microphone and mute options when Telegram is running in the background .
At the moment group voice chats is focused on audio , but Telegram says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing features in the coming weeks .
If you ’ re interested in trying out group voice chats you ’ ll need to be an admin of a group to enable the feature in the group settings menu .
Alongside the group voice chats option , Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has revealed that the service is nearing 500 million users .
Telegram now plans to monetize its service with an ad platform that ’ s designed for one-to-many public channels .
Durov describes the platform as “ one that is user-friendly , respects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs of servers and traffic .
”

Telegram is adding a new group voice chats feature that’s similar to an always-on Discord room. Voice chats are now part of existing text chats, and operate as a persistent option to speak live with friends or family. As they’re always available, you can dip in and out of voice chats just like you would in a Discord room or call.
Telegram is supporting “a few thousand participants,” so even bigger groups for things like live events will include voice chats. The feature appears at the top of an existing group chat, if enabled, allowing anyone to join the conversation freely. On the desktop versions of Telegram for Windows and Mac, you can also use a push-to-talk key for voice chats to control your microphone input.
Telegram’s new voice chat overlay for Android. Telegram
Telegram has also built a useful voice chat overlay for Android, which operates as a system-wide floating widget. It lets you see who’s talking or operate microphone and mute options when Telegram is running in the background.
At the moment group voice chats is focused on audio, but Telegram says it’s adding video and screen sharing features in the coming weeks. If you’re interested in trying out group voice chats you’ll need to be an admin of a group to enable the feature in the group settings menu.
Alongside the group voice chats option, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has revealed that the service is nearing 500 million users. Telegram now plans to monetize its service with an ad platform that’s designed for one-to-many public channels. Durov describes the platform as “one that is user-friendly, respects privacy and allows us to cover the costs of servers and traffic.”


theverge--2020-12-22--Nearly half a billion users played Among Us in November

With roughly half a billion people reportedly playing it in November , Among Us has had the most monthly players for a mobile game ever , beating giants like Pokémon GO and Candy Crush Saga .
According to Nielsen ’ s SuperData , the game is “ by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players.
” The success is even more remarkable because InnerSloth — the company that makes Among Us — only has four employees .
That ’ s roughly 125 million players per person who works on the game .
It ’ s proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to cancel a sequel that was in the works and just put all its effort into improving the original .
It even caught the attention of sitting congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who livestreamed herself playing it to try to encourage people to vote , with an audience on Twitch that peaked at over 400 thousand viewers .
In an email to The Verge , Carter Rogers , Principal Analyst at SuperData , said that the next-most popular game in terms of monthly active users only clocked in at 300 million .
Rogers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a mix of “ point-of-sale and event data from publishers , developers and payment service providers.
” Among Us ’ release on the Nintendo Switch was recent enough that it didn ’ t have an appreciable impact on the game ’ s total numbers in Nielsen ’ s analysis .
The fact that Among Us had 500 million players shows the outstanding reach you can get by making a free game that runs on mobile devices .
According to SuperData , only three percent of those 500 million players were playing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in perspective , Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most hyped AAA game launches we ’ ve seen in a long time , and it sold 13 million copies this month .
Of course , there ’ s a large price difference between the games ( Among Us is free on mobile , and $ 5 on PC ) , but it shows that the audience for mobile games is much larger than other platforms .
InnerSloth is working to ensure that Among Us has some staying power by continuing to add new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map with new tasks that ’ s being added early next year .

With roughly half a billion people reportedly playing it in November, Among Us has had the most monthly players for a mobile game ever, beating giants like Pokémon GO and Candy Crush Saga. According to Nielsen’s SuperData, the game is “by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players.”
The success is even more remarkable because InnerSloth — the company that makes Among Us — only has four employees. That’s roughly 125 million players per person who works on the game. It’s proven to be so popular that the studio decided to cancel a sequel that was in the works and just put all its effort into improving the original. It even caught the attention of sitting congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who livestreamed herself playing it to try to encourage people to vote, with an audience on Twitch that peaked at over 400 thousand viewers.
In an email to The Verge, Carter Rogers, Principal Analyst at SuperData, said that the next-most popular game in terms of monthly active users only clocked in at 300 million. Rogers notes that Nielsen arrives at its figures through a mix of “point-of-sale and event data from publishers, developers and payment service providers.” Among Us’ release on the Nintendo Switch was recent enough that it didn’t have an appreciable impact on the game’s total numbers in Nielsen’s analysis.
The fact that Among Us had 500 million players shows the outstanding reach you can get by making a free game that runs on mobile devices. According to SuperData, only three percent of those 500 million players were playing the PC version. To put that number in perspective, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most hyped AAA game launches we’ve seen in a long time, and it sold 13 million copies this month.


theverge--2020-12-22--Roast your own Spotify listens with this snarky AI

The yearly Spotify Wrapped is a rather upbeat affair , which doesn ’ t doesn ’ t quite match everyone ’ s mood this year .
For the more sullen among us , there ’ s another option : a bot from The Pudding that will judge us for our crimes of listening to terrible music .
If you want to be judged , you open a page titled “ How Bad is Your Spotify ” and you log in with your Spotify account .
( It might take a couple refreshes on the “ Loading your music library ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an AI then drags you mercilessly while it pulls your playlists and top tracks .
It asks you questions before it shows any results , in phrasing that gives the plain text the same aura as the girls who bullied me in middle school .
Did you really listen to Clementine by Sarah Jaffe ?
( Yes ) Like ironically ?
( No… ) The final judgement comes in the form of a multi-hyphenated phrase , followed by a page of loose statistics ( I am apparently 24 percent basic ) .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listens mason-jar-candle-from-target-craft-beer-snob-wet-ass bad .
And you know what ?
It ’ s right .
I listened to a frankly unholy amount of Hozier this year .
Spotify Wrapped wanted me to be proud of that , but I ’ ve spent the year hating the fact that I was too bummed out and busy to actually seek out new and exciting artists .
The bot is not actually that personalized .
It will ask everyone the same boilerplate questions in a snarky tone .
But it still gave me the validation I didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music taste kinda sucks , but whose doesn ’ t ?
Who among us doesn ’ t love to listen to the same old tried-and-true songs that hit just right , even if they earn the scorn of our more pretentious friends ?
Please join me in this journey of shameless shamefulness , and find some joy in a well-earned roast .

The yearly Spotify Wrapped is a rather upbeat affair, which doesn’t doesn’t quite match everyone’s mood this year. For the more sullen among us, there’s another option: a bot from The Pudding that will judge us for our crimes of listening to terrible music.
If you want to be judged, you open a page titled “How Bad is Your Spotify” and you log in with your Spotify account. (It might take a couple refreshes on the “Loading your music library” page.) This absolute jerk of an AI then drags you mercilessly while it pulls your playlists and top tracks. It asks you questions before it shows any results, in phrasing that gives the plain text the same aura as the girls who bullied me in middle school. Did you really listen to Clementine by Sarah Jaffe? (Yes) Like ironically? (No…)
The final judgement comes in the form of a multi-hyphenated phrase, followed by a page of loose statistics (I am apparently 24 percent basic). This stupid little computer program deemed my Spotify listens mason-jar-candle-from-target-craft-beer-snob-wet-ass bad. And you know what? It’s right. I listened to a frankly unholy amount of Hozier this year. Spotify Wrapped wanted me to be proud of that, but I’ve spent the year hating the fact that I was too bummed out and busy to actually seek out new and exciting artists.


theverge--2020-12-22--SEC says third-largest cryptocurrency was sold all wrong

Ripple , its former CEO and founder Christian Larsen , and its current CEO Bradley Garlinghouse are being sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission .
The SEC says that they raised more than $ 1.3 billion through an unregistered securities offering .
The suit claims that Ripple violated securities laws by selling XRP , which The Wall Street Journal calls “ the third-largest cryptocurrency by market value , ” over a seven-year period starting in 2013 .
According to the complaint , the “ illegal securities offering ” created an information asymmetry that let Larsen and Garlinghouse sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Larsen and Garlinghouse chose to tell them .
At the heart of the suit is a basic question about XRP : is it a security or a currency ?
According to the SEC ’ s suit , it ’ s a security , and so Ripple didn ’ t provide its investors with the proper information they needed to assess any potential risk .
According to Garlinghouse , it ’ s a virtual currency , which means the SEC has nothing to do with it .
The SEC has previously ruled that bitcoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department treated XRP as a currency in 2015 , when Ripple settled a suit over its business .
But XRP differs from bitcoin and Ethereum in an important way .
For those two cryptocurrencies , new coins are created through a “ mining ” process , which is ongoing .
Ripple started XRP by creating 100 billion units all at once .
Ripple owns about 6.4 billion XRP , and Garlinghouse and Larsen also own a good chunk of it .
Another 48 billion XRP are held in reserve , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the SEC is claiming XRP is a security , not a currency .
The SEC has won similar suits against Block.one and Kik in the past , saying that the initial coin offerings these startups offered were actually securities .
But those cases were different ; Kik and Block.one did their ICOs after an SEC directive in 2017 .
XRP came into existence years before that directive .
The lawsuit didn ’ t come as a surprise ; Garlinghouse announced yesterday that the company expected the suit , and Ripple has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that explains to the SEC that its actions were legal .
An important part of settling whether XRP is a currency or a security may involve something called the Howey test , which was created by a 1946 Supreme Court case .
That ruling defined a security as an investment of money in a shared enterprise with an expectation of profits from others ’ work .
According to Ripple , XRP doesn ’ t satisfy the Howey test for a variety of reasons , but especially because no one bought XRP with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The SEC ’ s complaint challenges that .
In 2016 , Ripple admitted to the New York State Department of Financial Services that buyers were “ purchasing XRP for speculative purposes.
” It also cites a hedge fund investor who owned XRP saying in 2015 that “ the increase in XRP value is heavily dependent on the success of Ripple .
”

Ripple, its former CEO and founder Christian Larsen, and its current CEO Bradley Garlinghouse are being sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC says that they raised more than $1.3 billion through an unregistered securities offering.
The suit claims that Ripple violated securities laws by selling XRP, which The Wall Street Journal calls “the third-largest cryptocurrency by market value,” over a seven-year period starting in 2013. According to the complaint, the “illegal securities offering” created an information asymmetry that let Larsen and Garlinghouse sell XRP to investors who only knew what Larsen and Garlinghouse chose to tell them.
At the heart of the suit is a basic question about XRP: is it a security or a currency? According to the SEC’s suit, it’s a security, and so Ripple didn’t provide its investors with the proper information they needed to assess any potential risk. According to Garlinghouse, it’s a virtual currency, which means the SEC has nothing to do with it. The SEC has previously ruled that bitcoin and Ethereum are currencies. Also, the Justice Department treated XRP as a currency in 2015, when Ripple settled a suit over its business.
But XRP differs from bitcoin and Ethereum in an important way. For those two cryptocurrencies, new coins are created through a “mining” process, which is ongoing. Ripple started XRP by creating 100 billion units all at once. Ripple owns about 6.4 billion XRP, and Garlinghouse and Larsen also own a good chunk of it. Another 48 billion XRP are held in reserve, for periodic sales. This difference may be why the SEC is claiming XRP is a security, not a currency.
The SEC has won similar suits against Block.one and Kik in the past, saying that the initial coin offerings these startups offered were actually securities. But those cases were different; Kik and Block.one did their ICOs after an SEC directive in 2017. XRP came into existence years before that directive.
The lawsuit didn’t come as a surprise; Garlinghouse announced yesterday that the company expected the suit, and Ripple has already published its Wells response, a document that explains to the SEC that its actions were legal.
An important part of settling whether XRP is a currency or a security may involve something called the Howey test, which was created by a 1946 Supreme Court case. That ruling defined a security as an investment of money in a shared enterprise with an expectation of profits from others’ work. According to Ripple, XRP doesn’t satisfy the Howey test for a variety of reasons, but especially because no one bought XRP with the expectation of getting Ripple’s profits.


theverge--2020-12-22--Substack says readers and writers are really in charge of moderation

Substack plans to take a “ hands-off approach ” to determining who can use its newsletter platform and “ resist public pressure ” to remove writers seen by some as “ unacceptable.
” In a blog post this afternoon , the company outlined a relatively lax content moderation policy designed to let writers know they won ’ t be removed from the platform as long as they comply with basic rules .
While it does have a short list of prohibitions , Substack says that “ readers and writers are in charge.
” The idea is that readers don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to writers who they don ’ t agree with , and writers can leave — and take their mailing lists with them — if they don ’ t like the platform .
“ We just disagree with those who would seek to tightly constrain the bounds of acceptable discourse , ” the platform ’ s co-founders wrote today .
Substack argues that it ’ s nothing like Facebook or Twitter , but it could soon have to grapple with the same thorny moderation problems of big platforms .
The service has attracted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Glenn Greenwald and Anne Helen Petersen .
Pretty much anyone can start a newsletter and start accepting payments on the platform , though , and the service ’ s increasing prominence could soon lead to an influx of writers who aren ’ t reviewed or endorsed by the company .
Substack ’ s approach echoes Reddit ’ s longtime policies around moderation , which the service has only recently started to change .
The platform long held itself up to be a bastion of free speech , allowing users to subscribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore ones they didn ’ t .
That led to some troubling groups — like a white supremacist community — to thrive .
Moderation at Substack is currently handled by the site ’ s founders , Substack CEO Chris Best said earlier this month on Decoder with Nilay Patel .
“ In general , we ’ re very pro-freedom of the press and extending that freedom to as many writers as possible , ” Best said .

Substack plans to take a “hands-off approach” to determining who can use its newsletter platform and “resist public pressure” to remove writers seen by some as “unacceptable.” In a blog post this afternoon, the company outlined a relatively lax content moderation policy designed to let writers know they won’t be removed from the platform as long as they comply with basic rules.
While it does have a short list of prohibitions, Substack says that “readers and writers are in charge.” The idea is that readers don’t have to pay for or subscribe to writers who they don’t agree with, and writers can leave — and take their mailing lists with them — if they don’t like the platform. “We just disagree with those who would seek to tightly constrain the bounds of acceptable discourse,” the platform’s co-founders wrote today.
Substack argues that it’s nothing like Facebook or Twitter, but it could soon have to grapple with the same thorny moderation problems of big platforms. The service has attracted a number of high profile writers this year, including Glenn Greenwald and Anne Helen Petersen. Pretty much anyone can start a newsletter and start accepting payments on the platform, though, and the service’s increasing prominence could soon lead to an influx of writers who aren’t reviewed or endorsed by the company.
Substack’s approach echoes Reddit’s longtime policies around moderation, which the service has only recently started to change. The platform long held itself up to be a bastion of free speech, allowing users to subscribe to the communities that interested them and ignore ones they didn’t. That led to some troubling groups — like a white supremacist community — to thrive.


theverge--2020-12-22--Sony says it’s already seeing some benefits from WarnerMedia’s big HBO Max bet

Sony Pictures saw a “ bit of a boom ” in interest from Hollywood creatives who want to work with a studio committed to theatrical releases , according to the company ’ s CEO .
The uptick in interest comes just after WarnerMedia announced its 17 movies planned for 2021 will premiere on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters .
For WarnerMedia executives trying to figure out how to bolster subscribers for its new streaming service and release films in an era when the return to theaters is uncertain , the move makes sense .
Plus , WarnerMedia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still committed to theatrical releases , pointing to Tenet ’ s release .
Others in the industry will point to Tenet as a reason for the HBO Max move .
While Sony could sell a title to a streamer — the company sold Tom Hanks ’ Greyhound to Apple earlier this year for $ 70 million — CEO Tony Vinciquerra told CNBC the company remains committed to more traditional releases .
“ The real benefit has been the number of incoming calls from talent to us saying , ‘ We want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re a theatrical distributor and producer , ’ ” Vinciquerra said .
“ That has actually worked very well for us.
” One important reason Vinciquerra can commit to theaters is because Sony Pictures doesn ’ t have a major streaming service .
Therefore , its blockbusters will continue as theatrical exclusives before moving to other platforms ( digital retailers and cable ) .
There are some advantages Sony is finding within the industry ’ s shifting moment .
Executives want a more flexible release period , ideally looking at 30-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movies play in theaters for up to 90 days exclusively .
“ That has actually worked very well for us.
” Like other CEOs , Vinciquerra wants the option to keep a movie in theaters for a shorter period of time if it ’ s not performing as well , while also keeping high grossing movies ( think Spider-Man ) in theaters for as long as possible .
Unlike other executives at companies like Disney and WarnerMedia , however , Vinciquerra also doesn ’ t have to worry about growing a streaming service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in licensing after movies hit the home market ) , giving Sony room to be the studio that actually can commit to keeping its films in theaters .
With WarnerMedia offering people in the US the option to stream at home , and Disney moving some of its titles to Disney Plus exclusively , Sony has more room on the calendar to figure out where to drop its smaller number of blockbusters to generate the most revenue .
Having more freedom within the calendar is especially key in 2021 when there is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Trying to find an emptier weekend to debut a movie — one that might have space to find an audience for weeks — becomes a little easier , and could help with contract negotiations .
“ When we dated [ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ] , I knew a year in advance , because it was the second week of Lion King , that absolutely positively [ Once Upon a Time ] would not open at number one , ” Tom Rothman , Sony Pictures Chairman , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the conversation we had with the filmmakers was , ‘ Even if we get your biggest opening ever , I promise you will not be number one .
But I also promise you it ’ s a great day for the movie.
” None of this means Sony is suddenly going to become the biggest studio in the world , or the only place directors want to work .
As distribution methods change , so do contracts .
When the world does enter a post-pandemic phase , and people venture out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely rule the box office once again .
In 2019 , Disney amassed $ 13.15 billion at the global box office , accounting for more than 50 percent of the marketshare .
Warner Bros. came in second with $ 4.4 billion , and Sony trailed with $ 3.5 billion .
None of this means Sony is going to become the biggest studio in the world What Sony ’ s commitment does mean , however , is the studio has a massive advantage with filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Dune director Denis Villeneuve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s move .
Disney , WarnerMedia and , to an extent , NBCUniversal have to consider their costly and shiny streaming platforms in need of constant new content , while Sony does not .
Netflix has dipped its toe into theatrical releases ( especially for awards consideration ) , but its primary audience is at home .
Amazon Studios has stepped back from theatrical releases in order to focus on Amazon Prime subscribers .
Apple remains a question mark : would the trillion dollar company commit to a 40-day theatrical window if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before moving titles to its Apple TV+ platform ?
Seems like a definite possibility .
Sony is betting on theaters , and talent , to drive its business .
That ’ s not new , but as other companies focus on streaming , it does feel especially notable .

Sony Pictures saw a “bit of a boom” in interest from Hollywood creatives who want to work with a studio committed to theatrical releases, according to the company’s CEO.
The uptick in interest comes just after WarnerMedia announced its 17 movies planned for 2021 will premiere on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters. For WarnerMedia executives trying to figure out how to bolster subscribers for its new streaming service and release films in an era when the return to theaters is uncertain, the move makes sense. Plus, WarnerMedia executives will tell you they’re still committed to theatrical releases, pointing to Tenet’s release. Others in the industry will point to Tenet as a reason for the HBO Max move.
While Sony could sell a title to a streamer — the company sold Tom Hanks’ Greyhound to Apple earlier this year for $70 million — CEO Tony Vinciquerra told CNBC the company remains committed to more traditional releases.
“The real benefit has been the number of incoming calls from talent to us saying, ‘We want to be doing business with you because we know you’re a theatrical distributor and producer,’” Vinciquerra said. “That has actually worked very well for us.”
One important reason Vinciquerra can commit to theaters is because Sony Pictures doesn’t have a major streaming service. Therefore, its blockbusters will continue as theatrical exclusives before moving to other platforms (digital retailers and cable). There are some advantages Sony is finding within the industry’s shifting moment. Executives want a more flexible release period, ideally looking at 30-day exclusivity in theaters. Currently, most movies play in theaters for up to 90 days exclusively.
“That has actually worked very well for us.”
Like other CEOs, Vinciquerra wants the option to keep a movie in theaters for a shorter period of time if it’s not performing as well, while also keeping high grossing movies (think Spider-Man) in theaters for as long as possible. Unlike other executives at companies like Disney and WarnerMedia, however, Vinciquerra also doesn’t have to worry about growing a streaming service (Sony instead sees big financial return in licensing after movies hit the home market), giving Sony room to be the studio that actually can commit to keeping its films in theaters.
With WarnerMedia offering people in the US the option to stream at home, and Disney moving some of its titles to Disney Plus exclusively, Sony has more room on the calendar to figure out where to drop its smaller number of blockbusters to generate the most revenue. Having more freedom within the calendar is especially key in 2021 when there is, currently, a blockbuster scheduled practically every week. Trying to find an emptier weekend to debut a movie — one that might have space to find an audience for weeks — becomes a little easier, and could help with contract negotiations.
“When we dated [Once Upon a Time in Hollywood], I knew a year in advance, because it was the second week of Lion King, that absolutely positively [Once Upon a Time] would not open at number one,” Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Chairman, told The Hollywood Reporter in late 2019. “And the conversation we had with the filmmakers was, ‘Even if we get your biggest opening ever, I promise you will not be number one. But I also promise you it’s a great day for the movie.”
None of this means Sony is suddenly going to become the biggest studio in the world, or the only place directors want to work. As distribution methods change, so do contracts. When the world does enter a post-pandemic phase, and people venture out to watch movies, Disney and Warner Bros. will likely rule the box office once again. In 2019, Disney amassed $13.15 billion at the global box office, accounting for more than 50 percent of the marketshare. Warner Bros. came in second with $4.4 billion, and Sony trailed with $3.5 billion.
None of this means Sony is going to become the biggest studio in the world
What Sony’s commitment does mean, however, is the studio has a massive advantage with filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Dune director Denis Villeneuve, both of whom publicly decried WarnerMedia’s move. Disney, WarnerMedia and, to an extent, NBCUniversal have to consider their costly and shiny streaming platforms in need of constant new content, while Sony does not.
Netflix has dipped its toe into theatrical releases (especially for awards consideration), but its primary audience is at home. Amazon Studios has stepped back from theatrical releases in order to focus on Amazon Prime subscribers. Apple remains a question mark: would the trillion dollar company commit to a 40-day theatrical window if it meant working with top talent, before moving titles to its Apple TV+ platform? Seems like a definite possibility.
Sony is betting on theaters, and talent, to drive its business. That’s not new, but as other companies focus on streaming, it does feel especially notable.


theverge--2020-12-22--A OnePlus smartwatch is finally coming in 2021

OnePlus will finally be making a smartwatch in 2021 , CEO Pete Lau has announced on Twitter , marking the first foray into wearable devices for the smartphone company .
There ’ s not many details yet on the upcoming device , including what smartwatch OS it ’ ll run , a price , or even a firm release date — Lau only notes that it ’ ll be “ released early next year.
” The idea of a OnePlus smartwatch isn ’ t a new one ; the company had reportedly designed a Wear OS ( then still called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
OnePlus ultimately nixed that product , though ” “ We had completed the design but we still decided to scrap it , ” Lau said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal .
“ We have to be focused.
” OnePlus has started to branch out beyond phones in recent years , though : in addition to its high-end smartphone lineup each year , the company now makes an array of headphones , a budget line of Nord phones , and even smart TVs .
The launch of a OnePlus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company — also comes hot on the heels of the release of the Oppo Watch earlier this year , which was similar the first-ever smartwatch that Oppo had made .
Given that there ’ s been no shortage of similarities in the past between Oppo and OnePlus products ( the two companies share an owner , the massive conglomerate BBK Electronics ) , it ’ s possible that the upcoming OnePlus watch may take some cues from the existing Oppo Watch .

OnePlus will finally be making a smartwatch in 2021, CEO Pete Lau has announced on Twitter, marking the first foray into wearable devices for the smartphone company. There’s not many details yet on the upcoming device, including what smartwatch OS it’ll run, a price, or even a firm release date — Lau only notes that it’ll be “released early next year.”
The idea of a OnePlus smartwatch isn’t a new one; the company had reportedly designed a Wear OS (then still called Android Wear) smartwatch a few years ago. OnePlus ultimately nixed that product, though” “We had completed the design but we still decided to scrap it,” Lau said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “We have to be focused.”


theverge--2020-12-23--Five easy ways for Elon Musk to combine his companies into a superconglomerate

Elon Musk thinks it ’ s a “ good idea ” to create a holding company above Tesla , SpaceX , Neuralink , and The Boring Company — at least , that ’ s what the billionaire CEO said in response to the idea on Twitter .
Such a holding company could be simply known as “ X , ” longtime Tesla shareholder Dave Lee suggested , in a nod to Musk ’ s ownership of “ X.com ” from his PayPal days .
Musk notoriously entertains changes , big and small , to his companies in Twitter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested one so large ( and largely baseless ) — taking Tesla private using “ funding secured ” from Saudi Arabia — that he wound up in court .
It was only five years ago that Google surprise-announced a similar shakeup But the idea here isn ’ t so far outside the realm of possibility .
It was only five years ago that Google surprise-announced a similar shakeup , creating the Alphabet holding company and splitting some of its bigger and bolder projects out into their own ventures alongside the search giant but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Musk is entertaining something similar after thumbing through Twitter , let ’ s have a think on what that would even look like .
The most straightforward way for Musk to create X could be to roughly follow that Alphabet model .
The big difference is SpaceX , Neuralink , and The Boring Company are all separate entities that exist outside of Tesla , the only publicly-traded business of the bunch .
Let ’ s start with Tesla , since that ’ s where most of the action will have to take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push-y way Alphabet deal was structured : Google created a wholly-owned subsidiary called Alphabet .
It created another new wholly-owned subsidiary underneath Alphabet called “ Maple Technologies.
” It then merged Maple and Google to create a new version of Google that was , you got it , wholly owned by Alphabet .
In other words , Google basically said “ sit tight while we change things up , and when we ’ re done you ’ ll now own a slice of Alphabet worth the same amount.
” The same could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsidiary called “ X , ” create a merger entity underneath that , and then combine the merger entity with Tesla .
Tesla shareholders transform into equivalent shareholders of X , deal done .
The trouble would more likely be philosophical Well , not so fast .
X would then have to bring the other three private companies into the fold .
Instead of being able to just shuffle them around , like Google did with businesses like Nest , or Calico , X would probably have to acquire SpaceX , Neuralink , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be too difficult since Musk is the majority owner of those companies .
The trouble would more likely be philosophical .
Tesla ’ s stock price is currently very high because a lot of people believe in the company .
But how would people perceive the value of X stock if it includes these other operations ?
Would X stock be subject to the fewer dramatic swings since the company ’ s value would be less dependent on Tesla ’ s performance ?
Things of that nature .
Combining the four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell his futurist vision ( making humanity run on sustainable energy , settling other worlds , etc. )
.
More boringly , it could help him consolidate the various companies ’ financial or human resources departments , which was a benefit Google sought with Alphabet .
Okay now let ’ s get weird .
What really doesn ’ t gel about going the Alphabet route is Musk ... kind of despises that Tesla is a public company .
Here ’ s what Musk wrote when he tried to take Tesla private back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much better place financially now , so it doesn ’ t have to worry so much about the second and third point there .
But the overall message still tracks .
Musk would rather manage his businesses with fewer prying eyes .
Would he really expose SpaceX , Neuralink , and The Boring Company to the same kinds of pressures by folding them into a public holding company ?
Probably not , so how do you solve that ?
Tesla is the only public company of the three currently , so ... take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s run the whole funding secured experiment all over again , but forget trying to sell it off to Saudi Arabia , or Apple .
Let ’ s get weirder .
Seems like the least Ellison could do Musk is now the second-richest man in the world , currently worth around $ 140 billion .
He probably can ’ t come up with all the money it would take to buy out Tesla at its current valuation north of $ 600 billion — especially since half his shares in Tesla are already pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board has limited him to borrowing just 25 percent of the value of any additional shares .
It ’ s also unclear how much of his SpaceX shares are pledged as collateral .
But using his ownership in all four companies as the basis for loans , one could see him taking a fair-sized bite out of that $ 600 billion price tag .
He would need still some serious partners to join him in buying out Tesla .
Perhaps billionaire and Tesla board member Larry Ellison ?
Seems like the least Ellison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fold following the funding secured debacle , and turned what was a modest investment into what is now many billions of dollars .
Musk does seem to love Tesla ’ s most loyal shareholders , to the point that he tried to promise that they would still own part of the company during the failed go-private transaction in 2018 — an idea that confused experts — so maybe he could find a way for them to be involved , too .
Whatever consortium Musk draws up could just stand in for X @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other companies into the fold .
Musk creates one of the special purpose acquisition companies , or SPACs , that have been oh-so-hot this year and calls it X .
He kicks it off with a lot of his own money ( likely from leveraged Tesla and SpaceX shares ) and the stock price immediately soars once it starts trading , because a ) it ’ s a SPAC and that ’ s just how things work now , apparently , b ) its existence as a vehicle for brute force capitalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s Elon Musk .
SPAC X becomes a blank check behemoth , he uses it to buy Tesla and the other companies , Unsatisfied with merely theorizing what the laws should be on Mars , Musk establishes the first Mars Stock Exchange .
He models it after terrestrial stock exchanges , but with tweaks to reduce some of his least-favorite aspects ( like quarterly reporting rules or that pesky Securities and Exchange Commission ) .
Nobody is quite sure if it ’ s legal , or “ real , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t exactly go long on financial regulation now , did it ?
Musk reveals he ’ s bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto , sells all his coins , and buys Tesla .
As you can see , Musk has a few options if he really wants to create the kind of world-beating conglomerate that only shows up in the movies .
It may be a long shot , but that ’ s sort of his whole thing .
No wonder he thinks it ’ s a good idea .

Elon Musk thinks it’s a “good idea” to create a holding company above Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company — at least, that’s what the billionaire CEO said in response to the idea on Twitter. Such a holding company could be simply known as “X,” longtime Tesla shareholder Dave Lee suggested, in a nod to Musk’s ownership of “X.com” from his PayPal days.
Musk notoriously entertains changes, big and small, to his companies in Twitter’s public square. In 2018 he even suggested one so large (and largely baseless) — taking Tesla private using “funding secured” from Saudi Arabia — that he wound up in court.
It was only five years ago that Google surprise-announced a similar shakeup
But the idea here isn’t so far outside the realm of possibility. It was only five years ago that Google surprise-announced a similar shakeup, creating the Alphabet holding company and splitting some of its bigger and bolder projects out into their own ventures alongside the search giant but still under that new umbrella.
If Musk is entertaining something similar after thumbing through Twitter, let’s have a think on what that would even look like.
Repeating Alphabet
The most straightforward way for Musk to create X could be to roughly follow that Alphabet model. The big difference is SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company are all separate entities that exist outside of Tesla, the only publicly-traded business of the bunch. Let’s start with Tesla, since that’s where most of the action will have to take place.
Here’s the hilariously paper push-y way Alphabet deal was structured: Google created a wholly-owned subsidiary called Alphabet. It created another new wholly-owned subsidiary underneath Alphabet called “Maple Technologies.” It then merged Maple and Google to create a new version of Google that was, you got it, wholly owned by Alphabet.
Easy, right?
As for Google stockholders:
Each share of each class of Google stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Alphabet Merger will automatically convert into an equivalent corresponding share of Alphabet stock, having the same designations, rights, powers and preferences and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions as the corresponding share of Google stock being converted. Accordingly, upon consummation of the Alphabet Merger, Google’s current stockholders will become stockholders of Alphabet. The stockholders of Google will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the conversion of their shares in the Alphabet Merger.
In other words, Google basically said “sit tight while we change things up, and when we’re done you’ll now own a slice of Alphabet worth the same amount.”
The same could be done with Tesla. Create a Tesla subsidiary called “X,” create a merger entity underneath that, and then combine the merger entity with Tesla. Tesla shareholders transform into equivalent shareholders of X, deal done.
The trouble would more likely be philosophical
Well, not so fast. X would then have to bring the other three private companies into the fold. Instead of being able to just shuffle them around, like Google did with businesses like Nest, or Calico, X would probably have to acquire SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
That shouldn’t be too difficult since Musk is the majority owner of those companies. The trouble would more likely be philosophical. Tesla’s stock price is currently very high because a lot of people believe in the company. But how would people perceive the value of X stock if it includes these other operations? Would X stock be subject to the fewer dramatic swings since the company’s value would be less dependent on Tesla’s performance? Things of that nature.
Combining the four companies under X could help Musk further sell his futurist vision (making humanity run on sustainable energy, settling other worlds, etc.). More boringly, it could help him consolidate the various companies’ financial or human resources departments, which was a benefit Google sought with Alphabet.
Okay now let’s get weird.
Musk buys Tesla
What really doesn’t gel about going the Alphabet route is Musk... kind of despises that Tesla is a public company. Here’s what Musk wrote when he tried to take Tesla private back in 2018:
As a public company, we are subject to wild swings in our stock price that can be a major distraction for everyone working at Tesla, all of whom are shareholders. Being public also subjects us to the quarterly earnings cycle that puts enormous pressure on Tesla to make decisions that may be right for a given quarter, but not necessarily right for the long-term. Finally, as the most shorted stock in the history of the stock market, being public means that there are large numbers of people who have the incentive to attack the company.
Tesla’s in a much better place financially now, so it doesn’t have to worry so much about the second and third point there. But the overall message still tracks. Musk would rather manage his businesses with fewer prying eyes. Would he really expose SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company to the same kinds of pressures by folding them into a public holding company?
Probably not, so how do you solve that?
Tesla is the only public company of the three currently, so... take it private. Yep. Let’s run the whole funding secured experiment all over again, but forget trying to sell it off to Saudi Arabia, or Apple. Let’s get weirder.
Seems like the least Ellison could do
Musk is now the second-richest man in the world, currently worth around $140 billion. He probably can’t come up with all the money it would take to buy out Tesla at its current valuation north of $600 billion — especially since half his shares in Tesla are already pledged as collateral and the company’s board has limited him to borrowing just 25 percent of the value of any additional shares. It’s also unclear how much of his SpaceX shares are pledged as collateral. But using his ownership in all four companies as the basis for loans, one could see him taking a fair-sized bite out of that $600 billion price tag.
He would need still some serious partners to join him in buying out Tesla. Perhaps billionaire and Tesla board member Larry Ellison? Seems like the least Ellison could do after Musk brought him into the fold following the funding secured debacle, and turned what was a modest investment into what is now many billions of dollars.
Musk does seem to love Tesla’s most loyal shareholders, to the point that he tried to promise that they would still own part of the company during the failed go-private transaction in 2018 — an idea that confused experts — so maybe he could find a way for them to be involved, too. Whatever consortium Musk draws up could just stand in for X, acquire Tesla, and then bring the other companies into the fold.
SPAC X
Musk creates one of the special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, that have been oh-so-hot this year and calls it X. He kicks it off with a lot of his own money (likely from leveraged Tesla and SpaceX shares) and the stock price immediately soars once it starts trading, because a) it’s a SPAC and that’s just how things work now, apparently, b) its existence as a vehicle for brute force capitalism excites the masses, and c) it’s Elon Musk. SPAC X becomes a blank check behemoth, he uses it to buy Tesla and the other companies,
Mars Street
Unsatisfied with merely theorizing what the laws should be on Mars, Musk establishes the first Mars Stock Exchange. He models it after terrestrial stock exchanges, but with tweaks to reduce some of his least-favorite aspects (like quarterly reporting rules or that pesky Securities and Exchange Commission). Nobody is quite sure if it’s legal, or “real,” but then again the Outer Space Treaty didn’t exactly go long on financial regulation now, did it?
Bitcoin
Musk reveals he’s bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, sells all his coins, and buys Tesla.


theverge--2020-12-23--Nuro can now charge for robot deliveries in California

Nuro is now the first company in California that ’ s allowed to operate autonomous cars commercially ( via TechCrunch ) .
The company received a permit that allowed it to test its robots earlier this year , but this permit will allow the firm to actually charge people for the service .
According to a Medium post by Nuro ’ s chief legal and policy officer , the company is planning to “ announce [ its ] first deployment in California with an established partner.
” Who that partner is remains to be seen , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make use of Nuro ’ s completely driverless Prius vehicles , though the company plans on ( literally ) rolling out its own custom R2 bots later on .
The permit , issued by the California DMV , only allows the company to operate its delivery service in parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties , which would mean most of the Silicon Valley and its tech workers would be within its domain , but not San Francisco or Oakland .
There are some additional restrictions as well — the vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a speed limit of 35 miles an hour ( and the bots are only allowed to go 25 mph ) , so don ’ t expect to see an driverless Prius zipping along the freeway to make a delivery anytime soon .
The vehicles are also only allowed to drive in “ fair weather conditions.
” The company was founded by two ex-Google engineers , and was , ironically , the only company besides Google ’ s Waymo to get a California permit allowing it to test driverless cars .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the punch in getting the ability to make a business out of it in the state .
It ’ s a different story in Arizona , though , where Waymo is running a paid ride service with its driverless cars .

Nuro is now the first company in California that’s allowed to operate autonomous cars commercially (via TechCrunch). The company received a permit that allowed it to test its robots earlier this year, but this permit will allow the firm to actually charge people for the service.
According to a Medium post by Nuro’s chief legal and policy officer, the company is planning to “announce [its] first deployment in California with an established partner.” Who that partner is remains to be seen, but it’s likely to be a delivery service that can make use of Nuro’s completely driverless Prius vehicles, though the company plans on (literally) rolling out its own custom R2 bots later on.
The permit, issued by the California DMV, only allows the company to operate its delivery service in parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, which would mean most of the Silicon Valley and its tech workers would be within its domain, but not San Francisco or Oakland.
There are some additional restrictions as well — the vehicles will only be allowed on surface streets with a speed limit of 35 miles an hour (and the bots are only allowed to go 25 mph), so don’t expect to see an driverless Prius zipping along the freeway to make a delivery anytime soon. The vehicles are also only allowed to drive in “fair weather conditions.”


theverge--2020-12-23--The Queen’s Gambit Funko Pops immortalize the show in plastic

In what will hopefully be the last surprise of 2020 , Netflix ’ s The Queen ’ s Gambit is getting its own set of Pop !
Vinyl figurines from Funko .
The three figurines will feature Anya Taylor-Joy ’ s main character , Beth Harmon , in a variety of outfits from the show , none of which are chess-related , but all of which are stylish .
Fans can purchase the Pops to own a piece of the show ’ s unique aesthetic , filtered through Funko ’ s dead-eyed one , but the real question is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting Funko Pops ?
If you ’ ll allow me to speculate wildly , maybe The Queen ’ s Gambit is getting a Funko Pop , not because it ’ s a Netflix show that ’ s both critically well-received and popular according to Netflix ’ s own metrics , but rather because “ getting Funko ’ ed ” ( coining that now ) solidifies popular content that can be a little bit transient because of streaming algorithms .
Netflix has been able to maintain an aggressive release schedule during 2020 because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already banked up .
But can you honestly say you remember any of those early hits from February and March , like Tiger King or Love is Blind ?
More broadly , was your media property really popular if it didn ’ t “ get Funko ’ ed ” ?
I ’ d argue no .
And Netflix ’ s other Funko collaborations have immortalized similarly popular streaming mega-hits like Money Heist and Stranger Things , before they got folded into the Netflix soup , only to resurface for new seasons .
Getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a panel at Comic-Con ; it signals a level of fan engagement that warrants capitalizing on , at least monetarily .
A show might fade from interest ( or Netflix ’ s many carousels ) , but plastic junk is forever .
Funko ’ s ability to spin up figurines fast certainly helps in that regard .
Even if Netflix ’ s deal was set before the show was a hit , Funko ’ s fast-fashion approach to manufacturing allows it to get a Pop into production in under two months , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Given the October 23rd premiere date for The Queen ’ s Gambit , the Beth Harmon Pops fall well within Funko ’ s compact production window .
( Another weird thing : these Funko Pops start shipping on April 20th of next year . )
The Queen ’ s Gambit Funko Pop !
is an interesting flex of Funko ’ s manufacturing power , Netflix ’ s development skills , and the weird ways popularity surfaces in culture .
No one will likely be talking about the show 40 years from now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wastelands of California and I find a Beth Harmon Pop in a busted-out suburb , I ’ ll remember , and barter for water accordingly .

In what will hopefully be the last surprise of 2020, Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit is getting its own set of Pop! Vinyl figurines from Funko. The three figurines will feature Anya Taylor-Joy’s main character, Beth Harmon, in a variety of outfits from the show, none of which are chess-related, but all of which are stylish. Fans can purchase the Pops to own a piece of the show’s unique aesthetic, filtered through Funko’s dead-eyed one, but the real question is, why is The Queen’s Gambit getting Funko Pops?
If you’ll allow me to speculate wildly, maybe The Queen’s Gambit is getting a Funko Pop, not because it’s a Netflix show that’s both critically well-received and popular according to Netflix’s own metrics, but rather because “getting Funko’ed” (coining that now) solidifies popular content that can be a little bit transient because of streaming algorithms.
Netflix has been able to maintain an aggressive release schedule during 2020 because of how many shows and movies it had already banked up. But can you honestly say you remember any of those early hits from February and March, like Tiger King or Love is Blind?
More broadly, was your media property really popular if it didn’t “get Funko’ed”? I’d argue no. And Netflix’s other Funko collaborations have immortalized similarly popular streaming mega-hits like Money Heist and Stranger Things, before they got folded into the Netflix soup, only to resurface for new seasons.
Getting Funko’ed is almost like getting a panel at Comic-Con; it signals a level of fan engagement that warrants capitalizing on, at least monetarily. A show might fade from interest (or Netflix’s many carousels), but plastic junk is forever.
Funko’s ability to spin up figurines fast certainly helps in that regard. Even if Netflix’s deal was set before the show was a hit, Funko’s fast-fashion approach to manufacturing allows it to get a Pop into production in under two months, according to a report from The Goods. Given the October 23rd premiere date for The Queen’s Gambit, the Beth Harmon Pops fall well within Funko’s compact production window. (Another weird thing: these Funko Pops start shipping on April 20th of next year.)


theverge--2020-12-23--Verge readers can get two years of PlayStation Plus for only $58

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
If you own a PS4 or PS5 and need to renew your PlayStation Plus membership soon , Eneba has an incredible deal on its website right now : Verge readers can get two one-year PlayStation Plus subscriptions for only $ 58 by entering offer code VERGEPLUS at checkout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally , one year of PlayStation Plus retails for $ 60 .
So if you are looking to stock up on this subscription for a couple of years or want to keep one and gift the other , take advantage of this deal — it will likely sell out quickly .
PlayStation Plus is a paid online subscription service that comes with a ton of perks for members , including occasional discounts during PlayStation Store sales and free games that switch up usually on a monthly cadence , among other things .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PS4 and the PS5 .
If you have a PS5 , you get an additional perk : access to the PlayStation Plus Collection , a digital collection of “ generation-defining ” first- and third-party titles that were originally released for the PS4 , such as Bloodborne , God of War , Persona 5 , and Uncharted 4 : A Thief ’ s End .

If you own a PS4 or PS5 and need to renew your PlayStation Plus membership soon, Eneba has an incredible deal on its website right now: Verge readers can get two one-year PlayStation Plus subscriptions for only $58 by entering offer code VERGEPLUS at checkout. This is a real bargain — normally, one year of PlayStation Plus retails for $60. So if you are looking to stock up on this subscription for a couple of years or want to keep one and gift the other, take advantage of this deal — it will likely sell out quickly.


theverge--2020-12-23--Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.06 update is here to reduce your fear of corrupted savegames

Cyberpunk 2077 is still fighting its way through some terrible ( and hilarious ) glitches , but developer CD Projekt Red is killing the nastiest bugs fairly quickly : today ’ s just-released 1.06 hotfix should keep your PC save files from getting irrevocably corrupted if they grow larger than 8MB in size .
Yes , that was actually an issue before today .
On console , the game should also have “ fewer crashes ” due to “ improved memory management and stability , ” and a character named Dum Dum ( who I have not yet personally met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , please do not judge me , I have kids ) will no longer vanish in the middle of a quest .
That ’ s the entire list of changes in this hotfix , so there ’ s not much reason for you to click through to the whole changelog .
On December 13th , the company addressed the controversy around the game ’ s unfinished state by promising “ two large patches ” in January and February to address its terrible performance on PS4 and Xbox One in particular , but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bugs and crashes as fast as it could .
We got a 1.04 patch that addressed epilepsy risks on December 11th , a 1.05 patch on December 18th that squashed loads of bugs , and now this 1.06 patch five days later .
Though the company has offered refunds to disappointed players , it hasn ’ t seemed to affect the game ’ s overall success : Cyberpunk 2077 sold over 13 million copies even counting those refunds , more than making up for its eight-year development budget and marketing campaign .

Cyberpunk 2077 is still fighting its way through some terrible (and hilarious) glitches, but developer CD Projekt Red is killing the nastiest bugs fairly quickly: today’s just-released 1.06 hotfix should keep your PC save files from getting irrevocably corrupted if they grow larger than 8MB in size. Yes, that was actually an issue before today.
On console, the game should also have “fewer crashes” due to “improved memory management and stability,” and a character named Dum Dum (who a Verge commenter points out I apparently shot so quickly I never bothered to learn his name, please do not judge) will no longer vanish in the middle of a quest.
The prompt shown for corrupted saves in Cyberpunk 2077. Image: GOG.com support document
That’s the entire list of changes in this hotfix, so there’s not much reason for you to click through to the whole changelog.
On December 13th, the company addressed the controversy around the game’s unfinished state by promising “two large patches” in January and February to address its terrible performance on PS4 and Xbox One in particular, but also said it would issue updates to fix bugs and crashes as fast as it could. We got a 1.04 patch that addressed epilepsy risks on December 11th, a 1.05 patch on December 18th that squashed loads of bugs, and now this 1.06 patch five days later.