theverge--2020-04-22--Netflix promises subscribers it won’t run out of new content while people are stuck at home

The most pressing issue entertainment companies around the world are facing is what the rest of their year looks like .
Production on sets around the world has completely stopped , movies are being delayed on a weekly basis as theaters remain closed and shelter-in-place orders from government bodies remain .
Some analysts and industry insiders have already called 2020 a total write-off for nearly every company , except one — Netflix .
While Disney , Warner Bros. , Sony , Universal , Paramount , and others continue futzing around with their schedules to try to salvage part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theatrical releases to digital exclusives — Netflix is carrying on as usual .
The company is confident it has enough content to last throughout 2020 without having to move around much of its slate or reduce the speed of its releases .
“ Our 2020 slate of series and films are largely shot , ” Ted Sarandos , the company ’ s chief content officer , told analysts during the company ’ s quarterly earnings call yesterday , “ and are in post-production stages in locations all over the world .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 slate .
We don ’ t anticipate moving the schedule around much , and certainly not in 2020.
” How is it that Netflix can have so much content ready to go compared to other traditional TV networks and studios ?
As Sarandos reiterated on the call , Netflix works much differently from the rest of the industry .
Since full seasons of shows drop at once , Netflix shoots pretty far in advance .
As it stands right now , there are more than 200 projects being worked on remotely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been shot , animated series , movies , and an assortment of other titles that Netflix has planned for the next 12 months or so .
“ Our 2020 slate of series and films are largely shot ” The Crown ’ s highly anticipated fourth season is in finishing stages , for example , and is planned to release later this year .
Steve Nason , research director at Parks Associates , told The Verge that while everyone is trying to figure out its original content strategy over the next nine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only streamers that can release new titles as fast and consistently as they currently do .
Even with the increased competition coming in from Disney Plus , and new entrants like NBCUniversal ’ s Peacock and WarnerMedia ’ s HBO Max , “ none have the original lineup that Netflix does right now , ” Nason said .
Netflix is in a particularly good position on both the TV and film side .
Unlike Disney , Universal , Paramount , Sony , and Warner Bros. , Netflix doesn ’ t release its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to worry about theaters being closed , ongoing deals with the National Association of Theater Owners ( the other NATO ) , or consumer behavior changes that could impact how many people go to theaters even when cinemas reopen .
Even if theaters do reopen in 2020 , studios might move their biggest films to 2021 as audiences might not be willing to go and sit in theaters together right away , even if they ’ re allowed to .
As Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told investors on the same call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a bigger part of people ’ s lives — thankfully.
” At the same time that aforementioned studios are looking at a possibly empty rest of the year in theaters , Netflix suddenly has room to completely dominate the year ’ s movie releases .
Some studios are moving titles from theatrical releases to digital releases ( Disney ’ s Artemis Fowl is now a Disney Plus exclusive and Scoob will be available digitally before moving to HBO Max ) , but for the most part , studios are relying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the other hand , can meet people ’ s demands for new movies the way they ’ ve always gotten new movies on Netflix : at home .
In fact , Netflix plans to release even more original content in 2020 than it did in 2019 — and that doesn ’ t include additional licensed content that Netflix might acquire .
Netflix can help its competitors offload movies that were originally going to run in theaters .
It ’ s beneficial for both parties ; Netflix can continue to release new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and studios can earn a profit by selling above cost .
It ’ s already something that ’ s starting to happen : Netflix recently acquired The Lovebirds from Paramount and Legendary Pictures ’ Enola Holmes .
The company is also raising $ 1 billion for content development , including using some of the cash raised for more acquisitions , according to Reuters .
That ’ s not to say that Netflix isn ’ t also facing some uncertainties about its future that could impact new content planned for 2021 and beyond .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shareholders that no one “ knows how long it will be until we can safely restart physical production in various countries , ” including the United States , and specifically Los Angeles , where shelter-in-place mandates are being used .
Even when production comes back up , the company says it can ’ t predict “ what international travel will be possible , and how negotiations for various resources ( e.g.
, talent , stages and post-production ) will play out , ” according to the letter .
Right now , Netflix is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea and Iceland — and the goal is to use tools they ’ ve learned on those sets in other countries when production can continue .
But what is clear for now is that Netflix is still ahead of its biggest competitors and is even about to help those competitors out by providing a distribution platform for their stranded feature films .
With 15 million new subscribers — and more than 180 million globally — looking to be entertained , Netflix has become the place that people go for regularly new content .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to do that for as long as possible , by any means necessary .

The most pressing issue entertainment companies around the world are facing is what the rest of their year looks like. Production on sets around the world has completely stopped, movies are being delayed on a weekly basis as theaters remain closed and shelter-in-place orders from government bodies remain. Some analysts and industry insiders have already called 2020 a total write-off for nearly every company, except one — Netflix.
While Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, Paramount, and others continue futzing around with their schedules to try to salvage part of the year — even moving certain titles from theatrical releases to digital exclusives — Netflix is carrying on as usual. The company is confident it has enough content to last throughout 2020 without having to move around much of its slate or reduce the speed of its releases.
“Our 2020 slate of series and films are largely shot,” Ted Sarandos, the company’s chief content officer, told analysts during the company’s quarterly earnings call yesterday, “and are in post-production stages in locations all over the world. And we’re actually pretty deep into our 2021 slate. We don’t anticipate moving the schedule around much, and certainly not in 2020.”
How is it that Netflix can have so much content ready to go compared to other traditional TV networks and studios? As Sarandos reiterated on the call, Netflix works much differently from the rest of the industry. Since full seasons of shows drop at once, Netflix shoots pretty far in advance. As it stands right now, there are more than 200 projects being worked on remotely. That includes scripted programming that’s already been shot, animated series, movies, and an assortment of other titles that Netflix has planned for the next 12 months or so.
“Our 2020 slate of series and films are largely shot”
The Crown’s highly anticipated fourth season is in finishing stages, for example, and is planned to release later this year. Steve Nason, research director at Parks Associates, told The Verge that while everyone is trying to figure out its original content strategy over the next nine to 12 months, Netflix is one of the only streamers that can release new titles as fast and consistently as they currently do. Even with the increased competition coming in from Disney Plus, and new entrants like NBCUniversal’s Peacock and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, “none have the original lineup that Netflix does right now,” Nason said.
Netflix is in a particularly good position on both the TV and film side. Unlike Disney, Universal, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros., Netflix doesn’t release its films into theaters. It doesn’t have to worry about theaters being closed, ongoing deals with the National Association of Theater Owners (the other NATO), or consumer behavior changes that could impact how many people go to theaters even when cinemas reopen. Even if theaters do reopen in 2020, studios might move their biggest films to 2021 as audiences might not be willing to go and sit in theaters together right away, even if they’re allowed to.
As Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told investors on the same call, “The internet is growing, it’s a bigger part of people’s lives — thankfully.” At the same time that aforementioned studios are looking at a possibly empty rest of the year in theaters, Netflix suddenly has room to completely dominate the year’s movie releases. Some studios are moving titles from theatrical releases to digital releases (Disney’s Artemis Fowl is now a Disney Plus exclusive and Scoob will be available digitally before moving to HBO Max), but for the most part, studios are relying on delays, not pivots. Netflix, on the other hand, can meet people’s demands for new movies the way they’ve always gotten new movies on Netflix: at home.
“The internet is growing, it’s a bigger part of people’s lives — thankfully”
In fact, Netflix plans to release even more original content in 2020 than it did in 2019 — and that doesn’t include additional licensed content that Netflix might acquire. Netflix can help its competitors offload movies that were originally going to run in theaters. It’s beneficial for both parties; Netflix can continue to release new films to satiate subscribers’ appetites, and studios can earn a profit by selling above cost. It’s already something that’s starting to happen: Netflix recently acquired The Lovebirds from Paramount and Legendary Pictures’ Enola Holmes. The company is also raising $1 billion for content development, including using some of the cash raised for more acquisitions, according to Reuters.
That’s not to say that Netflix isn’t also facing some uncertainties about its future that could impact new content planned for 2021 and beyond. The company reiterated in a letter to shareholders that no one “knows how long it will be until we can safely restart physical production in various countries,” including the United States, and specifically Los Angeles, where shelter-in-place mandates are being used.
Even when production comes back up, the company says it can’t predict “what international travel will be possible, and how negotiations for various resources (e.g., talent, stages and post-production) will play out,” according to the letter. Right now, Netflix is only filming in two countries — South Korea and Iceland — and the goal is to use tools they’ve learned on those sets in other countries when production can continue.


theverge--2020-04-23--Apple will reportedly use 12-core 5nm ARM processor in a 2021 Mac

Apple will release its first Mac powered by an ARM processor in 2021 , Bloomberg reports .
The company is thought to have three Mac processors in development as part of its Kalamata project , which are all based on the A14 chip that ’ s due to be used in this year ’ s flagship iPhone lineup .
According to Bloomberg , the first of these processors will include a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance “ Firestorm ” cores and at least four energy-efficient “ Icestorm ” cores .
Apple has long been rumored to be developing its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chips it currently uses in its Macs .
Rumors of the switch date back to at least 2012 , and since then , we ’ ve heard multiple rumors that Apple could release its first ARM-powered Mac in 2020 or 2021 .
Although this latest report corroborates a recent report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that suggested an ARM Mac could come in 2021 , there ’ s a chance the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could force Apple to delay its plans .
The switch would give Apple much more control over its own hardware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to offer significant performance increases with each new generation of hardware .
Current ARM processors are also often more power-efficient , which helps with battery life .
Switching to ARM is expected to let Apple reduce its processor costs by 40 to 60 percent .
Bloomberg ’ s report offers a lot of technical details on the form Apple ’ s chips could take : • Three Mac System-on-Chip ( SoC ) designs based on the A14 processor are currently in development , and work has also started on a Mac SoC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processor .
Bloomberg speculates that Apple is planning to keep both its laptop and mobile chips on the same development cycle .
• The Mac chips will reportedly be manufactured by TSMC based on a 5nm fabrication process .
• The first of these chips will feature eight high-performance CPU cores and at least four energy-efficient cores , for 12 cores in total .
The A12Z chip used in the current iPad Pro has eight cores : four high performance and four energy efficient .
• As well as a CPU , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • ARM Mac computers will continue to run macOS rather than switching to iOS , similar to the approach taken with existing Windows laptops that use Qualcomm ARM processors .
• Bloomberg speculates that Apple ’ s first ARM-based machines will be lower-powered MacBooks because its own chips won ’ t be able to match Intel ’ s performance in its higher-end MacBook Pros , iMacs , and Mac Pro computers .
• Back in 2018 , Apple reportedly developed a prototype Mac chip based on that year ’ s iPad Pro A12X @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is thought to have given the company the confidence to target a transition as early as 2020 .
The big question is how well the first- and third-party macOS software will run on the new hardware architecture since software compatibility has been a pain point for Windows laptops running on ARM .
Regardless , the shift will be the biggest change for the MacBook lineup since it announced a switch to Intel ’ s processors back in 2005 .

Apple will release its first Mac powered by an ARM processor in 2021, Bloomberg reports. The company is thought to have three Mac processors in development as part of its Kalamata project, which are all based on the A14 chip that’s due to be used in this year’s flagship iPhone lineup. According to Bloomberg, the first of these processors will include a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance “Firestorm” cores and at least four energy-efficient “Icestorm” cores.
Apple has long been rumored to be developing its own in-house ARM processors to replace the Intel chips it currently uses in its Macs. Rumors of the switch date back to at least 2012, and since then, we’ve heard multiple rumors that Apple could release its first ARM-powered Mac in 2020 or 2021. Although this latest report corroborates a recent report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that suggested an ARM Mac could come in 2021, there’s a chance the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could force Apple to delay its plans.
The switch would give Apple much more control over its own hardware at a time when Intel has been struggling to offer significant performance increases with each new generation of hardware. Current ARM processors are also often more power-efficient, which helps with battery life. Switching to ARM is expected to let Apple reduce its processor costs by 40 to 60 percent.
Bloomberg’s report offers a lot of technical details on the form Apple’s chips could take:
Three Mac System-on-Chip (SoC) designs based on the A14 processor are currently in development, and work has also started on a Mac SoC based on next year’s iPhone processor. Bloomberg speculates that Apple is planning to keep both its laptop and mobile chips on the same development cycle.
The Mac chips will reportedly be manufactured by TSMC based on a 5nm fabrication process.
The first of these chips will feature eight high-performance CPU cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, for 12 cores in total. The A12Z chip used in the current iPad Pro has eight cores: four high performance and four energy efficient.
As well as a CPU, the SoC will also include a GPU.
ARM Mac computers will continue to run macOS rather than switching to iOS, similar to the approach taken with existing Windows laptops that use Qualcomm ARM processors.
Bloomberg speculates that Apple’s first ARM-based machines will be lower-powered MacBooks because its own chips won’t be able to match Intel’s performance in its higher-end MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pro computers.
Back in 2018, Apple reportedly developed a prototype Mac chip based on that year’s iPad Pro A12X processor. The success of this prototype is thought to have given the company the confidence to target a transition as early as 2020.


theverge--2020-04-23--Logitech’s Combo Touch is the Magic Keyboard for everyone else

The $ 149 Logitech Combo Touch is the case I ’ ve spent years waiting for — well , not this exact case , but the idea of a combination keyboard and touchpad that might turn my iPad into a laptop replacement .
If you ’ ve been intrigued by Apple ’ s new Magic Keyboard for the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro but own a different iPad model , Logitech is here for you .
Logitech sells two versions of the Combo Touch : one fitting the base 10.2-inch iPad and another for the third-generation ( 2019 ) Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been using the version for the iPad Pro for this review .
The first thing I noticed about this case is its size : it ’ s thick .
The overall footprint of the iPad doesn ’ t change much with the case on , but the whole thing when closed is 0.85 inches ( or 0.89 inches for the 10.2-inch version ) , which is thicker than a closed MacBook Pro .
It also looks a little juvenile , like a case you ’ d find on a fleet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed for my iPad Professional .
Logitech managed to keep the weight relatively down at 1.34 pounds for the case ( 2.37 pounds including my iPad Pro ) .
For reference , the new MacBook Air weighs 2.8 pounds .
If I could choose between the two , having a lighter case is more noticeable than the added thickness Removing the iPad from the case is not too difficult , but it will require a little force to pull it out of the heavy rubber corners .
It ’ s clear the design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case all the time and just deal with the added bulk on the iPad , with the benefit of having some drop protection .
The case is wrapped in a textured gray finish with thick rubber bezels that surround the iPad .
There are wide cutouts for the Lightning port , microphones , and headphone jack , plus cutouts for the two additional speakers on the Pro .
The volume and power buttons are covered by the rubber surrounding and require a decent amount of force to register a click .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side that holds the Apple Pencil snugly in place .
Logitech says its Crayon stylus will fit there as well .
If you remove the keyboard , the iPad lays flat on a table , which is great if you draw or handwrite notes .
It doesn ’ t feel clumsy to use without the keyboard attached , and the hinge is still accessible to watch movies or video chat .
The left side of the iPad will be exposed , but the rubber bezels are thick enough to keep the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is nowhere to put the keyboard when it ’ s not in use .
It doesn ’ t fold backward or magnetically attach to the back of the iPad .
It ’ s not a huge issue , but it seems odd to have the keyboard just laying around if you want to use the iPad like an iPad .
When you do use the keyboard , it magnetically snaps into place and starts working immediately .
There ’ s no Bluetooth pairing , power buttons , or charging .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s use of the Smart Connector built into the side of the iPad .
The Microsoft Surface-style kickstand offers a 40-degree range ( 120 to 160 degrees ) of tilt , which is more than I ’ d ever need .
The hinge is free-flowing , too ; there are no hard stopping points .
There ’ s some wobble in the hinge when you adjust it , but it never sagged or moved on its own .
Similar to the Microsoft Surface , the case has a long footprint when the hinge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measured about 12 inches for a “ normal ” viewing angle .
Though I haven ’ t been able to test this specifically , using the keyboard on a plane ’ s tray table or small surface is unlikely to work comfortably .
Typing on the keyboard is great .
It ’ s backlit with keys that are well spaced and have 1mm of travel .
It even has a row of function keys for adjusting brightness , volume , and so on , something Apple doesn ’ t provide on its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a traditional keyboard , with each key slightly shrunk down , but after a few minutes of typing , I was able to adjust .
There ’ s a companion app for controlling the duration and fade of the keyboard backlighting , which is clumsy , but not necessary to use if you don ’ t care about adjusting those things .
Your palms rest on the same gray material that surrounds the case .
While it looks like it has a soft finish , it feels more like woven nylon .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even after a few hours of typing , and I ’ d expect this material to hold up well over time .
The sides around the keyboard are tapered , which leads to relatively sharp edges .
If you have larger hands , you might find those sharp edges around the keyboard a bit irritating .
The keyboard deck is very sturdy , which makes the Combo Touch surprisingly easy to use on your lap .
The keyboard lays flat , unlike the Surface keyboard , which is lifted a few degrees and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s enough play in the material between the connector and the keyboard deck to keep the keyboard from disconnecting if you wobble it too hard .
It works fine , but it still feels like a balancing act .
You will have a much better time using this on a table or desk .
If the bulky design and fabric-esque material were signs of a product made by a third party , the trackpad would have you thinking otherwise It ’ s fantastic .
Every move , gesture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brydge case , all of the multifinger navigation gestures Apple introduced in iPadOS 13.4 work as they should on the Combo Touch .
That ’ s likely thanks to Logitech working closely with Apple to develop this product .
My one real gripe about the trackpad is the clicking mechanism .
Like most Windows laptops , only the bottom half clicks , and it tapers off toward the top .
There is an option to use tap to click , but I don ’ t like to use that because I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid accidental taps .
I mostly got used to it , but I ’ m still occasionally jamming my thumb into the top of the trackpad trying to click .
Right now , there are only a handful of cases like the Combo Touch on the market .
The $ 199-and-up Brydge Pro Plus will give you the closest physical resemblance to a laptop , while sacrificing most of the new iPadOS gestures .
Apple ’ s own $ 299-and-up Magic Keyboard forgoes a function row but floats the iPad above your fingers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these cases is they only support the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro .
If you have an older iPad or one of the lower-cost models , the Combo Touch is basically the only game in town .
Fortunately , it ’ s very competent , with only a handful of drawbacks .
At $ 150 , it ’ s not cheap , especially if you ’ re pairing it with the base $ 329 iPad .
But if you ’ re looking to use your iPad as a laptop , it gets the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

The $149 Logitech Combo Touch is the case I’ve spent years waiting for — well, not this exact case, but the idea of a combination keyboard and touchpad that might turn my iPad into a laptop replacement. If you’ve been intrigued by Apple’s new Magic Keyboard for the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro but own a different iPad model, Logitech is here for you.
Logitech sells two versions of the Combo Touch: one fitting the base 10.2-inch iPad and another for the third-generation (2019) Air and 10.5-inch (2017) Pro. I’ve been using the version for the iPad Pro for this review.
The first thing I noticed about this case is its size: it’s thick. The overall footprint of the iPad doesn’t change much with the case on, but the whole thing when closed is 0.85 inches (or 0.89 inches for the 10.2-inch version), which is thicker than a closed MacBook Pro. It also looks a little juvenile, like a case you’d find on a fleet of classroom iPads as opposed to something designed for my iPad Professional.
Logitech managed to keep the weight relatively down at 1.34 pounds for the case (2.37 pounds including my iPad Pro). For reference, the new MacBook Air weighs 2.8 pounds.
If I could choose between the two, having a lighter case is more noticeable than the added thickness
Removing the iPad from the case is not too difficult, but it will require a little force to pull it out of the heavy rubber corners. It’s clear the design is meant for you to leave it in the case all the time and just deal with the added bulk on the iPad, with the benefit of having some drop protection.
The case is wrapped in a textured gray finish with thick rubber bezels that surround the iPad. There are wide cutouts for the Lightning port, microphones, and headphone jack, plus cutouts for the two additional speakers on the Pro. The volume and power buttons are covered by the rubber surrounding and require a decent amount of force to register a click. Finally, there’s a loop on the side that holds the Apple Pencil snugly in place. Logitech says its Crayon stylus will fit there as well.
The Combo Touch case has cutouts for the iPad’s speakers and charging port.
If you remove the keyboard, the iPad lays flat on a table, which is great if you draw or handwrite notes. It doesn’t feel clumsy to use without the keyboard attached, and the hinge is still accessible to watch movies or video chat. The left side of the iPad will be exposed, but the rubber bezels are thick enough to keep the side lifted off the surface. Unfortunately, there is nowhere to put the keyboard when it’s not in use. It doesn’t fold backward or magnetically attach to the back of the iPad. It’s not a huge issue, but it seems odd to have the keyboard just laying around if you want to use the iPad like an iPad.
When you do use the keyboard, it magnetically snaps into place and starts working immediately. There’s no Bluetooth pairing, power buttons, or charging. It just works, thanks to Logitech’s use of the Smart Connector built into the side of the iPad. The Microsoft Surface-style kickstand offers a 40-degree range (120 to 160 degrees) of tilt, which is more than I’d ever need. The hinge is free-flowing, too; there are no hard stopping points. There’s some wobble in the hinge when you adjust it, but it never sagged or moved on its own.
Similar to the Microsoft Surface, the case has a long footprint when the hinge and keyboard are in use. I measured about 12 inches for a “normal” viewing angle. Though I haven’t been able to test this specifically, using the keyboard on a plane’s tray table or small surface is unlikely to work comfortably.
Typing on the keyboard is great. It’s backlit with keys that are well spaced and have 1mm of travel. It even has a row of function keys for adjusting brightness, volume, and so on, something Apple doesn’t provide on its own keyboards. The layout is smaller than a traditional keyboard, with each key slightly shrunk down, but after a few minutes of typing, I was able to adjust. There’s a companion app for controlling the duration and fade of the keyboard backlighting, which is clumsy, but not necessary to use if you don’t care about adjusting those things.
Your palms rest on the same gray material that surrounds the case. While it looks like it has a soft finish, it feels more like woven nylon. I didn’t find it uncomfortable, even after a few hours of typing, and I’d expect this material to hold up well over time. The sides around the keyboard are tapered, which leads to relatively sharp edges. If you have larger hands, you might find those sharp edges around the keyboard a bit irritating.
The keyboard deck is very sturdy, which makes the Combo Touch surprisingly easy to use on your lap. The keyboard lays flat, unlike the Surface keyboard, which is lifted a few degrees and snaps to the front of the tablet. There’s enough play in the material between the connector and the keyboard deck to keep the keyboard from disconnecting if you wobble it too hard. It works fine, but it still feels like a balancing act. You will have a much better time using this on a table or desk.
If the bulky design and fabric-esque material were signs of a product made by a third party, the trackpad would have you thinking otherwise
It’s fantastic. Every move, gesture, and click is just delightful. Unlike the Brydge case, all of the multifinger navigation gestures Apple introduced in iPadOS 13.4 work as they should on the Combo Touch. That’s likely thanks to Logitech working closely with Apple to develop this product.
My one real gripe about the trackpad is the clicking mechanism. Like most Windows laptops, only the bottom half clicks, and it tapers off toward the top. There is an option to use tap to click, but I don’t like to use that because I’d prefer to actually press the trackpad and avoid accidental taps. I mostly got used to it, but I’m still occasionally jamming my thumb into the top of the trackpad trying to click.
Right now, there are only a handful of cases like the Combo Touch on the market. The $199-and-up Brydge Pro Plus will give you the closest physical resemblance to a laptop, while sacrificing most of the new iPadOS gestures. Apple’s own $299-and-up Magic Keyboard forgoes a function row but floats the iPad above your fingers. The biggest problem with both of these cases is they only support the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro.
If you have an older iPad or one of the lower-cost models, the Combo Touch is basically the only game in town. Fortunately, it’s very competent, with only a handful of drawbacks. At $150, it’s not cheap, especially if you’re pairing it with the base $329 iPad. But if you’re looking to use your iPad as a laptop, it gets the job done.
Photography by Phil Esposito / The Verge


theverge--2020-04-23--Twitter tests an easier way to find quote tweets

Twitter is testing a new option that shows you all the times a post has been retweeted with a comment , the company has confirmed to The Verge .
In screenshots posted by users with the feature enabled , a new “ Retweet with comments ” counter can be seen alongside the existing “ Likes ” and “ Retweets ” numbers .
Twitter said it ’ s currently testing the feature with a small group of iOS Twitter users .
The feature won ’ t show you anything you can ’ t currently find using the service ’ s search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier .
That ’ s important when some Twitter users use quote tweets to reply to a tweet , rather than using the service ’ s built-in reply functionality to neatly organize tweets into conversation threads .
Currently , if you want to find quote tweets , you have to paste the tweet ’ s URL into the service ’ s search box .
It ’ s worth noting that Twitter has experimented with a few UI changes over the past year , but very few of them have actually turned into fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original tweeter ’ label that was meant to highlight who ’ d started a particular conversation thread , a snooze feature for notifications , and an option to get notifications for responses to an individual tweet .
There ’ s every possibility that “ Retweet with comments ” could join them .

Twitter is testing a new option that shows you all the times a post has been retweeted with a comment, the company has confirmed to The Verge. In screenshots posted by users with the feature enabled, a new “Retweet with comments” counter can be seen alongside the existing “Likes” and “Retweets” numbers. Twitter said it’s currently testing the feature with a small group of iOS Twitter users.
The feature won’t show you anything you can’t currently find using the service’s search function, it just makes it much easier. That’s important when some Twitter users use quote tweets to reply to a tweet, rather than using the service’s built-in reply functionality to neatly organize tweets into conversation threads. Currently, if you want to find quote tweets, you have to paste the tweet’s URL into the service’s search box.


theverge--2020-04-23--Facebook has a big new plan to make money in India

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One challenge with writing about vast multinational corporations that have unfathomably large user bases is that they occasionally wade into subjects that I personally know nothing about .
For example , the Indian telecom market , in which Facebook is now a significant player .
Late on Tuesday , the company announced that it had invested $ 5.7 billion in Jio Platforms Limited , making it the company ’ s largest minority shareholder .
If you live outside of India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns which piece of what mobile carrier , I understand why you may find your eyes beginning to glaze over here .
Big companies invest in other big companies all the time .
And we ’ ve got this whole global pandemic thing going on .
Sure , this is the biggest check Facebook has written since it bought WhatsApp in 2014 .
But why should we pay any attention to Facebook buying 9.99 percent of a mobile carrier ?
One , India is one of the world ’ s biggest markets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there could determine much of its medium-term future .
Two , Facebook ’ s history in India is complicated , as an effort to provide free Facebook access drew criticism from net neutrality activists and led to complaints of digital colonialism .
Finally , and maybe most importantly , the world is in chaos .
And if you ’ re a chaos-is-a-ladder person , then it ’ s always interesting to see which bets companies make when everything around them is in flames .
Ben Thompson has a beautifully concise history of Jio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook would see it as a kindred spirit .
Mukesh Ambani , the richest man in India , invested heavily in building a 4G network that leapfrogged existing 2G and 3G networks to provide dirt-cheap voice and data plans to hundreds of millions of customers .
Thompson writes : To put it another way , Jio was a bet on zero marginal costs — or , at a minimum , drastically lower marginal costs than its competitors .
This meant that the optimal strategy was — you know what is coming !
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up front and then seek to serve the greatest number of consumers in order to get maximum leverage on that up-front investment .
That is exactly what Jio did : it spent that $ 32 billion building a network that covered all of India , launched with an offer for three months of free data and free voice , and once that was up , kept the free voice offering permanently while charging only a couple of bucks for data by the gigabyte .
It was the classic Silicon Valley bet : spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on volume because of a superior cost structure enabled by the zero-margin nature of technology .
This is also , of course , how Facebook is structured , though the company makes most of its money by showing ads to its customers rather than charging them subscriptions .
But the result is a service that has brought hundreds of millions of Indians online — and , as Thompson notes , Jio has brought them the full internet , rather than the pocket version offered by Facebook ’ s old Free Basics plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for violating net neutrality . )
Stories about this deal all take a run at explaining how both companies will profit from it .
Jio gets a lot money to lengthen its runway .
And Facebook gets a powerful political ally in the well connected Ambani , plus some new options related to commerce .
Much of the speculation focuses on how Facebook might use WhatsApp , which has 400 million users in India but doesn ’ t yet generate much revenue .
Here ’ s Newley Purnell ’ s take in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andy Mukherjee and Tim Culpan speculate that a close partnership between a carrier and WhatsApp could turn the messenger into a WeChat-style “ superapp ” — long a dream of Facebook ’ s , and one that has so far gone unrealized .
They write : Of course , people have their concerns .
India ’ s Internet Freedom Foundation warned of the possibly anti-competitive effect that bringing Jio and Facebook together might have .
Nicholas Dawes has a thread about the entanglements with the Indian government that this new arrangement could bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , I noted that Facebook had found new ways during the pandemic to push its core strategic message : that its vast size and free-speech ethos are good for the world .
With its investment in Jio at a deeply uncertain time , we find Facebook pressing its advantage in a whole new way .
I was delighted that so many of you could attend yesterday ’ s Interface Live with Sarah Frier , the author of No Filter : The Inside Story of Instagram .
For those of you who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available as a special episode of The Vergecast , which you can find available on your platform of choice here .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
⬆ Trending up : Zoom rolled out a new version of its software that fixes many of the security flaws highlighted in recent months .
There ’ s now a security icon that allows people to quickly lock meetings , remove participants , and restrict screen sharing and chatting in meetings .
⬇ Trending down : Amazon fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s working conditions .
The company continues to garner intense criticism for its treatment of warehouse workers during the coronavirus pandemic .
⭐ A person who died at home in Santa Clara County on February 6th had COVID-19 .
The discovery makes them the first recorded coronavirus fatality in the United States , and adds to evidence that the virus was in the country much earlier than was previously thought .
Erin Allday and Matt Kawahara at the San Francisco Chronicle report : ⭐ Palantir , the data-mining firm founded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health and Human Services to help the federal government create a new coronavirus data platform .
The platform will help administration officials determine how to “ mitigate and prevent spread ” of COVID-19 .
Erin Banco and Spencer Ackerman at the Daily Beast have the story : At least seven people got COVID-19 during Wisconsin ’ s primary election on April 7th .
The news confirms fears that holding in-person voting during the health crisis put people at risk .
( Amanda Becker / Reuters ) US officials say the viral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to order a national lockdown was amplified by Chinese operatives .
It ’ s the latest coronavirus myth linked to the Chinese government .
( Edward Wong , Matthew Rosenberg and Julian E. Barnes / The New York Times ) A group of Iran-linked Twitter and Instagram accounts aggressively pushed for California to secede from the United States in a disinformation campaign intended to sow discord .
While coronavirus wasn ’ t explicitly mentioned , the campaign seemed designed to exploit fear and weakness during the pandemic .
( Megha Rajagopalan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom due to the ongoing pandemic .
Critics worry that could make the justice system less transparent .
( Zoe Schiffer / The Verge ) Zoom was supposed to turn people into slobs .
Instead , it ’ s made some much more conscious of their appearance , because they ’ re spending all day staring into a camera .
( Zoë Bernard / The Information ) YouTube says views of “ authoritative ” news videos have jumped 75 percent since the start of the year .
The videos come from legitimate news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities like the World Health Organization .
The obvious follow-up question : how are view of absolute nonsense conspiracy theories doing at YouTube right now ?
( Richard Nieva / CNET ) In a viral essay , venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote that the coronavirus crisis is partly due to “ our widespread inability to build.
” But the institutions through which Americans build — federal , state , and local governments — have gotten used to vetoing projects , not voting for them , Ezra Klein writes at Vox .
Patreon laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created by the coronavirus pandemic .
That ’ s 13 percent of the company ’ s staff .
( Jay Peters / The Verge ) Magic Leap is cutting about half of its workforce ( roughly 1,000 employees ) as part of a major restructuring during the COVID-19 crisis .
The augmented-reality startup raised more than $ 2 billion from high-profile investors including Alphabet and Alibaba .
After hyping itself up as a once-in-a-generation company , Mag Leaps is now getting out of the consumer business .
( Ed Hammond / Bloomberg ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cutting investment round sizes and accepting unfavorable bridge rounds amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
The next two quarters are expected to be especially painful for many companies .
( Aditi Shrivastava / ET Tech ) Total cases in the US : At least 822,239 Total deaths in the US : More than 41,000 Data from The New York Times .
The kid who created the fake candidate running for congress in order to test Twitter ’ s verification policy wrote an essay about why he did it .
“ If I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , imagine what a highly-skilled team of people looking to do actual damage could do , ” he wrote .
Probably a lot !
Instagram is speeding up plans for a new account memorialization feature due to COVID-19 deaths .
The company is adding a “ Remembering ” banner under a username to signal that a person has died .
( Katie Notopoulos / BuzzFeed ) Facebook is launching its Messenger Kids app in over 70 new countries today .
The company listed Brazil , India , Japan , and New Zealand among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now available .
( Jon Porter / The Verge ) On Sunday , Zoom is also rolling out a feature to let people report Zoombombing incidents in real time .
The feature will generate a report to help Zoom decide if the attacker should be blocked from the platform .
( Michael Kan / Mashable ) Amazon-owned home surveillance company Ring is apparently considering adding license plate scanning and facial recognition capabilities to its consumer products .
The company distributed a confidential survey to beta testers to gauge demand for the features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Google is starting to roll out a feature that lets users customize voice detection sensitivity on Google Assistant devices .
With it , people can increase or decrease the sensitivity with which Google Assistant devices pick up the command “ Hey Google.
” ( Taylor Lyles / The Verge ) The mother of a large baby who went viral on TikTok wants people to stop being so mean .
( Cameron Wilson / BuzzFeed ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Sign up for a virtual scavenger hunt taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five compete by solving riddles and playing games , with 10 percent of proceeds going to COVID-19 relief efforts .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and your plans for Facebook in India : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

One challenge with writing about vast multinational corporations that have unfathomably large user bases is that they occasionally wade into subjects that I personally know nothing about. For example, the Indian telecom market, in which Facebook is now a significant player. Late on Tuesday, the company announced that it had invested $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms Limited, making it the company’s largest minority shareholder.
If you live outside of India and are not particularly interested in who owns which piece of what mobile carrier, I understand why you may find your eyes beginning to glaze over here. Big companies invest in other big companies all the time. And we’ve got this whole global pandemic thing going on. Sure, this is the biggest check Facebook has written since it bought WhatsApp in 2014. But why should we pay any attention to Facebook buying 9.99 percent of a mobile carrier?
One, India is one of the world’s biggest markets, and the extent to which Facebook succeeds there could determine much of its medium-term future. Two, Facebook’s history in India is complicated, as an effort to provide free Facebook access drew criticism from net neutrality activists and led to complaints of digital colonialism.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, the world is in chaos. And if you’re a chaos-is-a-ladder person, then it’s always interesting to see which bets companies make when everything around them is in flames.
Ben Thompson has a beautifully concise history of Jio at Stratechery that helps to explain why Facebook would see it as a kindred spirit. Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India, invested heavily in building a 4G network that leapfrogged existing 2G and 3G networks to provide dirt-cheap voice and data plans to hundreds of millions of customers. Thompson writes:
To put it another way, Jio was a bet on zero marginal costs — or, at a minimum, drastically lower marginal costs than its competitors. This meant that the optimal strategy was — you know what is coming! — to spend a massive amount of money up front and then seek to serve the greatest number of consumers in order to get maximum leverage on that up-front investment. That is exactly what Jio did: it spent that $32 billion building a network that covered all of India, launched with an offer for three months of free data and free voice, and once that was up, kept the free voice offering permanently while charging only a couple of bucks for data by the gigabyte. It was the classic Silicon Valley bet: spend money up front, then make it up on volume because of a superior cost structure enabled by the zero-margin nature of technology.
This is also, of course, how Facebook is structured, though the company makes most of its money by showing ads to its customers rather than charging them subscriptions. But the result is a service that has brought hundreds of millions of Indians online — and, as Thompson notes, Jio has brought them the full internet, rather than the pocket version offered by Facebook’s old Free Basics plan. (Which India banned in 2016 for violating net neutrality.)
Stories about this deal all take a run at explaining how both companies will profit from it. Jio gets a lot money to lengthen its runway. And Facebook gets a powerful political ally in the well connected Ambani, plus some new options related to commerce. Much of the speculation focuses on how Facebook might use WhatsApp, which has 400 million users in India but doesn’t yet generate much revenue. Here’s Newley Purnell’s take in the Wall Street Journal:
Access to the platform could be a boon for Jio as it pushes forward with an ambitious plan to dominate e-commerce in the rural regions where most Indians live and it is trying to partner with millions of India’s small mom-and-pop grocery stores. Consumers, for example, could use WhatsApp to purchase products from neighborhood shops, which Jio has been signing up via low-cost point-of-sale machines. “E-commerce will happen in a very localized way” in rural India, said Tarun Pathak, an analyst with research firm Counterpoint. It will happen not on PCs but on inexpensive smartphones and, “The familiarity is there for WhatsApp,” he said. “It makes sense.”
In Bloomberg, Andy Mukherjee and Tim Culpan speculate that a close partnership between a carrier and WhatsApp could turn the messenger into a WeChat-style “superapp” — long a dream of Facebook’s, and one that has so far gone unrealized. They write:
Customers in China and Indonesia have shown a preference for superapps, which allow people to interact with an umbrella brand for everything from chatting with friends to booking cabs and managing money. Ambani could be best-suited to try the model in India, especially if he gets to build it around the popular WhatsApp.
Of course, people have their concerns. India’s Internet Freedom Foundation warned of the possibly anti-competitive effect that bringing Jio and Facebook together might have. Nicholas Dawes has a thread about the entanglements with the Indian government that this new arrangement could bring. It all bears watching.
Earlier this week, I noted that Facebook had found new ways during the pandemic to push its core strategic message: that its vast size and free-speech ethos are good for the world. With its investment in Jio at a deeply uncertain time, we find Facebook pressing its advantage in a whole new way.
Podcast
I was delighted that so many of you could attend yesterday’s Interface Live with Sarah Frier, the author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. For those of you who missed out, our conversation is now available as a special episode of The Vergecast, which you can find available on your platform of choice here.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
⬆ Trending up: Zoom rolled out a new version of its software that fixes many of the security flaws highlighted in recent months. There’s now a security icon that allows people to quickly lock meetings, remove participants, and restrict screen sharing and chatting in meetings.
⬇ Trending down: Amazon fired another warehouse employee who protested against the company’s working conditions. The company continues to garner intense criticism for its treatment of warehouse workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pandemic
⭐ A person who died at home in Santa Clara County on February 6th had COVID-19. The discovery makes them the first recorded coronavirus fatality in the United States, and adds to evidence that the virus was in the country much earlier than was previously thought. Erin Allday and Matt Kawahara at the San Francisco Chronicle report:
Santa Clara County on Tuesday announced three previously unidentified deaths from the coronavirus: the Feb. 6 case; one on Feb. 17, which also predates the death that was earlier believed to be the first; and one on March 6. Initially, the first death in the county had been reported March 9. “What it means is we had coronavirus circulating in the community much earlier than we had documented and much earlier than we had thought,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health officer. “Those deaths probably represent many, many more infections. And so there had to be chains of transmission that go back much earlier.”
⭐ Palantir, the data-mining firm founded by Peter Thiel, is working with the Department of Health and Human Services to help the federal government create a new coronavirus data platform. The platform will help administration officials determine how to “mitigate and prevent spread” of COVID-19. Erin Banco and Spencer Ackerman at the Daily Beast have the story:
Palantir’s involvement in the creation of a new government coronavirus data platform system underscores the Trump administration’s reliance on close political allies of the president to respond to the global pandemic. Thiel was Trump’s earliest and highest-profile backer in Silicon Valley, and delivered a prime-time speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. A top donor to conservative causes and the first outside investor in Facebook, Thiel was, according to The Wall Street Journal, instrumental in pushing the social networking giant to allow politicians to lie in advertisements on the platform. It’s a policy that many outside observers believe will help the Trump campaign—which Thiel has again pledged to support.
At least seven people got COVID-19 during Wisconsin’s primary election on April 7th. The news confirms fears that holding in-person voting during the health crisis put people at risk. (Amanda Becker / Reuters)
US officials say the viral text message that falsely claimed President Trump was going to order a national lockdown was amplified by Chinese operatives. It’s the latest coronavirus myth linked to the Chinese government. (Edward Wong, Matthew Rosenberg and Julian E. Barnes / The New York Times)
A group of Iran-linked Twitter and Instagram accounts aggressively pushed for California to secede from the United States in a disinformation campaign intended to sow discord. While coronavirus wasn’t explicitly mentioned, the campaign seemed designed to exploit fear and weakness during the pandemic. (Megha Rajagopalan / BuzzFeed)
Courts are moving to Zoom due to the ongoing pandemic. Critics worry that could make the justice system less transparent. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
Zoom was supposed to turn people into slobs. Instead, it’s made some much more conscious of their appearance, because they’re spending all day staring into a camera. (Zoë Bernard / The Information)
YouTube says views of “authoritative” news videos have jumped 75 percent since the start of the year. The videos come from legitimate news outlets, government agencies, and health authorities like the World Health Organization. The obvious follow-up question: how are view of absolute nonsense conspiracy theories doing at YouTube right now? (Richard Nieva / CNET)
In a viral essay, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote that the coronavirus crisis is partly due to “our widespread inability to build.” But the institutions through which Americans build — federal, state, and local governments — have gotten used to vetoing projects, not voting for them, Ezra Klein writes at Vox.
Patreon laid off 30 employees due to economic hardships created by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s 13 percent of the company’s staff. (Jay Peters / The Verge)
Magic Leap is cutting about half of its workforce (roughly 1,000 employees) as part of a major restructuring during the COVID-19 crisis. The augmented-reality startup raised more than $2 billion from high-profile investors including Alphabet and Alibaba. After hyping itself up as a once-in-a-generation company, Mag Leaps is now getting out of the consumer business. (Ed Hammond / Bloomberg)
Startups in India are deferring IPO plans, cutting investment round sizes and accepting unfavorable bridge rounds amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The next two quarters are expected to be especially painful for many companies. (Aditi Shrivastava / ET Tech)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: At least 822,239
Total deaths in the US: More than 41,000
Reported cases in California: 35,974
Reported cases in New York: 257,246
Reported cases in New Jersey: 95,865
Reported cases in Massachusetts: 41,199
Governing
The kid who created the fake candidate running for congress in order to test Twitter’s verification policy wrote an essay about why he did it. “If I could do this with little time and money, imagine what a highly-skilled team of people looking to do actual damage could do,” he wrote. Probably a lot!
Industry
Instagram is speeding up plans for a new account memorialization feature due to COVID-19 deaths. The company is adding a “Remembering” banner under a username to signal that a person has died. (Katie Notopoulos / BuzzFeed)
Facebook is launching its Messenger Kids app in over 70 new countries today. The company listed Brazil, India, Japan, and New Zealand among the countries where the kid-focused messaging service is now available. (Jon Porter / The Verge)
On Sunday, Zoom is also rolling out a feature to let people report Zoombombing incidents in real time. The feature will generate a report to help Zoom decide if the attacker should be blocked from the platform. (Michael Kan / Mashable)
Amazon-owned home surveillance company Ring is surveying customers about adding license plate scanning and facial recognition capabilities to its consumer products. The company distributed a confidential survey to beta testers to gauge demand for the features. (Kate Cox / Ars Technica)
Google is starting to roll out a feature that lets users customize voice detection sensitivity on Google Assistant devices. With it, people can increase or decrease the sensitivity with which Google Assistant devices pick up the command “Hey Google.” (Taylor Lyles / The Verge)
The mother of a large baby who went viral on TikTok wants people to stop being so mean. (Cameron Wilson / BuzzFeed)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Sign up for a virtual scavenger hunt taking place on May 2nd. Teams of five compete by solving riddles and playing games, with 10 percent of proceeds going to COVID-19 relief efforts.
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-04-23--Zoom grows to 300 million users despite security backlash

Zoom has hit the headlines recently for a growing number of security and privacy concerns , but that doesn ’ t seem to have stopped people from flocking to the video conferencing app .
Zoom has now revealed that it has surpassed 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants .
That ’ s up 50 percent from the 200 million the company reported earlier this month , and a huge jump from the 10 million back in December .
Zoom does say the figures are daily meeting participants , which could mean if you have five Zoom meetings in a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Zoom also states in the same blog post that it has “ more than 300 million daily users ” and that “ more than 300 million people around the world are using Zoom during this challenging time.
” A new Zoom 5.0 update is rolling out this week Either way , more people are using Zoom despite the security and privacy concerns that have been raised recently .
Zoom has implemented a 90-day feature freeze , and the company is releasing Zoom 5.0 this week to address some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ default , improved encryption , and a new security icon to control meetings .
Zoom ’ s growth continues unabated as more people are turning towards the service to keep connected during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
British lawmakers even broke from 700 years of tradition in the Houses of Parliament yesterday by introducing Zoom-powered video links .
120 Members of Parliament can join through a Zoom call , while another 50 are allowed to be physically present in the chamber .

Zoom has hit the headlines recently for a growing number of security and privacy concerns, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped people from flocking to the video conferencing app. Zoom has now revealed that it has surpassed 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants. That’s up 50 percent from the 200 million the company reported earlier this month, and a huge jump from the 10 million back in December.
Zoom does say the figures are daily meeting participants, which would count the same person five times if they attend five Zoom meetings in a day. However, in the same blog post Zoom says it has “more than 300 million daily users” and that “more than 300 million people around the world are using Zoom during this challenging time.” That statement was later corrected on April 29th, saying the use of “users” and “people” was an oversight.
A new Zoom 5.0 update is rolling out this week
Either way, more people are using Zoom despite the security and privacy concerns that have been raised recently. Zoom has implemented a 90-day feature freeze, and the company is releasing Zoom 5.0 this week to address some of the concerns. Zoom 5.0 includes passwords by default, improved encryption, and a new security icon to control meetings.
Zoom’s growth continues unabated as more people are turning towards the service to keep connected during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. British lawmakers even broke from 700 years of tradition in the Houses of Parliament yesterday by introducing Zoom-powered video links. 120 Members of Parliament can join through a Zoom call, while another 50 are allowed to be physically present in the chamber.


theverge--2020-04-23--Gogoro’s first e-bike is coming to the US next month

Electric scooter company Gogoro , founded by two former senior HTC designers and technologists , is about to launch its first electric bike under the new Eeyo sub-brand .
It ’ s coming first to the US in May , before heading to Europe and the company ’ s home country of Taiwan sometime in the summer .
Unfortunately , that ’ s all we know right now , thanks to a teaser posted to Instagram and Twitter .
But given the company ’ s history , our expectations are high .
Gogoro made a big splash with the launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The technologically advanced scooter not only looked great , it also featured an innovative battery-swap subscription service and an app that allowed you to personalize your ride .
Gogogo riders simply pull up to any 24/7 GoStation to replace their depleted batteries in seconds .
The company has since produced a variety of scooter designs that brought a touch of fun and style to two-wheeled culture in scooter-obsessed Taipei and beyond .
What does that tell us about the new Gogoro Eeyo e-bike ?
Well , nothing is certain , but Gogoro scooters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premium e-bikes .
Some examples include firmware-upgradable onboard computers , anti-theft systems like automatic locking and unlocking that use proximity or biometric keys , scratch-resistant finishes , integrated hub motors , Gates carbon belt drives , Panasonic battery cells , and hydraulic disc brakes .
The company also had a longstanding relationship with Bosch .
Now is certainly a great time to buy an e-bike , assuming you can still afford one amid skyrocketing unemployment and financial uncertainty .
With pandemic-stricken cities eager to get back to work in lieu of a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for commuters hoping to avoid public transportation , keep the air clean , and exercise those lungs in the process .

Electric scooter company Gogoro, founded by two former senior HTC designers and technologists, is about to launch its first electric bike under the new Eeyo sub-brand. It’s coming first to the US in May, before heading to Europe and the company’s home country of Taiwan sometime in the summer.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now, thanks to a teaser posted to Instagram and Twitter. But given the company’s history, our expectations are high.
Gogoro made a big splash with the launch of its first Smartscooter in 2015. The technologically advanced scooter not only looked great, it also featured an innovative battery-swap subscription service and an app that allowed you to personalize your ride. Gogogo riders simply pull up to any 24/7 GoStation to replace their depleted batteries in seconds. The company has since produced a variety of scooter designs that brought a touch of fun and style to two-wheeled culture in scooter-obsessed Taipei and beyond.
What does that tell us about the new Gogoro Eeyo e-bike? Well, nothing is certain, but Gogoro scooters are already steeped in tech found on premium e-bikes. Some examples include firmware-upgradable onboard computers, anti-theft systems like automatic locking and unlocking that use proximity or biometric keys, scratch-resistant finishes, integrated hub motors, Gates carbon belt drives, Panasonic battery cells, and hydraulic disc brakes. The company also had a longstanding relationship with Bosch.


theverge--2020-04-23--Japanese hot spring resorts let you soak in their baths in VR

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the tourism industry hard , including in Japan — ninety percent of ryokan inns in the famous Arima hot spring resort town have been closed since the prefecture of Hyogo went under a state of emergency this month , according to The Mainichi Shimbun .
In response to the situation , a group of ryokan owners have started to upload VR footage of their hot-spring baths to YouTube to help bring the onsen experience to people self-isolating at home .
“ Japanʼs hot springs can help healing people in quarantine around the world , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine , ” the group says in a press release .
“ This way , we may , even if only slightly , help reduce infections and suffering from the new coronavirus.
” So far , the project includes videos from five ryokan including Arima Sansoh Goshobessho , Takayamasou Hanano , Taketoritei Maruyama , Tocen Goshoboh , and Motoyu Ryuusenkaku .
Obviously I had to try this out .
I dug out my old Daydream View headset ( because it ’ s a dead platform and I would be much less concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would my Oculus Quest ) , filled my tub at home , added some salts , and soaked .
“ Users should be cautious not to slip or drown , ” the press release warns , which I would agree is good advice .
I ’ m not going to pretend that I didn ’ t feel ridiculous , but it was oddly relaxing .
The footage is pretty high quality as far as spherical YouTube video goes , and the sound of the flowing water does make for a chill experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the goggles started to fog up — steam and lenses don ’ t really mix , turns out .
Still , I appreciate the ryokan owners ’ gesture , and if nothing else it makes me want to see the real places for myself once things get back to normal .

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the tourism industry hard, including in Japan — ninety percent of ryokan inns in the famous Arima hot spring resort town have been closed since the prefecture of Hyogo went under a state of emergency this month, according to The Mainichi Shimbun. In response to the situation, a group of ryokan owners have started to upload VR footage of their hot-spring baths to YouTube to help bring the onsen experience to people self-isolating at home.
“Japanʼs hot springs can help healing people in quarantine around the world, as well as increase the efficacy of the quarantine,” the group says in a press release. “This way, we may, even if only slightly, help reduce infections and suffering from the new coronavirus.” So far, the project includes videos from five ryokan including Arima Sansoh Goshobessho, Takayamasou Hanano, Taketoritei Maruyama, Tocen Goshoboh, and Motoyu Ryuusenkaku.
Obviously I had to try this out. I dug out my old Daydream View headset (because it’s a dead platform and I would be much less concerned about dropping it into hot water than I would my Oculus Quest), filled my tub at home, added some salts, and soaked. “Users should be cautious not to slip or drown,” the press release warns, which I would agree is good advice.
I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t feel ridiculous, but it was oddly relaxing. The footage is pretty high quality as far as spherical YouTube video goes, and the sound of the flowing water does make for a chill experience. Unfortunately I only lasted a few minutes before the goggles started to fog up — steam and lenses don’t really mix, turns out.


theverge--2020-04-23--Travis Scott’s first Fortnite concert was surreal and spectacular

If there ’ s one thing you can say about Fortnite ’ s live events , it ’ s that they keep getting more ambitious .
From the original rocket launch to the mech vs. kaiju battle to the black hole that wiped out an entire island , each new event is more elaborate than the last .
Now we can say the same is true of the concerts .
Last year ’ s Marshmello show was an exciting , dynamic example of what a virtual concert could look like .
This week ’ s Travis Scott performance blew it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been setting the stage for the concert since last weekend — literally .
Over the last few days players could see a stage being constructed at the Sweaty Sands beach , and it grew more complete as the days passed .
There was a black stage on top of the water , and multiple gold , inflatable Travis Scott heads around it .
As with past events , the pre-show was a bloodbath , with players killing each other to kill some time .
( Thankfully , respawns were in place . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see a strange planet-like object floating towards them on a circular screen ; when it got close enough , everything blew up and the performance started properly .
Really , the entire Fortnite island was the stage .
During the opening song a giant Scott stomped around the island , while players could run across the water to catch a glimpse .
As the tracks changed , so did the visuals .
At one point everything was fiery and Scott turned into a cyborg ; later it looked like everyone had been transported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Room ” came on , the crowd was submerged underwater , along with a giant spaceman .
There were rollercoasters and psychedelic effects and at the end players were literally flying around the planet .
The set was short , lasting around 15 minutes .
But what I loved was that it was the kind of experience that could only exist in a virtual space like this .
Yes , live concerts have become more elaborate , as anyone who has been to an IRL Travis Scott arena show can attest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ float through the air while a Godzilla-sized rapper walks across an ocean .
Epic also appears to have learned some lessons from past events and concerts .
For one , once the show started the game ’ s UI was automatically turned off , letting you get a better view of the trippy visuals .
The developer also limited the emotes players could use to keep things on brand .
I couldn ’ t do a kitty dance or anything silly ; instead I could headbang or rage with a fiery microphone stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have to actually own those emotes to use them during the concert .
Perhaps the smartest thing Epic did was make this a tour instead of a concert .
Whereas all previous Fortnite events were one-offs , the Scott concert I attended was the first of five .
If you missed it , there are plenty of other chances to get in .
( For more on how to watch , check out our guide . )
It opens up the event to a larger audience around the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge success ; more than 10 million people attended , according to Epic , making it Fortnite ’ s largest ever event .
With multiple shows , a more elaborate performance , a bigger name performer , and a captive audience stuck inside with nothing to do , Travis Scott ’ s virtual tour has the potential to top that .
The question , really , is how much more surreal Epic can make its next digital concert series .

Epic had been setting the stage for the concert since last weekend — literally. Over the last few days players could see a stage being constructed at the Sweaty Sands beach, and it grew more complete as the days passed. There was a black stage on top of the water, and multiple gold, inflatable Travis Scott heads around it.
As with past events, the pre-show was a bloodbath, with players killing each other to kill some time. (Thankfully, respawns were in place.) When the show started, players could see a strange planet-like object floating towards them on a circular screen; when it got close enough, everything blew up and the performance started properly.
Really, the entire Fortnite island was the stage. During the opening song a giant Scott stomped around the island, while players could run across the water to catch a glimpse. As the tracks changed, so did the visuals. At one point everything was fiery and Scott turned into a cyborg; later it looked like everyone had been transported to Tron. When “Highest in the Room” came on, the crowd was submerged underwater, along with a giant spaceman. There were rollercoasters and psychedelic effects and at the end players were literally flying around the planet.
The set was short, lasting around 15 minutes. But what I loved was that it was the kind of experience that could only exist in a virtual space like this. Yes, live concerts have become more elaborate, as anyone who has been to an IRL Travis Scott arena show can attest. But they don’t let you float through the air while a Godzilla-sized rapper walks across an ocean.
Epic also appears to have learned some lessons from past events and concerts. For one, once the show started the game’s UI was automatically turned off, letting you get a better view of the trippy visuals. The developer also limited the emotes players could use to keep things on brand. I couldn’t do a kitty dance or anything silly; instead I could headbang or rage with a fiery microphone stand. In a nice touch, you didn’t have to actually own those emotes to use them during the concert.
Perhaps the smartest thing Epic did was make this a tour instead of a concert. Whereas all previous Fortnite events were one-offs, the Scott concert I attended was the first of five. If you missed it, there are plenty of other chances to get in. (For more on how to watch, check out our guide.) It opens up the event to a larger audience around the world.


theverge--2020-04-23--Parks and Recreation is returning next week for a half-hour charity special on NBC

NBC ’ s Parks and Recreation will be returning for a half-hour scripted special next week to raise money for Feeding America ’ s COVID-19 Response Fund , NBC announced today ( via The Hollywood Reporter ) .
The special is scheduled to air on Thursday , April 30th at 8:30PM ET / PT .
The episode follows series protagonist Leslie Knope , played by Amy Poehler , and her efforts to “ stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing , ” according to NBC .
Poehler , Rashida Jones , Aziz Ansari , Nick Offerman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Scott , Rob Lowe , Jim O ’ Heir , and Retta are all set to appear as their original characters , and “ several guest stars from the Pawnee universe may pop in , ” says NBC .
The special will be “ all shot from our homes , ” Poehler said in a promotional video .
“ Like a lot of other people , we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money , ” said executive producer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes .
Our old ‘ Parks and Rec ’ team has put together one more 30-minute slice of ( quarantined ) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it .
And donates !
”

NBC’s Parks and Recreation will be returning for a half-hour scripted special next week to raise money for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, NBC announced today (via The Hollywood Reporter). The special is scheduled to air on Thursday, April 30th at 8:30PM ET / PT.
The episode follows series protagonist Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, and her efforts to “stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing,” according to NBC.
Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta are all set to appear as their original characters, and “several guest stars from the Pawnee universe may pop in,” says NBC. The special will be “all shot from our homes,” Poehler said in a promotional video.


theverge--2020-04-23--Twitter is taking down a fake Joe Biden ad amplified by Trump campaign staffers

Over the last few days , a fake Joe Biden campaign ad has gone viral across Twitter , boosted in part by current and former Trump campaign staffers .
After The Verge ’ s report on the image , Twitter said that it was in violation of its elections rules .
The image shows Biden with a beam of light emanating from his chest with “ His brain ?
No .
His heart.
” overlaid on top with the campaign ’ s official logo , too .
This tweet appears to be the original and has accrued over 10,000 retweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fake ad has also been posted across other social media platforms like Reddit and Tumblr but caught fire on Twitter this week after an account called @ khakijorts posted the image , captioning it , “ This is a real ad 100 % can not make this up.
” The fake ad has also been posted across other social media platforms The Biden campaign confirmed to The Verge that the ad was faked .
Tim Murtaugh , communications director for President Trump ’ s reelection campaign , has also tweeted out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Murtaugh wrote .
“ Can ’ t trust Twitter , but this would seem to be the Biden campaign leaning in on the fact that ol ’ Joe has lost his fastball.
” Karen Giorno , former chief strategist for the Florida branch of Trump ’ s 2016 campaign , also shared the fake ad , writing “ No joke .
This is a real ad approved by @ JoeBiden for President.
” Over the past year , Twitter has implemented a “ manipulated media ” tag to limit the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s largely been targeted at “ deepfake ” audio and video , and it ’ s unclear whether the Biden image would count .
In March , Twitter applied a “ manipulated media ” tag to a tweet featuring a doctored video of Biden that was shared by Dan Scavino , the White House ’ s social media director .
Bill Russo , deputy communications director for the Biden campaign , told The Verge , “ While the President continues to assail our free press as ‘ fake news ’ — once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disinformation .
Sadly , we don ’ t expect any better from the Trump Campaign as they get increasingly desperate.
” The ad has spread entirely organically , and neither side would have been able to boost it , since Twitter banned political advertising outright in October .
After The Verge notified the company of the image , a spokesperson said , “ Our enforcement team determined that this Tweet violates our Election Integrity Policy .
They ’ re taking appropriate steps to enforce our policy across the service.
” Murtaugh ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that enforcement action would be taken across the platform soon .
Throughout the 2016 campaign , Trump confidants like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani pushed a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton was suffering from a secret illness due to a brief absence from the campaign trail .
Clinton was suffering from only mild pneumonia , but many believed her response to the rumors eroded her credibility .
Right-wing groups have continued the tactic in 2020 , posting similar health conspiracies regarding Biden throughout campaign season .
Twitter did not immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but as of press time , the platform has not labeled the image as false or taken down any of the tweets sharing it .
Updated April 23rd , 7:14PM ET : Updated with a statement from Twitter noting that the fake ad violated its rules .

Over the last few days, a fake Joe Biden campaign ad has gone viral across Twitter, boosted in part by current and former Trump campaign staffers. After The Verge’s report on the image, Twitter said that it was in violation of its elections rules.
The image shows Biden with a beam of light emanating from his chest with “His brain? No. His heart.” overlaid on top with the campaign’s official logo, too. This tweet appears to be the original and has accrued over 10,000 retweets and 62,000 likes as of publication.
The fake ad has also been posted across other social media platforms like Reddit and Tumblr but caught fire on Twitter this week after an account called @khakijorts posted the image, captioning it, “This is a real ad 100% cannot make this up.”
The fake ad has also been posted across other social media platforms
The Biden campaign confirmed to The Verge that the ad was faked.
Tim Murtaugh, communications director for President Trump’s reelection campaign, has also tweeted out the fake ad. “Is this fake?” Murtaugh wrote. “Can’t trust Twitter, but this would seem to be the Biden campaign leaning in on the fact that ol’ Joe has lost his fastball.” Karen Giorno, former chief strategist for the Florida branch of Trump’s 2016 campaign, also shared the fake ad, writing “No joke. This is a real ad approved by @JoeBiden for President.”
Over the past year, Twitter has implemented a “manipulated media” tag to limit the spread of misleading political media, but it’s largely been targeted at “deepfake” audio and video, and it’s unclear whether the Biden image would count. In March, Twitter applied a “manipulated media” tag to a tweet featuring a doctored video of Biden that was shared by Dan Scavino, the White House’s social media director.
Bill Russo, deputy communications director for the Biden campaign, told The Verge, “While the President continues to assail our free press as ‘fake news’ — once again it is his campaign spreading lies and disinformation. Sadly, we don’t expect any better from the Trump Campaign as they get increasingly desperate.”
The ad has spread entirely organically, and neither side would have been able to boost it, since Twitter banned political advertising outright in October. After The Verge notified the company of the image, a spokesperson said, “Our enforcement team determined that this Tweet violates our Election Integrity Policy. They’re taking appropriate steps to enforce our policy across the service.” Murtaugh’s tweet has been removed. Twitter said that enforcement action would be taken across the platform soon.
Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump confidants like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani pushed a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton was suffering from a secret illness due to a brief absence from the campaign trail. Clinton was suffering from only mild pneumonia, but many believed her response to the rumors eroded her credibility. Right-wing groups have continued the tactic in 2020, posting similar health conspiracies regarding Biden throughout campaign season.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but as of press time, the platform has not labeled the image as false or taken down any of the tweets sharing it.


theverge--2020-04-23--Avatar: The Last Airbender is hitting Netflix on May 15th

All three seasons of Avatar : The Last Airbender will be hitting Netflix in the US on May 15th , the streaming platform announced today .
The beloved animated show follows the adventures of Aang , the show ’ s namesake Avatar , as he masters the elements of water , earth , fire , and air and helps stop the Fire Nation ’ s war against the world .
It originally aired on Nickelodeon from February 2005 to July 2008 .
It ’ s not Netflix ’ s first connection to Avatar — the streaming service is currently working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( which will hopefully be better than the M. Night Shyamalan movie version ) , and Netflix ’ s The Dragon Prince , which was co-created by Avatar : The Last Airbender screenwriter Aaron Ehasz .
Earlier today , Netflix announced it would be the exclusive home for new episodes of the Pokémon animated series .
Netflix has been upping its investment in animation and children ’ s content to compete with other popular streaming platforms for kids such as Disney Plus and YouTube .
Netflix also snagged the rights to stream 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
However , if you want to watch those legendary feature films in the US , you ’ ll have to subscribe to WarnerMedia ’ s new streaming service HBO Max , which launches on May 27th .

All three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be hitting Netflix in the US on May 15th, the streaming platform announced today. The beloved animated show follows the adventures of Aang, the show’s namesake Avatar, as he masters the elements of water, earth, fire, and air and helps stop the Fire Nation’s war against the world. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from February 2005 to July 2008.
It’s not Netflix’s first connection to Avatar — the streaming service is currently working on a live-action adaptation of the show (which will hopefully be better than the M. Night Shyamalan movie version), and Netflix’s The Dragon Prince, which was co-created by Avatar: The Last Airbender screenwriter Aaron Ehasz.
Earlier today, Netflix announced it would be the exclusive home for new episodes of the Pokémon animated series. Netflix has been upping its investment in animation and children’s content to compete with other popular streaming platforms for kids such as Disney Plus and YouTube.


theverge--2020-04-23--NASA administrator urges people not to travel to Florida to watch historic SpaceX launch

At the end of May , NASA astronauts are slated to launch to space from the United States once again , after nearly a decade of launching on Russian rockets from Kazakhstan — but NASA does not want members of the public to travel to see the mission in person .
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is urging people to stay home and watch the historic mission online because of safety concerns associated with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
“ We are asking people to join us in this launch , but to do so from home , ” NASA administrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today on the agency ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
This upcoming launch is set to be a significant achievement for both NASA and the United States .
On May 27th , two NASA astronauts — Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken — are set to fly to orbit on a newly developed private spacecraft , built by NASA ’ s commercial partner SpaceX .
Called the Crew Dragon , the capsule is designed to launch on top of SpaceX ’ s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA ’ s Kennedy Space Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the duo to the International Space Station .
“ We are asking people to join us in this launch , but to do so from home.
” When it happens , the flight will be the first time that American astronauts have launched on US-made space vehicles from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 .
Ever since that last Space Shuttle launch from Florida , NASA astronauts have relied on Russia ’ s Soyuz rocket to get them to and from the International Space Station , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 81 million per passenger .
To end that reliance on Russia , NASA tasked two private companies — SpaceX and Boeing — to create vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from thee space station as the Shuttle once did , part of a program known as Commercial Crew .
After six years of development , SpaceX is finally ready to put people on its vehicle and return US human spaceflight to Florida .
The launch will also mark the first time that people have launched to orbit on a privately developed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SpaceX ’ s first time launching humans to space .
In normal times , the launch draw enormous crowds to Florida and its beaches , which NASA would likely have promoted .
But given the lockdowns across the US , NASA wants a much quieter affair .
“ A lot of the folks on the line here know that when we launch to space from the Kennedy Space Center , it draws huge , huge crowds , and that is not right now what we ’ re trying to do , ” Bridenstine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure we have access to the International Space Station , without drawing the massive amount of crowds that we usually would.
” Before some rocket launches , NASA invites space enthusiasts to Kennedy Space Center to see the facilities and the vehicle on the launchpad .
This time , Bridenstine said that NASA would keep the Center closed to the public .
He also noted that NASA will work with the State of Florida to amp up highway patrols and crowd control near Kennedy .
But ultimately any crackdowns on crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the local government .
“ NASA doesn ’ t have any plan right now to go beyond the Kennedy Space Center as it relates to our activities , ” Bridenstine said .
“ That would be left largely to the state of Florida.
” “ We need to make sure that we are separating people as much as possible.
” Meanwhile , Bridenstine said that extra precautions are being taken to ensure that the NASA personnel working on the upcoming launch will be safe .
NASA has modified shift schedules so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on the same vehicles at the same time .
NASA is also making sure people have appropriate protective gear when working in close proximity to one another .
Modifications to the mission control area are being considered , too .
“ When we launch to space , there ’ s a lot of people in the mission control facilities , ” Bridenstine said .
“ We need to make sure that we are separating people as much as possible using different rooms.
” He noted that it ’ s possible plexiglass might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working at various stations within mission control .
Ultimately , NASA employees who are working on the mission can come forward if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe , Bridenstine said .
When asked if anyone had come forward , Bridenstine said that “ there really haven ’ t been ” any employees , except for maybe a few people who have wondered if NASA is taking the right precautions .
“ We ’ re looking at all the things where we can practice the guidelines for social distancing , and at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the International Space Station , ” Bridenstine said .
Despite the plea for people to stay home for the launch , Bridenstine still said he wanted the members of the public to feel involved with the mission , even if it ’ s virtual .
“ We want them engaged , ” he said .
“ We want them to participate .
We want them to tell their friends and family .
But we also want them to watch from a place that ’ s not the Kennedy Space Center .
”

At the end of May, NASA astronauts are slated to launch to space from the United States once again, after nearly a decade of launching on Russian rockets from Kazakhstan — but NASA does not want members of the public to travel to see the mission in person. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is urging people to stay home and watch the historic mission online because of safety concerns associated with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We are asking people to join us in this launch, but to do so from home,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a press conference today on the agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This upcoming launch is set to be a significant achievement for both NASA and the United States. On May 27th, two NASA astronauts — Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken — are set to fly to orbit on a newly developed private spacecraft, built by NASA’s commercial partner SpaceX. Called the Crew Dragon, the capsule is designed to launch on top of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and take the duo to the International Space Station.
“We are asking people to join us in this launch, but to do so from home.”
When it happens, the flight will be the first time that American astronauts have launched on US-made space vehicles from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. Ever since that last Space Shuttle launch from Florida, NASA astronauts have relied on Russia’s Soyuz rocket to get them to and from the International Space Station, an arrangement that’s cost NASA about $81 million per passenger. To end that reliance on Russia, NASA tasked two private companies — SpaceX and Boeing — to create vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from thee space station as the Shuttle once did, part of a program known as Commercial Crew. After six years of development, SpaceX is finally ready to put people on its vehicle and return US human spaceflight to Florida.
The launch will also mark the first time that people have launched to orbit on a privately developed spacecraft, and it will also be SpaceX’s first time launching humans to space. In normal times, the launch draw enormous crowds to Florida and its beaches, which NASA would likely have promoted. But given the lockdowns across the US, NASA wants a much quieter affair.
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (L) and Doug Hurley (R), who are slated to fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Image: SpaceX
“A lot of the folks on the line here know that when we launch to space from the Kennedy Space Center, it draws huge, huge crowds, and that is not right now what we’re trying to do,” Bridenstine said. “We’re trying to make sure we have access to the International Space Station, without drawing the massive amount of crowds that we usually would.”
Before some rocket launches, NASA invites space enthusiasts to Kennedy Space Center to see the facilities and the vehicle on the launchpad. This time, Bridenstine said that NASA would keep the Center closed to the public. He also noted that NASA will work with the State of Florida to amp up highway patrols and crowd control near Kennedy. But ultimately any crackdowns on crowds outside of Kennedy will have to come from the local government. “NASA doesn’t have any plan right now to go beyond the Kennedy Space Center as it relates to our activities,” Bridenstine said. “That would be left largely to the state of Florida.”
“We need to make sure that we are separating people as much as possible.”
Meanwhile, Bridenstine said that extra precautions are being taken to ensure that the NASA personnel working on the upcoming launch will be safe. NASA has modified shift schedules so that groups of people aren’t all working on the same vehicles at the same time. NASA is also making sure people have appropriate protective gear when working in close proximity to one another. Modifications to the mission control area are being considered, too. “When we launch to space, there’s a lot of people in the mission control facilities,” Bridenstine said. “We need to make sure that we are separating people as much as possible using different rooms.” He noted that it’s possible plexiglass might be put in place to separate people working at various stations within mission control.
Ultimately, NASA employees who are working on the mission can come forward if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe, Bridenstine said. When asked if anyone had come forward, Bridenstine said that “there really haven’t been” any employees, except for maybe a few people who have wondered if NASA is taking the right precautions.
“We’re looking at all the things where we can practice the guidelines for social distancing, and at the same time, launch this very important mission to the International Space Station,” Bridenstine said.


theverge--2020-04-23--Even Elijah Wood needs Twitter’s help to sell his Animal Crossing turnips

The stalk market in Animal Crossing : New Horizons is bringing the internet together .
After one user shared her incredible turnip prices on Twitter today , it caught the attention of The Lord of Rings star Elijah Wood .
Wood privately messaged Jessa ( @ directedbyrian ) asking for her Dodo code so he could visit her island to sell his turnips .
Her shop today was purchasing turnips for 599 bells each , which is a particularly good number to sell your turnips — normally , a good selling price is between the 300 to 400 bells range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his turnips , Wood hung out with Jessa on her island .
Not only did he compliment on how “ beautiful ” her island was , but Wood also showed proper Animal Crossing etiquette by asking if he may “ pick some fruit ” from her trees .
“ [ I ] t was so much fun , ” Jessa told The Verge when asked how it felt having Elijah Wood visiting her island .
“ [ H ] e was so nice and wholesome.
” Many players across the globe are turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnip selling prices each week to maximize their in-game profits .
The game lets you visit others ’ islands , so players can travel to someone else ’ s island if their price is better .
To find the highest prices , users have been joining Reddit forums and Facebook groups , using price prediction calculators , and starting Discord and Slack channels to get on top .
It goes to show that even celebrities aren ’ t afraid to ask the internet for help when it comes to conquering the Animal Crossing @ @ @

The stalk market in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is bringing the internet together. After one user shared her incredible turnip prices on Twitter today, it caught the attention of The Lord of Rings star Elijah Wood.
Wood privately messaged Jessa (@directedbyrian) asking for her Dodo code so he could visit her island to sell his turnips. Her shop today was purchasing turnips for 599 bells each, which is a particularly good number to sell your turnips — normally, a good selling price is between the 300 to 400 bells range.
After making a great profit on his turnips, Wood hung out with Jessa on her island. Not only did he compliment on how “beautiful” her island was, but Wood also showed proper Animal Crossing etiquette by asking if he may “pick some fruit” from her trees. “[I]t was so much fun,” Jessa told The Verge when asked how it felt having Elijah Wood visiting her island. “[H]e was so nice and wholesome.”
Many players across the globe are turning to the internet to find the best turnip selling prices each week to maximize their in-game profits. The game lets you visit others’ islands, so players can travel to someone else’s island if their price is better. To find the highest prices, users have been joining Reddit forums and Facebook groups, using price prediction calculators, and starting Discord and Slack channels to get on top.