theverge--2020-11-02--Amazon reportedly planning new service for its rural deliveries

Amazon may be looking to handle its own deliveries to rural areas rather than relying on the US Postal Service , according to several job postings , The Information reported on Monday .
The e-commerce behemoth would rely on shipping hubs in rural areas under a plan called “ wagon wheel , ” a reference to Amazon ’ s hub-and-spoke supply chain .
In Amazon ’ s terminology , a wagon wheel station provides support for smaller shipping facilities , according to The Information .
Several since-deleted job postings The Information discovered described “ a new delivery business ... that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Amazon spent $ 15 billion on fulfillment costs in the third quarter When or where the program would be launched is not clear .
But Amazon executives said on the company ’ s third quarter earnings call last week that it expects to continue putting money into its shipping and delivery infrastructure for years to come .
Amazon ’ s fulfillment costs increased 57 percent year over year in the third quarter to $ 15 billion .
And Amazon ’ s chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said the company ’ s fulfillment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent from last year , revealing that the company already spent around $ 30 billion on leases and other capital expenditures just this year alone .
“ I think at this point , we are not trying to cut it close , and we are erring on the side of having too much capacity , ” Olsavsky said .
In September , The Washington Post reported that Amazon generated $ 1.6 billion in profit and $ 3.9 billion in revenue for the postal service in fiscal year 2019 , with the postal service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 percent of Amazon ’ s total volume last year .
With more people relying on deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic , that number is expected to grow throughout the end of the year and well into next year .
Amazon did not provide information to confirm or refute The Information ’ s reporting , but a spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company ’ s “ incredible employees and partners come together to deliver for our customers—every day and throughout the holiday season .
This includes offering fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers provided by our transportation partners , and our internal delivery teams .
”

Amazon may be looking to handle its own deliveries to rural areas rather than relying on the US Postal Service, according to several job postings, The Information reported on Monday.
The e-commerce behemoth would rely on shipping hubs in rural areas under a plan called “wagon wheel,” a reference to Amazon’s hub-and-spoke supply chain. In Amazon’s terminology, a wagon wheel station provides support for smaller shipping facilities, according to The Information. Several since-deleted job postings The Information discovered described “a new delivery business ... that will support Amazon’s rural communities.”
Amazon spent $15 billion on fulfillment costs in the third quarter
When or where the program would be launched is not clear. But Amazon executives said on the company’s third quarter earnings call last week that it expects to continue putting money into its shipping and delivery infrastructure for years to come. Amazon’s fulfillment costs increased 57 percent year over year in the third quarter to $15 billion. And Amazon’s chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said the company’s fulfillment and logistics square footage would increase 50 percent from last year, revealing that the company already spent around $30 billion on leases and other capital expenditures just this year alone.
“I think at this point, we are not trying to cut it close, and we are erring on the side of having too much capacity,” Olsavsky said.
In September, The Washington Post reported that Amazon generated $1.6 billion in profit and $3.9 billion in revenue for the postal service in fiscal year 2019, with the postal service delivering 1.54 billion Amazon packages — about 30 percent of Amazon’s total volume last year. With more people relying on deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic, that number is expected to grow throughout the end of the year and well into next year.
Amazon did not provide information to confirm or refute The Information’s reporting, but a spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company’s “incredible employees and partners come together to deliver for our customers—every day and throughout the holiday season. This includes offering fast, free and convenient delivery options for customers provided by our transportation partners, and our internal delivery teams.”


theverge--2020-11-02--Baby Shark is the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, and there’s no end in sight

“ Baby Shark ” has now crossed 7.043 billion views — which officially makes the kid-friendly , adult-terrorizing earworm the most-watched YouTube video ever .
It ’ s been over three years since Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ’ s “ Despacito ” took that crown , but parents won ’ t be surprised to see the music industry ’ s greatest hit laid low by the Pinkfong empire : we ’ ve been taking 2020 one day and one video at a time .
“ This is news ?
” says my wife .
“ Please don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play it.
” Of course , it ’ s too late .
“ Baby Shark ” is practically a core memory at this point ; even with my speakers muted , it ’ s already playing in our brains .
What might surprise you is just how dramatically “ Baby Shark ” flew up the charts .
When I checked in on YouTube ’ s most popular videos last April , the video only had 2.5 billion views and has apparently shot up 181 percent since then .
While “ Despacito ” has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shark ” all the way to 7.04 billion views , the same hasn ’ t been true of the record industry ’ s other hits during that same period : • ( # 3 ) Ed Sheeran ’ s “ Shape of You ” gained less than a billion views to 5.05B • ( # 4 ) Wiz Khalifa ’ s “ See You Again ” went from 4 billion to 4.8B • ( # 7 ) “ Uptown Funk ” only went from 3.5B to 3.99B • ( # 8 ) Psy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 3.3B to 3.8B What are the # 5 and # 6 most-viewed YouTube videos ?
More kid songs , of course .
“ Masha and the Bear ” has 4.4 billion views , and “ Johny Johny Yes Papa ” has 4.15 billion now .
Based on this Vox profile and my “ Baby Shark ” experience , I think I ’ d best steer clear of the latter for sanity .
And if this graphic is any indication , “ Baby Shark ” hasn ’ t even come close to peaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , but it seems to have a totally different trajectory than any of the big music video hits .
That could be an interesting change of pace , considering how much the music industry has dominated the YouTube charts this past decade .
Then again , this is “ Baby Shark ” we ’ re talking about .
God help us all .
“ Baby Shark ” has a mysterious origin story , by the way .
I ’ ll let our friends at Vulture tell you about it .

“Baby Shark” has now crossed 7.043 billion views — which officially makes the kid-friendly, adult-terrorizing earworm the most-watched YouTube video ever. It’s been over three years since Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” took that crown, but parents won’t be surprised to see the music industry’s greatest hit laid low by the Pinkfong empire: we’ve been taking 2020 one day and one video at a time.
“This is news?” says my wife. “Please don’t play it. Please don’t play it.”
Of course, it’s too late. “Baby Shark” is practically a core memory at this point; even with my speakers muted, it’s already playing in our brains.
What might surprise you is just how dramatically “Baby Shark” flew up the charts. When I checked in on YouTube’s most popular videos last April, the video only had 2.5 billion views and has apparently shot up 181 percent since then. While “Despacito” has managed to stay ahead of “Baby Shark” all the way to 7.04 billion views, the same hasn’t been true of the record industry’s other hits during that same period:
(#3) Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” gained less than a billion views to 5.05B
(#4) Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” went from 4 billion to 4.8B
went from 4 billion to 4.8B (#7) “Uptown Funk” only went from 3.5B to 3.99B
only went from 3.5B to 3.99B (#8) Psy’s “Gangnam Style” went from 3.3B to 3.8B
What are the #5 and #6 most-viewed YouTube videos? More kid vids, of course. “Masha and the Bear” has 4.4 billion views, and “Johny Johny Yes Papa” has 4.15 billion now. Based on this Vox profile and my “Baby Shark” experience, I think I’d best steer clear of the latter for sanity.
And if this graphic is any indication, “Baby Shark” hasn’t even come close to peaking yet:
It might be too early to say, but it seems to have a totally different trajectory than any of the big music video hits. That could be an interesting change of pace, considering how much the music industry has dominated the YouTube charts this past decade.
Then again, this is “Baby Shark” we’re talking about. God help us all.


theverge--2020-11-02--TikTok and Sony Music reach a long-awaited licensing deal

TikTok and Sony Music Entertainment have reached a licensing deal that will keep bringing songs from the record group ’ s roster of hit artists to the shortform video app .
Neither company would tell The Verge any real details about what this means for TikTok users .
For the most part , it seems like things will largely stay the same .
But that ’ s still an important development : TikTok has been working toward cutting new details with the major record groups since it exploded in popularity to ensure that it doesn ’ t lose some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this appears to be the first deal locked in .
Sony has had some big wins come from TikTok TikTok is paying “ a significant increase ” over its previous licensing deal , according to Bloomberg .
The companies are also supposed to work together on ways to promote Sony artists and “ greater levels of TikTok user personalization.
” Sony and its labels have had some huge wins , thanks to TikTok .
Lil Nas X , whose song “ Old Town Road ” soared in popularity on the app , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ label .
And Jason Derulo ’ s “ Savage Love , ” which is unavoidable both on the app and in grocery stores ( or whatever other physical locations you ’ re still visiting these days ) , was also released via Columbia .
TikTok has signed some other deals to date , including with Merlin , a large group of independent labels .
But the company still appears to be working toward deals with Warner and Universal .
Combined with Sony , those three make up the bulk of the music market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s crucial that TikTok eventually comes to more permanent agreements with them .
Billboard previously reported that TikTok reached short-term licensing deals with all three majors earlier in the year , but those deals were “ notably shorter ” than typical agreements .

TikTok and Sony Music Entertainment have reached a licensing deal that will keep bringing songs from the record group’s roster of hit artists to the shortform video app.
Neither company would tell The Verge any real details about what this means for TikTok users. For the most part, it seems like things will largely stay the same. But that’s still an important development: TikTok has been working toward cutting new details with the major record groups since it exploded in popularity to ensure that it doesn’t lose some of the world’s top songs, and this appears to be the first deal locked in.
Sony has had some big wins come from TikTok
TikTok is paying “a significant increase” over its previous licensing deal, according to Bloomberg. The companies are also supposed to work together on ways to promote Sony artists and “greater levels of TikTok user personalization.”
Sony and its labels have had some huge wins, thanks to TikTok. Lil Nas X, whose song “Old Town Road” soared in popularity on the app, is signed to Columbia, a Sony label. And Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love,” which is unavoidable both on the app and in grocery stores (or whatever other physical locations you’re still visiting these days), was also released via Columbia.


theverge--2020-11-02--The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season keeps raging with Hurricane Eta

The 28th named storm of an epic Atlantic hurricane season formed yesterday and is barreling toward Central America as Hurricane Eta today .
That ties the record with 2005 for the most storms strong enough to earn a name in a single season .
This is also the 12th hurricane to form this season , which has only happened three times before , according to Phil Klotzbach , a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University .
The World Meteorological Organization ran out of names on its alphabetical list in mid-September , with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That forced the agency to turn to Greek letters for storm names for just the second time in its history .
But this is the first time Eta has been used since one storm went unnamed in 2005 .
( It wasn ’ t spotted by the National Hurricane Center until a routine post-season review . )
High-resolution satellite imagery has made it easier for storm-trackers to identify storms that might not have been spotted 30 or 40 years ago , according to Klotzbach .
But 2020 has still been exceptionally active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many named storms compared to an average season .
This season ’ s individual storms are also incredibly active , with some strengthening quickly over short periods of time .
Eta is the fifth hurricane in a row to intensify rapidly this season .
Rapidly intensifying storms like Eta are becoming more common with climate change .
The official hurricane season doesn ’ t end until November 30th , so there ’ s still time to break the 2005 record for most storms .
“ The odds certainly favor another storm or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times today .
“ The large-scale environment , especially in the Caribbean , is forecast to remain more conducive than normal for this late in the hurricane season.
” Last month , Hurricane Delta became the record 10th named storm to make landfall in the US in a single season .
2020 also tied 2011 and 2017 for the record number of weather and climate disasters causing at least $ 1 billion in losses .
Eta is expected to make landfall on the northeastern coast of Nicaragua as a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Category 4 — today .
It could bring with it “ life-threatening storm surge , catastrophic winds , flash flooding , and landslides , ” according to a 10AM ET advisory by the National Hurricane Center .
If it lands as a Category 4 hurricane in Nicaragua , Klotzbach says it would be the strongest to slam into the country since Hurricane Felix , a Category 5 storm , in 2007 .
Felix was so devastating that the name — like Katrina and four others in 2005 — was retired after the end @ @ @ @

The 28th named storm of an epic Atlantic hurricane season formed yesterday and is barreling toward Central America as Hurricane Eta today. That ties the record with 2005 for the most storms strong enough to earn a name in a single season.
This is also the 12th hurricane to form this season, which has only happened three times before, according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
2020 has been exceptionally active
The World Meteorological Organization ran out of names on its alphabetical list in mid-September, with more than two months left in the 2020 season. That forced the agency to turn to Greek letters for storm names for just the second time in its history. But this is the first time Eta has been used since one storm went unnamed in 2005. (It wasn’t spotted by the National Hurricane Center until a routine post-season review.)
High-resolution satellite imagery has made it easier for storm-trackers to identify storms that might not have been spotted 30 or 40 years ago, according to Klotzbach. But 2020 has still been exceptionally active, already clocking more than twice as many named storms compared to an average season.
This season’s individual storms are also incredibly active, with some strengthening quickly over short periods of time. Eta is the fifth hurricane in a row to intensify rapidly this season. Rapidly intensifying storms like Eta are becoming more common with climate change.
The official hurricane season doesn’t end until November 30th, so there’s still time to break the 2005 record for most storms. “The odds certainly favor another storm or two forming in November,” Klotzbach told The New York Times today. “The large-scale environment, especially in the Caribbean, is forecast to remain more conducive than normal for this late in the hurricane season.”
Last month, Hurricane Delta became the record 10th named storm to make landfall in the US in a single season. 2020 also tied 2011 and 2017 for the record number of weather and climate disasters causing at least $1 billion in losses.


theverge--2020-11-03--T-Mobile TVision hands-on: the basics but not much else

T-Mobile has officially launched TVision , a new live TV streaming service that the company promises will shock the cable TV industry in the same way that T-Mobile ’ s aggressive plans and “ Uncarrier ” moves helped to push the cellular industry forward .
As it did with mobile , T-Mobile is trumpeting the service ’ s relatively cheap pricing ( although it remains to be seen whether T-Mobile will actually be able to maintain those $ 10 and $ 40 price points long term ) .
But when it comes to actually using the TVision apps , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets .
I spent a few days trying out TVision on both an iPad and T-Mobile ’ s branded Android TV dongle , the TVision Hub .
Both apps are virtually identical , splitting up the main navigation into Home , Guide , Shows , DVR , and Search menus .
And the app works the same , regardless of which plan or plans you have .
The only difference is how many channels and how much on-demand content you ’ ll see .
Home , as the name suggests , is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see when you load up , with a variety of scrolling carousels that highlight featured content ( like a big sports game ) , along with specific rows for live news , sports , and recommended on-demand content .
The guide menu is the most useful part of the app .
It ’ s a traditional channel guide like you ’ d see on any cable TV box , showing you what ’ s currently on all of the channels you subscribe to and what ’ s on next .
You can also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule a recording .
Navigating around is fast , as is actually flipping between channels or fast-forwarding and rewinding recorded content .
It ’ s functional , but don ’ t expect to see any fancy bells and whistles .
The TVision app itself is pretty bare-bones , which seems at least partly due to the newness of the service .
It ’ s easy to point to things TVision is missing : there ’ s no web app so you can ’ t actually watch live TV on your computer , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at launch — although the available smart TV apps make that less of an issue .
( There ’ s no Roku app , however . )
Other basic features , like filtering or hiding channels you don ’ t want to view in the guide every time , are also missing on the mobile apps .
You get basic parental control features , but they ’ re broad in stroke — locking any movie or TV show above specific ratings behind a PIN — and don ’ t allow for more granular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s cloud-based DVR does work well , though ; it records the actual live airing of the TV show or movie instead of flipping over to an on-demand version , although you ’ re limited to 100 hours of content across all users .
TVision supports up to 10 profiles , but those 100 hours are pooled across all users , and you can only have up to three concurrent streams ( just two if you only subscribe to the $ 10-per-month Vibe plan ) .
There are also not many options for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a TV show , something that services like TiVo have allowed for years .
Lastly , the app also features a smattering of on-demand content sourced from the various channels that TVision offers .
The lineup isn ’ t particularly great , but if you happen to come across something that you want to watch , it ’ s an option .
Some on-demand content has ads , while other shows and movies don ’ t ; it mostly depends on what you ’ re looking to watch .
That gets to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation features or lack thereof .
Where services like Netflix will work to throw specific shows and movies at you that it thinks you ’ ll like , TVision ’ s content curation abilities are scant at best .
( Nowhere is this better seen than the Show and Movies tabs , which just display a list of TV shows and movies with no real distinction between on-demand or upcoming live content . )
It ’ s still early days for TVision ( the service is quite literally a day old ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build out the service as time goes on .
For now , if you ’ re looking for a replacement for cable , T-Mobile ’ s offering will do just that .
But don ’ t expect much more .
TVision is available now for all post-paid T-Mobile customers .
Sprint users will have access later in November , with the service set to open up more broadly to all users in 2021 .

T-Mobile has officially launched TVision, a new live TV streaming service that the company promises will shock the cable TV industry in the same way that T-Mobile’s aggressive plans and “Uncarrier” moves helped to push the cellular industry forward.
As it did with mobile, T-Mobile is trumpeting the service’s relatively cheap pricing (although it remains to be seen whether T-Mobile will actually be able to maintain those $10 and $40 price points long term). But when it comes to actually using the TVision apps, the experience is about as basic as it gets.
I spent a few days trying out TVision on both an iPad and T-Mobile’s branded Android TV dongle, the TVision Hub. Both apps are virtually identical, splitting up the main navigation into Home, Guide, Shows, DVR, and Search menus. And the app works the same, regardless of which plan or plans you have. The only difference is how many channels and how much on-demand content you’ll see.
Home, as the name suggests, is the main home screen that you’ll see when you load up, with a variety of scrolling carousels that highlight featured content (like a big sports game), along with specific rows for live news, sports, and recommended on-demand content.
TVision’s channel guide.
The guide menu is the most useful part of the app. It’s a traditional channel guide like you’d see on any cable TV box, showing you what’s currently on all of the channels you subscribe to and what’s on next. You can also click in to get more information or schedule a recording.
Navigating around is fast, as is actually flipping between channels or fast-forwarding and rewinding recorded content. It’s functional, but don’t expect to see any fancy bells and whistles.
TVision offers three different services, with the main TVision Live package also offering two additional tiers that add more channels. All three services can be combined, too: TVision Live TVision Live TV: The “core” live TV package, which costs $40 a month and includes basic channels like NBC, ABC, and Fox, news (including CNBC, CNN, ABC News, and Fox News) sports (like FS1, FS2, ESPN, and NBC Sports), along with general cable selections like Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, SyFy, TBS, TNT, USA, and Bravo TVision Live TV Plus: Costs $50 per month and includes everything in TVision Live, plus additional sports channels (including Big Ten Network, ESPNU, NFL Network, and regional NBC sports channels) TVision Live TV Zone: Costs $60 per month and includes everything in TVision Live TV Plus but adds a few more channels — most importantly, NFL RedZone (hence the name) TVision Vibe There’s just one plan in TVision Vibe: a $10-per-month option that offers over 30 channels from AMC, Discovery, and Viacom, including AMC, BBC America, BET, Food Network, HGTV, the Hallmark Channel, MTV, TLC, Comedy Central, and Discovery. It’s limited to only two concurrent streams and doesn’t include DVR by default (although it can be added for $5 per month). TVision Channels Standalone subscriptions to Starz ($8.99 per month), Showtime ($10.99 per month), and Epix ($5.99 per month).
The TVision app itself is pretty bare-bones, which seems at least partly due to the newness of the service. It’s easy to point to things TVision is missing: there’s no web app so you can’t actually watch live TV on your computer, and Chromecast or AirPlay aren’t supported at launch — although the available smart TV apps make that less of an issue. (There’s no Roku app, however.) Other basic features, like filtering or hiding channels you don’t want to view in the guide every time, are also missing on the mobile apps.
You get basic parental control features, but they’re broad in stroke — locking any movie or TV show above specific ratings behind a PIN — and don’t allow for more granular control or screen-time limitations.
TVision’s cloud-based DVR does work well, though; it records the actual live airing of the TV show or movie instead of flipping over to an on-demand version, although you’re limited to 100 hours of content across all users. TVision supports up to 10 profiles, but those 100 hours are pooled across all users, and you can only have up to three concurrent streams (just two if you only subscribe to the $10-per-month Vibe plan). There are also not many options for recording, say, just new episodes of a TV show, something that services like TiVo have allowed for years.
Lastly, the app also features a smattering of on-demand content sourced from the various channels that TVision offers. The lineup isn’t particularly great, but if you happen to come across something that you want to watch, it’s an option. Some on-demand content has ads, while other shows and movies don’t; it mostly depends on what you’re looking to watch.
That gets to the last part of TVision: its recommendation features or lack thereof. Where services like Netflix will work to throw specific shows and movies at you that it thinks you’ll like, TVision’s content curation abilities are scant at best. (Nowhere is this better seen than the Show and Movies tabs, which just display a list of TV shows and movies with no real distinction between on-demand or upcoming live content.)
TVision’s confusing “Shows” tab.
It’s still early days for TVision (the service is quite literally a day old), and presumably, T-Mobile will continue to build out the service as time goes on. For now, if you’re looking for a replacement for cable, T-Mobile’s offering will do just that. But don’t expect much more.


theverge--2020-11-03--AI camera operator repeatedly confuses bald head for soccer ball during live stream

AI researchers sometimes refer to machine learning technology as “ brittle.
” By this , they mean that artificial intelligence lacks a human ’ s understanding of real world complexities , with the end result being that AI systems sometimes break in quick and unexpected ways .
For a more practical illustration of what “ brittleness ” means , though , simply consider the case of the AI camera operator deployed by Scottish soccer team Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC .
When the pandemic stopped fans attending matches , the club announced it would live stream its games , using an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI , ball-tracking technology ” to make sure people always get the best view of the action .
But , during a recent live stream of matches , the AI camera operator repeatedly ( and to great effect ) confused a linesman ’ s bald head for the soccer ball itself .
In a compilation video below with an excellent soundtrack you can see the end result .
It ’ s like the AI has a crush on the linesman , and can ’ t help but zoom in on his beautiful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to both Inverness Caledonian Thistle and the company that makes the camera technology ( Pixellot ) for comment , but the underlying issue here seems pretty clear .
A soccer ball is about the size and shape of a human head , and with sunlight glinting off both it ’ s easy to mistake them for one another .
Again , this is why AI is sometimes called brittle .
A human being would never make this mistake , but a machine learning system with limited understanding of both soccer balls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular example is very funny , these sorts of mistakes can happen to any AI system .
This error is oddly similar , for example , to some mistakes made by self-driving cars that have caused fatal crashes .
In one case , Tesla ’ s “ autopilot ” software failed to distinguish between the white side of a truck and the sky .
According to tweets from the match itself ( seen via IFLScience ) , the situation was so bad that the game ’ s commentator had to apologize for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fan even said he missed watching his team score because of the AI ’ s lack of focus .

AI researchers sometimes refer to machine learning technology as “brittle.” By this, they mean that artificial intelligence lacks a human’s understanding of real world complexities, with the end result being that AI systems sometimes break in quick and unexpected ways.
For a more practical illustration of what “brittleness” means, though, simply consider the case of the AI camera operator deployed by Scottish soccer team Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC. When the pandemic stopped fans attending matches, the club announced it would live stream its games, using an automatic camera system with “in-built, AI, ball-tracking technology” to make sure people always get the best view of the action.
But, during a recent live stream of matches, the AI camera operator repeatedly (and to great effect) confused a linesman’s bald head for the soccer ball itself. In a compilation video below with an excellent soundtrack you can see the end result. It’s like the AI has a crush on the linesman, and can’t help but zoom in on his beautiful, gleaming bonce.
Pixellot, the company that makes the camera technology used by Inverness Caledonian Thistle, confirmed to The Verge that the problem was caused by visual similarities between the linesman’s head and the soccer ball. They noted that the angle of the camera didn’t help, as it made it seem as if the linesman’s head was inside the boundaries of the pitch, and the game ball itself was yellow, which added to the confusion. The company said the error was fixed shortly after the game ended.
“Last month we produced 105,000 hours of live sports without any staff at the venue. That’s roughly about 50,000 games,” said the spokesperson. “In one of the games there was indeed a tracking problem that was addressed.”
But again, this is why AI is sometimes called brittle. A human being would never make this mistake, but a machine learning system with limited understanding of both soccer balls and human anatomy would. And while this particular example is very funny, these sorts of mistakes can happen to any AI system. This error is oddly similar, for example, to some mistakes made by self-driving cars that have caused fatal crashes. In one case, Tesla’s “autopilot” software failed to distinguish between the white side of a truck and the sky.
According to tweets from the match itself (seen via IFLScience), the situation was so bad that the game’s commentator had to apologize for the malfunctioning camera at one point. One fan even said he missed watching his team score because of the AI’s lack of focus.


theverge--2020-11-03--Budget roundup: the latest lower-cost Windows and Chromebook systems

If you ’ re now working at home , if your kids are now learning at home , if you ’ re just stuck at home and looking for a good computing experience , you may be in the market for a new laptop .
Unfortunately — especially for those who need to watch their pennies — tech isn ’ t cheap .
But take heart : there is actually a lot of tech out there that will provide a great experience but won ’ t cost you as much as you ’ d imagine .
What follows are reviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might want to consider for the use of yourself and your family .
It includes relatively low-cost Windows 10 systems and lower-cost Chromebooks .
( It does not , as you might imagine , include any Apple computers — however , if you ’ re looking for a macOS system , you might want to check out our article on how to buy refurbished gadgets . )
Note : not all these laptops are what you would call cheap .
However , they are less expensive than you would expect for what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide what suits your needs best .
At a $ 649 list price ( it ’ s about $ 673 on Amazon at time of press ) , the question isn ’ t “ Does the Acer Swift 3 laptop knock your socks off ?
” The question is “ Does it get the job done , and where are you asked to compromise ?
” The compromises exist , but the gist is that , for Google Docs work , Zoom calls , streaming , emailing , and other tasks that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swift 3 does the trick .
And it offers the combination of portability and durability that ’ s perfect for a campus experience or other on-the-go lifestyles .
Dell ’ s G5 15 SE is both an affordable and excellent gaming laptop Dell ’ s G5 15 SE is focused .
It ’ s not the best-looking gaming laptop or the fastest out there , but starting at $ 879.99 , its AMD Ryzen processor and RX 5600M graphics chip make for a great tag team .
Along with other speedy components like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a 144Hz refresh rate display , this Dell gaming laptop undercuts and outruns the competition in its price range .
ACER ’ S LATEST SWIFT 5 IS LIGHT ON YOUR BACK AND LIGHTER ON YOUR WALLET Almost everything about the new Swift 5 is fine .
The screen is fine , the performance is fine , the battery life is fine , and the price ( $ 899.99 to start , $ 999.99 as tested ) isn ’ t outrageous for the specs included .
There ’ s not a ton to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 isn ’ t top of its class in these categories .
Where it stands out is portability — and compared to previous Swift models , it asks remarkably few sacrifices in exchange .
Traditionally , the Envy line has been HP ’ s midrange option ; it ’ s a rung above the budget Pavilion , but a rung below the flagship Spectre .
This model , which starts at $ 699 , really blurs the latter line .
It ’ s easily the best laptop under $ 1,000 that you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 Envy x360 look as nice and perform as well as last year ’ s Spectre x360 ( which starts at $ 1,099 ) , but using it also feels quite similar to using HP ’ s $ 1,500 Elite Dragonfly , one of the best business notebooks on the market .
Lenovo Chromebook Duet review : this has no business costing so little Lenovo ’ s Chromebook Duet is far from flawless .
But when you ’ re evaluating a device that starts at $ 279 , the question isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” The question is : “ Is this better than other stuff you can get for that price ?
” Lenovo has certainly cut some corners to shave the Chromebook Duet down to that price point .
But at the end of the day , they feel like cut corners , not like major missteps that significantly hamper the device .
And after several days using the Duet as my primary driver , I feel comfortable saying it feels much more like a Surface Go with some concessions than it does an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Acer ’ s Chromebook Spin 713 apart from the rest .
The first is its 3:2 display .
Samsung ’ s Galaxy Chromebook , Asus ’ Chromebook Flip C436 , and many of last year ’ s top contenders like the Pixelbook Go all used a 16:9 aspect ratio — a more square 3:2 screen is taller and gives you significantly more vertical space .
The second is the price .
The Spin 713 starts at $ 629 ( and has been on sale for $ 529 already ) .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it significantly undercuts some competitors from Samsung , Google , and Asus .
By unveiling the Galaxy and the C436 at CES 2020 , the companies essentially posed the question : can a Chromebook be worth $ 1,000 ?

If you’re now working at home, if your kids are now learning at home, if you’re just stuck at home and looking for a good computing experience, you may be in the market for a new laptop. Unfortunately — especially for those who need to watch their pennies — tech isn’t cheap. But take heart: there is actually a lot of tech out there that will provide a great experience but won’t cost you as much as you’d imagine.
What follows are reviews of a variety of laptops that you might want to consider for the use of yourself and your family. It includes relatively low-cost Windows 10 systems and lower-cost Chromebooks. (It does not, as you might imagine, include any Apple computers — however, if you’re looking for a macOS system, you might want to check out our article on how to buy refurbished gadgets.)
Note: not all these laptops are what you would call cheap. However, they are less expensive than you would expect for what they deliver. So take a look and decide what suits your needs best.
Windows 10 laptops
Acer Swift 3 Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
At a $649 list price (it’s about $680 on Amazon at time of press), the question isn’t “Does the Acer Swift 3 laptop knock your socks off?” The question is “Does it get the job done, and where are you asked to compromise?” The compromises exist, but the gist is that, for Google Docs work, Zoom calls, streaming, emailing, and other tasks that many students spend the day doing, the Swift 3 does the trick. And it offers the combination of portability and durability that’s perfect for a campus experience or other on-the-go lifestyles.
Acer Swift 3 laptop / A solid laptop for students $680 on Amazon
Dell’s G5 15 SE is focused. It’s not the best-looking gaming laptop or the fastest out there, but starting at $879.99, its AMD Ryzen processor and RX 5600M graphics chip make for a great tag team. Along with other speedy components like fast RAM, an NVMe SSD, and a 144Hz refresh rate display, this Dell gaming laptop undercuts and outruns the competition in its price range.
Dell G5 15 SE / An affordable and excellent gaming laptop $880 at Dell
Almost everything about the new Swift 5 is fine. The screen is fine, the performance is fine, the battery life is fine, and the price ($899.99 to start, $999.99 as tested) isn’t outrageous for the specs included. There’s not a ton to complain about here, but the Swift 5 isn’t top of its class in these categories. Where it stands out is portability — and compared to previous Swift models, it asks remarkably few sacrifices in exchange.
Acer Swift 5 / Light on your back and lighter on your wallet $900 at B&H Photo Video
Traditionally, the Envy line has been HP’s midrange option; it’s a rung above the budget Pavilion, but a rung below the flagship Spectre. This model, which starts at $699, really blurs the latter line. It’s easily the best laptop under $1,000 that you can buy right now. Not only does the 2020 Envy x360 look as nice and perform as well as last year’s Spectre x360 (which starts at $1,099), but using it also feels quite similar to using HP’s $1,500 Elite Dragonfly, one of the best business notebooks on the market.
HP Envy x360 (2020) / Easily the best laptop under $1,000 that you can buy right now From $699 at HP
Chromebooks
Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet is far from flawless. But when you’re evaluating a device that starts at $279, the question isn’t “Is this a perfect device?” The question is: “Is this better than other stuff you can get for that price?” Lenovo has certainly cut some corners to shave the Chromebook Duet down to that price point. But at the end of the day, they feel like cut corners, not like major missteps that significantly hamper the device. And after several days using the Duet as my primary driver, I feel comfortable saying it feels much more like a Surface Go with some concessions than it does an ultra-budget PC.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet / Feels much more like a Surface Go with some concessions than it does an ultra-budget PC From $279 at Best Buy
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Two big factors set Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 apart from the rest. The first is its 3:2 display. Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook, Asus’ Chromebook Flip C436, and many of last year’s top contenders like the Pixelbook Go all used a 16:9 aspect ratio — a more square 3:2 screen is taller and gives you significantly more vertical space. The second is the price. The Spin 713 starts at $629 (and has been on sale for $529 already). That’s fairly midrange as Chromebooks go, but it significantly undercuts some competitors from Samsung, Google, and Asus. By unveiling the Galaxy and the C436 at CES 2020, the companies essentially posed the question: can a Chromebook be worth $1,000?


theverge--2020-11-03--Six apps that help you stick to a budget

In these days of furloughs , layoffs , and shortened hours , when many people are struggling to pay their rent , figure out how to manage their bills , and looking askance at their college loans , it can help to have a solid financial app to assess your situation , create a budget , figure out exactly what you can ( or can ’ t ) afford , work with those pesky and confusing figures , find a better way to save , or just keep from panicking .
We asked four staff members from The Verge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financially sane , and here ’ s what they recommended .
First of all , I need to admit that I monitor my finances in an absurdly old-fashioned way .
I don ’ t use an app that downloads all of my accounts and tracks everything for me ( although I have played around with Mint a bit ) .
Instead , I enter all of my expenses and income manually into my accounting software and then check off which expenses have cleared at the end of the month .
That way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my bills ahead of time by entering them before the payments are actually made and end up with a much clearer picture of how much cash I ’ ll have available afterward .
For years , I used native accounting software that just sat on my personal computer , like Microsoft Money .
In fact , I held on to Money for several years after Microsoft sunsetted it but still kept it available as a download .
( Thank you for that , Microsoft ! )
However , I found out how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my computer decided to ( figuratively ) crash and burn .
I had a backup , so I wasn ’ t in much trouble — except I decided I didn ’ t want to be dependent on a backup .
I wanted to be able to access my data from the cloud , so I could access it from a computer or from my phone .
However , I still enter it manually .
It took a while , but I found Buxfer .
This personal accounting software is simple to learn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that , while it will happily download all of your data for you , it will also let you manually enter your expenses and income ( something most other current accounting apps do not ) .
Buxfer does pretty much everything more well-known accounting apps do : it downloads your accounts ( if you want it to ) , tracks your budget , lets you know how you ’ re doing using charts and tables , follows your investments , and lets you set goals for , say , saving up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card .
It even lets you split bills with a spouse or a roommate , so you can track who is paying for what .
If you only need something to manually add expenses and income to , Buxfer is free to use .
If you want more sophisticated features — like , for example , automatic syncing with your bank and credit card accounts or automatic tagging of your accounts ( so you can easily find “ utilities ” or “ mortgage ” ) — then a “ Pilot ” account costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increases up to $ 10 a month , depending on how many features you need .
I really like Buxfer .
It has a clean , understandable interface ; lets you choose how many of your features you want to use ( and lets you ignore the others ) ; and doesn ’ t bother you with intrusive ads — even on the free version .
And although I was using the free version , when I had a question , I got a prompt reply to my email .
Buxfer may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s certainly worth checking out .
—Barbara Krasnoff , reviews editor A couple of years ago , I needed to find a company ( cheap or free ) that I could use for identity monitoring , and someone at work recommended Credit Karma .
I soon found out that , in signing up for Credit Karma , I was signing up for much more than just identity monitoring .
Credit Karma watches all of your accounts for possible data breaches , monitors your credit standing and notifies you when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to do things like lock your credit so that it ’ s harder for somebody to open an account in your name , among other services .
It also offers links to information about buying a home , buying or leasing a car , paying down an overdrawn credit card , and other financial services .
There is an entire section on financial relief , which could be very useful for those impacted by the current situation .
The site makes a variety of suggestions for low-interest credit cards , loans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these suggestions aren ’ t given strictly out of the kindness of its heart — you know that Credit Karma is getting compensated if you take it up on any of its offers — but I ’ ve checked out a few of its deals , and most of them aren ’ t bad .
For example , one of their savings accounts offered considerably more interest than my local bank , without charging anything extra .
( Unfortunately , when interest rates began to dive , the usefulness of that particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the other apps mentioned here , Credit Karma will not help you pay your bills or track your bank account .
But it does offer some really useful information and services , and while I don ’ t check it more than once a month or so , I find it helps me make sure my finances are safe and on the right track .
—Barbara Krasnoff Put aside for an emergency All of the wise financial advice I ’ ve ever received has boiled down to saving more money than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always easier said than done .
Previously , I would toss my money into a singular high-yield savings account and call it a day .
I never assigned a goal to that account so it was simple to talk myself into pulling from it , whether for an emergency or for a last-minute trip across the country .
Enter Digit .
Digit is an app specifically for saving money via goal setting .
Its interface is simple , attractive , and motivating .
Saving is as easy as hooking a bank account to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Digit will monitor your spending , determine how much you can afford to save , and then it ’ ll put the money away for you — even splitting the savings into the various goals .
What I find most rewarding , though , is watching my progress through the tracker .
If I complete the goal or need to withdraw the money early for any reason , the standard 2–3 business day transfer is free or I can pay a flat rate of $ 0.99 and get the money immediately .
Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Savings Bonus for every three months you save .
However , there are still better interest rates out there from more traditional savings accounts , so I only use Digit for short-term goals , leaving the longer-term goals in a separate account that will accrue more interest over time .
Digit charges $ 5 a month for the service , so the Savings Bonus may not even out against the monthly fee depending on how much you keep with Digit .
When I first started using Digit several years ago in college , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My workaround for that was to set savings limits on each goal so only small amounts would be pulled out at a time .
However , Digit now has Overdraft Prevention and Overdraft Reimbursement .
As for other features , Digit can help pay down credit card debt and student loans and pay for your phone bill in the same way it saves money for you .
Overall , Digit has been my favorite way to save money for years .
The app is simple , and it helps me keep my eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency fund for something frivolous .
The monthly fee can seem a little pricey , but as long as the app continues working flawlessly and I stay committed to using it regularly , it ’ s worth every penny .
—Kaitlin Hatton , social media manager I got married at the end of last year , and that kicked off a long search for the best way for me and my wife to keep track of our finances .
Because we were married , I figured it was time for us to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not to say we didn ’ t do any sort of money tracking before we tied the knot .
My wife and I had lived together for three years before we got married , and although we kept our finances separate , we tracked shared expenses on a big Google Sheet .
I built the spreadsheet so that it automatically calculated who paid for how much so we could settle up at the end of every month .
Our homespun Google Sheet worked well enough , but I felt there had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system for us to track those shared expenses .
I looked at or tested out many of the expense-tracking and budgeting apps out there — including some of the ones on this list — but they each had one thing or another that I didn ’ t like .
Some didn ’ t connect to our banks in an easy way .
Some were only mobile apps .
Some cost a monthly fee that I didn ’ t want to pay .
Many didn ’ t track expenses in the way we wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , after weeks of beating my head against the wall in the search for the perfect money app for couples , I finally realized that we already had the solution that worked for us all along : just use a Google Sheet and make it our own .
And so we did .
The core of our Google Sheet is the same : it ’ s largely an expenses tracker .
But we can make as many categories for expenses as we want .
I added an income tracker .
We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our personal or joint credit cards using a drop-down menu .
Fancy !
I will say that it was a lot of work to put the spreadsheet together .
I spent a lot more Saturday mornings tinkering with functions and formulas .
It took us a couple of months of using the spreadsheet to work out the bugs and ensure that it really worked for us .
And it ’ s not exactly something that I can just hand over to another person for them to start using for themselves .
But my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to , and I know I can mold it to be whatever I want it to be in the future .
It works for me .
( Plus , it ’ s free and cross-platform . )
—Jay Peters , news writer Tracking spending is one of the most daunting parts of having a budget .
It ’ s tedious , takes a lot of time , and can involve far too many spreadsheets .
While some people prefer to manually track their spending , I ’ ve always found having an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to go .
I ’ ve used Mint off and on for years , mostly to keep a bird ’ s-eye view of my total assets and my spending .
The monthly budget is one of the most attractive tools that Mint offers because you can assign different budgets to different things , including rent , groceries , charity , and way more .
The tool will then give you a green progress bar that turns yellow and then bright red the closer you get to finishing or going over a budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool of where you stand .
This is just one massive list of all the money coming and going from each account .
The categories automatically assigned to each transaction aren ’ t always the most accurate , so you do have to go through it with a fine-tooth comb if you want the best view of where your money is going .
However , doing this is still more time-efficient than listing each transaction manually .
Once you ’ ve done this , the spending charts Mint creates for you are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at each category .
While having the budget breakdown and spending charts is incredibly helpful — or embarrassing , according to how much takeout I get — having all of my accounts and loans gathered into one place is the most effective way to monitor my spending and savings .
I can quickly see how much progress I ’ ve made against my student loans or car note , and I ’ m also able to see every amount sitting in my different bank accounts .
Using that , combined with Mint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m able to quickly prioritize where I want my money to go and whether I should pass on another round of takeout .
All of this just scratches the surface of what Mint can do .
Additionally , it can create debt payment and savings goals , track bills and spending trends , show your credit score , suggest ways to save money , and more .
It is a little aggressive in trying to promote credit cards or other banking offers — however , that ’ s a fair enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the end of the day , Mint is a great tool for tracking and prioritizing spending .
—Kaitlin Hatton I ’ ve been a YNAB ( short for You Need a Budget ) user ever since I left university , first via its offline YNAB Classic app ( previously known as YNAB 4 ) and more recently via its web-based client .
That ’ s over half a decade in total .
Although I ’ ve experimented with a couple of other budgeting services over the years , I always end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like about YNAB is its relatively simple premise , which is that every bit of money that comes in should be assigned to a category , whether it ’ s savings , everyday expenses , or monthly bills .
The software is flexible enough that you can then tailor it to your specific needs .
So here ’ s how I use it : every month when I get paid , I sort my salary into categories .
There are some recurring bills like rent that are the same every month , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where I have a rough idea of how much I ’ m going to need .
Then I allocate a chunk to savings , and whatever ’ s left is the amount I know I can spend guilt-free on tech , video games , and beer .
( Your specific vices may vary . )
If you ’ re in the US , you can connect it to your accounts to have them automatically sync your transactions for you , but I ’ m in the UK where this functionality isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YNAB alongside Monzo , a UK-based bank that has a mobile app with budgeting functionality built in .
Once I ’ ve worked out my spending balances for the month using YNAB , I manually enter the amounts into the Monzo app .
Then I can refer to this app when I need to keep tabs on my everyday spending or work out if I can afford to splash out luxuries like a launch-day PS5 .
( Spoiler alert : I can ’ t . )
At the end of each month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transactions from each of my bank accounts and import them into YNAB , ready to budget for the next month .
My process sounds a little involved , but that ’ s kind of the point .
It forces me to look at what I ’ m spending each month and make choices about how much I can spend in the future .
And although I could probably achieve the same thing with a spreadsheet if I put in the effort , YNAB ’ s interface is clean and simple , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me .
It automatically keeps track of the average amount I spend in each category each month , and carries over any unspent budget , meaning the amount of work I have to do each month is pretty minimal .
If you take a look through the top posts from the YNAB subreddit , you ’ ll find countless posts from people who ’ ve used the software to clear debt , but this isn ’ t something I ’ m able to speak to personally .
Instead , my wins from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment I had the exact amount ready to pay for a year ’ s worth of car insurance because YNAB helped me put a small amount aside each month .
It ’ s this kind of bird ’ s-eye view that I ’ ve found it most helpful for , and it means that I ’ ll probably be using it for years to come to keep track of my long-term goals .
—Jon Porter , reporter

In these days of furloughs, layoffs, and shortened hours, when many people are struggling to pay their rent, figure out how to manage their bills, and looking askance at their college loans, it can help to have a solid financial app to assess your situation, create a budget, figure out exactly what you can (or can’t) afford, work with those pesky and confusing figures, find a better way to save, or just keep from panicking.
We asked four staff members from The Verge to talk about what they used to keep financially sane, and here’s what they recommended.
All-around accounting
Buxfer
First of all, I need to admit that I monitor my finances in an absurdly old-fashioned way. I don’t use an app that downloads all of my accounts and tracks everything for me (although I have played around with Mint a bit). Instead, I enter all of my expenses and income manually into my accounting software and then check off which expenses have cleared at the end of the month. That way, I can “pay” many of my bills ahead of time by entering them before the payments are actually made and end up with a much clearer picture of how much cash I’ll have available afterward.
For years, I used native accounting software that just sat on my personal computer, like Microsoft Money. In fact, I held on to Money for several years after Microsoft sunsetted it but still kept it available as a download. (Thank you for that, Microsoft!) However, I found out how much of a mistake that was the day my computer decided to (figuratively) crash and burn. I had a backup, so I wasn’t in much trouble — except I decided I didn’t want to be dependent on a backup. I wanted to be able to access my data from the cloud, so I could access it from a computer or from my phone. However, I still enter it manually.
It took a while, but I found Buxfer. This personal accounting software is simple to learn, easy to use, and flexible enough so that, while it will happily download all of your data for you, it will also let you manually enter your expenses and income (something most other current accounting apps do not). Buxfer does pretty much everything more well-known accounting apps do: it downloads your accounts (if you want it to), tracks your budget, lets you know how you’re doing using charts and tables, follows your investments, and lets you set goals for, say, saving up for a home or paying down a credit card. It even lets you split bills with a spouse or a roommate, so you can track who is paying for what.
If you only need something to manually add expenses and income to, Buxfer is free to use. If you want more sophisticated features — like, for example, automatic syncing with your bank and credit card accounts or automatic tagging of your accounts (so you can easily find “utilities” or “mortgage”) — then a “Pilot” account costs $2 / month. The cost increases up to $10 a month, depending on how many features you need.
I really like Buxfer. It has a clean, understandable interface; lets you choose how many of your features you want to use (and lets you ignore the others); and doesn’t bother you with intrusive ads — even on the free version. And although I was using the free version, when I had a question, I got a prompt reply to my email. Buxfer may not be as well-known as Quicken or YNAB, but it’s certainly worth checking out. —Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
Keep your data secure
Credit Karma
A couple of years ago, I needed to find a company (cheap or free) that I could use for identity monitoring, and someone at work recommended Credit Karma. I soon found out that, in signing up for Credit Karma, I was signing up for much more than just identity monitoring.
Credit Karma watches all of your accounts for possible data breaches, monitors your credit standing and notifies you when it changes and why, and helps you to do things like lock your credit so that it’s harder for somebody to open an account in your name, among other services. It also offers links to information about buying a home, buying or leasing a car, paying down an overdrawn credit card, and other financial services. There is an entire section on financial relief, which could be very useful for those impacted by the current situation.
The site makes a variety of suggestions for low-interest credit cards, loans, and other financial instruments. Of course, these suggestions aren’t given strictly out of the kindness of its heart — you know that Credit Karma is getting compensated if you take it up on any of its offers — but I’ve checked out a few of its deals, and most of them aren’t bad. For example, one of their savings accounts offered considerably more interest than my local bank, without charging anything extra. (Unfortunately, when interest rates began to dive, the usefulness of that particular account dove with it.)
Unlike most of the other apps mentioned here, Credit Karma will not help you pay your bills or track your bank account. But it does offer some really useful information and services, and while I don’t check it more than once a month or so, I find it helps me make sure my finances are safe and on the right track. —Barbara Krasnoff
Credit Karma / Keep your data secure Free
Put aside for an emergency
Digit
All of the wise financial advice I’ve ever received has boiled down to saving more money than I spend. However, it was always easier said than done. Previously, I would toss my money into a singular high-yield savings account and call it a day. I never assigned a goal to that account so it was simple to talk myself into pulling from it, whether for an emergency or for a last-minute trip across the country.
Enter Digit. Digit is an app specifically for saving money via goal setting. Its interface is simple, attractive, and motivating. Saving is as easy as hooking a bank account to it and setting a financial goal. Digit will monitor your spending, determine how much you can afford to save, and then it’ll put the money away for you — even splitting the savings into the various goals. What I find most rewarding, though, is watching my progress through the tracker. If I complete the goal or need to withdraw the money early for any reason, the standard 2–3 business day transfer is free or I can pay a flat rate of $0.99 and get the money immediately.
Additionally, Digit currently has a 0.10% Savings Bonus for every three months you save. However, there are still better interest rates out there from more traditional savings accounts, so I only use Digit for short-term goals, leaving the longer-term goals in a separate account that will accrue more interest over time. Digit charges $5 a month for the service, so the Savings Bonus may not even out against the monthly fee depending on how much you keep with Digit.
When I first started using Digit several years ago in college, it would occasionally overdraft my account. My workaround for that was to set savings limits on each goal so only small amounts would be pulled out at a time. However, Digit now has Overdraft Prevention and Overdraft Reimbursement. As for other features, Digit can help pay down credit card debt and student loans and pay for your phone bill in the same way it saves money for you.
Overall, Digit has been my favorite way to save money for years. The app is simple, and it helps me keep my eye on the prize without dipping into my emergency fund for something frivolous. The monthly fee can seem a little pricey, but as long as the app continues working flawlessly and I stay committed to using it regularly, it’s worth every penny. —Kaitlin Hatton, social media manager
Digit / Put aside for an emergency $5 / month
Do-it-yourself budgeting
Google Sheets
I got married at the end of last year, and that kicked off a long search for the best way for me and my wife to keep track of our finances. Because we were married, I figured it was time for us to get Very Serious about finances.
That’s not to say we didn’t do any sort of money tracking before we tied the knot. My wife and I had lived together for three years before we got married, and although we kept our finances separate, we tracked shared expenses on a big Google Sheet. I built the spreadsheet so that it automatically calculated who paid for how much so we could settle up at the end of every month. Our homespun Google Sheet worked well enough, but I felt there had to be some kind of better app or system for us to track those shared expenses.
I looked at or tested out many of the expense-tracking and budgeting apps out there — including some of the ones on this list — but they each had one thing or another that I didn’t like. Some didn’t connect to our banks in an easy way. Some were only mobile apps. Some cost a monthly fee that I didn’t want to pay. Many didn’t track expenses in the way we wanted them to.
I remember one Saturday morning, after weeks of beating my head against the wall in the search for the perfect money app for couples, I finally realized that we already had the solution that worked for us all along: just use a Google Sheet and make it our own.
And so we did. The core of our Google Sheet is the same: it’s largely an expenses tracker. But we can make as many categories for expenses as we want. I added an income tracker. We can even choose if we bought something with our personal or joint credit cards using a drop-down menu. Fancy!
I will say that it was a lot of work to put the spreadsheet together. I spent a lot more Saturday mornings tinkering with functions and formulas. It took us a couple of months of using the spreadsheet to work out the bugs and ensure that it really worked for us. And it’s not exactly something that I can just hand over to another person for them to start using for themselves.
But my old-fashioned spreadsheet does exactly what I need it to, and I know I can mold it to be whatever I want it to be in the future. It works for me. (Plus, it’s free and cross-platform.) —Jay Peters, news writer
Google Sheets / Do-it-yourself budgeting Free
Track your spending
Mint
Tracking spending is one of the most daunting parts of having a budget. It’s tedious, takes a lot of time, and can involve far too many spreadsheets. While some people prefer to manually track their spending, I’ve always found having an app do it for me is the way to go. I’ve used Mint off and on for years, mostly to keep a bird’s-eye view of my total assets and my spending.
The monthly budget is one of the most attractive tools that Mint offers because you can assign different budgets to different things, including rent, groceries, charity, and way more. The tool will then give you a green progress bar that turns yellow and then bright red the closer you get to finishing or going over a budget.
The transactions section informs the budget tool of where you stand. This is just one massive list of all the money coming and going from each account. The categories automatically assigned to each transaction aren’t always the most accurate, so you do have to go through it with a fine-tooth comb if you want the best view of where your money is going. However, doing this is still more time-efficient than listing each transaction manually. Once you’ve done this, the spending charts Mint creates for you are much more digestible, and attractive way to look at each category.
While having the budget breakdown and spending charts is incredibly helpful — or embarrassing, according to how much takeout I get — having all of my accounts and loans gathered into one place is the most effective way to monitor my spending and savings. I can quickly see how much progress I’ve made against my student loans or car note, and I’m also able to see every amount sitting in my different bank accounts. Using that, combined with Mint’s month-to-month spending comparison charts, I’m able to quickly prioritize where I want my money to go and whether I should pass on another round of takeout.
All of this just scratches the surface of what Mint can do. Additionally, it can create debt payment and savings goals, track bills and spending trends, show your credit score, suggest ways to save money, and more. It is a little aggressive in trying to promote credit cards or other banking offers — however, that’s a fair enough trade-off for the app being free. At the end of the day, Mint is a great tool for tracking and prioritizing spending. —Kaitlin Hatton
Mint / Track your spending Free
Plan out your monthly spending
YNAB
I’ve been a YNAB (short for You Need a Budget) user ever since I left university, first via its offline YNAB Classic app (previously known as YNAB 4) and more recently via its web-based client. That’s over half a decade in total. Although I’ve experimented with a couple of other budgeting services over the years, I always end up coming back to YNAB.
What I like about YNAB is its relatively simple premise, which is that every bit of money that comes in should be assigned to a category, whether it’s savings, everyday expenses, or monthly bills. The software is flexible enough that you can then tailor it to your specific needs.
So here’s how I use it: every month when I get paid, I sort my salary into categories. There are some recurring bills like rent that are the same every month, and other essential categories like food and transport where I have a rough idea of how much I’m going to need. Then I allocate a chunk to savings, and whatever’s left is the amount I know I can spend guilt-free on tech, video games, and beer. (Your specific vices may vary.)
If you’re in the US, you can connect it to your accounts to have them automatically sync your transactions for you, but I’m in the UK where this functionality isn’t available. My workaround is to use YNAB alongside Monzo, a UK-based bank that has a mobile app with budgeting functionality built in. Once I’ve worked out my spending balances for the month using YNAB, I manually enter the amounts into the Monzo app. Then I can refer to this app when I need to keep tabs on my everyday spending or work out if I can afford to splash out luxuries like a launch-day PS5. (Spoiler alert: I can’t.)
At the end of each month, I download a .QIF file filled with transactions from each of my bank accounts and import them into YNAB, ready to budget for the next month.
My process sounds a little involved, but that’s kind of the point. It forces me to look at what I’m spending each month and make choices about how much I can spend in the future. And although I could probably achieve the same thing with a spreadsheet if I put in the effort, YNAB’s interface is clean and simple, and it’s done all the setup work for me. It automatically keeps track of the average amount I spend in each category each month, and carries over any unspent budget, meaning the amount of work I have to do each month is pretty minimal.
If you take a look through the top posts from the YNAB subreddit, you’ll find countless posts from people who’ve used the software to clear debt, but this isn’t something I’m able to speak to personally. Instead, my wins from using YNAB have been smaller, like the moment I had the exact amount ready to pay for a year’s worth of car insurance because YNAB helped me put a small amount aside each month. It’s this kind of bird’s-eye view that I’ve found it most helpful for, and it means that I’ll probably be using it for years to come to keep track of my long-term goals. —Jon Porter, reporter


theverge--2020-11-03--Walmart is reportedly giving up on shelf-scanning robots in favor of humans

Retail robots that can scan shelves and update inventory have been one of the most visible faces of automation in recent years , but the success of such machines is far from guaranteed .
According to The Wall Street Journal , Walmart — one of the biggest adopters of this technology — is ending a contract that saw shelf-scanning robots appear in some 500 of its stores .
Apparently , the retailer found that humans could do the job just as well .
Walmart began using robots supplied by Bossa Nova Robotics in 2017 , with initial deployments in 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine work in stores , said the company , using machine vision to scan shelves and identify what products needed restocking .
Earlier this year , Bossa Nova said it planned to expand to 1,000 Walmart stores .
Why exactly Walmart is ending the partnership is unclear , though it seems the global pandemic had an effect .
The WSJ reports that as more people began shopping online , Walmart found it had “ more workers walking the aisles frequently to collect online orders.
” It seems that these workers could then perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Additionally , the WSJ says that Walmart ’ s US chief executive John Furner had worries about what customers would think seeing robots in the company ’ s stores .
Robots are less disruptive than a global pandemic A spokesperson for the retail giant told The Wall Street Journal : “ We learned a lot about how technology can assist associates , make jobs easier and provide a better customer experience .
We will continue testing new technologies and investing in our own processes and apps to best understand and track our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelves as quickly as we can.
” According to the WSJ , the end of the contract has had a big effect on Bossa Nova , with the startup since laying off 50 percent of its staff .
A spokesperson for Bossa Nova speaking to TechCrunch would not deny or confirm the Walmart news , but admitted that the company had been forced to “ streamline ” its operations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak .
“ I can not comment on Walmart , however , the pandemic has forced us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core technologies , ” said Bossa Nova co-founder Sarjoun Skaff .
“ We have made stunning advances in AI and robotics .
Our retail AI is the industry ’ s best and works as well on robots as with fixed cameras , and our hardware , autonomy and operations excelled in more than 500 of the world ’ s most challenging stores .
With the board ’ s full support , we continue deploying this technology with our partners in retail and in other fields.
” We ’ ve reached out to Bossa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will update this story if we hear back .

Retail robots that can scan shelves and update inventory have been one of the most visible faces of automation in recent years, but the success of such machines is far from guaranteed. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, Walmart — one of the biggest adopters of this technology — is ending a contract that saw shelf-scanning robots appear in some 500 of its stores. The retailer found that humans could do the job just as well.
Walmart began using robots supplied by Bossa Nova Robotics in 2017, with initial deployments in 50 locations. The mobile robots would simplify routine work in stores, said the company, using machine vision to scan shelves and identify what products needed restocking. Earlier this year, Bossa Nova said it planned to expand to 1,000 Walmart stores.
Why exactly Walmart is ending the partnership is unclear, though it seems the global pandemic had an effect. The WSJ reports that as more people began shopping online, Walmart found it had “more workers walking the aisles frequently to collect online orders.” It seems that these workers could then perform the same inventory checks as the robots. Additionally, the WSJ says that Walmart’s US chief executive John Furner had worries about what customers would think seeing robots in the company’s stores.
Robots are less disruptive than a global pandemic
A spokesperson for Walmart confirmed the news to The Verge, saying: “We’ve worked with Bossa Nova for five years and together we learned a lot about how technology can assist associates, make jobs easier and provide a better customer experience. This was one idea we tried in roughly 500 stores just as we are trying other ideas in additional stores. We will continue testing new technologies and investing in our own processes and apps to best understand and track our inventory and help move products to our shelves as quickly as we can.”
According to the WSJ, the end of the contract has had a big effect on Bossa Nova, with the startup since laying off 50 percent of its staff. Sarjoun Skaff, Bossa Nova’s co-founder, told The Verge in a press statement that the company had been forced to “streamline” its operations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, but offered no comment on the contract with Walmart.
“I cannot comment on Walmart, however, the pandemic has forced us to streamline our operations and focus on our core technologies,” said Skaff. “We have made stunning advances in AI and robotics. Our retail AI is the industry’s best and works as well on robots as with fixed cameras, and our hardware, autonomy and operations excelled in more than 500 of the world’s most challenging stores. With the board’s full support, we continue deploying this technology with our partners in retail and in other fields.”


theverge--2020-11-03--The PS5’s new controller is amazing, here’s how it works

When I first picked up the PlayStation 5 ’ s new DualSense controller I was totally blown away by the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers .
The PS5 ships with Astro ’ s Playroom , which is the perfect showcase for this controller and everything it ’ s capable of .
Sony has added haptic feedback to its new PS5 controller that makes you feel the environment in Astro ’ s Playroom , with adaptive triggers that provide tension when you ’ re drawing a bow or pulling on a cord .
While it ’ s easy to dismiss it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new DualSense controller goes beyond what I ’ ve ever experienced on a Nintendo Switch , Xbox controller , or even the great haptic feedback you ’ ll find on modern smartphones .
The key addition are these new adaptive triggers , that really change the way games feel .
A new teardown , spotted by Polygon , shows exactly how the adaptive triggers are able to provide realistic tension using a special geared motor .
TronicsFix has torn apart the DualSense controller to provide us with an inside look at these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t running through the motor then the triggers feel like regular ones , but as soon as current is added through the motor this generates tension and resistance for the triggers .
These triggers are the highlight of Astro ’ s Playroom .
You can feel the tension as you pull on rope to move throughout levels .
This pack-in game even transforms you into a loaded spring at one point , where you feel the tension of a spring in the triggers .
You can see this resistance in action , below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best demo of this new controller right now , but more games are coming that will make special use of the DualSense .
Fortnite is using the haptic feedback on the DualSense to make players feel like they ’ re holding different weapons , and the triggers will also adapt for ranged weapons .
In NBA 2K21 the adaptive triggers will change as a player ’ s energy drains , adding more resistance on the sprint trigger .
PS5 exclusive Deathloop will also use the adaptive triggers to make weapons feel different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a gun jams .
The DualSense will clearly shine in first-party PS5 exclusives , but Fortnite , NBA 2K21 , and other titles show that there ’ s some early third-party interest in what this new controller is capable of .
If developers keep experimenting with the DualSense , then PS5 owners could be about to experience a very different feel to the next-gen of games .

When I first picked up the PlayStation 5’s new DualSense controller I was totally blown away by the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The PS5 ships with Astro’s Playroom, which is the perfect showcase for this controller and everything it’s capable of. Sony has added haptic feedback to its new PS5 controller that makes you feel the environment in Astro’s Playroom, with adaptive triggers that provide tension when you’re drawing a bow or pulling on a cord.
While it’s easy to dismiss it as just another fancy vibration feature, the new DualSense controller goes beyond what I’ve ever experienced on a Nintendo Switch, Xbox controller, or even the great haptic feedback you’ll find on modern smartphones. The key addition are these new adaptive triggers, that really change the way games feel.
The new DualSense adaptive triggers. TronicsFix (YouTube)
A new teardown, spotted by Polygon, shows exactly how the adaptive triggers are able to provide realistic tension using a special geared motor. TronicsFix has torn apart the DualSense controller to provide us with an inside look at these new triggers. When current isn’t running through the motor then the triggers feel like regular ones, but as soon as current is added through the motor this generates tension and resistance for the triggers.
These triggers are the highlight of Astro’s Playroom. You can feel the tension as you pull on rope to move throughout levels. This pack-in game even transforms you into a loaded spring at one point, where you feel the tension of a spring in the triggers. You can see this resistance in action, below.
Astro’s Playroom is clearly the best demo of this new controller right now, but more games are coming that will make special use of the DualSense. Fortnite is using the haptic feedback on the DualSense to make players feel like they’re holding different weapons, and the triggers will also adapt for ranged weapons.
In NBA 2K21 the adaptive triggers will change as a player’s energy drains, adding more resistance on the sprint trigger. PS5 exclusive Deathloop will also use the adaptive triggers to make weapons feel different, and even block the adaptive triggers when a gun jams.


theverge--2020-11-03--WhatsApp makes it easier to free up space with new storage management tool

WhatsApp has redesigned its storage management tool , making it easier for users to find and delete files that are taking up too much space on their phone .
The new tool will be “ rolling out to users worldwide this week , ” says the Facebook-owned company , and will be available in the app by heading to Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage .
The current WhatsApp “ Storage Usage ” tool simply sorts all available chats by the amount of space they take up , listing the number of messages , photos , GIFs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letting the user delete each category with a few taps .
This is handy , but doesn ’ t give users a way to browse the content they ’ re removing .
That ’ s important if you need to clear out , say , a family group chat , and want to avoid deleting any important photos .
The new tool , by comparison , offers thumbnails of content to be deleted , and groups this data in categories including “ Forwarded many times ” and “ Larger than 5 MB.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to identify content that they don ’ t need or want any more , and that can simply be deleted .
You can see a preview of the new tool in action below :

WhatsApp has redesigned its storage management tool, making it easier for users to find and delete files that are taking up too much space on their phone. The new tool will be “rolling out to users worldwide this week,” says the Facebook-owned company, and will be available in the app by heading to Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage.
The current WhatsApp “Storage Usage” tool simply sorts all available chats by the amount of space they take up, listing the number of messages, photos, GIFs, and videos in each chat, and letting the user delete each category with a few taps. This is handy, but doesn’t give users a way to browse the content they’re removing. That’s important if you need to clear out, say, a family group chat, and want to avoid deleting any important photos.


theverge--2020-11-02--Contact tracing app for England and Wales failed to flag people exposed to COVID-19

The COVID-19 exposure notification app used in England and Wales failed to warn users if they were in close contact with potentially infectious COVID-19 patients .
Because of the error , thousands of people were not told to quarantine even when they should have been , according to the Sunday Times , which first reported the flaw .
The app was launched on September 24th , and there have been 19 million downloads since .
It ’ s built using Google and Apple ’ s Bluetooth Low Energy-based system , which monitors nearby phones .
If someone tests positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones that they were in contact with .
The UK originally planned to use its own app , sidestepping the Google and Apple system , but reversed course in June .
Since its launch , the app flagged few users for possible exposure , according to the Sunday Times .
Engineers figured out the reason why last week .
The app was originally built to simply recommend that anyone closer than 2 meters for more than 15 minutes to someone who later tested positive should quarantine , according to The Guardian .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjusted to take into account when the sick person ’ s symptoms began .
Research shows that people tend to have high levels of virus in their nose and throat , and may be more contagious , around a day before they start to show symptoms .
Levels stay high the first few days of symptoms , and then drop off .
If someone was in contact with a sick person outside of that window , the app would consider the interaction less risky .
If they were in contact inside of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would only take three minutes of contact to trigger an alert .
The adjusted app did calculate those new risk levels .
But the thresholds at which a person would actually get an alert were left unchanged , according to a government blog post .
Without the updated thresholds , a user could have spent up to 15 minutes with a highly infectious person and up to 40 minutes with a less-contagious person without getting an alert , according to The Guardian .
The error was discovered when the engineering team added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage exposures at a distance over a meter away .
A UK Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Guardian that the app was “ the only app in the world using the latest Google-Apple technology to better gauge distance to identify those most at risk.
” Correction : The original headline and body referred to the app as a “ UK app ” which is incorrect as it only covers England and Wales .
The error was not seen in contact tracing apps used in Scotland and Northern Ireland .
@ @ @ @ @ @

The COVID-19 exposure notification app used in England and Wales failed to warn users if they were in close contact with potentially infectious COVID-19 patients. Because of the error, thousands of people were not told to quarantine even when they should have been, according to the Sunday Times, which first reported the flaw.
The app was launched on September 24th, and there have been 19 million downloads since. It’s built using Google and Apple’s Bluetooth Low Energy-based system, which monitors nearby phones. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, their app can alert the phones that they were in contact with. The UK originally planned to use its own app, sidestepping the Google and Apple system, but reversed course in June.
Since its launch, the app flagged few users for possible exposure, according to the Sunday Times. Engineers figured out the reason why last week. The app was originally built to simply recommend that anyone closer than 2 meters for more than 15 minutes to someone who later tested positive should quarantine, according to The Guardian. But just before the launch, it was adjusted to take into account when the sick person’s symptoms began.
Research shows that people tend to have high levels of virus in their nose and throat, and may be more contagious, around a day before they start to show symptoms. Levels stay high the first few days of symptoms, and then drop off. If someone was in contact with a sick person outside of that window, the app would consider the interaction less risky. If they were in contact inside of that window, on the other hand, it would only take three minutes of contact to trigger an alert.
The adjusted app did calculate those new risk levels. But the thresholds at which a person would actually get an alert were left unchanged, according to a government blog post. Without the updated thresholds, a user could have spent up to 15 minutes with a highly infectious person and up to 40 minutes with a less-contagious person without getting an alert, according to The Guardian.
The error was discovered when the engineering team added another update, which could more accurately manage exposures at a distance over a meter away.
A UK Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Guardian that the app was “the only app in the world using the latest Google-Apple technology to better gauge distance to identify those most at risk.”


theverge--2020-11-05--PlayStation 5 won’t be available for in-store purchase on launch day, Sony confirms

After a hectic preorder season , Sony today announced that there will be no PlayStation 5 consoles available for walk-in purchases at retail stores on the console ’ s launch date .
The company shared the news via a tweet and blog post and is strongly discouraging eager gamers from lining up outside stores .
If you do , it ’ ll be for nothing .
“ All day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners , ” Sony ’ s Sid Shuman wrote in the blog post .
“ No units will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( November 12th or November 19th , depending on your region ) — please don ’ t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase .
Be safe , stay home , and place your order online , ” he added .
Note that this does not impact orders placed for in-store pickup .
If you ’ ve already preordered a PlayStation 5 with Best Buy , GameStop , Target , or another retailer and have been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll still be getting your new console without issue .
But this is Sony taking steps to prevent unnecessary lines at retailers around the globe as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stretch on .
Retailers , including Target in the US , have already been trying to get this online-only message across to consumers .
Just last night , Amazon — after a long period of uncertainty — began updating PS5 preorders with estimated delivery dates .
Many of them ( including the Digital Edition PS5 ) are on target to hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement today technically only applies to the first day of sales , but it ’ s unlikely you ’ ll have an easy time finding a PS5 on the shelves at major retailers anytime soon .

After a hectic preorder season, Sony today announced that there will be no PlayStation 5 consoles available for walk-in purchases at retail stores on the console’s launch date. The company shared the news via a tweet and blog post and is strongly discouraging eager gamers from lining up outside stores. If you do, it’ll be for nothing. “All day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners,” Sony’s Sid Shuman wrote in the blog post.
“No units will be available in-store for purchase on launch day (November 12th or November 19th, depending on your region) — please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase. Be safe, stay home, and place your order online,” he added.
Note that this does not impact orders placed for in-store pickup. If you’ve already preordered a PlayStation 5 with Best Buy, GameStop, Target, or another retailer and have been confirmed for launch day pickup, you’ll still be getting your new console without issue. But this is Sony taking steps to prevent unnecessary lines at retailers around the globe as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stretch on.
Retailers, including Target in the US, have already been trying to get this online-only message across to consumers. Walmart plans to have four different windows of launch-day PlayStation 5 sales at 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, and 9PM. Just last night, Amazon — after a long period of uncertainty — began updating PS5 preorders with estimated delivery dates. Many of them (including the Digital Edition PS5) are on target to hit the November 12th launch.


theverge--2020-11-05--People are mistaking a Baltimore Orioles meme for an election misinformation botnet

Social networks have spent this week handling high-profile misinformation .
But under the radar — or at least under many tweets from President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — some users are baiting earnest election-watchers with a long-running Twitter joke .
The copypasta — which has popped up dozens of times under Trump tweets , Biden tweets , and election-related tweets from news outlets — involves apparently devastated Twitter users threatening to leave the country .
“ That ’ s it .
That seals the deal , ” reads a typical example .
“ I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in all my time of being one i ’ ve never seen an election this bad .
I ’ ve had enough of it , until you fix this country .
I ’ ll be packing my bags to England where they actually know how to run a country.
” The tweets fit a well-worn cliché about Americans threatening to emigrate after an election , and they ’ ve gotten significant engagement on Twitter — often in the form of agreement or schadenfreude-laden “ goodbye ” gifs .
But a quick search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately reveals a long list of posts with nearly identical phrasing , tweeted by a variety of unrelated accounts .
Podcaster and cartoonist Scott Johnson , among other people on Twitter , flagged some examples in a screenshot .
“ Weird , ” he tweeted sardonically , “ it ’ s like Twitter is not all that trustworthy.
” Several tweets referred to them as bots , potentially deployed to divide Americans after the election , similar to the Russian Internet Research Agency ’ s coordinated meme warfare .
But as social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this almost certainly isn ’ t a coordinated misinformation campaign .
Instead , it ’ s a mutation of a year-old sports joke .
Norteño scraped thousands of tweets using the formula back in August , when they cropped up in response to this summer ’ s NBA boycott .
In a detailed Twitter thread , Norteño concluded that “ very few ” of the tweets were automated .
Instead , they were likely riffs on a 2019 tweet from an account called @ will61375 , originally directed at the Baltimore Orioles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in mid-2020 , when an account called @ YearOfTheCovid used it to reply to a Red Sox # BlackLivesMatter tweet .
The account owner ( who now uses a different handle ) tells The Verge that the tweet was ironic .
“ I was using it in a joking matter , essentially mocking Trump boomers on here , ” they said .
The copypasta ’ s apparent original creator didn ’ t reply to a tweeted request for comment .
And in fact , some of the recent iterations are very obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports and don ’ t fit the profile of a political bot .
One user swears they ’ re going to London , “ the only place a [ Champions League ] trophy can be found.
” Another changes the destination to Venezuela , a choice guaranteed to needle conservative readers , then responds to a slew of replies with “ you just got baited.
” Yet another says they ’ re leaving America for Alaska .
“ It ’ s really just a popular meme , ” the author of the London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The behavior has still drawn Twitter ’ s opprobrium .
In August , Twitter ’ s communications team said it “ may limit the visibility ” of copypasta tweets — even if they ’ re not malicious .
That ’ s happening again after the election .
“ We ’ re aware of this and tweets with that copy may see reduced visibility , ” a spokesperson tells The Verge .
But amid a flood of deliberate disinformation , there ’ s no reason to see this particular Twitter trend as nefarious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orioles copypasta , not a botnet , ” writes Norteño .

Social networks have spent this week handling high-profile misinformation. But under the radar — or at least under many tweets from President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — some users are baiting earnest election-watchers with a long-running Twitter joke.
The copypasta — which has popped up dozens of times under Trump tweets, Biden tweets, and election-related tweets from news outlets — involves apparently devastated Twitter users threatening to leave the country.
“That’s it. That seals the deal,” reads a typical example. “I’ve been an American citizen for 54 years and in all my time of being one i’ve never seen an election this bad. I’ve had enough of it, until you fix this country. I’ll be packing my bags to England where they actually know how to run a country.”
The tweets fit a well-worn cliché about Americans threatening to emigrate after an election, and they’ve gotten significant engagement on Twitter — often in the form of agreement or schadenfreude-laden “goodbye” gifs. But a quick search for “that seals the deal” immediately reveals a long list of posts with nearly identical phrasing, tweeted by a variety of unrelated accounts.
Podcaster and cartoonist Scott Johnson, among other people on Twitter, flagged some examples in a screenshot. “Weird,” he tweeted sardonically, “it’s like Twitter is not all that trustworthy.” Several tweets referred to them as bots, potentially deployed to divide Americans after the election, similar to the Russian Internet Research Agency’s coordinated meme warfare.
But as social media bot researcher Conspirador Norteño has pointed out, this almost certainly isn’t a coordinated misinformation campaign. Instead, it’s a mutation of a year-old sports joke. Norteño scraped thousands of tweets using the formula back in August, when they cropped up in response to this summer’s NBA boycott. In a detailed Twitter thread, Norteño concluded that “very few” of the tweets were automated. Instead, they were likely riffs on a 2019 tweet from an account called @will61375, originally directed at the Baltimore Orioles.
Norteño writes that the meme blew up in mid-2020, when an account called @YearOfTheCovid used it to reply to a Red Sox #BlackLivesMatter tweet. The account owner (who now uses a different handle) tells The Verge that the tweet was ironic. “I was using it in a joking matter, essentially mocking Trump boomers on here,” they said. The copypasta’s apparent original creator didn’t reply to a tweeted request for comment.
And in fact, some of the recent iterations are very obviously jokes from accounts that post overwhelmingly about sports and don’t fit the profile of a political bot. One user swears they’re going to London, “the only place a [Champions League] trophy can be found.” Another changes the destination to Venezuela, a choice guaranteed to needle conservative readers, then responds to a slew of replies with “you just got baited.” Yet another says they’re leaving America for Alaska. “It’s really just a popular meme,” the author of the London tweet told The Verge over direct message.
The behavior has still drawn Twitter’s opprobrium. In August, Twitter’s communications team said it “may limit the visibility” of copypasta tweets — even if they’re not malicious. That’s happening again after the election. “We’re aware of this and tweets with that copy may see reduced visibility,” a spokesperson tells The Verge.