theverge--2020-02-07--Nvidia is no longer attending Mobile World Congress, citing coronavirus risk

The world ’ s biggest mobile trade show just took another blow — graphics giant Nvidia , one of the conference ’ s sponsors , just announced it ’ s not sending employees to Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona due to the “ public health risks around the coronavirus ” that have been putting off some other exhibitors and attendees too .
Nvidia ’ s the fourth exhibitor to partially or fully drop out of MWC 2020 , and the first US company to do so , following Ericsson , LG , and ZTE .
But Nvidia was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had partnered with the GSMA conference organizing body to host an entire track of 10 sessions and roundtables around artificial intelligence .
It also planned to welcome visitors to an “ AI Edge Innovation Center ” that would “ put attendees at the intersection of AI , 5G and edge computing.
” No Nvidia means less AI talk at MWC 2020 It ’ s not clear if those sessions and exhibit will still be on offer , but it ’ d be hard without Nvidia ’ s employees .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the show .
“ We ’ ve been looking forward to sharing our work in AI , 5G and vRAN with the industry .
We regret not attending , but believe this is the right decision , ” reads a portion of Nvidia ’ s statement .
Nvidia and the GSMA didn ’ t immediately respond to requests for comment .
Qualcomm , Lenovo , Motorola , Xiaomi , Vivo and Honor all previously told The Verge that they plan to attend the show , but it certainly sounds like this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different show .

The world’s biggest mobile trade show just took another blow — graphics giant Nvidia, one of the conference’s sponsors, just announced it’s not sending employees to Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona due to the “public health risks around the coronavirus” that have been putting off some other exhibitors and attendees too.
Nvidia’s the fourth exhibitor to partially or fully drop out of MWC 2020, and the first US company to do so, following Ericsson, LG, and ZTE. But Nvidia was also a major sponsor of the conference, and had partnered with the GSMA conference organizing body to host an entire track of 10 sessions and roundtables around artificial intelligence. It also planned to welcome visitors to an “AI Edge Innovation Center” that would “put attendees at the intersection of AI, 5G and edge computing.”
No Nvidia means less AI talk at MWC 2020
It’s not clear if those sessions and exhibit will still be on offer, but it’d be hard without Nvidia’s employees. We’re also curious how much money Nvidia sunk into the show.
“We’ve been looking forward to sharing our work in AI, 5G and vRAN with the industry. We regret not attending, but believe this is the right decision,” reads a portion of Nvidia’s statement.
Nvidia and the GSMA didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.


theverge--2020-02-10--Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini caught on video ahead of rumored Wednesday release

A whole host of images , videos , and screenshots of Samsung ’ s Galaxy Home Mini have been posted online by XDA-Developers ’ Max Weinbach , giving us our most detailed look yet at Samsung ’ s unreleased smart speaker .
In a page that was subsequently taken down , Samsung previously said the device will be released on February 12th , one day after its Galaxy S20 launch event .
In particular , the leak details the speaker ’ s IR blaster functionality , which can be used to control TVs , set-top boxes , and fans at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The IR controller isn ’ t entirely unique to the Galaxy Home Mini , after Amazon included it on its Fire TV Cube smart speaker and Fire TV Blaster accessory , but it should help the Galaxy Home Mini control devices beyond those that are SmartThings-compatible .
Otherwise , it looks like the Galaxy Home Mini will support many of the features we ’ ve come to expect from existing smart speakers , including playing music from Spotify , providing weather information , setting alarms , and providing news reports .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another to provide better stereo sound , you can stream to the speaker over Bluetooth , and it can receive notifications from SmartThings devices .
The leak also includes some details on its potential limitations .
The speaker doesn ’ t have a 3.5-mm line-out port , and it also appears to be powered over micro USB rather than USB-C , according to a picture posted of its underside .
Weinbach also reports that the Galaxy Home Mini only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi , with no 5GHz connectivity in sight .
Oh , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant , whose functionality generally lags behind what ’ s offered by Alexa and Google Assistant .
Samsung ’ s smart speakers have a bit of a weird history .
The first Bixby-powered speaker , the Galaxy Home , was announced back in August 2018 , but has since faced multiple delays and is still yet to be released .
Then , seemingly out of nowhere , Samsung announced the smaller Galaxy Home Mini , which it said would launch early this year .
Samsung ’ s Unpacked event kicks off tomorrow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see more .

A whole host of images, videos, and screenshots of Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini have been posted online by XDA-Developers’ Max Weinbach, giving us our most detailed look yet at Samsung’s unreleased smart speaker. In a page that was subsequently taken down, Samsung previously said the device will be released on February 12th, one day after its Galaxy S20 launch event.
In particular, the leak details the speaker’s IR blaster functionality, which can be used to control TVs, set-top boxes, and fans at a range of up to 40 feet. The IR controller isn’t entirely unique to the Galaxy Home Mini, after Amazon included it on its Fire TV Cube smart speaker and Fire TV Blaster accessory, but it should help the Galaxy Home Mini control devices beyond those that are SmartThings-compatible.
Otherwise, it looks like the Galaxy Home Mini will support many of the features we’ve come to expect from existing smart speakers, including playing music from Spotify, providing weather information, setting alarms, and providing news reports. The Galaxy Home Mini can be paired with another to provide better stereo sound, you can stream to the speaker over Bluetooth, and it can receive notifications from SmartThings devices.
The leak also includes some details on its potential limitations. The speaker doesn’t have a 3.5-mm line-out port, and it also appears to be powered over micro USB rather than USB-C, according to a picture posted of its underside. Weinbach also reports that the Galaxy Home Mini only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, with no 5GHz connectivity in sight. Oh, and obviously the speaker uses the Bixby smart assistant, whose functionality generally lags behind what’s offered by Alexa and Google Assistant.


theverge--2020-02-10--Microsoft’s Surface Duo appears in the wild in new video

Microsoft first unveiled its new dual-screen Surface Duo last year , but the company wouldn ’ t let anyone touch the Android software powering the device .
We recently got a closer look at how Android will run on the Surface Duo thanks to an emulator , but now one of Microsoft ’ s dual-screen devices has appeared in the wild .
Spotted on Vancouver ’ s SkyTrain , the Surface Duo hardware looks identical to what Microsoft showed back in October , although there ’ s some speculation it may now include a front-facing flash .
The interesting part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the device , and how the OS adapts when you ’ re using a single display or both screens side-by-side .
In the video you can see a game running on the Surface Duo on a single display , before the owner attempts to swipe away and get back into Outlook for Android .
The gesture animations appear unfinished here , but the Duo owner also uses two apps side-by-side briefly .
There ’ s also a brief look at how apps can span across both displays in what Microsoft calls an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be the default for developers , as end users will have to specifically choose to extend an app across both displays .
The default behavior will see apps open individually on each display .
The Verge understands that some developers already have access to some dual-screen devices to create and test apps , which might explain why we ’ re starting to see Surface Duo devices out in the wild .
Microsoft has supplied a large number of guidelines for dual-screen app developers , and even an Android emulator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress , though , as this video shows .
Microsoft is now holding a special developer day tomorrow to dive deeper into dual-screen devices , and the company will also release a Windows 10X emulator for its Surface Neo device .

Microsoft first unveiled its new dual-screen Surface Duo last year, but the company wouldn’t let anyone touch the Android software powering the device. We recently got a closer look at how Android will run on the Surface Duo thanks to an emulator, but now one of Microsoft’s dual-screen devices has appeared in the wild. Spotted on Vancouver’s SkyTrain, the Surface Duo hardware looks identical to what Microsoft showed back in October, although there’s some speculation it may now include a front-facing flash.
The interesting part of this video is how Android runs on the device, and how the OS adapts when you’re using a single display or both screens side-by-side. In the video you can see a game running on the Surface Duo on a single display, before the owner attempts to swipe away and get back into Outlook for Android. The gesture animations appear unfinished here, but the Duo owner also uses two apps side-by-side briefly.
There’s also a brief look at how apps can span across both displays in what Microsoft calls an “extended canvas” mode. This won’t be the default for developers, as end users will have to specifically choose to extend an app across both displays. The default behavior will see apps open individually on each display.
The Verge understands that some developers already have access to some dual-screen devices to create and test apps, which might explain why we’re starting to see Surface Duo devices out in the wild.


theverge--2020-02-10--Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Plus detailed in new hands-on video

Samsung ’ s upcoming true wireless earbuds , the Galaxy Buds Plus , have leaked again , this time in a hands-on video from WinFuture ’ s Roland Quandt .
As well as confirming the specs that leaked last week , the video and follow-up tweets give an idea of how the earbuds perform in the real world ; offering details on battery life , sound quality , and call quality .
The source of the leak was a European retailer who shipped the Galaxy Buds Plus to Quandt early , seemingly unaware that they were yet to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galaxy Buds Plus ’ battery life was still at 54 percent after playing loud music for three and a half hours , a little under a third of the way through the 11 hours of battery life that Samsung claims they offer .
Their fit , meanwhile , is apparently good enough that “ not having ANC doesn ’ t even really matter.
” In terms of sound quality , Quandt says he found the bass level of the earbuds to be a little low , but that he could rectify this by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the companion app .
According to Quandt , the quality of the earbuds ’ microphones leaves a little to be desired .
People he called on the phone said he sounded like he was talking “ thru a Walkie Talkie.
” Ambient noise was also a problem , despite the triple microphone array on each earbud .
However , Quandt also says that these calls were made from a moving train without VoLTE , which could have been a contributing factor .
Otherwise , the video and follow-up tweets corroborate much of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaked their specs .
The earbuds each have two drivers ( a woofer and a tweeter ) , and Samsung ’ s official specs say they offer a total of 22 hours when used with their charging case .
Like their predecessors , they support Qi wireless charging and Bluetooth 5 .
Quant ’ s video claims that the Galaxy Buds Plus will retail for $ 169 ( or €169 in Europe ) , a slight increase over the $ 149 ( €149 ) Samsung charged for the originals .
The earbuds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Unpacked event alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 .

Samsung’s upcoming true wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Plus, have leaked again, this time in a hands-on video from WinFuture’s Roland Quandt. As well as confirming the specs that leaked last week, the video and follow-up tweets give an idea of how the earbuds perform in the real world; offering details on battery life, sound quality, and call quality. The source of the leak was a European retailer who shipped the Galaxy Buds Plus to Quandt early, seemingly unaware that they were yet to have been officially announced.
Quandt reports that the Galaxy Buds Plus’ battery life was still at 54 percent after playing loud music for three and a half hours, a little under a third of the way through the 11 hours of battery life that Samsung claims they offer. Their fit, meanwhile, is apparently good enough that “not having ANC doesn’t even really matter.” In terms of sound quality, Quandt says he found the bass level of the earbuds to be a little low, but that he could rectify this by selecting their bass boosted EQ mode from the companion app.
According to Quandt, the quality of the earbuds’ microphones leaves a little to be desired. People he called on the phone said he sounded like he was talking “thru a Walkie Talkie.” Ambient noise was also a problem, despite the triple microphone array on each earbud. However, Quandt also says that these calls were made from a moving train without VoLTE, which could have been a contributing factor.
Otherwise, the video and follow-up tweets corroborate much of what we learned last week when Evan Blass leaked their specs. The earbuds each have two drivers (a woofer and a tweeter), and Samsung’s official specs say they offer a total of 22 hours when used with their charging case. Like their predecessors, they support Qi wireless charging and Bluetooth 5.


theverge--2020-02-10--Sony and Amazon pull out of Mobile World Congress due to coronavirus risk

Sony and Amazon are the latest companies to cancel their presence at Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the new coronavirus outbreak .
LG , ZTE , Nvidia , and Ericsson have already cancelled various events that were set to take place at MWC in Barcelona , which is the biggest mobile technology trade show on the annual calendar .
“ Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak , which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th , 2020 , ” Sony says in a statement posted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers , partners , media and employees , we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona , Spain.
” Amazon , meanwhile , tells TechCrunch that “ due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus , Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020 , scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona , Spain.
” Amazon has not historically had a major consumer-focusing presence at MWC .
Sony , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show to reveal its most important mobile devices .
Last year , for example , the company announced its Xperia 1 flagship phone at the show .
Sony says it will instead make its announcements online through its Xperia YouTube channel this year .
Yesterday the GSM Association , which organizes MWC , put out an updated statement detailing further countermeasures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus .
No travelers from China ’ s Hubei province , where the outbreak began , will be permitted access to the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other regions of China will need to prove that they have been out of the country for 14 days beforehand .
With MWC set to start in two weeks today , that is likely to complicate the plans of several Chinese companies that were planning to attend .

Intel, Vivo, and NTT Docomo are joining Sony, Amazon, and others who have cancelled their presence at Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. LG, ZTE, Nvidia, and Ericsson have already cancelled various events that were set to take place at MWC in Barcelona, which is the biggest mobile technology trade show on the annual calendar. TCL also announced it would not be holding a press conference at the show, but the company still plans to attend.
“The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this year’s Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution,” said an Intel spokesperson in a statement published by Venturebeat. NTT similarly stressed the need to protect customers, partners, and staff, according to Reuters.
Vivo, citing concerns with the health and safety of its employees and the public, is withdrawing the debut of its new Apex 2020 concept phone from MWC. Revised plans will be issued soon, according to the company.
“Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th, 2020,” Sony says in a statement posted to its website Monday. “As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.”
“We have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020”
Amazon, meanwhile, tells TechCrunch that “due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020, scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain.”
Amazon has not historically had a major consumer-focusing presence at MWC. Sony, on the other hand, often uses the show to reveal its most important mobile devices. Last year, for example, the company announced its Xperia 1 flagship phone at the show. Sony says it will instead make its announcements online through its Xperia YouTube channel this year.
In a statement, TCL said it had taken the decision to cancel its press event for MWC. However, it stressed that “this decision does not impact any other MWC 2020 activities planned by the company and TCL will still announce its latest mobile devices and showcase them at its booth.”
Yesterday the GSM Association, which organizes MWC, put out an updated statement detailing further countermeasures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus. No travelers from China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak began, will be permitted access to the event, while anyone who’s visited other regions of China will need to prove that they have been out of the country for 14 days beforehand. With MWC set to start in two weeks today, that is likely to complicate the plans of several Chinese companies that were planning to attend.
Update February 10th, 9:40AM ET: Updated with information on TCL’s cancellation.


theverge--2020-02-09--Oscars 2020: Parasite sweeps, while Netflix loses out on pretty much everything

Netflix headed into the 92nd Oscars with 24 nominations — the most of any studio — expecting to dominate award season ’ s biggest night the same way it ’ s dominated the entertainment industry .
Instead , Netflix walked away with practically zilch .
The streamer made out with just two awards : Best Documentary for American Factory ( produced by President Barack and Michelle Obama ’ s production company ) and Best Supporting Actress for Laura Dern .
Its biggest films — The Irishman and The Two Popes — all went home empty handed .
Only just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief Ted Sarandos rebuked claims that its lack of awards are previous award shows is part of a “ backlash to a tech giant that is upending entertainment-industry business practices and threatening Hollywood power hierarchies , ” as the New York Times wrote .
“ A pushback ?
Nobody can say that with a straight face , ” Sarandos said .
“ We got 24 nominations , the most of any studio .
Our films have been honored across the board.
” “ We got 24 nominations , the most of any studio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been aggressive .
Some industry competitors have estimated that Netflix spent approximately $ 70 million on its Oscars campaign — much higher than what most studios spend .
Netflix hasn ’ t shied away from its Oscar ambitions , but the company is trying to increase its film output and become a full fledged studio in 2020 .
Award show prestige is important to the company — especially when it comes to drawing in the best talent , like Martin Scorsese .
Netflix has proven over the last few years that can secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time-to-time , but getting the big wins are still a struggle .
It ’ s clear that while Netflix moved from the kids table to sit with the adults , it ’ s still the odd one out right now .
Netflix ’ s night may not have gone as planned , but Parasite director Bong Joon-ho ’ s did .
The director and his team walked away with a number of major awards , including Best Picture , Best Screenplay , Best International Feature Film , and Best Director .
Bong used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow director nominees , including Martin Scorsese , who received a standing ovation during Bong ’ s speech .
How ’ s he planning on celebrating his historic win ?
“ I ’ m ready to drink tonight , ” he joked on stage .
It was a beautiful moment during an otherwise pretty standard show .
Not even CEO Bob Iger could hide his boredom whenever the camera panned to him !
Brad Pitt , Taika Waititi , Renee Zellweger , and Dern continued their season of award winnings , taking home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Actress , and Best Supporting Actress .
1917 and Ford v Ferrari both took home multiple awards for achieving excellence in technical categories like Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing .
Elton John won the prize for Best Original Song for his work on Rocketman .
Perhaps the biggest upset ?
Joker , which earned the most nominations for any individual movie , only secured two awards — Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir .
Although , depending on who you ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total upset after all .
The full list of Oscar winners can be read below .
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Leonardo DiCaprio , Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Brad Pitt , Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino , Once Upon a Time in Hollywood How to Train Your Dragon : The Hidden World Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , Quentin Tarantino Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , Robert Richardson Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , Wylie Stateman Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Once Upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nancy Haigh “ I Can ’ t Let You Throw Yourself Away , ” Toy Story 4 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , Arianne Phillips

Netflix headed into the 92nd Oscars with 24 nominations — the most of any studio — expecting to dominate award season’s biggest night the same way it’s dominated the entertainment industry. Instead, Netflix walked away with practically zilch.
The streamer made out with just two awards: Best Documentary for American Factory (produced by President Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company) and Best Supporting Actress for Laura Dern. Its biggest films — The Irishman and The Two Popes — all went home empty-handed.
Only just a week prior, Netflix’s studio chief Ted Sarandos rebuked claims that its lack of awards at previous award shows is part of a “backlash to a tech giant that is upending entertainment-industry business practices and threatening Hollywood power hierarchies,” as The New York Times wrote.
“A pushback? Nobody can say that with a straight face,” Sarandos said. “We got 24 nominations, the most of any studio. Our films have been honored across the board.”
“We got 24 nominations, the most of any studio”
Netflix’s Oscar push has been aggressive. Some industry competitors have estimated that Netflix spent approximately $70 million on its Oscars campaign — much higher than what most studios spend. Netflix hasn’t shied away from its Oscar ambitions, but the company is trying to increase its film output and become a full-fledged studio in 2020.
Award show prestige is important to the company — especially when it comes to drawing in the best talent, like Martin Scorsese. Netflix has proven over the last few years that it can secure the nominations, and even win from time-to-time, but getting the big wins are still a struggle. It’s clear that while Netflix moved from the kids’ table to sit with the adults, it’s still the odd one out right now.
“I’m ready to drink tonight”
Netflix’s night may not have gone as planned, but Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s did. The director and his team walked away with a number of major awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, and Best Director. Bong used his time on stage to praise his fellow director nominees, including Martin Scorsese, who received a standing ovation during Bong’s speech. How’s he planning on celebrating his historic win?
“I’m ready to drink tonight,” he joked onstage.
It was a beautiful moment during an otherwise pretty standard show. Not even CEO Bob Iger could hide his boredom whenever the camera panned to him! Brad Pitt, Taika Waititi, Renée Zellweger, and Dern continued their season of award winnings, taking home respective prizes for Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. 1917 and Ford v Ferrari both took home multiple awards for achieving excellence in technical categories like Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Elton John won the prize for Best Original Song for his work on Rocketman.
Perhaps the biggest upset? Joker, which earned the most nominations for any individual movie, only secured two awards: Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir. Although, depending on who you ask, maybe it’s not a total upset after all.
The full list of Oscar winners can be read below.
Best Picture:
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Lead Actor:
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Lead Actress:
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy
Supporting Actor:
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Supporting Actress:
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johannson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Director:
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Animated Short:
Dcera, Daria Kashcheeva
Hair Love, Matthew A. Cherry
Kitbull, Rosana Sullivan
Memorable, Bruno Collet
Sister, Siqi Song
Adapted Screenplay:
The Irishman, Steven Zaillian
Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi
Joker, Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Little Women, Greta Gerwig
The Two Popes, Anthony McCarten
Original Screenplay:
Knives Out, Rian Johnson
Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach
1917, Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino
Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han
Cinematography:
The Irishman, Rodrigo Prieto
Joker, Lawrence Sher
The Lighthouse, Jarin Blaschke
1917, Roger Deakins
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Robert Richardson
Best Documentary Feature:
American Factory, Julia Rieichert, Steven Bognar
The Cave, Feras Fayyad
The Edge of Democracy, Petra Costa
For Sama, Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Honeyland, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
Best Documentary Short Subject:
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Best Live Action Short Film:
Brotherhood, Meryam Joobeur
Nefta Football Club, Yves Piat
The Neighbors’ Window, Marshall Curry
Saria, Bryan Buckley
A Sister, Delphine Girard
Best Foreign Language Film:
Corpus Christi, Jan Komasa
Honeyland, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
Les Miserables, Ladj Ly
Pain and Glory, Pedro Almodovar
Parasite, Bong Joon Ho
Film Editing:
Ford v Ferrari, Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland
The Irishman, Thelma Schoonmaker
Jojo Rabbit, Tom Eagles
Joker, Jeff Groth
Parasite, Jinmo Yang
Sound Editing:
Ford v Ferrari, Don Sylvester
Joker, Alan Robert Murray
1917, Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Wylie Stateman
Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker, Matthew Wood, David Acord
Sound Mixing:
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Production Design:
The Irishman, Bob Shaw and Regina Graves
Jojo Rabbit, Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova
1917, Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh
Parasite, Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram, and Cho Hee
Original Score:
Joker, Hildur Guðnadóttir
Little Women, Alexandre Desplat
Marriage Story, Randy Newman
1917, Thomas Newman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, John Williams
Original Song:
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” Toy Story 4
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” Rocketman
“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown,” Frozen 2
“Stand Up,” Harriet
Makeup and Hair:
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917
Costume Design:
The Irishman, Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson
Jojo Rabbit, Mayes C. Rubeo
Joker, Mark Bridges
Little Women, Jacqueline Durran
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Arianne Phillips
Visual Effects:
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
1917
The Lion King


theverge--2020-02-09--Parasite wins Best Picture, making Oscar history

Parasite ended its award show sweep this season by taking home Best Picture , making it the first non-English speaking film to win the Academy ’ s most prestigious award .
Bong Joon-ho ’ s movie about a lower-income family who infiltrates a wealthy household , only to learn a much darker secret , has led the awards season .
The movie scored multiple awards for writer and director Bong during the evening including Best Screenplay , Best Director , and Best International Feature Film .
Although the cast wasn ’ t recognized individually , they were awarded the SAG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cast in a film .
Parasite is also the first film from a South Korean director to win the Best Picture , and the first with a primarily Asian cast .
Parasite beat out Joker , Ford v Ferrari , The Irishman , Marriage Story , Little Women , 1917 , Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , and Jojo Rabbit in the process .
“ I ’ m ready to drink tonight , ” he joked on stage .
Only 11 other non-English speaking movies were previously nominated for Best Picture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon .
Roma was also the first non-English speaking film from a streamer to earn the top nomination .
Although it lost in that category , it did win in the Best Foreign Film category , which has since been renamed to Best International Feature Film .
It ’ s been a wild ride for Bong , who has reiterated in multiple interviews that he didn ’ t expect the level of fandom around Parasite that has sprouted up .
His collective of fans — referred to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ championed his movie throughout the award show season , designing t-shirts and hosting special screenings .
For Bong , the awards are a reminder to audiences that international films are important to discover and devour .
“ Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles , you will be introduced to so many more amazing films , ” he said at the Golden Globes after winning the award for best foreign-language film .
Parasite made Oscar history tonight with its win , but if Bong Joon-ho gets what he wants , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-English speaking films to earn the Academy ’ s biggest prize .

Parasite ended its award show sweep this season by taking home Best Picture, making it the first non-English speaking film to win the Academy’s most prestigious award.
Bong Joon-ho’s movie about a lower-income family who infiltrates a wealthy household, only to learn a much darker secret, has led the awards season. The movie scored multiple awards for writer and director Bong during the evening including Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best International Feature Film. Although the cast wasn’t recognized individually, they were awarded the SAG award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a film.
Parasite is also the first film from a South Korean director to win the Best Picture, and the first with a primarily Asian cast. Parasite beat out Joker, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Marriage Story, Little Women, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Jojo Rabbit in the process.
“I’m ready to drink tonight”
“I’m ready to drink tonight,” he joked on stage.
Only 11 other non-English speaking movies were previously nominated for Best Picture, including including Roma, Amour, Babel, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Roma was also the first non-English speaking film from a streamer to earn the top nomination. Although it lost in that category, it did win in the Best Foreign Film category, which has since been renamed to Best International Feature Film.
It’s been a wild ride for Bong, who has reiterated in multiple interviews that he didn’t expect the level of fandom around Parasite that has sprouted up. His collective of fans — referred to as the “BongHive” — have championed his movie throughout the award show season, designing t-shirts and hosting special screenings. For Bong, the awards are a reminder to audiences that international films are important to discover and devour.
“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” he said at the Golden Globes after winning the award for best foreign-language film.


theverge--2020-02-09--Taika Waititi slams Apple’s MacBook keyboards after winning first Oscar

Speaking with journalists after winning his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay , Jojo Rabbit and Thor : Ragnarok director Taika Waititi had other things on his mind .
When asked what he thought writers should be demanding in the next round of discussions with producers , Waititi put Apple ’ s controversial laptop keyboards on blast .
“ Apple needs to fix those keyboards , ” he said .
“ They are impossible to write on — they ’ ve gotten worse .
It makes me want to go back to PCs .
Because PC keyboards , the bounce-back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hands up who still uses a PC ?
You know what I ’ m talking about .
It ’ s a way better keyboard .
Those Apple keyboards are horrendous.
” “ I ’ ve got some shoulder problems , ” Waititi continued .
“ I ’ ve got OOS [ Occupational Overuse Syndrome , a term used in New Zealand for RSI ] — I don ’ t know what you call it over here , this sort of thing here ( gestures to arm ) , that tendon which goes down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know what I ’ m talking about , if you guys are ever writing .
And what happens is you open the laptop and you 're like this ( makes uncomfortable hunched-over-laptop pose ) — we ’ ve just got to fix those keyboards .
The WGA needs to step in and actually do something.
” It ’ s unclear whether Waititi has used Apple ’ s new 16-inch MacBook Pro , which replaces the unreliable and shallow “ butterfly ” keyboard with a new design that , by all accounts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the butterfly keyboards have been shipping in laptops for nearly five years now , so hopefully Apple gets the message and kills them off once and for all in 2020 .

Speaking with journalists after winning his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi had other things on his mind. When asked what he thought writers should be demanding in the next round of discussions with producers, Waititi put Apple’s controversial laptop keyboards on blast.
“Apple needs to fix those keyboards,” he said. “They are impossible to write on — they’ve gotten worse. It makes me want to go back to PCs. Because PC keyboards, the bounce-back for your fingers is way better. Hands up who still uses a PC? You know what I’m talking about. It’s a way better keyboard. Those Apple keyboards are horrendous.”
“I’ve got some shoulder problems,” Waititi continued. “I’ve got OOS [Occupational Overuse Syndrome, a term used in New Zealand for RSI] — I don’t know what you call it over here, this sort of thing here (gestures to arm), that tendon which goes down your forearm down into the thumb? You know what I’m talking about, if you guys are ever writing. And what happens is you open the laptop and you're like this (makes uncomfortable hunched-over-laptop pose) — we’ve just got to fix those keyboards. The WGA needs to step in and actually do something.”


theverge--2020-02-09--Quibi continues attempt to explain what it does with series of Oscars ads

Quibi ’ s 30-second commercial during last week ’ s Super Bowl left many people asking : “ What the hell is Quibi ?
” Tonight ’ s series of ads at the Oscars is Quibi ’ s best try to answer that question .
There are five ads in total , and all take place in bizarre situations .
An astronaut in space nearly out of air ; an asteroid about to hit earth ; a cowboy being tied to train tracks as a train approaches ; and even a zombie outbreak .
The concept of each ad essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch a single Quibi episode , even in the threat of danger , because they ’ re so short .
The ads were uploaded to Quibi ’ s YouTube account prior to the show .
Quibi , the short form video streaming service from famous Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP CEO Meg Whitman , is one of the latest entrants in the streaming wars .
Unlike incoming platforms like WarnerMedia ’ s HBO Max and NBCUniversal ’ s Peacock , Quibi isn ’ t looking to compete with Netflix and Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to compete with social platforms like Instagram , YouTube and TikTok for people ’ s attention .
Its goal is to capture people ’ s attention they spend on apps like YouTube while waiting for a coffee or on the bus , and sell them on highly produced series that favor quality over quantity .
Many of Quibi ’ s top shows and movies come from Hollywood ’ s top studios , and they ’ ll have the budget to match .
Some of those projects will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 125,000 a minute .
That works out to be about $ 7.5 million an episode — or , about the same as early Game of Thrones episodes .
Zac Efron , Idris Elba , Kristen Bell , Chrissy Teigen , Kendall Jenner , Tyra Banks , Steph Curry , 50 Cent , and Avengers : Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo all have original Quibi series in the works .
The biggest issue Quibi is going to face is getting people to sign up .
Quibi will cost $ 4.99 a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month without ads .
That ’ s higher than Disney+ and Apple TV Plus , which boast big Hollywood stars and massive franchises .
The streamer is teaming up with T-Mobile , but it ’ s unclear what the deal will look like .
Disney partnered with Verizon when Disney+ launched in November 2019 , giving Verizon customers a free year of the service .

Quibi’s 30-second commercial during last week’s Super Bowl left many people asking: “What the hell is Quibi?” Tonight’s series of ads at the Oscars is Quibi’s best try to answer that question.
There are five ads in total, and all take place in bizarre situations. An astronaut in space nearly out of air; an asteroid about to hit earth; a cowboy being tied to train tracks as a train approaches; and even a zombie outbreak. The concept of each ad essentially boils down to people having time to watch a single Quibi episode, even in the threat of danger, because they’re so short. The ads were uploaded to Quibi’s YouTube account prior to the show.
Quibi, the short form video streaming service from famous Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP CEO Meg Whitman, is one of the latest entrants in the streaming wars. Unlike incoming platforms like WarnerMedia’s HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Quibi isn’t looking to compete with Netflix and Disney Plus. Instead, Quibi is looking to compete with social platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok for people’s attention. Its goal is to capture people’s attention they spend on apps like YouTube while waiting for a coffee or on the bus, and sell them on highly produced series that favor quality over quantity.
Many of Quibi’s top shows and movies come from Hollywood’s top studios, and they’ll have the budget to match. Some of those projects will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make, reaching as much as $125,000 a minute. That works out to be about $7.5 million an episode — or, about the same as early Game of Thrones episodes. Zac Efron, Idris Elba, Kristen Bell, Chrissy Teigen, Kendall Jenner, Tyra Banks, Steph Curry, 50 Cent, and Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo all have original Quibi series in the works.
(Disclosure: Vox Media, which owns The Verge, has a deal with Quibi to produce a Polygon Daily Essential, and there have been early talks about a Verge show.)
The biggest issue Quibi is going to face is getting people to sign up. Quibi will cost $4.99 a month with ads, and $7.99 a month without ads. That’s higher than Disney+ and Apple TV Plus, which boast big Hollywood stars and massive franchises. The streamer is teaming up with T-Mobile, but it’s unclear what the deal will look like. Disney partnered with Verizon when Disney+ launched in November 2019, giving Verizon customers a free year of the service.


theverge--2020-02-09--Samsung aired a Galaxy Z Flip commercial before it even announced the phone

It ’ s not just leaks that let us know what big tech companies plan to announce at their keynotes , increasingly it ’ s the companies themselves .
Since this year ’ s Academy Awards fall ahead of Samsung ’ s February 11th Unpacked keynote , the company decided to go for a huge tease of the Galaxy Z Flip — it basically showed off the whole phone .
We are expecting Samsung to announce new Galaxy S20 phones ( three of them ) and the Galaxy Z Flip , a folding phone rumored to have a glass screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a table at a 90-degree angle on its own , the better to do video chatting .
It also gave us our first , best look at it folded up and it doesn ’ t appear to fold completely flat .
The Motorola Razr , which was just released but has already been plagued with reports of creaky hinges , does fold completely flat .
In the small print for the ad , there ’ s copy that says “ You may notice a small crease in the center of the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the screen.
” So that answers that question .
As with the Fold , the Z Flip will have a crease .
The ad also shows two different colors : purple and black .
We also got our first look at the outside screen , which is very tiny but nevertheless full color .
The ad shows the screen can do caller ID and also has sliders for accepting or rejecting a call .
Samsung has always gone big with ads at the Academy Awards .
Its previous Oscars ads have ranged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologies for its exploding Note phones .
As for the trend of companies teasing their own products , after Google went big with it in 2019 , Samsung took a more traditional approach this year ( up until this ad , at least ) .
Leaks , however , still about : Samsung itself leaked the Galaxy S20 last week .
We ’ ll be live at Samsung ’ s event on February 11th to find out if there ’ s anything that hasn ’ t already been leaked , photographed , rumored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s still possible there will be .

It’s not just leaks that let us know what big tech companies plan to announce at their keynotes, increasingly it’s the companies themselves. Since this year’s Academy Awards fall ahead of Samsung’s February 11th Unpacked keynote, the company decided to go for a huge tease of the Galaxy Z Flip — it basically showed off the whole phone.
We are expecting Samsung to announce new Galaxy S20 phones (three of them) and the Galaxy Z Flip, a folding phone rumored to have a glass screen. The ad showed the phone sitting on a table at a 90-degree angle on its own, the better to do video chatting. It also gave us our first, best look at it folded up and it doesn’t appear to fold completely flat. The Motorola Razr, which was just released but has already been plagued with reports of creaky hinges, does fold completely flat.
In the small print for the ad, there’s copy that says “You may notice a small crease in the center of the main screen, which is a natural characteristic of the screen.” So that answers that question. As with the Fold, the Z Flip will have a crease. The ad also shows two different colors: purple and black.
We also got our first look at the outside screen, which is very tiny but nevertheless full color. The ad shows the screen can do caller ID and also has sliders for accepting or rejecting a call.
Samsung has always gone big with ads at the Academy Awards. Its previous Oscars ads have ranged from product placement celebrity selfies to subtle apologies for its exploding Note phones. As for the trend of companies teasing their own products, after Google went big with it in 2019, Samsung took a more traditional approach this year (up until this ad, at least). Leaks, however, still about: Samsung itself leaked the Galaxy S20 last week.


theverge--2020-02-10--Google Chrome will block insecure downloads in coming months

Google has revealed plans to initially warn Chrome users about “ insecure ” downloads and eventually block them outright .
“ Today we ’ re announcing that Chrome will gradually ensure that secure ( HTTPS ) pages only download secure files , ” Joe DeBlasio of the Chrome security team wrote in a blog post .
“ Insecurely-downloaded files are a risk to users ’ security and privacy .
For instance , insecurely-downloaded programs can be swapped out for malware by attackers , and eavesdroppers can read users ’ insecurely-downloaded bank statements.
” Beginning with Chrome 82 , due for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ users if they ’ re about to download mixed content executables from a secure website .
Then , when version 83 is released , those executable downloads will be blocked and the warning will be applied to archive files .
PDFs and .doc files will get the warning in Chrome 84 , with audio , images , text , and video files displaying it by version 85 .
Finally , all mixed content downloads — a non-secure file coming from a secure site — will be blocked as of the release of Chrome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimating an October release for that build of the popular web browsing .
The chart below lays out the Chrome team ’ s current plan : “ In the future , we expect to further restrict insecure downloads in Chrome , ” DeBlasio wrote .
This is all part of Google ’ s effort to fully migrate developers over to HTTPS .
Last year , Google began blocking HTTPS sites from pulling down insecure page resources .
These warnings are also coming to the Android and iOS versions of Chrome , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release for the mobile platforms .

Google has revealed plans to initially warn Chrome users about “insecure” downloads and eventually block them outright. “Today we’re announcing that Chrome will gradually ensure that secure (HTTPS) pages only download secure files,” Joe DeBlasio of the Chrome security team wrote in a blog post. “Insecurely-downloaded files are a risk to users’ security and privacy. For instance, insecurely-downloaded programs can be swapped out for malware by attackers, and eavesdroppers can read users’ insecurely-downloaded bank statements.”
Beginning with Chrome 82, due for release in April, Chrome will warn users if they’re about to download mixed content executables from a secure website.
Image: Google
Then, when version 83 is released, those executable downloads will be blocked and the warning will be applied to archive files. PDFs and .doc files will get the warning in Chrome 84, with audio, images, text, and video files displaying it by version 85. Finally, all mixed content downloads — a non-secure file coming from a secure site — will be blocked as of the release of Chrome 86. Right now, Google is estimating an October release for that build of the popular web browsing. The chart below lays out the Chrome team’s current plan:
Image: Google
“In the future, we expect to further restrict insecure downloads in Chrome,” DeBlasio wrote. This is all part of Google’s effort to fully migrate developers over to HTTPS. Last year, Google began blocking HTTPS sites from pulling down insecure page resources.
These warnings are also coming to the Android and iOS versions of Chrome, but the above schedule will be delayed by a release for the mobile platforms.


theverge--2020-02-10--IBM picks Slack over Microsoft Teams for its 350,000 employees

IBM has picked Slack to power its chat communications companywide for its more than 350,000 employees , according to Business Insider .
In what can only be seen as a big win for Slack over rival Microsoft Teams , the report reveals that IBM has been experimenting with Slack and is now rolling it out to all employees .
It ’ s a big test for Slack , but it has been one the pair has been working toward in recent years .
Internal teams at IBM reportedly started using the chat app as far back as 2014 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Going wall to wall in IBM — it ’ s basically the maximum scale that there is , so we now know that Slack will work for literally the largest organizations in the world , ” says Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield in an interview with Business Insider .
IBM has been Slack ’ s biggest customer for years While this new rollout makes IBM Slack ’ s biggest customer to date , it has been the company ’ s biggest customer for years according to Slack .
“ IBM has been Slack ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has expanded its usage of Slack over that time , ” reveals an SEC filing from Slack , which appears to downplay the news .
In a statement to The Verge , Slack says IBM has more than 300,000 users and “ has scaled its Slack deployment so it can offer it to every employee at IBM.
” This is a significant increase from the 165,000 IBM users that Slack last reported in 2019 after the launch of its Enterprise Grid service .
It ’ s not clear whether IBM is using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its employees or a mix of the free and paid options , though .
IBM ’ s decision comes just weeks after Microsoft has started a TV ad push for Teams .
Microsoft has successfully chased and overtaken Slack during the past year , leading to Teams being used actively by 20 million people daily compared to Slack ’ s 12 million .
The competition between the two has been rather tense recently , with Microsoft claiming Slack doesn ’ t have the “ breadth and depth that ’ s really required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together.
” Slack has previously claimed it ’ s not worried about Microsoft ’ s reach with Office 365 , and it even mocked Microsoft last year , accusing it of ripping off its ads .

IBM has picked Slack to power its chat communications companywide for its more than 350,000 employees, according to Business Insider. In what can only be seen as a big win for Slack over rival Microsoft Teams, the report reveals that IBM has been experimenting with Slack and is now rolling it out to all employees.
It’s a big test for Slack, but it has been one the pair has been working toward in recent years. Internal teams at IBM reportedly started using the chat app as far back as 2014, and this has grown over time. “Going wall to wall in IBM — it’s basically the maximum scale that there is, so we now know that Slack will work for literally the largest organizations in the world,” says Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield in an interview with Business Insider.
IBM has been Slack’s biggest customer for years
While this new rollout makes IBM Slack’s biggest customer to date, it has been the company’s biggest customer for years according to Slack. “IBM has been Slack’s largest customer for several years and has expanded its usage of Slack over that time,” reveals an SEC filing from Slack, which appears to downplay the news.
In a statement to The Verge, Slack says IBM has more than 300,000 users and “has scaled its Slack deployment so it can offer it to every employee at IBM.” This is a significant increase from the 165,000 IBM users that Slack last reported in 2019 after the launch of its Enterprise Grid service. It’s not clear whether IBM is using the paid version of Slack for all of its employees or a mix of the free and paid options, though.
IBM’s decision comes just weeks after Microsoft has started a TV ad push for Teams. Microsoft has successfully chased and overtaken Slack during the past year, leading to Teams being used actively by 20 million people daily compared to Slack’s 12 million.
The competition between the two has been rather tense recently, with Microsoft claiming Slack doesn’t have the “breadth and depth that’s really required to reinvent what it looks like to work together.” Slack has previously claimed it’s not worried about Microsoft’s reach with Office 365, and it even mocked Microsoft last year, accusing it of ripping off its ads.


theverge--2020-02-10--US senators condemn Amazon’s ‘dismal’ safety records

In a letter sent Friday , US senators called on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to reform its safety practices and improve its treatment of workers , according to a letter first published by Reveal writer Will Evans and signed by Bernie Sanders , Kamala Harris , Elizabeth Warren , and Cory Booker , among others .
“ Any practice that puts profits before worker safety is unacceptable , ” the letter reads .
“ We urge you to take immediate steps to protect your employees from workplace injuries .
Your employees ’ lives and well-being depend upon your swift action.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and requests a written response , including what actions the company will take , by February 21st .
Amazon has come under fire for dodging workplace safety regulations for years .
The senators ’ letter points specifically to reporting from publications like The Atlantic and Reveal in what it calls a pattern of suffering Amazon employees .
Gizmodo also reported on the “ grueling and unsafe ” work conditions of Amazon ’ s Staten Island fulfillment center , which included everything from sprains to one woman who suffered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details how employees were required to sign strict noncompete agreements for at least a year and a half after their time there .
The letter also outlines a list of actions the senators are asking of Amazon .
Those requests include reducing workers ’ quotas and speed requirements , ensuring employees are getting bathrooms breaks as needed , and creating a way for workers to raise safe and healthy concerns in a timely and effective manner .
“ Amazon ’ s dismal safety record indicates a greater concern for profits than for your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the letter reads .
“ We urge you to overhaul this profit-at-all costs culture at your company and take the immediate steps identified in this letter.
” In a statement to The Verge , an Amazon spokesperson said that “ nothing is more important ” to the company than the safety of its employees .
“ OSHA is on the record as saying that underreporting of injuries is an industry-wide problem , and companies do this to keep their rates low — a former assistant secretary of OSHA estimated that 50 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the spokesperson said .
“ Amazon does the opposite — we take an aggressive stance on recording injuries no matter how big or small .
The invitation remains open for any of the Senators to come take a tour — last year over 300,000 people toured an Amazon fulfillment center and we appreciate that they took the time to learn the facts first-hand .
”

In a letter sent Friday, US senators called on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to reform its safety practices and improve its treatment of workers, according to a letter first published by Reveal writer Will Evans and signed by Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Cory Booker, among others.
“Any practice that puts profits before worker safety is unacceptable,” the letter reads. “We urge you to take immediate steps to protect your employees from workplace injuries. Your employees’ lives and well-being depend upon your swift action.” It’s addressed directly to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and requests a written response, including what actions the company will take, by February 21st.
Amazon has come under fire for dodging workplace safety regulations for years. The senators’ letter points specifically to reporting from publications like The Atlantic and Reveal in what it calls a pattern of suffering Amazon employees. Gizmodo also reported on the “grueling and unsafe” work conditions of Amazon’s Staten Island fulfillment center, which included everything from sprains to one woman who suffered a miscarriage. A report from The Verge details how employees were required to sign strict noncompete agreements for at least a year and a half after their time there.
The letter also outlines a list of actions the senators are asking of Amazon. Those requests include reducing workers’ quotas and speed requirements, ensuring employees are getting bathrooms breaks as needed, and creating a way for workers to raise safe and healthy concerns in a timely and effective manner.
“Amazon’s dismal safety record indicates a greater concern for profits than for your own workers’ safety and health,” the letter reads. “We urge you to overhaul this profit-at-all costs culture at your company and take the immediate steps identified in this letter.”
In a statement to The Verge, an Amazon spokesperson said that “nothing is more important” to the company than the safety of its employees.


theverge--2020-02-10--Trump’s budget continues to boost nuclear energy

Donald Trump ’ s budget proposal for 2021 earmarks $ 1.2 billion for nuclear energy research and development and related programs .
That ’ s significantly more than the $ 824 million Trump proposed in his budget the previous year .
Even with the sizable increase in requested funds , the amount is less than the $ 1.5 billion that Congress allocated for nuclear energy last year .
Trump sold the bump in funding as a way to promote “ revitalization of the domestic industry and the ability of domestic technologies to compete abroad.
” His administration also wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , calling it “ an issue of national security.
” Keeping the nation ’ s nuclear reactors online has been a priority for Trump since taking office .
Two bills he signed into law sped up the development of advanced nuclear reactors and streamlined the permitting processes .
He ’ s also allocated funds , including $ 300 million in this year ’ s proposal , toward a Versatile Test Reactor ( VTR ) meant to test and develop advanced reactor fuels and materials .
Nuclear power currently makes up 20 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its carbon-free electricity .
Nevertheless , nuclear energy has struggled to gain a larger foothold in the US .
“ I personally do not see nuclear power as a way around the production of greenhouse gas emissions , ” former executive director of Columbia University ’ s Earth Institute Steven Cohen tells The Verge in an email .
“ On the other hand , scientific research on nuclear energy as well as other forms of energy and energy storage should be a high priority for our national labs and research universities.
” Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power as a potential climate change fix has been a divisive , hot-button issue .
Fans say the technology is now much safer than previous iterations , and that it ’ s a necessary tool alongside wind and solar in the battle to stop climate change .
Detractors focus on the high costs of nuclear energy and point out that the US still doesn ’ t exactly know what to do with all its nuclear waste .
nuclear power as a potential climate change fix has been a divisive , hot-button issue Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a proposed waste site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada , which has been controversial ever since it was proposed in 1987 .
The proposed dump for radioactive waste is political kryptonite for someone who might want the state ’ s votes ( Trump lost Nevada in 2016 ) .
“ Nevada , I hear you on Yucca Mountain and my Administration will RESPECT you !
” Trump tweeted on February 6th .
“ My Administration is committed to exploring innovative approaches – I ’ m confident we can get it done !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete the nuclear waste repository in previous budget proposals .
While environmentalists continue to debate the pros and cons of nuclear energy , Trump does not appear to be boosting nuclear as a specifically environmental priority .
His budget proposal also slashed the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s budget by 26 percent .
Trump ’ s $ 4.8 trillion budget proposal still needs to make its way through Congress , where it ’ s likely to face a fight .
But there has been bipartisan support for nuclear energy in the past — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget for nuclear energy by nearly $ 700 million .
“ This sends a strong message that the Department of Energy ( DOE ) is all in on new nuclear , ” Rita Baranwal , assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy , said in a statement after Trump signed off on the 2020 spending bill in December .

Donald Trump’s budget proposal for 2021 earmarks $1.2 billion for nuclear energy research and development and related programs. That’s significantly more than the $824 million Trump proposed in his budget the previous year. Even with the sizable increase in requested funds, the amount is less than the $1.5 billion that Congress allocated for nuclear energy last year.
Trump sold the bump in funding as a way to promote “revitalization of the domestic industry and the ability of domestic technologies to compete abroad.” His administration also wants to ramp up uranium production in the US, calling it “an issue of national security.”
Keeping the nation’s nuclear reactors online has been a priority for Trump since taking office. Two bills he signed into law sped up the development of advanced nuclear reactors and streamlined the permitting processes. He’s also allocated funds, including $300 million in this year’s proposal, toward a Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) meant to test and develop advanced reactor fuels and materials. Nuclear power currently makes up 20 percent of the US energy mix and half of its carbon-free electricity. Nevertheless, nuclear energy has struggled to gain a larger foothold in the US.
“I personally do not see nuclear power as a way around the production of greenhouse gas emissions,” former executive director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute Steven Cohen tells The Verge in an email. “On the other hand, scientific research on nuclear energy as well as other forms of energy and energy storage should be a high priority for our national labs and research universities.”
Among Democrats and environmentalists, scaling up nuclear power as a potential climate change fix has been a divisive, hot-button issue. Fans say the technology is now much safer than previous iterations, and that it’s a necessary tool alongside wind and solar in the battle to stop climate change. Detractors focus on the high costs of nuclear energy and point out that the US still doesn’t exactly know what to do with all its nuclear waste.
nuclear power as a potential climate change fix has been a divisive, hot-button issue
Last week, Trump seemingly backed away from a proposed waste site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, which has been controversial ever since it was proposed in 1987. The proposed dump for radioactive waste is political kryptonite for someone who might want the state’s votes (Trump lost Nevada in 2016). “Nevada, I hear you on Yucca Mountain and my Administration will RESPECT you!” Trump tweeted on February 6th. “My Administration is committed to exploring innovative approaches – I’m confident we can get it done!” Trump had previously asked for funds to complete the nuclear waste repository in previous budget proposals.
While environmentalists continue to debate the pros and cons of nuclear energy, Trump does not appear to be boosting nuclear as a specifically environmental priority. His budget proposal also slashed the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 26 percent.
Trump’s $4.8 trillion budget proposal still needs to make its way through Congress, where it’s likely to face a fight. But there has been bipartisan support for nuclear energy in the past — last year, Congress upped the 2020 budget for nuclear energy by nearly $700 million.


theverge--2020-02-10--Amazon is still crushing Google and Apple in the smart speaker market

Apple and Google are still struggling to come close to Amazon ’ s enormous share of the home smart speaker market , and that trend will continue through 2021 , a new eMarketer report predicts .
Some 70 percent of US smart speaker users will use an Amazon Echo in 2020 , close to last year ’ s 72.9 percent .
By next year , that number may drop slightly to about 68.2 percent , according to the report .
So Amazon ’ s lead is slowly falling , but it still holds a dominant position .
In contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker owners will use a Google device in 2020 , and Apple ’ s home speaker products got lumped into the mixed “ other ” category , which is expected to barely crack 18 percent this year .
“ We had previously expected Google and Apple to make more inroads in this market , but Amazon has remained aggressive , ” says eMarketer principal analyst Victoria Petrock .
Some 83.1 million people will use a smart speaker this year Amazon has consistently released features that make its Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices to outside developers and making them compatible with third-party smart home devices also helped boost Amazon ’ s smart speaker position .
Those things aren ’ t unique to Amazon , however , as smart speakers from both Google and Apple are also compatible with many smart home gadgets .
One area where eMarketer says Echo devices fall short of the competition is language support .
Amazon ’ s products don ’ t support as many non-English languages as their competitors , the report finds .
Growth of smart speaker use in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , eMarketer ’ s report finds , but the number of users will continue to increase as Alexa , Siri , and other voice assistants expand beyond just the home , and into cars and smart home appliances .
The report estimates about 83.1 million people will use a smart speaker this year , a 13.7 percent uptick from last year .
“ Over time , we ’ ll see slowing growth in the number of smart speakers as people turn to voice assistants built into other things within homes , vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Amazon ’ s next challenge will be to maintain its dominance in these other environments as well .
”

Apple and Google are still struggling to come close to Amazon’s enormous share of the home smart speaker market, and that trend will continue through 2021, a new eMarketer report predicts. Some 70 percent of US smart speaker users will use an Amazon Echo in 2020, close to last year’s 72.9 percent. By next year, that number may drop slightly to about 68.2 percent, according to the report. So Amazon’s lead is slowly falling, but it still holds a dominant position.
In contrast, eMarketer says just 31.7 percent of smart speaker owners will use a Google device in 2020, and Apple’s home speaker products got lumped into the mixed “other” category, which is expected to barely crack 18 percent this year.
“We had previously expected Google and Apple to make more inroads in this market, but Amazon has remained aggressive,” says eMarketer principal analyst Victoria Petrock.
Some 83.1 million people will use a smart speaker this year
Amazon has consistently released features that make its Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices more intuitive, eMarketer says. Opening Alexa devices to outside developers and making them compatible with third-party smart home devices also helped boost Amazon’s smart speaker position. Those things aren’t unique to Amazon, however, as smart speakers from both Google and Apple are also compatible with many smart home gadgets.
One area where eMarketer says Echo devices fall short of the competition is language support. Amazon’s products don’t support as many non-English languages as their competitors, the report finds.
Growth of smart speaker use in the US will slow in the coming years, eMarketer’s report finds, but the number of users will continue to increase as Alexa, Siri, and other voice assistants expand beyond just the home, and into cars and smart home appliances. The report estimates about 83.1 million people will use a smart speaker this year, a 13.7 percent uptick from last year.


theverge--2020-02-10--These modded scanners let you play techno using barcodes

Every so often , a tweet goes viral showing someone making a beat by wielding two barcode scanners in front of a sheet of assorted line patterns .
It ’ s like cyberpunk grocery checkout with a dash of Aphex Twin , and over the years , these videos have racked up millions of views , shared by the likes of artists like Shawn Wasabi and club culture tastemaker outlet Boiler Room .
But I ’ m always shocked that the clips largely stay constrained to the circles of social media and Reddit .
The other week , another one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has 1.9 million views on Twitter at the time this article was published ) , and I gave in .
I had to know two things : who is behind this barcode techno , and how do they make it work ?
The barcode player in the video is Ei Wada , aka Crab Feet , a Japanese artist and musician who rebuilds old electronic appliances into musical instruments .
He ’ s participated in an orchestral project using 20 reel-to-reel tape recorders , provided music for 11 Issey Miyake Paris shows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech group Electronicos Fantasticos .
The barcode project was made under that group ’ s umbrella back in 2018 , and they ’ ve been performing iterations of it ever since .
As far as how it works , Wada doesn ’ t provide much other than saying that the barcode scanners are modified and generate sounds by connecting scanned signals “ directly to the audio terminal to output sound.
” The printed backdrop doesn ’ t have barcodes in the traditional sense since a barcode is a pattern of black and white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sensor in a scanner interprets reflected light from barcode lines , turns it into a bit of text a computer can understand , and then the barcode system emits a beep to confirm a successful scan .
The boxes seen in the Electronicos Fantasticos video include barcodes as well as things like starbursts and low-contrast patterns .
Over on Reddit , users surmise how the scanners read values in order to morph the sound .
Parameters like the pitch and speed appear to be controlled by various actions , like moving closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scanners move , tilting the scanners , and aiming them at different blocks of patterns .
As user xix_xeaon says , “ ELI5 : You can think of the images as sound samples , and the scanners are controls to play certain parts of the sounds with various different settings.
” Aside from all of the barcode-inspired stuff , Wada ’ s also turned small CRT televisions into ukulele-type instruments , modded a reel-to-reel tape recorder into something resembling an accordion , and flipped a factory fan into a bass guitar .
Honestly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , I adore old repurposed tech , and perhaps even more , Wada ’ s description of the project .
“ In the future , barcode readers will be connected not only to cash registers but also to speakers , ” he writes .
“ DJs with daytime cash register and barcode at night .
The next level of cash register !
”

Every so often, a tweet goes viral showing someone making a beat by wielding two barcode scanners in front of a sheet of assorted line patterns. It’s like cyberpunk grocery checkout with a dash of Aphex Twin, and over the years, these videos have racked up millions of views, shared by the likes of artists like Shawn Wasabi and club culture tastemaker outlet Boiler Room. But I’m always shocked that the clips largely stay constrained to the circles of social media and Reddit.
The other week, another one of these videos went viral (it has 1.9 million views on Twitter at the time this article was published), and I gave in. I had to know two things: who is behind this barcode techno, and how do they make it work?
The barcode player in the video is Ei Wada, aka Crab Feet, a Japanese artist and musician who rebuilds old electronic appliances into musical instruments. He’s participated in an orchestral project using 20 reel-to-reel tape recorders, provided music for 11 Issey Miyake Paris shows, and created art, music, and tech group Electronicos Fantasticos. The barcode project was made under that group’s umbrella back in 2018, and they’ve been performing iterations of it ever since.
As far as how it works, Wada doesn’t provide much other than saying that the barcode scanners are modified and generate sounds by connecting scanned signals “directly to the audio terminal to output sound.”
The printed backdrop doesn’t have barcodes in the traditional sense since a barcode is a pattern of black and white bars of varying thickness. Usually, the sensor in a scanner interprets reflected light from barcode lines, turns it into a bit of text a computer can understand, and then the barcode system emits a beep to confirm a successful scan. The boxes seen in the Electronicos Fantasticos video include barcodes as well as things like starbursts and low-contrast patterns.
Over on Reddit, users surmise how the scanners read values in order to morph the sound. Parameters like the pitch and speed appear to be controlled by various actions, like moving closer or farther away, how fast the scanners move, tilting the scanners, and aiming them at different blocks of patterns. As user xix_xeaon says, “ELI5: You can think of the images as sound samples, and the scanners are controls to play certain parts of the sounds with various different settings.”
Aside from all of the barcode-inspired stuff, Wada’s also turned small CRT televisions into ukulele-type instruments, modded a reel-to-reel tape recorder into something resembling an accordion, and flipped a factory fan into a bass guitar.


theverge--2020-02-10--Sprint’s first smartwatch for kids comes with location tracking

Sprint is the latest company to introduce a smartwatch for kids , complete with GPS tracking .
The WatchMeGo device is designed for children ages four to 12 who may not be quite ready for their own smartphones , the company says .
In addition to tracking a child ’ s location , the watches can send and receive voice and text messages to a parent ’ s smartphone app .
Parents can set up alerts to notify them if a child wearing the WatchMeGo leaves a “ defined safety zone , ” like their school or neighborhood .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will send immediate alerts to the parent .
The $ 144 WatchMeGo watch requires a rate plan that runs about $ 10 a month , and it ’ s available on Sprint ’ s website and retail stores .
It comes with the Kidomi app , which includes games and educational activities for kids .
It has a Gorilla Glass watchface , a 400mAh battery , and a water-resistant case .
Sprint rivals Verizon and T-Mobile also have versions of kid smartwatch / trackers with similar features , although Sprint ’ s is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GizmoWatch retails for $ 179 , while the Timex Family Connect watch running on T-Mobile ’ s network sells for $ 192 .

Sprint is the latest company to introduce a smartwatch for kids, complete with GPS tracking. The WatchMeGo device is designed for children ages four to 12 who may not be quite ready for their own smartphones, the company says. In addition to tracking a child’s location, the watches can send and receive voice and text messages to a parent’s smartphone app.
Parents can set up alerts to notify them if a child wearing the WatchMeGo leaves a “defined safety zone,” like their school or neighborhood. The watch also has an SOS button that will send immediate alerts to the parent.
The $144 WatchMeGo watch requires a rate plan that runs about $10 a month, and it’s available on Sprint’s website and retail stores. It comes with the Kidomi app, which includes games and educational activities for kids. It has a Gorilla Glass watchface, a 400mAh battery, and a water-resistant case.


theverge--2020-02-10--Apple’s epic patent troll fight drags on as appeals court strikes down latest request

A US appeals court has rejected a request from Apple to reconsider a split decision ruling that found it infringed on patents owned by notorious patent troll VirnetX , Reuters reports .
It ’ s the latest step in a convoluted multiyear legal battle between the two companies that dates back to 2010 .
In April 2018 , a federal court in Texas ordered Apple to pay $ 502.6 million to VirnetX for violating four patents relating to internet-based communications , which , in this case , mostly means the underlying technology behind Apple products like FaceTime and iMessage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that makes money by suing other companies , are also engaged in a number of related patent infringement suits , although this one is the most high-profile .
Last November , however , a three-judge panel voided that $ 502.6 million calculation , granting Apple a win of sorts .
But the judges did not void a jury ’ s finding that some older iPhone models still infringed two VirnetX patents , and that ’ s what Apple had asked the US appeals court to reconsider .
From here , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the courts .
AppleInsider says that the next step will be decided by a Texas court , which could recalculate how much Apple owes VirnetX .
There ’ s apparently even the chance the court could call for a complete retrial , given that Apple ’ s apparent patent infringements have been reduced from four to two .
This case has been crawling through the courts for years .
If you want to read about some of the legal back-and-forth between the companies , check out the links below .

A US appeals court has rejected a request from Apple to reconsider a split decision ruling that found it infringed on patents owned by notorious patent troll VirnetX, Reuters reports. It’s the latest step in a convoluted multiyear legal battle between the two companies that dates back to 2010.
In April 2018, a federal court in Texas ordered Apple to pay $502.6 million to VirnetX for violating four patents relating to internet-based communications, which, in this case, mostly means the underlying technology behind Apple products like FaceTime and iMessage. Apple and VirnetX, a patent-assertion entity that makes money by suing other companies, are also engaged in a number of related patent infringement suits, although this one is the most high-profile.
Last November, however, a three-judge panel voided that $502.6 million calculation, granting Apple a win of sorts. But the judges did not void a jury’s finding that some older iPhone models still infringed two VirnetX patents, and that’s what Apple had asked the US appeals court to reconsider.
From here, it’s likely the case will continue to meander through the courts. AppleInsider says that the next step will be decided by a Texas court, which could recalculate how much Apple owes VirnetX. There’s apparently even the chance the court could call for a complete retrial, given that Apple’s apparent patent infringements have been reduced from four to two.


theverge--2020-02-10--Nio’s struggles continue as coronavirus outbreak drags down sales

Nio , China ’ s top EV startup , said Monday that the coronavirus outbreak contributed to a dip in the company ’ s sales last month .
Nio sold just 1,598 vehicles in January , which is nearly half the amount the company sold in December , and down 11.5 percent from January 2019 .
The comparison to January 2019 is particularly stark because Nio was only selling one vehicle at that time last year : the relatively expensive seven-seater ES8 electric SUV .
Nio launched a more affordable five-seater SUV called the ES6 last June that looks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But as the new January sales numbers show , the ES6 ’ s popularity hasn ’ t been enough to help Nio escape the existential danger that ’ s loomed since the company started selling cars in 2018 .
Nio sold fewer vehicles in January than it did last year , despite having two models now The fact that the company says the coronavirus outbreak had an impact on sales in January , when China and the rest of the world were still coming to grips with the outbreak , means February could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities in China are now on lockdown , and even some of the biggest companies in the world have been forced to suspend manufacturing and sales operations until they get the green light from the Chinese government .
Any sustained drop in sales presents a real risk for Nio .
The company announced at the end of 2019 that it doesn ’ t have enough cash to fund its operations for another year , and its current sales volume is already too low to provide enough revenue to help keep the business afloat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturer for its SUVs that takes a cut for every vehicle produced .
Just last week , Nio announced it raised $ 100 million from an investment fund , and late last year it raised $ 200 million from its CEO and Tencent , a major backer .
But the company is losing hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter , and exited the third quarter of 2019 with just $ 274 million in cash , so it is in need of far more than what it ’ s recently raised .
Nio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ startups in the world to follow Tesla in putting a product on the road , but the company has struggled mightily at becoming a self-sustaining business .
The coronavirus outbreak is just the latest in a stunning sequence of setbacks .
Not long after Nio ’ s first SUV went on sale in the middle of 2018 , the United States started a trade war with China .
That put a damper on a Chinese economy that was already cooling off after decades of unchecked growth .
The affluent class that Nio was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to pony up for the $ 70,000 SUV .
Price-conscious buyers were further discouraged when , around January 2019 , the Chinese government announced plans to reduce subsidies on high-end electric vehicles .
As a result of all this , sales of the ES8 dropped sharply in the first half of 2019 .
Nio started making up for that drop in the middle of 2019 when it put the cheaper ES6 on sale .
The startup admitted the ES6 cannibalized some ES8 sales , though it appeared to be worth it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But at the same time , something else had a far greater impact on Nio ’ s ability to sell the ES8 .
In late May and early June , scattered reports of battery fires forced Nio to ultimately recall nearly 5,000 ES8 SUVs , depressing sales even further .
To make matters worse , while all this was going on , Tesla was allowed to become the first foreign automaker to build and operate its own factory in China .
The Silicon Valley company picked Shanghai — the same city where Nio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle factory .
Tesla broke ground on its Shanghai factory at the beginning of 2019 , and by March , Nio had announced it no longer planned to build its own factory .
Handcuffed by low sales , Nio then delayed a planned third vehicle , an electric sedan .
The startup eventually laid off around 3,000 workers in China by the end of 2019 , including close to 300 workers from its US offices across three rounds of layoffs .
Nio has said it is “ working on several financing projects , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the last year that it may get a lifeline from one of China ’ s big state-owned automakers .
But none of those have materialized .
Instead , Nio continues to find itself in the unenviable position of trying to scale up an automotive business while simultaneously trying to raise the billions of dollars that such an operation requires .
Those are two extremely difficult tasks on their own , and the coronavirus outbreak won ’ t make accomplishing them any easier .

Nio, China’s top EV startup, said Monday that the coronavirus outbreak contributed to a dip in the company’s sales last month. Nio sold just 1,598 vehicles in January, which is nearly half the amount the company sold in December, and down 11.5 percent from January 2019.
The comparison to January 2019 is particularly stark because Nio was only selling one vehicle at that time last year: the relatively expensive seven-seater ES8 electric SUV. Nio launched a more affordable five-seater SUV called the ES6 last June that looks to be a far more popular vehicle. But as the new January sales numbers show, the ES6’s popularity hasn’t been enough to help Nio escape the existential danger that’s loomed since the company started selling cars in 2018.
Nio sold fewer vehicles in January than it did last year, despite having two models now
The fact that the company says the coronavirus outbreak had an impact on sales in January, when China and the rest of the world were still coming to grips with the outbreak, means February could be even worse for Nio. Multiple cities in China are now on lockdown, and even some of the biggest companies in the world have been forced to suspend manufacturing and sales operations until they get the green light from the Chinese government.
Related Everything you need to know about the coronavirus from China
Any sustained drop in sales presents a real risk for Nio. The company announced at the end of 2019 that it doesn’t have enough cash to fund its operations for another year, and its current sales volume is already too low to provide enough revenue to help keep the business afloat — especially because Nio uses a contract manufacturer for its SUVs that takes a cut for every vehicle produced. Just last week, Nio announced it raised $100 million from an investment fund, and late last year it raised $200 million from its CEO and Tencent, a major backer. But the company is losing hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter, and exited the third quarter of 2019 with just $274 million in cash, so it is in need of far more than what it’s recently raised.
Nio was one of the first electric vehicle startups in the world to follow Tesla in putting a product on the road, but the company has struggled mightily at becoming a self-sustaining business. The coronavirus outbreak is just the latest in a stunning sequence of setbacks.
Not long after Nio’s first SUV went on sale in the middle of 2018, the United States started a trade war with China. That put a damper on a Chinese economy that was already cooling off after decades of unchecked growth. The affluent class that Nio was targeting with its high-priced ES8 was suddenly less likely to pony up for the $70,000 SUV.
Price-conscious buyers were further discouraged when, around January 2019, the Chinese government announced plans to reduce subsidies on high-end electric vehicles. As a result of all this, sales of the ES8 dropped sharply in the first half of 2019.
Nio started making up for that drop in the middle of 2019 when it put the cheaper ES6 on sale. The startup admitted the ES6 cannibalized some ES8 sales, though it appeared to be worth it as ES6 sales quickly trended up. But at the same time, something else had a far greater impact on Nio’s ability to sell the ES8. In late May and early June, scattered reports of battery fires forced Nio to ultimately recall nearly 5,000 ES8 SUVs, depressing sales even further.
Nio’s dealt with a striking number of setbacks
To make matters worse, while all this was going on, Tesla was allowed to become the first foreign automaker to build and operate its own factory in China. The Silicon Valley company picked Shanghai — the same city where Nio had planned to build its own electric vehicle factory.
Tesla broke ground on its Shanghai factory at the beginning of 2019, and by March, Nio had announced it no longer planned to build its own factory. Handcuffed by low sales, Nio then delayed a planned third vehicle, an electric sedan. The startup eventually laid off around 3,000 workers in China by the end of 2019, including close to 300 workers from its US offices across three rounds of layoffs.


theverge--2020-02-10--Samsung Unpacked 2020 event: all of the latest rumors, news, and more

It ’ s February , and in the tech world that has come to mean that all eyes are on @ @ @ @ @ take the stage at its Unpacked 2020 event on Tuesday , February 11th at 2PM @ @ @ @ @ show off the Samsung Galaxy S20 , S20 Plus , and S20 Ultra .
Rumors @ @ @ @ @ Samsung will debut its next foldable phone , this one being called the Galaxy Z @ @ @ @ @ handset and Motorola ’ s new Razr , 2020 is becoming the year of the @ @ @ @ @ of the four phones have been extensively leaked , and if you want to catch @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve put them all in one article .
But why read just one @ @ @ @ @ them all ?
If you want to see each and every important update from Unpacked @ @ @ @ @ find them all collected below .

It’s February, and in the tech world that has come to mean that all eyes are on Samsung. The company will take the stage at its Unpacked 2020 event on Tuesday, February 11th at 2PM ET / 11AM PT to show off the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra.
Rumors and leaks also indicate that Samsung will debut its next foldable phone, this one being called the Galaxy Z Flip. Between this Samsung handset and Motorola’s new Razr, 2020 is becoming the year of the flip phone redux. Each of the four phones have been extensively leaked, and if you want to catch up on the rumors, we’ve put them all in one article.