theverge--2020-07-29--Spotify podcast consumption doubles as overall listening recovers

Spotify listening hours have returned to the same level they was at prior to the pandemic , the company announced today in its latest earnings release .
It reported that the recovery was strongest in areas where the spread of the COVID-19 virus is apparently slowing .
Spotify also said that overall podcast consumption has more than doubled .
Spotify reported a loss of €356 million overall in the period , The Wall Street Journal reports , despite an increase in paying subscribers .
Just three months ago , Spotify reported big changes in listening habits as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now looks like the weekend , ” the company wrote in its last earnings release , referring to the changes in morning routines it saw as people spent more time at home .
As of the end of June , however , it said that consumption hours are back up to pre-pandemic levels , though it admitted that this is varying around the world .
21 percent of Spotify listeners now use it for podcasts Spotify said that Europe and Asia , where the virus ’ s spread appears to be under control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” while Latin America is still 6 percent below peak levels after being hit hard by the pandemic .
However , it also said that Latin America is still one of its fastest growing regions , with a 33 percent increase in monthly active users year-over-year .
Although consumption levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels , Spotify said that the places where people are listening to Spotify are still different .
In-car listening is still less than it was prior to the pandemic , for example , although it ’ s reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business is continuing to grow .
The Wall Street Journal notes that the number of monthly active users listening to podcasts saw a small increase from 19 to 21 percent , but the amount of podcast content they ’ re consuming more than doubled .
Spotify is making big investments into podcasts , and announced back in May that Joe Rogan ’ s podcast will become a Spotify exclusive in September , and rolled out support for video podcasts earlier this month .
Today , Michelle Obama ’ s podcast went live exclusively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is good news for Spotify ’ s ad business , although this is a relatively small part of its overall revenue .
Overall , Spotify said that it now has 299 million monthly active users , a 29 percent increase compared to last year , while subscribers increased by 27 percent to 138 million .

Spotify listening hours have returned to the same level they was at prior to the pandemic, the company announced today in its latest earnings release. It reported that the recovery was strongest in areas where the spread of the COVID-19 virus is apparently slowing. Spotify also said that overall podcast consumption has more than doubled. Spotify reported a loss of €356 million overall in the period, The Wall Street Journal reports, despite an increase in paying subscribers.
Just three months ago, Spotify reported big changes in listening habits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every day now looks like the weekend,” the company wrote in its last earnings release, referring to the changes in morning routines it saw as people spent more time at home. As of the end of June, however, it said that consumption hours are back up to pre-pandemic levels, though it admitted that this is varying around the world.
21 percent of Spotify listeners now use it for podcasts
Spotify said that Europe and Asia, where the virus’s spread appears to be under control, “led the recovery in consumption,” while Latin America is still 6 percent below peak levels after being hit hard by the pandemic. However, it also said that Latin America is still one of its fastest growing regions, with a 33 percent increase in monthly active users year-over-year.
Although consumption levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels, Spotify said that the places where people are listening to Spotify are still different. In-car listening is still less than it was prior to the pandemic, for example, although it’s reportedly increasing.
Spotify also said its podcast business is continuing to grow. The Wall Street Journal notes that the number of monthly active users listening to podcasts saw a small increase from 19 to 21 percent, but the amount of podcast content they’re consuming more than doubled. Spotify is making big investments into podcasts, and announced back in May that Joe Rogan’s podcast will become a Spotify exclusive in September, and rolled out support for video podcasts earlier this month. Today, Michelle Obama’s podcast went live exclusively on Spotify. The growth in podcasting is good news for Spotify’s ad business, although this is a relatively small part of its overall revenue.


theverge--2020-07-29--Form’s smart goggles now work with GPS smartwatches to track open-water swims

Form is releasing an update today for its smart augmented reality swim goggles that enable them to pair over Bluetooth to selected GPS smartwatches , allowing users to track their swims in real time in open water , not just in swimming pools .
The $ 199 Form goggles were released last year , and offered a unique method of tracking swimming metrics by using motion sensors and an AR display built into the goggles itself .
But the system — while clever enough to work independently from a smartphone — was still limited to only tracking laps in pools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance you were traveling , using the onboard sensors and algorithms to figure out when you turned at the end of a lap or stopped .
The new update changes that , though , by connecting the goggles with an Apple Watch or Garmin smartwatch with GPS , allowing users to get the same real-time swim metrics ( for things like distance , stroke count , calories , and more ) while swimming in open water .
The goggles can also show additional information pulled from the paired watch , like your current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do before .
The dot-matrix display won ’ t show you any AR maps , unfortunately , although like with the regular pool mode , completed swims in open water will sync back from the goggles to the Form app when you ’ re back by your phone ( with the additional GPS and heart rate data ) , allowing for serious swimmers to analyze their swim results and see the full map of where they swam .
The company recommends that users wear their smartwatch on the same side of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goggles for the best Bluetooth connectivity between the devices .
It also notes that for optimal connectivity , swimmers are recommended to swim freestyle .
The new GPS and heart rate tracking works with the Garmin Forerunner 945 , fēnix 6 Pro , fēnix 5 Plus , along with the Apple Watch Series 3 , Series 4 , and Series 5 .
Using the new features requires updating the goggles to the newly released firmware , and then installed the companion Garmin or Apple Watch app on your smartwatch .

Form is releasing an update today for its smart augmented reality swim goggles that enable them to pair over Bluetooth to selected GPS smartwatches, allowing users to track their swims in real time in open water, not just in swimming pools.
The $199 Form goggles were released last year, and offered a unique method of tracking swimming metrics by using motion sensors and an AR display built into the goggles itself. But the system — while clever enough to work independently from a smartphone — was still limited to only tracking laps in pools where you already knew the size and distance you were traveling, using the onboard sensors and algorithms to figure out when you turned at the end of a lap or stopped.
The new update changes that, though, by connecting the goggles with an Apple Watch or Garmin smartwatch with GPS, allowing users to get the same real-time swim metrics (for things like distance, stroke count, calories, and more) while swimming in open water. The goggles can also show additional information pulled from the paired watch, like your current heart rate, something they were unable to do before.
The dot-matrix display won’t show you any AR maps, unfortunately, although like with the regular pool mode, completed swims in open water will sync back from the goggles to the Form app when you’re back by your phone (with the additional GPS and heart rate data), allowing for serious swimmers to analyze their swim results and see the full map of where they swam.
The company recommends that users wear their smartwatch on the same side of their body as the display portion of the goggles for the best Bluetooth connectivity between the devices. It also notes that for optimal connectivity, swimmers are recommended to swim freestyle.


theverge--2020-07-29--How to watch today’s tech antitrust hearing

Starting at 12PM ET on Wednesday , July 29th , the leaders of the tech industry are appearing before a congressional subcommittee to defend their business practices .
Much of the run-up to the hearing has been centered on the unprecedented guest list , which includes CEOs from Apple , Amazon , Facebook , and Google .
It will be the first time some of the men have appeared in front of Congress and by far the most significant hearing since the antitrust against Microsoft in the late ‘ 90s .
How to watch the antitrust hearing The House Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official YouTube page , and the same stream is available on the committee ’ s website .
We ’ ve also embedded it in this post , so you ’ ll be able to watch from here .
Who will be at the hearing ?
The hearing will center on testimony from four CEOs : Apple ’ s Tim Cook , Amazon ’ s Jeff Bezos , Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , and Google ’ s Sundar Pichai .
The CEOs will face questions from the members of the House subcommittee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is a subset of the broader House Judiciary Committee .
Led by Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) , Republicans on the committee have also pushed for Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify at the hearing , although the attempt appears to have been unsuccessful , and Dorsey is unlikely to appear .
Because of the coronavirus pandemic , the CEOs are expected to testify remotely , appearing from their respective locations through videoconference .
It ’ s a new approach for the subcommittee , and it may provide more opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fly .
What time will the House Judiciary antitrust hearing start ?
The hearing will start at 12PM ET on Wednesday , July 29th .
The hearing is expected to run for the afternoon , including an intermission .
The hearing was originally set to take place on Monday , July 27th , but it was rescheduled after the death of Rep. John Lewis ( D-GA ) , a longtime civil rights leader who was lying in state at the US Capitol during the originally scheduled time .
The antitrust proceedings were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress to pay their respects , with the new date announced over the weekend .
Update July 29th , 8:09AM ET : Updated to include a stream of the hearing .

Starting at 12PM ET on Wednesday, July 29th, the leaders of the tech industry are appearing before a congressional subcommittee to defend their business practices. Much of the run-up to the hearing has been centered on the unprecedented guest list, which includes CEOs from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. It will be the first time some of the men have appeared in front of Congress and by far the most significant hearing since the antitrust against Microsoft in the late ‘90s.
How to watch the antitrust hearing
The House Judiciary live-streams proceedings from the committee’s official YouTube page, and the same stream is available on the committee’s website. We’ve also embedded it in this post, so you’ll be able to watch from here.
Who will be at the hearing?
The hearing will center on testimony from four CEOs: Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. The CEOs will face questions from the members of the House subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law, which is a subset of the broader House Judiciary Committee.
Led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Republicans on the committee have also pushed for Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify at the hearing, although the attempt appears to have been unsuccessful, and Dorsey is unlikely to appear.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the CEOs are expected to testify remotely, appearing from their respective locations through videoconference. It’s a new approach for the subcommittee, and it may provide more opportunity for the subjects to research answers on the fly.
Related Everything you need to know from the tech antitrust hearing
What time will the House Judiciary antitrust hearing start?
The hearing will start at 12PM ET on Wednesday, July 29th. The hearing is expected to run for the afternoon, including an intermission.
The hearing was originally set to take place on Monday, July 27th, but it was rescheduled after the death of Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), a longtime civil rights leader who was lying in state at the US Capitol during the originally scheduled time. The antitrust proceedings were postponed by 48 hours to allow members of Congress to pay their respects, with the new date announced over the weekend.
Update July 29th, 8:09AM ET: Updated to include a stream of the hearing.


theverge--2020-07-29--Service that uses AI to identify gender based on names looks incredibly biased

Some tech companies make a splash when they launch , others seem to bellyflop .
Genderify , a new service that promises to identify someone ’ s gender by analyzing their name , email address , or username with the help AI , looks firmly to be in the latter camp .
The company launched on Product Hunt last week , but has picked up a lot of attention on social media recently as users discovered biases and inaccuracies in its algorithms .
Type the name “ Meghan Smith ” into Genderify , for example , and the service offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , Female : 60.40 % .
” Change that name to “ Dr .
Meghan Smith , ” however , and the assessment changes to : “ Male : 75.90 % , Female : 24.10 % .
” Other names prefixed with “ Dr ” produce similar results , and other inputs seem to skew consistently male .
“ Test @ test.com ” is said to be 96.90 percent male , for example , while “ Mrs Joan smith ” is 94.10 percent male .
The outcry seems to have been so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing , the service ’ s website , Genderify.com , has been taken offline and its free API is no longer accessible .
These sorts of biases regularly appear in machine learning systems , but the thoughtlessness of Genderify seems to have surprised many experts in the field .
The response from Meredith Whittaker , co-founder of the AI Now Institute , which studies the impact of AI on society , was somewhat typical .
“ Are we being trolled ?
” she asked .
“ Is this a psyop meant to distract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech April fool ’ s day already ?
” Making assumptions about people ’ s gender at scale could be harmful The problem with Genderify is not that it makes assumptions about someone ’ s gender based on their name .
People do this all the time , and sometimes make mistakes in the process .
That ’ s why it ’ s polite to find out how people self-identify and how they want to be addressed .
The problem with Genderify is that it automates these assumptions ; applying them at scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( and so ignoring individuals who identify as non-binary ) while reinforcing gender stereotypes in the process ( such as : if you ’ re a doctor you ’ re probably a man ) .
The potential harm of this depends on how and where Genderify is applied .
If the service was integrated into a medical chatbot , for example , its assumptions about users ’ genders could lead to the chatbot issuing misleading medical advice .
Thankfully , the service doesn ’ t seem to be aiming to automate this sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a marketing tool .
As Genderify ’ s creator , Arevik Gasparyan , said on Product Hunt : “ Genderify can obtain data that will help you with analytics , enhancing your customer data , segmenting your marketing database , demographic statistics , etc.
” In the same comment section , Gasparyan acknowledged the concerns of some users about bias and ignoring non-binary individuals , but didn ’ t offer any concrete answers .
One user asked : “ Let ’ s say I choose to identify as neither Male or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How do you avoid gender discrimination ?
How are you tackling gender bias ?
” To which Gasparyan replied that the service makes its decisions based on “ already existing binary name/gender databases , ” and that the company was “ actively looking into ways of improving the experience for transgender and non-binary visitors ” by “ separating the concepts of name/username/email from gender identity.
” It ’ s a confusing answer given that the entire premise of Genderify is that this data is a reliable proxy for gender identity .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will update this story with any comment we receive .

Some tech companies make a splash when they launch, others seem to bellyflop.
Genderify, a new service that promised to identify someone’s gender by analyzing their name, email address, or username with the help AI, looks firmly to be in the latter camp. The company launched on Product Hunt last week, but picked up a lot of attention on social media as users discovered biases and inaccuracies in its algorithms.
Type the name “Meghan Smith” into Genderify, for example, and the service offers the assessment: “Male: 39.60%, Female: 60.40%.” Change that name to “Dr. Meghan Smith,” however, and the assessment changes to: “Male: 75.90%, Female: 24.10%.” Other names prefixed with “Dr” produce similar results while inputs seem to generally skew male. “Test@test.com” is said to be 96.90 percent male, for example, while “Mrs Joan smith” is 94.10 percent male.
The outcry against the service has been so great that Genderify tells The Verge it’s shutting down altogether. “If the community don’t want it, maybe it was fair,” said a representative via email. Genderify.com has been taken offline and its free API is no longer accessible.
Although these sorts of biases appear regularly in machine learning systems, the thoughtlessness of Genderify seems to have surprised many experts in the field. The response from Meredith Whittaker, co-founder of the AI Now Institute, which studies the impact of AI on society, was somewhat typical. “Are we being trolled?” she asked. “Is this a psyop meant to distract the tech+justice world? Is it cringey tech April fool’s day already?”
Making assumptions about people’s gender at scale could be harmful
The problem is not that Genderify made assumptions about someone’s gender based on their name. People do this all the time, and sometimes make mistakes in the process. That’s why it’s polite to find out how people self-identify and how they want to be addressed. The problem with Genderify is that it automated these assumptions; applying them at scale while sorting individuals into a male/female binary (and so ignoring individuals who identify as non-binary) while reinforcing gender stereotypes in the process (such as: if you’re a doctor you’re probably a man).
The potential harm of this depends on how and where Genderify was applied. If the service was integrated into a medical chatbot, for example, its assumptions about users’ genders might have led to the chatbot issuing misleading medical advice.
Thankfully, Genderify didn’t seem to be aiming to automate this sort of system, but was primarily designed to be a marketing tool. As Genderify’s creator, Arevik Gasparyan, said on Product Hunt: “Genderify can obtain data that will help you with analytics, enhancing your customer data, segmenting your marketing database, demographic statistics, etc.”
In the same comment section, Gasparyan acknowledged the concerns of some users about bias and ignoring non-binary individuals, but didn’t offer any concrete answers.
One user asked: “Let’s say I choose to identify as neither Male or Female, how do you approach this? How do you avoid gender discrimination? How are you tackling gender bias?” To which Gasparyan replied that the service makes its decisions based on “already existing binary name/gender databases,” and that the company was “actively looking into ways of improving the experience for transgender and non-binary visitors” by “separating the concepts of name/username/email from gender identity.” It’s a confusing answer given that the entire premise of Genderify is that this data is a reliable proxy for gender identity.
The company told The Verge that the service was very similar to existing companies who use databases of names to guess an individual’s gender, though none of them use AI.
“We understand that our model will never provide ideal results, and the algorithm needs significant improvements, but our goal was to build a self-learning AI that will not be biased as any existing solutions,” said a representative via email. “And to make it work, we very much relied on the feedback of transgender and non-binary visitors to help us improve our gender detection algorithms as best as possible for the LGBTQ+ community.”


theverge--2020-07-29--How the CEOs of Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook plan to defend Big Tech today

Ahead of the antitrust hearing that ’ s due to take place later today , the opening statements from the CEOs of Apple , Google , Amazon , and Facebook have been published on the House Judiciary Committee ’ s website .
Ranging in length from four to eight pages , the statements give us our best look yet at how Tim Cook , Sundar Pichai , Jeff Bezos , and Mark Zuckerberg plan to defend their companies from this latest wave of antitrust scrutiny , and accusations that some of their actions harm consumers and stifle competition .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four statements which you can read in their entirety here : For example , they all make appeals to American patriotism ( “ The rest of the world would love even the tiniest sip of the elixir we have here in the U.S , ” Bezos claims ) , and talk about the benefits their products offer to consumers , as well as small businesses .
All four insist that , contrary to popular belief , they do in fact face intense competition , and that their success is far from guaranteed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make in their opening statements : One of the major points each CEO makes at length is how much competition they each face , despite their apparent dominance .
Jeff Bezos , for example , points out that Amazon ’ s business accounts for less than 4 percent of the overall retail market in the US , and that it ’ s increasingly facing competition from more established competitors like Walmart and Target , which offer services that Amazon can ’ t compete with .
Here ’ s Apple ’ s Tim Cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Android manufacturers : Sundar Pichai ’ s defense of the competition Google faces is especially interesting , considering the monopoly it ’ s widely considered to have in online search .
Pichai also notes that Google faces competition in the digital ad market , though without specifically mentioning Facebook .
Zuckerberg , too , claims that Facebook faces competition , including from international competitions “ that have access to markets that we aren ’ t in.
” All : Our products are useful and loved Fundamentally , all four CEOs write that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( and certainly not harmful ) not only to consumers , but to other businesses .
Tim Cook , for example , points out that the iPhone has a 99 percent satisfaction rating in customer surveys , and that the company invests in developer tools that are “ not only powerful , but so simple to use that students in elementary schools can and do make apps.
” For Sundar Pichai , Google ’ s benefits are felt by customers who get access to free services like Search , Gmail , Maps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Android has allowed cheap smartphones to come to market .
He argues that small business owners have been able to use Google ’ s services to offer online services and stay afloat during the pandemic .
Bezos says that Amazon marketplace has “ helped many thousands of sellers grow their businesses on Amazon , ” and that the company tries to offer new services to customers before they even know they want it .
Finally , Zuckerberg notes that Facebook ’ s services help “ millions of businesses connect with customers ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with each other .
But as well as these more general defenses , each CEO takes time to defend its company against specific criticisms that have been leveled at them by their critics .
For Amazon , a key recent criticism has been the treatment of its workers , which has intensified recently as the company grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic .
But Bezos argues that Amazon pays its workers well , and that it invests a lot of money in training them .
Bezos also says Amazon is spending over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that its investments have created almost 700,000 indirect jobs in areas like construction .
Apple knows that its App Store policies are going to be heavily scrutinized , but it argues that its guidelines are applied equally to all developers , and that they “ ensure a high-quality , reliable and secure user experience.
” In particular Apple has come under fire for the 30 percent commission it charges for purchases made through apps distributed through the App Store .
However , Tim Cook argues that these commissions are lower than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services that existed prior to the App Store .
Facebook : We didn ’ t acquire competitors , we made them competitors One of the more interesting sections of Zuckerberg ’ s opening comments is where he defends his company ’ s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp , two acquisitions that some critics claim allowed Facebook to swallow its burgeoning competitors and consolidate the market .
Zuckerberg , however , says that the image-sharing and messaging service only became dominant because they had access to Facebook ’ s vast resources .
“ Following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get help stabilizing infrastructure and controlling runaway spam .
It also benefited from the ability to plug into Facebook ’ s self-serve ads system , sales team and existing advertiser relationships to drive monetization , and was able to build products including IG Direct and IG Video that used Facebook ’ s technology and infrastructure .
Before it was acquired , WhatsApp was a paid app with a reputation for secure communications ; together we built on that by introducing end-to-end encryption and making it free to use .
Since its acquisition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products such as voice and video calling that were built on Facebook ’ s technology stack .
“ These benefits came about as a result of our acquisition of those companies , and would not have happened had we not made those acquisitions.
” As well as talking about Facebook ’ s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp , Zuckerberg ’ s opening remarks contain yet another call for more regulation for Facebook .
Finally , as America reckons with China ’ s increasing prominence in the international tech landscape , Google ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s investments that will allow the US to maintain its lead .
The four CEOs will testify in front of congress later today .

Ahead of the antitrust hearing that’s due to take place later today, the opening statements from the CEOs of Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook have been published on the House Judiciary Committee’s website. Ranging in length from four to eight pages, the statements give us our best look yet at how Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg plan to defend their companies from this latest wave of antitrust scrutiny, and accusations that some of their actions harm consumers and stifle competition.
There are a lot of similarities between the four statements which you can read in their entirety here:
For example, they all make appeals to American patriotism (“The rest of the world would love even the tiniest sip of the elixir we have here in the U.S,” Bezos claims), and talk about the benefits their products offer to consumers, as well as small businesses. All four insist that, contrary to popular belief, they do in fact face intense competition, and that their success is far from guaranteed.
Related Big Tech is going on trial
Here are the major arguments the CEOs make in their opening statements:
All: We face intense competition
One of the major points each CEO makes at length is how much competition they each face, despite their apparent dominance. Jeff Bezos, for example, points out that Amazon’s business accounts for less than 4 percent of the overall retail market in the US, and that it’s increasingly facing competition from more established competitors like Walmart and Target, which offer services that Amazon can’t compete with.
“Walmart’s online sales grew 74% in the first quarter. And customers are increasingly flocking to services invented by other stores that Amazon still can’t match at the scale of other large companies, like curbside pickup and in-store returns.”
Here’s Apple’s Tim Cook, talking about the competition it faces from Android manufacturers:
“The smartphone market is fiercely competitive, and companies like Samsung, LG, Huawei and Google have built very successful smartphone businesses offering different approaches. Apple does not have a dominant market share in any market where we do business. That is not just true for iPhone; it is true for any product category.”
Sundar Pichai’s defense of the competition Google faces is especially interesting, considering the monopoly it’s widely considered to have in online search.
“People have more ways to search for information than ever before — and increasingly this is happening outside the context of only a search engine. Often the answer is just a click or an app away: You can ask Alexa a question from your kitchen; read your news on Twitter; ask friends for information via WhatsApp; and get recommendations on Snapchat or Pinterest. When searching for products online, you may be visiting Amazon, eBay, Walmart, or any one of a number of e-commerce providers, where most online shopping queries happen.”
Pichai also notes that Google faces competition in the digital ad market, though without specifically mentioning Facebook. Zuckerberg, too, claims that Facebook faces competition, including from international competitions “that have access to markets that we aren’t in.”
All: Our products are useful and loved
Fundamentally, all four CEOs write that the products their companies offer are useful (and certainly not harmful) not only to consumers, but to other businesses.
Tim Cook, for example, points out that the iPhone has a 99 percent satisfaction rating in customer surveys, and that the company invests in developer tools that are “not only powerful, but so simple to use that students in elementary schools can and do make apps.”
For Sundar Pichai, Google’s benefits are felt by customers who get access to free services like Search, Gmail, Maps, and Photos, and he also argues that Android has allowed cheap smartphones to come to market. He argues that small business owners have been able to use Google’s services to offer online services and stay afloat during the pandemic.
Bezos says that Amazon marketplace has “helped many thousands of sellers grow their businesses on Amazon,” and that the company tries to offer new services to customers before they even know they want it.
“We are internally driven to improve our services, add benefits and features, invent new products, lower prices, and speed up shipping times—before we have to. No customer ever asked Amazon to create the Prime membership program, but it sure turns out they wanted it. And I could give you many such examples.”
Finally, Zuckerberg notes that Facebook’s services help “millions of businesses connect with customers” as well as helping customers to keep in contact with each other.
But as well as these more general defenses, each CEO takes time to defend its company against specific criticisms that have been leveled at them by their critics.
Amazon: We create jobs
For Amazon, a key recent criticism has been the treatment of its workers, which has intensified recently as the company grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. But Bezos argues that Amazon pays its workers well, and that it invests a lot of money in training them.
“The trust customers put in us every day has allowed Amazon to create more jobs in the United States over the past decade than any other company — hundreds of thousands of jobs across 42 states. Amazon employees make a minimum of $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum wage (which we have urged Congress to increase).”
Bezos also says Amazon is spending over $700 million on training its employees, and that its investments have created almost 700,000 indirect jobs in areas like construction.
Apple: Our App Store policies are fair
Apple knows that its App Store policies are going to be heavily scrutinized, but it argues that its guidelines are applied equally to all developers, and that they “ensure a high-quality, reliable and secure user experience.”
In particular Apple has come under fire for the 30 percent commission it charges for purchases made through apps distributed through the App Store. However, Tim Cook argues that these commissions are lower than its competitors, as well as the services that existed prior to the App Store.
“After beginning with 500 app, today the App Store hosts more than 1.7 million — only 60 of which are Apple software. Clearly, if Apple is a gatekeeper, what we have done is open the gate wider. We want to get every app we can on the Store, not keep them off.”
Facebook: We didn’t acquire competitors, we made them competitors
One of the more interesting sections of Zuckerberg’s opening comments is where he defends his company’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, two acquisitions that some critics claim allowed Facebook to swallow its burgeoning competitors and consolidate the market. Zuckerberg, however, says that the image-sharing and messaging service only became dominant because they had access to Facebook’s vast resources.
“Following its acquisition, Instagram was able to get help stabilizing infrastructure and controlling runaway spam. It also benefited from the ability to plug into Facebook’s self-serve ads system, sales team and existing advertiser relationships to drive monetization, and was able to build products including IG Direct and IG Video that used Facebook’s technology and infrastructure. Before it was acquired, WhatsApp was a paid app with a reputation for secure communications; together we built on that by introducing end-to-end encryption and making it free to use. Since its acquisition, WhatsApp has also been able to develop products such as voice and video calling that were built on Facebook’s technology stack. “These benefits came about as a result of our acquisition of those companies, and would not have happened had we not made those acquisitions.”
As well as talking about Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, Zuckerberg’s opening remarks contain yet another call for more regulation for Facebook.
Google: Our investments are keeping American tech competitive
Finally, as America reckons with China’s increasing prominence in the international tech landscape, Google’s Sundar Pichai says that its Google’s investments that will allow the US to maintain its lead.
“Every year, we are among the world’s biggest investors in research and development. At the end of 2019, our R&D spend had increased almost 10 times over 10 years, from $2.8 billion to $26 billion. We’ve invested over $90 billion over the last 5 Years. Through these investments, our teams of engineers are helping America solidify its position as the global leader in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and quantum computing. For example, last fall, our team of researchers based here in the U.S. was the first to reach a quantum computing milestone, a discovery that could eventually lead to new breakthroughs in medicine and more efficient batteries.”


theverge--2020-07-29--How another video of COVID-19 misinformation went viral on Facebook

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In May , we saw the arrival of the first viral hoax of the COVID-19 era : “ Plandemic , ” a meandering 26-minute video which falsely asserted that vaccines “ weaken ” people ’ s immune systems and that wearing a mask would “ activate ” the coronavirus .
Despite the best efforts of Facebook and YouTube , a single upload of “ Plandemic ” got 7.1 million views before it was removed .
As I wrote at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the platforms were ignoring the video — it was that , at their scale , even the few hours it took them to research the issue were enough for “ Plandemic ” to get all the way around the world .
“ It likely won ’ t be the last piece of harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that becomes a blockbuster , ” I wrote back then .
“ And when the next one comes , I wouldn ’ t be surprised to see that the pathway to virality leads straight through Facebook groups.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sequel .
And Facebook groups played a significant role .
The video that captured the public imagination this week lacks a name as catchy as “ Plandemic ” — it was a live stream of a press conference organized by a group known as the Tea Party Patriots , who are funded by wealthy Republicans — but it was seen much more widely , in much less time .
Here ’ s Sam Shead at CNBC : All of that is false , but falls squarely into the category of “ something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so it found a wide audience .
NBC News ’ Brandy Zadrozny reported that in less than 24 hours , it racked up 20 million views on Facebook alone .
“ That Breitbart video from the doctors claiming that hydroxychloroquine cures the coronavirus has been going crazy in anti-vax , anti-mask , reopen Facebook Groups today , ” she tweeted .
“ It ’ s at > 20 mil views on FB .
And that doesn ’ t include all the private groups it ’ s been spreading through.
” Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove the video — although , as we have come to understand , this will be an ongoing effort , as people continue to make minor alterations to the video and re-upload it .
( The platforms are still finding new uploads of “ Plandemic , ” more than two months later . )
And it took Facebook longer than even the company thought it should have .
Here ’ s what the company told me about it when I asked : Compounding the challenge for the platforms is that the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile users : the president and his son .
Twitter put temporary limits on the account of Donald Trump Jr. , and removed several retweets of the video that President Trump himself had shared on Twitter .
Here are Katie Shepherd and Taylor Telford in the Washington Post : By now you may be wondering on whose expertise the president and the president ’ s son have staked their reputations on promoting a COVID-19 treatment that the Food and Drug Administration has said is “ unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the live stream is known as America ’ s Frontline Doctors , which made a website less than two weeks ago .
Its breakout star is named Stella Immanuel , and I ’ ll let Will Sommer at the Daily Beast tell you about her : So on one hand , yes , this is a platform problem .
Because the platforms are so large , and because viral distribution mechanisms are built into every post , dangerous misinformation can spread globally within hours .
For reasons I still don ’ t quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly three times the views that the most-shared “ Plandemic ” video did in half the time .
And that ’ s despite the heightened attention every platform has been paying to misinformation related to COVID-19 .
It ’ s also a democracy problem .
When the president of the United States is sharing videos that encourage people to believe that a “ cure ” exists for a disease that has already — needlessly — killed 151,000 Americans , the issue extends well beyond tech companies ’ content moderation policies and enforcement efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims in a press conference Tuesday , which was carried on cable news — and not subject to whatever rules Facebook or Twitter want to make about COVID-19 posts .
Everything about this presidency is a crisis , and platforms have their role to play in mitigating its very worst excesses , and yet to think about this only as a problem of content moderation would be far too blinkered .
Still , the speed at which Immanuel ’ s rant spread offers cause for concern .
When I asked Facebook today why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no one could give me an answer .
The company often points to the huge investment it has made in trust and safety , arguing that breaking it up would only worsen the spread of harmful content on the internet .
But when Dr. Demon Sex can get 20 million views hawking dangerous advice in an afternoon , what exactly do we have to lose ?
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending down : Content moderators at Pinterest report inadequate resources and minimal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep child abuse imagery off the platform .
The company has said that the majority of content moderators work in-house .
( Sarah Emerson / OneZero ) ⭐ The United States is seeking to dismiss the charges it brought against two former Twitter employees and a Saudi national for allegedly helping the Saudi Arabian government spy on dissidents using Twitter .
Given how politicized the Department of Justice has become under Bill Barr , it ’ s hard not to read this story and assume corruption is involved .
An outrageous story , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : ⭐ Amazon , Apple , Facebook , and Google are preparing for their “ Big Tobacco moment ” on Wednesday , says Gigi Sohn , a former senior adviser at the FCC .
He ’ s referring to the 1994 congressional hearing where seven executives from America ’ s largest tobacco companies said they did not believe that cigarettes were addictive .
On the other hand , that hearing was not about antitrust !
Anyway , here ’ s Cecilia Kang , Jack Nicas and David McCabe at The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency ( PACT ) Act , which would reform Section 230 by making social networks by creating new mandatory disclosures for technology companies .
There is some bipartisan agreement here , but members of Congress are weirdly fixated on platforms declaring “ neutrality , ” whatever that means .
( Adi Robertson / The Verge ) Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , and Microsoft have been on a buying spree this year , acquiring smaller companies despite mounting antitrust scrutiny .
Through June 30th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up 29 percent from the same period last year .
( David McLaughlin / Bloomberg ) The Anti-Monopoly Fund , which was started last year by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes , is funneling more than $ 1 million into initiatives that promote stronger antitrust enforcement .
Hughes wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last year calling for the breakup of the social media giant .
( Naomi Nix / Bloomberg ) Organizers of the # StopHateforProfit advertising boycott asked lawmakers to press Facebook on its ability to withstand their campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ boycott has “ highlighted how much control Facebook has over online advertising.
” Blaming your failed campaign on the lack of choice in the marketplace is ... amazing !
( Sarah Fischer / Axios ) Four numbers give a small glimpse into the immense power of the big tech companies .
Here ’ s one : Facebook , Apple , Google , and Amazon have a combined market capitalization of $ 5 trillion .
( Kyle Daly / Axios ) Facebook won a temporary halt to a demand by European Union investigators to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including “ highly sensitive personal information.
” Facebook sued the commission on July 15th , citing “ the exceptionally broad nature ” of the EU ’ s orders , which are part of an effort to bring an antitrust case against the tech giant .
( Stephanie Bodoni and Aoife White / Bloomberg ) A coalition of progressive groups is calling on Brett Kavanaugh to recuse himself from a Supreme Court case involving Facebook , due to his close friendship with the company ’ s policy chief Joel Kaplan .
The case could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s involvement in platform regulation moving forward .
( Zoe Schiffer / The Verge ) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Facebook for possibly violating its Texas Deceptive Trade Practices — Consumer Protection Act by improperly collecting biometric identifiers .
In February , Facebook users in Illinois secured a major settlement over the issue .
( Ashley Gold / Axios ) After Airbnb and ClassPass started selling virtual classes during the pandemic , Apple decided it was entitled to 30 percent of the sales .
Previously , Apple hadn ’ t collected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considering the decision as part of the antitrust probe of the tech company .
( Jack Nicas and David McCabe / The New York Times ) Sarah Palin is making money off a Facebook scheme involving an obscure right-wing aggregation site called Analyzing America .
Palin ’ s Facebook page has linked to the site 280 times since May — and likely made money off each link .
( Popular Information ) Two TikTok stars in Egypt were jailed for two years starting on Monday , as part of a crackdown on “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stars were convicted of violating Egyptian family values , inciting immorality and debauchery .
( Tim Hume / Vice ) India has drawn up a list of 275 Chinese apps that it plans to examine for potential national security risks .
The list , which includes ByteDance-owned Resso , follows the high-profile ban of 59 Chinese apps last month .
( Megha Mandavia , Surabhi Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi / The Economic Times ) ⭐ Instagram is trying to lure TikTok stars over to its new competing app Reels with deals potentially worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is planning to unveil Reels next month .
Here ’ s Euirim Choi at The Wall Street Journal : A new Instagram challenge that ’ s purportedly about women supporting women consists of seductive black and white selfies .
Influencers love these types of “ challenges ” because they don ’ t require actual advocacy , this piece argues .
Sounds right !
( Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times ) Google is devoting more and more space in search results to its own properties , as well as “ direct answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources , sometimes without their knowledge or consent .
Previously , the company would often direct people to links that led to other websites .
Those were the days !
( Adrianne Jeffries and Leon Yin / The Markup ) The MTA has porn in its Google search results .
“ This is offensive and inappropriate language that is being generated by a Google search algorithm , ” an MTA spokesperson said in a statement .
Okay then !
( Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge ) Google announced plans to build an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK and Spain .
The project is expected to be completed by 2022 .
( BBC ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Preview Jeff Bezos ’ testimony to Congress tomorrow .
Did you know that America is an amazing country in which anyone can succeed if they work really hard ?
Check out Facebook ’ s new take on Tumblr .
The latest from its new product group actually is maybe better compared to NewHive , an artsy website for creators that I profiled in 2014 .
Send us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth about hydroxychloroquine : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

In May, we saw the arrival of the first viral hoax of the COVID-19 era: “Plandemic,” a meandering 26-minute video which falsely asserted that vaccines “weaken” people’s immune systems and that wearing a mask would “activate” the coronavirus. Despite the best efforts of Facebook and YouTube, a single upload of “Plandemic” got 7.1 million views before it was removed.
As I wrote at the time, the problem was not that the platforms were ignoring the video — it was that, at their scale, even the few hours it took them to research the issue were enough for “Plandemic” to get all the way around the world. “It likely won’t be the last piece of harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that becomes a blockbuster,” I wrote back then. “And when the next one comes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that the pathway to virality leads straight through Facebook groups.”
Indeed, on Monday we got the sequel. And Facebook groups played a significant role.
The video that captured the public imagination this week lacks a name as catchy as “Plandemic” — it was a live stream of a press conference organized by a group known as the Tea Party Patriots, who are funded by wealthy Republicans — but it was seen much more widely, in much less time. Here’s Sam Shead at CNBC:
The video was created by right-wing media outlet Breitbart. It depicts a group of people dressed in white lab coats — who call themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors” — staging a press conference outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Those in the video claim that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is “a cure for Covid” and “you don’t need a mask” to slow the spread of coronavirus. “This virus has a cure, it’s called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax,” one of the women in the video claims. “You don’t need masks, there is a cure.”
All of that is false, but falls squarely into the category of “something people desperately want to believe,” and so it found a wide audience. NBC News’ Brandy Zadrozny reported that in less than 24 hours, it racked up 20 million views on Facebook alone.
“That Breitbart video from the doctors claiming that hydroxychloroquine cures the coronavirus has been going crazy in anti-vax, anti-mask, reopen Facebook Groups today,” she tweeted. “It’s at >20 mil views on FB. And that doesn’t include all the private groups it’s been spreading through.”
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter all began efforts to remove the video — although, as we have come to understand, this will be an ongoing effort, as people continue to make minor alterations to the video and re-upload it. (The platforms are still finding new uploads of “Plandemic,” more than two months later.)
And it took Facebook longer than even the company thought it should have. Here’s what the company told me about it when I asked:
“We’ve removed this video for making false claims about cures and prevention methods for COVID-19. People who reacted to, commented on, or shared this video, will see messages directing them to authoritative information about the virus. It took us several hours to enforce against the video and we’re doing a review to understand why this took longer than it should have. Since April to June we removed more than 7 million pieces of content on Facebook and Instagram for violating our policy against sharing harmful COVID-19 misinformation.”
Compounding the challenge for the platforms is that the video was shared by two of their most high-profile users: the president and his son. Twitter put temporary limits on the account of Donald Trump Jr., and removed several retweets of the video that President Trump himself had shared on Twitter. Here are Katie Shepherd and Taylor Telford in the Washington Post:
Twitter said it ordered the president’s son to delete the misleading tweet and said it would “limit some account functionality for 12 hours.” [...] Twitter removed the videos, deleting several of the tweets that President Trump shared, and even adding a note to its trending topics warning about the potential risks of hydroxychloroquine use.
By now you may be wondering on whose expertise the president and the president’s son have staked their reputations on promoting a COVID-19 treatment that the Food and Drug Administration has said is “unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19.” The group of doctors who appeared in the live stream is known as America’s Frontline Doctors, which made a website less than two weeks ago. Its breakout star is named Stella Immanuel, and I’ll let Will Sommer at the Daily Beast tell you about her:
Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches. She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious. And, despite appearing in Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress on Monday, she has said that the government is run in part not by humans but by “reptilians” and other aliens.
So on one hand, yes, this is a platform problem. Because the platforms are so large, and because viral distribution mechanisms are built into every post, dangerous misinformation can spread globally within hours. For reasons I still don’t quite understand, the Immanuel video racked up nearly three times the views that the most-shared “Plandemic” video did in half the time. And that’s despite the heightened attention every platform has been paying to misinformation related to COVID-19.
It’s also a democracy problem. When the president of the United States is sharing videos that encourage people to believe that a “cure” exists for a disease that has already — needlessly — killed 151,000 Americans, the issue extends well beyond tech companies’ content moderation policies and enforcement efforts. And he reiterated some of these claims in a press conference Tuesday, which was carried on cable news — and not subject to whatever rules Facebook or Twitter want to make about COVID-19 posts. Everything about this presidency is a crisis, and platforms have their role to play in mitigating its very worst excesses, and yet to think about this only as a problem of content moderation would be far too blinkered.
Still, the speed at which Immanuel’s rant spread offers cause for concern. When I asked Facebook today why this video seemed to spread so quickly, no one could give me an answer. The company often points to the huge investment it has made in trust and safety, arguing that breaking it up would only worsen the spread of harmful content on the internet. But when Dr. Demon Sex can get 20 million views hawking dangerous advice in an afternoon, what exactly do we have to lose?
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔽 Trending down: Content moderators at Pinterest report inadequate resources and minimal mental health support as they fight to keep child abuse imagery off the platform. The company has said that the majority of content moderators work in-house. (Sarah Emerson / OneZero)
Governing
⭐ The United States is seeking to dismiss the charges it brought against two former Twitter employees and a Saudi national for allegedly helping the Saudi Arabian government spy on dissidents using Twitter. Given how politicized the Department of Justice has become under Bill Barr, it’s hard not to read this story and assume corruption is involved. An outrageous story, reported by Clare Roth and Peter Bloomberg:
Prosecutors in San Francisco on Tuesday asked for a judge’s permission to drop the charges. The two-page filing doesn’t offer a reason but specifies that the dismissal would be “without prejudice,” meaning the government could file new charges. The two former Twitter employees, Ahmad Abouammo and Ali Alzabarah, were accused of feeding the Saudi government information about Twitter users critical of it. They were recruited by a Saudi named Ahmed Almutairi, who lives in the kingdom and has worked for the royal family’s social media company, according to prosecutors. All three were charged with acting as illegal foreign agents. Of the three, only Abouammo, a U.S. citizen, is in custody. He has pleaded not guilty.
⭐ Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are preparing for their “Big Tobacco moment” on Wednesday, says Gigi Sohn, a former senior adviser at the FCC. She’s referring to the 1994 congressional hearing where seven executives from America’s largest tobacco companies said they did not believe that cigarettes were addictive. On the other hand, that hearing was not about antitrust! Anyway, here’s Cecilia Kang, Jack Nicas and David McCabe at The New York Times:
The hearing, which caps a 13-month investigation by the House subcommittee, will be closely watched for clues that could advance other antitrust cases against the companies. The Federal Trade Commission, for one, is preparing to depose Mr. Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives in its 13-month probe of the social network. The Justice Department may soon unveil a case against Google. And an investigation into Apple by state attorneys general also appears to be advancing. As a result, preparations for the hearing have been frenetic — even with the event postponed by a few days this week to accommodate the commemoration of Representative John Lewis — as tech lobbyists jockeyed behind the scenes to influence the types of questions that lawmakers might ask.
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have been on a buying spree this year, acquiring smaller companies despite mounting antitrust scrutiny. Through June 30th, the five companies announced 27 deals, up 29 percent from the same period last year. (David McLaughlin / Bloomberg)
The Anti-Monopoly Fund, which was started last year by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, is funneling more than $1 million into initiatives that promote stronger antitrust enforcement. Hughes wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last year calling for the breakup of the social media giant. (Naomi Nix / Bloomberg)
Organizers of the #StopHateforProfit advertising boycott asked lawmakers to press Facebook on its ability to withstand their campaign. In a letter, organizers said the boycott has “highlighted how much control Facebook has over online advertising.” Blaming your failed campaign on the lack of choice in the marketplace is ... amazing! (Sarah Fischer / Axios)
Four numbers give a small glimpse into the immense power of the big tech companies. Here’s one: Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon have a combined market capitalization of $5 trillion. (Kyle Daly / Axios)
Facebook won a temporary halt to a demand by European Union investigators to turn over vast amounts of data, including “highly sensitive personal information.” Facebook sued the commission on July 15th, citing “the exceptionally broad nature” of the EU’s orders, which are part of an effort to bring an antitrust case against the tech giant. (Stephanie Bodoni and Aoife White / Bloomberg)
A coalition of progressive groups is calling on Brett Kavanaugh to recuse himself from a Supreme Court case involving Facebook, due to his close friendship with the company’s policy chief Joel Kaplan. The case could set an important precedent for Kavanaugh’s involvement in platform regulation moving forward. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Facebook for possibly violating its Texas Deceptive Trade Practices — Consumer Protection Act by improperly collecting biometric identifiers. In February, Facebook users in Illinois secured a major settlement over the issue. (Ashley Gold / Axios)
After Airbnb and ClassPass started selling virtual classes during the pandemic, Apple decided it was entitled to 30 percent of the sales. Previously, Apple hadn’t collected a fee. Now, lawmakers are considering the decision as part of the antitrust probe of the tech company. (Jack Nicas and David McCabe / The New York Times)
Sarah Palin is making money off a Facebook scheme involving an obscure right-wing aggregation site called Analyzing America. Palin’s Facebook page has linked to the site 280 times since May — and likely made money off each link. (Popular Information)
Two TikTok stars in Egypt were jailed for two years starting on Monday, as part of a crackdown on “indecent” social media influencers. The stars were convicted of violating Egyptian family values, inciting immorality and debauchery. (Tim Hume / Vice)
India has drawn up a list of 275 Chinese apps that it plans to examine for potential national security risks. The list, which includes ByteDance-owned Resso, follows the high-profile ban of 59 Chinese apps last month. (Megha Mandavia , Surabhi Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi / The Economic Times)
Industry
⭐ Instagram is trying to lure TikTok stars over to its new competing app Reels with deals potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Facebook is planning to unveil Reels next month. Here’s Euirim Choi at The Wall Street Journal:
The Instagram overtures to creators are the latest in a continuing back-and-forth between the two social-media giants. In recent years, TikTok has flooded Facebook and Instagram with ads, targeting their users on the home turf of the social media company. To counter the Instagram push, TikTok announced a $200 million fund on Thursday that will help creators on the platform “realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that’s inspired by their ideas.”
A new Instagram challenge that’s purportedly about women supporting women consists of seductive black and white selfies. Influencers love these types of “challenges” because they don’t require actual advocacy, this piece argues. Sounds right! (Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times)
Google is devoting more and more space in search results to its own properties, as well as “direct answers” populated with information copied from other sources, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. Previously, the company would often direct people to links that led to other websites. Those were the days! (Adrianne Jeffries and Leon Yin / The Markup)
The MTA has porn in its Google search results. “This is offensive and inappropriate language that is being generated by a Google search algorithm,” an MTA spokesperson said in a statement. Okay then! (Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge)
Google announced plans to build an undersea data cable connecting the US, UK and Spain. The project is expected to be completed by 2022. (BBC)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Preview Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to Congress tomorrow. Congressman, they sell ads!
Preview Jeff Bezos’ testimony to Congress tomorrow. Did you know that America is an amazing country in which anyone can succeed if they work really hard?
Check out Facebook’s new take on Tumblr. The latest from its new product group actually is maybe better compared to NewHive, an artsy website for creators that I profiled in 2014.
Those good tweets
Talk to us


theverge--2020-07-29--Mellow made its ‘smart’ sous vide machine dumb unless you pay a monthly fee

In 2014 , Mellow , Inc. released the Mellow for $ 399 , billing it as “ the world ’ s first smart sous-vide machine ” — one that promised to automatically weigh and then heat and cool your specified foods for a perfect slow-cooked result , even adjusting that timing mid-cook to match your changing schedule .
But now , the company is taking away those smarts from existing owners unless they pay $ 6 a month , or $ 48 for an annual subscription .
As SlashGear ’ s Chris Davies reports , Mellow owners were surprised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal this week until they updated the app , only to discover that the app update barred them from using most of the cooker ’ s previously free “ smart ” features without paying for the new “ Premium Subscription.
” “ Manual mode ” is now the only way to use the Mellow without paying extra Not everything is locked behind a paywall : Mellow ’ s manual mode still lets you set the cooker ’ s temperature from your phone remotely , but you can buy comparatively dumb sous-vide gadgets — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — for $ 129 .
The Mellow originally cost $ 399 brand-new , and though it ’ s currently on sale for $ 149 , it ’ s likely most buyers paid the typical asking price of $ 200- $ 300 to get one .
Late Monday evening , Mellow released a statement on Instagram explaining the justifications for its “ premium ” plan , citing financial hardships in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and claiming that many potential investors and acquirers interested in the company walked away , and arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s smart features cost too much to operate .
The Instagram post has since disappeared , but SlashGear saved a copy of its text first : Mellow was launched in 2014 by 2 founders out of Lisbon , Portugal .
Unfortunately these founders did not think of the future when they built Mellow V1 .
Mellow was built with WiFi only and uses outside servers to run its systems and software .
Their [ sic ] is no turning back .
These servers and systems cost a lot of money each month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all the Mellows .
Not only did the founders lose over $ 3 million dollars of their investors money but they also had no plan on ow the [ sic ] would pay for the future bills after they sold their Mellows .
In 2018 Mellow was going to shut down .
If the company shut down all of the Mellows that were in people ’ s homes would be useless .
To save the company one of the early investors stepped in to try and do everything he could .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the verge of shutting down .
Although lots of progress was made , once COVID hit any potential investors or acquirers that the company was talking to walked away .
The new owners dug deep to try and figure out a way to save the company .
Passionate about the product and not wanting to see it all gone the new team came up with the only solution .
That solution was to start charging a monthly subscription to use the app .
At first we were going to charge for all features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was decided to keep the manual mode free and charge for the other features .
And that is what was done .
We know some of you are really mad and we understand .
We know some of you understand and we are very appreciative .
We hope in time you will forgive us and support us during these trying times .
Thanks [ sic ] you for listening .
It ’ s true that other smart home gadget companies have abandoned their products altogether instead of keeping them running .
Logitech ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most recent examples , though in that case Logitech offered exchanges and full refunds .
Following the update , some users have left negative reviews of the app on the App Store and Google Play to express disdain for the new paid services ; one user wrote the new premium plan was a “ bait and switch.
” Some Kickstarter backers that chipped in to crowdfund the second generation of Mellow ’ s sous-vide gadget demanded refunds following the announcement .
The Mellow team says pandemic travel bans and restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that second-gen product by six months as well .
Mellow is not the only smart home tech company to try asking for more money for things that were originally supposed to be free .
In May , Wink announced that it would require customers to pay a $ 5 per month fee to access its smart home features that were previously free , again citing the pandemic ’ s financial strains .
Earlier this month , smart home company Wyze announced a pay-what-you-want model to access its AI-powered person detection feature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s early promises via the Internet Archive here .

In 2014, Mellow, Inc. released the Mellow for $399, billing it as “the world’s first smart sous-vide machine” — one that promised to automatically weigh and then heat and cool your specified foods for a perfect slow-cooked result, even adjusting that timing mid-cook to match your changing schedule. But now, the company is taking away those smarts from existing owners unless they pay $6 a month, or $48 for an annual subscription.
As SlashGear’s Chris Davies reports, Mellow owners were surprised to find they couldn’t cook a meal this week until they updated the app, only to discover that the app update barred them from using most of the cooker’s previously free “smart” features without paying for the new “Premium Subscription.”
“Manual mode” is now the only way to use the Mellow without paying extra
Not everything is locked behind a paywall: Mellow’s manual mode still lets you set the cooker’s temperature from your phone remotely, but you can buy comparatively dumb sous-vide gadgets — even well-reviewed ones like the Anova Nano — for $129. The Mellow originally cost $399 brand-new, and though it’s currently on sale for $149, it’s likely most buyers paid the typical asking price of $200-$300 to get one.
Late Monday evening, Mellow released a statement on Instagram explaining the justifications for its “premium” plan, citing financial hardships in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and claiming that many potential investors and acquirers interested in the company walked away, and arguing that the servers responsible for the cooker’s smart features cost too much to operate. The Instagram Stories post has since disappeared (it’s been over 24 hours), but we managed to secure a screenshot first:
It’s true that other smart home gadget companies have abandoned their products altogether instead of keeping them running. Logitech’s Alexa-powered Harmony Express remote is just one of the most recent examples, though in that case Logitech offered exchanges and full refunds.
Following the update, some users have left negative reviews of the app on the App Store and Google Play to express disdain for the new paid services; one user wrote the new premium plan was a “bait and switch.” Some Kickstarter backers that chipped in to crowdfund the second generation of Mellow’s sous-vide gadget demanded refunds following the announcement. The Mellow team says pandemic travel bans and restrictions are forcing it to delay the release of that second-gen product by six months as well.
Mellow is not the only smart home tech company to try asking for more money for things that were originally supposed to be free. In May, Wink announced that it would require customers to pay a $5 per month fee to access its smart home features that were previously free, again citing the pandemic’s financial strains. Earlier this month, smart home company Wyze announced a pay-what-you-want model to access its AI-powered person detection feature.
You can see some of Mellow’s early promises via the Internet Archive here.


theverge--2020-07-29--Netflix is bringing back Black sitcoms Moesha and Sister Sister, and I cannot contain my excitement

Spread the word : Netflix has secured the rights to stream some of the best Black sitcoms from the 90s and 2000s — including my personal favorites Moesha , Sister Sister , and The Parkers , all of which I fondly remember watching as a little girl .
I still remember running to my room to turn on the TV , singing the R & B theme songs for each show ( they were so energetic and catchy that I memorized the lyrics word by word ) , and how amazing it was to see TV sitcoms targeted to my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ton of black TV shows , with black female leads taking charge , that focused on things I personally struggled with growing up .
I was pretty young when these three shows had their initial runs ( I was born in 1995 ) , but thanks to reruns throughout the 2000s , I got to experience these shows and why they were so beloved by viewers who watched each show during their original runs .
I remember seeing the promotions and bumpers for Sister Sister when it was syndicated on Disney Channel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ TeenNick ) to watch Moesha .
In 2009 , BET was showing The Parkers .
What resonated with me , watching these shows , was how much they focused on things I struggled with at that age .
Sister Sister focused a lot on low-self-esteem and insecurities ; in one such episode , the twins joined an unpopular cheerleading squad and were nervous to perform until their parents explained they didn ’ t need to worry about what others think .
I hadn ’ t always appreciated the things my mother bought for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moesha was when she got a Saturn from her dad even though she wanted a Jeep .
Seeing Moesha overreacting made me realize that I ’ ve done the same ; I hadn ’ t always appreciated the things my mother bought for me .
The Parkers also had an episode where a clown dies in a freak accident and it pulls the mother out of a funk ; I ’ ve had a lot of moments growing up where I felt like the world was out to get me or I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of moment .
From time to time ( especially today ) this episode sticks in my mind because of that message , even if the episode ’ s plot was a bit wacky .
It also includes one of the funniest moments on the show , in my opinion : It means so much to me that these shows are coming to Netflix in the next few months because up until this point , it was impossible for me to binge-watch them and relive my childhood .
Sadly , they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moesha debuts on August 1st ) , but this gives me time to finish watching each show before the next one arrives on the service .

Spread the word: Netflix has secured the rights to stream some of the best Black sitcoms from the 90s and 2000s — including my personal favorites Moesha, Sister, Sister, and The Parkers, all of which I fondly remember watching as a little girl. I still remember running to my room to turn on the TV, singing the R&B theme songs for each show (they were so energetic and catchy that I memorized the lyrics word by word), and how amazing it was to see TV sitcoms targeted to my demographic. There weren’t a ton of black TV shows, with black female leads taking charge, that focused on things I personally struggled with growing up.
I was pretty young when these three shows had their initial runs (I was born in 1995), but thanks to reruns throughout the 2000s, I got to experience these shows and why they were so beloved by viewers who watched each show during their original runs. I remember seeing the promotions and bumpers for Sister, Sister when it was syndicated on Disney Channel. I remember watching The N (now TeenNick) to watch Moesha. In 2009, BET was showing The Parkers.
What resonated with me, watching these shows, was how much they focused on things I struggled with at that age. Sister, Sister focused a lot on low-self-esteem and insecurities; in one such episode, the twins joined an unpopular cheerleading squad and were nervous to perform until their parents explained they didn’t need to worry about what others think.
I hadn’t always appreciated the things my mother bought for me
One of my favorite episodes of Moesha was when she got a Saturn from her dad even though she wanted a Jeep. Seeing Moesha overreacting made me realize that I’ve done the same; I hadn’t always appreciated the things my mother bought for me. The Parkers also had an episode where a clown dies in a freak accident and it pulls the mother out of a funk; I’ve had a lot of moments growing up where I felt like the world was out to get me or I was insignificant, and it was a count-your-blessings kind of moment. From time to time (especially today) this episode sticks in my mind because of that message, even if the episode’s plot was a bit wacky. It also includes one of the funniest moments on the show, in my opinion:


theverge--2020-07-29--The Emmys will be held virtually this year and may feature nominees in their homes

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be an all-virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic , a representative confirmed to The Verge , and it sounds like the new format could lead to peeks inside the lives of some of your favorite television stars , according to a letter from the executive producers ( and host Jimmy Kimmel ) that was published by Variety .
USA Today also obtained a copy of the letter .
“ We are assembling a top notch team of technicians , producers and writers to work closely with Jimmy Kimmel and with you and your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film with you ( and loved ones or whomever else you choose to be with ) at your home , or another location of your choice , ” reads part of the letter , which was reportedly sent to nominees yesterday .
Producers are still deciding what parts air live Producers are still deciding which parts of the show will be live or whether to inform winners before the show airs , reports Variety .
That could mean that some parts of the show will be taped in advance , and the producers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skits or interviews with nominees .
It also raises interesting questions about how the awards themselves might work : if the production crew decides not to inform winners before the show , you can imagine a scenario where every nominee has to pre-record an acceptance speech , even if only one gets aired .
( That ’ s actually what was done for the Daytime Emmys , which were held in June . )
Or maybe the producers will roll the dice , hope the technology is reliable enough , and do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactions , just like previous Emmys .
No matter how much is live and how much is pre-recorded , though , it seems likely we ’ ll get some good opportunities to judge celebrity homes .
This year ’ s Emmy nominees were announced yesterday , including Jason Bateman , Steve Carell , Jennifer Aniston , and Zendaya .
And streaming services made a big showing , with Apple TV Plus , Disney Plus , and even Quibi grabbing their first nominations .
You ’ ll be able to see which nominees take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its new virtual format on September 20th .

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be an all-virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a representative confirmed to The Verge, and it sounds like the new format could lead to peeks inside the lives of some of your favorite television stars, according to a letter from the executive producers (and host Jimmy Kimmel) that was published by Variety. USA Today also obtained a copy of the letter.
“We are assembling a top notch team of technicians, producers and writers to work closely with Jimmy Kimmel and with you and your team to make sure that we can film with you (and loved ones or whomever else you choose to be with) at your home, or another location of your choice,” reads part of the letter, which was reportedly sent to nominees yesterday.
Producers are still deciding what parts air live
Producers are still deciding which parts of the show will be live or whether to inform winners before the show airs, reports Variety. That could mean that some parts of the show will be taped in advance, and the producers could fill time between awards with pre-recorded skits or interviews with nominees.
It also raises interesting questions about how the awards themselves might work: if the production crew decides not to inform winners before the show, you can imagine a scenario where every nominee has to pre-record an acceptance speech, even if only one gets aired. (That’s actually what was done for the Daytime Emmys, which were held in June.) Or maybe the producers will roll the dice, hope the technology is reliable enough, and do it all live, including the winners’ reactions, just like previous Emmys.
No matter how much is live and how much is pre-recorded, though, it seems likely we’ll get some good opportunities to judge celebrity homes. This year’s Emmy nominees were announced yesterday, including Jason Bateman, Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston, and Zendaya. And streaming services made a big showing, with Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and even Quibi grabbing their first nominations.
(Disclosure: Vox Media, which owns The Verge, has a deal with Quibi to produce a show, and there were early talks about a Verge show as well.)


theverge--2020-07-29--‘Antibodies (Do you have the)’ is the song of our pandemic summer

A car with a masked driver rolls down the street , windows open , bass thumping , dystopian chorus blasting into the summer air : Do you have the antibodieeees ?
Do you want to be with me ?
It ’ s the new song of this pandemic summer thanks to , uh , the guy who played Cousin Greg in Succession .
Historically , it ’ s taken time for apocalypses like climate change to become summer bops .
But hey , if nothing else , 2020 is moving fast .
The song got its start in May when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) was quarantining with friends , according to Rolling Stone , where the song premiered today .
“ My friends are a couple and they ’ ve been together for years , but I was back there sort of being like , ‘ Man , I wish I had somebody right now to go through this with , ’ ” Braun told Rolling Stone .
“ And so this girl and I were talking and we were like , ‘ Maybe we should go meet up and go for a walk — with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this quarantine date ; it sort of felt secret because I didn ’ t want my friends to know .
And I guess the combination of paranoia and romance is what the song is about.
” the combination of paranoia and romance Braun put out a “ call to the wild ” — Instagram — entreating his musically-inclined followers to help him with a song idea .
Apparently , he struck a chord , because boy , did they respond .
It got noticed by record label Atlantic Records , and morphed into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Rolling Stone .
The bandanas that inspired the song make an appearance in the music video .
So do the Instagram fans .
And hand sanitizer .
And clips from COVID press conferences .
And masks .
An escape from our present reality , this is not .
But it is surprisingly catchy .
He even manages to work in some of the scientific uncertainty that ’ s become a feature of the pandemic .
After the very problematic line I want to know your blood ’ s got the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarifies Even though we don ’ t know what it means/FOR GETTING IT AGAIN .
Braun ’ s 81-year-old father had COVID-19 and recovered , according to Rolling Stone .
Proceeds from the song will go to nonprofits COPE and Partners in Health .
Mask on , mask on , mask on .

A car with a masked driver rolls down the street, windows open, bass thumping, dystopian chorus blasting into the summer air: Do you have the antibodieeees? Do you want to be with me? It’s the new song of this pandemic summer thanks to, uh, the guy who played Cousin Greg in Succession.
Historically, it’s taken time for apocalypses like climate change to become summer bops. But hey, if nothing else, 2020 is moving fast.
The song got its start in May when actor Nicholas Braun (aka Cousin Greg) was quarantining with friends, according to Rolling Stone, where the song premiered today.
“My friends are a couple and they’ve been together for years, but I was back there sort of being like, ‘Man, I wish I had somebody right now to go through this with,’” Braun told Rolling Stone. “And so this girl and I were talking and we were like, ‘Maybe we should go meet up and go for a walk — with bandanas on.’ So I went on this quarantine date; it sort of felt secret because I didn’t want my friends to know. And I guess the combination of paranoia and romance is what the song is about.”
the combination of paranoia and romance
Braun put out a “call to the wild” — Instagram — entreating his musically-inclined followers to help him with a song idea. Apparently, he struck a chord, because boy, did they respond. It got noticed by record label Atlantic Records, and morphed into a professionally produced song and music video, according to Rolling Stone.
The bandanas that inspired the song make an appearance in the music video. So do the Instagram fans. And hand sanitizer. And clips from COVID press conferences. And masks. An escape from our present reality, this is not. But it is surprisingly catchy.
He even manages to work in some of the scientific uncertainty that’s become a feature of the pandemic. After the very problematic line I want to know your blood’s got the stuff/the stuff that makes you clean he clarifies Even though we don’t know what it means/FOR GETTING IT AGAIN.
Sheer poetry. Also, accurate.
Braun’s 81-year-old father had COVID-19 and recovered, according to Rolling Stone. Proceeds from the song will go to nonprofits COPE and Partners in Health.


theverge--2020-07-29--Qualcomm hints that the 5G iPhone might not arrive in September

Qualcomm ’ s Q3 earnings report might indicate a delay for Apple ’ s upcoming 5G iPhones , with the company highlighting a “ partial impact from the delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch ” for its fourth quarter projections ( which covers July , August , and September earnings ) .
Looking at the calendar of upcoming phone releases , it ’ s hard to imagine that Qualcomm is talking about any device other than the upcoming 5G iPhones , which are expected to arrive this fall .
Typically , Apple releases its new iPhone in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the few upcoming devices that would sell in large enough numbers that Qualcomm might need to disclose the material impact on an earnings call .
There are already rumors circulating of delays for Apple ’ s 5G lineup due to production slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic .
In an interview with Reuters , chief financial officer Akash Palkhiwala indicated that the delay likely wouldn ’ t be too long for the unnamed phone , describing it as “ a slight delay that pushes some of the units out from the September quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Qualcomm ’ s December quarter covers the months of October , November , and December , so if the phone was slated for September , it might only be delayed into the following month . )
Apple and Qualcomm famously made peace last year in a $ 4.5 billion settlement that saw Apple regain Qualcomm ’ s services as a 5G modem supplier for its products after years of legal battles over patent disputes .
Apple is expected to introduce Qualcomm ’ s 5G modems in the 2020 iPhone lineup as its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology .
Qualcomm also announced as part of its Q3 earnings that it ’ s reached a similar resolution to its patent dispute with Huawei , with the Chinese company agreeing to pay $ 1.8 billion in a settlement over licensing for Qualcomm ’ s wireless technology patents .

Qualcomm’s Q3 earnings report might indicate a delay for Apple’s upcoming 5G iPhones, with the company highlighting a “partial impact from the delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch” for its fourth quarter projections (which covers July, August, and September earnings).
Looking at the calendar of upcoming phone releases, it’s hard to imagine that Qualcomm is talking about any device other than the upcoming 5G iPhones, which are expected to arrive this fall. Typically, Apple releases its new iPhone in September, and it’s one of the few upcoming devices that would sell in large enough numbers that Qualcomm might need to disclose the material impact on an earnings call. There are already rumors circulating of delays for Apple’s 5G lineup due to production slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A “delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch” is coming
In an interview with Reuters, chief financial officer Akash Palkhiwala indicated that the delay likely wouldn’t be too long for the unnamed phone, describing it as “a slight delay that pushes some of the units out from the September quarter to the December quarter for us.” (Qualcomm’s December quarter covers the months of October, November, and December, so if the phone was slated for September, it might only be delayed into the following month.)
Apple and Qualcomm famously made peace last year in a $4.5 billion settlement that saw Apple regain Qualcomm’s services as a 5G modem supplier for its products after years of legal battles over patent disputes. Apple is expected to introduce Qualcomm’s 5G modems in the 2020 iPhone lineup as its first products to support the next-generation networking technology.


theverge--2020-07-29--Amazon doesn’t sell Echo speakers at a loss, says Bezos — unless they’re on sale

Amazon has long been accused of undercutting its rivals with its Echo smart speakers , allegedly keeping competitors like Sonos from getting a foothold in the market — but Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says that at their full retail price , the company isn ’ t taking a loss on these products .
During the big antitrust hearing today where Apple CEO Tim Cook , Google CEO Sundar Pichai , and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are also facing down lawmaker questions , Rep. Jamie Raskin ( D-MD ) asked a pointed question about whether Amazon was pricing its Echo devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the theory of predatory pricing where a company tries to drive its rivals out of business by selling products at a loss , something Amazon specifically has been accused of , most notably with Diapers.com .
Amazon ’ s Bezos replied that at “ its list price , ” the company isn ’ t losing money on the Echo , suggesting it ’ s either breaking even or making a profit .
But he also admitted that “ sometimes when it ’ s on promotion it may be below cost , yes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon ’ s Echo devices almost always seem to be on sale .
Camelcamelcamel.com , which tracks Amazon ’ s price history for a wide variety of products , suggest that devices like Amazon ’ s Echo Dot and Echo Show are on sale as often as not : I personally advise people never to buy an Echo at full price because there ’ s always a $ 40-off sale , $ 1 promo , free giveaway , or BOGO deal right around the corner .
In 2018 , ABI Research estimated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parts alone , suggesting that Amazon would have definitely lost some money at a typical sale price of $ 30 .
The same firm came to a similar conclusion in 2017 as well .

Amazon has long been accused of undercutting its rivals with its Echo smart speakers, allegedly keeping competitors like Sonos from getting a foothold in the market — but Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says that at their full retail price, the company isn’t taking a loss on these products.
During the big antitrust hearing today where Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are also facing down lawmaker questions, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asked a pointed question about whether Amazon was pricing its Echo devices below cost. This is possibly referring to the theory of predatory pricing where a company tries to drive its rivals out of business by selling products at a loss, something Amazon specifically has been accused of, most notably with Diapers.com.
Amazon’s Bezos replied that at “its list price,” the company isn’t losing money on the Echo, suggesting it’s either breaking even or making a profit. But he also admitted that “sometimes when it’s on promotion it may be below cost, yes.”
That’s key, because Amazon’s Echo devices almost always seem to be on sale. Camelcamelcamel.com, which tracks Amazon’s price history for a wide variety of products, suggest that devices like Amazon’s Echo Dot and Echo Show are on sale as often as not:
Screenshot of camelcamelcamel
I personally advise people never to buy an Echo at full price because there’s always a $40-off sale, $1 promo, free giveaway, or BOGO deal right around the corner.


theverge--2020-07-29--Riot faces criticism after League of Legends competition sponsored by Saudi megacity

Riot has come under fire after the League of Legends European Championship ( LEC ) , one of the most popular esports leagues in the world , announced a sponsorship deal with the controversial Saudi Arabian megacity Neom .
The developer announced today that the city would become one of the “ main sponsors ” for the league , joining the likes of Kit Kat and Kia .
The announcement was met with instant criticism , given the Saudi government ’ s long history of human rights abuse , which extends to the creation of Neom , pitched as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riot explained that the city “ will be championing the development of esports across the world.
” Fans noted their displeasure with the deal on Twitter ; the timing is especially egregious , given that the LEC ’ s Twitter avatar currently features a pride flag , while homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia .
Meanwhile , several LEC broadcasters voiced their displeasure on Twitter .
“ The league I cover is now promoting a country that would kill me just for existing , ” said James “ Stress ” O ’ Leary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Froskurinn ” Black echoed those thoughts in a statement .
“ Sponsors are essential for the esport to thrive , but not at the cost of human life and freedoms.
” “ This is disappointing because this is the LEC , ” she said .
“ It ’ s my team , my product , my managers , my office .
My family .
My home .
This isn ’ t someone far away in HQ that I don ’ t know .
This is devastating because I know who made these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riot staff spoke up as well , including Mark Yetter , lead gameplay designer on League of Legends .
“ I can ’ t and do not personally support this partnership , ” he said .
“ Sponsors are essential for the esport to thrive , but not at the cost of human life and freedoms.
” Riot has yet to comment on the controversy following the announcement .
The company recently unveiled a major rebrand of League of Legends esports in an attempt to bring all of its leagues across the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just yesterday , the Neom project also announced a sponsorship deal with Blast Premier , a popular Counter-Strike : Global Offensive competition .
“ This is a record deal for Blast and testament to our recent growth and standing in the industry right now , ” CEO Robbie Douek said in a statement .

Riot has come under fire after the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), one of the most popular esports leagues in the world, announced a sponsorship deal with the controversial Saudi megacity Neom. The developer announced today that the city would become one of the “main sponsors” for the league, joining the likes of Kit Kat and Kia.
The announcement was met with instant criticism, given the Saudi government’s long history of human rights abuse, which extends to the creation of Neom, pitched as a futuristic playground. In its announcement, Riot explained that the city “will be championing the development of esports across the world.” Fans noted their displeasure with the deal on Twitter; the timing is especially egregious, given that the LEC’s Twitter avatar currently features a pride flag, while homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, several LEC broadcasters voiced their displeasure on Twitter. “The league I cover is now promoting a country that would kill me just for existing,” said James “Stress” O’Leary. “Feels great.” Commentator Indiana “Froskurinn” Black echoed those thoughts in a statement.
“Sponsors are essential for the esport to thrive, but not at the cost of human life and freedoms.”
“This is disappointing because this is the LEC,” she said. “It’s my team, my product, my managers, my office. My family. My home. This isn’t someone far away in HQ that I don’t know. This is devastating because I know who made these choices and I feel silenced.”
Other Riot staff spoke up as well, including Mark Yetter, lead gameplay designer on League of Legends. “I can’t and do not personally support this partnership,” he said. “Sponsors are essential for the esport to thrive, but not at the cost of human life and freedoms.”
Riot has yet to comment on the controversy following the announcement. The company recently unveiled a major rebrand of League of Legends esports in an attempt to bring all of its leagues across the world — including the LEC — closer together.