theverge--2020-04-16--The federal government’s inaction could hamper tech’s response to the pandemic

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Most days in this column I try to bring you one big story about the intersection of tech and democracy , but reading the news today I find I can ’ t draw any real lessons for you .
Instead I see a few clusters of stories that feel worth reading and thinking about .
Let ’ s take a look .
The big story of the week continues to be the ( tentative , premature ) plans to begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve of COVID-19 infections .
I ’ ve already linked Ed Yong ’ s masterful piece in The Atlantic here once this week , but if you ’ re new to the subject it ’ s where I ’ d start .
It ’ s the frame around everything else you ’ ll read about what big tech companies are doing in response to the pandemic , from sophisticated contact tracing solutions to old-fashioned philanthropy .
The most important thing to take away from that piece , as well as several others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is not a coordinated federal plan to manage the next phase of the crisis .
Instead we have a president who says he wants to end lockdowns as soon as possible , despite lacking the authority to do so , and groups of governors on both coasts pledging to work together to manage the process on a regional basis .
This seems likely to cause not a small degree of chaos , working against efforts to contain new outbreaks and undermining the well intentioned tech initiatives that are now percolating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this on politics : even epidemiologists disagree on what the best path forward is .
Here ’ s Kai Kupferschmidt in Science : This uncertainty has huge implications for public health and the eventual recovery of the economy .
And in the shorter term , it raises questions about how effective the Apple/Google collaboration on contact tracing will be , as my colleague Nicole Wetsman explores in The Verge today : It seems likely that we will have those policies in place in California .
But with President Trump framing the recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and people protesting stay-at-home orders already taking to the streets in Michigan , it ’ s hard to imagine an environment in which a coherent national response emerges .
A good question for tech giants right now is : what would you build in response to the pandemic if you knew there would never be a coordinated federal response ?
Are your interventions resilient to partisan warfare ?
Can they be ?
A lesser concern : is Amazon getting stronger during the pandemic , or weaker ?
On the stronger side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliveries that Amazon provides .
A huge number of local retail businesses may not survive the next several months , putting Amazon in an even stronger position to dominate e-commerce once the pandemic subsides .
Jason Del Rey wrote about this possibility Friday at Recode : This seems to me to be a fairly airtight case that Amazon will come out of the pandemic stronger than before .
At the same time , have you noticed how much of the company is in disarray ?
Each day brings a new story of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even death .
Workers involved in organizing efforts have been fired in what they describe as retaliation .
( Amazon denies they were fired for speaking out . )
On Wednesday , France ordered the company to shutter its six warehouses in the country for several days to better assess the risk for contagion among its workforce there .
It ’ s clear that these issues have had a significant effect on the quality of Amazon ’ s services during this time , as you may have noticed from the multi-week delays in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the nearly impossible task of ordering grocery delivery .
( The company is currently adding new customers seeking grocery deliveries to a waitlist . )
I expect all those issues to get resolved in time , particularly as the company brings on board the tens of thousands of new workers it plans to hire .
But I do wonder how the company ’ s reputation for exploiting its workforce will haunt it as America re-opens .
There ’ s already a significant swath of Americans who won ’ t shop at Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon finding itself in a similar place among more wealthy and informed consumers — assuming those consumers have any good alternatives to shop at .
Finally : Zoom is an amazing tool for the moment .
But while it ’ s equal to many tasks , it ’ s not ideal for almost any of them .
Women in business meetings on Zoom find that it can be impossible to get a word in edgewise with the men .
People dating on Zoom find that etiquette makes it extremely difficult to know when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties stare dead-eyed at the screen wondering if or when to speak .
I don ’ t blame Zoom for not building software to address these and other shortcomings of video-chat based socializing .
But it sure would be great if someone else did .
Yesterday we announced that the next edition of our Interface Live series will feature me in ( live-streamed ) conversation with Sarah Frier , author of No Filter : The Inside Story of Instagram .
The event takes place April 21st at 5:30 p.m. PT , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free , but you do have to RSVP — and in less than a day , thanks to you , we hit more than 50 percent of our capacity .
If you ’ d like to join , please RSVP today !
⭐ Verily , the Google sister company that launched a COVID-19 screening and testing program last month , told US lawmakers that its user data won ’ t be used for commercial purposes or sold to third parties .
But it also admitted its screening site is not in compliance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Hugh Langley at Business Insider : Google is slowing hiring for the rest of the year .
It ’ s the most drastic action the company has taken since the COVID-19 pandemic began battering its advertising business several weeks ago .
( Mark Bergen / Bloomberg ) The fear and anxiety around coronavirus is prompting people to judge and shame others on social media , even when they ’ re doing their best to keep themselves and those around them safe .
( Anne Helen Petersen / BuzzFeed ) Conspiracy theories about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting attacks on Muslims in India .
The Muslim community is being falsely accused of conducting a malevolent campaign to spread Covid-19 to the Hindu majority .
( Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shaikh Azizur Rahman / The Guardian ) A long-running Iranian influence operation has returned to social media to blame the United States for COVID-19 and praise China ’ s response to the virus .
( Graphika ) TikTok has become a family affair , as kids stay home due to the COVID-19 quarantine .
Those who used to collaborate with other creators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos .
( Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times ) People are paying to get into Zoom nightclubs , where DJs livestream virtual sets and participants dance in their living rooms .
( Michelle Lhooq / Bloomberg ) Houseparty has seen 50 million signups in the past month , as people stay in their homes due to COVID-19 .
The app , which was previously most popular with teens , allows people to video chat and play games .
( Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg ) The pandemic is showing us that teens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — they ’ re addicted to socializing with friends .
And most are going crazy trying to live entirely online .
( danah boyd / OneZero ) Total cases in the US : At least 606,800 Total deaths in the US : More than 25,000 Data from The New York Times .
⭐ The Pentagon ’ s inspector general could not definitively determine whether the White House interfered with the procurement process for the JEDI contract because senior Defense Department officials were barred from answering verbal questions on the subject .
Amazon sued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Pentagon made several mistakes in its evaluation of bids .
Here ’ s Politico ’ s Jacqueline Feldscher : Mashable successfully convinced a New York judge that it legitimately used an image found on Instagram .
The photographer sued for copyright infringement after her photo was used without her consent .
The judge ruled that she gave up exclusive rights to the photo when she created her account and made it public .
( Eriq Gardner / The Hollywood Reporter ) Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a new lawsuit against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws governing political ad disclosures .
It ’ s the second time Ferguson has sued Facebook over its handling of political ads .
Hackers are selling two Zoom vulnerabilities that would allow someone to hack users and spy on their calls .
The flaws are currently present in Zoom ’ s Windows and MacOS clients .
( Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / Vice ) A new app called Pragli wants to make video conferencing more inclusive by using avatars to signal whether co-workers are at their desk , away , in a meeting , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or just done for the day .
( Josh Constine / TechCrunch ) YouTube launched a free tool for small businesses that need a low-cost way to create video ads , but don ’ t have the technical skills .
The company rushed to launch the YouTube Video Builder in light of the COVID-19 pandemic , when in-person video shoots are no longer an option .
( Sarah Perez / TechCrunch ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Go on a virtual date while continuing to respect stay-at-home orders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which allows people to video chat online and in the Match app .
Learn how to cook something new on these YouTube cooking channels .
XOXO , the internet ’ s best festival , has made its entire catalog of keynote speeches available to watch .
I love so many of these , but Jennifer 8 .
Lee ’ s talk on the grassroots effort to make emoji inclusive is particularly sweet and inspirational .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and coordinated federal responses to the pandemic : casey @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Most days in this column I try to bring you one big story about the intersection of tech and democracy, but reading the news today I find I can’t draw any real lessons for you. Instead I see a few clusters of stories that feel worth reading and thinking about. Let’s take a look.
The big story of the week continues to be the (tentative, premature) plans to begin re-opening society as states manage to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections. I’ve already linked Ed Yong’s masterful piece in The Atlantic here once this week, but if you’re new to the subject it’s where I’d start. It’s the frame around everything else you’ll read about what big tech companies are doing in response to the pandemic, from sophisticated contact tracing solutions to old-fashioned philanthropy.
The most important thing to take away from that piece, as well as several others I have read this week, is that there is not a coordinated federal plan to manage the next phase of the crisis. Instead we have a president who says he wants to end lockdowns as soon as possible, despite lacking the authority to do so, and groups of governors on both coasts pledging to work together to manage the process on a regional basis. This seems likely to cause not a small degree of chaos, working against efforts to contain new outbreaks and undermining the well intentioned tech initiatives that are now percolating.
And we can’t blame all of this on politics: even epidemiologists disagree on what the best path forward is. Here’s Kai Kupferschmidt in Science:
What is the exit strategy? “We’ve managed to get to the life raft,” says epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). “But I’m really unclear how we will get to the shore.” As they seek a path forward, governments around the world must triangulate the health of their citizens, the freedoms of their population, and economic constraints. Could schools be reopened? Restaurants? Bars? Can people go back to their offices? “How to relax the lockdown is not something around which there is a scientific consensus,” says Caroline Buckee, an epidemiologist at HSPH. Most researchers agree that reopening society will be a long haul, marked by trial and error. “It’s going to have to be something that we’re going to have to take baby steps with,” says Megan Coffee, an infectious disease researcher at New York University.
This uncertainty has huge implications for public health and the eventual recovery of the economy. And in the shorter term, it raises questions about how effective the Apple/Google collaboration on contact tracing will be, as my colleague Nicole Wetsman explores in The Verge today:
The pandemic is moving at unprecedented speed, and public health experts are sprinting to build the tools they think might help bring it under control. “It’s a little bit of flying the plane while still building it,” Dhillon says. Any automated contact tracing program would have to be carefully monitored to see how well it helps contain COVID-19, how people are interacting with it, and if it’s flagging more people than actually would be at risk from an exposure. Whatever the systems eventually end up looking like, they have to be introduced alongside public health infrastructure to ensure they have as big an impact as possible. “The tools can’t be used in isolation,” Liu says. “You have to make sure you have the policies in place to support them.”
It seems likely that we will have those policies in place in California. But with President Trump framing the recovery as a partisan battle against Democratic governors, and people protesting stay-at-home orders already taking to the streets in Michigan, it’s hard to imagine an environment in which a coherent national response emerges.
A good question for tech giants right now is: what would you build in response to the pandemic if you knew there would never be a coordinated federal response? Are your interventions resilient to partisan warfare? Can they be?
* * *
A lesser concern: is Amazon getting stronger during the pandemic, or weaker?
On the stronger side, America is suddenly hugely dependent on the deliveries that Amazon provides. A huge number of local retail businesses may not survive the next several months, putting Amazon in an even stronger position to dominate e-commerce once the pandemic subsides. Jason Del Rey wrote about this possibility Friday at Recode:
And then there’s Amazon, which already accounted for nearly 40 percent of all US online retail sales — that’s around eight times more than its next competitor, Walmart. Before the pandemic, the US e-commerce industry only represented between 10 percent and 15 percent of overall retail. Now, that percentage seems likely to grow, setting up Amazon to have a bigger advantage over most other retailers, including Walmart. With millions of Americans ordered to remain home, Amazon is now, more than ever, a lifeline for essentials for millions of people rather than just a convenient option for online shopping. Consumer spending on Amazon is up 35 percent from the same period last year, according to estimates from Facteus, a firm that analyzes more than 30 million daily payment card transactions to offer consumer spending insights to retailers and financial institutions. The labor numbers also reflect the company’s growth; Amazon has hired 80,000 new workers in the past few weeks alone.
This seems to me to be a fairly airtight case that Amazon will come out of the pandemic stronger than before. At the same time, have you noticed how much of the company is in disarray? Each day brings a new story of COVID 19-related worker unrest, illness, or even death. Workers involved in organizing efforts have been fired in what they describe as retaliation. (Amazon denies they were fired for speaking out.) On Wednesday, France ordered the company to shutter its six warehouses in the country for several days to better assess the risk for contagion among its workforce there.
It’s clear that these issues have had a significant effect on the quality of Amazon’s services during this time, as you may have noticed from the multi-week delays in receiving shipments of “non-essential” items and the nearly impossible task of ordering grocery delivery. (The company is currently adding new customers seeking grocery deliveries to a waitlist.)
I expect all those issues to get resolved in time, particularly as the company brings on board the tens of thousands of new workers it plans to hire. But I do wonder how the company’s reputation for exploiting its workforce will haunt it as America re-opens. There’s already a significant swath of Americans who won’t shop at Walmart over labor issues. I can imagine Amazon finding itself in a similar place among more wealthy and informed consumers — assuming those consumers have any good alternatives to shop at.
* * *
Finally: Zoom is an amazing tool for the moment. But while it’s equal to many tasks, it’s not ideal for almost any of them.
Women in business meetings on Zoom find that it can be impossible to get a word in edgewise with the men.
People dating on Zoom find that etiquette makes it extremely difficult to know when to hang up.
Attendees of Zoom parties stare dead-eyed at the screen wondering if or when to speak.
I don’t blame Zoom for not building software to address these and other shortcomings of video-chat based socializing. But it sure would be great if someone else did.
The Interface Live!
Yesterday we announced that the next edition of our Interface Live series will feature me in (live-streamed) conversation with Sarah Frier, author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. The event takes place April 21st at 5:30 p.m. PT, and you can register here. It’s free, but you do have to RSVP — and in less than a day, thanks to you, we hit more than 50 percent of our capacity. If you’d like to join, please RSVP today!
Pandemic
⭐ Verily, the Google sister company that launched a COVID-19 screening and testing program last month, told US lawmakers that its user data won’t be used for commercial purposes or sold to third parties. But it also admitted its screening site is not in compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule. Here’s Hugh Langley at Business Insider:
“Verily has focused on the protection of the security and privacy of personal health information since the inception of its Baseline COVID-19 Program,” the company wrote. “With respect to its Baseline COVID-19 Program, Verily is not acting as a covered entity or a business associate as defined by HIPAA. As the Program expands, we will continue to prioritize the protection of individual health data. However, in the future if we engage in a program where we do become a covered entity or we are required to sign a BAA we will take all the appropriate steps to ensure compliance with HIPAA.”
Google is slowing hiring for the rest of the year. It’s the most drastic action the company has taken since the COVID-19 pandemic began battering its advertising business several weeks ago. (Mark Bergen / Bloomberg)
Conspiracy theories about the origins of the novel coronavirus are prompting attacks on Muslims in India. The Muslim community is being falsely accused of conducting a malevolent campaign to spread Covid-19 to the Hindu majority. (Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shaikh Azizur Rahman / The Guardian)
TikTok has become a family affair, as kids stay home due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Those who used to collaborate with other creators are now roping their parents into making videos. (Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times)
Houseparty has seen 50 million signups in the past month, as people stay in their homes due to COVID-19. The app, which was previously most popular with teens, allows people to video chat and play games. (Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg)
The pandemic is showing us that teens aren’t addicting to social media — they’re addicted to socializing with friends. And most are going crazy trying to live entirely online. (danah boyd / OneZero)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: At least 606,800
Total deaths in the US: More than 25,000
Reported cases in California: 25,703
Reported cases in New York: 202,208
Reported cases in New Jersey: 68,824
Reported cases in Massachusetts: 28,163
Reported cases in Michigan: 26,844
Governing
⭐ The Pentagon’s inspector general could not definitively determine whether the White House interfered with the procurement process for the JEDI contract because senior Defense Department officials were barred from answering verbal questions on the subject. Amazon sued the Defense Department last year, alleging that the Pentagon made several mistakes in its evaluation of bids. Here’s Politico’s Jacqueline Feldscher:
Trump repeatedly inserted himself into the JEDI review process in ways that presidents traditionally don’t. In July, Trump said he would be asking the Pentagon “to look at it very closely to see what’s going on” because he heard complaints about the review process from companies and lawmakers. Shortly after, the Pentagon put a contract award on hold so Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who had recently taken the job, could review allegations that Amazon had been unfairly given an advantage for the contract.
Mashable successfully convinced a New York judge that it legitimately used an image found on Instagram. The photographer sued for copyright infringement after her photo was used without her consent. The judge ruled that she gave up exclusive rights to the photo when she created her account and made it public. (Eriq Gardner / The Hollywood Reporter)
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a new lawsuit against Facebook for allegedly continuing to violate state laws governing political ad disclosures. It’s the second time Ferguson has sued Facebook over its handling of political ads.
Industry
Hackers are selling two Zoom vulnerabilities that would allow someone to hack users and spy on their calls. The flaws are currently present in Zoom’s Windows and MacOS clients. (Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / Vice)
YouTube launched a free tool for small businesses that need a low-cost way to create video ads, but don’t have the technical skills. The company rushed to launch the YouTube Video Builder in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person video shoots are no longer an option. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Go on a virtual date while continuing to respect stay-at-home orders. Match launched a feature called Vibe Check, which allows people to video chat online and in the Match app.
Those Quibi tweets
Talk to us


theverge--2020-04-16--PlayStation 5 supply is likely to be limited at launch

Sony isn ’ t expecting to delay the PlayStation 5 launch planned for this holiday season , according to a new report from Bloomberg , but there will likely be fewer machines available than there were for the PS4 in 2013 .
Sony is said to be planning for shipments of five to six million units through the end of March next year , while it sold 7.5 million PS4 consoles in its equivalent launch period even with a delayed release in Japan .
The reason , according to Bloomberg , has less to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the machine in terms of demand .
The PS5 is seen as a more technically ambitious machine than its predecessor , and as such is likely to command a higher price on its release date , resulting in fewer early adopters .
While the PS4 launched at $ 399 without incurring heavy losses for Sony , one analyst told Bloomberg he thinks that the PS5 and Xbox Series X may land at $ 450 even as loss-leaders .
PS5 mass production is reportedly starting in June on schedule .
That suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the design of which is still a closely-guarded secret despite Sony having revealed the PS5 ’ s specs and its controller — can ’ t be too far off .
Once the system goes into production , it will be very difficult to contain leaks ; the controller announcement is said to have come sooner because developers already had access to it .

Sony isn’t expecting to delay the PlayStation 5 launch planned for this holiday season, according to a new report from Bloomberg, but there will likely be fewer machines available than there were for the PS4 in 2013. Sony is said to be planning for shipments of five to six million units through the end of March next year, while it sold 7.5 million PS4 consoles in its equivalent launch period even with a delayed release in Japan.
The reason, according to Bloomberg, has less to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and more to do with what Sony expects for the machine in terms of demand. The PS5 is seen as a more technically ambitious machine than its predecessor, and as such is likely to command a higher price on its release date, resulting in fewer early adopters. While the PS4 launched at $399 without incurring heavy losses for Sony, one analyst told Bloomberg he thinks that the PS5 and Xbox Series X may land at $450 even as loss-leaders.


theverge--2020-04-16--GoPro cuts 20 percent of workforce after being hit hard by pandemic

GoPro is laying off more than 20 percent of its workforce , over 200 employees , in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , the company has announced .
The move is part of an attempt to reduce operating expenses by $ 100 million the year , on top of another $ 250 million in non-headcount related expense reductions planned for 2021 .
GoPro added that its founder and CEO , Nicholas Woodman , will not be paid a salary for the remainder of the year , and that the company will shift more towards a direct-to-consumer sales model going forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started to recover after its ill-fated move into the drone market .
Released in late 2016 after several delays , the GoPro Karma was a basic drone that failed to impress , and GoPro ended up quitting the drone business just over a year later .
Last year , there were signs the company had shaken off the pain of the move off the back of the success of the Hero 7 .
GoPro says it sold 700,000 cameras in the first quarter and expects its 2020 product and service roadmap to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg .

GoPro is laying off more than 20 percent of its workforce, over 200 employees, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has announced. The move is part of an attempt to reduce operating expenses by $100 million the year, and the company plans to reduce non-headcount related operating expenses to $250 million in 2021. GoPro added that its founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman, will not be paid a salary for the remainder of the year, and that the company will shift more towards a direct-to-consumer sales model going forward.


theverge--2020-01-07--OnePlus’ latest feature will stop your phone from overcharging overnight

OnePlus has announced a new feature called Optimized Charging , which aims to make your phone ’ s battery last longer by changing the way it charges .
The feature , which was first spotted in beta in December , will stop your phone from charging to above 80 percent until 100 minutes before you ’ re expected to unplug it .
Only then will it let your device fully charge .
The limitation is meant to minimize the amount of time your phone spends charging at 100 percent — which can cause its battery to degrade faster over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company to introduce a feature like this .
Apple announced its own Optimized Battery Charging feature with iOS 13 , and Asus ’ phone software supports similar functionality .
However , it ’ s great to see other companies adopting such a potentially useful feature so quickly .
The key challenge to overcome with the functionality appears to be the guesswork involved with trying to work out when someone ’ s going to unplug their phone .
OnePlus says that its software attempts to use your daily wake-up time , first alarm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be , but after a few weeks , it should learn when this happens of its own accord .
In the future , OnePlus says it ’ s hoping to improve its predictions to account for changing sleep patterns on weekends or changing time zones .
OnePlus says that you ’ ll be able to turn the feature on or off using the Optimized Charging option in the battery settings menu .
The company also says that while your phone ’ s charge level is idling at 80 percent , it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to override the setting if you need to ( similar to iOS 13 ) .
OnePlus ’ announcement doesn ’ t specify exactly when the feature will arrive or which OnePlus handsets it will be available on , but given it ’ s been available in a beta form since last month we ’ d imagine it ’ s not too far away .
We ’ ve contacted OnePlus for more information and will update this piece when we hear back .

OnePlus has announced a new feature called Optimized Charging, which aims to make your phone’s battery last longer by changing the way it charges. The feature, which was first spotted in beta in December, will stop your phone from charging to above 80 percent until 100 minutes before you’re expected to unplug it. Only then will it let your device fully charge. The limitation is meant to minimize the amount of time your phone spends charging at 100 percent — which can cause its battery to degrade faster over time.
OnePlus isn’t the first company to introduce a feature like this. Apple announced its own Optimized Battery Charging feature with iOS 13, and Asus’ phone software supports similar functionality. However, it’s great to see other companies adopting such a potentially useful feature so quickly.
The featured entered beta in December
The key challenge to overcome with the functionality appears to be the guesswork involved with trying to work out when someone’s going to unplug their phone. OnePlus says that its software attempts to use your daily wake-up time, first alarm, or first event to guess when that might be, but after a few weeks, it should learn when this happens of its own accord. In the future, OnePlus says it’s hoping to improve its predictions to account for changing sleep patterns on weekends or changing time zones.
OnePlus says that you’ll be able to turn the feature on or off using the Optimized Charging option in the battery settings menu. The company also says that while your phone’s charge level is idling at 80 percent, it will show a muted notification with an option to override the setting if you need to (similar to iOS 13).


theverge--2020-01-07--This AI kitty litter box will analyze your cat’s poops for some reason

Sometimes you read about all the new gadgets at CES and have FOMO because you ’ re not there , and other times you read about an AI cat litter box .
LuluPet says that it has the world ’ s first litter box with “ built-in stool and urine image recognition ” to analyze cats ’ ... deposits .
The goal of the Taiwan-based company ’ s gadget is to help monitor a cat ’ s health , “ to help your cat to live a healthier life.
” If you have multiple cats , LuluPet ’ s device @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cat because you don ’ t want Mittens taking credit for Fluffy ’ s work .
Here ’ s how it works : the cat walks into the semi-enclosed litter box , and then the data is sent back to the app for the owner to monitor .
The smart litter box is Alexa- and Google Home-enabled ( though what ’ s the prompt there : “ Alexa , did Fluffy just drop a dookie ?
” ) .
It can weigh your cat in order to , as LuluPet founder James Wu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cat is too fat or needs more food or water .
LuluPet ’ s is not the first smart cat litter box , and not even the only one at this year ’ s CES .
But while the majority of smart litter boxes focus on automatic cleanup of the cat ’ s deposits and the resulting odor , LuluPet ’ s device is aimed at helping improve the cat ’ s overall health .
It has a built-in camera ( apparently you can watch live via its connected smartphone app ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensors to determine whether the cat did number one or number two .
The images from the event are compared with images of other cats ’ excrement in LuluPet ’ s database to make sure all is normal .
Yes , I just wrote that sentence .
The overall goal of LuluPet ’ s smart litter box is a good one .
Cats aren ’ t always the most forthcoming creatures when they ’ re not feeling well , and often by the time they show symptoms , they may be in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , all the felines I ’ ve ever known would take one look at the camera and destroy it or spray it — or find somewhere else to conduct their business ( like your bed or your shoes ) .
But LuluPet ’ s database that compares and analyzes your pet ’ s health reminds me a bit of a WebMD for pets ; that is , a site that gives way too much health information to people not really trained to make a proper diagnosis .
We reached out to LuluPet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will report back if we get more info .
The smart litter box reportedly will go on sale on Amazon for $ 149 in March .

Sometimes you read about all the new gadgets at CES and have FOMO because you’re not there, and other times you read about an AI cat litter box.
LuluPet says that it has the world’s first litter box with “built-in stool and urine image recognition” to analyze cats’... deposits. The goal of the Taiwan-based company’s gadget is to help monitor a cat’s health, “to help your cat to live a healthier life.” If you have multiple cats, LuluPet’s device can determine which poop is from which cat because you don’t want Mittens taking credit for Fluffy’s work.
Here’s how it works: the cat walks into the semi-enclosed litter box, and then the data is sent back to the app for the owner to monitor. The smart litter box is Alexa- and Google Home-enabled (though what’s the prompt there: “Alexa, did Fluffy just drop a dookie?”). It can weigh your cat in order to, as LuluPet founder James Wu says in this video, determine if the cat is too fat or needs more food or water.
LuluPet’s is not the first smart cat litter box, and not even the only one at this year’s CES. But while the majority of smart litter boxes focus on automatic cleanup of the cat’s deposits and the resulting odor, LuluPet’s device is aimed at helping improve the cat’s overall health. It has a built-in camera (apparently you can watch live via its connected smartphone app), as well as infrared and weight sensors to determine whether the cat did number one or number two. The images from the event are compared with images of other cats’ excrement in LuluPet’s database to make sure all is normal. Yes, I just wrote that sentence.
Alexa, did Fluffy just drop a dookie?
The overall goal of LuluPet’s smart litter box is a good one. Cats aren’t always the most forthcoming creatures when they’re not feeling well, and often by the time they show symptoms, they may be in the advanced stages of an illness. Mind you, all the felines I’ve ever known would take one look at the camera and destroy it or spray it — or find somewhere else to conduct their business (like your bed or your shoes). But LuluPet’s database that compares and analyzes your pet’s health reminds me a bit of a WebMD for pets; that is, a site that gives way too much health information to people not really trained to make a proper diagnosis.


theverge--2020-01-07--Unagi’s $990 electric scooters are getting more powerful — and more colorful

Electric scooter company Unagi has a powerful new model to show off .
The California-based startup has upgraded its flagship scooter with dual motors , enabling better torque and higher speed without sacrificing portability .
And for the first time , customers can choose to customize their scooter with almost any combination of colors or patterns they can imagine .
Unagi ’ s new E500 Dual Motor Scooter has two 250W motors , one in the front and one in the back , for a total of ( you guessed it ) 500W .
The company ’ s first scooter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 450W , and was able to hit a top speed of 15.5 mph .
This new configuration now delivers a top speed of 19 mph , with 32 newton meters of torque , enabling a rider of up to 200lbs to cruise up steep hills with ease .
“ There are bigger scooters with more range and torque , but none of them are truly portable ” Despite the addition of another motor , the scooter is still comparatively lightweight , clocking in at only 26lbs .
“ There are bigger scooters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of them are truly portable , ” Unagi CEO David Hyman said in an email .
“ The Boosted Rev , for example , is 46 lbs !
!
The reality is , very few commuters or urban users scoot more than 5 miles a day .
We ’ re hell-bent focused on this market segment , giving them the best truly portable scooter on the planet — because well , it ’ s what we want.
” The scooter has three drive modes : Beginner ( 9-11 mph ) ; Advanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 15-19 mph ) .
The lithium-ion battery allows for a range of up to 15.5 miles .
And Unagi is using the same blend of aluminum and carbon fiber for the frame as it did with its first model .
In addition , Unagi is unveiling what it describes as the industry ’ s first personalized paint job , allowing customers to design their scooters online to fit their personal vision .
The original model only came in four colors : red , blue , white , and black .
Now customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or two-tone paint jobs , as well as numerous patterns .
Hyman said that Unagi “ impregnates the dye into the carbon fiber frame for a high-end custom paint job , versus a wrap or sticker approach.
” This transforms the Unagi scooter into a “ lasting personal work of art , ” he added .
Customers will have the ability to select custom colors for the handlebar , steer tube , and deck .
And there will be limited run patterns available — from urban camouflage to tartan to Hawaiian themed — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Japanese word for freshwater eel , burst on the scene last year with a $ 990 electric scooter .
It was based on a Chinese-made prototype called SWAN that never went into production .
Hyman took over the rights to the design globally , hired a Chinese engineering team , and funded it to completion .
Since then , it ’ s become a big hit with musicians like Kendrick Lamar , Chance the Rapper , Halsey , Steve Aoki , and teen pop megastar Billie Eilish — which has helped Hyman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash .
Last month , Hyman helped bail out a struggling rival scooter company , Unicorn .
He said he would offer an Unagi scooter to anyone who ordered , but didn ’ t receive , a Unicorn scooter .

Electric scooter company Unagi has a powerful new model to show off. The California-based startup has upgraded its flagship scooter with dual motors, enabling better torque and higher speed without sacrificing portability. And for the first time, customers can choose to customize their scooter with almost any combination of colors or patterns they can imagine.
Unagi’s new E500 Dual Motor Scooter has two 250W motors, one in the front and one in the back, for a total of (you guessed it) 500W. The company’s first scooter came in two motor types, 250W and 450W, and was able to hit a top speed of 15.5 mph. This new configuration now delivers a top speed of 19 mph, with 32 newton meters of torque, enabling a rider of up to 200 pounds to cruise up steep hills with ease.
“There are bigger scooters with more range and torque, but none of them are truly portable”
Despite the addition of another motor, the scooter is still comparatively lightweight, clocking in at only 26 pounds. “There are bigger scooters with more range and torque, but none of them are truly portable,” Unagi CEO David Hyman said in an email. “The Boosted Rev, for example, is 46 lbs!! The reality is, very few commuters or urban users scoot more than 5 miles a day. We’re hell-bent focused on this market segment, giving them the best truly portable scooter on the planet — because well, it’s what we want.”
The scooter has three drive modes: Beginner (9-11 mph); Advanced (13-15 mph); and Professional (15-19 mph). The lithium-ion battery allows for a range of up to 15.5 miles. And Unagi is using the same blend of aluminum and carbon fiber for the frame as it did with its first model.
In addition, Unagi is unveiling what it describes as the industry’s first personalized paint job, allowing customers to design their scooters online to fit their personal vision. The original model only came in four colors: red, blue, white, and black. Now customers can choose from a variety of single or two-tone paint jobs, as well as numerous patterns.
Hyman said that Unagi “impregnates the dye into the carbon fiber frame for a high-end custom paint job, versus a wrap or sticker approach.” This transforms the Unagi scooter into a “lasting personal work of art,” he added. Customers will have the ability to select custom colors for the handlebar, steer tube, and deck. And there will be limited run patterns available — from urban camouflage to tartan to Hawaiian themed — on an ongoing basis.
Unagi, the Japanese word for freshwater eel, burst on the scene last year with a $990 electric scooter. It was based on a Chinese-made prototype called SWAN that never went into production. Hyman took over the rights to the design globally, hired a Chinese engineering team, and funded it to completion.


theverge--2020-01-07--White House encourages hands-off approach to AI regulation

While experts worry about AI technologies like intrusive surveillance and autonomous weaponry , the US government is advocating a hands-off approach to AI ’ s regulation .
The White House today unveiled 10 principles that federal agencies should consider when devising laws and rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the private sector , but stressed that a key concern was limiting regulatory “ overreach.
” Any regulation devised by agencies should aim to encourage qualities like “ fairness , non-discrimination , openness , transparency , safety , and security , ” says the Office of Science and Technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduction of any new rules should also be preceded by “ risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses , ” and must incorporate “ scientific evidence and feedback from the American public.
” The OSTP urged other nations to follow its lead , an uncertain prospect at a time when major international bodies like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , G7 , and EU are considering more regulation for AI .
“ Europe and our allies should avoid heavy handed innovation-killing models , and instead consider a similar regulatory approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The best way to counter authoritarian uses of AI is to make sure America and our international partners remain the global hubs of innovation , shaping the evolution of technology in a manner consistent with our common values.
” Michael Kratsios , chief technology officer of the United States , will formally announce the principles at CES on Wednesday .
In a call with reporters yesterday , an administration official said that the US was already over-regulating AI technologies at “ state and local levels.
” “ [ W ] hen particular states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognition across the board , you end up in tricky situations where civil servants may be breaking the law when they try to unlock their government-issued phone , ” said an administration official , according to a report from VentureBeat .
The announcement of these 10 principles follows an agenda set by the White House in February 2019 when it launched the “ American AI Initiative.
” But at a time when experts warn about the damaging effects of unaccountable AI systems in government domains like housing and health care , and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be eroding civil liberties , many may question the wisdom of the White House ’ s approach .
And while the US follows a laissez-faire attitude domestically , it is also introducing new restrictions on the international stage .
This Monday a new export ban came into place , forbidding US companies from selling software abroad that uses AI to analyze satellite imagery without a license .
The ban is widely seen as America ’ s attempt to counter the rise of tech rivals like China , which is quickly catching up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI .

While experts worry about AI technologies like intrusive surveillance and autonomous weaponry, the US government is advocating a hands-off approach to AI’s regulation.
The White House today unveiled 10 principles that federal agencies should consider when devising laws and rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the private sector, but stressed that a key concern was limiting regulatory “overreach.”
The public will have 90 days to submit feedback on the plans, reports Wired, after which federal agencies will have 180 days to work out how to implement the principles.
Agencies should encourage “fairness, non-discrimination, safety, and security”
Any regulation devised by agencies should aim to encourage qualities like “fairness, non-discrimination, openness, transparency, safety, and security,” says the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). But the introduction of any new rules should also be preceded by “risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses,” and must incorporate “scientific evidence and feedback from the American public.”
The OSTP urged other nations to follow its lead, an uncertain prospect at a time when major international bodies like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), G7, and EU are considering more regulation for AI.
“Europe and our allies should avoid heavy handed innovation-killing models, and instead consider a similar regulatory approach,” said the OSTP. “The best way to counter authoritarian uses of AI is to make sure America and our international partners remain the global hubs of innovation, shaping the evolution of technology in a manner consistent with our common values.”
Michael Kratsios, chief technology officer of the United States, will formally announce the principles at CES on Wednesday. In a call with reporters yesterday, an administration official said that the US was already over-regulating AI technologies at “state and local levels.”
Experts are worried about the spread of AI surveillance using technology like facial recognition. Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd / picture alliance via Getty Images
“[W]hen particular states and localities make decisions like banning facial recognition across the board, you end up in tricky situations where civil servants may be breaking the law when they try to unlock their government-issued phone,” said an administration official, according to a report from VentureBeat.
The announcement of these 10 principles follows an agenda set by the White House in February 2019 when it launched the “American AI Initiative.” But at a time when experts warn about the damaging effects of unaccountable AI systems in government domains like housing and health care, and when the rise of facial recognition systems seem to be eroding civil liberties, many may question the wisdom of the White House’s approach.


theverge--2020-01-07--Razer’s latest concept is a 5G router for gamers that’s also a mobile hotspot

Back in 2018 , Razer jumped into the router market with Sila , a gaming router designed to offer high-speed and reliable Wi-Fi performance for gaming .
And now , at CES 2020 , the company is showing off a concept for a 5G version of that router , the Sila 5G , which would rely on a wireless 5G connection as the source of your internet rather than conventional cable .
Interestingly , unlike many other home routers , the Sila 5G also features a rechargeable battery , allowing it to double as a mobile hotspot — albeit a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can theoretically run a small LAN tournament wherever you go .
Like the original Sila , the Sila 5G also features Razer ’ s FasTrack technology , the company ’ s proprietary traffic management tool that automatically analyzes and prioritizes certain traffic on the router .
There ’ s also a dedicated “ gaming mode.
” Razer says that users will also be able to manually prioritize specific hardware ( like a console or gaming PC ) or specific apps ( or categories of apps ) .
Companion iOS and Android apps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5G ’ s settings , including creating guest networks or changing networking priorities .
On the hardware side of things , the Sila 5G relies on Qualcomm ’ s X55 modem for connecting to 5G networks ( but sub-6GHz and mmWave frequencies ) as well as for LTE .
The Wi-Fi side of things is handed by a Hawkeye IPQ8072A chipset , which features Wi-Fi 6 support .
And of course , it wouldn ’ t be a Razer product without Chroma lighting , which Razer says will also be included .
Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s no price or release date announced yet .

Back in 2018, Razer jumped into the router market with Sila, a gaming router designed to offer high-speed and reliable Wi-Fi performance for gaming. And now, at CES 2020, the company is showing off a concept for a 5G version of that router, the Sila 5G, which would rely on a wireless 5G connection as the source of your internet rather than conventional cable.
Interestingly, unlike many other home routers, the Sila 5G also features a rechargeable battery, allowing it to double as a mobile hotspot — albeit a mobile hotspot that features four Ethernet ports and can theoretically run a small LAN tournament wherever you go.
Image: Razer
Like the original Sila, the Sila 5G also features Razer’s FasTrack technology, the company’s proprietary traffic management tool that automatically analyzes and prioritizes certain traffic on the router. There’s also a dedicated “gaming mode.”
Razer says that users will also be able to manually prioritize specific hardware (like a console or gaming PC) or specific apps (or categories of apps). Companion iOS and Android apps can be used to manage the Sila 5G’s settings, including creating guest networks or changing networking priorities.
On the hardware side of things, the Sila 5G relies on Qualcomm’s X55 modem for connecting to 5G networks (but sub-6GHz and mmWave frequencies) as well as for LTE. The Wi-Fi side of things is handed by a Hawkeye IPQ8072A chipset, which features Wi-Fi 6 support. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Razer product without Chroma lighting, which Razer says will also be included.


theverge--2020-01-07--PopSockets made its own wireless charging pad so you don’t have to take the PopSocket off your phone

People seemingly love sticking PopSockets to their phones for the extra grip , but doing so introduces a new issue : the inability to wirelessly charge a phone when a PopSockets Grip is attached .
Today , the company is solving the problem by announcing its own Qi-enabled wireless charging pad called the PopPower Home .
The pad supplies a device with 15W of power and supports fast charging .
The team partnered with a company called NuCurrent to launch the device .
It ’ s available in three colors starting today for $ 60 .
Although The PopPower Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PopSocket Grip attached , the company has some fine print on that claim .
Metal PopGrips can ’ t be charged , nor can more specialized PopGrips like PopGrip Lips because the lip balm inside will melt .
The only solution for phones with those grips is to take the PopGrip off , which means people are stuck with the original charging problem that spurred the creation of this device .
This wireless charger also might not work if people placed their PopSocket Grip anywhere other than the center of their phone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ models may produce a slower charge or no charge , based on the positioning of the PopGrip and the phone ’ s wireless charging antenna , and will need a slight adjustment or for the PopTop to be removed for optimal charging , ” the company told The Verge .
PopSockets ’ PopGrips took over the phone accessory business .
Most everyone knows what they are and seemingly keeps buying them .
But they weren ’ t built to work with wireless charging , and PopSockets still hasn ’ t figured out a @ @ @ @ @ @

People seemingly love sticking PopSockets to their phones for the extra grip, but doing so introduces a new issue: the inability to wirelessly charge a phone when a PopSockets Grip is attached. Today, the company is solving the problem by announcing its own Qi-enabled wireless charging pad called the PopPower Home. The pad supplies a device with 15W of power and supports fast charging. The team partnered with a company called NuCurrent to launch the device. It’s available in three colors starting today for $60.
Although The PopPower Home is designed to charge devices with a PopSocket Grip attached, the company has some fine print on that claim. Metal PopGrips can’t be charged, nor can more specialized PopGrips like PopGrip Lips because the lip balm inside will melt. The only solution for phones with those grips is to take the PopGrip off, which means people are stuck with the original charging problem that spurred the creation of this device. This wireless charger also might not work if people placed their PopSocket Grip anywhere other than the center of their phone.
“Some PopGrip placements on some phone models may produce a slower charge or no charge, based on the positioning of the PopGrip and the phone’s wireless charging antenna, and will need a slight adjustment or for the PopTop to be removed for optimal charging,” the company told The Verge.


theverge--2020-01-07--Inside Intel’s Ghost Canyon NUC, the incredibly small modular desktop PC

Today , you can upgrade a desktop PC ’ s gaming performance just by plugging in a new graphics card .
What if you could do the same exact thing with everything else in that computer — slotting in a cartridge with a new CPU , memory , storage , even a new motherboard and set of ports ?
What if that new “ everything else in your computer ” card meant you could build an upgradable desktop gaming PC far smaller than you ’ d ever built or bought before ?
Last week , I visited Intel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could stop imagining and check out the NUC 9 Extreme for myself .
The Intel NUC 9 Extreme , aka Ghost Canyon , is smack dab at the intersection of two ideas the chipmaker has been pursuing for years .
Since 2012 , the company ’ s been building barebones desktop computers called NUCs ( short for “ Next Unit of Computing ” ) that are typically so tiny , you could fit one anywhere .
And in 2015 , Intel started working on an idea called the Compute Card to easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swapping in a new CPU cartridge .
But the Compute Card was a commercial failure , and the NUC was only ever as powerful as its onboard graphics could manage .
But in 2018 , after Intel conducted a freak experiment that put AMD graphics inside an Intel processor , the company proved that a NUC could be powerful enough for gamers as well — and starting wondering what it ’ d be like to build a fully upgradable version that could fit powerful desktop graphics cards , too .
And while Intel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of a modular “ brain ” for the rest of the computer as well .
The result is a desktop gaming PC that ’ s just 5 liters in volume — slightly smaller than a PlayStation 4 Pro , and taking up less than half the 12 liter volume of a Corsair One , one of our favorite pre-built compact gaming PC designs , and yet with enough space to fit a desktop-grade Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU .
Besides , its “ NUC Element ” modular CPU cartridge could make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more space to work inside .
It just takes two screws to open the lid , with its twin 80mm exhaust fans and spring-loaded copper connectors — there ’ s no fan cable to unplug — plus half a dozen cables to dislodge , including snaps for a pair of Wi-Fi antennas , the power cable , and cables for the front audio , USB ports , and full-size SD card reader .
Then push a lever , and the computer ’ s entire brain lifts right out — a graphics card-shaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the system save the modified 500W FlexATX power supply .
Pop open the NUC Element module after two more screws , and you ’ ll find an L-shaped vapor chamber cooler for the 45W Core i5 , i7 , or i9-9980HK CPU ( laptop grade , but one of the fastest Intel makes ) ; an 80mm blower-style fan and heat sink to dissipate the heat ; two standard DDR4 laptop memory module slots ; and two slots for stick-shaped M.2 NVMe solid state drives — just load it up with whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an Intel Wi-Fi 6 module baked right in , plus a full array of ports including four USB 3.1 jacks , two Thunderbolt 3 ports , dual Gigabit Ethernet sockets , and an HDMI port .
That ’ s a fairly comprehensive array of ports today , but it ’ s neat to think that the next time you upgrade the CPU cartridge , it ’ d come with the latest and greatest ports as well .
Pretty impressive for a PC barely wider than two GPUs side by side Right next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PCIe x16 slot where your gaming graphics card goes , and you should know it won ’ t fit every card — you ’ ll be looking for a “ mini ” GPU like a GeForce RTX 2070 Mini that ’ s less than eight inches in length .
And it ’ s a little cramped in such a tiny case , with the graphics card practically blocking the CPU fan ’ s intake , so I ’ m curious if a gaming system would be able to maintain full performance for hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a butter-smooth 60+ frames per second in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at max settings on a 2560 x 1440 monitor with surprisingly little fan noise during an early test — pretty impressive for a PC barely wider than two graphics cards side by side .
The bigger question is whether you ’ ll actually be able to upgrade such a system for years to come .
While practically every other part of the system is easily upgradable with off-the-shelf parts , the NUC Element modules themselves are proprietary and their CPUs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to rely on Intel to keep making them for the foreseeable future , and Intel isn ’ t promising to do that for sure .
But the company says there are currently at least two years of upgrades on the road map and it ’ s hoping to see more — and perhaps more importantly , Intel has actual partners promising to take up the modular torch .
While Intel will be selling the NUC 9 Extreme this March as a barebones system ( read : bring your own OS , memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at around $ 1,050 with a Core i5 module , $ 1,250 for Core i7 , or around $ 1,700 for the flagship Core i9 , it won ’ t be the only company pushing the idea .
Razer and Cooler Master have both confirmed they ’ ll be selling their own complete turnkey gaming rigs later this year based on the NUC Element module , but with standard SFX power supplies and room for larger graphics cards than Intel ’ s own box , as well as their very own distinct NUC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to buy Intel ’ s board separately and stick it into one .
Both Cooler Master and Razer are notable partners because they ’ re new to the desktop market ; Intel ’ s move means a PC parts vendor can now sell entire computers .
Plus , Intel says other vendors are signing up to sell its own Ghost Canyon box as a complete system as well — and there ’ s even a second version of the NUC , dubbed Quartz Canyon , that ’ ll offer Intel Xeon processor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intel NUC marketing manager Bruce Patterson freely admits that his team ’ s original modular Compute Card was a failure .
“ For most cases it required so much effort from the other partners to integrate it and make it work , it just wasn ’ t worth it for most of our partners , ” he tells me at Intel HQ .
And while he considers Intel ’ s NUC program a success with 20+ percent growth year over year , he says we ’ re talking about a few million devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But already , it feels like there ’ s more momentum behind this new NUC than this team ’ s projects have ever had before , and it makes me wonder if CPU cartridges might actually take off this time around — if perhaps Intel has hit on a new standard that could change the way the industry builds powerful small form factor PCs from here on out .
Either way , it ’ s seriously impressive how much power Intel has crammed into a tiny upgradable box .
I want one @

Today, you can upgrade a desktop PC’s gaming performance just by plugging in a new graphics card. What if you could do the same exact thing with everything else in that computer — slotting in a cartridge with a new CPU, memory, storage, even a new motherboard and set of ports? What if that new “everything else in your computer” card meant you could build an upgradable desktop gaming PC far smaller than you’d ever built or bought before?
Last week, I visited Intel’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California so I could stop imagining and check out the NUC 9 Extreme for myself.
The Intel NUC 9 Extreme, aka Ghost Canyon, is smack dab at the intersection of two ideas the chipmaker has been pursuing for years. Since 2012, the company’s been building barebones desktop computers called NUCs (short for “Next Unit of Computing”) that are typically so tiny, you could fit one anywhere. And in 2015, Intel started working on an idea called the Compute Card to easily upgrade the brains of a PC by swapping in a new CPU cartridge. But the Compute Card was a commercial failure, and the NUC was only ever as powerful as its onboard graphics could manage.
But in 2018, after Intel conducted a freak experiment that put AMD graphics inside an Intel processor, the company proved that a NUC could be powerful enough for gamers as well — and starting wondering what it’d be like to build a fully upgradable version that could fit powerful desktop graphics cards, too. And while Intel was at it, the company resurrected the idea of a modular “brain” for the rest of the computer as well.
The result is a desktop gaming PC that’s just 5 liters in volume — slightly smaller than a PlayStation 4 Pro, and taking up less than half the 12 liter volume of a Corsair One, one of our favorite pre-built compact gaming PC designs, and yet with enough space to fit a desktop-grade Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU. Besides, its “NUC Element” modular CPU cartridge could make it even easier to upgrade than computers with far more space to work inside.
It just takes two screws to open the lid, with its twin 80mm exhaust fans and spring-loaded copper connectors — there’s no fan cable to unplug — plus half a dozen cables to dislodge, including snaps for a pair of Wi-Fi antennas, the power cable, and cables for the front audio, USB ports, and full-size SD card reader. Then push a lever, and the computer’s entire brain lifts right out — a graphics card-shaped brain that houses practically every critical part of the system save the modified 500W FlexATX power supply.
Pop open the NUC Element module after two more screws, and you’ll find an L-shaped vapor chamber cooler for the 45W Core i5, i7, or i9-9980HK CPU (laptop grade, but one of the fastest Intel makes); an 80mm blower-style fan and heat sink to dissipate the heat; two standard DDR4 laptop memory module slots; and two slots for stick-shaped M.2 NVMe solid state drives — just load it up with whatever you like. Around back there’s an Intel Wi-Fi 6 module baked right in, plus a full array of ports including four USB 3.1 jacks, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet sockets, and an HDMI port. That’s a fairly comprehensive array of ports today, but it’s neat to think that the next time you upgrade the CPU cartridge, it’d come with the latest and greatest ports as well.
Pretty impressive for a PC barely wider than two GPUs side by side
Right next to the CPU brain is a second PCIe x16 slot where your gaming graphics card goes, and you should know it won’t fit every card — you’ll be looking for a “mini” GPU like a GeForce RTX 2070 Mini that’s less than eight inches in length. And it’s a little cramped in such a tiny case, with the graphics card practically blocking the CPU fan’s intake, so I’m curious if a gaming system would be able to maintain full performance for hours on end. But it never dipped beneath a butter-smooth 60+ frames per second in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at max settings on a 2560 x 1440 monitor with surprisingly little fan noise during an early test — pretty impressive for a PC barely wider than two graphics cards side by side.
The bigger question is whether you’ll actually be able to upgrade such a system for years to come. While practically every other part of the system is easily upgradable with off-the-shelf parts, the NUC Element modules themselves are proprietary and their CPUs are soldered down, meaning you’d need to rely on Intel to keep making them for the foreseeable future, and Intel isn’t promising to do that for sure. But the company says there are currently at least two years of upgrades on the road map and it’s hoping to see more — and perhaps more importantly, Intel has actual partners promising to take up the modular torch.
The Razer Tomahawk is far larger than the NUC at 10L in volume, but also fits far longer graphics cards. Starting price roughly $2,300 for a complete system. Photo: Razer
While Intel will be selling the NUC 9 Extreme this March as a barebones system (read: bring your own OS, memory, storage, and GPU) starting at around $1,050 with a Core i5 module, $1,250 for Core i7, or around $1,700 for the flagship Core i9, it won’t be the only company pushing the idea. Razer and Cooler Master have both confirmed they’ll be selling their own complete turnkey gaming rigs later this year based on the NUC Element module, but with standard SFX power supplies and room for larger graphics cards than Intel’s own box, as well as their very own distinct NUC Element enclosures. You’ll be able to buy Intel’s board separately and stick it into one.
Both Cooler Master and Razer are notable partners because they’re new to the desktop market; Intel’s move means a PC parts vendor can now sell entire computers.
Plus, Intel says other vendors are signing up to sell its own Ghost Canyon box as a complete system as well — and there’s even a second version of the NUC, dubbed Quartz Canyon, that’ll offer Intel Xeon processor modules to businesses that need them.
Intel NUC marketing manager Bruce Patterson freely admits that his team’s original modular Compute Card was a failure. “For most cases it required so much effort from the other partners to integrate it and make it work, it just wasn’t worth it for most of our partners,” he tells me at Intel HQ. And while he considers Intel’s NUC program a success with 20+ percent growth year over year, he says we’re talking about a few million devices sold over the lifetime of the NUC.
But already, it feels like there’s more momentum behind this new NUC than this team’s projects have ever had before, and it makes me wonder if CPU cartridges might actually take off this time around — if perhaps Intel has hit on a new standard that could change the way the industry builds powerful small form factor PCs from here on out.
Either way, it’s seriously impressive how much power Intel has crammed into a tiny upgradable box. I want one.


theverge--2020-01-07--Razer’s first desktop gaming PC is the stunning modular Tomahawk

Razer sells plenty of gaming mice , keyboards , headsets , and an edgy gaming laptop called the Blade , but it ’ s never sold its own gaming desktop PC — unless you count a few collaborations with Lenovo and Maingear .
But that ’ s changing this summer with an impressive-looking box that will be known as the Razer Tomahawk , a fully upgradable gaming desktop that takes up just 10 liters of volume .
While it might look like just an external GPU box at first glance — maybe a better-looking Razer Core ?
— there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aluminum and tempered glass box can seem so effortlessly small .
It ’ s because there ’ s no traditional motherboard or desktop CPU inside , but rather an Intel NUC Element modular computer .
It ’ s effectively a swappable brain that contains up to a 45W Core i9-9980HK mobile CPU , cooling , slots for memory and storage , a Wi-Fi 6 radio , lots of ports , and all the headers a motherboard would normally need to power a desktop PC .
This leaves Razer to simply design the enclosure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card , SSD , fans and RAM , load an operating system , and configure it for you .
Or Razer could just provide the enclosure by itself and let you do the rest — though we don ’ t have pricing for the case by itself quite yet .
Intel will sell the NUC Element boards separately through retailers like Amazon and Newegg , so you can buy them elsewhere and slot them in .
The company tells us the full turnkey system will ship this June for a starting price of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Core i7 , 16GB of RAM , 512GB of solid state storage and an undisclosed RTX 20-series GPU , and topping out at the Core i9 with 64GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 2080 Super .
It ’ s not quite the modular gaming PC concept that Razer teased in 2014 , but it seems far more realistic — assuming Intel keeps making the modules .
Intel says it ’ s planning to offer upgrades for at least a couple years , and other partners are on board as well .
Cooler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer its own NUC Element enclosure and turnkey systems later this year .

Razer sells plenty of gaming mice, keyboards, headsets, and an edgy gaming laptop called the Blade, but it’s never sold its own gaming desktop PC — unless you count a few collaborations with Lenovo and Maingear. But that’s changing this summer with an impressive-looking box that will be known as the Razer Tomahawk, a fully upgradable gaming desktop that takes up just 10 liters of volume.
While it might look like just an external GPU box at first glance — maybe a better-looking Razer Core? — there’s an important reason why this sleek aluminum and tempered glass box can seem so effortlessly small. It’s because there’s no traditional motherboard or desktop CPU inside, but rather an Intel NUC Element modular computer.
Intel’s NUC Element, containing most of the elements of a full desktop computer. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
It’s effectively a swappable brain that contains up to a 45W Core i9-9980HK mobile CPU, cooling, slots for memory and storage, a Wi-Fi 6 radio, lots of ports, and all the headers a motherboard would normally need to power a desktop PC. This leaves Razer to simply design the enclosure, provide a power supply, graphics card, SSD, fans and RAM, load an operating system, and configure it for you.
The Tomahawk has a larger, standard SFX power supply compared to Intel’s NUC 9 Extreme.
Or Razer could just provide the enclosure by itself and let you do the rest — though we don’t have pricing for the case by itself quite yet. Intel will sell the NUC Element boards separately through retailers like Amazon and Newegg, so you can buy them elsewhere and slot them in.
The Tomahawk slides open with a locking handle, just like Razer’s eGPU boxes.
The company tells us the full turnkey system will ship this June. While pricing isn’t set yet, Razer’s targeting a starting price just over $2,000, including a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of solid state storage and an undisclosed RTX 20-series GPU, and topping out at the Core i9 with 64GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 2080 Super.
It’s not quite the modular gaming PC concept that Razer teased in 2014, but it seems far more realistic — assuming Intel keeps making the modules. Intel says it’s planning to offer upgrades for at least a couple years, and other partners are on board as well. Cooler Master, for instance, will also offer its own NUC Element enclosure and turnkey systems later this year.


theverge--2020-01-07--Insta360’s One R shape-shifts between a 360 and an action camera

This is the Insta360 One R. Like Insta360 ’ s prior cameras , it ’ s capable of shooting 360 degrees of footage .
But it ’ s also a standard 4K action camera .
For someone on the fence about taking a full leap into buying a 360 camera , this is the perfect in-between device .
The One R is made up of three components : the lens ; the core , which houses the screen , power and record buttons , USB-C port , and microSD card slot ; and the battery base .
There are two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prongs for the lens attachments and the battery just snaps onto the bottom .
Once it ’ s all put together , it feels solid , compact , and complete .
The Insta360 One R Twin Edition is available to purchase starting today for $ 479.99 and will come with one core , one battery , a 360 camera mod , and a 4K camera mod .
Insta360 will also be selling just the 4K camera mod with one battery and one core for $ 299.99 .
I was able to spend some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 360 attachment , and 4K camera attachment ahead of today ’ s announcement .
Insta360 says that it is working on the image processing for video and still images and it will be improved from what I experienced when the camera ships to customers , so keep that in mind when reading about image quality impressions .
As a complete unit , the One R is waterproof up to five meters .
There ’ s a slim gap between the battery grip and the rest of the camera on the preproduction unit I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not affect waterproofing , but will ultimately be removed from the final version for aesthetic reasons .
The One R also comes with a plastic housing for mounting .
There are two very familiar prongs on the bottom that connect to pretty much any mount you could want .
Image quality from the 360 camera is comparable to the Insta360 ’ s One X , but with slightly better night time stabilization and HDR video .
The night time stabilization is a big improvement for steadying shots , but it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can see in the blacks .
It can shoot 5.7K 30 fps spherical video just like the One X .
The big upgrade , though , is having a real , full-color touchscreen .
Although it is very low resolution , you can use it to change frame rates , view playback , and scroll around the frame .
Double tapping the screen will switch between which lens you ’ re viewing .
Despite the super low resolution , the screen is extremely responsive .
The bigger issue is the screen ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small fingers , so this wasn ’ t a total deal-breaker , but I could see how this might be frustrating with gloves or for anyone with bigger hands .
Also when switching between the GoPro Max and the One R , it felt like a relief to use the Max ’ s screen because it ’ s almost twice the size .
The best feature of the 4K camera attachment is the ability to use the same screen for both rear and front-facing capture , since you can just flip the lens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It can shoot up to 60 fps at 4K and up to 200 fps at 1080p resolution .
Take away the ability to quickly convert it to a 360 camera , though , and the One R isn ’ t the most compelling action camera .
Firstly , I prefer the color profile GoPro uses .
GoPro isn ’ t afraid of the shadows and therefore produces an image with more contrast .
Secondly , Insta360 ’ s stabilization just isn ’ t as good as GoPro ’ s .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s stabilized footage .
The buildings or trees will have a jittering effect .
I found myself using the 4K camera mostly to take photos .
There is a lot of smoothing happening in the image , at least in the preproduction firmware , especially in the backgrounds , and the processing works overtime to even out the low light and highlights .
I also thought the auto exposure mode was a bit slow , often leading to blurry subjects .
Insta360 will also be releasing a 1-Inch Edition mod co-engineered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be capable of 5.3K resolution .
Insta360 hasn ’ t given us other specifications of this mod yet and I was unable to try it out for this article .
The process of editing footage from the camera has changed very little since the One X .
The desktop app is still not intuitive , but does now have ProRes and H.265 export options .
I am still frustrated with Insta360 ’ s .insv file format , though .
If your footage will never make it onto a desktop this doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see a preview of the file in macOS ’ s Finder is annoying .
The mobile app is still easy to use and adds a few new features including Deep Track active subject tracking , Auto Framing , and CineShots , which are auto editing tools .
I was pretty impressed by the tracking .
It holds people or objects right in the center of the frame without you having to set key frames .
The other new feature is being able to edit your footage without having to first download it onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Track and set key frames all without having to wait for the file to download , and everything is really snappy with no lag .
It also doesn ’ t kill your camera ’ s battery in the process .
Battery life , at least with this preproduction unit , is right on par with the One X .
You can get a full day out of it if you are careful to shut it off when you ’ re not using it .
It also supports quick-charging with up to an 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2 amp charger .
It ’ s great to see a 360 camera getting smaller , more durable , and not locked into a 360 ecosystem .
For someone curious about 360 , but interested in something that ’ s more versatile , the One R is ideal .
And although the 4K camera falls flat in terms of image quality , Insta360 will be releasing a 5.3K Leica-branded attachment in a few months that they are hoping will satisfy the more professional among us .
When this was pitched to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding more parts to a camera system would be a success or actually work well at all .
But by shrinking down the same One X camera system into a smaller package and giving you the option to use it as a standard action camera , Insta360 made a more approachable and easier-to-use 360 camera .

This is the Insta360 One R. Like Insta360’s prior cameras, it’s capable of shooting 360 degrees of footage. But it’s also a standard 4K action camera. For someone on the fence about taking a full leap into buying a 360 camera, this is the perfect in-between device.
The One R is made up of three components: the lens; the core, which houses the screen, power and record buttons, USB-C port, and microSD card slot; and the battery base. There are two ports on the core that coincide with prongs for the lens attachments and the battery just snaps onto the bottom. Once it’s all put together, it feels solid, compact, and complete. The Insta360 One R Twin Edition is available to purchase starting today for $479.99 and will come with one core, one battery, a 360 camera mod, and a 4K camera mod. Insta360 will also be selling just the 4K camera mod with one battery and one core for $299.99.
I was able to spend some time with a preproduction One R, 360 attachment, and 4K camera attachment ahead of today’s announcement. Insta360 says that it is working on the image processing for video and still images and it will be improved from what I experienced when the camera ships to customers, so keep that in mind when reading about image quality impressions.
The 360 camera mod (left) and the 4K action camera mod (right).
The removable battery pack. The core (left) and 360 camera mod (right).
As a complete unit, the One R is waterproof up to five meters. There’s a slim gap between the battery grip and the rest of the camera on the preproduction unit I was shown. Insta360 tells me this does not affect waterproofing, but will ultimately be removed from the final version for aesthetic reasons. The One R also comes with a plastic housing for mounting. There are two very familiar prongs on the bottom that connect to pretty much any mount you could want.
The 360 camera mod.
Image quality from the 360 camera is comparable to the Insta360’s One X, but with slightly better night time stabilization and HDR video. The night time stabilization is a big improvement for steadying shots, but it doesn’t reduce the amount of noise you can see in the blacks. It can shoot 5.7K 30 fps spherical video just like the One X.
The big upgrade, though, is having a real, full-color touchscreen. Although it is very low resolution, you can use it to change frame rates, view playback, and scroll around the frame. Double tapping the screen will switch between which lens you’re viewing. Despite the super low resolution, the screen is extremely responsive. The bigger issue is the screen’s 1.3-inch size, though. I have small fingers, so this wasn’t a total deal-breaker, but I could see how this might be frustrating with gloves or for anyone with bigger hands. Also when switching between the GoPro Max and the One R, it felt like a relief to use the Max’s screen because it’s almost twice the size.
GoPro Max (left), Insta360 One R (middle), and GoPro Hero 8 (right).
The best feature of the 4K camera attachment is the ability to use the same screen for both rear and front-facing capture, since you can just flip the lens around to face it the other way. It can shoot up to 60 fps at 4K and up to 200 fps at 1080p resolution.
Take away the ability to quickly convert it to a 360 camera, though, and the One R isn’t the most compelling action camera. Firstly, I prefer the color profile GoPro uses. GoPro isn’t afraid of the shadows and therefore produces an image with more contrast. Secondly, Insta360’s stabilization just isn’t as good as GoPro’s. This is most noticeable in the background of Insta360’s stabilized footage. The buildings or trees will have a jittering effect.
I mostly used the 4K camera attachment to take photos. There is a lot of smoothing happening in the image, at least in the preproduction firmware, especially in the backgrounds, and I found the image to be a bit over-processed. The software works hard to even out the low light and highlights. I also thought the auto-exposure mode was a bit slow, often leading to blurry subjects even while shooting in daylight.
Insta360 will also be releasing a 1-inch Edition mod co-engineered with Leica for $549.99. It will be capable of 5.3K resolution. Insta360 will be shipping this mod in February 2020, but I was unable to try it out for this article.
The process of editing footage from the camera has changed very little since the One X. The desktop app is still not intuitive, but does now have ProRes and H.265 export options. I am still frustrated with Insta360’s .insv file format, though. If your footage will never make it onto a desktop this doesn’t matter, but not being able to see a preview of the file in macOS’s Finder is annoying.
The mobile app is still easy to use and adds a few new features including Deep Track active subject tracking, Auto Framing, and CineShots, which are auto-editing tools. I was pretty impressed by the tracking. It holds people or objects right in the center of the frame without you having to set key frames. The other new feature is being able to edit your footage without having to first download it onto your phone. You can use Deep Track and set key frames all without having to wait for the file to download, and everything is really snappy with no lag. It also doesn’t kill your camera’s battery in the process.
Battery life, at least with this preproduction unit, is right on par with the One X. You can get a full day out of it if you are careful to shut it off when you’re not using it. It also supports quick-charging with up to an 80 percent charge in half an hour on a 2 amp charger.
It’s great to see a 360 camera getting smaller, more durable, and not locked into a 360 ecosystem. For someone curious about 360, but interested in something that’s more versatile, the One R is ideal. And although the 4K camera falls flat in terms of image quality, Insta360 will be releasing a 5.3K Leica-branded attachment in a few months that they are hoping will satisfy the more professional among us.
When this was pitched to me, I had very little faith that adding more parts to a camera system would be a success or actually work well at all. But by shrinking down the same One X camera system into a smaller package and giving you the option to use it as a standard action camera, Insta360 made a more approachable and easier-to-use 360 camera.
Photography by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Update January 13th, 2020 5:34PM ET: Article updated to include expected shipping date for 1-inch Edition mod.
Update January 14th, 2020 10:00AM ET: This article was originally published on January 7, 2020 and has been updated to include video.


theverge--2020-01-07--Razer made another Switch-like mobile gamepad, but this one works with Android and iOS

In October , Razer announced Junglecat , a mobile gamepad with two Nintendo Switch Joy-Con-like controllers that attached to either side of your phone , but it only worked with four Android phones and required that you put your phones in a special case when you used it .
Today at CES , just a few months after launching the Junglecat , Razer is announcing the Razer Kishi , another Switch-like mobile gamepad , but this one looks like it could address a lot of the criticisms of the Junglecat — and perhaps most importantly , Razer says it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new gamepad is called the Razer Kishi , and it works with more devices than the Junglecat by attaching to the sides of your phone and connecting directly to it with either a USB-C or Apple Lightning connector , depending on the Kishi model specific to your phone .
Plugging directly into your phone means the controller should , in theory , have very low latency , and , if you ’ re on Android , it should work with cloud gaming services like xCloud or Stadia .
( If either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems possible that iPhone users could use Kishi for cloud gaming as well . )
Kishi also has passthrough ports so you can charge while playing Plugging in directly to your device also means that Kishi doesn ’ t need to be charged separately like the Junglecat ’ s two gamepads each did — the Kishi just uses the power from your phone .
And if you want to charge your phone while gaming , Kishi has passthrough charging ports that will let you do that .
The controller itself has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thumb sticks , a directional pad , ABXY buttons , and shoulder triggers — though it ’ s not clear from the press images if it has two or four shoulder triggers .
According to Razer , Kishi will work with games with Android mobile controller support and all iOS games that are MFi Controller-compatible .
This press render gives an idea of what your phone might look like when it ’ s slotted into the Kishi — though I doubt your Kishi will be hovering over Earth in quite such an epic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with GameVice , a company known for its own Switch-like mobile controllers .
Razer says it has a multi-year licensing agreement with GameVice for Kishi , so now that Kishi exists , it ’ s not exactly clear why anyone would buy a GameVice .
Razer says Kishi will be available in early 2020 .
Razer hasn ’ t publicly shared a price , but the company tells The Verge it will be priced similarly to the Junglecat , which cost $ 100 , and that the Android model will likely cost slightly @ @ @ @ @ @

In October, Razer announced Junglecat, a mobile gamepad with two Nintendo Switch Joy-Con-like controllers that attached to either side of your phone, but it only worked with four Android phones and required that you put your phones in a special case when you used it. Today at CES, just a few months after launching the Junglecat, Razer is announcing the Razer Kishi, another Switch-like mobile gamepad, but this one looks like it could address a lot of the criticisms of the Junglecat — and perhaps most importantly, Razer says it will work with most Android phones and iPhones.
The new gamepad is called the Razer Kishi, and it works with more devices than the Junglecat by attaching to the sides of your phone and connecting directly to it with either a USB-C or Apple Lightning connector, depending on the Kishi model specific to your phone. Plugging directly into your phone means the controller should, in theory, have very low latency, and, if you’re on Android, it should work with cloud gaming services like xCloud or Stadia. (If either of those services come to iOS, it seems possible that iPhone users could use Kishi for cloud gaming as well.)
Kishi also has passthrough ports so you can charge while playing
Plugging in directly to your device also means that Kishi doesn’t need to be charged separately like the Junglecat’s two gamepads each did — the Kishi just uses the power from your phone. And if you want to charge your phone while gaming, Kishi has passthrough charging ports that will let you do that.
The controller itself has a typical console controller layout, with two thumb sticks, a directional pad, ABXY buttons, and shoulder triggers — though it’s not clear from the press images if it has two or four shoulder triggers. According to Razer, Kishi will work with games with Android mobile controller support and all iOS games that are MFi Controller-compatible.
This press render gives an idea of what your phone might look like when it’s slotted into the Kishi — though I doubt your Kishi will be hovering over Earth in quite such an epic fashion.
Image: Razer
Razer made Kishi in partnership with GameVice, a company known for its own Switch-like mobile controllers. Razer says it has a multi-year licensing agreement with GameVice for Kishi, so now that Kishi exists, it’s not exactly clear why anyone would buy a GameVice.


theverge--2020-01-07--Filmmaker Mode is coming to Samsung and Philips TVs to cure motion smoothing

At CES 2020 , the UHD Alliance , a coalition that helps define display standards , announced that Filmmaker Mode , which is designed to show films with as little motion smoothing or post-processing as possible , will be coming to TVs released in 2020 from Samsung , TP Vision ( which makes Philips-branded TVs internationally ) , and Kaleidescape ( via Hollywood Reporter ) .
LG , Panasonic , and Vizio , which previously expressed interest in bringing Filmmaker Mode to TVs , also shared details about their implementations of the setting .
According to Variety , LG said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every new 4K and 8K TV that we introduce in 2020.
” Panasonic said its 2020 OLED HD 2000 series will include the Filmmaker Mode , with more on the way .
And LG , Panasonic , and Vizio all confirmed that their TVs with Filmmaker Mode will be able to automatically turn it on , according to FlatpanelsHD ( a feature I will explain a bit later ) .
Samsung , TP Vision , and Kaleidescape have not shared which TVs will have Filmmaker Mode .
And notably absent from the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include Filmmaker Mode are Sony and TCL .
The goal of Filmmaker Mode is to make movies on TVs look a lot better .
Right now , many HD TVs have motion smoothing turned on by default , which applies a lot of post-processing to what you ’ re watching and can sometimes create a blurry , overly smooth picture , referred to as the “ soap opera effect.
” That can make movies look much different — and usually much worse — than the filmmaker intended them to .
Motion smoothing isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , as you usually have to know what the setting is called on your specific TV ( LG calls it the not-obvious “ TruMotion , ” for example ) and know exactly where to turn it off in your TV ’ s settings .
( Fortunately , we have a guide to help with that . )
Filmmaker Mode is supposed to remove all of that post-processing so that movies on your home TV look the way their filmmakers made them to look ( hopefully without the soap opera effect ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Filmmaker Mode easy to use by having it to turn on by default .
That means you won ’ t have to dive into your TV ’ s settings just to see The Irishman the way Martin Scorsese wanted it .
And if you do want to turn Filmmaker Mode on manually , the UHD Alliance is also standardizing the Filmmaker Mode name across all TVs that have the mode so you can more easily find it in your TV ’ s settings .
Not surprisingly , Filmmaker Mode also has the backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scorsese , J.J. Abrams , James Cameron , Ryan Coogler , Ava DuVernay , Rian Johnson , and Christopher Nolan .
You can hear them and others talk about Filmmaker Mode in this video announcing it from last August : It ’ s important to note that Filmmaker Mode is only coming to new TVs ; it ’ s not something you can expect to turn on after a software update to the TV you already own .
And based on what LG , Panasonic , and Vizio said at CES , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some 2020 TVs from the companies that have pledged support .
So if you want to use the mode , wait until TVs that have it are officially on sale .

At CES 2020, the UHD Alliance, a coalition that helps define display standards, announced that Filmmaker Mode, which is designed to show films with as little motion smoothing or post-processing as possible, will be coming to TVs released in 2020 from Samsung, TP Vision (which makes Philips-branded TVs internationally), and Kaleidescape (via Hollywood Reporter). LG, Panasonic, and Vizio, which previously expressed interest in bringing Filmmaker Mode to TVs, also shared details about their implementations of the setting.
According to Variety, LG said it will have Filmmaker Mode in “every new 4K and 8K TV that we introduce in 2020.” Panasonic said its 2020 OLED HD 2000 series will include the Filmmaker Mode, with more on the way. And LG, Panasonic, and Vizio all confirmed that their TVs with Filmmaker Mode will be able to automatically turn it on, according to FlatpanelsHD (a feature I will explain a bit later).
Samsung, TP Vision, and Kaleidescape have not shared which TVs will have Filmmaker Mode. And notably absent from the list of TV providers that have pledged to include Filmmaker Mode are Sony and TCL.
The goal of Filmmaker Mode is to make movies on TVs look a lot better. Right now, many HD TVs have motion smoothing turned on by default, which applies a lot of post-processing to what you’re watching and can sometimes create a blurry, overly smooth picture, referred to as the “soap opera effect.” That can make movies look much different — and usually much worse — than the filmmaker intended them to.
Filmmaker Mode could fix the “soap opera effect”
Motion smoothing isn’t the easiest thing to turn off, as you usually have to know what the setting is called on your specific TV (LG calls it the not-obvious “TruMotion,” for example) and know exactly where to turn it off in your TV’s settings. (Fortunately, we have a guide to help with that.)
Filmmaker Mode is supposed to remove all of that post-processing so that movies on your home TV look the way their filmmakers made them to look (hopefully without the soap opera effect). The UHD Alliance also wants to make Filmmaker Mode easy to use by having it to turn on by default. That means you won’t have to dive into your TV’s settings just to see The Irishman the way Martin Scorsese wanted it. And if you do want to turn Filmmaker Mode on manually, the UHD Alliance is also standardizing the Filmmaker Mode name across all TVs that have the mode so you can more easily find it in your TV’s settings.
Not surprisingly, Filmmaker Mode also has the backing of a number of directors, including Scorsese, J.J. Abrams, James Cameron, Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Rian Johnson, and Christopher Nolan. You can hear them and others talk about Filmmaker Mode in this video:


theverge--2020-01-07--No, the US Army isn’t drafting you for WWIII by text message

No one ’ s being drafted for World War III — yet .
And if you received a text saying that you were drafted , the United States Army wants you to know that the message is fake .
On Tuesday , the Army put out a news bulletin alerting the public of fraudulent text messages from people claiming to be recruiters .
Some texts tell the person receiving them to head to their local recruiting office for “ immediate departure to Iran.
” Others expand on that message , saying that if the person doesn ’ t respond , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to jail for minimum 6 years.
” “ U.S .
Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army , ” the bulletin said .
Luckily , if you ’ re of draft age , there ’ s no need to worry just yet .
Even if tensions are high among young people after US forces killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week , the text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president would need to approve a draft before it could take place , the Army said in its bulletin .
The Selected Service System , which would organize any future draft , also warned of scam websites on Monday that charge people to sign up for service .
“ You will not be registered and your personal information may be at risk , ” the agency said in a tweet .
In fact , shortly after the US government confirmed that Soleimani was dead , the Selective Service website went down , likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft age and other requirements among young people who were afraid they were headed to war .
( As of this writing , it was back up . )
The Army isn ’ t sure just yet who is sending the messages or how they ’ re doing it .
“ Army security personnel are looking into the origin of the messages , ” an Army spokesperson told The Verge .

No one’s being drafted for World War III — yet. And if you received a text saying that you were drafted, the United States Army wants you to know that the message is fake.
On Tuesday, the Army put out a news bulletin alerting the public of fraudulent text messages from people claiming to be recruiters. Some texts tell the person receiving them to head to their local recruiting office for “immediate departure to Iran.” Others expand on that message, saying that if the person doesn’t respond, they’ll “be fined and sent to jail for minimum 6 years.”
“U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army,” the bulletin said.
Luckily, if you’re of draft age, there’s no need to worry just yet. Even if tensions are high among young people after US forces killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week, the text messages are fake. Congress and the president would need to approve a draft before it could take place, the Army said in its bulletin.
The Selected Service System, which would organize any future draft, also warned of scam websites on Monday that charge people to sign up for service. “You will not be registered and your personal information may be at risk,” the agency said in a tweet.
In fact, shortly after the US government confirmed that Soleimani was dead, the Selective Service website went down, likely due to a renewed curiosity in the draft age and other requirements among young people who were afraid they were headed to war. (As of this writing, it was back up.)