theverge--2020-10-23--Where to buy refurbished products

Where to buy refurbished products

Buying a refurbished device rather than one that ’ s brand-new can save you a ton of money .
However , these products don ’ t usually get the spotlight from retailers like Best Buy , Amazon , or B & H Photo .
You also won ’ t find them sitting on the homepage of Apple , Google , Nintendo , Sonos , or Olympus , to name a few .
However , that doesn ’ t mean you can ’ t find refurbs on these sites .
First , a quick description of what “ refurbished ” means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that likely means the product was either broken or roughed up enough to warrant a repair .
It could also mean that whoever bought it simply decided they didn ’ t want it and returned it to the store .
The definition of what makes for a refurbished product varies depending on the seller , though something that may ease some worry is that there are US laws that prevent once-used tech from being sold as new .
For more information on what defines a refurbished product , and what is the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other items , check out our guide : Meanwhile , if you ’ ve decided you ’ d like to save a bit of cash by buying refurbished , here are some places to try .
Best Buy ’ s Outlet , as it ’ s called , is the retailer ’ s dedicated site for refurbished tech .
Here ’ s Best Buy ’ s claim for its refurbs : Products purchased through the Outlet are subject to Best Buy ’ s standard return policy .
In terms of warranty coverage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Outlet “ often include a limited warranty through Best Buy.
” Given that it doesn ’ t broadly give all refurbished products a warranty , it ’ s worth investigating a product before you buy it .
You can also browse for the product you ’ re actually looking for on Best Buy ’ s website , then scroll down the page until you see the “ Buying Options ” tab .
Click it to see some other , more affordable options for buying similar devices .
Sometimes , what you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the time , they are simply open-box returns .
Amazon Warehouse is the section of the retailer ’ s site dedicated to used , refurbished products — or “ renewed , ” as Amazon calls it .
If you shop regularly for tech on Amazon , you stand to save some money here .
Here is the fine print from Amazon on its renewed devices : You can discover renewed products for lots of tech products here .
You can also find Warehouse deals by looking into the “ used ” options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re interested in .
If Amazon offers a refurbished or used option , it will be listed right at the top .
In the “ condition ” section listed next to the price , it will include any disclaimers you should be aware of in relation to the product ’ s condition .
Amazon also owns a company called Woot that often hosts appealing deals on refurbished tech .
That site is usually upfront about warranty information for each device , as well as the condition that it ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to most of its products , though you can purchase a SquareTrade protection plan at checkout .
eBay recently launched a new certified refurbished program , which provides a two-year warranty from Allstate for each product listed .
The online seller promises hassle-free returns if you ’ re unhappy with the purchase or a money-back guarantee if your item arrives in a condition that doesn ’ t match the listing description .
You can find Bose , Acer , iRobot , Lenovo , Razer , and other products on its refurbished page , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get new accessories , new manuals , and manufacturer-sealed packaging with each purchase .
Apple has one of the best refurbishment programs around .
All of the products sold as refurbished will arrive in “ like new ” condition with at least 15 percent in savings compared to the cost of a brand-new device .
Products will ship in a white box with all of the original accessories .
In addition to having a one-year warranty , you can purchase AppleCare for your refurbished purchase .
Just to give you an idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its refurbs : it replaces the battery and the outer shell of all iOS devices .
Google sells a few refurbished devices ( when this was written , it was just selling the Pixelbook and a three-pack of Google Wifi mesh routers ) through its Google Store .
It says that these products are in like-new condition and have been cleaned and repaired .
They come with a one-year warranty directly through Google .
Sonos sells refurbished audio products on its site , each of which comes with a one-year warranty from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , Sonos says each product has received internal and external cleaning and inspection and comes in a brand-new box with all original accessories and cables .
Nintendo usually sells refurbished Nintendo Switch consoles through a page that ’ s somewhat hidden .
When this was written , it was sold out due to the demand spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic .
In normal situations , you ’ d be able to save some money on a refurbished unit .
Here ’ s what Nintendo says of its process for refurbishment : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store dedicated to products that it refurbished .
There , you ’ ll find the likes of the latest Surface Pro and Surface Go tablets , along with other Surface products , like its laptops , all-in-one desktops , and more .
Microsoft says that people who buy refurbished products get the same kind of tech support as those who purchase new products .
Importantly , all of its refurbished products include a one-year warranty with the option to extend it at a cost .
BackMarket is one of many online storefronts that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Each product page clearly lists what condition the device is in , what kind of warranty it comes with , and exactly which refurbishment company helped to restore it .
It ’ s one of the more transparent resellers , and it offers one-year warranties on all of its products with a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases if you aren ’ t happy .
Not sure if your favorite brand sells refurbished ?
Just search !
The chances are in your favor that your favorite brand sells refurbished tech .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card upgrade recently , and I found that both EVGA and Zotac had a steady flow of refurbished ( sometimes referred to as B-stock ) graphics cards .
The odds were also in my favor when I was looking for refurbished lenses for my Olympus camera .
Nikon offers its own refurbished products , too .
Just search !
It ’ s possible that some brands don ’ t offer their own dedicated shop for refurbished goods .
In that case , sites like Decluttr , Daily Steals , and others offer refurbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you ’ re just looking for secondhand products that , in most cases , haven ’ t been restored , check out Swappa .
Update October 23rd , 4:05PM ET : This article was originally part of an article entitled “ How to buy refurbished products , ” published on May 15th , 2020 .
Several of the entries have been updated .

Buying a refurbished device rather than one that’s brand-new can save you a ton of money. However, these products don’t usually receive any spotlight from retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, or B&H Photo. You also won’t find them sitting on the homepage of Apple, Google, Nintendo, Sonos, or Microsoft, to name a few. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find refurbs on these sites.
First, a quick description of what “refurbished” means. If it has been refurbished, that likely means the product was either broken or roughed up enough to warrant a repair. It could also mean that whoever bought it simply decided they didn’t want it and returned it to the store. The definition of what makes for a refurbished product varies depending on the seller, though something that may ease some worry is that there are US laws that prevent once-used tech from being sold as new.
For more information on what defines a refurbished product and what the best strategy is when shopping for refurbished devices and other items, check out our detailed guide on how to purchase refurbished electronics. If you’ve already decided you’d like to go the refurb route, however, here are some places to try.
Best Buy’s Outlet, as it’s called, is the retailer’s dedicated site for refurbished tech. Here’s Best Buy’s claim for its refurbs:
Refurbished products have been repaired and restored to like-new condition. All parts and accessories that would have been included with the original product are present, and our thorough inspection process ensures that the product is clean and in working condition.
Products purchased through the Outlet are subject to Best Buy’s standard return policy. In terms of warranty coverage, it says that refurbished products sold through its Outlet “often include a limited warranty through Best Buy.” Given that it doesn’t broadly give all refurbished products a warranty, it’s worth investigating a product before you buy it.
You can also browse for the product you’re actually looking for on Best Buy’s website, then scroll down the page until you see the “Buying Options” tab. Click it to see some other, more affordable options for buying similar devices. Sometimes, what you’ll see are refurbs, but most of the time, they are simply open-box returns.
You might find refurbished or used options at Best Buy by clicking the “Buying Options” button.
Amazon Warehouse is the section of the retailer’s site dedicated to used, refurbished products — or “renewed,” as Amazon calls it. If you shop regularly for tech on Amazon, you stand to save some money here. Here is the fine print from Amazon on its renewed devices:
[Amazon Renewed products] have been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new by Amazon-qualified and performance-managed suppliers. The inspection and testing process typically includes a full diagnostic test, replacement of any defective parts, and a thorough cleaning process carried out by the supplier, or by Amazon. The products have no visible cosmetic imperfections when held 12 inches away. The products may be packaged in a generic box and come with the accessories expected for a new product, with exceptions, if any, mentioned on the product detail page.
You can discover renewed products for lots of tech products here. You can also find Warehouse deals by looking into the “New & Used” options on the product page of the device you’re interested in. If Amazon offers a refurbished or used option, it will be listed right at the top. In the “condition” section listed next to the price, it will include any disclaimers you should be aware of in relation to the product’s condition.
Amazon Warehouse’s refurbished or used options are usually located at the top of the “New & Used” offers.
Amazon also owns a company called Woot that often hosts appealing deals on refurbished tech. That site is usually upfront about warranty information for each device, as well as the condition that it’s in. Woot applies a 90-day limited warranty to most of its products, though you can purchase a SquareTrade protection plan at checkout.
Additionally, eBay has a certified refurbished program, which provides a one- or two-year warranty from Allstate for each product listed. The online seller promises hassle-free returns if you’re unhappy with the purchase or a money-back guarantee if your item arrives in a condition that doesn’t match the listing description. Typically, you can find items from Bose, Acer, iRobot, Lenovo, Razer, and a range of other products on its refurbished page, and eBay guarantees that you’ll get new accessories, new manuals, and manufacturer-sealed packaging with each purchase.
Apple has one of the best refurbishment programs around. All of the products sold as refurbished will arrive in “like new” condition with at least 15 percent in savings compared to the cost of a brand-new device. Products will ship in a box with all of the original accessories. In addition to coming with a one-year warranty, you can purchase AppleCare for your refurbished purchase. Just to give you an idea of the level of care Apple puts into its refurbs: it replaces the battery and the outer shell of all iOS devices, and all devices receive new cables.
Several Sonos products are cheaper when you buy them refurbished through the company. Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sonos sells refurbished audio products on its site, each of which comes with a one-year warranty from the company and a 100-day return policy. Additionally, Sonos says each product has received internal and external cleaning and inspection and comes in a brand-new box with all the original accessories and cables.
Nintendo’s Switch rarely sees a discount, though you can often save money by purchasing a refurbished model through its site. Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
Nintendo sells refurbished Switch consoles, and they’re listed at the bottom of this page. When this was originally written, it was sold out due to the demand spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that supply and demand have mostly stabilized, you can save some money on a refurbished unit. Here’s what Nintendo says of its process for refurbishment:
The Nintendo Switch is now available as an Authentic Nintendo Refurbished set only from Nintendo, and it comes with our standard one year warranty. Although it may have minor cosmetic blemishes, it is guaranteed to be fully functional. We think you will find the standards for Authentic Nintendo Refurbished Products are VERY high.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Microsoft has a part of its store specifically dedicated to products that it has refurbished. There, you’ll find the likes of the latest Surface Pro and Go tablets, along with other Surface products, like its laptops, all-in-one desktops, and more. Microsoft says that people who buy refurbished products get the same kind of tech support as those who purchase new products. Importantly, all of its refurbished products include a one-year warranty with the option to extend it at a cost.
BackMarket is one of many online storefronts that sells refurbished tech at steeply discounted prices. Each product page clearly lists what condition the device is in, what kind of warranty it comes with, and exactly which refurbishment company helped to restore it. It’s one of the more transparent resellers, and it offers one-year warranties on all of its products with a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases if you aren’t happy.
Not sure if your favorite brand sells refurbished? Just search!
The chances are in your favor that your favorite brand sells refurbished tech. I was in the market for a desktop graphics card upgrade recently, and I found that Zotac had a steady flow of refurbished (sometimes referred to as B-stock) graphics cards. The odds were also in my favor when I was looking for refurbished lenses for my Olympus camera. Nikon offers its own refurbished products, too. Just search! If you want to search more broadly for camera tech, check out Adorama or B&H Photo.
It’s possible that some brands don’t offer their own dedicated shop for refurbished goods. In that case, sites like Decluttr and others offer refurbs — and usually with a good warranty. If you’re just looking for secondhand products that, in most cases, haven’t been restored and are being sold as-is, check out Swappa.


theverge--2020-10-23--How to buy refurbished gadgets

How to buy refurbished gadgets

Buying a refurbished tech product will save you money compared to buying it new .
It also gives a device a second life instead of sending it off to be recycled .
And especially during these times when demand is high for all kinds of tech , buying refurbished is sometimes the only way to get your hands on a product when retail channels are strained or just completely out of new merchandise .
Those are all good things — yet “ refurbished ” is still a loaded word for a lot of people .
New means new , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the other hand , buying something refurbished can be a gamble , despite the fact that the product is probably more affordable .
If you ’ re buying a refurbished product , it helps to have criteria If it has been refurbished , that likely means the product was either broken or roughed up enough to warrant a repair .
It could also mean that whoever bought it simply decided they didn ’ t want it and returned it to the store .
The definition of what makes for a refurbished product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that may ease some worry is that there are US laws that prevent once-used tech from being sold as new .
We ’ ve seen it in action , too .
In 2019 , New York City filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile alleging that it had deceived buyers by selling used phones to customers who had paid for new ones .
Still , buying refurbished brings up a lot of questions .
Did the original manufacturer refurbish the product , or was it done by a third-party company ?
Was the product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will it look visibly used when you receive it ?
Was it professionally cleaned and sanitized , and does it come with new accessories ?
Does it have a warranty , and who will be accountable if it breaks ?
It ’ s easy to see why a lot of people might prefer to just pay more for something new .
However , it ’ s possible to both save money and not get swindled when buying refurbished products .
Below , we ’ ve laid out some tips that you can follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links to trustworthy retailers .
None of this is fail-proof , but it will make the process a lot safer — and you can end up with some great devices at lower prices .
What to look for when you want to buy refurbished In general , if you purchase a refurbished product from its original manufacturer , it ’ s far less of a gamble than buying from a third-party retailer .
The manufacturer is likely to have higher standards for refreshing and repackaging the product , and — crucially — should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there are also many companies that exist solely to refurbish products , and they can do a good job , too .
You ’ ll just need to be extra vigilant , ask the right questions , and make sure all of your questions get answered .
In other words , if you ’ re buying a refurbished product , it helps to have criteria .
This will quickly become second nature once you start making a habit of looking at refurbished tech .
Here are some questions to start with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Is it in like-new condition or somewhat used ?
• Does it come with all original accessories and documentation ?
• What kind of warranty does it have , and who is providing it ?
The answers to those questions aren ’ t necessarily obvious .
Sometimes , the product might be visibly damaged , come in a different box , or only have a six-month warranty .
That ’ s alright , so long as you know in advance of buying it .
In fact , you can often use this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money , as resellers may sometimes lower the cost if the product isn ’ t in perfect condition .
You ’ ll just have to decide what you ’ re willing to settle for .
What is an open-box product ?
Sometimes products will be listed as “ open-box.
” This term can mean something different depending on the retailer , but most use it to mean that the product was opened by a customer who bought it , then it was returned to the store in its original box with all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it didn ’ t need to be refurbished because the assumption is that it either wasn ’ t used at all or was only used once and then repackaged .
Generally , it ’ s safe to assume that an open-box product will in good condition , though it never hurts to ask for clarification or seek the info somewhere on the webpage .
Is there anything that I shouldn ’ t buy refurbished ?
Ultimately , that ’ s your call to make .
Some staffers at The Verge make a sour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headphones , especially in-ear headphones .
I think it ’ s natural to have that reaction , considering how intimately you would use a product like that .
Many , but not all , companies thoroughly clean refurbished products before reselling them .
Though , for some people , something that has been used that way is forever unclean .
In my opinion , the most important thing to make sure of when buying a refurbished product is that the warranty is good enough to support you if the device fails .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will arrive in a clean , well-packaged state , make sure that what you receive is representative of their claims .
Update October 23rd , 4:05PM ET : This article was originally published on May 15th , 2020 .
Several of the entries have been updated , and the second half has been removed to create a new article .

Most people know that buying a refurbished tech product will save you money compared to buying it new. It also gives a device a second life instead of sending it off to be recycled. Even though demand isn’t as high for gadgets as it was during the height of the pandemic, buying refurbished is sometimes a clever workaround for finding new or tough-to-find products at a lower price. If you’re gifting tech for the holidays (and perhaps you want to avoid the Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush), it’s not a bad idea to see what kinds of stuff you can find refurbished across the web.
Those are all good things — yet “refurbished” is still a loaded word for a lot of people. New means new, a product that nobody else has used. On the other hand, buying something refurbished can be a gamble, despite the fact that the product is probably significantly more affordable.
If it has been refurbished, that likely means the product was either broken or roughed up enough to warrant a repair. It could also mean that whoever bought it simply decided they didn’t want it and returned it to the store. The definition of what makes for a refurbished product varies depending on the seller, though something that may ease some worry is that there are US laws that prevent once-used tech from being sold as new. We’ve seen it in action, too. In 2019, New York City filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile alleging that it had deceived buyers by selling used phones to customers who had paid for new ones.
Still, buying refurbished brings up a lot of questions. Did the original manufacturer refurbish the product, or was it done by a third-party company? Was the product restored to a like-new state, or will it look visibly used when you receive it? Was it professionally cleaned and sanitized, and does it come with new accessories? Does it have a warranty, and who will be accountable if it breaks?
It’s easy to see why a lot of people might prefer to just pay more for something new. However, it’s possible to both save money and not get swindled when buying refurbished products. Below, we’ve laid out some tips that you can follow when buying refurbished tech. None of this is fail-proof, but it will make the process a lot safer — and you can end up with some great devices at lower prices.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
What to look for when you want to buy refurbished
In general, if you purchase a refurbished product from its original manufacturer, it’s far less of a gamble than buying from a third-party retailer. The manufacturer is likely to have higher standards for refreshing and repackaging the product, and — crucially — should have access to authentic materials and components. In our experience, these first-party refurbished sales are rare to find, and they usually sell out of stock quickly.
But there are also many companies that exist solely to refurbish products, and they can do a good job, too. You’ll just need to be extra vigilant, ask the right questions, and make sure all of your questions get answered. In other words, if you’re buying a refurbished product, it helps to have criteria. This will quickly become second nature once you start making a habit of looking at refurbished tech. Here are some questions to start with:
What condition is it in? Is it in like-new condition or somewhat used?
Does it come with all original accessories and documentation?
What kind of warranty does it have, and who is providing it?
The answers to those questions aren’t necessarily obvious. Sometimes, the product might be visibly damaged, come in a different box, or only have a six-month warranty. That’s alright, so long as you know in advance of buying it. In fact, you can often use this info to your advantage to save some money, as resellers may sometimes lower the cost if the product isn’t in perfect condition. You’ll just have to decide what you’re willing to settle for.
What is an open-box product?
Sometimes products will be listed as “open-box.” This term can mean something different depending on the retailer, but most use it to mean that the product was opened by a customer who bought it, then it was returned to the store in its original box with all of its accessories. In other words, it didn’t need to be refurbished because the assumption is that it either wasn’t used at all or was only used once and then repackaged. Generally, it’s safe to assume that an open-box product will be in good condition, though it never hurts to ask for clarification or seek the info somewhere on the webpage.
Some people might feel iffy about buying refurbished earphones or other tech products you use in or on your ears. Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Is there anything that I shouldn’t buy refurbished?
Ultimately, that’s your call to make. Some staffers at The Verge make a sour face at the idea of using refurbished headphones, especially earbuds. I think it’s natural to have that reaction, considering how intimately you might use a product like that. Many, but not all, companies claim to thoroughly clean refurbished products before reselling them; however, for some people, something that has been used that way is forever unclean.
In my opinion, the most important thing to make sure of when buying a refurbished product is that the warranty is good enough to support you if the device fails. And if the retailer says that your product will arrive in a clean, well-packaged state, make sure that what you receive is representative of their claims.


theverge--2020-10-23--Fortnite’s latest Halloween mode turns you into a killer ghost

Fortnite kicked off its annual “ Fortnitemares ” Halloween event this week , and this year , you get to play as a killer ghost .
In this year ’ s Fortnitemares mode , the Fortnite island is packed with spooky touches — a foreboding fog can hang over the island , houses have Halloween decorations , and I ’ ve even found a witch ’ s hut surrounded by rideable brooms .
But the real twist in Fortnitemares happens when you die : after your untimely demise , you ’ re returned to the island as a ghost so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surviving humans .
As a ghost , you can consume materials , health items , guns , and even the Marvel-themed superpowers littered around the map so that the humans can ’ t use them against you .
If you stand still , your purple body disappears so you can hide in plain sight ( though you can be spotted thanks to your still-visible glowing eyes ) .
Instead of guns , you rely on a set of sharp claws to fight opponents at close range .
But perhaps most importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you scan for nearby human players .
If the scan finds somebody , you ’ ll see a little red indicator of where they are on your screen and on your map .
And crucially , that scan alerts ghosts in your vicinity to the presence of surviving humans , meaning they can join your hunt for the leftover players .
The introduction of the ghosts completely changes the dynamics of a usual Fortnite match .
I ’ m not quite as eager to jump into big firefights as usual , as any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ghost to get their revenge .
And if I ’ m one of the last surviving humans , I have to constantly be on alert for dangerous ghost hordes .
I don ’ t know if I ’ ll ever be able to survive against all of the ghosts , but I ’ m having a lot of fun trying .
Though when I inevitably die , I love channeling my spookiest ghost self into terrorizing the humans .
The previous Fortnitemares events added zombies and the chance to take down a giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come back from the dead is yet another example of how Epic works to keep Fortnite fresh , even with its annual holiday events .
This year ’ s Fortnitemares event takes place until November 3rd , so you still have some time left to get your ghost on .
The game is also celebrating Halloween night by featuring an in-game virtual concert from reggaeton star J Balvin .

Fortnite kicked off its annual “Fortnitemares” Halloween event this week, and this year, you get to play as a killer ghost.
In this year’s Fortnitemares mode, the Fortnite island is packed with spooky touches — a foreboding fog can hang over the island, houses have Halloween decorations, and I’ve even found a witch’s hut surrounded by rideable brooms. But the real twist in Fortnitemares happens when you die: after your untimely demise, you’re returned to the island as a ghost so you can hunt — and troll — the surviving humans.
As a ghost, you can consume materials, health items, guns, and even the Marvel-themed superpowers littered around the map so that the humans can’t use them against you. If you stand still, your purple body disappears so you can hide in plain sight (though you can be spotted thanks to your still-visible glowing eyes). Instead of guns, you rely on a set of sharp claws to fight opponents at close range.
But perhaps most importantly, you also have a power that lets you scan for nearby human players. If the scan finds somebody, you’ll see a little red indicator of where they are on your screen and on your map. And crucially, that scan alerts ghosts in your vicinity to the presence of surviving humans, meaning they can join your hunt for the leftover players.
The introduction of the ghosts completely changes the dynamics of a usual Fortnite match. I’m not quite as eager to jump into big firefights as usual, as any player I defeat could return as a ghost to get their revenge. And if I’m one of the last surviving humans, I have to constantly be on alert for dangerous ghost hordes.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to survive against all of the ghosts, but I’m having a lot of fun trying. Though when I inevitably die, I love channeling my spookiest ghost self into terrorizing the humans.


theverge--2020-10-23--Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ beta test has caught the attention of federal safety regulators

Federal regulators are keeping their eye on the rollout of Tesla ’ s “ Full Self-Driving ” experiment .
This week , the automaker began beta testing its latest advanced driver assist software with a select group of customers , and so far , the government is taking a wait-and-see approach .
In a statement , a spokesperson for the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would “ monitor the new technology closely and will not hesitate to take action to protect the public against unreasonable risks to safety.
” The statement also included some footnoting of Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist feature as “ self-driving ” ( emphasis ours ) : “ As we have stated consistently , no vehicle available for purchase today is capable of driving itself .
The most advanced vehicle technologies available for purchase today provide driver assistance and require a fully attentive human driver at all times performing the driving task and monitoring the surrounding environment .
Abusing these technologies is , at a minimum , distracted driving .
Every State in the Nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle.
” Tesla has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal agency that can issue recalls and investigate automobile crashes .
In 2019 , NHTSA opened an investigation into complaints about vehicle fires connected to the battery management systems in some Model S and X vehicles .
The agency has also investigated multiple fatal crashes involving Autopilot .
Earlier this year , the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the advanced driver assistance system was one of the probable causes of a fatal 2018 crash , in which a California man was killed after his Model X smashed into a concrete barrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 8,000 ( and soon to be $ 10,000 , according to Elon Musk ) option that allows Tesla owners to use the vehicle ’ s previously highway-only “ Navigate on Autopilot ” function on city and residential streets .
The car will stop at intersections , perform left- and right-hand turns , and lane change automatically , as long as the driver has selected a destination in the navigation .
Tesla warns that drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times — though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust driver-monitoring system ( like infrared eye tracking ) to ensure its customers are following safety protocols .
As such , Full Self-Driving is only considered a Level 2 “ partially automated ” system by the Society of Automotive Engineers ’ standards .
NHTSA characterizes it as “ Autosteer on city streets , ” using the branding for Tesla ’ s lane-keep assistance feature .
Musk has mischaracterized it as “ Level 5 ” despite no Level 5 system existing anywhere in the world right now .

Federal regulators are keeping their eye on the rollout of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” experiment. This week, the automaker began beta testing its latest advanced driver assist software with a select group of customers, and so far, the government is taking a wait-and-see approach.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would “monitor the new technology closely and will not hesitate to take action to protect the public against unreasonable risks to safety.” The statement also included some footnoting of Tesla’s decision to describe its driver assist feature as “self-driving” (emphasis ours):
“As we have stated consistently, no vehicle available for purchase today is capable of driving itself. The most advanced vehicle technologies available for purchase today provide driver assistance and require a fully attentive human driver at all times performing the driving task and monitoring the surrounding environment. Abusing these technologies is, at a minimum, distracted driving. Every State in the Nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle.”
Tesla has a checkered history with the NHTSA, the federal agency that can issue recalls and investigate automobile crashes. In 2019, NHTSA opened an investigation into complaints about vehicle fires connected to the battery management systems in some Model S and X vehicles. The agency has also investigated multiple fatal crashes involving Autopilot. Earlier this year, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the advanced driver assistance system was one of the probable causes of a fatal 2018 crash, in which a California man was killed after his Model X smashed into a concrete barrier.
“Full Self-Driving” is an $8,000 (and soon to be $10,000, according to Elon Musk) option that allows Tesla owners to use the vehicle’s previously highway-only “Navigate on Autopilot” function on city and residential streets. The car will stop at intersections, perform left- and right-hand turns, and lane change automatically, as long as the driver has selected a destination in the navigation.
Tesla warns that drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times — though the automaker famously refuses to include a robust driver-monitoring system (like infrared eye tracking) to ensure its customers are following safety protocols. As such, Full Self-Driving is only considered a Level 2 “partially automated” system by the Society of Automotive Engineers’ standards. NHTSA characterizes it as “Autosteer on city streets,” using the branding for Tesla’s lane-keep assistance feature.


theverge--2020-10-24--Save on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S6, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and more this weekend

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking @ @ @ @ @ next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , @ @ @ @ @ this is the place to be .
This story is part of a group of @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
In tech deals world , this week consisted mostly of a few notable @ @ @ @ @ hung around after Amazon ’ s big shopping event .
Even those are mostly done @ @ @ @ @ place are some fresh , new deals you might not have seen before — that @ @ @ @ @ ve been deal-hunting on The Verge earlier this week .
With every week that goes @ @ @ @ @ getting closer to Black Friday , so expect the deals to start ramping up .

Welcome to the weekend. In tech deals world, this week consisted mostly of a few notable Prime Day 2020 leftovers that hung around after Amazon’s big shopping event. Even those are mostly done now, but in their place are some fresh, new deals you might not have seen before — that is, unless you’ve been deal-hunting on The Verge earlier this week. With every week that goes by, we’re getting closer to Black Friday, so expect the deals to start ramping up.


theverge--2020-10-24--How Riot used tech from The Mandalorian to build Worlds’ astonishing mixed reality stage

After a hard-fought win over Korean team Gen.G , all five members of Europe ’ s G2 Esports stood at the edge of a pool of clear , glistening water to take a bow and celebrate their victory .
Two members then picked up their star teammate , Rasmus “ Caps ” Borregaard Winther , and held him over the water , as if to throw him overboard .
It ’ s a good thing they didn ’ t — despite how real the water may have looked to viewers , it was nothing but pixels .
The annual League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Shanghai , and like most major events , it has had to be re-envisioned in order to be possible in our new pandemic-dominated reality .
Typically , the early stages of the tournament are something of a traveling road show , with different rounds taking place in different cities .
In 2020 , things had to change .
With travel restrictions in place , and fans no longer able to attend matches , the team at League developer Riot tried something different .
They built out a set made up of massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what Disney used to create The Mandalorian ’ s sci-fi landscapes .
It has been used to startling effect .
Matches have looked like they ’ ve taken place in a cloudy , cyberpunk Shanghai skyline or amid a flooded landscape .
What could have been a drab competition in the absence of fans has turned into perhaps the most impressive Worlds in recent memory .
“ There are any number of days where we come to the set and say ‘ Wait , I don ’ t think this has ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of get used to it after a while , ” says Michael Figge , creative director at Possible Productions , which partnered with Riot on the event .
The feat is all the more impressive when you consider the compressed schedule .
Typically , producers from Riot and Possible spend well over a year planning for Worlds , but that simply wasn ’ t possible this year .
It wasn ’ t until May that the decision was made to utilize this tech in a studio without fans .
“ You just kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while.
” The setup is a powerhouse , and Riot says that the LED screens — there are more than 900 LED tiles in total — display visuals at 32K resolution and at 60 frames per second .
Those visuals were made using a modified version of the Unreal Engine , and in total , the team is made up of 40 artists and technicians .
Nick Troop , executive producer for Worlds 2020 at Riot , describes it as “ a creative tool that gives us effectively infinite power to manifest whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And he says one of the most important elements of the whole setup is the way things are shot , powered by four specialized cross-reality cameras .
“ Rather than having a single projected camera perspective , we actually have two running simultaneously , effectively all of the time , ” he explains .
This allows the broadcast team to work in a more traditional way ; they can swap between the two simulated perspectives at will , using four cameras to shoot the action on set .
“ It means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them what feels like a ‘ normal television show , ’ but in this curated , and beautiful series of environments , ” says Troop .
For viewers watching on Twitch or YouTube , the LED soundstage is transformed into a sprawling fantasy world , with AR technology used to make the images expand beyond just the screens .
You still see players sitting at desks and playing , but their surroundings are quite elaborate .
In a nod to the current state of League of Legends , where four elemental dragons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each of the four preliminary rounds of Worlds was styled with a different element .
Initially , there were lots of crumbling rocks and mountains to represent the earth dragon ; this was followed by the cloudy Shanghai skyline for the air dragons ; later , the set appeared to be flooded with water that stretched on forever .
This weekend , during the two semi-finals games , things will shift to fire .
While this technology has been used before , most notably on The Mandalorian , this is the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Pretty much every [ cross-reality ] expression that has been broadcast to this point has not been live , ” explains Possible ’ s Figge , whose company has worked on everything from Super Bowl halftime shows to Justin Bieber concerts .
“ It ’ s been pre-shot , similar to a lot of AR stuff for awards shows in North America .
It ’ s risky to do live .
We ’ re doing up to 10 hours a day of live television on this stage .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the challenges was balancing the desire to make things look cool without interfering with the players .
Everyone onstage — teams , coaches , and support staff — has a somewhat different visual experience than viewers at home , since the AR elements only appear for viewers at home .
This turned into something of an advantage for the broadcast team .
“ There ’ s no second chance at it.
” “ When we do these games , it ’ s really important for the competitive integrity of the sport for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the game on the Jumbotron or anything like that .
It ’ s a really difficult design problem , ” says Figge .
“ With this stage , everything that ’ s above a certain level of height on the stage is completely virtual .
It ’ s augmented reality .
So we have the game playing in the background and the players can ’ t see it.
” That said , while players don ’ t get the full experience viewers do , it was still important that being onstage felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after all , something teams from across the globe have been striving for all year long .
Without the roar of a crowd to hype up players , the spectacle of a vibrant fantasy backdrop is a solid second option .
Those onstage can ’ t see the AR elements , but they can see the graphics on the screens around them .
“ It helps ground the player , ” says Troop .
“ They can still have a sense of the [ game ] world reacting , in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience .
There is a certain mindset that comes from being on stage , and we wanted to preserve that.
” In most years , the technical showcase of Worlds is reserved for the opening ceremonies at the finals .
In the past , that ’ s included an AR K-pop concert and a holographic hip-hop performance .
It ’ s still not clear what this year ’ s big show will look like ( though it will likely involve K-pop again ) , but you could argue that the early rounds have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new technology .
Each round even opened with its own mini ceremony , featuring choreographed dances set in the fantasy realm ; performers jumped across crumbling stone bridges and twirled around with magical spells .
Despite the circumstances , Riot turned what could have been a low-key edition of Worlds into a surprisingly memorable one .
“ It ’ s been more educational than frustrating , ” says Troop of the experience so far .

After a hard-fought win over Korean team Gen.G, all five members of Europe’s G2 Esports stood at the edge of a pool of clear, glistening water to take a bow and celebrate their victory. Two members then picked up their star teammate, Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther, and held him over the water, as if to throw him overboard. It’s a good thing they didn’t — despite how real the water may have looked to viewers, it was nothing but pixels.
The annual League of Legends World Championship is currently underway in Shanghai, and like most major events, it has had to be re-envisioned in order to be possible in our new pandemic-dominated reality. Typically, the early stages of the tournament are something of a traveling road show, with different rounds taking place in different cities. In 2020, things had to change.
With travel restrictions in place, and fans no longer able to attend matches, the team at League developer Riot tried something different. They built out a set made up of massive LED screens in a technology setup similar to what Disney used to create The Mandalorian’s sci-fi landscapes. It has been used to startling effect. Matches have looked like they’ve taken place in a cloudy, cyberpunk Shanghai skyline or amid a flooded landscape. What could have been a drab competition in the absence of fans has turned into perhaps the most impressive Worlds in recent memory.
“There are any number of days where we come to the set and say ‘Wait, I don’t think this has ever been done before.’ You just kind of get used to it after a while,” says Michael Figge, creative director at Possible Productions, which partnered with Riot on the event.
The feat is all the more impressive when you consider the compressed schedule. Typically, producers from Riot and Possible spend well over a year planning for Worlds, but that simply wasn’t possible this year. It wasn’t until May that the decision was made to utilize this tech in a studio without fans.
“You just kind of get used to it after a while.”
The setup is a powerhouse, and Riot says that the LED screens — there are more than 900 LED tiles in total — display visuals at 32K resolution and at 60 frames per second. Those visuals were made using a modified version of the Unreal Engine, and in total, the team is made up of 40 artists and technicians. Nick Troop, executive producer for Worlds 2020 at Riot, describes it as “a creative tool that gives us effectively infinite power to manifest whatever our collective imaginations bring to the fore.” And he says one of the most important elements of the whole setup is the way things are shot, powered by four specialized cross-reality cameras.
“Rather than having a single projected camera perspective, we actually have two running simultaneously, effectively all of the time,” he explains. This allows the broadcast team to work in a more traditional way; they can swap between the two simulated perspectives at will, using four cameras to shoot the action on set. “It means that the broadcast team can do what feels to them what feels like a ‘normal television show,’ but in this curated, and beautiful series of environments,” says Troop.
For viewers watching on Twitch or YouTube, the LED soundstage is transformed into a sprawling fantasy world, with AR technology used to make the images expand beyond just the screens. You still see players sitting at desks and playing, but their surroundings are quite elaborate. In a nod to the current state of League of Legends, where four elemental dragons are of pivotal importance in a game, each of the four preliminary rounds of Worlds was styled with a different element.
Initially, there were lots of crumbling rocks and mountains to represent the earth dragon; this was followed by the cloudy Shanghai skyline for the air dragons; later, the set appeared to be flooded with water that stretched on forever. This weekend, during the two semi-finals games, things will shift to fire.
While this technology has been used before, most notably on The Mandalorian, this is the first time it’s been done live. “Pretty much every [cross-reality] expression that has been broadcast to this point has not been live,” explains Possible’s Figge, whose company has worked on everything from Super Bowl halftime shows to Justin Bieber concerts. “It’s been pre-shot, similar to a lot of AR stuff for awards shows in North America. It’s risky to do live. We’re doing up to 10 hours a day of live television on this stage. There’s no second chance at it.”
One of the challenges was balancing the desire to make things look cool without interfering with the players. Everyone onstage — teams, coaches, and support staff — has a somewhat different visual experience than viewers at home, since the AR elements only appear for viewers at home. This turned into something of an advantage for the broadcast team.
“There’s no second chance at it.”
“When we do these games, it’s really important for the competitive integrity of the sport for the players not to be able to see the game on the Jumbotron or anything like that. It’s a really difficult design problem,” says Figge. “With this stage, everything that’s above a certain level of height on the stage is completely virtual. It’s augmented reality. So we have the game playing in the background and the players can’t see it.”
A comparison showing how the stage looks to players (left) and viewers (right). Photo: Riot Games
That said, while players don’t get the full experience viewers do, it was still important that being onstage felt special. This is the World Championship, after all, something teams from across the globe have been striving for all year long. Without the roar of a crowd to hype up players, the spectacle of a vibrant fantasy backdrop is a solid second option. Those onstage can’t see the AR elements, but they can see the graphics on the screens around them. “It helps ground the player,” says Troop. “They can still have a sense of the [game] world reacting, in a way that I think helps with their Worlds experience. There is a certain mindset that comes from being on stage, and we wanted to preserve that.”
In most years, the technical showcase of Worlds is reserved for the opening ceremonies at the finals. In the past, that’s included an AR K-pop concert and a holographic hip-hop performance. It’s still not clear what this year’s big show will look like (though it will likely involve K-pop again), but you could argue that the early rounds have already stolen the show thanks to this new technology. Each round even opened with its own mini ceremony, featuring choreographed dances set in the fantasy realm; performers jumped across crumbling stone bridges and twirled around with magical spells. Despite the circumstances, Riot turned what could have been a low-key edition of Worlds into a surprisingly memorable one.


theverge--2020-10-23--Facebook wants the NYU Ad Observer to quit collecting data about its ad targeting

Facebook wants a New York University research project to stop collecting data about the social platform ’ s political ad-targeting , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The Ad Observatory , a project of NYU ’ s engineering school with more than 6,000 volunteers , uses its AdObserver browser extension to scrape data from political ads shown on Facebook .
But Facebook says the program is violates its terms of service , which bar scraping .
A Facebook official sent a letter to the Ad Observatory researchers October 16th , saying that “ scraping tools , no matter how well-intentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collecting information from us.
” The letter also threatened further enforcement action if the project did not shut down and delete the data it has collected , according to the WSJ .
The company could change its own code to block the NYU team from collecting further data , a Facebook spokesperson told the WSJ .
The NYU group discovered this week that Facebook was not labeling all political ads to show who had paid for them as its own disclosure rules require , BuzzFeed News reported .
Last month , Facebook unveiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting into place to try to stave off election interference in the November 3rd US presidential election .
It said it would stop taking political ads for a week before the election , would put a voter information center at the top of users ’ Instagram and Facebook feeds , and would labels to misleading posts about election results .
Facebook did not immediately reply to an email from The Verge seeking comment .

Facebook wants a New York University research project to stop collecting data about the social platform’s political ad-targeting, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The Ad Observatory, a project of NYU’s engineering school with more than 6,000 volunteers, uses its AdObserver browser extension to scrape data from political ads shown on Facebook. But Facebook says the program is violates its terms of service, which bar scraping.
A Facebook official sent a letter to the Ad Observatory researchers October 16th, saying that “scraping tools, no matter how well-intentioned, are not a permissible means of collecting information from us.” The letter also threatened further enforcement action if the project did not shut down and delete the data it has collected, according to the WSJ. The company could change its own code to block the NYU team from collecting further data, a Facebook spokesperson told the WSJ.
The NYU group discovered this week that Facebook was not labeling all political ads to show who had paid for them as its own disclosure rules require, BuzzFeed News reported.
Last month, Facebook unveiled a list of new provisions it was putting into place to try to stave off election interference in the November 3rd US presidential election. It said it would stop taking political ads for a week before the election, would put a voter information center at the top of users’ Instagram and Facebook feeds, and would labels to misleading posts about election results.


theverge--2020-10-24--See inside the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro in iFixit’s latest teardown video

In its latest teardown video , iFixit took apart an iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro , and found that the devices look pretty similar to each other on the inside .
The displays are interchangeable , iFixit found , and so are the 10.78 Wh batteries .
When they removed the camera shield on the iPhone 12 , iFixit found a plastic spacer where the iPhone 12 Pro has its telephoto lens and LiDAR sensor .
Both devices have 12 MP wide and ultra-wide cameras .
iFixit also examined an X-ray ( courtesy of Creative Electron ) of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the MagSafe wireless charging array .
The X-ray of the iPhone 12 Pro appears to have a black border , but it ’ s the stainless steel frame ( the iPhone 12 has an aluminum frame ) .
As for a repairability score , iFixit gave the iPhone 12s a 6 out of 10 ; the devices have a lot of screws to keep track of when you ’ re tinkering ( which iFixit notes is better than glue ) , and the improved waterproofing may make some repairs more difficult , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair water damage .
The biggest downside is the glass on the front and back of both devices , iFixit said , which increases the chances the phones would be damaged if dropped .
Check out iFixit ’ s full iPhone and iPhone 12 teardowns here , and The Verge reviews below .

In its latest teardown video, iFixit took apart an iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, and found that the devices look pretty similar to each other on the inside. The displays are interchangeable, iFixit found, and so are the 10.78 Wh batteries.
The iPhone 12 is on the left, the iPhone 12 Pro is on the right. iFixit
When they removed the camera shield on the iPhone 12, iFixit found a plastic spacer where the iPhone 12 Pro has its telephoto lens and LiDAR sensor. Both devices have 12 MP wide and ultra-wide cameras.
iFixit also examined an X-ray (courtesy of Creative Electron) of the insides of the phones, which show the MagSafe wireless charging array. The X-ray of the iPhone 12 Pro appears to have a black border, but it’s the stainless steel frame (the iPhone 12 has an aluminum frame).
iPhone Pro is on the right Creative Electron
As for a repairability score, iFixit gave the iPhone 12s a 6 out of 10; the devices have a lot of screws to keep track of when you’re tinkering (which iFixit notes is better than glue), and the improved waterproofing may make some repairs more difficult, but will reduce the likelihood of needing to repair water damage. The biggest downside is the glass on the front and back of both devices, iFixit said, which increases the chances the phones would be damaged if dropped.


theverge--2020-10-24--Epic says Apple ‘has no rights to the fruits of Epic’s labor’ in latest filing

Epic Games fired back against Apple yet again in a new court filing , saying the iPhone maker “ has no rights to the fruits of Epic ’ s labor , ” the latest salvo in the ongoing battle between the two companies .
A quick recap : Back in August , Epic introduced a new direct-payment system in its wildly popular Fortnite game to bypass Apple ’ s 30 percent fee .
Apple kicked Fortnite off the App Store for breaking its rules , and Epic responded with a civil lawsuit against Apple , alleging that Apple was violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple threatened to terminate the developer account used to support the company ’ s Unreal Engine platform , which would prevent Epic from developing future games for iOS or Mac .
Earlier this month , US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers granted an injunction that prevents Apple from retaliating against Unreal Engine , but refused to grant an injunction that would have restored Fortnite in Apple ’ s App Store .
Meanwhile , Apple said it would seek damages against Epic for allegedly breaching its contract with the iOS App Store .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tortious interference with Apple ’ s relationship with its customers .
Apple maintains that there were legitimate business reasons for its actions .
“ At all times , [ Apple ’ s ] conduct was reasonable and ... its actions were undertaken in good faith to advance legitimate business interests and had the effect of promoting , encouraging , and increasing competition , ” the complaint read .
“ Epic ’ s flagrant disregard for its contractual commitments and other misconduct has caused significant harm to Apple.
” But in Friday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a far cry from the tortious—even purportedly criminal—conduct that Apple ’ s Opposition depicts .
Simply put , Epic did not “ steal ” anything that belonged to Apple.
” The company couldn ’ t “ steal ” proceeds from the sales of its own creative efforts , and did not “ interfere with any prospective economic advantage Apple sought to gain from Fortnite users separate and apart from their interest in Fortnite , ” the filing states .
“ Apple ’ s repeated assertions of theft boil down to the extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments by players of Epic ’ s game to enjoy the work of Epic ’ s artists , designers , and engineers is the taking of something that belongs to Apple , ” Epic said in its filing .
Rogers said the case should go to a jury to decide and suggesting a trial frame of summer 2021 .
“ It is important enough to understand what real people think , ” she said .
“ Do these security issues concern people or not ?
” Apple did not immediately respond to a @ @ @ @ @

Epic Games fired back against Apple yet again in a new court filing, saying the iPhone maker “has no rights to the fruits of Epic’s labor,” the latest salvo in the ongoing battle between the two companies.
A quick recap: Back in August, Epic introduced a new direct-payment system in its wildly popular Fortnite game to bypass Apple’s 30 percent fee. Apple kicked Fortnite off the App Store for breaking its rules, and Epic responded with a civil lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple was violating antitrust law. Epic also revealed that Apple threatened to terminate the developer account used to support the company’s Unreal Engine platform, which would prevent Epic from developing future games for iOS or Mac.
Earlier this month, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers granted an injunction that prevents Apple from retaliating against Unreal Engine, but refused to grant an injunction that would have restored Fortnite in Apple’s App Store.
Meanwhile, Apple said it would seek damages against Epic for allegedly breaching its contract with the iOS App Store. The filing included counterclaims for unjust enrichment and tortious interference with Apple’s relationship with its customers.
Apple maintains that there were legitimate business reasons for its actions. “At all times, [Apple’s] conduct was reasonable and ... its actions were undertaken in good faith to advance legitimate business interests and had the effect of promoting, encouraging, and increasing competition,” the complaint read. “Epic’s flagrant disregard for its contractual commitments and other misconduct has caused significant harm to Apple.”
But in Friday’s filing, Epic said its actions “are a far cry from the tortious—even purportedly criminal—conduct that Apple’s Opposition depicts. Simply put, Epic did not “steal” anything that belonged to Apple.” The company couldn’t “steal” proceeds from the sales of its own creative efforts, and did not “interfere with any prospective economic advantage Apple sought to gain from Fortnite users separate and apart from their interest in Fortnite,” the filing states.
“Apple’s repeated assertions of theft boil down to the extraordinary assertion that Epic’s collection of payments by players of Epic’s game to enjoy the work of Epic’s artists, designers, and engineers is the taking of something that belongs to Apple,” Epic said in its filing.
Rogers said the case should go to a jury to decide and suggesting a trial frame of summer 2021. “It is important enough to understand what real people think,” she said. “Do these security issues concern people or not?”


theverge--2020-10-24--DoorDash partners with California restaurant to build new brick-and-mortar location

Food delivery platform DoorDash has partnered with a restaurant for the first time to build a new brick-and-mortar store , the San Francisco Chronicle reported .
Burma Bites , a spin off of Oakland , California-based Burma Superstar , was designed for delivery and takeout , and will offer versions of menu items from the parent restaurant as well as new items in environmentally-friendly to-go containers , DoorDash said .
According to the Chronicle , all menu items are priced between $ 12 and $ 19 .
DoorDash did not disclose the amount of its investment in Burma Bites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has been working on the project for about a year .
The restaurant was originally supposed to open in March , but that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic .
Georgie Thomas , head of regional merchant partnerships at DoorDash , said the company ’ s goal is “ empowering restaurants with the tools to connect with more customers and build new revenue streams , ” and is taking its mission further creating the to-go concept from scratch for one specific restaurant .
Like other food delivery platforms , DoorDash has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown , as restaurants closed their in-person dining rooms .
The company actually had filed to go public in February , and is reportedly planning a traditional IPO before the end of the year .
DoorDash said in June it had raised $ 400 million in equity capital , which brought its valuation to nearly $ 16 billion .
DoorDash has had something of a bumpy relationship with restaurants and its delivery drivers during the pandemic .
It started off relatively well , announcing in April it would reduce commission fees that restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia pay by 50 percent for a limited time .
Then in May , a viral story about a pizzeria owner buying his own inventory from DoorDash at a profit raised eyebrows about the way it subsidizes some deliveries .
In June , the San Francisco district attorney sued the company for alleged unfair business practices and worker misclassification .
And last year , the company was called out for pocketing some customer tips to cover base pay for deliveries .
DoorDash later changed the policy to ensure drivers received 100 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open on October 28th down the street from Burma Superstar .

Food delivery platform DoorDash has partnered with a restaurant for the first time to build a new brick-and-mortar store, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Burma Bites, a spin off of Oakland, California-based Burma Superstar, was designed for delivery and takeout, and will offer versions of menu items from the parent restaurant as well as new items in environmentally-friendly to-go containers, DoorDash said. According to the Chronicle, all menu items are priced between $12 and $19.
DoorDash did not disclose the amount of its investment in Burma Bites, but told The Verge in an email it has been working on the project for about a year. The restaurant was originally supposed to open in March, but that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Georgie Thomas, head of regional merchant partnerships at DoorDash, said the company’s goal is “empowering restaurants with the tools to connect with more customers and build new revenue streams,” and is taking its mission further creating the to-go concept from scratch for one specific restaurant.
Like other food delivery platforms, DoorDash has seen sales increase in the US during pandemic lockdown, as restaurants closed their in-person dining rooms. The company actually had filed to go public in February, and is reportedly planning a traditional IPO before the end of the year. DoorDash said in June it had raised $400 million in equity capital, which brought its valuation to nearly $16 billion.
DoorDash has had something of a bumpy relationship with restaurants and its delivery drivers during the pandemic. It started off relatively well, announcing in April it would reduce commission fees that restaurants in the US, Canada, and Australia pay by 50 percent for a limited time. Then in May, a viral story about a pizzeria owner buying his own inventory from DoorDash at a profit raised eyebrows about the way it subsidizes some deliveries.
In June, the San Francisco district attorney sued the company for alleged unfair business practices and worker misclassification. And last year, the company was called out for pocketing some customer tips to cover base pay for deliveries. DoorDash later changed the policy to ensure drivers received 100 percent of their tips.


theverge--2020-10-24--Patreon will remove creator accounts that promote QAnon content

Patreon has updated its policies and will no longer support creator accounts on its platform that “ advance disinformation promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory , ” the company announced in a blog post .
A “ small number of creators ” on Patreon have supported QAnon with their work , the platform says , adding it ’ s taking action because “ a number of other online platforms become overrun with pages and groups actively focused around QAnon disinformation.
” QAnon-dedicated creators identified by Patreon ’ s policy and trust & safety teams will have their accounts removed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ applies only to creators engaged in spreading QAnon-supporting disinformation , ” the company said ; while just “ mentioning , entertaining , reporting on , or debunking QAnon ” will not be considered in violation of its rules .
“ This policy update is exclusively addressing the propagation of disinformation related to QAnon.
” QAnon is a false conspiracy theory that claims President Trump is secretly planning to arrest a ring of high-profile Democratic politicians and celebrities for pedophilia or cannibalism , and that he sends them coded messages .
It began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and several QAnon devotees have been accused of violence .
Other social media platforms have also tried to keep QAnon content from proliferating , with mixed success .
Facebook completely banned QAnon earlier this month , labeling it a “ militarized social movement , ” and Etsy banned all QAnon merchandise , for violating its policies against promoting hate and violence .
Twitter also has banned QAnon-related accounts and has tried to reduce the spread of related content , and even online exercise platform Peloton had to crack down after QAnon-related hashtags started @ @ @ @ @ @

Patreon has updated its policies and will no longer support creator accounts on its platform that “advance disinformation promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory,” the company announced in a blog post.
A “small number of creators” on Patreon have supported QAnon with their work, the platform says, adding it’s taking action because “a number of other online platforms become overrun with pages and groups actively focused around QAnon disinformation.”
QAnon-dedicated creators identified by Patreon’s policy and trust & safety teams will have their accounts removed, the blog post added. The policy update “applies only to creators engaged in spreading QAnon-supporting disinformation,” the company said; while just “mentioning, entertaining, reporting on, or debunking QAnon” will not be considered in violation of its rules. “This policy update is exclusively addressing the propagation of disinformation related to QAnon.”
QAnon is a false conspiracy theory that claims President Trump is secretly planning to arrest a ring of high-profile Democratic politicians and celebrities for pedophilia or cannibalism, and that he sends them coded messages. It began to grow across social media platforms, and several QAnon devotees have been accused of violence.


theverge--2020-10-24--Italian authorities are investigating deepfake bots on Telegram

The Italian Data Protection Authority has started an investigation into the widespread use of bots that generate fake nude images on messaging app Telegram .
The news follows an investigation by security firm Sensity , which found that as of July 2020 more than 100,000 faked images had been generated and shared in public Telegram channels .
The bots can generate fake nudes that have watermarks or that show only partial nudity , and users pay to “ reveal ” the whole image .
Users could submit a photo of a woman to the bot and receive a version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and no indication that the image had been altered .
And according to Sensity , a limited number of the bot-generated images , most of which are pulled from social media accounts and then manipulated , are of victims who “ appeared to be underage.
” Sensity found that the fake nudes were generated by the DeepNude software , which surfaced online last year .
Its creator took down the website saying “ the probability that people will misuse it is too high.
” According to Sensity , however , the software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on open source repositories and torrenting websites .
“ The ease of use of this program makes anyone with a photo on the web potentially victims of deep fakes , ” the Italian agency said in a statement Friday ( in Italian ) announcing its investigation into the matter .
It plans to ask Telegram to provide information to verify whether it ’ s complying with data protection regulations , according to its statement .

The Italian Data Protection Authority has started an investigation into the widespread use of bots that generate fake nude images on messaging app Telegram. The news follows an investigation by security firm Sensity, which found that as of July 2020 more than 100,000 faked images had been generated and shared in public Telegram channels.
The bots can generate fake nudes that have watermarks or that show only partial nudity, and users pay to “reveal” the whole image. Users could submit a photo of a woman to the bot and receive a version of the photo back with clothing “removed” and no indication that the image had been altered. And according to Sensity, a limited number of the bot-generated images, most of which are pulled from social media accounts and then manipulated, are of victims who “appeared to be underage.”
Sensity found that the fake nudes were generated by the DeepNude software, which surfaced online last year. Its creator took down the website saying “the probability that people will misuse it is too high.” According to Sensity, however, the software has been reverse-engineered and is widely available on open source repositories and torrenting websites.


theverge--2020-10-24--Netflix’s Rebecca flattens a classic

Netflix’s Rebecca flattens a classic

In 1939 , Alfred Hitchcock came to Hollywood .
The English master of suspense would ply his trade in sunny California , and Rebecca , his first American film , would win him his first and only Oscar .
Despite the acclaim , Hitchcock hated Rebecca , as it was his first encounter with American censors and their stodgy Production Code , which made it nearly impossible to accurately adapt the Daphne du Maurier book on which it was based .
Still , Hitchcock found a way , and we remember Rebecca now as a classic .
Like other classics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Director Ben Wheatley ’ s 2020 adaptation is the latest , and it ’ s new on Netflix this week .
Being shot in the modern era , Wheatley ’ s film has significantly fewer hurdles to clear , given that we no longer have official arbiters dictating what Hollywood can and can not put in a film .
It ’ s strange , though .
Even with the artistic freedom of the 2020s , the new film still manages to feel like the lesser work , because it ’ s only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story .
The plots of both films are mostly identical ( and faithful to the book ) .
An unnamed young woman ( Lily James ) strikes up a whirlwind romance with the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter ( Armie Hammer ) and is swept away from her mundane life to go live with him in his lavish estate , Manderley , as his new wife .
Upon arriving , the new Madame de Winter finds that she lives in the shadow of the previous Madame de Winter , Rebecca , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her untimely demise .
Rebecca has left Madame de Winter impossibly large shoes to fill .
Complicating matters is the cruelty of Mrs. Danvers ( Kristin Scott Thomas ) , a housekeeper who adored Rebecca and loathes the very notion of a new Madame de Winter replacing her .
Caught between a world she barely understands and a woman she can ’ t live up to , Madame de Winter begins to despair , until she learns a secret that changes her relationship to Maxim , to Manderley , and everyone within it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Wheatley ’ s choices stack up poorly against the older ones and offer shallower interpretations .
There ’ s the casting of Armie Hammer as Maxim de Winter , a man who reads as nearly the same age as the woman who is playing a young ingenue — a choice that recasts the fraught nature of their relationship and his increasingly hostile behavior toward her .
( He ’ s older in the original . )
Similarly , in the new Rebecca , the former Madame de Winter haunts Manderley , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — her monogrammed accoutrements don ’ t appear everywhere .
If Hitchcock ’ s film and the original novel are ghost stories without an actual ghost , then the new Netflix film is something far more plain .
The devil , of course , is always in the details .
Here ’ s one : the climax of Rebecca hinges on a costume ball , where Madame de Winter is cruelly manipulated by Mrs. Danvers into wearing a costume that Rebecca wore shortly before her passing .
In Hitchcock ’ s film , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrance , but she doesn ’ t know how .
She stands atop a staircase , hopeful and eager , but everyone ’ s back is turned toward her .
By the time she reaches her husband , she is timid and furtive , desperate for approval .
Every time I watch her fail , I feel her shame .
Wheatley ’ s version , on the other hand , announces her with a drumroll .
This time , everyone ’ s paying attention — but the moment loses me .
Both versions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — with her in tears and Maxim de Winter furious at her choice of dress — but they ’ re worlds apart .
In the first film , the scene is an expression of class dynamics , the narrative climax of a story about a woman swept into wealth and finding that it wants nothing to do with her ; it means Danvers ’ treatment of the new Madame becomes doubly cruel because it ’ s not just about a dress .
In the new film — which is almost wholly uninterested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a cruel manipulator .
The differences between the two Rebeccas remind me of Disney ’ s disappointing remakes of their animated classics .
They ’ re movies that strive for visual beauty at the cost of emotional fidelity .
Relaying stories of adventure or romance requires different things in different mediums , and it ’ s impossible to make a 1:1 transfer — between , say , live action and animation .
You can be extremely faithful to a work and still produce something soulless .
The director and stars of Rebecca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s film and are instead creating a new take on the source material .
The implication , obviously , is that a new Rebecca can be contemporary in its aesthetics and in the way it translates the book .
And in some specific ways , the film succeeds at this .
The camera is closer and more intimate , and plot turns that had to be oblique in the ‘ 40s are now explicit .
The story ’ s queer subtext is now text .
Yet each of those decisions diminishes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rebecca fixes its camera on its beautiful cast so squarely that you no longer have a sense of what it ’ s like to be lost in Manderley and its extravagance — and , indeed , the world of wealth in which the new Madame finds herself lost .
In making character motivations clearer , they are robbed of their complexity .
And in settling the question of Mrs. Danvers ’ love of Rebecca , the film consigns her to a clear doom instead of a mostly ambiguous one .
Good art is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Filmmakers working in Old Hollywood dealt with a tremendous amount of industry-imposed limitations and still managed to create enduring art .
Liberated as the new Rebecca may be , it falls into an old trap : telling too much when showing will do .
In a world where it is free to say whatever it wants , Netflix ’ s Rebecca fails to communicate anything of substance .

In 1939, Alfred Hitchcock came to Hollywood. The English master of suspense would ply his trade in sunny California, and Rebecca, his first American film, would win him his first and only Oscar. Despite the acclaim, Hitchcock hated Rebecca, as it was his first encounter with American censors and their stodgy Production Code, which made it nearly impossible to accurately adapt the Daphne du Maurier book on which it was based. Still, Hitchcock found a way, and we remember Rebecca now as a classic.
Like other classics, Rebecca has been reinvented many times. Director Ben Wheatley’s 2020 adaptation is the latest, and it’s new on Netflix this week. Being shot in the modern era, Wheatley’s film has significantly fewer hurdles to clear, given that we no longer have official arbiters dictating what Hollywood can and cannot put in a film. It’s strange, though. Even with the artistic freedom of the 2020s, the new film still manages to feel like the lesser work, because it’s only interested in the most superficial reading of the story.
The plots of both films are mostly identical (and faithful to the book). An unnamed young woman (Lily James) strikes up a whirlwind romance with the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) and is swept away from her mundane life to go live with him in his lavish estate, Manderley, as his new wife. Upon arriving, the new Madame de Winter finds that she lives in the shadow of the previous Madame de Winter, Rebecca, who seemed to have been universally loved before her untimely demise. Rebecca has left Madame de Winter impossibly large shoes to fill.
Complicating matters is the cruelty of Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), a housekeeper who adored Rebecca and loathes the very notion of a new Madame de Winter replacing her. Caught between a world she barely understands and a woman she can’t live up to, Madame de Winter begins to despair, until she learns a secret that changes her relationship to Maxim, to Manderley, and everyone within it.
Rebecca suffers largely in comparison, as Wheatley’s choices stack up poorly against the older ones and offer shallower interpretations. There’s the casting of Armie Hammer as Maxim de Winter, a man who reads as nearly the same age as the woman who is playing a young ingenue — a choice that recasts the fraught nature of their relationship and his increasingly hostile behavior toward her. (He’s older in the original.) Similarly, in the new Rebecca, the former Madame de Winter haunts Manderley, but she doesn’t feel as all-consuming — her monogrammed accoutrements don’t appear everywhere. If Hitchcock’s film and the original novel are ghost stories without an actual ghost, then the new Netflix film is something far more plain. The devil, of course, is always in the details.
Here’s one: the climax of Rebecca hinges on a costume ball, where Madame de Winter is cruelly manipulated by Mrs. Danvers into wearing a costume that Rebecca wore shortly before her passing. In Hitchcock’s film, Madame de Winter wants to make an entrance, but she doesn’t know how. She stands atop a staircase, hopeful and eager, but everyone’s back is turned toward her. By the time she reaches her husband, she is timid and furtive, desperate for approval. Every time I watch her fail, I feel her shame. Wheatley’s version, on the other hand, announces her with a drumroll. This time, everyone’s paying attention — but the moment loses me.
Both versions of the scene end the same way — with her in tears and Maxim de Winter furious at her choice of dress — but they’re worlds apart. In the first film, the scene is an expression of class dynamics, the narrative climax of a story about a woman swept into wealth and finding that it wants nothing to do with her; it means Danvers’ treatment of the new Madame becomes doubly cruel because it’s not just about a dress. In the new film — which is almost wholly uninterested in class — it reads as another offense from a cruel manipulator.
The differences between the two Rebeccas remind me of Disney’s disappointing remakes of their animated classics. They’re movies that strive for visual beauty at the cost of emotional fidelity. Relaying stories of adventure or romance requires different things in different mediums, and it’s impossible to make a 1:1 transfer — between, say, live action and animation. You can be extremely faithful to a work and still produce something soulless.
The director and stars of Rebecca claim they aren’t remaking Hitchcock’s film and are instead creating a new take on the source material. The implication, obviously, is that a new Rebecca can be contemporary in its aesthetics and in the way it translates the book. And in some specific ways, the film succeeds at this. The camera is closer and more intimate, and plot turns that had to be oblique in the ‘40s are now explicit. The story’s queer subtext is now text.
Yet each of those decisions diminishes the film as a whole. The new Rebecca fixes its camera on its beautiful cast so squarely that you no longer have a sense of what it’s like to be lost in Manderley and its extravagance — and, indeed, the world of wealth in which the new Madame finds herself lost. In making character motivations clearer, they are robbed of their complexity. And in settling the question of Mrs. Danvers’ love of Rebecca, the film consigns her to a clear doom instead of a mostly ambiguous one.
Good art is often determined by what is left unsaid. Filmmakers working in Old Hollywood dealt with a tremendous amount of industry-imposed limitations and still managed to create enduring art.


theverge--2020-10-24--Hundreds of thousands of people didn’t have to die

If you take the typical death toll in the United States in a typical year and add the population of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania or the population of St. Louis , Missouri , you ’ ll end up with the number of people who died this year .
There were nearly 300,000 more deaths than there would have been during a normal year , according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Without a pandemic , that many more people would still be alive .
Most of those deaths , about two-thirds , were from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a consequence of the pandemic , even if the virus didn ’ t directly kill them .
They may have died because they avoided a hospital , despite their symptoms of — for example — a stroke , because of a local COVID-19 outbreak .
Or maybe they couldn ’ t get treatment from a medical system overwhelmed by COVID-19 .
People struggling with substance use disorders died more frequently this year from overdoses , perhaps because they couldn ’ t access their usual support systems during a time of unusual stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spiked this year , probably because access to normal health care was disrupted .
More people considered suicide than normal , although doctors still aren ’ t sure yet if deaths by suicide have increased .
This sounds abstract , so let ’ s be concrete .
For instance , there is my great aunt , who died last weekend .
She didn ’ t die from COVID-19 but as an indirect result of the pandemic .
She caught the virus in a nursing home over the summer and recovered without too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in the hospital , and strain of fighting off a disease , and the isolation forced by the pandemic , she started to decline .
At 96 , she ’ d lived a long life .
But I wonder : if COVID-19 had been better controlled in the US , and she ’ d never caught it , would her health problems have accelerated in the same way ?
The third surge of COVID-19 in the US could kill thousands over the next few weeks and thousands more through the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t brought under control .
As deaths from the virus rise again , indirect deaths will start to climb as well .
The spiking cases are already starting to overwhelm hospitals in some states , and some are turning away patients .
That means there ’ s less health care available for everyone , not just COVID-19 patients .
We could feel the collateral damage to health for years .
Children in the US got standard childhood vaccinations at lower rates this year , which could leave them vulnerable to preventable diseases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go offline , and some people may go undiagnosed .
Fewer people were screened for cancer this year , which could risk some illnesses being caught too late .
Fighting the pandemic is about more than just minimizing death from COVID-19 .
It ’ s also about minimizing unnecessary death , period .
Here ’ s what else happened this week .
What A Summer Of COVID-19 Taught Scientists About Indoor vs .
Outdoor Transmission It ’ s still hard to say how much the seasons affect COVID-19 transmission — we need more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyzing case reports , though , scientists do know that catching the virus is much easier inside than outside .
( Maggie Koerth / FiveThirtyEight ) COVID-19 is still deadly , but doctors have learned a lot about how to treat it .
In one health system , risk of death for hospitalized patients is down by 18 percentage points .
( Geoff Brumfiel / NPR ) The Price for Not Wearing Masks : Perhaps 130,000 Lives A new model shows that universal mask wearing could prevent tens of thousands of COVID-19 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are only estimates , not confident predictions , but this one shows one path forward to minimize mortality .
( Apoorva Mandavilli / The New York Times ) The Vaccine News That Really Matters Early data on how well the COVID-19 vaccine candidates work should trickle out over the next few months .
Everyone hopes that some prove to be effective — but it won ’ t be surprising if some don ’ t work .
( Sarah Zhang / The Atlantic ) Scientists at Imperial College London are planning a controversial human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By deliberately giving volunteers the virus , researchers could speed up the vaccine evaluation process .
It ’ s risky , though , and could seriously sicken volunteers .
( Benjamin Mueller / The New York Times ) Moderna ’ s coronavirus vaccine trial is fully enrolled , 37 percent of participants are minorities The pharmaceutical company Moderna has dosed around 30,000 people with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate .
Next month , it might know if the vaccine works .
( Carolyn Johnson / The Washington Post ) Remdesivir , now to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only fully approved treatment for COVID-19 .
The evidence for the drug , though , is mixed — it may not reduce deaths from the disease .
( Nicole Wetsman / The Verge ) Why the Pandemic Is Forcing Women Out of the Workforce Betsey Stevenson , a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan , told The New Yorker why the pandemic impacted men and women differently .
“ If you take a look at what we consider “ prime-age ” women , women who are twenty-five to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the labor force , we ’ ve seen their labor-force participation fall to where it was in the nineteen-eighties , ” she said .
( Isaac Chotiner / The New Yorker ) To the more than 42,288,341 people worldwide who have tested positive , may your road to recovery be smooth .
To the families and friends of the 1,145,593 people who have died worldwide — 223,998 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten .

If you take the typical death toll in the United States in a typical year and add the population of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or the population of St. Louis, Missouri, you’ll end up with the number of people who died this year. There were nearly 300,000 more deaths than there would have been during a normal year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without a pandemic, that many more people would still be alive.
Most of those deaths, about two-thirds, were from COVID-19. But around 100,000 people died as a consequence of the pandemic, even if the virus didn’t directly kill them. They may have died because they avoided a hospital, despite their symptoms of — for example — a stroke, because of a local COVID-19 outbreak. Or maybe they couldn’t get treatment from a medical system overwhelmed by COVID-19. People struggling with substance use disorders died more frequently this year from overdoses, perhaps because they couldn’t access their usual support systems during a time of unusual stress. Deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s spiked this year, probably because access to normal health care was disrupted. More people considered suicide than normal, although doctors still aren’t sure yet if deaths by suicide have increased.
This sounds abstract, so let’s be concrete. For instance, there is my great aunt, who died last weekend. She didn’t die from COVID-19 but as an indirect result of the pandemic. She caught the virus in a nursing home over the summer and recovered without too many complications. But after the extended time in the hospital, and strain of fighting off a disease, and the isolation forced by the pandemic, she started to decline. At 96, she’d lived a long life. But I wonder: if COVID-19 had been better controlled in the US, and she’d never caught it, would her health problems have accelerated in the same way?
The third surge of COVID-19 in the US could kill thousands over the next few weeks and thousands more through the rest of the year if the virus isn’t brought under control. As deaths from the virus rise again, indirect deaths will start to climb as well. The spiking cases are already starting to overwhelm hospitals in some states, and some are turning away patients. That means there’s less health care available for everyone, not just COVID-19 patients.
We could feel the collateral damage to health for years. Children in the US got standard childhood vaccinations at lower rates this year, which could leave them vulnerable to preventable diseases. Some sexually transmitted disease-screening programs had to go offline, and some people may go undiagnosed. Fewer people were screened for cancer this year, which could risk some illnesses being caught too late.
Fighting the pandemic is about more than just minimizing death from COVID-19. It’s also about minimizing unnecessary death, period.
Here’s what else happened this week.
Research
It’s still hard to say how much the seasons affect COVID-19 transmission — we need more data to say for sure. After analyzing case reports, though, scientists do know that catching the virus is much easier inside than outside. (Maggie Koerth / FiveThirtyEight)
COVID-19 is still deadly, but doctors have learned a lot about how to treat it. In one health system, risk of death for hospitalized patients is down by 18 percentage points. (Geoff Brumfiel / NPR)
A new model shows that universal mask wearing could prevent tens of thousands of COVID-19 deaths over the next few months. Models are only estimates, not confident predictions, but this one shows one path forward to minimize mortality. (Apoorva Mandavilli / The New York Times)
Development
Early data on how well the COVID-19 vaccine candidates work should trickle out over the next few months. Everyone hopes that some prove to be effective — but it won’t be surprising if some don’t work. (Sarah Zhang / The Atlantic)
Scientists at Imperial College London are planning a controversial human challenge trial to test COVID-19 vaccines. By deliberately giving volunteers the virus, researchers could speed up the vaccine evaluation process. It’s risky, though, and could seriously sicken volunteers. (Benjamin Mueller / The New York Times)
The pharmaceutical company Moderna has dosed around 30,000 people with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Next month, it might know if the vaccine works. (Carolyn Johnson / The Washington Post)
Remdesivir, now to be called Veklury, is the first and only fully approved treatment for COVID-19. The evidence for the drug, though, is mixed — it may not reduce deaths from the disease. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)
Perspectives
Betsey Stevenson, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, told The New Yorker why the pandemic impacted men and women differently. “If you take a look at what we consider “prime-age” women, women who are twenty-five to fifty-four, people who are normally in the labor force, we’ve seen their labor-force participation fall to where it was in the nineteen-eighties,” she said. (Isaac Chotiner / The New Yorker)
More than numbers
To the more than 42,288,341 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.
To the families and friends of the 1,145,593 people who have died worldwide — 223,998 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten.


theverge--2020-10-24--Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee dies at 78

Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee dies at 78

Samsung Electronics has announced the death of its chairman , Lee Kun-hee .
The company says he died on October 25th with family including his son , vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong , at his side .
He was 78 .
A cause of death was not given , but Lee had been incapacitated for many years after suffering a heart attack in 2014 , causing him to withdraw from public life .
Lee Jae-yong , also known as Jay Y. Lee , had been widely assumed to take over upon his father ’ s passing and has been viewed as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee Kun-hee was a controversial figure who played a huge part in pushing Samsung from a cheap TV and appliances maker to one of the most powerful technology brands in the world .
He became the richest man in South Korea , with the Samsung group contributing around a fifth of the country ’ s GDP .
In its statement , Samsung says that Lee ’ s declaration of “ new management ” in 1993 was “ the motivating driver of the company ’ s vision to deliver the best technology to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself in legal trouble .
He was found guilty of bribing President Roh Tae-woo through a slush fund in 1995 , and of tax evasion and embezzlement in 2008 , but was formally pardoned for each conviction .
The second pardon came in 2009 and was made “ so that Lee could take back his place at the International Olympic Committee and form a better situation for the 2018 Olympics to take place in Pyongchang , ” South Korea ’ s justice minister said at the time .
Lee ’ s passing will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While Lee Jae-yong has long been groomed to become chairman , he ’ s had legal issues of his own since his father ’ s incapacitation , spending almost a year in jail for his role in the corruption scandal that brought down former South Korean president Park Geun-hye .
South Korean law also means that anyone assuming Lee ’ s assets will face paying several billion dollars in inheritance tax , which may force them to reduce their stake in the company .

Samsung Electronics has announced the death of its chairman, Lee Kun-hee. The company says he died on October 25th with family including his son, vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong, at his side. He was 78.
A cause of death was not given, but Lee had been incapacitated for many years after suffering a heart attack in 2014, causing him to withdraw from public life. Lee Jae-yong, also known as Jay Y. Lee, had been widely assumed to take over upon his father’s passing and has been viewed as the de facto leader in recent years.
“The motivating driver of the company’s vision”
Lee Kun-hee was a controversial figure who played a huge part in pushing Samsung from a cheap TV and appliances maker to one of the most powerful technology brands in the world. He became the richest man in South Korea, with the Samsung group contributing around a fifth of the country’s GDP. In its statement, Samsung says that Lee’s declaration of “new management” in 1993 was “the motivating driver of the company’s vision to deliver the best technology to help advance global society.”
Lee also found himself in legal trouble. He was found guilty of bribing President Roh Tae-woo through a slush fund in 1995, and of tax evasion and embezzlement in 2008, but was formally pardoned for each conviction. The second pardon came in 2009 and was made “so that Lee could take back his place at the International Olympic Committee and form a better situation for the 2018 Olympics to take place in Pyongchang,” South Korea’s justice minister said at the time.