theverge--2020-06-03--SpaceX is launching its latest batch of internet satellites, including one with a visor

Less than a week after sending its first astronauts into space , SpaceX is already preparing for another launch of its Falcon 9 rocket , though this flight will only carry satellites to orbit .
From the Florida coast , the company is slated to launch the latest batch of 60 internet-beaming satellites for its ever-growing Starlink constellation on Wednesday night .
Once this mission takes off , SpaceX will have launched a little more than 480 of its Starlink satellites into orbit .
That ’ s only a small fraction of the nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites that the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the massive project is to provide global internet coverage from space .
The satellites are designed to beam broadband connectivity down to the Earth below , with customers tapping into the system via personal user terminals .
This launch will include one satellite that ’ s slightly different than the rest .
That particular spacecraft will have a visor — or a sunshade — that the vehicle will deploy when it ’ s in space .
The visor is designed to block light from the Sun , keeping it from reflecting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notably their antennas .
That way , the satellite appears less bright in the sky .
This launch will include one satellite that ’ s slightly different than the rest This sunshade is SpaceX ’ s latest attempt to dampen the brightness of its satellites , which appear particularly bright in the sky during sunrise and sunset on Earth .
At these times , the sunlight hits these objects when people are shrouded in darkness on the Earth below , making them shine in the sky .
It ’ s something that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astronomy community , who are worried that the bright satellites could muck up their observations of the Universe .
Astronomers often rely on taking long exposure images of the night sky , and a bright satellite passing through an image leaves a long white streak that can ruin a shot .
SpaceX has had ongoing communications with astronomers about how to fix the problem , and the company even tried covering one of its Starlink satellites with an experimental coating to make it appear darker .
That coating did darken the satellite , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to allay the fears of astronomers .
Now , SpaceX is trying the sunshade , and it ’ s got some other ideas in the works , too .
On its website , SpaceX notes that it will eventually attempt to reorient the satellites when they first launch to lessen their brightness while they raise their orbits .
This change is still in the works , according to SpaceX , as it will require a software update .
For now , SpaceX is focused on the sunshade method , though the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include the new hardware .
Depending on how this one experiment goes , it ’ s possible more will launch with the shade in the future .
Takeoff of SpaceX ’ s Falcon 9 rocket is slated for 9:25PM ET out of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida .
This the fifth mission that this particular rocket will take to space .
SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9 on one of its drone ships in the Atlantic following the launch , too , meaning it could even fly for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s giant net-wielding boats will also attempt to catch the two halves of the rocket ’ s nose cone — the bulbous structure that shields the satellites at the top of the rocket during the climb to space .
Weather is looking a bit iffy for launch , with only a 60 percent chance of favorable conditions .
If SpaceX can ’ t get off the ground today , the company has a backup launch date at 9:03PM ET tomorrow .
SpaceX ’ s live stream will begin about 10 minutes before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re in the mood to watch another Falcon 9 take to the skies .

Update June 3rd, 9:43PM ET: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully took off at 9:25PM ET and deployed all 60 satellites into orbit. The rocket also landed on the company’s drone ship in the Atlantic following the launch, marking the fifth time this particular rocket has been recovered after a mission.
Original story: Less than a week after sending its first astronauts into space, SpaceX is already preparing for another launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, though this flight will only carry satellites to orbit. From the Florida coast, the company is slated to launch the latest batch of 60 internet-beaming satellites for its ever-growing Starlink constellation on Wednesday night.
Once this mission takes off, SpaceX will have launched a little more than 480 of its Starlink satellites into orbit. That’s only a small fraction of the nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites that the company has permission to launch. The goal of the massive project is to provide global internet coverage from space. The satellites are designed to beam broadband connectivity down to the Earth below, with customers tapping into the system via personal user terminals.
This launch will include one satellite that’s slightly different than the rest. That particular spacecraft will have a visor — or a sunshade — that the vehicle will deploy when it’s in space. The visor is designed to block light from the Sun, keeping it from reflecting on the shiniest parts of the satellite, notably their antennas. That way, the satellite appears less bright in the sky.
This launch will include one satellite that’s slightly different than the rest
This sunshade is SpaceX’s latest attempt to dampen the brightness of its satellites, which appear particularly bright in the sky during sunrise and sunset on Earth. At these times, the sunlight hits these objects when people are shrouded in darkness on the Earth below, making them shine in the sky. It’s something that has caused major concern for those in the astronomy community, who are worried that the bright satellites could muck up their observations of the Universe. Astronomers often rely on taking long exposure images of the night sky, and a bright satellite passing through an image leaves a long white streak that can ruin a shot.
SpaceX has had ongoing communications with astronomers about how to fix the problem, and the company even tried covering one of its Starlink satellites with an experimental coating to make it appear darker. That coating did darken the satellite, though one analysis argued it was not enough to allay the fears of astronomers. Now, SpaceX is trying the sunshade, and it’s got some other ideas in the works, too. On its website, SpaceX notes that it will eventually attempt to reorient the satellites when they first launch to lessen their brightness while they raise their orbits. This change is still in the works, according to SpaceX, as it will require a software update.
For now, SpaceX is focused on the sunshade method, though the other 59 satellites on this launch will not include the new hardware. Depending on how this one experiment goes, it’s possible more will launch with the shade in the future.
Takeoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is slated for 9:25PM ET out of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This the fifth mission that this particular rocket will take to space. SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9 on one of its drone ships in the Atlantic following the launch, too, meaning it could even fly for a sixth time. Two of SpaceX’s giant net-wielding boats will also attempt to catch the two halves of the rocket’s nose cone — the bulbous structure that shields the satellites at the top of the rocket during the climb to space.


theverge--2020-06-03--Former Facebook employees forcefully join the chorus against Mark Zuckerberg

Pressure is mounting from all directions on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for his refusal to take action against posts from President Donald Trump .
The latest salvo comes from 33 former employees who worked at the company during its early stages , including some who helped create Facebook ’ s original community guidelines .
The open letter was first published by The New York Times ; we have republished the letter in full below .
While many of the arguments in the letter have been made before , including recently by The Verge , the letter published today presents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zuckerberg ’ s position .
The group of former employees argues that Facebook ’ s position on moderating Trump is inconsistent , that it consciously exposes the public to dangers the company has seen before , and that it creates a tautological double-standard that makes the speech of the most powerful “ inviolable.
” Zuckerberg has maintained that Facebook should not become the “ arbiter of truth ” and said that his position on Trump ’ s tweets is based on research and conversation .
While he expressed disgust with Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts !
” post had “ no history of being read as a dog whistle for vigilante supporters to take justice into their own hands.
” Following mounting internal dissent , including a Monday walkout , Zuckerberg promised employees that the company would “ re-examine policies about states threatening the use of force.
” “ President Trump ’ s post on Friday not only threatens violence by the state against its citizens , it also sends a signal to millions who take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authors write .
“ In an age of live-streamed shootings , Facebook should know the danger of this better than most .
Trump ’ s rhetoric , steeped in the history of American racism , targeted people whom Facebook would not allow to repeat his words back to him.
” Facebook ’ s leadership must reconsider their policies regarding political speech , beginning by fact-checking politicians and explicitly labeling harmful posts .
As early employees on teams across the company , we authored the original Community Standards , contributed code to products that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and helped to create a company culture around connection and freedom of expression .
We grew up at Facebook , but it is no longer ours .
The Facebook we joined designed products to empower people and policies to protect them .
The goal was to allow as much expression as possible unless it would explicitly do harm .
We disagreed often , but we all understood that keeping people safe was the right thing to do .
Now , it seems , that commitment has changed .
We no longer work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclaim it .
We also no longer recognize it .
We remain proud of what we built , grateful for the opportunity , and hopeful for the positive force it can become .
But none of that means we have to be quiet .
In fact , we have a responsibility to speak up .
Today , Facebook ’ s leadership interprets freedom of expression to mean that they should do nothing — or very nearly nothing — to interfere in political discourse .
They have decided that elected officials should be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ govern .
One set of rules for you , and another for any politician , from your local mayor to the President of the United States .
This exposes two fundamental problems : First , Facebook ’ s behavior doesn ’ t match the stated goal of avoiding any political censorship .
Facebook already is acting , as Mark Zuckerberg put it on Friday , as the “ arbiter of truth.
” It monitors speech all the time when it adds warnings to links , downranks content to reduce its spread , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a betrayal of the ideals Facebook claims .
The company we joined valued giving individuals a voice as loud as their government ’ s — protecting the powerless rather than the powerful .
Facebook now turns that goal on its head .
It claims that providing warnings about a politician ’ s speech is inappropriate , but removing content from citizens is acceptable , even if both are saying the same thing .
That is not a noble stand for freedom .
It is incoherent , and worse , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a higher standard than their constituents .
Second , since Facebook ’ s inception , researchers have learned a lot more about group psychology and the dynamics of mass persuasion .
Thanks to work done by the Dangerous Speech Project and many others , we understand the power words have to increase the likelihood of violence .
We know the speech of the powerful matters most of all .
It establishes norms , creates a permission structure , and implicitly authorizes violence , all of which is made worse by algorithmic amplification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with these experts , with advocates , and with organizers , yet they still seem committed to granting the powerful free rein .
So what do we make of this ?
If all speech by politicians is newsworthy and all newsworthy speech is inviolable , then there is no line the most powerful people in the world can not cross on the largest platform in the world — or at least none that the platform is willing to enforce .
President Trump ’ s post on Friday not only threatens violence by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sends a signal to millions who take cues from the President .
Facebook ’ s policy allows that post to stand alone .
In an age of live-streamed shootings , Facebook should know the danger of this better than most .
Trump ’ s rhetoric , steeped in the history of American racism , targeted people whom Facebook would not allow to repeat his words back to him .
It is our shared heartbreak that motivates this letter .
We are devastated to see something we built and something we believed would make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way so profoundly .
We understand it is hard to answer these questions at scale , but it was also hard to build the platform that created these problems .
There is a responsibility to solve them , and solving hard problems is what Facebook is good at .
To current employees who are speaking up : we see you , we support you , and we want to help .
We hope you will continue to ask yourselves the question that hangs on posters in each of Facebook ’ s offices : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t afraid ?
” To Mark : we know that you think deeply about these issues , but we also know that Facebook must work to regain the public ’ s trust .
Facebook isn ’ t neutral , and it never has been .
Making the world more open and connected , strengthening communities , giving everyone a voice — these are not neutral ideas .
Fact-checking is not censorship .
Labeling a call to violence is not authoritarianism .
Please reconsider your position .
Sincerely , some of your @ @ @

Facebook’s leadership must reconsider their policies regarding political speech, beginning by fact-checking politicians and explicitly labeling harmful posts.
As early employees on teams across the company, we authored the original Community Standards, contributed code to products that gave voice to people and public figures, and helped to create a company culture around connection and freedom of expression.
We grew up at Facebook, but it is no longer ours.
The Facebook we joined designed products to empower people and policies to protect them. The goal was to allow as much expression as possible unless it would explicitly do harm. We disagreed often, but we all understood that keeping people safe was the right thing to do. Now, it seems, that commitment has changed.
We no longer work at Facebook, but we do not disclaim it. We also no longer recognize it. We remain proud of what we built, grateful for the opportunity, and hopeful for the positive force it can become. But none of that means we have to be quiet. In fact, we have a responsibility to speak up.
Today, Facebook’s leadership interprets freedom of expression to mean that they should do nothing — or very nearly nothing — to interfere in political discourse. They have decided that elected officials should be held to a lower standard than those they govern. One set of rules for you, and another for any politician, from your local mayor to the President of the United States. This exposes two fundamental problems:
First, Facebook’s behavior doesn’t match the stated goal of avoiding any political censorship. Facebook already is acting, as Mark Zuckerberg put it on Friday, as the “arbiter of truth.” It monitors speech all the time when it adds warnings to links, downranks content to reduce its spread, and fact checks political speech from non-politicians.
This is a betrayal of the ideals Facebook claims. The company we joined valued giving individuals a voice as loud as their government’s — protecting the powerless rather than the powerful.
Facebook now turns that goal on its head. It claims that providing warnings about a politician’s speech is inappropriate, but removing content from citizens is acceptable, even if both are saying the same thing. That is not a noble stand for freedom. It is incoherent, and worse, it is cowardly. Facebook should be holding politicians to a higher standard than their constituents.
Second, since Facebook’s inception, researchers have learned a lot more about group psychology and the dynamics of mass persuasion. Thanks to work done by the Dangerous Speech Project and many others, we understand the power words have to increase the likelihood of violence. We know the speech of the powerful matters most of all. It establishes norms, creates a permission structure, and implicitly authorizes violence, all of which is made worse by algorithmic amplification. Facebook’s leadership has spoken with these experts, with advocates, and with organizers, yet they still seem committed to granting the powerful free rein.
So what do we make of this? If all speech by politicians is newsworthy and all newsworthy speech is inviolable, then there is no line the most powerful people in the world cannot cross on the largest platform in the world — or at least none that the platform is willing to enforce.
President Trump’s post on Friday not only threatens violence by the state against its citizens, it also sends a signal to millions who take cues from the President. Facebook’s policy allows that post to stand alone. In an age of live-streamed shootings, Facebook should know the danger of this better than most. Trump’s rhetoric, steeped in the history of American racism, targeted people whom Facebook would not allow to repeat his words back to him.
It is our shared heartbreak that motivates this letter. We are devastated to see something we built and something we believed would make the world a better place lose its way so profoundly. We understand it is hard to answer these questions at scale, but it was also hard to build the platform that created these problems. There is a responsibility to solve them, and solving hard problems is what Facebook is good at.
To current employees who are speaking up: we see you, we support you, and we want to help. We hope you will continue to ask yourselves the question that hangs on posters in each of Facebook’s offices: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
To Mark: we know that you think deeply about these issues, but we also know that Facebook must work to regain the public’s trust. Facebook isn’t neutral, and it never has been. Making the world more open and connected, strengthening communities, giving everyone a voice — these are not neutral ideas. Fact-checking is not censorship. Labeling a call to violence is not authoritarianism. Please reconsider your position.
Proceed and be bold.
Sincerely, some of your earliest employees:
Meredith Chin, Adam Conner, Natalie Ponte, Jon Warman, Dave Willner, on behalf of Ezra Callahan, Chris Putnam, Bob Trahan, Natalie Trahan, Ben Blumenrose, Jocelyn Blumenrose, Bobby Goodlatte, Simon Axten, Brandee Barker, Doug Fraser, Krista Kobeski, Warren Hanes, Caitlin O’Farrell Gallagher, Jake Brill, Carolyn Abram, Jamie Patterson, Abdus-Salam DeVaul, Scott Fortin, Bobby Kellogg, Tanja Balde, Alex Vichinsky, Matt Fernandez, Elizabeth Linder, Mike Ferrier, Jamie Patterson, Brian Sutorius, Amy Karasavas, Kathleen Estreich, Claudia Park


theverge--2020-06-03--Paradox Interactive signs collective bargaining agreement with labor unions in Sweden

Game developer Paradox Interactive , known best for publishing countless PC strategy games , has signed a collective bargaining agreement with two Swedish unions , Unionen and Saco , with over 200 members combined between the two groups .
The new agreement will provide Paradox employees within Sweden with a formal avenue for “ influencing their pay , benefits , responsibilities , and more , ” and it ’ s set to be finalized within the quarter .
The agreement is only set to cover all of Paradox ’ s Swedish employees at the company , including those at Paradox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arctic , and Paradox Malmö .
Paradox employees located elsewhere around the world — including the US — won ’ t be included , although a company representative told Polygon that Paradox is “ very much open to similar agreements with other studios in the States and elsewhere.
” “ An organization of our size has different needs , and we must ensure that our employees continue to feel valued and empowered to shape our company , even as our structure shifts towards larger teams and projects , ” said Marina Hedman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in a press release .
“ We ’ re proud , both as a Swedish company and as a member of the games industry , to add our name to the roster of companies who support unionization.
” Paradox marks one of the largest game developers to sign a union agreement , as labor organizing has become an increasingly hot topic over the past few years .
Calls for game developer unionization and improved working conditions have grown among both the industry ’ s indie and corporate communities , especially at larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work brutal hours with poor benefits to meet release dates and other demands of a now-notorious crunch culture .
Most recently , the Communication Workers of America ( CWA ) — one of the largest unions in the US — launched a campaign to try to help unionize the game development industry .
But there ’ s still a long way to go before game developers will ever reach the same level of unionization in the US as television or film workers .

Game developer Paradox Interactive, known best for publishing countless PC strategy games, has signed a collective bargaining agreement with two Swedish unions, Unionen and Saco, with over 200 members combined between the two groups. The new agreement will provide Paradox employees within Sweden with a formal avenue for “influencing their pay, benefits, responsibilities, and more,” and it’s set to be finalized within the quarter.
The agreement is only set to cover all of Paradox’s Swedish employees at the company, including those at Paradox Interactive, Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Arctic, and Paradox Malmö. Paradox employees located elsewhere around the world — including the US — won’t be included, although a company representative told Polygon that Paradox is “very much open to similar agreements with other studios in the States and elsewhere.”
“An organization of our size has different needs, and we must ensure that our employees continue to feel valued and empowered to shape our company, even as our structure shifts towards larger teams and projects,” said Marina Hedman, the chief human resources officer at Paradox, in a press release. “We’re proud, both as a Swedish company and as a member of the games industry, to add our name to the roster of companies who support unionization.”
Paradox marks one of the largest game developers to sign a union agreement, as labor organizing has become an increasingly hot topic over the past few years. Calls for game developer unionization and improved working conditions have grown among both the industry’s indie and corporate communities, especially at larger studios where employees are often forced to work brutal hours with poor benefits to meet release dates and other demands of a now-notorious crunch culture.


theverge--2020-06-03--California’s statehouse is considering a controversial facial recognition bill

As protestors square off against police across the country , California is readying a bill that could expand the state ’ s use of facial recognition , including for law enforcement purposes .
Introduced as Assembly Bill 2261 , the bill would provide a framework by which companies and government agencies could legally engage in facial recognition , provided they give prior notice .
The bill has been moving slowly through the state legislature since February and is being considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week .
For supporters , it ’ s an important privacy measure , heading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available technology .
Ed Chau , the assemblyman who introduced the bill , called it “ the long overdue solution to regulate the use of facial recognition technology by commercial , state and local public entities , ” in an editorial for CalMatters on Tuesday .
But critics — including the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California — say the bill will only expand the use of the technology further .
In particular , they allege that providing legal conditions under which the technology can be used undercuts outright bans that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California municipalities , including San Francisco , Oakland , and Berkeley .
Crucially , the local ACLU chapter says it ’ s too easy to scan a user ’ s face without their permission , with no consent required for government agencies and only minimal requirements for businesses .
“ The bill would invite the use of facial recognition to deny health care , housing , financial products , and basic necessities , ” said Matt Cagle , attorney with the ACLU of Northern California , told The Verge .
“ All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep a human in the loop ( even if that human is an employee of the company ) .
Instead of providing real protection to Californians , this bill will further endanger the Black and brown people most harmed by COVID-19 and police violence.
” Police use of facial recognition has been widely criticized by activists and researchers .
A 2019 study from Georgetown ’ s Center on Privacy and Technology found that police often used commercial systems incorrectly , either by inputting fraudulent faces or obscured images to get the desired result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new quote from ACLU-NC representative .

As protestors square off against police across the country, California is readying a bill that could expand the state’s use of facial recognition, including for law enforcement purposes.
Introduced as Assembly Bill 2261, the bill would provide a framework by which companies and government agencies could legally engage in facial recognition, provided they give prior notice.
The bill has been moving slowly through the state legislature since February and is being considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week. For supporters, it’s an important privacy measure, heading off the more extreme uses of widely available technology. Ed Chau, the assemblyman who introduced the bill, called it “the long overdue solution to regulate the use of facial recognition technology by commercial, state and local public entities,” in an editorial for CalMatters on Tuesday.
But critics — including the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California — say the bill will only expand the use of the technology further. In particular, they allege that providing legal conditions under which the technology can be used undercuts outright bans that have been put in place by a number of California municipalities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley.
Crucially, the local ACLU chapter says it’s too easy to scan a user’s face without their permission, with no consent required for government agencies and only minimal requirements for businesses. “The bill would invite the use of facial recognition to deny health care, housing, financial products, and basic necessities,” said Matt Cagle, attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, told The Verge. “All a company would have to do is keep a human in the loop (even if that human is an employee of the company). Instead of providing real protection to Californians, this bill will further endanger the Black and brown people most harmed by COVID-19 and police violence.”
Police use of facial recognition has been widely criticized by activists and researchers. A 2019 study from Georgetown’s Center on Privacy and Technology found that police often used commercial systems incorrectly, either by inputting fraudulent faces or obscured images to get the desired result.


theverge--2020-06-03--Some popular Reddit communities go private to protest the platform’s hate speech policies

Some of Reddit ’ s most frequented and active subreddit communities are participating in a collective action this week to protest the platform ’ s hate speech policies and the current police brutality and racism crisis gripping the US .
The decision follows harsh criticism from former CEO Ellen Pao , who said on Twitter earlier this week that the company “ monetizes white supremacy and hate all day long.
” She also said Reddit should have long ago banned r/The_Donald , the controversial pro-Trump subreddit it quarantined last year for repeatedly violating its rules around hate speech and violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a post current CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman posted on Monday , in which he said the Reddit community does “ not tolerate hate , racism , and violence , and while we have work to do to fight these on our platform , our values are clear.
” Protest actions include moderators taking popular subreddits private and banning the publishing of new posts for either a full day or for eight minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd , the Minnesota black man who was killed by a former Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AskReddit moderators have decided to disable posting for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the time George Floyd was held down by police — and we will lock comments on front page posts , ” reads a moderator note posted in r/AskReddit .
“ Our hope is that people reading this will take a moment to pause and reflect on what can be done to improve the world.
” Floyd ’ s death has sparked outrage worldwide and led to large-scale demonstrations in every US state and other cities overseas .
The violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalated the situation into a national crisis .
Some subreddits participating include r/AskReddit , r/NFL , and r/EDM , among others .
It is unclear how long the subreddits will remain private or prohibit new posts .
“ Reddit has harbored racists as policy for years /u/spez , ” reads the note posted by the moderators of r/NFL , which went private this week .
The message is directed at Huffman , who goes by the Reddit handle spez .
“ It has led to battling racism constantly , increased by the kneeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message.
” “ Reddit has harbored racists as policy for years.
” The r/NFL mods are specifically requesting Reddit implement a policy against bigotry and that it actively remove “ heavy participants in hate subreddits through their main account and alts.
” If the company won ’ t comply , the moderators say they “ call for the resignation of Reddit leadership .
”

Some of Reddit’s most frequented and active subreddit communities are participating in a collective action this week to protest the platform’s hate speech policies and the current police brutality and racism crisis gripping the US.
The decision follows harsh criticism from former CEO Ellen Pao, who said on Twitter earlier this week that the company “monetizes white supremacy and hate all day long.” She also said Reddit should have long ago banned r/The_Donald, the controversial pro-Trump subreddit it quarantined last year for repeatedly violating its rules around hate speech and violent rhetoric.
Pao was specifically responding to a post current CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman posted on Monday, in which he said the Reddit community does “not tolerate hate, racism, and violence, and while we have work to do to fight these on our platform, our values are clear.”
Protest actions include moderators taking popular subreddits private and banning the publishing of new posts for either a full day or for eight minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd, the Minnesota black man who was killed by a former Minneapolis police officer last week.
“The AskReddit moderators have decided to disable posting for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the time George Floyd was held down by police — and we will lock comments on front page posts,” reads a moderator note posted in r/AskReddit. “Our hope is that people reading this will take a moment to pause and reflect on what can be done to improve the world.”
Floyd’s death has sparked outrage worldwide and led to large-scale demonstrations in every US state and other cities overseas. The violent police and military response has in turn escalated the situation into a national crisis.
Some subreddits participating include r/AskReddit, r/NFL, and r/EDM, among others. It is unclear how long the subreddits will remain private or prohibit new posts.
“Reddit has harbored racists as policy for years /u/spez,” reads the note posted by the moderators of r/NFL, which went private this week. The message is directed at Huffman, who goes by the Reddit handle spez. “It has led to battling racism constantly, increased by the kneeling that encompassed Black Lives Matter’s message.”
“Reddit has harbored racists as policy for years.”


theverge--2020-06-03--Ultimate Ears’ HyperBoom is my desert island Bluetooth speaker

The $ 399 Ultimate Ears HyperBoom Bluetooth speaker is one of my favorite gadgets of 2020 .
It has great sound quality , near-360-degree sound delivery , long-lasting battery life , and elegant design — everything you can expect from the company ’ s previous models , but far bigger in size and power .
This speaker ’ s measurements are somewhat similar to the Xbox Series X ( the HyperBoom has about 2.5 inches in height and 1.5 inches in thickness on the next-gen console , according to this Polygon post ) , though it weighs a whopping 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HyperBoom is billed as , aren ’ t known for having a design worth talking about — at least in a positive manner .
They ’ re usually clad in plastic and LEDs and are made to look more like a powerful PA system .
So it ’ s a delight that Ultimate Ears ’ new speaker is both powerful and looks good placed just about anywhere .
It resembles a smart speaker , like the Google Home Max , Amazon Echo Studio , or Apple HomePod , but it isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wi-Fi connectivity , and its microphone listens for changes in your environment ’ s acoustics to tweak its adaptive equalizer ( you can customize it yourself if you ’ d prefer to ) , but there ’ s no support for voice commands here , which I frankly welcome .
When it comes to power , the HyperBoom earns its name .
I ’ m convinced that it ’ s far more powerful than the Google Home Max that I have in my apartment , and that front-firing speaker requires being plugged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate , the HyperBoom has four sides , and you ’ ll get a lot of sound from every angle , albeit different kinds of sound .
In this diamond-shaped speaker , the two 4.5-inch subwoofers face the rear .
So you ’ ll get the best bass performance if you let it reverberate your walls near the corner of your room .
Aiming outward on the other two sides are the two 3.5-inch passive radiators and two 1-inch tweeters .
You ’ ll quickly get a sense of how you should orient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start hearing music .
And no matter how loud you like to play your music , it sounds clear and balanced with plenty of bass , mids , and highs .
The HyperBoom fares nearly as well outdoors as it does inside .
It was able to maintain powerful bass performance despite not having any walls to close in around the sound .
Power is to be expected for a speaker this big , heavy , and expensive , but what impresses me most about the HyperBoom is its versatility and broad selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices .
It ’ s IPX4 water-resistant with the connection port closed .
And with its handle , you can easily move it around inside or outside , so long as you can lug its hefty weight .
Its proprietary 90W barrel charger can fully charge this speaker in less than three hours , and that battery can last for a whole day of nonstop use , or up to three hours if you ’ re running this speaker at maximum volume .
I didn ’ t notice a difference in sound performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running off the battery .
This speaker really comes into its own with connectivity .
It supports two concurrent Bluetooth connections with the A2DP codec , letting you flip between them with a button press on the speaker itself or through its companion app .
Ultimate Ears claims 150-feet of Bluetooth range for the HyperBoom .
I don ’ t have that kind of room at home , but it had no issue keeping a steady connection with my phone separated by 30 feet and a thick brick wall .
This speaker fades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , so you can smoothly transition from one song on , say , a phone to another on your tablet without awkwardly cutting off the tunes .
Additionally , it has a 3.5mm input and a digital optical audio port , letting you connect another two devices .
There ’ s also a USB Type-A port for keeping a device topped up .
For the high asking price , it would have been nice to have Wi-Fi support , like Sonos and other speakers .
Playing music through Bluetooth is fine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch a YouTube video , and it starts coming out of the speaker or when an incoming phone call interrupts your jams .
With four connection options in total , it ’ s easy to see how this could be a formidable party speaker .
But even in my little apartment , the HyperBoom is both a capable speaker for music and podcasts and a serviceable soundbar replacement with its digital optical port .
Connected to my TV , it does a stellar job piping through my gaming console audio .
Also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , and with the Party Up feature in the companion app that lets you wirelessly pair these speakers together , it took just a few minutes to make a little surround sound system out of these gadgets .
It ’ s always good when a product has a lot of functionality packed in , and the HyperBoom gets extra marks for all of those functions being intuitive to use , whether you ’ re standing right in front of the speaker or from across the room .
For instance , you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power button , or you can turn it on remotely through the powers of Bluetooth low-energy via the companion app .
Adjusting the volume works similarly : either by tapping the large + or - buttons located on the top of the speaker or through any other device that ’ s connected via Bluetooth .
The source dial lets you connect to any of the devices connected , though you can also remotely switch the source through the app .
It ’ s fluid , and both methods worked perfectly in my testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer your queries or set timers .
It was made to bring the house down at large parties .
And even though the coronavirus pandemic has put a dampening on partygoers for the meantime , Ultimate Ears ’ big speaker somehow feels just as natural to have in my tiny apartment as a smart speaker .
Part of the reason for that is because it looks good , but the main factor is its connectivity .
The HyperBoom can elevate the sound experience of every device that I use , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to swallow .

The $399 Ultimate Ears HyperBoom Bluetooth speaker is one of my favorite gadgets of 2020. It has great sound quality, near-360-degree sound delivery, long-lasting battery life, and elegant design — everything you can expect from the company’s previous models, but far bigger in size and power. This speaker’s measurements are somewhat similar to the Xbox Series X (the HyperBoom has about 2.5 inches in height and 1.5 inches in thickness on the next-gen console, according to this Polygon post), though it weighs a whopping 13 pounds.
Party speakers, which the HyperBoom is billed as, aren’t known for having a design worth talking about — at least in a positive manner. They’re usually clad in plastic and LEDs and are made to look more like a powerful PA system. So it’s a delight that Ultimate Ears’ new speaker is both powerful and looks good placed just about anywhere. It resembles a smart speaker, like the Google Home Max, Amazon Echo Studio, or Apple HomePod, but it isn’t one. It doesn’t support Wi-Fi connectivity, and its microphone listens for changes in your environment’s acoustics to tweak its adaptive equalizer (you can customize it yourself if you’d prefer to), but there’s no support for voice commands here, which I frankly welcome.
The HyperBoom is capped with tough plastic on its top and bottom, with rugged fabric covering its body.
When it comes to power, the HyperBoom earns its name. I’m convinced that it’s far more powerful than the Google Home Max that I have in my apartment, and that front-firing speaker requires being plugged in at all times. As the photos indicate, the HyperBoom has four sides, and you’ll get a lot of sound from every angle, albeit different kinds of sound. In this diamond-shaped speaker, the two 4.5-inch subwoofers face the rear. So you’ll get the best bass performance if you let it reverberate your walls near the corner of your room. Aiming outward on the other two sides are the two 3.5-inch passive radiators and two 1-inch tweeters. You’ll quickly get a sense of how you should orient the HyperBoom in your room once you start hearing music. And no matter how loud you like to play your music, it sounds clear and balanced with plenty of bass, mids, and highs. The HyperBoom fares nearly as well outdoors as it does inside. It was able to maintain powerful bass performance despite not having any walls to close in around the sound.
Power is to be expected for a speaker this big, heavy, and expensive, but what impresses me most about the HyperBoom is its versatility and broad selection of ports and connectivity options for your devices. It’s IPX4 water-resistant with the connection port closed. And with its handle, you can easily move it around inside or outside, so long as you can lug its hefty weight. Its proprietary 90W barrel charger can fully charge this speaker in less than three hours, and that battery can last for a whole day of nonstop use, or up to three hours if you’re running this speaker at maximum volume. I didn’t notice a difference in sound performance whether it was connected to power or running off the battery.
The HyperBoom has plenty of ports, though it loses its IPX4 water resistance when the port cover is open. Tapping one of these source buttons gently fades the music in and out to avoid awkward breaks in the playback.
This speaker really comes into its own with connectivity. It supports two concurrent Bluetooth connections with the A2DP codec, letting you flip between them with a button press on the speaker itself or through its companion app. Ultimate Ears claims 150-feet of Bluetooth range for the HyperBoom. I don’t have that kind of room at home, but it had no issue keeping a steady connection with my phone separated by 30 feet and a thick brick wall.
This speaker fades gently between audio sources as you toggle them, so you can smoothly transition from one song on, say, a phone to another on your tablet without awkwardly cutting off the tunes. Additionally, it has a 3.5mm input and a digital optical audio port, letting you connect another two devices. There’s also a USB Type-A port for keeping a device topped up. For the high asking price, it would have been nice to have Wi-Fi support, like Sonos and other speakers. Playing music through Bluetooth is fine, but it shows its limitations when you watch a YouTube video, and it starts coming out of the speaker or when an incoming phone call interrupts your jams.
With four connection options in total, it’s easy to see how this could be a formidable party speaker. But even in my little apartment, the HyperBoom is both a capable speaker for music and podcasts and a serviceable soundbar replacement with its digital optical port. Connected to my TV, it does a stellar job piping through my gaming console audio. Also, I had a UE Boom 2 laying around, and with the Party Up feature in the companion app that lets you wirelessly pair these speakers together, it took just a few minutes to make a little surround sound system out of these gadgets.
The HyperBoom is easy to carry around inside or outside, assuming you can lug its 13-pound weight.
It’s always good when a product has a lot of functionality packed in, and the HyperBoom gets extra marks for all of those functions being intuitive to use, whether you’re standing right in front of the speaker or from across the room. For instance, you can power the speaker on through its dedicated power button, or you can turn it on remotely through the powers of Bluetooth low-energy via the companion app. Adjusting the volume works similarly: either by tapping the large + or - buttons located on the top of the speaker or through any other device that’s connected via Bluetooth. The source dial lets you connect to any of the devices connected, though you can also remotely switch the source through the app. It’s fluid, and both methods worked perfectly in my testing.
AGREE TO CONTINUE: Ultimate Ears HyperBoom Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To use the Ultimate Ears HyperBoom, you don’t have to accept any agreements. You don’t even need to use the companion app. However, if you do use the app (which is required to take advantage of some features), you’ll be met with one optional agreement asking if you’d like to share analytics data. Hitting accept means you agree to Logitech’s privacy policy. You can hit cancel to continue without agreeing. Final tally: one optional agreement.
The HyperBoom wasn’t made to answer your queries or set timers. It was made to bring the house down at large parties. And even though the coronavirus pandemic has put a dampening on partygoers for the meantime, Ultimate Ears’ big speaker somehow feels just as natural to have in my tiny apartment as a smart speaker. Part of the reason for that is because it looks good, but the main factor is its connectivity. The HyperBoom can elevate the sound experience of every device that I use, and that makes its $399 asking price far easier to swallow.


theverge--2020-06-04--The pandemic has made it harder to buy a new laptop

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro hit shelves on May 4th .
Kate Kozuch , a journalist , ordered one to replace her old , broken 2015 model .
She was confused by the different add-ons and configuration options — “ The numbers hurt my brain , ” she told The Verge .
But after much research , she finally settled on one .
When it came time to check out , however , Kozuch realized she might have to wait much longer than she ’ d hoped .
Apple estimated that her unit would arrive between May 26th and June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite that long , but it still took longer than anticipated .
Kozuch got her MacBook on May 18th — two weeks after placing the order .
Robin Gloss , a college student , also ordered the new MacBook on May 26th .
She hasn ’ t received it yet , but it ’ s supposed to come on June 10th .
Gloss isn ’ t thrilled about having to wait that long ; she ’ s worried that her 2015 MacBook Air will crash before it arrives .
“ It works , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It doesn ’ t have enough processing power to run the WordPress plugin I need.
” BJ Adams ordered a 15-inch HP Spectre x360 on May 3rd as a desktop replacement .
HP said it would ship on May 29th , and arrive on June 4th .
On June 1st , Adams asked for an update ; the arrival date is now June 23rd .
Adams was so irritated that he considered canceling the order and going to Best Buy .
“ HP is doing bad , ” he complained .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop business.
” If you , like Gloss , Adams , and Kozuch , have shopped for a new laptop in the past few months and been met with multiweek shipping estimates and out-of-stock signs , you are not alone .
Retail analytics firm Stackline found that in recent weeks , traffic to laptop product pages has grown 100 to 130 percent ( year over year ) .
Conversion rates ( that is , the proportion of visitors to laptop product pages who actually purchase ) , conversely , have plummeted ; they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but in mid-May they hit an all-time low of 1.5 percent .
In other words : people are looking for laptops more , but they ’ re having trouble finding products in stock to actually purchase .
That ’ s because the COVID-19 pandemic has put two unique pressures on laptop manufacturers : higher demand and lower supply .
Sayon Deb , senior analyst at the Consumer Technology Association , says that outbreaks hit laptop manufacturers the hardest in the first few months of 2020 , when cities across China were in lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February was the last batch of shipments , ” Deb said , referring to units coming to the US from Asia .
“ Around mid-February was when production was spinning down .
It ground to a halt.
” It ’ s hard to say when supply chains will be back at full capacity China ’ s lockdowns and quarantines have eased over the past few months — around 75 percent of the country was back at work by the end of March , according to McKinsey .
But shortages continued , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s hard to say when they ’ ll be back at full capacity .
That ’ s partially due to the time it takes to transport laptop parts to manufacturing facilities .
OEMs ship some components from outside of China , and those ( due to their size ) commonly travel by air .
Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa estimates that around half of that cargo usually comes on commercial flights .
The pandemic hasn ’ t been kind to those modes of transportation ; countries around the world have restricted air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Delta reduced its flights by 40 percent in March due to plummeting demand , while the International Air Transport Association projected that airlines could see between an 11 and 19 percent loss in global passenger revenues through the end of this year .
Then , there ’ s the matter of getting the assembled laptops across the ocean .
Tight port restrictions are a hassle for ocean freight , and the logistics of transporting units from ports to warehouses , stores , and ultimately your home are another battle entirely .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suspended their service guarantees ( which promise you a refund if you don ’ t get your package ) , citing COVID-19 ’ s disruptions to supply chains , travel restrictions , and limited flight capacity , and noting that they anticipated delays .
Container volume in Shanghai fell by 20 percent year over year this past February , and cargo volume in Los Angeles fell by 23 percent , according to a New York Times report .
Deb expects units that were slated to arrive in the US by mid-April could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Production is speeding back up , but it takes time for it to get finished , get loaded up , get shipped over , ” said Deb .
But experts say the biggest problem is that COVID-19 has brought a spike in demand — one that supply chains , even at full capacity , weren ’ t set up to service .
“ You can ’ t just decide today you ’ re gon na build one and sell it tomorrow , ” Stephen Baker , vice president and industry advisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptops .
“ You don ’ t plan for sales to go up 40 percent when sales are going down every week by 30 percent.
” ( PC sales saw a sharp year-over-year decline in Q1 , following early lockdowns in China . )
“ You can ’ t just decide today you ’ re gon na build one and sell it tomorrow ” The surge began in mid-March , when the US first went into lockdown , but it ’ s still going : during the week ending May 23rd , Windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year-over-year increase in unit sales according to the NPD Group .
During the week ending May 2nd , TV , tablet , and PC sales saw a 33 percent year-over-year increase in revenue , and a 38 percent increase in unit sales .
“ It ’ s some of the fastest growth rates this category has seen in a long , long time , ” said Michael Lagoni , CEO of Stackline .
And , of course , supply constraints make it hard to gauge how much demand there really is .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand that is being unfulfilled because people want something specific and they can ’ t get it , we can ’ t really tell that , ” said Baker .
“ When you can ’ t fulfill everything but you ’ re still selling 40 percent more than you did last year , you can ’ t really see that missing piece.
” He noted , though , that “ as weeks go by and you have that same level of growth , that makes you believe that there ’ s still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” One contributor is the nation ’ s new fleet of remote workers ; Gallup polls from the end of May found that 40 percent of Americans are “ always ” working from home due to the pandemic , and 22 percent of Americans “ sometimes ” do .
Gartner predicted that 48 percent of employees will work remotely after the pandemic , compared to 30 percent who did so pre-pandemic .
Another is students , over 40 million of whom have been impacted by school closures .
This is apparent from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploded in recent months .
Stackline found that online laptop sales had an average sale price ( ASP ) of $ 516 in March , compared to $ 730 throughout 2019 ; it ’ s the lowest ASP Stackline has ever seen , outside of Prime Day and Cyber Monday .
Search volume for the phrase “ laptops on sale ” is higher , too — over 30 times higher than the first few months of 2019 .
Laptop sales under $ 700 also grew around twice as fast as the overall category @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think a big driving force behind this is that a lot of students now have to do their schoolwork at home , and many of them didn ’ t have a laptop at home , ” Lagoni said .
“ So you saw a huge surge in orders for those student-based , lower entry price point models.
” And , of course , with people stuck at home , the desire for a better entertainment experience comes to the forefront .
“ A lot of people use their computers to watch Netflix or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baker said .
“ If you have an old computer you might not want to watch those things on an old screen with a slow processor .
We ’ re seeing people upgrade to the extent they can on those kinds of features.
” “ Consumer confidence has been going down ” Experts think , however , that the surge isn ’ t likely to last .
Though , given the unpredictability of the pandemic , it ’ s difficult to say how long it will last .
COVID outbreaks may be temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .
Gartner forecasted last week that worldwide device shipments will still decline 13.6 percent in 2020 , and PC shipments will decline by 10.5 percent — though shipments of laptops , tablets , and Chromebooks will decline a bit more slowly than the PC category .
“ Consumer confidence has been going down , ” says Kitagawa .
“ There are huge numbers of unemployment happening , and people feel so uncomfortable about these economic uncertainties .
They ’ re gon na tighten their spending.
” Whether to buy a laptop now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how wed you are to one specific model .
“ The supply is going to be eased out going forward , so you might have more options later in the year , ” says Kitagawa .
She guessed that growth might continue through the end of this year , but emphasized that it ’ s hard to put a specific end date on stock shortages .
If you need a laptop now , your best bet is flexibility ; the more models you ’ re willing to go for , and the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through , the more likely it is you can find the configurations and specs you need with reasonable ship times .

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro hit shelves on May 4th. Kate Kozuch, a journalist, ordered one to replace her old, broken 2015 model. She was confused by the different add-ons and configuration options — “The numbers hurt my brain,” she told The Verge. But after much research, she finally settled on one.
When it came time to check out, however, Kozuch realized she might have to wait much longer than she’d hoped. Apple estimated that her unit would arrive between May 26th and June 2nd. It didn’t take quite that long, but it still took longer than anticipated. Kozuch got her MacBook on May 18th — two weeks after placing the order.
Robin Gloss, a college student, also ordered the new MacBook on May 26th. She hasn’t received it yet, but it’s supposed to come on June 10th. Gloss isn’t thrilled about having to wait that long; she’s worried that her 2015 MacBook Air will crash before it arrives. “It works, but barely,” she said. “It doesn’t have enough processing power to run the WordPress plugin I need.”
“It works, but barely”
BJ Adams ordered a 15-inch HP Spectre x360 on May 3rd as a desktop replacement. HP said it would ship on May 29th, and arrive on June 4th. On June 1st, Adams asked for an update; the arrival date is now June 23rd.
Adams was so irritated that he considered canceling the order and going to Best Buy. “HP is doing bad,” he complained. “They need to get out of the laptop business.”
If you, like Gloss, Adams, and Kozuch, have shopped for a new laptop in the past few months and been met with multiweek shipping estimates and out-of-stock signs, you are not alone. Retail analytics firm Stackline found that in recent weeks, traffic to laptop product pages has grown 100 to 130 percent (year over year). Conversion rates (that is, the proportion of visitors to laptop product pages who actually purchase), conversely, have plummeted; they’re normally around 3 percent, but in mid-May they hit an all-time low of 1.5 percent. In other words: people are looking for laptops more, but they’re having trouble finding products in stock to actually purchase.
That’s because the COVID-19 pandemic has put two unique pressures on laptop manufacturers: higher demand and lower supply.
Sayon Deb, senior analyst at the Consumer Technology Association, says that outbreaks hit laptop manufacturers the hardest in the first few months of 2020, when cities across China were in lockdown. “Somewhere around the end of February was the last batch of shipments,” Deb said, referring to units coming to the US from Asia. “Around mid-February was when production was spinning down. It ground to a halt.”
It’s hard to say when supply chains will be back at full capacity
China’s lockdowns and quarantines have eased over the past few months — around 75 percent of the country was back at work by the end of March, according to McKinsey. But shortages continued, and even as supply chains ramp up again, it’s hard to say when they’ll be back at full capacity.
That’s partially due to the time it takes to transport laptop parts to manufacturing facilities. OEMs ship some components from outside of China, and those (due to their size) commonly travel by air. Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa estimates that around half of that cargo usually comes on commercial flights. The pandemic hasn’t been kind to those modes of transportation; countries around the world have restricted air travel, and airline capacity has crunched. Delta reduced its flights by 40 percent in March due to plummeting demand, while the International Air Transport Association projected that airlines could see between an 11 and 19 percent loss in global passenger revenues through the end of this year.
A screenshot of one custom HP Envy x360 15t order, showing over a three-week shipping period.
Then, there’s the matter of getting the assembled laptops across the ocean. Tight port restrictions are a hassle for ocean freight, and the logistics of transporting units from ports to warehouses, stores, and ultimately your home are another battle entirely. Many couriers, including UPS and FedEx, have suspended their service guarantees (which promise you a refund if you don’t get your package), citing COVID-19’s disruptions to supply chains, travel restrictions, and limited flight capacity, and noting that they anticipated delays. Container volume in Shanghai fell by 20 percent year over year this past February, and cargo volume in Los Angeles fell by 23 percent, according to a New York Times report.
Deb expects units that were slated to arrive in the US by mid-April could arrive a month and a half later. “Production is speeding back up, but it takes time for it to get finished, get loaded up, get shipped over,” said Deb.
But experts say the biggest problem is that COVID-19 has brought a spike in demand — one that supply chains, even at full capacity, weren’t set up to service. “You can’t just decide today you’re gonna build one and sell it tomorrow,” Stephen Baker, vice president and industry advisor at the NPD Group, said of laptops. “You don’t plan for sales to go up 40 percent when sales are going down every week by 30 percent.” (PC sales saw a sharp year-over-year decline in Q1, following early lockdowns in China.)
“You can’t just decide today you’re gonna build one and sell it tomorrow”
The surge began in mid-March, when the US first went into lockdown, but it’s still going: during the week ending May 23rd, Windows notebooks and Chromebooks saw a mid-40 percent year-over-year increase in unit sales according to the NPD Group. During the week ending May 2nd, TV, tablet, and PC sales saw a 33 percent year-over-year increase in revenue, and a 38 percent increase in unit sales. “It’s some of the fastest growth rates this category has seen in a long, long time,” said Michael Lagoni, CEO of Stackline.
And, of course, supply constraints make it hard to gauge how much demand there really is. “If there’s a lot of demand that is being unfulfilled because people want something specific and they can’t get it, we can’t really tell that,” said Baker. “When you can’t fulfill everything but you’re still selling 40 percent more than you did last year, you can’t really see that missing piece.” He noted, though, that “as weeks go by and you have that same level of growth, that makes you believe that there’s still a lot more demand left in the marketplace.”
One contributor is the nation’s new fleet of remote workers; Gallup polls from the end of May found that 40 percent of Americans are “always” working from home due to the pandemic, and 22 percent of Americans “sometimes” do. Gartner predicted that 48 percent of employees will work remotely after the pandemic, compared to 30 percent who did so pre-pandemic.
A number of HP Spectre x360 models are sold out or unavailable to buy new at Best Buy.
Another is students, over 40 million of whom have been impacted by school closures. This is apparent from the fact that sales of cheaper devices have exploded in recent months. Stackline found that online laptop sales had an average sale price (ASP) of $516 in March, compared to $730 throughout 2019; it’s the lowest ASP Stackline has ever seen, outside of Prime Day and Cyber Monday. Search volume for the phrase “laptops on sale” is higher, too — over 30 times higher than the first few months of 2019. Laptop sales under $700 also grew around twice as fast as the overall category through April and May.
“We think a big driving force behind this is that a lot of students now have to do their schoolwork at home, and many of them didn’t have a laptop at home,” Lagoni said. “So you saw a huge surge in orders for those student-based, lower entry price point models.”
And, of course, with people stuck at home, the desire for a better entertainment experience comes to the forefront. “A lot of people use their computers to watch Netflix or other kinds of streaming services,” Baker said. “If you have an old computer you might not want to watch those things on an old screen with a slow processor. We’re seeing people upgrade to the extent they can on those kinds of features.”
“Consumer confidence has been going down”
Experts think, however, that the surge isn’t likely to last. Though, given the unpredictability of the pandemic, it’s difficult to say how long it will last.
COVID outbreaks may be temporary, but the economic consequences are less so. Gartner forecasted last week that worldwide device shipments will still decline 13.6 percent in 2020, and PC shipments will decline by 10.5 percent — though shipments of laptops, tablets, and Chromebooks will decline a bit more slowly than the PC category.
“Consumer confidence has been going down,” says Kitagawa. “There are huge numbers of unemployment happening, and people feel so uncomfortable about these economic uncertainties. They’re gonna tighten their spending.”
Whether to buy a laptop now depends on how flexible you are and how wed you are to one specific model. “The supply is going to be eased out going forward, so you might have more options later in the year,” says Kitagawa. She guessed that growth might continue through the end of this year, but emphasized that it’s hard to put a specific end date on stock shortages.


theverge--2020-06-04--Fitbit’s ventilator gets emergency FDA approval

Wearable company Fitbit has officially unveiled the Fitbit Flow , a new ventilator with FDA approval for use during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The ventilator has been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA , meaning it can only be used to treat people during the current health crisis .
Fitbit tells The Verge that it hopes to sell the Flow for around $ 5,000 , significantly less than traditional ventilators , and that production is scheduled to begin this month .
As its low cost might suggest , Fitbit doesn ’ t see the Flow as a like-for-like replacement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s only designed be used when one of the more expensive devices is not available .
Although the ventilator has secured regulatory approval for use during the pandemic , Fitbit says that it is not otherwise FDA cleared or approved .
“ We saw an opportunity to rally our expertise in advanced sensor development , manufacturing , and our global supply chain ” Fitbit says that the Flow is designed around resuscitator bags used by pandemics , but features additional sensors and alarms to help monitor patients .
The wearable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while developing the ventilator , which it hopes will be easier to use than traditional ventilators .
“ We saw an opportunity to rally our expertise in advanced sensor development , manufacturing , and our global supply chain to address the critical and ongoing need for ventilators and help make a difference in the global fight against this virus , ” Fitbit ’ s CEO and co-founder James Park said in a statement .
Fitbit announced its ambitions to produce a ventilator last month after concerns emerged that there aren ’ t enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients who ’ ll need them during the pandemic .
The Wall Street Journal reported that in April the US government had been scrambling to buy thousands of ventilators to deal with the crisis , but that demand for the machines had ended up being lower than expected .
However , the ventilators may end up being needed if the virus spreads further , or due to other factors like the start of the influenza season later in the year , the WSJ notes .
Other non-medical companies have also pledged to produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dyson received an order from the British government to produce a machine , but later said that its ventilator eventually hadn ’ t been required .
Tesla has also shown off a prototype ventilator made using its car technology , while a ventilator developed by NASA engineers received emergency use FDA approval at the end of April .

Wearable company Fitbit has officially unveiled the Fitbit Flow, a new ventilator with FDA approval for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ventilator has been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA, meaning it can only be used to treat people during the current health crisis. Fitbit tells The Verge that it hopes to sell the Flow for around $5,000, significantly less than traditional ventilators, and that production is scheduled to begin this month.
As its low cost might suggest, Fitbit doesn’t see the Flow as a like-for-like replacement for traditional ventilators. The company says that it’s only designed be used when one of the more expensive devices is not available. Although the ventilator has secured regulatory approval for use during the pandemic, Fitbit says that it is not otherwise FDA cleared or approved.
“We saw an opportunity to rally our expertise in advanced sensor development, manufacturing, and our global supply chain”
Fitbit says that the Flow is designed around resuscitator bags used by paramedics, but features additional sensors and alarms to help monitor patients. The wearable company consulted with medical staff and practitioners while developing the ventilator, which it hopes will be easier to use than traditional ventilators.
“We saw an opportunity to rally our expertise in advanced sensor development, manufacturing, and our global supply chain to address the critical and ongoing need for ventilators and help make a difference in the global fight against this virus,” Fitbit’s CEO and co-founder James Park said in a statement.


theverge--2020-06-04--Go read this profile of Unicorn Riot, an indispensable witness to current protests

It ’ s impossible to properly understand the protests happening across America right now — either their original cause or their current character — without watching on-the-ground footage being shared by ordinary citizens and new media outfits .
It was a bystander who originally captured the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement , and it ’ s videos and images shared on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook that have shown how the police have responded to protests with yet more unwarranted violence .
One notable organization in this new media landscape is Unicorn Riot , a not-for-profit media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews that reveals more about the protests than much mainstream coverage .
The New Yorker has published a fantastic ( though short ) profile of the group that ’ s well worth your time to read .
As writer Troy Patterson explains , Unicorn Riot has been a vital witness to these protests : “ The coverage is impressive for its intimacy with the community and unrivalled in its ability to tell the story patiently , in hour upon hour of searching the streets for clarity , ” he writes .
“ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camera crew elicited a succinct commentary on the dynamics of property destruction from a local business owner .
“ I realize why the Third Precinct was burnt down , ” the man said .
“ It wasn ’ t burnt down because people were mad at the police .
It was burnt down because the police were mad at the people ” — meaning that the officers ’ passivity in protecting the building was in fact an aggression , intended to tar the mass of protesters as arsonists.
” You can watch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that the importance and relevance of this footage should prod us to reconsider the line we draw between “ citizen journalism ” and just plain “ journalism.
” “ You could refer to what Unicorn Riot does as ‘ activist reporting , ’ just as you might call a bystander capturing footage of N.Y.P.D .
officers tossing people to the asphalt or plowing cruisers through crowds ‘ citizen journalism.
’ But you also could decide that these distinctions reflect a certain snobbery and have lost a certain salience .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this emergency , when the power of people ’ s voices is our only defense.
” Be sure to read the full profile from The New Yorker here , and you can check out Unicorn Riot ’ s reporting on their website here and on their Twitter feed here .

It’s impossible to properly understand the protests happening across America right now — either their original cause or their current character — without watching on-the-ground footage being shared by ordinary citizens and new media outfits. It was a bystander who originally captured the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement, and it’s videos and images shared on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook that have shown how the police have responded to protests with yet more unwarranted violence.
One notable organization in this new media landscape is Unicorn Riot, a not-for-profit media collective whose reporters have captured footage and interviews that reveals more about the protests than much mainstream coverage. The New Yorker has published a fantastic (though short) profile of the group that’s well worth your time to read.
As writer Troy Patterson explains, Unicorn Riot has been a vital witness to these protests: “The coverage is impressive for its intimacy with the community and unrivalled in its ability to tell the story patiently, in hour upon hour of searching the streets for clarity,” he writes.
“One night last week, a Unicorn Riot camera crew elicited a succinct commentary on the dynamics of property destruction from a local business owner. “I realize why the Third Precinct was burnt down,” the man said. “It wasn’t burnt down because people were mad at the police. It was burnt down because the police were mad at the people”— meaning that the officers’ passivity in protecting the building was in fact an aggression, intended to tar the mass of protesters as arsonists.”
You can watch the video in question below:
Patterson also notes that the importance and relevance of this footage should prod us to reconsider the line we draw between “citizen journalism” and just plain “journalism.”
“You could refer to what Unicorn Riot does as ‘activist reporting,’ just as you might call a bystander capturing footage of N.Y.P.D. officers tossing people to the asphalt or plowing cruisers through crowds ‘citizen journalism.’ But you also could decide that these distinctions reflect a certain snobbery and have lost a certain salience. There is no use in quibbling about objective journalism amid this emergency, when the power of people’s voices is our only defense.”