theverge--2020-10-13--Here are the best Prime Day 2020 deals you can get right now

Amazon Prime Day 2020 is here , happening now and lasting until 11:59PM PT on October 14th .
We ’ ve listed the best deals below happening in all of the major tech categories , including phones , gaming , storage , PC , TVs , tablets , drones , headphones , and more .
We ’ ve highlighted particularly good deals .
Looking for non-Amazon retailers ?
Check out our anti-Prime Day deals .
Most of what you ’ ll find below will be on sale throughout both days of Prime Day 2020 .
However , we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the top so you can easily find ( and , if you want , buy ) those products .
For all of our coverage , including what kinds of deals are happening outside of Amazon , you can see it all here .
For more deals on fashion , home goods , and other items , check out The Strategist ’ s roundup here .
• Moment ’ s 18mm wide lens attachment is $ 77 at Amazon ( usually $ 120 ) until 3:15PM ET today .
You ’ ll need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to .
• Samsung ’ s Galaxy A71 with 5G support ( unlocked , 128GB ) is $ 420 at Amazon ( usually $ 500 ) , beating its lowest price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 ( unlocked , 128GB ) is $ 750 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,000 ) , beating the previous best price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 Plus ( unlocked , 128GB ) is $ 900 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,200 ) , beating the previous lowest price • The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Amazon ( usually $ 1,200 ) , beating the lowest price • The Google Pixel 4 ( unlocked , 64GB ) costs $ 449 at Amazon ( usually $ 600 ) , beating its previous best price by $ 50 • The Google Pixel 4 ( unlocked , 128GB ) costs $ 549 at Amazon ( usually $ 899 ) , also beating the lowest price on record by $ 50 • The Google Pixel 4 XL ( unlocked , 128GB ) costs $ 649 at Amazon ( usually $ 999 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 50 • Amazon ’ s Kindle Paperwhite ( with ads , 8GB ) is $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the previous lowest price of $ 85 • The Amazon Echo Dot ( third generation ) smart speaker is $ 19 ( usually $ 40 ) at Amazon , beating the lowest-ever price by $ 3 ) • Amazon ’ s Fire TV Cube streaming device is down to $ 80 ( usually $ 120 ) , which beats its previous best price by $ 10 • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 ( usually $ 150 ) at Amazon , which is $ 20 less than the previous lowest price • Eero ’ s three-pack of mesh Wi-Fi routers is $ 174 at Amazon ( usually $ 249 ) .
It ’ s not as low as the best-ever $ 160 price , but it ’ s still a rare deal .
• A single Eero mesh Wi-Fi router is $ 69 at Amazon ( usually $ 99 ) .
This matches the lowest price yet .
• Ring ’ s Stick Up Cam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 100 ) , beating the previous lowest price of $ 85 • You can get a Ring Video Doorbell 3 and an Amazon Echo Show 5 together for $ 150 at Amazon ( usually $ 290 together ) • Amazon ’ s Echo Studio smart speaker is $ 150 ( usually $ 200 ) at Amazon , beating the lowest price yet • Fire Emblem : Three Houses ( physical or digital ) for Nintendo Switch is $ 40 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by $ 5 • You can get a one-year family subscription to Nintendo Switch Online and a 128GB microSD card for $ 40 .
Considering the Switch Online service costs $ 35 per year , paying $ 5 more for extra Switch storage is an excellent value .
• Yoshi ’ s Crafted World ( physical or digital ) for Nintendo Switch is $ 40 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 ) .
The lowest was $ 30 , so this is not the best but still a good deal .
• The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wild ( physical or digital ) for Nintendo Switch is $ 40 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 ) .
The lowest was $ 30 , so not the best but still a good deal .
• Splatoon 2 ( physical or digital ) for Nintendo Switch is $ 40 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 ) , matching the lowest price yet • Genki ’ s Covert Dock for Nintendo Switch ( with support for other USB-C devices ) is $ 55 at Amazon ( usually $ 70 , clip the on-page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Basilisk X Hyperspeed wireless gaming mouse is $ 40 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 ) , matching the best price yet • SteelSeries ’ Arctis Pro + GameDAC wired gaming headset is $ 140 at Amazon ( usually $ 250 ) , which is $ 37 cheaper than the best price yet • Razer ’ s Mamba wireless gaming mouse is $ 60 at Amazon ( usually around $ 90 ) , not quite beating its $ 55 best price , but coming close enough to warrant telling you about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaming mouse is $ 56 at Amazon ( usually $ 70 ) , beating the best price by $ 10 • Razer ’ s Naga Trinity wired gaming mouse is $ 60 at Amazon ( usually $ 74 ) , costing $ 5 over the best price yet , but it ’ s still a good deal • Razer ’ s Huntsman TE tenkeyless wired gaming keyboard is $ 90 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the previous best deal by $ 10 • Razer ’ s Viper Ultimate wireless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( usually $ 130 ) , matching the lowest price • Razer ’ s Basilisk Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $ 100 ( usually $ 150 ) , falling below the lowest price by $ 20 • Logitech ’ s G502 SE Hero wired gaming mouse is $ 35 at Amazon ( usually $ 50 ) • Corsair ’ s Void RGB Elite wired gaming headset is $ 55 at Amazon ( usually $ 80 ) , falling $ 19 below the lowest price • Das Keyboards is knocking 15 percent off all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ViewSonic ’ s 27-inch XG2760 1440p gaming monitor ( G-Sync , 165Hz refresh rate , 1ms response time ) is $ 385 at Amazon ( usually $ 600 ) , down from its previous best of $ 418 • Samsung 49-inch CJ890 ultrawide monitor ( 3840 x 1080 , 144Hz refresh rate , USB-C , DisplayPort , HDMI ) is $ 700 at Amazon ( usually $ 963 ) , down from its previous best of $ 750 • Western Digital ’ s SN750 2TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD is $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , lower than its previous best price of $ 310 • SanDisk ’ s 1TB Plus SATA SSD is $ 88 at Amazon ( usually $ 110 ) , down from its previous best price of $ 99 • Toshiba ’ s 4TB Canvio portable hard drive is $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 98 ) , down from its previous best price of $ 85 • Samsung ’ s 1TB 860 Pro SATA SSD is $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ 280 ) , down from its previous best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 5TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $ 115 at Amazon ( usually $ 165 ) , down from its previous best price of $ 137 • LaCie ’ s 2TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $ 62 at Amazon ( usually $ 95 ) , $ 15 cheaper than the best deal we ’ ve seen yet • SanDisk ’ s 400GB microSD card that works with Nintendo Switch and other supported products is $ 45 at Amazon ( usually $ 60 ) , matching the lowest price yet • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 70 ( usually $ 100 ) at Amazon • Seagate ’ s 4TB Game Drive for Xbox is $ 88 at Amazon ( usually $ 105 ) , beating the previous lowest price by $ 12 • Razer ’ s Blade 15 Advanced ( i7-10875H , RTX 2070 Super Max-Q , 300Hz refresh rate , 16GB RAM , 512GB SSD ) is $ 2,100 at Amazon ( usually $ 2,600 ) , beating the previous best price by about $ 100 • Razer ’ s Blade 15 Base edition ( i7-10750H , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 16GB RAM , 256GB SSD ) is $ 1,300 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,600 ) , down from its previous best of $ 1,466 • Gigabyte ’ s Aero 15 ( i7-9750H , GTX 1660 Ti , 16GB RAM , 512GB PCIe SSD , UHD OLED panel ) is $ 1,150 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,529 ) , down from the previous best price of the $ 1,300 • Asus ZenBook Duo UX481 is $ 1,000 at Amazon , below its usual price at $ 1,150 • The Asus Chromebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( usually $ 500 ) , beating its previous best price by $ 100 • Brydge ’ s Pro 12.9 Bluetooth keyboard for the iPad Pro ( 2018 , 2020 ) is $ 100 at Amazon ( usually $ 169 ) , beating the lowest price by $ 30 • Brydge ’ s Pro Plus 12.9 Bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad for iPad Pro ( 2018 , 2020 ) is $ 160 at Amazon , which is well below its usual price of $ 230 • Brydge ’ s Pro Plus 11.0 with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2018 , 2020 ) is $ 140 at Amazon , which is $ 60 less than its usual price • If you have the latest 10.2-inch iPad , Brydge ’ s 10.2 Bluetooth keyboard for that size of tablet is $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , which is $ 20 cheaper than the previous best price • The 2017 iPad Pro and the iPad Air ( 2019 ) are 10.5-inch tablets .
If you have either of those , Brydge ’ s 10.5 Bluetooth keyboard will fit just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 at Amazon , which is just a little less than its usual $ 65 price .
• The new Sony WH1000X-M4 wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 298 at Amazon ( usually $ 350 ) and include a free $ 25 gift card .
This is an awesome deal .
• Bose ’ s QuietComfort 35 Series II wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ 300 ) , which is $ 79 less than their previous best price • Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are $ 175 at Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 25 below their lowest price yet • Apple AirPods with a wired charging case are $ 115 at Amazon ( usually $ 125 ) , beating the lowest price by $ 10 • Amazon ’ s Echo Buds are $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the lowest price yet by $ 10 • Razer Opus wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 180 at Amazon ( usually $ 200 ) , matching their best-ever price • Sony ’ s WHXB900N wireless headphones are $ 123 at Amazon ( usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price we ’ ve seen yet • Sony ’ s WHCH710N wireless headphones are $ 88 at Amazon ( usually $ 200 ) , beating the previous lowest price by $ 10 • Garmin ’ s Fenix 5S Plus GPS smartwatch is $ 350 at Amazon ( usually $ 671 ) , which is almost $ 200 off its previous lowest price • The Garmin VivoActive 4S GPS smartwatch is $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ 280 ) , falling $ 70 below its previous best price • Amazon is offering Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-owned , used , and open box products in the Amazon Warehouse .
You should check out the selection of tech you might be interested before spending more on a new product .
• Zendure ’ s SuperTank 100W portable battery bank is $ 83 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) if you use the on-page coupon , beating the previous best price by almost $ 20 .
And if you purchase two Zendure products , you ’ ll get 15 percent off in the cart .
• The Doxie Go SE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon ( usually $ 179 ) , which is the best price this product has sold for since last October .
• DJI ’ s Mavic Mini combo that includes several accessories is $ 400 at Amazon , which is $ 100 less than the usual price • The DJI Osmo Pocket with a charging case is $ 300 at Amazon , which is $ 98 less than its usual price • DJI ’ s Osmo Action camera is $ 200 at Amazon , falling $ 39 below its usual cost • DJI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accessories is $ 105 at Amazon , which is $ 13 less than the usual price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Tab A ( 10.1-inch , 2019 , 64GB ) is $ 180 at Amazon ( usually $ 280 ) , matching the best deal we ’ ve seen yet • The 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab A with 32GB of storage is $ 100 ( usually $ 118 ) at Amazon • Satechi ’ s USB-C hub that supports two 4K 60Hz monitors is $ 35 at Amazon ( usually $ 50 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 49


theverge--2020-10-13--The best Kindle and Echo deals you can get during Prime Day 2020

Amazon Prime Day 2020 is here , and the retailer has slashed the prices across a slew of items and categories , including Amazon ’ s own devices .
Whether you are looking for a Fire tablet to read ebooks , a Ring device to protect your home , or you simply want to add an Alexa device to a part of your house , here are the best deals on Amazon ’ s own tech .
A standout deal includes the third-gen Echo Device , which is the lowest it has ever been previously .
In addition , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals allow you to add an Amazon smart plug or other accessories for just $ 5 more .
Of course , if you are not a fan of the older Echo Dot design , you can also preorder this year ’ s Echo Dot model , which features a spherical design with a two-pack costing $ 80 on Amazon right now .
• Third-gen Echo Dot is $ 19 at Amazon ( usually $ 40 ) , beating the previous best price • You can also get a Third-gen Echo Dot with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon ( usually $ 65 ) , beating its previous lowest price • Echo Show 8 is $ 65 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the lowest previous price • Echo Show 5 is $ 45 at Amazon ( usually $ 90 ) , beating its previous price by $ 5 • A ten-inch second-gen Echo Show is $ 150 on Amazon ( usually $ 230 ) , matching its previous lowest price • Echo Buds are $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 103 ) , beating its previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 at Amazon ( usually $ 25 ) , beating its lowest price by $ 8 • You can get an Echo Studio and two Philips Hue Bulbs for $ 150 at Amazon ( usually $ 230 ) , beating the previous best price • Kindle Oasis with 8GB storage for $ 175 at Amazon ( usually $ 250 ) , matching its previous best-ever price • You can also get the 32GB Kindle Oasis model for $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ 280 ) , matching its previous best-ever price • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the previous best price by $ 5 • Fire HD 8 is $ 70 at Amazon ( usually $ 120 ) , which is the lowest the device has ever been previously • Fire HD 10 is $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 150 ) , beating its previous lowest price • Fire HD 8 Plus is $ 90 at Amazon ( usually $ 140 ) , beating its previous best price by $ 20 • You can buy a single Eero unit ( last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 69 at Amazon ( usually $ 99 ) , matching its previous lowest price ever • A two-pack of last year ’ s Eero model is $ 118 at Amazon ( usually $ 169 ) , beating its previous lowest price by $ 51 • Or if you want to buy a three-pack of last year ’ s Eero model , you can do so for just $ 174 ( usually $ 249 ) , which is not the lowest price we have seen the device but is still a good deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger home • You can buy a Ring Alarm kit , which is bundled with a third-gen Echo Dot , for $ 120 at Amazon ( usually $ 200 ) , beating its previous best price by $ 40

Amazon Prime Day 2020 is here, and the retailer has slashed the prices across a slew of items and categories , including Amazon’s own devices. Whether you are looking for a Fire tablet to read ebooks, a Ring device to protect your home, or you simply want to add an Alexa device to a part of your house, here are the best deals on Amazon’s own tech.
A standout deal includes the third-gen Echo Device, which is the lowest it has ever been previously. In addition, a lot of the Echo and smart home deals allow you to add an Amazon smart plug or other accessories for just $5 more. Of course, if you are not a fan of the older Echo Dot design, you can also preorder this year’s Echo Dot model, which features a spherical design with a two-pack costing $80 on Amazon right now.


theverge--2020-10-13--Apple’s new HomePod mini speaker revealed in leaked images

Photos of Apple ’ s next smart speaker , the HomePod mini , have leaked hours ahead of the company @ @ @ @ @ happening today .
The images , published by Evan Blass , reveal a smaller device @ @ @ @ @ though it ’ s still covered in the familiar mesh fabric and has a small @ @ @ @ @ The original HomePod was announced at WWDC 2017 and went on sale in early 2018 @ @ @ @ @ speaker centered on Apple Music and the company ’ s Siri voice assistant .
Since @ @ @ @ @ additional features to the HomePod .
But this new version will presumably cost less and @ @ @ @ @ against Amazon ’ s Echo lineup and new products like the Nest Audio from Google @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be offering new color options beyond the space gray and white that the @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ll have to wait for today ’ s event to learn what sets @ @ @ @ @ the bigger , more powerful original .

Photos of Apple’s next smart speaker, the HomePod mini, have leaked hours ahead of the company’s big product event happening today. The images, published by Evan Blass, reveal a smaller device than the original HomePod — though it’s still covered in the familiar mesh fabric and has a small display at the top.
The original HomePod was announced at WWDC 2017 and went on sale in early 2018, positioned as a high-end speaker centered on Apple Music and the company’s Siri voice assistant. Since then, Apple has added additional features to the HomePod. But this new version will presumably cost less and help the company better compete against Amazon’s Echo lineup and new products like the Nest Audio from Google.


theverge--2020-10-13--Surface Laptop Go review: a case study in cost cutting

I don ’ t hate using the Surface Laptop Go .
It didn ’ t give me any problems .
But I do have an issue with it , philosophically .
I really liked the Surface Laptop 3 ; I ’ m looking forward to an eventual Surface Laptop 4 .
Microsoft hasn ’ t announced one , though .
Instead , it ’ s announced the Surface Laptop Go , a smaller , lower-priced laptop .
It ’ s intended to be a budget option that competes with Chromebooks and other student-y offerings .
There are three models of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can really only see myself recommending one of them in good conscience .
The base model is $ 549 , and it only includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage .
I don ’ t see why you would buy that — even students are going to fill up 64GB in a second , and you can buy budget laptops like the Acer Aspire 3 with twice the RAM and storage ( and a bigger , better screen ) for the same price or the Acer Aspire 5 for just a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 699 ) includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage .
I also have a problem with this one : $ 699 is more than I recommend spending on a laptop for kids ( there are plenty of solid options under $ 400 ) , but I would advise any adults or older students to look for more than 128GB of storage in a Windows laptop .
It ’ s not enough for most people , and you can get at least 256GB for much cheaper .
The only Laptop Go model I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that comes with a steep $ 900 price tag And then there ’ s the model I have , which is the one that actually looks usable on paper .
It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage , in addition to the same quad-core Core i5-1035G1 available across the line .
But it also costs $ 899 , which means it ’ s competing with very good laptops .
And I just don ’ t think it competes well .
Part of the premium is certainly for the Surface @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 2.45 pounds , making it noticeably lighter than the 13-inch Surface Laptop 3 ( 2.89 pounds ) , MacBook Air ( 2.8 pounds ) , and 13-inch MacBook Pro ( 3.1 pounds ) .
That makes it the lightest ever Surface Laptop ; it feels almost weightless .
On the lid is the same lustrous Windows-adjacent logo that adorns other Surface Books , Surface Laptops , and Surface Pros .
But compared to those , the Laptop Go feels a bit like a toy .
The top and keyboard cover are aluminum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Microsoft calls “ polycarbonate composite resin system with glass fiber.
” It ’ s plastic .
The base is made of plastic .
Its rubbery texture reminds me of the outsides of Amazon ’ s Fire HD tablets , which regularly sell for around $ 100 .
The keyboard and touchpad , while very functional , also have a plastic-y texture and feel like budget affairs .
There are a few other areas where Microsoft seems to be cutting some costs .
The keyboard isn ’ t backlit , which is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop .
The camera isn ’ t compatible with Windows Hello .
And the port selection ( the same as the Surface Laptop 3 ’ s ) is limited to Microsoft ’ s proprietary charging port , an audio jack , a USB-C , and a USB-A .
But the biggest area of compromise is the display .
I ’ m generally a huge fan of 3:2 screens , and this display did afford some extra real estate ; I was always able to work in multiple windows and tabs without zooming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has just 1536 x 1024 resolution .
That ’ s better than 720p but really below today ’ s standards .
The 10.5-inch Surface Go 2 offers 1920 x 1280 , and even the 10.1-inch $ 300 Lenovo Chromebook Duet manages 1920 x 1200 .
So in this case , Microsoft hasn ’ t provided a ton of extra vertical screen space .
It ’ s more so shaved the sides off a traditional 1920 x 1080 display .
If you ’ re looking for an excellent 3:2 touchscreen and don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laptop 3 , I highly recommend Acer ’ s $ 629 Chromebook Spin 713 , if Chrome OS meets your needs .
There are some things I like a lot about the Laptop Go .
There ’ s a fingerprint reader built into the power button ( only on the $ 699 and $ 899 spec models ) , which is in a convenient location at the top-right corner of the keyboard , and it works quickly and reliably .
And the audio was also a nice surprise .
It ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much better than I was expecting from such a small product .
The speakers don ’ t get loud enough to replace an external device , but my music sounded nice , and the percussion delivered a nice punch .
The Core i5-1035G1 is a year old at this point , but it ’ s still a competent chip for this type of laptop .
( That ’ s another reason I find the base model bizarre : pairing a processor like this with 64GB of slow eMMC flash storage and a paltry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car engine on a bicycle . )
This system will be just fine for all of your office tasks , emails , video calls , and streaming .
Nothing got hot , and I only ever heard the fans when I was running Adobe Premiere Pro , an uncommon task for this type of computer .
The processor comes with Intel ’ s UHD integrated graphics , which means it ’ s not a good choice for gaming .
Speaking of Premiere Pro , the Laptop Go took an hour and nine minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video .
Obviously , we wouldn ’ t expect a thin-and-light midrange system to do exceptionally well on that task , but the result underscores the fact that you ’ ll want to skip this product if you ever see yourself needing to do demanding work like this .
For context , last year ’ s XPS 13 with a Core i7-10710U and UHD graphics took 24 minutes to complete the same task .
The Go ’ s performance is good , but battery life isn ’ t impressive I ’ d hoped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that ’ s sometimes a perk of small lower-powered devices like this — but I only got six hours and 13 minutes of my daily office workload ( which includes a load of 12 to 24 Chrome tabs and spreadsheets , a couple of apps , including Slack and Spotify , and various downloads ) on Better Battery ( Microsoft ’ s recommended profile ) with the screen around 200 nits of brightness .
That ’ s better than I get with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air but worse than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over seven hours , including the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 .
Microsoft also says the Laptop Go supports fast charging .
My test unit was decent ; it took 52 minutes to charge up to 60 percent with Microsoft ’ s brick .
I ran that test with the computer on to simulate a real-world scenario as best as possible .
The laptop will certainly juice faster while it ’ s off .
There ’ s nothing I hate about the Surface Laptop Go .
It ’ s quite portable , it looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a daily driver for schoolwork or everyday multitasking .
But Microsoft has cut some corners .
And with those corners cut , I don ’ t understand why this laptop is still $ 900 .
At that price , you can buy a number of outstanding laptops that don ’ t compromise nearly as much .
For $ 779 , you can get an HP Envy x360 with the same RAM and storage , a six-core processor with great integrated graphics , all-day battery life , and a standout keyboard and display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get an Acer Swift 3 with 512GB of storage , a 3:2 screen , and way more ports .
If you would consider a Chromebook , the $ 629 Chromebook Spin 713 is excellent in almost every way .
I could go on and on .
All of these computers are a bit heavier than the Go but still quite portable — and they don ’ t ask as many sacrifices in return for that portability .
They all have backlit keyboards , bigger and better displays , better port selections , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Plus , if you ’ re willing to spend a little bit more , you ’ re in the territory of XPS 13s , MacBooks , and Surface Laptop 3s .
( The latter is old enough now that you can snag a sale price on some configurations if you keep an eye out . )
An expensive budget computer is an odd oxymoron It ’ s understandable to cut corners for a good price .
Some ( like the lack of facial recognition ) are understandable at $ 900 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s market .
It ’ s too expensive to compete in the budget space , and it makes too many compromises to rise to the top of the midrange .
When it goes on sale , maybe take another look .

I don’t hate using the Surface Laptop Go. It didn’t give me any problems. But I do have an issue with it, philosophically.
I really liked the Surface Laptop 3; I’m looking forward to an eventual Surface Laptop 4. Microsoft hasn’t announced one, though. Instead, it’s announced the Surface Laptop Go, a smaller, lower-priced laptop. It’s intended to be a budget option that competes with Chromebooks and other student-y offerings.
Well, “budget.” There’s an asterisk.
6 Verge Score Microsoft Surface Laptop Go $ 549.99 The Good Compact and light
3:2 aspect ratio
It has a real processor The Bad No backlit keyboard
Low-resolution screen
Limited port selection $550 at Microsoft How we rate and review products
There are three models of the Surface Laptop Go, and I can really only see myself recommending one of them in good conscience. The base model is $549, and it only includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. I don’t see why you would buy that — even students are going to fill up 64GB in a second, and you can buy budget laptops like the Acer Aspire 3 with twice the RAM and storage (and a bigger, better screen) for the same price or the Acer Aspire 5 for just a bit more. The next model ($699) includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. I also have a problem with this one: $699 is more than I recommend spending on a laptop for kids (there are plenty of solid options under $400), but I would advise any adults or older students to look for more than 128GB of storage in a Windows laptop. It’s not enough for most people, and you can get at least 256GB for much cheaper.
The only Laptop Go model I’d recommend is the top-spec option, but that comes with a steep $900 price tag
And then there’s the model I have, which is the one that actually looks usable on paper. It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, in addition to the same quad-core Core i5-1035G1 available across the line. But it also costs $899, which means it’s competing with very good laptops. And I just don’t think it competes well.
Part of the premium is certainly for the Surface brand and design. The Go weighs just 2.45 pounds, making it noticeably lighter than the 13-inch Surface Laptop 3 (2.89 pounds), MacBook Air (2.8 pounds), and 13-inch MacBook Pro (3.1 pounds). That makes it the lightest ever Surface Laptop; it feels almost weightless.
On the lid is the same lustrous Windows-adjacent logo that adorns other Surface Books, Surface Laptops, and Surface Pros. But compared to those, the Laptop Go feels a bit like a toy. The top and keyboard cover are aluminum, but the base is made of what Microsoft calls “polycarbonate composite resin system with glass fiber.” It’s plastic. The base is made of plastic. Its rubbery texture reminds me of the outsides of Amazon’s Fire HD tablets, which regularly sell for around $100. The keyboard and touchpad, while very functional, also have a plastic-y texture and feel like budget affairs.
There are a few other areas where Microsoft seems to be cutting some costs. The keyboard isn’t backlit, which is a really weird omission from a $900 laptop. The camera isn’t compatible with Windows Hello. And the port selection (the same as the Surface Laptop 3’s) is limited to Microsoft’s proprietary charging port, an audio jack, a USB-C, and a USB-A.
You can stick a USB-C charger into that port as well.
But the biggest area of compromise is the display. I’m generally a huge fan of 3:2 screens, and this display did afford some extra real estate; I was always able to work in multiple windows and tabs without zooming out. That said, the 12.45-inch touchscreen has just 1536 x 1024 resolution. That’s better than 720p but really below today’s standards. The 10.5-inch Surface Go 2 offers 1920 x 1280, and even the 10.1-inch $300 Lenovo Chromebook Duet manages 1920 x 1200. So in this case, Microsoft hasn’t provided a ton of extra vertical screen space. It’s more so shaved the sides off a traditional 1920 x 1080 display. If you’re looking for an excellent 3:2 touchscreen and don’t want to pay extra for the Surface Laptop 3, I highly recommend Acer’s $629 Chromebook Spin 713, if Chrome OS meets your needs.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go specs (as tested) Display: 12.45 inches, 1536 x 1024 (148 ppi) touchscreen, 3:2 aspect ratio
Weight: 2.45lbs (1.11kg)
Processor: Intel Core i5-1035G1
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x
Storage: 256GB SSD
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
Ports: 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, 1 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 Surface Connect port
Price: $899.99
There are some things I like a lot about the Laptop Go. There’s a fingerprint reader built into the power button (only on the $699 and $899 spec models), which is in a convenient location at the top-right corner of the keyboard, and it works quickly and reliably. And the audio was also a nice surprise. It’s about average for laptop speakers, which is much better than I was expecting from such a small product. The speakers don’t get loud enough to replace an external device, but my music sounded nice, and the percussion delivered a nice punch.
The Core i5-1035G1 is a year old at this point, but it’s still a competent chip for this type of laptop. (That’s another reason I find the base model bizarre: pairing a processor like this with 64GB of slow eMMC flash storage and a paltry 4GB of RAM feels like putting a car engine on a bicycle.) This system will be just fine for all of your office tasks, emails, video calls, and streaming. Nothing got hot, and I only ever heard the fans when I was running Adobe Premiere Pro, an uncommon task for this type of computer. The processor comes with Intel’s UHD integrated graphics, which means it’s not a good choice for gaming.
Speaking of Premiere Pro, the Laptop Go took an hour and nine minutes to export a five-minute, 33-second 4K video. Obviously, we wouldn’t expect a thin-and-light midrange system to do exceptionally well on that task, but the result underscores the fact that you’ll want to skip this product if you ever see yourself needing to do demanding work like this. For context, last year’s XPS 13 with a Core i7-10710U and UHD graphics took 24 minutes to complete the same task.
The Go’s performance is good, but battery life isn’t impressive
I’d hoped that we might see great battery life — that’s sometimes a perk of small lower-powered devices like this — but I only got six hours and 13 minutes of my daily office workload (which includes a load of 12 to 24 Chrome tabs and spreadsheets, a couple of apps, including Slack and Spotify, and various downloads) on Better Battery (Microsoft’s recommended profile) with the screen around 200 nits of brightness. That’s better than I get with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air but worse than plenty more powerful laptops that last me over seven hours, including the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3.
The Surface Laptop Go comes in “platinum,” “sandstone,” and “ice blue.” The blue one is pictured here. At the moment, the base model is only available in platinum.
Microsoft also says the Laptop Go supports fast charging. My test unit was decent; it took 52 minutes to charge up to 60 percent with Microsoft’s brick. I ran that test with the computer on to simulate a real-world scenario as best as possible. The laptop will certainly juice faster while it’s off.
AGREE TO CONTINUE: Surface Laptop Go 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 13.5-inch Surface Laptop Go, you have to agree to: Request for your language, region, and keyboard layout
Windows 10 License Agreement
Microsoft account
Windows Hello PIN The following agreements are optional: Connecting to Wi-Fi
Windows Hello fingerprint
Activity History
Sync an Android phone
OneDrive backup
Microsoft 365
Set up Cortana
Privacy settings, including online speech recognition, find my device, inking and typing, advertising ID, location, diagnostic data, and tailored experiences That’s six mandatory agreements and 14 optional ones to use the Surface Laptop Go.
There’s nothing I hate about the Surface Laptop Go. It’s quite portable, it looks nice, and it works just fine as a daily driver for schoolwork or everyday multitasking. But Microsoft has cut some corners. And with those corners cut, I don’t understand why this laptop is still $900.
At that price, you can buy a number of outstanding laptops that don’t compromise nearly as much. For $779, you can get an HP Envy x360 with the same RAM and storage, a six-core processor with great integrated graphics, all-day battery life, and a standout keyboard and display. For $749, you can get an Acer Swift 3 with 512GB of storage, a 3:2 screen, and way more ports. If you would consider a Chromebook, the $629 Chromebook Spin 713 is excellent in almost every way. I could go on and on.
All of these computers are a bit heavier than the Go but still quite portable — and they don’t ask as many sacrifices in return for that portability. They all have backlit keyboards, bigger and better displays, better port selections, and the look and feel of premium competitors.
I don’t mind this laptop. I just don’t understand why it costs so much.
Plus, if you’re willing to spend a little bit more, you’re in the territory of XPS 13s, MacBooks, and Surface Laptop 3s. (The latter is old enough now that you can snag a sale price on some configurations if you keep an eye out.)
An expensive budget computer is an odd oxymoron


theverge--2020-10-13--Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup leaks in full ahead of event

Apple will reveal its latest iPhones in just a few hours , but if you can ’ t wait until the official announcement , all four new phones have leaked in full , thanks to noted phone leaker Evan Blass .
Blass has posted what appear to be official Apple renders for all four new iPhone 12 models , which he claims ( in line with the various rumors ) will be called the iPhone 12 mini , iPhone 12 , iPhone 12 Pro , and iPhone 12 Pro Max .
Unfortunately , Blass ’ renders only show off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it difficult to get a clear view of the new squared-off sides that are said to resemble the iPhone 4 design .
But the images do give a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming announcement .
The new leaks confirm several details about the upcoming phones , including the new blue color coming to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max ( replacing last year ’ s “ midnight green ” hue ) .
Dark gray , white , and gold color options are also set to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look yet at the new LIDAR sensor that will be featured on both devices .
( It ’ s the dark circle underneath the right camera . )
The leaks also confirm that a similar navy shade will be available on both the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 , replacing the light purple shade that Apple offered with the iPhone 11 .
( There ’ ll also be the usual black , white , green , and Project Red options . )
Lastly , the leak gives a proper look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is said to offer the smallest design of any iPhone since the iPhone 5 , one that ’ s even smaller than Apple ’ s 4.7-inch iPhone 6 design ( a design it still uses on the 2020 iPhone SE ) .
While the leaks , unfortunately , lack the scale to give a good comparison just yet , the phone definitely appears to be smaller than the standard iPhone 12 .
Expect plenty more on the new iPhone 12 lineup later today .
Apple ’ s event is set to kick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Apple will reveal its latest iPhones in just a few hours, but if you can’t wait until the official announcement, all four new phones have leaked in full, thanks to noted phone leaker Evan Blass.
Blass has posted what appear to be official Apple renders for all four new iPhone 12 models, which he claims (in line with the various rumors) will be called the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Unfortunately, Blass’ renders only show off the fronts and backs of the devices, making it difficult to get a clear view of the new squared-off sides that are said to resemble the iPhone 4 design. But the images do give a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming announcement.
The new leaks confirm several details about the upcoming phones, including the new blue color coming to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max (replacing last year’s “midnight green” hue). Dark gray, white, and gold color options are also set to return. The pictures also give the best look yet at the new LIDAR sensor that will be featured on both devices. (It’s the dark circle underneath the right camera.)
The leaks also confirm that a similar navy shade will be available on both the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12, replacing the light purple shade that Apple offered with the iPhone 11. (There’ll also be the usual black, white, green, and Project Red options.)
Lastly, the leak gives a proper look at the reportedly 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini, which is said to offer the smallest design of any iPhone since the iPhone 5, one that’s even smaller than Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6 design (a design it still uses on the 2020 iPhone SE). While the leaks, unfortunately, lack the scale to give a good comparison just yet, the phone definitely appears to be smaller than the standard iPhone 12.
Expect plenty more on the new iPhone 12 lineup later today. Apple’s event is set to kick off at 10AM PT / 1PM ET.


theverge--2020-10-13--The best anti-Prime Day 2020 deals

The best anti-Prime Day 2020 deals

You ’ re probably aware that Amazon Prime Day 2020 is underway , the big annual sale full of deals that are exclusive to Prime members .
However , other retailers are putting up some of the year ’ s best deals in response , and you don ’ t need a membership to reap the savings .
Whether you ’ re anti-Amazon or just want to see what ’ s available elsewhere , we ’ ve pulled together the best deals happening at retailers like Walmart , Best Buy , GameStop , the Microsoft Store , Newegg , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this post with new links once they go live and striking through products that have sold out .
The products listed below have never been more affordable .
Products that didn ’ t meet that bar aren ’ t included in this post .
• Get a Google Nest Hub Max smart display and the new Chromecast with Google TV for $ 245 at Target ( usually $ 280 together ) • Apple ’ s latest iPad with 32GB of storage is $ 300 at Walmart ( usually $ 329 ) , coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 295 at Amazon • Samsung ’ s 11-inch Chromebook 4 is $ 200 at Walmart ( usually $ 250 , sold out at this price at Amazon ) • Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are $ 175 at Best Buy ( usually $ 250 ) , matching Amazon ’ s Prime Day 2020 price • Sony ’ s WH-1000XM4 wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 298 at Best Buy ( usually $ 350 ) , matching Amazon ’ s price • Bose ’ s QuietComfort 35 II wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 199 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , matching Amazon ’ s Prime Day 2020 price • Sony ’ s WH-1000XM4 wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 298 at Best Buy ( usually $ 350 ) , matching Amazon ’ s price • Apple ’ s AirPods with a wireless charging case are $ 160 at Walmart and Target ( usually $ 200 ) • Apple ’ s AirPods Pro are $ 200 at Walmart ( usually $ 250 ) • Beats Studio 3 over-ear wireless headphones with noise cancellation are $ 200 at Target ( usually $ 350 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ newer Solo Pro on-ear noise-canceling headphones are $ 180 at Best Buy ( usually $ 300 ) • Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are $ 175 in the beige or black colors at Best Buy ( usually $ 250 ) , matching Amazon ’ s Prime Day 2020 price .
Other colors are $ 200 • JVC ’ s 55-inch 4K TV with Roku software built in is $ 248 at Walmart , beating the lowest price yet by around $ 20 .
This model normally sells for $ 400 .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV ( QN55Q60TAFXZA ) is $ 598 at Best Buy , matching the lowest price yet .
This model usually sells for $ 700 .
• Samsung ’ s 55-inch Q90T QLED 4K TV ( QN55Q90TAFXZA ) is $ 1,298 at Best Buy , beating the previous lowest price by about $ 125 .
The regular price is $ 1,500 .
• Sony ’ s 55-inch OLED 4K TV ( XBR55A8H ) is $ 1,300 at Best Buy , beating the previous best price by $ 200 .
This model regularly sells for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50-inch 4-series 4K TV with Android TV software built in ( 50S434 ) is $ 230 at Best Buy , beating the previous best price by $ 50 .
This model usually sells for $ 280 .
• Samsung ’ s 70-inch 4K TV ( UN70TU6980FXZA ) is $ 530 at Best Buy , beating the previous best price by $ 220 .
It usually sells for $ 750 .
Find more excellent deals on TVs right here • Hyperdrive ’ s USB-C 6-in-1 hub for the iPad Pro is $ 63 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , beating its previous best price of $ 93 • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Tab S7 ( 128GB ) is $ 550 at Best Buy , beating its usual price by $ 100 • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus ( 128GB ) is $ 750 at Best Buy , beating its usual price by $ 100 • Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite ( 64GB ) is $ 250 at Best Buy ( usually $ 350 ) , beating its lowest price by $ 30 • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Book Flex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is $ 1,200 at Best Buy , beating the usual price by $ 200 • Lenovo ’ s Yoga C940 laptop ( 4K , i7 , 16GB RAM , 512GB ) is $ 1,200 at Best Buy ( usually $ 1,500 ) , which is $ 200 lower than its previous best price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Book Ion is $ 1,000 at the Microsoft Store ( usually $ 1,100 ) , beating its lowest price by $ 50 • Apple ’ s latest iPad with 32GB of storage is $ 300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coming close to beating the best-ever price of $ 295 at Amazon • Samsung ’ s 11-inch Chromebook 4 is $ 200 at Walmart ( usually $ 250 ) • A one-year PlayStation Plus subscription costs just $ 30 at CDKeys.com ( usually $ 60 ) • The Last of Us Part II ( standard edition ) is $ 40 at Best Buy ( usually $ 60 ) • The Asus TUF B550M-Plus PCIe 4.0 Micro ATX gaming motherboard that supports AMD ’ s AM4 CPU sockets is $ 128 at Newegg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon ’ s own price during Prime Day 2020 • Zotac ’ s compact GeForce RTX 2060 6GB graphics card is $ 290 at Newegg after you use the offer code ( usually $ 340 ) , beating the lowest price of $ 300 • EVGA ’ s 750W 80 Plus Gold modular desktop power supply is $ 100 at Newegg , which is $ 30 off of its usual price • Corsair Vengeance 32GB ( 2 x 16GB ) 288-pin DDR4 3600 RAM is $ 120 at Newegg ( usually $ 140 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NVMe M.2 SSD is $ 32 at B & H Photo ( usually $ 65 ) • Garmin ’ s Fenix 5X Plus GPS smartwatch is $ 400 at Best Buy ( usually $ 600 ) , which is $ 100 lower than the previous best price • The Apple Watch Series 3 smartwatch ( 38mm , GPS ) is $ 169 at Walmart ( usually $ 189 ) • Sony ’ s ZV 1 camera is $ 700 at Best Buy , which is steeply discounted from its usual $ 800 price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is $ 280 at B & H Photo , beating Amazon ’ s price of $ 300 at Amazon for the model that includes a charging case .
This is $ 120 less than its usual price .
• Get a Google Nest Hub Max smart display and the new Chromecast with Google TV for $ 245 at Target ( usually $ 280 together )

You’re probably aware that Amazon Prime Day 2020 is in its final day, the big annual sale full of deals that are exclusive to Prime members. However, other retailers are putting up some of the year’s best deals in response, and you don’t need a membership to reap the savings. Whether you’re anti-Amazon or just want to see what’s available elsewhere, we’ve pulled together the best deals happening at retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, the Microsoft Store, Newegg, and more.


theverge--2020-10-13--The best headphone deals you can get during Prime Day 2020

Amazon Prime Day 2020 has brought several good deals on headphones of all kinds , including Sony ’ s new WH-1000XM4 wireless over-ear model that has some of the best noise cancellation on the market .
That particular set of headphones usually costs $ 350 and hasn ’ t seen as big of a price drop as it has today at Amazon .
If you have a Prime membership , you can pick up a set for $ 298 , and it will come with a $ 25 Amazon gift card with purchase .
Best Buy is offering the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the gift card with the purchase .
Compared to the older 1000XM3s , this new model features the ability to pair two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth , and its updated mics should make calls clearer , according to my colleague Chris Welch ’ s review .
Sony ’ s latest headphones are the best value so far in Prime Day , but there are plenty of other deals you should know about : • Bose ’ s QuietComfort 35 Series II wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than their previous best price • Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are $ 175 at Amazon ( usually $ 250 ) , falling $ 25 below their lowest price yet .
They ’ re the same price at Best Buy .
• Apple AirPods with a wired charging case are $ 115 at Amazon ( usually $ 125 ) , beating the lowest price by $ 10 • Amazon ’ s Echo Buds are $ 80 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , beating the lowest price yet by $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with noise cancellation are $ 200 at Target ( usually $ 350 ) , matching the best-ever price • Beats ’ newer Solo Pro on-ear noise-canceling headphones are $ 180 at Best Buy ( usually $ 300 ) • Razer Opus wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 180 at Amazon ( usually $ 200 ) , matching their best-ever price • Sony ’ s WHXB900N wireless headphones are $ 123 at Amazon ( usually $ 248 ) , matching the lowest price we ’ ve seen yet • Sony ’ s WHCH710N wireless headphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 200 ) , beating the previous lowest price by $ 10

Amazon Prime Day 2020 has brought several good deals on headphones of all kinds, including Sony’s new WH-1000XM4 wireless over-ear model that has some of the best noise cancellation on the market. That particular set of headphones usually costs $350 and hasn’t seen as big of a price drop as it has today at Amazon. If you have a Prime membership, you can pick up a set for $298, and it will come with a $25 Amazon gift card with purchase. Best Buy is offering the same price, and you’ll get a gift card to that store with the purchase.


theverge--2020-10-13--Watch Blue Origin launch and land a New Shepard rocket on its seventh trip to space

This morning , Jeff Bezos ’ space company Blue Origin is set to conduct another test launch of its New Shepard rocket , a reusable vehicle designed to take paying tourists to the edge of space and back .
Just like New Shepard test flights of the past , no people will be on board this trip , but the rocket will be carrying a dozen research payloads to space for NASA .
Today ’ s test will mark the 13th launch of the New Shepard program and the seventh overall flight for this particular rocket .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Shepard fleet has seen any action , with the last test flight ( featuring the same rocket launching today ) taking place back in December 2019 .
In April , at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US , the company had hoped to conduct another New Shepard test launch , despite concerns voiced by employees at the time .
That launch was ultimately delayed , and Blue Origin waited until late September to try again , though it had to push the launch back until this week due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long downtime , New Shepard appears ready to fly again Now , after the long downtime , New Shepard appears ready to fly again , with multiple experiments in tow to be tested out in space .
Typically , these experiments ride inside the New Shepard crew capsule , perched on top of the rocket , but one NASA experiment will actually remain mounted to the outside of the rocket for the entire flight .
Called “ Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution , ” or SPLICE for short , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and software that NASA has developed to help future crewed and robotic spacecraft land on the Moon .
Throughout the New Shepard flight , NASA will determine how well the technology works as the rocket flies to space and then attempts to land gently back down on Earth .
New Shepard ’ s flight profile makes it a great testbed for trying out lunar landing technologies , says NASA .
The rocket takes off vertically from the ground , flying up to around 62 miles high , where any passengers inside would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landers also experience microgravity and the vacuum of space before touching down on the Moon . )
After reaching space , the crew capsule detaches from the rest of the rocket , and both vehicles fall back down to Earth .
A series of parachutes deploy to land the crew capsule safely on the ground while the rocket reignites its engine to land upright .
Lunar landers also employ similar landing techniques on the Moon , using onboard engines to slow down and touch down gently on the lunar surface .
During that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SPLICE experiment will be collecting a whole lot of data .
If all goes well , SPLICE ’ s software and instruments could help future crewed landers land more precisely on parts of the Moon .
In fact , it ’ s a tool that could be helpful for Blue Origin ’ s own lunar lander , Blue Moon , which the company is developing for NASA ’ s Artemis program .
“ Precision landing is critical for a sustainable lunar future that builds a lunar base with successive missions , ” Brent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs at Blue Origin , said in a statement .
“ On New Shepard together with NASA , we are demonstrating in flight the capabilities America can use to conduct lunar exploration.
” Along with SPLICE , New Shepard will also be carrying payloads from John Hopkins University , Southwest Research Institute , the University of Florida , and more .
The rocket will also hold tens of thousands of postcards written by students , arranged by Club for the Future , Blue Origin ’ s nonprofit , which will be returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these tests are , the ultimate goal of the New Shepard program is to fly people As crucial as these tests are , the ultimate goal of the New Shepard program is to fly people to space and back .
Blue Origin envisions flying paying tourists on the rocket , but NASA is also pursuing ways to fly research scientists and NASA astronauts on New Shepard .
Blue Origin still has a ways to go before that happens , though .
At the start of this year , Blue Origin hoped to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company first has to fly the fourth iteration of its New Shepard rocket , which still hasn ’ t flown yet .
That vehicle is the one that will supposedly carry the first passengers , and the company has not given a timeline for when it will be ready .
In the meantime , Blue Origin is focused on today ’ s flight , and the company says it ’ s taking necessary safety precautions ahead of the launch .
“ Safety is our highest priority , ” a Blue Origin spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always take the time to get it right to ensure our vehicle is ironclad and the test environment is safe for launch operations.
” When it comes to keeping people safe during the pandemic , “ all mission crew supporting this launch are exercising strict social distancing and safety measures to mitigate COVID-19 risks to personnel , customers , and surrounding communities , ” the spokesperson said .
Takeoff is scheduled for 9:35AM ET out of Blue Origin ’ s launch facility in West Texas .
The flight should last just about 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Origin plans to start live-streaming the launch roughly 30 minutes before takeoff and will provide updates on its Twitter account .

Update October 13th, 9:53AM ET: New Shepard successfully took off at 9:36AM ET, climbing to a height of about 66 miles up. Both the rocket and crew capsule returned safely to Earth following the flight.
Original story: This morning, Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin is set to conduct another test launch of its New Shepard rocket, a reusable vehicle designed to take paying tourists to the edge of space and back. Just like New Shepard test flights of the past, no people will be on board this trip, but the rocket will be carrying a dozen research payloads to space for NASA.
Today’s test will mark the 13th launch of the New Shepard program and the seventh overall flight for this particular rocket. But it’s been a long time since the New Shepard fleet has seen any action, with the last test flight (featuring the same rocket launching today) taking place back in December 2019. In April, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, the company had hoped to conduct another New Shepard test launch, despite concerns voiced by employees at the time. That launch was ultimately delayed, and Blue Origin waited until late September to try again, though it had to push the launch back until this week due to a power supply issue.
After a long downtime, New Shepard appears ready to fly again
Now, after the long downtime, New Shepard appears ready to fly again, with multiple experiments in tow to be tested out in space. Typically, these experiments ride inside the New Shepard crew capsule, perched on top of the rocket, but one NASA experiment will actually remain mounted to the outside of the rocket for the entire flight. Called “Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution,” or SPLICE for short, this payload is equipped with sensors, instruments, and software that NASA has developed to help future crewed and robotic spacecraft land on the Moon. Throughout the New Shepard flight, NASA will determine how well the technology works as the rocket flies to space and then attempts to land gently back down on Earth.
New Shepard’s flight profile makes it a great testbed for trying out lunar landing technologies, says NASA. The rocket takes off vertically from the ground, flying up to around 62 miles high, where any passengers inside would experience microgravity. (Similarly, lunar landers also experience microgravity and the vacuum of space before touching down on the Moon.) After reaching space, the crew capsule detaches from the rest of the rocket, and both vehicles fall back down to Earth. A series of parachutes deploy to land the crew capsule safely on the ground while the rocket reignites its engine to land upright. Lunar landers also employ similar landing techniques on the Moon, using onboard engines to slow down and touch down gently on the lunar surface. During that descent and landing, NASA’s SPLICE experiment will be collecting a whole lot of data.
The New Shepard rocket with NASA’s SPLICE experiment mounted on the outside. Two white sensor packages are attached to the bottom of the ring fin. Image: Blue Origin
If all goes well, SPLICE’s software and instruments could help future crewed landers land more precisely on parts of the Moon. In fact, it’s a tool that could be helpful for Blue Origin’s own lunar lander, Blue Moon, which the company is developing for NASA’s Artemis program. “Precision landing is critical for a sustainable lunar future that builds a lunar base with successive missions,” Brent Sherwood, vice president of advanced development programs at Blue Origin, said in a statement. “On New Shepard together with NASA, we are demonstrating in flight the capabilities America can use to conduct lunar exploration.”
Along with SPLICE, New Shepard will also be carrying payloads from John Hopkins University, Southwest Research Institute, the University of Florida, and more. The rocket will also hold tens of thousands of postcards written by students, arranged by Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s nonprofit, which will be returned to their senders later.
As crucial as these tests are, the ultimate goal of the New Shepard program is to fly people
As crucial as these tests are, the ultimate goal of the New Shepard program is to fly people to space and back. Blue Origin envisions flying paying tourists on the rocket, but NASA is also pursuing ways to fly research scientists and NASA astronauts on New Shepard. Blue Origin still has a ways to go before that happens, though. At the start of this year, Blue Origin hoped to conduct crewed test flights in 2020. But the company first has to fly the fourth iteration of its New Shepard rocket, which still hasn’t flown yet. That vehicle is the one that will supposedly carry the first passengers, and the company has not given a timeline for when it will be ready.
In the meantime, Blue Origin is focused on today’s flight, and the company says it’s taking necessary safety precautions ahead of the launch. “Safety is our highest priority,” a Blue Origin spokesperson said in a statement. “We always take the time to get it right to ensure our vehicle is ironclad and the test environment is safe for launch operations.” When it comes to keeping people safe during the pandemic, “all mission crew supporting this launch are exercising strict social distancing and safety measures to mitigate COVID-19 risks to personnel, customers, and surrounding communities,” the spokesperson said.


theverge--2020-10-13--Best Prime Day deals for upgrading your PC setup

Have you recently purchased a gaming PC ?
Are you looking to buy some new equipment for working from home ?
Amazon ’ s Prime Day event has a ton of great accessories that will spice up your PC setup .
Whether you ’ re looking to find a new gaming mouse or keyboard for your rig , a hard drive to bulk up your computer ’ s storage , or an extra-wide monitor for getting work done , the online retailer has you covered .
There are even some motherboards on sale for bringing new life to old systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that features several more product categories .
• SteelSeries ’ Arctis Pro + GameDAC wired gaming headset is $ 140 at Amazon ( usually $ 250 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Logitech ’ s G502 SE Hero wired gaming mouse is $ 28 at Amazon ( usually $ 50 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Corsair ’ s Void RGB Elite wired gaming headset is $ 55 at Amazon ( usually $ 80 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Basilisk X Hyperspeed wireless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( usually $ 56 ) , matching the best-ever price • Razer ’ s DeathAdder V2 wired gaming mouse is $ 56 at Amazon ( usually $ 70 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Basilisk V2 wired gaming mouse is $ 64 at Amazon ( usually $ 80 ) , matching the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Naga Trinity wired gaming mouse is $ 60 at Amazon ( usually $ 74 ) • Razer ’ s Huntsman TE tenkeyless wired gaming keyboard is $ 90 at Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Mamba wireless gaming mouse is $ 60 at Amazon ( usually $ 89 ) • Razer ’ s Viper Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $ 100 at Amazon ( usually $ 130 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Basilisk Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $ 100 at Amazon ( usually $ 150 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Das Keyboards is knocking 15 percent off all of their mechanical keyboards at Amazon • ViewSonic ’ s 27-inch XG2760 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 165Hz refresh rate , 1ms response time ) is $ 385 at Amazon ( usually $ 550 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Western Digital ’ s SN750 2TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD is $ 249 at Amazon ( usually $ 310 ) , lower than the best-ever price • SanDisk ’ s 1TB Plus SATA SSD is $ 88 at Amazon ( usually $ 110 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Toshiba ’ s 4TB Canvio portable hard drive is $ 80 at Amazon ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best-ever price • Samsung ’ s 1TB 860 Pro SATA SSD is $ 200 at Amazon ( usually $ 280 ) , lower than the best-ever price • LaCie ’ s 5TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $ 115 at Amazon ( usually $ 165 ) , lower than the best-ever price • LaCie ’ s 2TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $ 62 at Amazon ( usually $ 96 ) , lower than the best-ever price • The Asus TUF B550M-Plus PCIe 4.0 Micro ATX gaming motherboard that supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 128 at Newegg ( usually $ 155 ) , matching Amazon ’ s own price during Prime Day 2020 • The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite PCIe 4.0 ATX gaming motherboard that supports AMD ’ s AM4 CPU sockets is $ 160 at Amazon ( usually $ 195 ) , lower than the best-ever price Zotac ’ s compact GeForce RTX 2060 6GB graphics card is $ 290 at Newegg ( usually $ 340 ) , beating the lowest price of $ 300 EVGA ’ s 750W 80 Plus Gold modular desktop power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is $ 30 off of its usual price Corsair Vengeance 32GB ( 2 x 16GB ) 288-pin DDR4 3600 RAM is $ 120 at Newegg ( usually $ 140 )

Have you recently purchased a gaming PC? Are you looking to buy some new equipment for working from home? Amazon’s Prime Day event has a ton of great accessories that will spice up your PC setup.
Whether you’re looking to find a new gaming mouse or keyboard for your rig, a hard drive to bulk up your computer’s storage, or an extra-wide monitor for getting work done, the online retailer has you covered. There are even some motherboards on sale for bringing new life to old systems. Check out our main deal post that features several more product categories.


theverge--2020-10-13--Best Prime Day 2020 deals on Chromebooks and Windows laptops

If you are looking for a new Windows laptop or Chromebook , whether it ’ s for school , video meetings with friends , or even for your new work from home setup , you might want to consider taking a peek at Amazon ’ s Prime Day sales .
The online retail giant ( along with a few of its competitors ) has a bunch of laptops on sale that should fit most budgets .
Amazon has slashed the prices on laptops from several manufacturers , including Acer , Asus , Razer , and Samsung .
Prices on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as specs , configuration , and screen size .
But fortunately , most of the better laptop deals we ’ ve found won ’ t burn a major hole in your wallet .
• Asus ZenBook Duo UX481 is $ 1,000 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,300 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Book Flex ( 12GB , i7 , 512GB ) is $ 1,200 at Best Buy ( usually $ 1,400 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Samsung ’ s Galaxy Book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft Store ( usually $ 1,200 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Gigabyte ’ s Aero 15 ( i7-9750H , GTX 1660 Ti , 16GB RAM , 512GB PCIe SSD , UHD OLED panel ) is $ 1,150 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,900 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Lenovo ’ s Yoga C940 laptop ( 4K , i7 , 16GB RAM , 512GB ) is $ 1,200 at Best Buy ( usually $ 1,600 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Blade 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max-Q , 300Hz refresh rate , 16GB RAM , 512GB SSD ) is $ 2,100 at Amazon ( usually $ 2,600 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Razer ’ s Blade 15 Base edition ( i7-10750H , GTX 1660 Ti , 144Hz refresh rate , 16GB RAM , 256GB SSD ) is $ 1,300 at Amazon ( usually $ 1,600 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is $ 400 at Amazon ( usually $ 500 ) , lower than the best-ever price • Samsung ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Walmart ( usually $ 250 )

If you are looking for a new Windows laptop or Chromebook, whether it’s for school, video meetings with friends, or even for your new work from home setup, you might want to consider taking a peek at the post-Prime Day sales. The online retail giant (along with a few of its competitors) has a bunch of laptops on sale that should fit most budgets.


theverge--2020-10-13--The iPhone 12’s mysterious groove is a 5G mmWave antenna window — and it’s exclusive to the US

Apple has announced its very first 5G iPhones : the iPhone 12 , iPhone 12 Mini , iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max .
They range in price from $ 729 to well north of $ 1,100 , but — as Apple proudly announced during the press conference — even the Mini offers access to speedy millimeter-wave ( mmWave ) 5G networks .
As it turns out , that ’ s why each new iPhone features this conspicuous groove along the right edge .
It ’ s a special window for mmWave signals , and it appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and perhaps avoid holding it there for maximum signal strength .
Intriguingly , though , it doesn ’ t seem to be a feature of iPhones that will be sold elsewhere in the world .
Here ’ s the same iPhone 12 Mini picture from Apple UK : And here ’ s a comparison image I whipped up of the iPhone 12 Pro Max from Apple ’ s US and UK websites , respectively : There ’ s a simple explanation behind the missing window , though : the iPhone 12 doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
If you peruse Apple ’ s frequency bands page , you ’ ll see that compatibility with bands n260 and n261 are simply missing everywhere else in the world .
Honestly , I ’ m not sure it ’ s a huge loss .
mmWave 5G does offer far higher speeds than the “ nationwide ” flavor of low-band 5G that you ’ ll also find rolling out today , but the only other consistent thing about mmWave is its inconsistency , since even outdoors , you might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the next .
5G isn ’ t a good reason to buy an iPhone this year , period .
mmWave definitely isn ’ t .
But even if you are looking forward to the multi-gigabit theoretical speeds of mmWave in your area because you live right underneath a tower , you probably shouldn ’ t worry about another “ antennagate ” just because Apple felt the need to add this tiny window to its phones .
For one thing , Apple ’ s spent years building antennas into the bands of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s already lived through that first scandal .
For another , modern phones don ’ t rely that heavily on a single band to send and receive your calls , and mmWave adds additional bands to your phone .
Lastly , you are also now armed with the knowledge of exactly where that mmWave window is .

Apple has announced its very first 5G iPhones: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. They range in price from $729 to well north of $1,100, but — as Apple proudly announced during the press conference — even the Mini offers access to speedy millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G networks.
As it turns out, that’s why each new iPhone features this conspicuous groove along the right edge. It’s a special window for mmWave signals, and it appears to be designed so users can visibly see it and perhaps avoid holding it there for maximum signal strength.
Intriguingly, though, it doesn’t seem to be a feature of iPhones that will be sold elsewhere in the world. Here’s the same iPhone 12 Mini picture from Apple UK:
Notice anything missing? Image: Apple
And here’s a comparison image I whipped up of the iPhone 12 Pro Max from Apple’s US and UK websites, respectively:
Images: Apple
There’s a simple explanation behind the missing window, though: the iPhone 12 doesn’t support mmWave 5G outside of the United States. If you peruse Apple’s frequency bands page, you’ll see that compatibility with bands n260 and n261 are simply missing everywhere else in the world.
Honestly, I’m not sure it’s a huge loss. mmWave 5G does offer far higher speeds than the “nationwide” flavor of low-band 5G that you’ll also find rolling out today, but the only other consistent thing about mmWave is its inconsistency, since even outdoors, you might not find a signal from one street corner to the next. 5G isn’t a good reason to buy an iPhone this year, period. mmWave definitely isn’t.
But even if you are looking forward to the multi-gigabit theoretical speeds of mmWave in your area because you live right underneath a tower, you probably shouldn’t worry about another “antennagate” just because Apple felt the need to add this tiny window to its phones. For one thing, Apple’s spent years building antennas into the bands of other phones without issues, and it’s already lived through that first scandal.


theverge--2020-10-13--The $299 Oculus Quest 2 VR headset starts shipping today

The Oculus Quest 2 , Facebook ’ s new virtual reality headset , has started shipping today .
The Quest 2 is a cheaper , revamped version of the original 2019 Quest .
It ’ s got the same untethered standalone design but with a new chipset and a big bump in screen resolution and controller battery life .
And it ’ s starting at $ 299 for the base 64GB model and $ 399 for a 256GB version , a $ 100 drop from the original Quest .
Quest 2 preorders have been open since September , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site and stores like Best Buy and Walmart , with a full list of retailers in Oculus ’ announcement post .
It was difficult to buy an original Quest over much of the past year , thanks to persistent supply problems , but the Quest 2 still appears to be widely in stock .
As we wrote in September , the Quest 2 improves some of the Quest ’ s biggest shortcomings , particularly its weight and balance problems , as long as you pay the extra $ 49 for an alternate head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ library since the original Quest ’ s launch , and it ’ s got a slate of upcoming games promised for later this year .
The only potential catch is that you ’ ll need a Facebook account — not just a separate Oculus account — to use it .
The Quest 2 is replacing the original Quest , and starting next year , it ’ s going to be Facebook ’ s only headset , since the tethered Rift S will be discontinued in the spring .
The product still has some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and upcoming HP Reverb G2 .
But if you ’ re looking for relatively cheap VR that doesn ’ t require a PC , the Quest is in a unique position — and now , it ’ s on sale .

The Oculus Quest 2, Facebook’s new virtual reality headset, has started shipping today. The Quest 2 is a cheaper, revamped version of the original 2019 Quest. It’s got the same untethered standalone design but with a new chipset and a big bump in screen resolution and controller battery life. And it’s starting at $299 for the base 64GB model and $399 for a 256GB version, a $100 drop from the original Quest.
Quest 2 preorders have been open since September, and it’s available through Oculus’ own site and stores like Best Buy and Walmart, with a full list of retailers in Oculus’ announcement post. It was difficult to buy an original Quest over much of the past year, thanks to persistent supply problems, but the Quest 2 still appears to be widely in stock.
As we wrote in September, the Quest 2 improves some of the Quest’s biggest shortcomings, particularly its weight and balance problems, as long as you pay the extra $49 for an alternate head strap. Oculus has also expanded its library since the original Quest’s launch, and it’s got a slate of upcoming games promised for later this year. The only potential catch is that you’ll need a Facebook account — not just a separate Oculus account — to use it.


theverge--2020-10-13--All of the best Prime Day kitchen deals (so far)

The sixth-annual Prime Day has arrived — a few months later than last year , but just in time to kick off what ’ s possibly the earliest holiday shopping season in history .
All those deals can be overwhelming , but we at the Strategist ( as well as our friends at The Cut ) are here to help suss out the best deals worth taking advantage of .
And Prime Day always presents a , well , prime opportunity to secure one-of-a-kind deals on kitchen items and top-of-the-line appliances , whether that ’ s finally springing for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baking abilities or investing in an Instant Pot that can replace your takeout habit .
Note that everything will be on sale only until supplies last , so don ’ t dillydally — and be sure to bookmark our Prime Day hub and follow us on Twitter for any updates .
We ’ ll be updating frequently .
( And remember : You need to be a Prime member to snag all deals . )
We ’ re done updating this post for today , but we ’ ll be back bright and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to share even more Prime Day deals .
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful , expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape .
Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments , rolling luggage , pillows for side sleepers , natural anxiety remedies , and bath towels .
We update links when possible , but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change .

We sifted through the deals to find the products actually worth shopping this Prime Day. Illustration: Pedro Nekoi
The sixth-annual Prime Day has arrived — a few months later than last year, but just in time to kick off what’s possibly the earliest holiday shopping season in history. All those deals can be overwhelming, but we at the Strategist (as well as our friends at The Cut) are here to help suss out the best deals worth taking advantage of. And Prime Day always presents a, well, prime opportunity to secure one-of-a-kind deals on kitchen items and top-of-the-line appliances, whether that’s finally springing for the stand mixer that’ll revolutionize your baking abilities or investing in an Instant Pot that can replace your takeout habit.
Be sure to bookmark our Prime Day hub and follow us on Twitter for updates. And keep in mind that Prime Day is winding down, and all of the deals will end tonight — so beware of stock and price changes. (Finally, remember: You need to be a Prime member to snag all deals.)
Cookware
Small appliances
Coffee and Tea
Storage
Dishware and silverware
Cutlery
Glassware
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The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.


theverge--2020-10-13--AMC Theaters warns that it could run out of cash by the end of 2020

AMC Theaters is warning investors that without a steady flow of movies to bring people into the remaining theaters it has open , the company could run out of cash by the end of 2020 .
It ’ s no surprise that the theater industry is hurting .
Nearly every major blockbuster ( movies that could get people to possibly visit a theater mid-pandemic ) has been pushed back to 2021 , and the theaters still open are operating at reduced capacities .
The results aren ’ t great ; Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release — failed to perform in the United States , where theaters in major markets like New York City and Los Angeles remain closed .
The next big film is Wonder Woman 1984 , and there ’ s always a chance that could move from its current December 25th release date .
To try to avoid the potentially devastating financial impact the ongoing pandemic will have on its business , AMC is laying out a few potential ways of raising cash , according to public documents filed today .
This includes continuing negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations , starting joint ventures with other business partners , and potentially selling off assets .
As it stands right now , however , “ at the existing cash burn rate , [ AMC ] anticipates that existing cash resources would be largely depleted by the end of 2020 or early 2021.
” “ Our ability to be predictive is uncertain due to the unknown magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
” AMC ’ s chief financial officer , Sean Goodman , is also warning investors via public documents that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aforementioned potential sources of additional liquidity may not actually happen — or , he continued , even if AMC Theaters raises some form of liquidity through those potential avenues , it won ’ t be enough to offset AMC ’ s losses .
Effectively , Goodman is letting investors know that it ’ s extremely difficult to predict anything right now , and there “ can be no assurance ” that any of the plans listed above can correctly solve the problem .
“ Our ability to be predictive is uncertain due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic , ” the documents read .
AMC Theaters isn ’ t the only company facing an increasingly worrisome future .
Regal , which is owned by Cineworld , announced last week that it would shut down its theaters for the time being .
Doing so would cut costs , which CEO Mooky Greidinger told CNBC were increasing by keeping theaters open .
AMC Theaters is currently only operating locations that are open at about 20–40 percent capacity .
That represents approximately 83 percent of theaters in the US , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , attendance at theaters is down 85 percent year over year .
One of the biggest uncertainties theater chains like AMC face is being unable to predict consumer behavior .
Even if theaters open en masse next year , studios could continue delaying movies if people remain at home .
Studios like Disney , Warner Bros. , and Universal could move their titles to streaming services .
AMC Theaters is working with Universal to shorten the theatrical window to just 17 days , which will allow Universal to sell it directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give AMC Theaters a portion of the revenue .

AMC Theaters is warning investors that without a steady flow of movies to bring people into the remaining theaters it has open, the company could run out of cash by the end of 2020.
It’s no surprise that the theater industry is hurting. Nearly every major blockbuster (movies that could get people to possibly visit a theater mid-pandemic) has been pushed back to 2021, and the theaters still open are operating at reduced capacities. The results aren’t great; Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet — the one notable blockbuster a studio tried to release — failed to perform in the United States, where theaters in major markets like New York City and Los Angeles remain closed. The next big film is Wonder Woman 1984, and there’s always a chance that could move from its current December 25th release date.
To try to avoid the potentially devastating financial impact the ongoing pandemic will have on its business, AMC is laying out a few potential ways of raising cash, according to public documents filed today. This includes continuing negotiations with landlords over lease payments on theater locations, starting joint ventures with other business partners, and potentially selling off assets. As it stands right now, however, “at the existing cash burn rate, [AMC] anticipates that existing cash resources would be largely depleted by the end of 2020 or early 2021.”
“Our ability to be predictive is uncertain due to the unknown magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
AMC’s chief financial officer, Sean Goodman, is also warning investors via public documents that there is “a significant risk” that the aforementioned potential sources of additional liquidity may not actually happen — or, he continued, even if AMC Theaters raises some form of liquidity through those potential avenues, it won’t be enough to offset AMC’s losses. Effectively, Goodman is letting investors know that it’s extremely difficult to predict anything right now, and there “can be no assurance” that any of the plans listed above can correctly solve the problem.
“Our ability to be predictive is uncertain due to the unknown magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the documents read.
AMC Theaters isn’t the only company facing an increasingly worrisome future. Regal, which is owned by Cineworld, announced last week that it would shut down its theaters for the time being. Doing so would cut costs, which CEO Mooky Greidinger told CNBC were increasing by keeping theaters open. AMC Theaters is currently only operating locations that are open at about 20–40 percent capacity. That represents approximately 83 percent of theaters in the US, according to the company. Since resuming business, however, attendance at theaters is down 85 percent year over year.


theverge--2020-10-13--NASA astronaut set to launch on Russian rocket as US transitions to private spacecraft

A new crew of three astronauts are launching to the International Space Station late tonight , blasting off on a Russian Soyuz rocket out of Kazakhstan .
The trio are heading to the station about a month ahead of SpaceX ’ s next crewed Dragon launch , which will bring another set of four astronauts aboard the ISS in mid-November .
Heading up on this Soyuz flight are two Russian cosmonauts — Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov — and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins , on her second trip to space .
The trio will join three crew members who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy .
However , their living arrangement won ’ t last long .
Cassidy and his cosmonaut crew mates are slated to head back to Earth on October 21st , riding inside the Soyuz capsule that brought them to the space station .
Just a few weeks later , in early- to mid-November , Rubins and her team are set to welcome the four-member crew of SpaceX ’ s first operational Crew Dragon mission , called Crew-1 .
That flight will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Victor Glover , and Shannon Walker — and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to the ISS for a six-month stay .
Their arrival on SpaceX ’ s new passenger vehicle will bring the total population of the ISS to seven — a larger cohort than usual for the ISS , which has typically held six-person crews since the end of the Space Shuttle program .
Rubins ’ flight on the Soyuz comes amid a time of transition Rubins ’ flight on the Soyuz comes amid a time of transition in NASA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight of the Space Shuttle in 2011 , the only way NASA astronauts could get to the station was on Russia ’ s Soyuz rocket .
But through NASA ’ s Commercial Crew Program , two private companies — SpaceX and Boeing — have been developing their own space capsules to take NASA astronauts to and from the space station .
In May , SpaceX demonstrated that its Crew Dragon spacecraft could safely ferry astronauts to and from the station when it delivered two NASA crew members to the ISS .
Boeing ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled for next year .
SpaceX and Boeing ’ s vehicles were supposed to be ready as early as 2017 , but their development programs suffered from years of delays .
In the meantime , NASA continued to purchase seats on Russia ’ s Soyuz for US astronauts — at roughly $ 80 million per person — though the agency tried to limit the amount , hoping that the Commercial Crew vehicles would come online soon .
NASA had hoped they ’ d be ready last year , but when more delays seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last Soyuz seat — the one that Rubins will ride in early tomorrow morning .
Moving forward , NASA hopes that it can work out seat trades with Roscosmos , where Russian cosmonauts will ride on SpaceX and Boeing ’ s vehicles in exchange for NASA astronauts flying on the Soyuz .
However , NASA has not announced any of these trades yet , so it ’ s unclear when the next American astronaut will fly on the Soyuz after this mission .
Moving forward , NASA hopes that it can work out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take off form the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:45AM ET on Wednesday morning .
It ’ ll be a quick trip to the ISS .
The Soyuz capsule will only orbit Earth twice , spending three hours in space before docking with the International Space Station .
Docking is scheduled to take place around 4:52AM ET on Wednesday , and the crew should be on board the ISS less than two hours later .
NASA ’ s coverage of the launch will begin at 12:45AM ET , so if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tune in to watch the Soyuz launch live .

Update October 14th, 2:20AM ET: The Soyuz rocket successfully took off at 1:45AM ET, and the astronauts are now safely in orbit, according to NASA.
Original story: A new crew of three astronauts are launching to the International Space Station late tonight, blasting off on a Russian Soyuz rocket out of Kazakhstan. The trio are heading to the station about a month ahead of SpaceX’s next crewed Dragon launch, which will bring another set of four astronauts aboard the ISS in mid-November.
Heading up on this Soyuz flight are two Russian cosmonauts — Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov — and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, on her second trip to space. The trio will join three crew members who have been living on the ISS since April: Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy. However, their living arrangement won’t last long. Cassidy and his cosmonaut crew mates are slated to head back to Earth on October 21st, riding inside the Soyuz capsule that brought them to the space station.
Just a few weeks later, in early- to mid-November, Rubins and her team are set to welcome the four-member crew of SpaceX’s first operational Crew Dragon mission, called Crew-1. That flight will carry three NASA astronauts — Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker — and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to the ISS for a six-month stay. Their arrival on SpaceX’s new passenger vehicle will bring the total population of the ISS to seven — a larger cohort than usual for the ISS, which has typically held six-person crews since the end of the Space Shuttle program.
Rubins’ flight on the Soyuz comes amid a time of transition
Rubins’ flight on the Soyuz comes amid a time of transition in NASA’s human spaceflight program. Since the last flight of the Space Shuttle in 2011, the only way NASA astronauts could get to the station was on Russia’s Soyuz rocket. But through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, two private companies — SpaceX and Boeing — have been developing their own space capsules to take NASA astronauts to and from the space station. In May, SpaceX demonstrated that its Crew Dragon spacecraft could safely ferry astronauts to and from the station when it delivered two NASA crew members to the ISS. Boeing’s first crewed test flight is currently scheduled for next year.
The Soyuz rocket rolling out to the pad. Image: NASA
SpaceX and Boeing’s vehicles were supposed to be ready as early as 2017, but their development programs suffered from years of delays. In the meantime, NASA continued to purchase seats on Russia’s Soyuz for US astronauts — at roughly $80 million per person — though the agency tried to limit the amount, hoping that the Commercial Crew vehicles would come online soon. NASA had hoped they’d be ready last year, but when more delays seemed imminent, the space agency purchased one last Soyuz seat — the one that Rubins will ride in early tomorrow morning.
Moving forward, NASA hopes that it can work out seat trades with Roscosmos, where Russian cosmonauts will ride on SpaceX and Boeing’s vehicles in exchange for NASA astronauts flying on the Soyuz. However, NASA has not announced any of these trades yet, so it’s unclear when the next American astronaut will fly on the Soyuz after this mission.
Moving forward, NASA hopes that it can work out seat trades
The Soyuz is slated to take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:45AM ET on Wednesday morning. It’ll be a quick trip to the ISS. The Soyuz capsule will only orbit Earth twice, spending three hours in space before docking with the International Space Station. Docking is scheduled to take place around 4:52AM ET on Wednesday, and the crew should be on board the ISS less than two hours later.


theverge--2020-10-13--Solar energy reaches historically low costs

In some parts of the world , solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history , thanks to policies encouraging renewable energy growth .
That ’ s according to a new report released today by the International Energy Agency ( IEA ) .
Sunshine is free , but the technology needed to turn it into usable electricity can be expensive .
To encourage more people and companies to switch to solar power , countries can adjust their policies to make purchasing that equipment more affordable .
Today , more than 130 countries have policies that lower the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the first year that the IEA took such policies into consideration when calculating the cost of solar energy in its annual World Energy Outlook report .
After doing so , their estimates of the cost of solar power fell by between 20 to 50 percent per region compared to last year , Carbon Brief first reported .
“ The policy support is here to stay.
” Solar is on track to become “ the new king of electricity supply , ” the report says , as prices continue to fall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more of the market over the next decade , boosted by global efforts to tackle climate change .
The EU , for example , set a goal to source 32 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030 .
“ It does seem that the policy support is here to stay which is a very good thing , ” says Brent Wanner , who leads power generation modeling and analysis for the IEA ’ s World Energy Outlook .
“ These policy frameworks are really essential to underpinning those low costs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to move towards climate ambitions.
” In most countries in the world , it ’ s consistently cheaper to build solar farms than new coal- or gas-fired power plants , the report says .
For utility-scale solar projects completed this year , the average cost of electricity generation over the lifetime of the plant ( called the levelized cost of electricity ) was between $ 35 to $ 55 per megawatt-hour in some of the world ’ s biggest markets — the US , Europe , China , and India .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ average levelized cost for solar power was $ 100 per megawatt-hour , according to the World Economic Forum .
About a decade ago , it was $ 300 .
The forecast for solar in the future is sunny The cost for coal , in comparison , currently ranges between about $ 55 and $ 150 per megawatt-hour , according to the new IEA report — about the same as where it ’ s been for more than a decade .
And the coal industry has been in decline despite US efforts from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Globally , coal use probably won ’ t go back to pre-pandemic levels even if the economy recovers next year , the IEA anticipates .
The forecast for solar in the future , on the other hand , is sunny .
Electricity demand is down now because of the pandemic , but the IEA expects that people ’ s appetite for electricity could rebound quickly once the pandemic is under control and the economy recovers .
It also anticipates a future where solar power continues to grow at record-setting speeds to meet increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this is that solar tech continues to improve and innovation continues to drive those costs down , ” Wanner says .

In some parts of the world, solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, thanks to policies encouraging renewable energy growth. That’s according to a new report released today by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Sunshine is free, but the technology needed to turn it into usable electricity can be expensive. To encourage more people and companies to switch to solar power, countries can adjust their policies to make purchasing that equipment more affordable. Today, more than 130 countries have policies that lower the cost of building new solar installations. This is the first year that the IEA took such policies into consideration when calculating the cost of solar energy in its annual World Energy Outlook report. After doing so, their estimates of the cost of solar power fell by between 20 to 50 percent per region compared to last year, Carbon Brief first reported.
“The policy support is here to stay.”
Solar is on track to become “the new king of electricity supply,” the report says, as prices continue to fall. It’s expected to dominate more and more of the market over the next decade, boosted by global efforts to tackle climate change. The EU, for example, set a goal to source 32 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030.
“It does seem that the policy support is here to stay which is a very good thing,” says Brent Wanner, who leads power generation modeling and analysis for the IEA’s World Energy Outlook. “These policy frameworks are really essential to underpinning those low costs, which then underpin the kind of growth we need to move towards climate ambitions.”
In most countries in the world, it’s consistently cheaper to build solar farms than new coal- or gas-fired power plants, the report says. For utility-scale solar projects completed this year, the average cost of electricity generation over the lifetime of the plant (called the levelized cost of electricity) was between $35 to $55 per megawatt-hour in some of the world’s biggest markets — the US, Europe, China, and India. Just four years ago, the global average levelized cost for solar power was $100 per megawatt-hour, according to the World Economic Forum. About a decade ago, it was $300.
The forecast for solar in the future is sunny
The cost for coal, in comparison, currently ranges between about $55 and $150 per megawatt-hour, according to the new IEA report — about the same as where it’s been for more than a decade. And the coal industry has been in decline despite US efforts from the Trump administration to prop it up. Globally, coal use probably won’t go back to pre-pandemic levels even if the economy recovers next year, the IEA anticipates.
The forecast for solar in the future, on the other hand, is sunny. Electricity demand is down now because of the pandemic, but the IEA expects that people’s appetite for electricity could rebound quickly once the pandemic is under control and the economy recovers. It also anticipates a future where solar power continues to grow at record-setting speeds to meet increasing consumer demands.


theverge--2020-10-13--Apple’s iPhone 12 can wirelessly charge twice as fast, but only with a MagSafe charger

Apple ’ s new iPhone 12 line will be able to access faster wireless charging speeds of 15W in line with the most up-to-date Qi standard , but there ’ s a catch : you ’ ll have to use Apple ’ s new MagSafe brand of charger or a MagSafe-compatible one from a third-party accessory maker .
Apple reintroduced its MagSafe branding for the iPhone with the announcement of its new smartphone line on Tuesday , and the company now touts a new feature in which “ magnets align themselves perfectly every time for faster wireless charging ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t explicitly mention is that only its proprietary MagSafe brand , and not chargers using the general Qi charging standard it ’ s based on , can use those faster speeds .
Apple ’ s MagSafe brand will let it gate keep faster wireless charging Noted on the tech specs page for the new iPhone 12 line is a clearer breakdown that lists 15W for MagSafe charging and 7.5W for standard Qi wireless charging .
Every iPhone since the iPhone 8 in 2017 has been capable of wireless charging in accordance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the iPhone has never been able to tap into charging speeds up to 15W — until Apple revived MagSafe , that is .
It ’ s not clear why this is the case or whether there is a technical limitation or something unique about MagSafe chargers that allows for this .
But it does mean that if you want to take advantage of the faster wireless charging in the iPhone 12 line , you ’ ll need to stick to an Apple-approved charger and not one from a non-MagSafe third party .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 39 MagSafe charger Apple is selling on its online store .
Belkin and Griffin will have MagSafe chargers , too , but it seems likely that any other third-party accessory maker will need to work with Apple — presumably through its MFi licensing program — to do the same .
It ’ s worth noting that any brand could in theory make a magnetic Qi charger for the iPhone 12 .
But if the company wants access to the faster charging speeds and the NFC identification system for recognizing accessories , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ensures Apple maintains hardware control over MagSafe and this faster wireless charging option while also suggesting the company will get a cut of profits on MagSafe products .

Apple’s new iPhone 12 line will be able to access faster wireless charging speeds of 15W in line with the most up-to-date Qi standard, but there’s a catch: you’ll have to use Apple’s new MagSafe brand of charger or a MagSafe-compatible one from a third-party accessory maker.
Apple reintroduced its MagSafe branding for the iPhone with the announcement of its new smartphone line on Tuesday, and the company now touts a new feature in which “magnets align themselves perfectly every time for faster wireless charging” on its product page. But what Apple didn’t explicitly mention is that only its proprietary MagSafe brand, and not chargers using the general Qi charging standard it’s based on, can use those faster speeds.
Apple’s MagSafe brand will let it gate keep faster wireless charging
Noted on the tech specs page for the new iPhone 12 line is a clearer breakdown that lists 15W for MagSafe charging and 7.5W for standard Qi wireless charging. Every iPhone since the iPhone 8 in 2017 has been capable of wireless charging in accordance with the Qi open standard, but the iPhone has never been able to tap into charging speeds up to 15W — until Apple revived MagSafe, that is.
It’s not clear why this is the case or whether there is a technical limitation or something unique about MagSafe chargers that allows for this. But it does mean that if you want to take advantage of the faster wireless charging in the iPhone 12 line, you’ll need to stick to an Apple-approved charger and not one from a non-MagSafe third party.
The only available option right now is the $39 MagSafe charger Apple is selling on its online store. Belkin and Griffin will have MagSafe chargers, too, but it seems likely that any other third-party accessory maker will need to work with Apple — presumably through its MFi licensing program — to do the same. It’s worth noting that any brand could in theory make a magnetic Qi charger for the iPhone 12. But if the company wants access to the faster charging speeds and the NFC identification system for recognizing accessories, it’ll need to work with Apple.