theverge--2020-01-10--Eight big takeaways from CES 2020

Eight big takeaways from CES 2020

iCES is over , and I am quite sure you ’ ll be happy to be done with it .
We still have more to come today and perhaps a little next week .
We ’ ll have our Verge Awards piece , naming most important , best , and most hilarious things of the show .
We ’ ll have a few category-specific roundups of what to watch out for this year and some pieces digging deeper into the trends that CES has kicked off .
In the hopes of having something we can look back on later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened at CES , I ’ m going to list some of my big takeaways .
I ’ ll leave specific products to the Awards list , instead I want to try to do just a little synthesis .
If there ’ s one major takeaway , it ’ s this : in the absence of one clear Next Big Thing , there are a lot of ideas getting thrown at the wall .
Many of them are intriguing , but overall it seems like we ’ re waiting for some parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That trend expresses itself differently in different types of product categories , but it was pretty consistent across all of them .
Thanks for experiencing this week with us !
1 .
TV makers keep looking for the next expensive thing You probably already know the drill : every year at CES TV companies do their best to come up with the next big thing that makes people upgrade .
This year it ’ s a reminder that rolling TVs are coming and so is 8K and so are radical new designs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a killer 4K HDR TV for under $ 300 , depending on what size you want .
Right now I see a big gap between that and what ’ s next .
Samsung and LG will sell you something very expensive if they can , but broad adoption of the Next Big TV Tech isn ’ t going to happen this year in part because we don ’ t really know what that is yet .
2 .
Foldables aren ’ t ready yet , but flexible screens are coming I wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : most of the foldable PCs we ’ ve seen were merely prototypes and the software for them is not finished , either .
The pressure on Microsoft to get Windows 10X right so that these PC makers can get their new designs out of the concept stage and onto store shelves is going to be intense .
That pressure is doubled because Windows historically has a Good Version / Bad Version tick tock with Windows .
Windows 10X is going to be a first cut at supporting a new , innovative form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing at changing Windows for a new form factor was arguably Windows 8 on the Surface , which didn ’ t go so well .
It ’ s a very different company now , though .
Something to watch .
3 .
The battle between AMD and Intel will intensify AMD is taking another shot at legitimacy on laptops while Intel is taking another shot at legitimacy on graphics .
Both are getting ready to support the new form factors I just mentioned above and Intel in particular is trying to invent new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to a little bit of chaos , a reordering of winners and losers , and new interface paradigms for computers .
But at this point in 2020 it feels like everybody is gearing up for all that chaos .
By the end of the year I think we ’ ll have a much clearer picture of how chaotic it ’ ll really be .
Again , I ’ ve written about this before but it bears repeating .
The major cars we saw were concepts or prototypes .
The most interesting phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One — literally has “ concept ” in its name .
( Though I will say I was taken aback by the interest in Samsung ’ s new “ lite ” phones . )
I ’ d also put Samsung ’ s cute little Ballie robot firmly in this category , along with a few other things we saw .
All this is very unsatisfying and I ’ d prefer more real products , obviously .
But even as concepts most of what we saw didn ’ t really feel like it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said before that Quibi is the thing we ’ ll most likely remember as the Big Launch of CES 2020 .
That ’ s fitting , because Quibi ’ s launch was fairly concept-y .
We didn ’ t get a look at the app , for example .
But the thing I learned is that however ambitious you think Katzenberg and Whitman are , you ’ re not thinking big enough .
Ambition is not the same thing as success , though , and the stakes for Quibi ’ s actual launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very high .
Sonos absolutely stole the story of the show with its lawsuit against Google coming out just hours before the CES show floor opened .
It started a conversation not just about Sonos and Google , but more generally about how small and mid-sized tech companies live in a world created by big tech giants ( just like the rest of us ) .
Right now , it ’ s successful companies like Spotify and Sonos that are pushing the hardest as they probably feel the most confident they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody noticing it happened .
I think in 2020 you will see more — and smaller — companies find ways to push back , perhaps with the help of regulators .
I don ’ t want to suggest that most people thought there is something vulgar about sex tech and CES changed that .
Quite the opposite : our cultural norms have progressed to the point where we have been having healthier conversations about sex in all sorts of contexts .
Last year , the powers that be at CES showed how out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced the CTA to get with the times .
That doesn ’ t mean that the lobbying group is suddenly a paragon of cultural innovation — far from it .
But the point is that even the CES organization had to adopt a more inclusive stance .
Good .
8 .
Tech companies fetishized AI , 8K , and 5G a little less , finally Those three buzzwords are so totemic that Foxconn just sort of blurted them out in defense of the its factory fiasco in Wisconsin .
For some time it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company tout a product without using one of those terms .
But this year , it seems like the bubble burst on all three .
Lots of companies still tout AI like it ’ s magic , but nobody is buying it .
Companies still insist on mentioning AI in their press releases , but don ’ t wait for you to ooh an ahh anymore .
We all know it ’ s just another way of saying “ computer models do it ” and with a few exceptions ( like Neon ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 8K , the lack of content for those screens and interest in spending gobs of money on them meant that even though we saw it everywhere , nobody was entranced by it .
And as for 5G , well , the networks have started lighting up the service and everybody was forced to admit that the heavens didn ’ t open up and rain down pure sparkles of innovation .
Which meant that while 5G was everywhere , nobody acted like it was anything other than what it is right now : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promising AirPower alternative isn ’ t ready yet It was right and just to tease Apple for announcing and then failing utterly to release AirPower .
We may never really know the full story , but if the struggles to make this new product are any indication , it ’ s a hard problem — and that doesn ’ t even get into the difficulties the Apple Watch adds .
I ’ ve seen a few direct AirPower clones but this is the one I ’ m watching the closest because I trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait until something is very good before releasing it .
└ There sure were a ton of Peloton wannabes at CES Natt Garun rounds up a bunch of machines and — more importantly — breaks down what this trend means and where it ’ s going .
└ Byton ’ s 48-inch screen might not be as distracting as it looks Sean O ’ Kane and Ashley Carman joined us on the second episode of The Vergecast -- which should be posted sometime today in our podcast feed .
Sean and Nilay ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to rapidly change in the next few years thanks to flexible displays was so fascinating I just sat back and listened even though it ’ s sort of my job to talk on that show .
Anyway , you should check out the story and video Sean made to describe the experience of this screen-centric car .
They look dope as hell , but if you ’ ve been tracking CES this year , you can guess what ’ s coming next : └ This is Intel ’ s first discrete graphics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy one Intel made a graphics card but it ’ s ... .a concept , sorta .
Still , it details stuff that ’ s coming for Intel graphics .
Sorta .
It ’ s Intel so it ’ s confusing , but luckily we have Sean Hollister to explain it : └ 2020 might be the year of reasonably okay foldable PCs , maybe Headline of the show so far by Sam Byford .
It ’ s exactly right .
└ Roomba ’ s robot vacuum could grow arms in the near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival DJI and Skydio This is a company that ’ s barely been on anybody ’ s radar , but when Vjeran Pavic saw the specs for this drone he had to go check it out on the show floor .
We obviously can ’ t fully judge it just from the floor , but given the camera sensor and battery life claims it ’ s worth putting on your ... radar .
Yes I just realized I was making a drone/radar pun and look it ’ s the last day of CES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it : └ This real-life Transformer might be one of the coolest robot toys ever made More from The Verge └ MDMA researcher is fixing the bad science that sent him to prison └ Amazon suspiciously says browser extension Honey is a security risk , now that PayPal owns it └ Bing loses out to DuckDuckGo in Google ’ s new Android search engine ballot Obviously there would be money changing hands with the new browser ballot for Android in the EU .
This is a fascinating way to set it up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Walkie Talkie feature so you can reach colleagues all day long We ’ re a Slack house and I can tell you that the lift of making a Slack call is way too high .
The ringing and the waiting fuzzy connections and whatnot , it ’ s all a hassle .
I get that this is a different tool solving a different problem , but even though it ’ s not meant for my needs it seems like it might be really useful .
└ Scooter startup Lime is laying off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 markets

CES is over, and I am quite sure you’ll be happy to be done with it. We still have more to come today and perhaps a little next week. We’ll have our Verge Awards piece, naming most important, best, and most hilarious things of the show. We’ll have a few category-specific roundups of what to watch out for this year and some pieces digging deeper into the trends that CES has kicked off.
In the hopes of having something we can look back on later this year when asked what the hell even happened at CES, I’m going to list some of my big takeaways. I’ll leave specific products to the Awards list, instead I want to try to do just a little synthesis.
If there’s one major takeaway, it’s this: in the absence of one clear Next Big Thing, there are a lot of ideas getting thrown at the wall. Many of them are intriguing, but overall it seems like we’re waiting for some parts of the consumer electronics ecosystem to mature. That trend expresses itself differently in different types of product categories, but it was pretty consistent across all of them.
Thanks for experiencing this week with us!
1. TV makers keep looking for the next expensive thing
Image: Samsung
You probably already know the drill: every year at CES TV companies do their best to come up with the next big thing that makes people upgrade. This year it’s a reminder that rolling TVs are coming and so is 8K and so are radical new designs that are bezel-less or ultra-thin.
You can get a killer 4K HDR TV for under $300, depending on what size you want. Right now I see a big gap between that and what’s next. Samsung and LG will sell you something very expensive if they can, but broad adoption of the Next Big TV Tech isn’t going to happen this year in part because we don’t really know what that is yet.
2. Foldables aren’t ready yet, but flexible screens are coming
I wrote about this earlier but it bears repeating: most of the foldable PCs we’ve seen were merely prototypes and the software for them is not finished, either. The pressure on Microsoft to get Windows 10X right so that these PC makers can get their new designs out of the concept stage and onto store shelves is going to be intense.
That pressure is doubled because Windows historically has a Good Version / Bad Version tick tock with Windows. Windows 10X is going to be a first cut at supporting a new, innovative form factor. Microsoft’s last big swing at changing Windows for a new form factor was arguably Windows 8 on the Surface, which didn’t go so well. It’s a very different company now, though. Something to watch.
3. The battle between AMD and Intel will intensify
New form factors always lead to a little bit of chaos, a reordering of winners and losers, and new interface paradigms for computers. But at this point in 2020 it feels like everybody is gearing up for all that chaos. By the end of the year I think we’ll have a much clearer picture of how chaotic it’ll really be.
4. Concepts were everywhere
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Again, I’ve written about this before but it bears repeating. The major cars we saw were concepts or prototypes. The most interesting phone thing we saw — the OnePlus Concept One — literally has “concept” in its name. (Though I will say I was taken aback by the interest in Samsung’s new “lite” phones.)
I’d also put Samsung’s cute little Ballie robot firmly in this category, along with a few other things we saw. All this is very unsatisfying and I’d prefer more real products, obviously. But even as concepts most of what we saw didn’t really feel like it had a firm direction or purpose.
5. Quibi is ambitious but unproven
Image: Quibi
I said before that Quibi is the thing we’ll most likely remember as the Big Launch of CES 2020. That’s fitting, because Quibi’s launch was fairly concept-y. We didn’t get a look at the app, for example.
But the thing I learned is that however ambitious you think Katzenberg and Whitman are, you’re not thinking big enough. Ambition is not the same thing as success, though, and the stakes for Quibi’s actual launch later this year are going to be very high.
6. Smaller companies are chafing under big tech
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sonos absolutely stole the story of the show with its lawsuit against Google coming out just hours before the CES show floor opened. It started a conversation not just about Sonos and Google, but more generally about how small and mid-sized tech companies live in a world created by big tech giants (just like the rest of us).
Right now, it’s successful companies like Spotify and Sonos that are pushing the hardest as they probably feel the most confident they won’t get crushed in a fight without anybody noticing it happened. I think in 2020 you will see more — and smaller — companies find ways to push back, perhaps with the help of regulators.
7. Sex tech de-stigmatization is inevitable
Photo by Ashley Carman / The Verge
I don’t want to suggest that most people thought there is something vulgar about sex tech and CES changed that. Quite the opposite: our cultural norms have progressed to the point where we have been having healthier conversations about sex in all sorts of contexts.
Last year, the powers that be at CES showed how out of touch they were before the backlash forced the CTA to get with the times. That doesn’t mean that the lobbying group is suddenly a paragon of cultural innovation — far from it. But the point is that even the CES organization had to adopt a more inclusive stance. Good.
8. Tech companies fetishized AI, 8K, and 5G a little less, finally
Those three buzzwords are so totemic that Foxconn just sort of blurted them out in defense of the its factory fiasco in Wisconsin. For some time it was impossible to hear any other tech company tout a product without using one of those terms. But this year, it seems like the bubble burst on all three.
Lots of companies still tout AI like it’s magic, but nobody is buying it. Companies still insist on mentioning AI in their press releases, but don’t wait for you to ooh an ahh anymore. We all know it’s just another way of saying “computer models do it” and with a few exceptions (like Neon), nobody is pretending otherwise.
As for 8K, the lack of content for those screens and interest in spending gobs of money on them meant that even though we saw it everywhere, nobody was entranced by it.
And as for 5G, well, the networks have started lighting up the service and everybody was forced to admit that the heavens didn’t open up and rain down pure sparkles of innovation. Which meant that while 5G was everywhere, nobody acted like it was anything other than what it is right now: somewhat faster data.
More from CES
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It was right and just to tease Apple for announcing and then failing utterly to release AirPower. We may never really know the full story, but if the struggles to make this new product are any indication, it’s a hard problem — and that doesn’t even get into the difficulties the Apple Watch adds.
I’ve seen a few direct AirPower clones but this is the one I’m watching the closest because I trust Nomad more than most accessory makers to wait until something is very good before releasing it.
Ashley Carman reports:
But I can see why the pad was delayed: the Base Staton Pro struggled to detect my AirPods Pro, and when I put my phone on the edge of the mat, its OLED screen flickered on and off. At another point, a coil “went down” on the left side, meaning nothing placed on that side could charge, which required me to only use the right side of the pad. Nomad’s team says they’re working alongside Aira to fix these issues and that they’ll only release the pad when it’s ready.
Natt Garun rounds up a bunch of machines and — more importantly — breaks down what this trend means and where it’s going.
Sean O’Kane and Ashley Carman joined us on the second episode of The Vergecast -- which should be posted sometime today in our podcast feed. Sean and Nilay’s discussion about how car screens are going to rapidly change in the next few years thanks to flexible displays was so fascinating I just sat back and listened even though it’s sort of my job to talk on that show. Anyway, you should check out the story and video Sean made to describe the experience of this screen-centric car.
They look dope as hell, but if you’ve been tracking CES this year, you can guess what’s coming next:
Panasonic is unlikely to ever sell these glasses as a consumer product. Instead, it’s pointing to commercial applications that are likely to spring up alongside the rollout of 5G networks, such as virtual travel and VR sports
Intel made a graphics card but it’s ....a concept, sorta. Still, it details stuff that’s coming for Intel graphics. Sorta. It’s Intel so it’s confusing, but luckily we have Sean Hollister to explain it:
It’s effectively a next-gen integrated GPU that’s been separated from its CPU into its own discrete part, with the trappings of a desktop card on top. It’s a very early stab at something that will be more powerful, and more discrete, later on.
Headline of the show so far by Sam Byford. It’s exactly right.
This is a company that’s barely been on anybody’s radar, but when Vjeran Pavic saw the specs for this drone he had to go check it out on the show floor. We obviously can’t fully judge it just from the floor, but given the camera sensor and battery life claims it’s worth putting on your ...radar. Yes I just realized I was making a drone/radar pun and look it’s the last day of CES so let’s just roll with it:
On paper, this looks like one of the most capable drones out there, and, to be completely honest, it sounds a bit too good to be true. The drones are currently in production, and the company is expecting EVO II to start shipping in a matter of weeks
More from The Verge
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As a teenager, he went to prison for selling ecstasy, but now his MDMA research is debunking the bad science that got him there.
“Our goal is to warn customers about browser extensions that collect personal shopping data without their knowledge or consent,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge, but declined to comment further on why it deemed Honey a security risk and the timing behind its decision to do so.
Obviously there would be money changing hands with the new browser ballot for Android in the EU. This is a fascinating way to set it up, though:
Each provider tells Google how much it’s willing to pay the company every time a user selects their product as the default. The three highest bidders are then shown to users, with the chosen provider paying Google the amount offered by the fourth-highest bid. This process is repeated every four months.


theverge--2020-01-10--Blurry photo suggests Samsung’s next foldable is ‘Bloom,’ with S11 flagship to become S20

Could Samsung ’ s next foldable phone be named the Galaxy Bloom ?
That ’ s what Korean outlet Ajunews is reporting , showing a blurry photo of what it claims is an early marketing image for the Bloom .
The outlet ’ s story ( which we spotted via SamMobile ) says that Samsung told partners at a closed-door meeting at CES that their next foldable is modeled after a makeup compact and intended to appeal to female customers .
According to the same report , the upcoming S11 will actually be named the S20 .
As ever with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to completely trust what we ’ ve read , but the report does line up with what we ’ ve previously heard about Samsung ’ s next foldable and the names of its upcoming flagship smartphones .
A teaser image for the Bloom matches the design of purported leaked handsets , and Koh reportedly told partners that the phone would use foldable glass instead of a plastic polymer for its display — a key spec that ’ s also previously been hinted at .
What ’ s new is the name and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung wants the device to appeal to young women , and says its clamshell design is easy to hold in one hand .
Samsung Electronics CEO DJ Koh reportedly told one partner : “ We designed Galaxy Bloom with the motif of compact powder from French cosmetics brand Lancôme.
” Hardware specs for the Bloom are still mostly a mystery , but Ajunews gives us two new snippets : it ’ ll be able to record 8K video , and a 5G version will be released in South Korea .
Other news from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galaxy S line .
Matching previous reports we ’ ve seen , the company ’ s next big smartphone will not be called the S11 , as many expected , but the S20 , perhaps as a nod to the new decade .
It ’ ll reportedly launch with three variants : a regular device , a lower-spec option , and an “ Ultra ” version .
Bear in mind these are all still rumors , but we expect to hear much more about the S20 and the Galaxy Bloom at Samsung ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 11th .

Could Samsung’s next foldable phone be named the Galaxy Bloom?
That’s what Korean outlet Ajunews is reporting, showing a blurry photo of what it claims is an early marketing image for the Bloom. The outlet’s story (which we spotted via SamMobile) says that Samsung told partners at a closed-door meeting at CES that their next foldable is modeled after a makeup compact and intended to appeal to female customers. According to the same report, the upcoming S11 will actually be named the S20.
As ever with such rumors, it’s not possible to completely trust what we’ve read, but the report does line up with what we’ve previously heard about Samsung’s next foldable and the names of its upcoming flagship smartphones.
A teaser image for the Bloom matches the design of purported leaked handsets, and Koh reportedly told partners that the phone would use foldable glass instead of a plastic polymer for its display — a key spec that’s also previously been hinted at.
The purported leak from Ajunews matches earlier pictures supposedly showing Samsung’s “Fold 2.” Image: 王奔宏 via Weibo
What’s new is the name and marketing for the Bloom. Ajunews says Samsung wants the device to appeal to young women, and says its clamshell design is easy to hold in one hand. Samsung Electronics CEO DJ Koh reportedly told one partner: “We designed Galaxy Bloom with the motif of compact powder from French cosmetics brand Lancôme.”
Hardware specs for the Bloom are still mostly a mystery, but Ajunews gives us two new snippets: it’ll be able to record 8K video, and a 5G version will be released in South Korea.
Other news from the meeting concerns Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S line. Matching previous reports we’ve seen, the company’s next big smartphone will not be called the S11, as many expected, but the S20, perhaps as a nod to the new decade. It’ll reportedly launch with three variants: a regular device, a lower-spec option, and an “Ultra” version.


theverge--2020-01-10--Facebook’s revised political advertising policy doubles down on division

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In October , Facebook made the controversial decision to exempt most political ads from fact-checking .
The announcement met with a swift backlash , particularly among leading Democratic candidates for president .
As criticism mounted , Facebook began to hint that it would further refine its policy to address lawmakers ’ concerns .
One change that seemed likely was to limit the ability of candidates to use the company ’ s sophisticated targeting tools , particularly after hundreds of employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking for it .
On Thursday , Facebook unveiled the refinements to its policy that it had been promising .
But restrictions on targeting were nowhere to be found .
Instead , the company doubled down on its current policy , and said the only major change in 2020 would be to allow users to see “ fewer ” ads .
( Fewer than what ?
It didn ’ t say . )
Here ’ s Rob Leathern , the company ’ s director of product management for ads , in the blog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent months about political advertising online and the different approaches that companies have chosen to take .
While Twitter has chosen to block political ads and Google has chosen to limit the targeting of political ads , we are choosing to expand transparency and give more controls to people when it comes to political ads .
[ ... ] We recognize this is an issue that has provoked much public discussion — including much criticism of Facebook ’ s position .
We are not deaf to that and will continue to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing efforts to help protect elections .
The move is rooted in ideas of personal responsibility — if you want to see fewer political ads and remove yourself from campaigns , that ’ s on you .
In practice , though , it seems unlikely that many Facebook users would take advantage of the semi-opt-out , which is due to be released sometime before April .
When ’ s the last time you visited your ad preferences dashboard ?
Among the commentators I follow , condemnation of Facebook ’ s move was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ( and took a dig at the Teen Vogue imbroglio while she was at it . )
Joe Biden hated it .
Ellen Weintraub of the Federal Election Commission hated it .
Barbra Streisand hated it .
And the list goes on .
Republicans , who the conventional wisdom holds will benefit most from the move , were largely silent on the decision .
( Ben Shapiro was a minor exception ; and here ’ s a Washington Post columnist who likes the policy , ) Still , it ’ s safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose campaign made great use of targeting capabilities during the 2016 election , would have raged had Facebook taken those tools away .
And given that Facebook is the subject of at least four ongoing federal investigations , it wouldn ’ t be surprising if the company developed this policy with appeasement in mind .
At the same time , Republicans aren ’ t the sole beneficiary of Facebook ’ s announcement .
As Leathern noted , the Democratic National Committee opposed the elimination of targeting tools .
There is also some evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall to buy ads , increasing the amount of paid political discussion generally .
I ’ ve come around to the idea that microtargeting ought to be banned , because it accelerates the polarization and tribalism that are transforming the country .
Let politicians craft divisive messages to ever-smaller splinters of the populace and they probably will .
The media will write about the most egregious examples of misinformation and hypocrisy that this practice enables , but it seems likely that much of it will go unchallenged .
Meanwhile , sorting fact from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average voter .
The negatives here seem to far outweigh any benefits .
Andrew “ Boz ” Bosworth , a top Facebook executive who ran the ad platform during the 2016 election , called polarization “ the real disaster ” in an internal post made public this week by the New York Times .
Bosworth wrote : A world in which politicians are able to advertise only to large groups of people — as they do on broadcast television , for example — is one in which they have incentives to promote more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slice and dice the electorate however they like , those incentives are much weaker .
Meanwhile , misleading political ads will continue to go viral , prompting a fresh news cycle whenever a candidate ’ s lie crosses a few hundreds thousand impressions .
In each case , calls for Facebook to revisit its policies will be renewed , and the beleaguered PR team will dig up old quotes from Leathern ’ s post and email them to reporters by way of explanation .
And make no mistake : Facebook executives already know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it beats the alternative .
The company is committing to 11 full months of getting kicked in the teeth .
It may well be the company ’ s smartest move politically .
But it would seem to augur very poorly for our politics .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Microsoft released a new tool that scans online chats for people seeking to sexually exploit children .
It ’ s part of a broader push by the tech industry to crack down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid pressure from lawmakers .
Trending down : Anti-vaxxers continue to circumvent Facebook ’ s ban against ads that contain vaccine misinformation .
“ Facebook does not have a policy that bans advertising on the basis that it expresses opposition to vaccines , ” a Facebook spokesperson said .
OK !
⭐ House lawmakers introduced a new bill that would give parents the right to delete data that companies have collected about their children and extend the Children ’ s Online Privacy Protection Act to older minors .
The Verge ’ s Makena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would make big updates to the law that ’ s already brought enormous changes to YouTube and TikTok and infuriated creators .
In its settlement with YouTube , the FTC fined the company over $ 170 million and prohibited the company from running targeted ads on videos the agency could deem child-friendly .
Many critics argued that this settlement didn ’ t go far enough , and if the PROTECT Kids Act was approved , YouTube and other online platforms would be under a lot more pressure than they already are to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under current law , COPPA only prohibits platforms from collecting the data of children under the age of 13 .
Under the PROTECT Kids Act , that age would be increased to 16 .
COPPA also doesn ’ t include precise geolocation and biometric information as part of its definition of “ personal information.
” This House bill would ban platforms from collecting those sensitive pieces of information from children as well .
And if a parent wanted to remove their children ’ s data from a website , the company would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature for them to use .
Here are 10 things tech platforms can do to create more election security before November .
The list , which includes contributions from Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes , offers a refreshingly concrete take on the ongoing debate over big tech and election manipulation .
( John Borthwick / Medium ) Iranian teenagers are defacing US websites in protest of the Trump administration killing Soleimani .
Some of the hackers say they do not work for the Iranian government .
( Kevin Collier / The Verge ) A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the funeral of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani .
The campaign consisted of tagging the president ’ s family , especially Ivanka and Melania , in images ranging from the Iranian flag to a beheaded Donald Trump .
( Jane Lytvynenko and Jeremy Singer-Vine / BuzzFeed ) Android users in the EU will soon be able to choose their default search engine from a list of four options , including Google , when setting up their new phones or tablets .
The changes follow a $ 5 billion fine from EU regulators that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system to hurt rivals .
( Lauren Feiner / CNBC ) Many politicians have been hesitant to create profiles on TikTok , the video looping app plagued by national security concerns .
The vacuum has allowed impersonators to roam free .
The problem is compounded by the fact that TikTok lacks a robust verification system , which makes identifying and taking down such accounts difficult .
( Maria Jose Valero and Yueqi Yang / Bloomberg ) Reddit updated its impersonation policy ahead of the 2020 election .
The new policy covers fake articles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election communications purporting to come from real government agencies , and scammy domains posing as those of a particular news outlet or politician .
YouTube ’ s algorithm isn ’ t the only thing responsible for making the platform a far-right propaganda machine , researcher Becca Lewis argues .
The company ’ s celebrity culture and community dynamics play a major role in the amplification of far-right content .
( Becca Lewis / Medium ) A judge in Brazil ruled that a film made by a YouTube comedy group that depicts Jesus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two million people signed a petition calling for the movie to be axed , and the production company was attacked with Molotov cocktails last month .
And you thought Richard Jewell got bad reviews .
( BBC ) ⭐ Mark Zuckerberg is giving up on annual personal challenges .
Instead , he wrote a more thematic list of goals for the next decade , which include a new private social platform , a decentralized payments platform , and new forms of community governance .
Here ’ s how he framed the pivot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see this — as I argued here , the annual challenges had outlived their usefulness .
Meanwhile , here ’ s your content moderation story of the day , from David Gilbert at Vice .
It centers on Facebook moderators in Europe .
YouTube creator David Dobrik has gotten well over one million downloads on his new digital disposable camera app .
YouTubers launching apps isn ’ t anything new , but the disposable camera idea is tied directly to David B ’ s brand , and it ’ s one that fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julia Alexander / The Verge ) Thanks to YouTuber MrBeast ’ s viral tree planting campaign , more than 21 million trees will be planted across the United States , Australia , Brazil , Canada , China , France , Haiti , Indonesia , Ireland , Madagascar , Mozambique , Nepal , and the United Kingdom .
( Justine Calma / The Verge ) Amazon ’ s Twitch is facing mounting competition from Facebook .
Facebook Gaming was the fastest growing streaming platforms ( in terms of streaming hours watched ) in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Chinese version of TikTok , called Douyin , just hit 400 million daily active users .
The news was revealed by parent company ByteDance in its annual report this week .
( Manish Singh / TechCrunch ) Text this number for an infinite feed of AI-generated feet It ’ s a big day for foot fetishists , The Next Web reports : Have a wonderful evening and absolutely do not send us any AI-generated feet .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and microtargeted advertisements : casey @ theverge.com and @ @ @ @

In October, Facebook made the controversial decision to exempt most political ads from fact-checking. The announcement met with a swift backlash, particularly among leading Democratic candidates for president. As criticism mounted, Facebook began to hint that it would further refine its policy to address lawmakers’ concerns. One change that seemed likely was to limit the ability of candidates to use the company’s sophisticated targeting tools, particularly after hundreds of employees wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking for it.
On Thursday, Facebook unveiled the refinements to its policy that it had been promising. But restrictions on targeting were nowhere to be found. Instead, the company doubled down on its current policy, and said the only major change in 2020 would be to allow users to see “fewer” ads. (Fewer than what? It didn’t say.) Here’s Rob Leathern, the company’s director of product management for ads, in the blog post:
There has been much debate in recent months about political advertising online and the different approaches that companies have chosen to take. While Twitter has chosen to block political ads and Google has chosen to limit the targeting of political ads, we are choosing to expand transparency and give more controls to people when it comes to political ads. [...] We recognize this is an issue that has provoked much public discussion — including much criticism of Facebook’s position. We are not deaf to that and will continue to work with regulators and policy makers in our ongoing efforts to help protect elections.
The move is rooted in ideas of personal responsibility — if you want to see fewer political ads and remove yourself from campaigns, that’s on you. In practice, though, it seems unlikely that many Facebook users would take advantage of the semi-opt-out, which is due to be released sometime before April. When’s the last time you visited your ad preferences dashboard?
Republicans, who the conventional wisdom holds will benefit most from the move, were largely silent on the decision. (Ben Shapiro was a minor exception; and here’s a Washington Post columnist who likes the policy,) Still, it’s safe to assume that President Donald Trump, whose campaign made great use of targeting capabilities during the 2016 election, would have raged had Facebook taken those tools away. And given that Facebook is the subject of at least four ongoing federal investigations, it wouldn’t be surprising if the company developed this policy with appeasement in mind.
At the same time, Republicans aren’t the sole beneficiary of Facebook’s announcement. As Leathern noted, the Democratic National Committee opposed the elimination of targeting tools. There is also some evidence that Facebook tools have prompted more candidates overall to buy ads, increasing the amount of paid political discussion generally.
I’ve come around to the idea that microtargeting ought to be banned, because it accelerates the polarization and tribalism that are transforming the country. Let politicians craft divisive messages to ever-smaller splinters of the populace and they probably will. The media will write about the most egregious examples of misinformation and hypocrisy that this practice enables, but it seems likely that much of it will go unchallenged. Meanwhile, sorting fact from fiction will become even harder for the average voter. The negatives here seem to far outweigh any benefits.
Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, a top Facebook executive who ran the ad platform during the 2016 election, called polarization “the real disaster” in an internal post made public this week by the New York Times. Bosworth wrote:
What happens when you see 26% more content from people you don’t agree with? Does it help you empathize with them as everyone has been suggesting? Nope. It makes you dislike them even more. This is also easy to prove with a thought experiment: whatever your political leaning, think of a publication from the other side that you despise. When you read an article from that outlet, perhaps shared by an uncle or nephew, does it make you rethink your values? Or does it make you retreat further into the conviction of your own correctness? If you answered the former, congratulations you are a better person than I am. Every time I read something from Breitbart I get 10% more liberal.
A world in which politicians are able to advertise only to large groups of people — as they do on broadcast television, for example — is one in which they have incentives to promote more unifying messages. But if they can slice and dice the electorate however they like, those incentives are much weaker.
Meanwhile, misleading political ads will continue to go viral, prompting a fresh news cycle whenever a candidate’s lie crosses a few hundreds thousand impressions. In each case, calls for Facebook to revisit its policies will be renewed, and the beleaguered PR team will dig up old quotes from Leathern’s post and email them to reporters by way of explanation.
And make no mistake: Facebook executives already know all this, and have decided that it beats the alternative. The company is committing to 11 full months of getting kicked in the teeth. It may well be the company’s smartest move politically. But it would seem to augur very poorly for our politics.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Microsoft released a new tool that scans online chats for people seeking to sexually exploit children. It’s part of a broader push by the tech industry to crack down on the dangers facing kids online, amid pressure from lawmakers.
🔽 Trending down: Anti-vaxxers continue to circumvent Facebook’s ban against ads that contain vaccine misinformation. “Facebook does not have a policy that bans advertising on the basis that it expresses opposition to vaccines,” a Facebook spokesperson said. OK!
Governing
⭐ House lawmakers introduced a new bill that would give parents the right to delete data that companies have collected about their children and extend the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to older minors. The Verge’s Makena Kelly explains the significance:
The bill would make big updates to the law that’s already brought enormous changes to YouTube and TikTok and infuriated creators. In its settlement with YouTube, the FTC fined the company over $170 million and prohibited the company from running targeted ads on videos the agency could deem child-friendly. Many critics argued that this settlement didn’t go far enough, and if the PROTECT Kids Act was approved, YouTube and other online platforms would be under a lot more pressure than they already are to ensure children’s data remains safe online. Under current law, COPPA only prohibits platforms from collecting the data of children under the age of 13. Under the PROTECT Kids Act, that age would be increased to 16. COPPA also doesn’t include precise geolocation and biometric information as part of its definition of “personal information.” This House bill would ban platforms from collecting those sensitive pieces of information from children as well. And if a parent wanted to remove their children’s data from a website, the company would have to provide some kind of delete feature for them to use.
Here are 10 things tech platforms can do to create more election security before November. The list, which includes contributions from Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, offers a refreshingly concrete take on the ongoing debate over big tech and election manipulation. (John Borthwick / Medium)
Iranian teenagers are defacing US websites in protest of the Trump administration killing Soleimani. Some of the hackers say they do not work for the Iranian government. (Kevin Collier / The Verge)
A pro-Iran Instagram campaign targeted the Trump family after the funeral of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The campaign consisted of tagging the president’s family, especially Ivanka and Melania, in images ranging from the Iranian flag to a beheaded Donald Trump. (Jane Lytvynenko and Jeremy Singer-Vine / BuzzFeed)
Android users in the EU will soon be able to choose their default search engine from a list of four options, including Google, when setting up their new phones or tablets. The changes follow a $5 billion fine from EU regulators that found Google had used its mobile operating system to hurt rivals. (Lauren Feiner / CNBC)
Many politicians have been hesitant to create profiles on TikTok, the video looping app plagued by national security concerns. The vacuum has allowed impersonators to roam free. The problem is compounded by the fact that TikTok lacks a robust verification system, which makes identifying and taking down such accounts difficult. (Maria Jose Valero and Yueqi Yang / Bloomberg)
Reddit updated its impersonation policy ahead of the 2020 election. The new policy covers fake articles misleadingly attributed to real journalists, forged election communications purporting to come from real government agencies, and scammy domains posing as those of a particular news outlet or politician.
YouTube’s algorithm isn’t the only thing responsible for making the platform a far-right propaganda machine, researcher Becca Lewis argues. The company’s celebrity culture and community dynamics play a major role in the amplification of far-right content. (Becca Lewis / Medium)
A judge in Brazil ruled that a film made by a YouTube comedy group that depicts Jesus as gay must be temporarily removed from Netflix. Two million people signed a petition calling for the movie to be axed, and the production company was attacked with Molotov cocktails last month. And you thought Richard Jewell got bad reviews. (BBC)
Industry
⭐ Mark Zuckerberg is giving up on annual personal challenges. Instead, he wrote a more thematic list of goals for the next decade, which include a new private social platform, a decentralized payments platform, and new forms of community governance. Here’s how he framed the pivot:
This decade I’m going to take a longer term focus. Rather than having year-to-year challenges, I’ve tried to think about what I hope the world and my life will look in 2030 so I can make sure I’m focusing on those things. By then, if things go well, my daughter Max will be in high school, we’ll have the technology to feel truly present with another person no matter where they are, and scientific research will have helped cure and prevent enough diseases to extend our average life expectancy by another 2.5 years.
I’m really glad to see this — as I argued here, the annual challenges had outlived their usefulness.
Meanwhile, here’s your content moderation story of the day, from David Gilbert at Vice. It centers on Facebook moderators in Europe.
One moderator who worked at CPL for 14 months in 2017 and 2018 told VICE News that he decided to leave the company when a manager sanctioned him while he was having a panic attack at his computer. He’d just found out that his elderly mother, who lived in a different country, had had a stroke and gone missing. “On the day I had the most stress in the world, when I think I might lose my mother, my team leader, a 23-year-old without any previous experience, decided to put more pressure on me by saying that I might lose my job,” said the moderator, who did not want to be identified.
YouTube creator David Dobrik has gotten well over one million downloads on his new digital disposable camera app. YouTubers launching apps isn’t anything new, but the disposable camera idea is tied directly to David B’s brand, and it’s one that fans want to try for themselves. (Julia Alexander / The Verge)
Thanks to YouTuber MrBeast’s viral tree planting campaign, more than 21 million trees will be planted across the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Haiti, Indonesia, Ireland, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and the United Kingdom. (Justine Calma / The Verge)
Amazon’s Twitch is facing mounting competition from Facebook. Facebook Gaming was the fastest growing streaming platforms (in terms of streaming hours watched) in December. (Olga Kharif / Bloomberg)
The Chinese version of TikTok, called Douyin, just hit 400 million daily active users. The news was revealed by parent company ByteDance in its annual report this week. (Manish Singh / TechCrunch)
And finally...
It’s a big day for foot fetishists, The Next Web reports:
The site relies on a generative adversarial network (GAN) to produce eerily realistic images of feet. Of course, since these are all the figment of a computer’s imagination, you’re bound to see some gruesome deformities.
Have a wonderful evening and absolutely do not send us any AI-generated feet.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-01-10--Fewer propellors mean more battery-life for the Falcon bicopter drone

When are two propellors better than four ?
When they give your drone extra battery life , greater portability , and reduce noise , claims Zero Zero Robotics .
That ’ s the pitch for the company ’ s V-Coptr Falcon : a bicopter drone with an impressive flight time of 50 minutes — 20 minutes more than the comparable DJI Mavic 2 .
For years , four propellors have been standard for consumer drones , offering greater power and stability .
But Zero Zero says its tilt-rotor design , which lets each propellor swivel independently , allows the Falcon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propellors improves the drone ’ s aerodynamic profile , says the company , reducing drag .
Add to this the reduced battery drain from running fewer propellors and the drone ’ s compact form when the two arms are folded , and you have a pretty convincing sales pitch .
In addition to its bicopter design , the Falcon looks kitted out for aerial photography and videos .
There ’ s a 12-megapixel main camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal , with a 1/2.3 inch Sony CMOS and Qualcomm ISP capable of capturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also a pair of stereo cameras on the main body that enable visual tracking and obstacle avoidance , similar to features offered on the company ’ s Hover 2 “ selfie drone ” ( which some Kickstarter backers are still waiting to receive ) .
Zero Zero is also promising easy filming on the Falcon with “ pre-programmed flight paths for cinematic shots.
” We ’ ve seen video of the Falcon flying , but want to try it for ourselves to test its battery life and flight ability .
Overall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package .
The V-Coptr Falcon is available to preorder for its retail price of $ 999 , with shipping starting some time February this year .

When are two propellers better than four? When they give your drone extra battery life, greater portability, and reduce noise, claims Zero Zero Robotics. That’s the pitch for the company’s V-Coptr Falcon: a bicopter drone with an impressive flight time of 50 minutes — 20 minutes more than the comparable DJI Mavic 2.
For years, four propellers have been standard for consumer drones, offering greater power and stability. But Zero Zero says its tilt-rotor design, which lets each propeller swivel independently, allows the Falcon to match four-prop rivals. Tilting the propellers improves the drone’s aerodynamic profile, says the company, reducing drag.
Add to this the reduced battery drain from running fewer propellers and the drone’s compact form when the two arms are folded, and you have a pretty convincing sales pitch.
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In addition to its bicopter design, the Falcon looks kitted out for aerial photography and videos. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal, with a 1/2.3 inch Sony CMOS and Qualcomm ISP capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps.
There’s also a pair of stereo cameras on the main body that enable visual tracking and obstacle avoidance, similar to features offered on the company’s Hover 2 “selfie drone” (which some Kickstarter backers are still waiting to receive). Zero Zero is also promising easy filming on the Falcon with “pre-programmed flight paths for cinematic shots.”


theverge--2020-01-10--Doom’s classic re-releases now run at 60fps and support free add-ons

Bethesda ’ s has given its re-releases of Doom 1 and 2 from last year a pretty hefty update that improves performance , adds new features , and gives access to a huge amount of content in the form of free community-made add-ons .
At the top of the list of performance improvements is an increase in framerate , from 35fps originally to 60fps now , but the company has also added new features like support for quick saves , different aspect ratios , and a new quick-weapon-select feature .
These performance improvements are welcome , but if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original Doom levels then you ’ ll probably be far more interested in the new add-ons that are being offered as free downloads from the main menu .
Sigil , an unofficial Doom sequel from the game ’ s original co-creator John Romero , is available , as are TnT : Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment from 1996 ’ s Final Doom release .
In a blog post Bethesda says that it ’ ll soon be looking for suggestions for more community-made episodes to include in the future .
Bethesda ’ s Doom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good start last year when they launched with a frustrating online log-in requirement that Bethesda was forced to quickly remove .
Now , with the numerous fixes and new content included in the latest patch , it sounds like they may have quietly become the definitive way to play these classic games .
The new patch will be available for all the platforms the games were re-released on , which includes PS4 , Xbox One , Nintendo Switch , Android , iOS , and , of course , PC .

Bethesda’s has given its re-releases of Doom 1 and 2 from last year a pretty hefty update that improves performance, adds new features, and gives access to a huge amount of content in the form of free community-made add-ons. At the top of the list of performance improvements is an increase in framerate, from 35fps originally to 60fps now, but the company has also added new features like support for quick saves, different aspect ratios, and a new quick-weapon-select feature.
These performance improvements are welcome, but if you’ve already had your fill of the original Doom levels then you’ll probably be far more interested in the new add-ons that are being offered as free downloads from the main menu. Sigil, an unofficial Doom sequel from the game’s original co-creator John Romero, is available, as are TnT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment from 1996’s Final Doom release. In a blog post Bethesda says that it’ll soon be looking for suggestions for more community-made episodes to include in the future.
Bethesda’s Doom re-releases didn’t get off to a good start last year when they launched with a frustrating online log-in requirement that Bethesda was forced to quickly remove. Now, with the numerous fixes and new content included in the latest patch, it sounds like they may have quietly become the definitive way to play these classic games.


theverge--2020-01-09--Boeing employees’ frightening internal messages released in 737 Max investigation

Boeing employees discussed the problems with the 737 Max in chats and emails that the company characterized as “ completely unacceptable ” in a statement released today .
“ Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft ?
I wouldn ’ t , ” one employee said to another in one chat in February 2018 , according to documents obtained by The Verge and originally reported by The New York Times .
“ No , ” the other person replied .
“ I still haven ’ t been forgiven by God for the covering up I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a different 2018 conversation , according to the documents .
The employee appears to be referring to interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration .
The redacted messages come from documents Boeing sent to Congress in December , which you can read in three collections here , here , and here .
The messages show how Boeing tried to reduce the amount of simulator training required by the FAA to certify pilots for the 737 Max .
These efforts ultimately left pilots unprepared to deal with the fatal flaw that brought down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , killing 346 people .
The communications “ raise questions about Boeing ’ s interactions with the FAA in connection with the simulator qualification process , ” Boeing said in its statement .
“ The FAA reviewed the most recent 737 MAX-related documents submitted by Boeing for the purpose of identifying any safety implications , ” the agency said in a statement to The Verge .
“ Our experts determined that nothing in the submission pointed to any safety risks that were not already identified as part of the ongoing review of proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and emails released by Boeing are “ incredibly damning , ” said Representative Peter DeFazio , a Democrat from Oregon who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , in a statement .
“ Apologies from Boeing are not enough after these astonishing & appalling emails , ” said Senator Richard Blumenthal , a Democrat from Connecticut , in a tweet .
“ Action & accountability are long overdue.
” The Boeing 737 Max was the most recent update to the 737 , a plane that ’ s been flying for so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses on it .
Not having to retrain pilots from the 737 NG to move to the 737 Max was a particular selling point for the plane : classroom time and simulator time are expensive .
The 737 Max ’ s development was particularly urgent , as Boeing ’ s main rival Airbus had developed the A320neo , which was considerably more fuel efficient than the Boeing 737 NG .
But because Boeing rushed the 737 Max into service , pilots were not properly trained — or even made aware of — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatal flights .
The newly released documents illustrate how forceful Boeing was in selling this idea internally , and to its customers .
“ I want to stress the importance of holding firm that there will not be any type of simulator training required to transition from NG to MAX , ” the chief technical pilot of the 737 program , whose name is redacted , said in one 2017 email .
“ We ’ ll go face to face with any regulator who tries to make that a requirement.
” If a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote , that additional training “ should be limited.
” One particular series of June 2017 emails between the chief technical pilot and an undisclosed airline show how aggressive the company was in trying to limit the amount of simulation work .
“ There is absolutely no reason to require your pilots to require a MAX simulator to begin flying the MAX , ’ the chief technical pilot wrote to the airline .
“ Boeing does not understand what is to be gained by a 3 hour simulator session.
” “ Looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These are not the droids you ’ re looking for ... .
” The June 2017 emails show the chief technical pilot ’ s continued attempts to convince this airline that simulation training was not necessary .
When the airline eventually relented , the chief technical pilot emailed another unnamed Boeing employee and said : “ Looks like my jedi [ sic ] mind trick worked again !
These are not the droids you ’ re looking for ... .
” “ Haha , I ’ ll send you to negotiate piece [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the Boeing employee responded .
“ Goes to show what a little bit a [ sic ] accurate info can do to sway an operator in the right direction ... ” While Boeing ’ s effort to reduce the amount of simulation training was ultimately successful , not all employees were on board with the idea , according to the newly-disclosed documents .
“ Not sure if I will be returning in April given this - am not lying to the FAA .
Will leave that to people who have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chat to another in March 2018 .
“ I ’ ll be shocked if the FAA passes this turd , ” read another message between employees that May .
Just two days ago , Boeing reversed course and announced it will start recommending simulator training for the 737 Max in anticipation of the plane ’ s return to flight .
Exactly when that return will happen remains unclear ; the company indefinitely halted production of the plane in January , and the FAA has still not certified it to fly again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive reportedly told The Seattle Times that documents containing messages from the 737 Max ’ s senior technical pilot might continue to generate bad press for Boeing .
Now we can see why .

Boeing employees discussed the problems with the 737 Max in chats and emails that the company characterized as “completely unacceptable” in a statement released today. “Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft? I wouldn’t,” one employee said to another in one chat in February 2018, according to documents obtained by The Verge and originally reported by The New York Times. “No,” the other person replied.
“I still haven’t been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year,” a Boeing employee said in a different 2018 conversation, according to the documents. The employee appears to be referring to interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration.
The redacted messages come from documents Boeing sent to Congress in December, which you can read in three collections here, here, and here. The messages show how Boeing tried to reduce the amount of simulator training required by the FAA to certify pilots for the 737 Max. These efforts ultimately left pilots unprepared to deal with the fatal flaw that brought down two 737 Max planes in five months, killing 346 people.
“incredibly damning”
The communications “raise questions about Boeing’s interactions with the FAA in connection with the simulator qualification process,” Boeing said in its statement.
“The FAA reviewed the most recent 737 MAX-related documents submitted by Boeing for the purpose of identifying any safety implications,” the agency said in a statement to The Verge. “Our experts determined that nothing in the submission pointed to any safety risks that were not already identified as part of the ongoing review of proposed modifications to the aircraft.”
The chats and emails released by Boeing are “incredibly damning,” said Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in a statement. “Apologies from Boeing are not enough after these astonishing & appalling emails,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, in a tweet. “Action & accountability are long overdue.”
The Boeing 737 Max was the most recent update to the 737, a plane that’s been flying for so long that entire airlines have built their businesses on it. Not having to retrain pilots from the 737 NG to move to the 737 Max was a particular selling point for the plane: classroom time and simulator time are expensive. The 737 Max’s development was particularly urgent, as Boeing’s main rival Airbus had developed the A320neo, which was considerably more fuel efficient than the Boeing 737 NG. But because Boeing rushed the 737 Max into service, pilots were not properly trained — or even made aware of — a piece of software that doomed the two fatal flights.
The newly released documents illustrate how forceful Boeing was in selling this idea internally, and to its customers. “I want to stress the importance of holding firm that there will not be any type of simulator training required to transition from NG to MAX,” the chief technical pilot of the 737 program, whose name is redacted, said in one 2017 email. “We’ll go face to face with any regulator who tries to make that a requirement.” If a customer wanted internal training, this employee wrote, that additional training “should be limited.”
One particular series of June 2017 emails between the chief technical pilot and an undisclosed airline show how aggressive the company was in trying to limit the amount of simulation work. “There is absolutely no reason to require your pilots to require a MAX simulator to begin flying the MAX,’ the chief technical pilot wrote to the airline. “Boeing does not understand what is to be gained by a 3 hour simulator session.”
“Looks like my jedi mind trick worked again! These are not the droids you’re looking for....”
The June 2017 emails show the chief technical pilot’s continued attempts to convince this airline that simulation training was not necessary. When the airline eventually relented, the chief technical pilot emailed another unnamed Boeing employee and said: “Looks like my jedi [sic] mind trick worked again! These are not the droids you’re looking for....”
“Haha, I’ll send you to negotiate piece [sic] in the Middle East next,” the Boeing employee responded. “Goes to show what a little bit a [sic] accurate info can do to sway an operator in the right direction...”
While Boeing’s effort to reduce the amount of simulation training was ultimately successful, not all employees were on board with the idea, according to the newly-disclosed documents. “Not sure if I will be returning in April given this - am not lying to the FAA. Will leave that to people who have no integrity,” one employee wrote in a chat to another in March 2018. “I’ll be shocked if the FAA passes this turd,” read another message between employees that May.
Just two days ago, Boeing reversed course and announced it will start recommending simulator training for the 737 Max in anticipation of the plane’s return to flight. Exactly when that return will happen remains unclear; the company indefinitely halted production of the plane in January, and the FAA has still not certified it to fly again.


theverge--2020-01-09--Microsoft’s Windows Terminal is getting retro-style CRT effects, search, and more

Microsoft released its new Windows Terminal command line app last year , and the company has been steadily improving it in Windows 10 ever since .
The software maker is now preparing a new update due next week that will introduce retro-style CRT effects .
If you ’ re old enough to be a fan of CRT monitors then this one is for you .
A new experimental feature will be enabled that includes the classic scan lines that you might have seen before the world switched to flat monitors and LCD technology .
Alongside the nostalgia trip , Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Windows Terminal .
You ’ ll be able to search through terminal tabs to find input or output from various commands , and tab resizing is being added so you can fit more tabs into view .
Microsoft is also adding the ability to specify a profile to open using custom key bindings , alongside applying a single setting to all terminal profiles .
All of these improvements follow a recent update to Windows Terminal that introduced split view support .
You can now have multiple command prompts open side-by-side in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test version that includes these new changes to employees today , and it will roll out to everyone else on January 14th .

Microsoft released its new Windows Terminal command line app last year, and the company has been steadily improving it in Windows 10 ever since. The software maker is now preparing a new update due next week that will introduce retro-style CRT effects. If you’re old enough to be a fan of CRT monitors then this one is for you. A new experimental feature will be enabled that includes the classic scan lines that you might have seen before the world switched to flat monitors and LCD technology.
Alongside the nostalgia trip, Microsoft is also adding some new functionality to Windows Terminal. You’ll be able to search through terminal tabs to find input or output from various commands, and tab resizing is being added so you can fit more tabs into view. Microsoft is also adding the ability to specify a profile to open using custom key bindings, alongside applying a single setting to all terminal profiles.
New search feature in Windows Terminal


theverge--2020-01-09--‘Black Book’ suggests the feds have some unexpected surveillance tools, including a gravestone camer

‘Black Book’ suggests the feds have some unexpected surveillance tools, including a gravestone camera

Today , Vice published an article about some , um , unconventional spying products marketed by a surveillance vendor that works with US government agencies .
The vendor , the Special Services Group , offers many surveillance products that look like everyday items , but are actually equipped to be surveillance tools .
Here are just a few of the products marketed in a Special Services Group brochure ( ominously called the “ Black Book ” ) : • A child ’ s carseat that has “ everything you need to quickly and covertly deploy a drop car for video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has the ability to “ conduct remote surveillance operations from cemeteries ” • Small rubber rock and tree lookalikes that can conceal cameras • A microphone and speaker system that you can put entirely in your mouth that connects to a Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone or a recorder • The Shop-Vac Covert DVR Recording System , which houses a camera , DVR , and battery in a Shop Vac vacuum cleaner • A clock radio that can capture and record audio and video and transmit that audio and video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ up to 10 investigators ” can watch and listen to the live audio and video recorded by the clock by connecting to its Wi-Fi signal ) The Black Book was obtained as part of a public records request filed with the Irvine Police Department , and you can read the brochure here starting on page 93 .
( The rest of the documents at this link are part of the records request . )
You probably won ’ t be able to buy any of the equipment for yourself , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website that it “ supplies technical solutions for law enforcement , military , government , and select clients.
” The company says it doesn ’ t put product information on its website “ due to the critical missions of our customers.
” Special Services Group threatened Vice with legal action before it published its story Special Services Group seemingly wants to keep its product information as secret as possible , as Vice says that Special Services Group threatened both it and MuckRock ( a group that had obtained the brochure ) with legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Vice , in one statement , Special Services Group ’ s lawyer “ claimed that the brochure was protected under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
” In an email to MuckRock , the lawyer apparently said that “ the release of the information could result in very serious jeopardy to the lives of law enforcement and military users of the technology RIGHT NOW IN PARTICULAR DUE TO RECENT WORLD EVENTS.
” Vice is likely in the clear , though : Before the whole tranche of documents made its way into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Irvine Police Department apparently found that the Special Services Group ’ s Black Book was safe to be released to the public .

Today, Vice published an article about some, um, unconventional spying products marketed by a surveillance vendor that works with US government agencies. The vendor, the Special Services Group, offers many surveillance products that look like everyday items, but are actually equipped to be surveillance tools.
Here are just a few of the products marketed in a Special Services Group brochure (ominously called the “Black Book”):
A child’s carseat that has “everything you need to quickly and covertly deploy a drop car for video surveillance”
The Tombstone Cam, which has the ability to “conduct remote surveillance operations from cemeteries”
Small rubber rock and tree lookalikes that can conceal cameras
A microphone and speaker system that you can put entirely in your mouth that connects to a Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone or a recorder
The Shop-Vac Covert DVR Recording System, which houses a camera, DVR, and battery in a Shop Vac vacuum cleaner
A clock radio that can capture and record audio and video and transmit that audio and video over a secure Wi-Fi signal (apparently, “up to 10 investigators” can watch and listen to the live audio and video recorded by the clock by connecting to its Wi-Fi signal)
The Black Book was obtained as part of a public records request filed with the Irvine Police Department, and you can read the brochure here starting on page 93. (The rest of the documents at this link are part of the records request.)
You probably won’t be able to buy any of the equipment for yourself, as Special Services Group says on its barebones website that it “supplies technical solutions for law enforcement, military, government, and select clients.” The company says it doesn’t put product information on its website “due to the critical missions of our customers.”
Special Services Group threatened Vice with legal action before it published its story
Special Services Group seemingly wants to keep its product information as secret as possible, as Vice says that Special Services Group threatened both it and MuckRock (a group that had obtained the brochure) with legal action before Vice published its story.
According to Vice, in one statement, Special Services Group’s lawyer “claimed that the brochure was protected under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.” In an email to MuckRock, the lawyer apparently said that “the release of the information could result in very serious jeopardy to the lives of law enforcement and military users of the technology RIGHT NOW IN PARTICULAR DUE TO RECENT WORLD EVENTS.”


theverge--2020-01-10--OnePlus 8 reportedly coming to Verizon with support for 5G

OnePlus ’ next phone , the OnePlus 8 , will reportedly launch on Verizon in the US , with 5G connectivity , Android Police reports .
It would be the first OnePlus phone available on Verizon , as currently T-Mobile is the only US carrier for OnePlus phones .
The Chinese phone maker showed off its Concept One phone at CES 2020 , which included a disappearing camera .
And according to Chinese media reports , OnePlus plans to demonstrate new “ screen technology ” at an event in China on January 13th .
What this new tech might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company shared shows glass panels stacked on top of one another .
It ’ s not clear whether the OnePlus 8 will make use of any of this new tech , but we do know it may swap its signature pop-up selfie cam for a hole-punch display .
The OnePlus 7 Pro launched last May at a price of $ 699 , notably less than other phones in its class .
A few months later , however , T-Mobile stopped selling the 7T Pro .
The less expensive OnePlus 7T debuted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two data breaches in the past two years , most recently in November when some customer data was apparently exposed .
A January 2018 breach saw some 40,000 OnePlus customers ’ credit card information stolen .
We reached out to Verizon to try to confirm availability for the upcoming OnePlus 8 and we ’ ll update when we hear back .

OnePlus’ next phone, the OnePlus 8, will reportedly launch on Verizon in the US, with 5G connectivity, Android Police reports. It would be the first OnePlus phone available on Verizon, as currently T-Mobile is the only US carrier for OnePlus phones.
The Chinese phone maker showed off its Concept One phone at CES 2020, which included a disappearing camera. And according to Chinese media reports, OnePlus plans to demonstrate new “screen technology” at an event in China on January 13th. What this new tech might be remains a mystery, but a graphic the company shared shows glass panels stacked on top of one another. It’s not clear whether the OnePlus 8 will make use of any of this new tech, but we do know it may swap its signature pop-up selfie cam for a hole-punch display.
The OnePlus 7 Pro launched last May at a price of $699, notably less than other phones in its class. A few months later, however, T-Mobile stopped selling the 7T Pro. The less expensive OnePlus 7T debuted on T-Mobile in October.
OnePlus has suffered two data breaches in the past two years, most recently in November when some customer data was apparently exposed. A January 2018 breach saw some 40,000 OnePlus customers’ credit card information stolen.


theverge--2020-01-10--Microsoft says Xbox Series X won’t have exclusive first-party games at launch

Microsoft ’ s upcoming next-gen console , the Xbox Series X , will break with tradition by not launching with exclusive games only playable on the new hardware .
Instead , Microsoft is leaning into its Xbox Play Anywhere strategy and fully supporting backwards compatibility moving forward .
According to Microsoft Studios head Matt Booty , who spoke with UK gaming site MCV , “ over the next year , two years , all of our games , sort of like PC , will play up and down that family of devices , ” Booty said .
“ We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Xbox between now and [ Series X ] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we ’ re committed to them with content.
” This does seem to imply that there will be a point at which new first-party Xbox games designed for the Series X won ’ t run on the standard Xbox One , but that would appear to be a ways out after launch .
This isn ’ t a drastic departure from what Microsoft has been hinting at for months now .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-party games on Xbox playable on Windows 10 as part of its Xbox Play Anywhere initiative .
The company also said back in June at E3 , before the official Series X reveal and when the new console was known only as Project Scarlett , that its next-gen console would also play Xbox One games .
The same is true of Sony ’ s PlayStation 5 , with Sony confirming earlier this year that its new console would be backwards compatible with PS4 games .
( Sony , however , has not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games launching with the PS5 that can only be played on that device . )
“ All of our games , sort of like PC , will play up and down that family of devices.
” But this is the first time Microsoft has said explicitly that its new console won ’ t be launching with a dedicated slate of first-party exclusives , as has been the case for pretty much every new console generation of the last couple of decades .
The biggest first-party Xbox Series X exclusive , Halo Infinite , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next-gen Xbox and Xbox One , as well as Windows 10 .
But Booty here is clarifying that that will be the case for every new Xbox game going forward for at least a year after the Series X launch .
This is a bit of a double-edged sword for Microsoft .
The company has gone to great lengths to ensure that its digital library of Xbox games includes old 360 titles as well as a whole range of classic , ported , and indie games .
It ’ s also built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compatibility between the Series X and the Xbox One , as both are built off the same architecture .
This is great for consumers who worry about abandoning their entire libraries when they upgrade to the latest hardware , which has been one of the primary pitfalls of buying a new console in past generations .
Without enough good new games on the new console , you might have been stuck paying hundreds of dollars for a device that you didn ’ t want to really turn on all that much until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The downside , of course , is that Microsoft doesn ’ t have a very strong argument for why you should upgrade to the Xbox Series X if it doesn ’ t have exclusive games and if you can get similar or even better performance for the same titles on a gaming PC .
Microsoft is hoping that the Series X ’ s impressive specs and its ease of use over the PC platform will be selling points , especially for players who maybe haven ’ t upgraded to a new console since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the company ’ s current approach to exclusives and cross-platform play might make the Series X an especially tough sell if you already own , say , the Xbox One X , released back in 2017 , or a capable gaming PC .
Update January 10th , 6:50PM ET : Clarified that Microsoft is referring to first-party games published under Xbox Game Studios , and not all games on the Xbox platform .

Microsoft’s upcoming next-gen console, the Xbox Series X, will break with tradition by not launching with exclusive games only playable on the new hardware. Instead, Microsoft is leaning into its Xbox Play Anywhere strategy and fully supporting backwards compatibility moving forward.
According to Microsoft Studios head Matt Booty, who spoke with UK gaming site MCV, “over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices,” Booty said. “We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we’re committed to them with content.” This does seem to imply that there will be a point at which new first-party Xbox games designed for the Series X won’t run on the standard Xbox One, but that would appear to be a ways out after launch.
This isn’t a drastic departure from what Microsoft has been hinting at for months now. The company has said it plans to make all first-party games on Xbox playable on Windows 10 as part of its Xbox Play Anywhere initiative. The company also said back in June at E3, before the official Series X reveal and when the new console was known only as Project Scarlett, that its next-gen console would also play Xbox One games. The same is true of Sony’s PlayStation 5, with Sony confirming earlier this year that its new console would be backwards compatible with PS4 games. (Sony, however, has not yet said that it won’t have games launching with the PS5 that can only be played on that device.)
“All of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices.”
But this is the first time Microsoft has said explicitly that its new console won’t be launching with a dedicated slate of first-party exclusives, as has been the case for pretty much every new console generation of the last couple of decades. The biggest first-party Xbox Series X exclusive, Halo Infinite, was already confirmed to run on both the next-gen Xbox and Xbox One, as well as Windows 10. But Booty here is clarifying that that will be the case for every new Xbox game going forward for at least a year after the Series X launch.
This is a bit of a double-edged sword for Microsoft. The company has gone to great lengths to ensure that its digital library of Xbox games includes old 360 titles as well as a whole range of classic, ported, and indie games. It’s also built out the Xbox platform to support backwards compatibility between the Series X and the Xbox One, as both are built off the same architecture.
This is great for consumers who worry about abandoning their entire libraries when they upgrade to the latest hardware, which has been one of the primary pitfalls of buying a new console in past generations. Without enough good new games on the new console, you might have been stuck paying hundreds of dollars for a device that you didn’t want to really turn on all that much until the software library was appropriately padded out.
The downside, of course, is that Microsoft doesn’t have a very strong argument for why you should upgrade to the Xbox Series X if it doesn’t have exclusive games and if you can get similar or even better performance for the same titles on a gaming PC.
Microsoft is hoping that the Series X’s impressive specs and its ease of use over the PC platform will be selling points, especially for players who maybe haven’t upgraded to a new console since the original Xbox One back in 2013. But the company’s current approach to exclusives and cross-platform play might make the Series X an especially tough sell if you already own, say, the Xbox One X, released back in 2017, or a capable gaming PC.


theverge--2020-01-10--Huawei says it’s selling 100,000 foldable phones a month

Huawei says its foldable Mate X phone is selling at a clip of 100,000 per month since it launched in China in November , according to Android Central .
The Mate X , which is only for sale in China , sells for 16,999 yuan , or about $ 2,400 .
That ’ s just shy of the sales estimates for rival Samsung ’ s Galaxy Fold , although it ’ s not totally clear exactly how shy .
Samsung executive Young Sohn incorrectly claimed the Galaxy Fold had sold 1 million units , but later updated that figure at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” since its September launch .
Huawei and rival Samsung were the two front-runners in the race to bring a foldable phone to market first in 2019 .
At CES 2019 , foldable prototypes were plentiful .
But Samsung beat most top competitors when the Galaxy Fold released , then rereleased after a bumpy launch .
Microsoft ’ s foldable Duo and Motorola ’ s foldable Razr are due out later this year .
Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2019 , Huawei ’ s Mate X was originally scheduled to launch in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the launch to November in order to refine and improve its foldable screen , after Samsung delayed the launch of its Galaxy Fold following production problems .
Huawei has not officially announced a launch date for the Mate X outside of China , but previously said it would debut in Europe in the first quarter of this year .
Half of the Mate X screen flips around back , so that when it is folded closed , it has a screen on both sides .
The second iteration of the Mate X is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month .
At this year ’ s CES , the foldable trend expanded beyond phones to laptops .
The Verge ’ s editors named the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold its best in show for CES 2020 , with expectations that there will be more foldable laptops in the coming months .

Huawei says its foldable Mate X phone is selling at a clip of 100,000 per month since it launched in China in November, according to Android Central. The Mate X, which is only for sale in China, sells for 16,999 yuan, or about $2,400.
That’s just shy of the sales estimates for rival Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, although it’s not totally clear exactly how shy. Samsung executive Young Sohn incorrectly claimed the Galaxy Fold had sold 1 million units, but later updated that figure at CES 2020 to “400,000 to 500,000” since its September launch.
Huawei and rival Samsung were the two front-runners in the race to bring a foldable phone to market first in 2019. At CES 2019, foldable prototypes were plentiful. But Samsung beat most top competitors when the Galaxy Fold released, then rereleased after a bumpy launch. Microsoft’s foldable Duo and Motorola’s foldable Razr are due out later this year.
Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2019, Huawei’s Mate X was originally scheduled to launch in July of that year. The company pushed the launch to November in order to refine and improve its foldable screen, after Samsung delayed the launch of its Galaxy Fold following production problems.
Huawei has not officially announced a launch date for the Mate X outside of China, but previously said it would debut in Europe in the first quarter of this year. Half of the Mate X screen flips around back, so that when it is folded closed, it has a screen on both sides. The second iteration of the Mate X is expected to be unveiled at MWC 2020 next month.