theverge--2020-11-13--Google is reportedly working on linking up Nest Audio speakers with Chromecast streaming devices

Google is working on integrating its Chromecast streaming devices and Nest Audio speakers , according to a comment from a Google spokesperson in The Wall Street Journal , in a move that would give Google ’ s smart home and streaming gadgets a feature parity with Amazon and Apple .
Being able to combine a streaming platform with a smart phone speaker makes a lot of sense for these companies .
After all , customers already have all the hardware in their living room — why not repurpose those speakers to improve the sound of your Netflix movies ?
Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of inciting customers to stay within a company ’ s ecosystem .
You ’ re more likely to buy a HomePod mini if it works with the Apple TV you already have .
Just like Amazon and Apple The ability to link smart speakers to streaming boxes is also something that both Apple and Amazon already offer .
Apple lets customers link both HomePods and HomePod mini speakers to the Apple TV ( the Apple TV 4K and the full-sized HomePod even offers additional synergy with virtual Dolby Atmos support ) .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices to control their Fire TVs and to output audio .
Google ’ s plans are extremely vague for now — The Wall Street Journal makes no mention of which devices the company is looking to link together , when the feature will arrive , or what sort of use cases it ’ s looking to achieve .
But with Google increasingly looking to push users toward its smart home devices , making them all work better together just makes good sense .

Google is working on integrating its Chromecast streaming devices and Nest Audio speakers, according to a comment from a Google spokesperson in The Wall Street Journal, in a move that would give Google’s smart home and streaming gadgets a feature parity with Amazon and Apple.
Being able to combine a streaming platform with a smart phone speaker makes a lot of sense for these companies. After all, customers already have all the hardware in their living room — why not repurpose those speakers to improve the sound of your Netflix movies? Plus, there’s the added bonus of inciting customers to stay within a company’s ecosystem. You’re more likely to buy a HomePod mini if it works with the Apple TV you already have.
Just like Amazon and Apple
The ability to link smart speakers to streaming boxes is also something that both Apple and Amazon already offer. Apple lets customers link both HomePods and HomePod mini speakers to the Apple TV (the Apple TV 4K and the full-sized HomePod even offers additional synergy with virtual Dolby Atmos support). And Amazon lets customers both use their Echo devices to control their Fire TVs and to output audio.


theverge--2020-11-13--Google is shutting down its VR field trip app Expeditions

Google is ending support for its Expeditions virtual reality app .
The app , which offered educational VR tours , will be removed from iOS and Android app stores on June 30th , 2021 .
“ The majority ” of its tours will be migrated to Google ’ s separate Arts & Culture app , letting users view them via web or mobile device .
Google published the news in a blog post that was spotted by 9to5Google , and it framed the decision around making Expeditions tours more accessible to students during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with VR headsets are not always accessible to all learners , ” writes Jennifer Holland , Google ’ s director of education program management .
“ As Arts & Culture will offer many of the Expeditions tours , we ’ ll no longer support the Expeditions app.
” Google launched Expeditions for its Cardboard VR viewer in 2015 , and classrooms could get boxes of Cardboard headsets for “ virtual field trips.
” Its tours included 360-degree panoramas capturing museums , festivals , and far-flung wonders of the world .
But Google has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discontinued its Daydream VR platform and made Cardboard an open-source community project last year .
Expeditions is faring better than Daydream , since it ’ s being folded into the larger Arts & Culture app — home to sundry novelties like a Van Gogh photo filter and a tool for matching your selfie to famous works of art .
You can even view some Arts & Culture content in Cardboard .
But it ’ s not a prominently featured option .
Google is also ending support for the Tour Creator feature , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Expeditions .
Tour Creator will no longer be available after June 30th of next year , but Google will let users export the assets from their existing tours in the coming months .
More details are available on the Expeditions site .
Update 4:30PM ET : Added additional detail about exporting tours before the shutdown .

Google is ending support for its Expeditions virtual reality app. The app, which offered educational VR tours, will be removed from iOS and Android app stores on June 30th, 2021. “The majority” of its tours will be migrated to Google’s separate Arts & Culture app, letting users view them via web or mobile device.
Google published the news in a blog post that was spotted by 9to5Google, and it framed the decision around making Expeditions tours more accessible to students during the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve heard and recognize that immersive experiences with VR headsets are not always accessible to all learners,” writes Jennifer Holland, Google’s director of education program management. “As Arts & Culture will offer many of the Expeditions tours, we’ll no longer support the Expeditions app.”
Google launched Expeditions for its Cardboard VR viewer in 2015, and classrooms could get boxes of Cardboard headsets for “virtual field trips.” Its tours included 360-degree panoramas capturing museums, festivals, and far-flung wonders of the world. But Google has since retreated from VR. The company discontinued its Daydream VR platform and made Cardboard an open-source community project last year.
Expeditions is faring better than Daydream, since it’s being folded into the larger Arts & Culture app — home to sundry novelties like a Van Gogh photo filter and a tool for matching your selfie to famous works of art. You can even view some Arts & Culture content in Cardboard. But it’s not a prominently featured option.
Google is also ending support for the Tour Creator feature, which let people make their own tours in Expeditions. Tour Creator will no longer be available after June 30th of next year, but Google will let users export the assets from their existing tours in the coming months. More details are available on the Expeditions site.


theverge--2020-11-14--The Sonos Move speaker is cheaper than ever at several retailers

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
The Sonos Move smart speaker is $ 100 off at retailers like Best Buy , B & H Photo and Amazon today only , bringing the cost from $ 400 to a more reasonable $ 300 .
You can save a little more at Wellbots on the speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it doesn ’ t charge sales tax on purchases for all other US states .
The Move serves as Sonos ’ only speaker that can serve as a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth speaker , meaning you can use it to bolster your arrangement of speakers for music and movies at home via Wi-Fi , or use it by itself to power the tunes when you ’ re on the go with Bluetooth .
To switch between the modes , just tap a button on the back of the Move .
It supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My colleague Dan Seifert reviewed this model , and he noted that whether the Move was plugged in or running off its battery , the sound didn ’ t lose its punch — even when used outside .
It ’ s a big , heavy speaker , so it ’ s not as easy to lug around as more portable options , but it ’ s tough to match when it comes to versatility .
When you ’ re not home to plug it into its dock to charge , you can recharge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these retailers are offering the Move in either black or white colors .
If you miss this deal , perhaps you ’ ll see it reappear during or ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday , which is coming up in just two weeks .

The Move serves as Sonos’ only speaker that can serve as a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth speaker, meaning you can use it to bolster your arrangement of speakers for music and movies at home via Wi-Fi, or use it by itself to power the tunes when you’re on the go with Bluetooth. To switch between the modes, just tap a button on the back of the Move. It supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants.
My colleague Dan Seifert reviewed this model, and he noted that whether the Move was plugged in or running off its battery, the sound didn’t lose its punch — even when used outside. It’s a big, heavy speaker, so it’s not as easy to lug around as more portable options, but it’s tough to match when it comes to versatility. When you’re not home to plug it into its dock to charge, you can recharge it via its USB-C port.


theverge--2020-11-14--Social app Parler apparently receives funding from the conservative Mercer family

Social media app Parler receives financial backing from conservative hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The app , founded as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook which bills itself as “ viewpoint neutral ” saw nearly 1 million new downloads in the days after the US presidential election , rocketing it to the top of the iOS and Google Play app stores .
Parler turned into a kind of de facto home for conservatives ’ protests against the election— including the persistent “ Stop the Steal ” campaign— after the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
Several high-profile conservative social media personalities encouraged people to abandon Twitter and Facebook because of their moderation policies , and instead follow them on Parler .
According to the WSJ , the Mercers , known for giving financial support to conservative causes and organizations , including Cambridge Analytica , have not previously revealed their connection to Parler .
In a “ parley ” ( what Parler calls its posts ) on Saturday , a user with the handle Rebekah Mercer and a yellow “ verified ” badge said she and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parler CEO John Matze , “ started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech as our founders intended , ” and that “ the ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords lead the fight against data mining ” and online free speech .
Matze replied : “ Bekah is a great friend , an American patriot , ” and said he was grateful for her support .
Parler did not return a request for comment Saturday .
On its website , the Nevada-based company says it “ is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years due to changes in Big Tech policy influenced by various special-interest groups.
” As the Wall Street Journal notes , Parler doesn ’ t use the content recommendation algorithms that other social platforms do , algorithms which determine what content users ultimately see based on their behavior .
Instead , Parler shows users all posts from other users they follow .
A longstanding gripe among conservatives on social media is that Twitter and Facebook ’ s algorithms discriminate against them , “ shadowbanning ” their content .
So far , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such behavior .

Social media app Parler receives financial backing from conservative hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, The Wall Street Journal reported. The app, founded as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook which bills itself as “viewpoint neutral” saw nearly 1 million new downloads in the days after the US presidential election, rocketing it to the top of the iOS and Google Play app stores.
Parler turned into a kind of de facto home for conservatives’ protests against the election— including the persistent “Stop the Steal” campaign— after the race was called for former Vice President Joe Biden. Several high-profile conservative social media personalities encouraged people to abandon Twitter and Facebook because of their moderation policies, and instead follow them on Parler.
According to the WSJ, the Mercers, known for giving financial support to conservative causes and organizations, including Cambridge Analytica, have not previously revealed their connection to Parler.
In a “parley” (what Parler calls its posts) on Saturday, a user with the handle Rebekah Mercer and a yellow “verified” badge said she and “John,” an apparent reference to Parler CEO John Matze, “started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech as our founders intended,” and that “the ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords lead the fight against data mining” and online free speech.
Matze replied: “Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot,” and said he was grateful for her support.
Parler
Parler did not return a request for comment Saturday. On its website, the Nevada-based company says it “is the solution to problems that have surfaced in recent years due to changes in Big Tech policy influenced by various special-interest groups.” As the Wall Street Journal notes, Parler doesn’t use the content recommendation algorithms that other social platforms do, algorithms which determine what content users ultimately see based on their behavior. Instead, Parler shows users all posts from other users they follow.
A longstanding gripe among conservatives on social media is that Twitter and Facebook’s algorithms discriminate against them, “shadowbanning” their content. So far, there’s been no conclusive evidence of such behavior.
Related The Cambridge Analytica scandal


theverge--2020-11-14--Amazon customer support team makes geography fail and inadvertently unites Ireland

An Amazon support member trying to help a subscriber on Twitter was apparently not fully up to speed on world geography when they suggested to the user that Northern Ireland wasn ’ t part of the United Kingdom .
Chris Jones was tweeting to the AmazonHelp account on Saturday , asking why he wasn ’ t able to view the Autumn Nations Cup , an international rugby tournament being live-streamed on Amazon Prime .
After troubleshooting some possible technical issues , the helper believed they had found the problem : The match was only available to Prime Members in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reply , Northern Ireland is indeed part of the UK , which actually stands for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .
Students of 20th-century history will recall that the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended decades of political violence in the region , recognizing Northern Ireland as a region of the UK .
The Republic of Ireland ( generally referred to simply as “ Ireland ” ) is a separate country .
Eventually someone at Amazon Support realized the gaffe and offered an apology .
I suspect the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have the rights ” tweet was possibly American or based in the US because they spelled “ apologize ” with a Z .
The follow-up tweet spells “ apologise ” with the S , which is how it ’ s typically spelled in other English-speaking countries ( including the UK ) .
While not everyone was amused by the error , most of Twitter did what Twitter does and helpfully informed AmazonHelp of the nature of its mistake .
And some put the situation into terms Amazon may be able to better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment and will update if we hear back .
In the meantime , we ’ ll hoist a pint of Guinness and hope that the road may rise up to meet you , Amazon customer support team member .

An Amazon support member trying to help a subscriber on Twitter was apparently not fully up to speed on world geography when they suggested to the user that Northern Ireland wasn’t part of the United Kingdom.
Chris Jones was tweeting to the AmazonHelp account on Saturday, asking why he wasn’t able to view the Autumn Nations Cup, an international rugby tournament being live-streamed on Amazon Prime. After troubleshooting some possible technical issues, the helper believed they had found the problem: The match was only available to Prime Members in the UK.
As Jones notes in his reply, Northern Ireland is indeed part of the UK, which actually stands for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Students of 20th-century history may recall that the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended decades of political violence in the region. The Republic of Ireland (generally referred to simply as “Ireland”) is a separate country.
Eventually someone at Amazon Support realized the gaffe and offered an apology.
I suspect the person who tweeted the “we don’t have the rights” tweet was possibly American or based in the US because they spelled “apologize” with a Z. The follow-up tweet spells “apologise” with the S, which is how it’s typically spelled in other English-speaking countries (including the UK).
While not everyone was amused by the error, most of Twitter did what Twitter does and helpfully informed AmazonHelp of the nature of its mistake.
And some put the situation into terms Amazon may be able to better understand:


theverge--2020-11-14--US gives Qualcomm approval to sell 4G chips to Huawei despite sanctions

Qualcomm has received permission from the US to sell 4G mobile chips to Huawei , an exemption to the Trump administration ’ s ban on doing business with the Chinese company , Reuters reported .
Qualcomm didn ’ t specify which products it ’ s allowed to sell to Huawei , but told Reuters they were related to mobile devices .
In May 2019 , the White House issued an executive order barring US companies from doing business with Chinese companies like Huawei due to national security concerns .
In May of this year , the Commerce Department tightened the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get a license from the US if they used US equipment or technology to make chips for Huawei .
And effective in September , the US began requiring foreign semiconductor manufacturers to get a license to sell chips —even if not designed for Huawei specs— that are intended for the Chinese company ’ s use .
Huawei said in August it was running out of processor chips because of the US sanctions .
Richard Yu , CEO of Huawei ’ s consumer business unit said at the time that “ this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirin high-end chips.
” Despite the sanctions from the US , Huawei became the world ’ s biggest smartphone vendor in July , thanks to strong sales in China .
But it lost the top spot to Samsung last month ; Huawei ’ s shipments dropped 24 percent year over year in October , while Samsung saw a 47 percent increase in shipments .
Qualcomm ’ s license to sell to Huawei only covers 4G chips , Reuters notes , and isn ’ t clear whether its license would apply to 5G chips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices .

Qualcomm has received permission from the US to sell 4G mobile chips to Huawei, an exemption to the Trump administration’s ban on doing business with the Chinese company, Reuters reported. Qualcomm didn’t specify which products it’s allowed to sell to Huawei, but told Reuters they were related to mobile devices.
In May 2019, the White House issued an executive order barring US companies from doing business with Chinese companies like Huawei due to national security concerns. In May of this year, the Commerce Department tightened the restrictions to require any overseas semiconductor manufacturers to get a license from the US if they used US equipment or technology to make chips for Huawei. And effective in September, the US began requiring foreign semiconductor manufacturers to get a license to sell chips —even if not designed for Huawei specs— that are intended for the Chinese company’s use.
Huawei said in August it was running out of processor chips because of the US sanctions. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business unit said at the time that “this year may be the last generation of Huawei Kirin high-end chips.”
Despite the sanctions from the US, Huawei became the world’s biggest smartphone vendor in July, thanks to strong sales in China. But it lost the top spot to Samsung last month; Huawei’s shipments dropped 24 percent year over year in October, while Samsung saw a 47 percent increase in shipments.


theverge--2020-11-14--Microsoft says hackers from Russia and North Korea attacked COVID-19 vaccine makers

Cyberattacks that originated in North Korea and Russia have been targeting companies conducting research for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments , Microsoft said in a new blog post .
The company says the attacks were aimed at seven leading pharmaceutical companies and researchers in the US , Canada , France , India , and South Korea .
“ Among the targets , the majority are vaccine makers that have COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials , ” according to the blog post by Tom Burt , Microsoft corporate vice president of customer security and trust .
Microsoft didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about what information may have been stolen or compromised , but said it had notified the organizations and offered help where the attacks were successful .
According to Microsoft , the majority of the attacks were blocked by its security protections .
The hackers used various methods to carry out the attacks , according to the blog post , including brute force login attempts to steal login credentials , as well as spear-phishing attacks where the hackers posed as recruiters seeking job candidates , and as representatives of the World Health Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these challenges have now merged as cyberattacks are being used to disrupt health care organizations fighting the pandemic , ” Burt wrote .
“ We think these attacks are unconscionable and should be condemned by all civilized society.
” New coronavirus cases are on the rise across the US and other parts of the world , but there are some promising signs in the development of a vaccine .
Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccine was 90 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in clinical trials .
That preliminary data hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but experts called the news “ extremely encouraging.
” And a vaccine candidate from Moderna is expected to release initial data soon .

Cyberattacks that originated in North Korea and Russia have been targeting companies conducting research for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, Microsoft said in a new blog post. The company says the attacks were aimed at seven leading pharmaceutical companies and researchers in the US, Canada, France, India, and South Korea.
“Among the targets, the majority are vaccine makers that have COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials,” according to the blog post by Tom Burt, Microsoft corporate vice president of customer security and trust. Microsoft didn’t name the companies, or provide details about what information may have been stolen or compromised, but said it had notified the organizations and offered help where the attacks were successful.
According to Microsoft, the majority of the attacks were blocked by its security protections.
The hackers used various methods to carry out the attacks, according to the blog post, including brute force login attempts to steal login credentials, as well as spear-phishing attacks where the hackers posed as recruiters seeking job candidates, and as representatives of the World Health Organization.
“It’s disturbing that these challenges have now merged as cyberattacks are being used to disrupt health care organizations fighting the pandemic,” Burt wrote. “We think these attacks are unconscionable and should be condemned by all civilized society.”


theverge--2020-11-14--Uber reportedly may sell its self-driving car division to rival Aurora

Uber is in talks to sell its autonomous vehicle unit to startup competitor Aurora Innovation , TechCrunch reported .
If it comes to pass , the sale of Uber Advanced Technologies Group ( UberATG ) , would mark the end of a bumpy road for a division of Uber that was valued at $ 7.25 billion as recently as last July , but which has been plagued with ongoing problems .
In March of 2019 , Uber avoided criminal charges in the 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg in Tempe , Arizona , the first-ever death involving an autonomous car .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety driver behind the wheel of the car , and the state of Arizona all shared a portion of the blame for the incident .
The accident ended Uber ’ s test program in Tempe , but the company resumed testing in Pittsburgh , where UberATG is headquartered .
And UberATG was involved in a trade secrets lawsuit with competitor Waymo , owned by Google parent company Alphabet .
Uber settled the case unexpectedly in February of 2018 .
And according to Uber ’ s most recent earnings report , while its “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues of $ 25 million in the third quarter , the segment saw a net loss of $ 303 million for the nine months ended September 30th , according to TechCrunch .
Aurora was founded in 2017 by Chris Urmson , the former lead engineer for Google ’ s self-driving project .
Much of its focus has been on developing technology for self-driving trucks .
The startup ’ s most recent valuation was about $ 2.5 billion , and Aurora said in July it was expanding its testing of autonomous vehicles into Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for Aurora said in an email to The Verge that “ we don ’ t comment on rumor or speculation.
” Update November 14th , 12:20PM ET : Added replies to requests for comment from Aurora and Uber

Uber is in talks to sell its autonomous vehicle unit to startup competitor Aurora Innovation, TechCrunch reported. If it comes to pass, the sale of Uber Advanced Technologies Group (UberATG), would mark the end of a bumpy road for a division of Uber that was valued at $7.25 billion as recently as last July, but which has been plagued with ongoing problems.
In March of 2019, Uber avoided criminal charges in the 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona, the first-ever death involving an autonomous car. Federal investigators found that Uber, the safety driver behind the wheel of the car, and the state of Arizona all shared a portion of the blame for the incident. The accident ended Uber’s test program in Tempe, but the company resumed testing in Pittsburgh, where UberATG is headquartered.
And UberATG was involved in a trade secrets lawsuit with competitor Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet. Uber settled the case unexpectedly in February of 2018.
And according to Uber’s most recent earnings report, while its “ATG and other technologies” segment had revenues of $25 million in the third quarter, the segment saw a net loss of $303 million for the nine months ended September 30th, according to TechCrunch.
Aurora was founded in 2017 by Chris Urmson, the former lead engineer for Google’s self-driving project. Much of its focus has been on developing technology for self-driving trucks. The startup’s most recent valuation was about $2.5 billion, and Aurora said in July it was expanding its testing of autonomous vehicles into Texas.
Uber declined to comment Saturday. A spokesperson for Aurora said in an email to The Verge that “we don’t comment on rumor or speculation.”


theverge--2020-11-14--The COVID-19 pandemic hits new highs and new lows

This week , COVID-19 headlines were split between cautious optimism and abject despair .
On the positive side , Monday morning brought us a scrap of hope — claims from Pfizer and BioNTech that their vaccine candidate was highly effective .
Their tests so far showed that it has an efficacy of about 90 percent , though that number could change with time .
And before we break out the bubbly , there are still plenty of caveats to the news .
Among the downer highlights : the full data hasn ’ t been released yet , and this happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more controlled than they will be in the real world .
It has to be delivered in two doses , weeks apart , and it ’ s more fragile than frost on a sunny morning — it has to be stored at temperatures of -75 degrees Celsius ( -103 degrees Fahrenheit ) , creating a logistical nightmare for facilities ill-equipped to stock something that frigid .
Put all those asides aside , and the vaccine news is still a spark of joy in a dark time .
By next week , the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start building their case for emergency authorization from the FDA .
That ’ s a pretty exciting mile marker to look forward to , even if there ’ s still a long way to go before we get to a vaccine .
Meanwhile , the bad news was building .
Here in the US , cases hit record highs , with an average of 134,078 cases per day over the past week , according to The New York Times .
The surge in cases is overwhelming emergency rooms and ICUs across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Again .
States are ordering lockdowns .
Again .
Healthcare workers , already exhausted , dread what comes next .
“ The wave hasn ’ t even crashed down on us yet , ” Eli Perencevich , an infectious-disease doctor at the University of Iowa , told The Atlantic ’ s Ed Yong .
“ It keeps rising and rising , and we ’ re all running on fear .
The health-care system in Iowa is going to collapse , no question.
” Skyrocketing caseloads and healthcare systems teetering on the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of work to do to get through the next stage of this pandemic .
It ’ s no longer just about flattening the curve .
We ’ ve got a cliff to conquer .
We also know that the work will be worth it if we can save lives .
As The Verge ’ s Nicole Wetsman wrote this week , “ The light is still months away , but it ’ s there .
We only have to make sure as many people as possible can get to it.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching this week .
New Type of Test May Better Discern Immunity to the Coronavirus Antibodies aren ’ t the only kind of immune cell in the body .
T cells can also fight viruses .
A company has come up with a blood test to detect these cells , which would be exciting .
Caveat : the data of the test has not been reviewed by other researchers .
( Apoorva Mandivalli/NYT ) New Science Suggests How to Shorten Quarantine An early study found that taking two COVID tests could let people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 14-day quarantine .
It ’ s an intriguing idea , but for it to really work , testing would have to be widely available .
Another caveat here : This study has not been reviewed by other researchers .
( Roxanne Khamsi/Elemental ) We helped a New York sewage plant check poop for the coronavirus This is a fun one .
We sent a video team to a sewage plant to get a closer look at how wastewater facilities are helping communities track the spread of coronavirus .
( Nicole Wetsman/The Verge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big boost for mRNA-based vaccines in general .
If this one succeeds , we could see more like it in the future .
( Nicole Wetsman/The Verge ) CNN has a really interesting look into some of the planning going on at a state level to handle a potential vaccine that needs to be kept much colder than ice cold .
( Elizabeth Cohen , John Bonifield and Sierra Jenkins/CNN ) ‘ We ’ re being left behind ’ : Rural hospitals can ’ t afford ultra-cold freezers to store the leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that hospitals stock up on ultra-cold freezers , but some wealthy hospitals are doing it anyway .
Rural hospitals with fewer resources would like to do the same , but can ’ t afford the equipment , even as supplies dwindle .
( Olivia Goldhill/STAT ) Russia ’ s claim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine doesn ’ t pass the ‘ smell test , ’ critics say After Pfizer and BioNTech made their announcement , Russia also announced that it had results on its ‘ Sputnik V ’ vaccine .
Experts are skeptical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the results only looked at 20 COVID-19 cases , compared to Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s 94 .
( Jon Cohen/Science ) Pfizer says placebo patients will eventually get its Covid-19 vaccine .
The question of when is complicated During clinical trials some people get the treatment being tested , and others get a placebo .
The question now is what happens to the people who got a placebo once a vaccine is authorized — and when can they get a working vaccine ?
( Matthew Herper/STAT ) “ They don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babysat or told what to do , and I can understand that , but I ’ d like to believe we ’ re still capable of making a communal sacrifice .
Stay home .
Be reasonable .
Wear a mask.
” —Tom Dean , a doctor in South Dakota on the dire situation in his home .
As told to Eli Saslow , The Washington Post “ My grandfather ’ s death , six months into the pandemic , is more than a tragedy .
His fate is as political as it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —From COVID took my grandfather .
But it wasn ’ t what killed him by Sarah Jones in The Cut To the more than 53,492,701 people worldwide who have tested positive , may your road to recovery be smooth .
To the families and friends of the 1,304,864 people who have died worldwide — 244,364 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten .

This week, COVID-19 headlines were split between cautious optimism and abject despair.
On the positive side, Monday morning brought us a scrap of hope — claims from Pfizer and BioNTech that their vaccine candidate was highly effective. Their tests so far showed that it has an efficacy of about 90 percent, though that number could change with time. And before we break out the bubbly, there are still plenty of caveats to the news.
Among the downer highlights: the full data hasn’t been released yet, and this happened in a clinical trial where conditions were more controlled than they will be in the real world. It has to be delivered in two doses, weeks apart, and it’s more fragile than frost on a sunny morning — it has to be stored at temperatures of -75 degrees Celsius (-103 degrees Fahrenheit), creating a logistical nightmare for facilities ill-equipped to stock something that frigid.
A newsletter highlighting the COVID-19 research, developments, and stories that matter. Subscribe here!
Put all those asides aside, and the vaccine news is still a spark of joy in a dark time. By next week, the companies claim that they should have enough data to start building their case for emergency authorization from the FDA. That’s a pretty exciting mile marker to look forward to, even if there’s still a long way to go before we get to a vaccine.
Healthcare workers, already exhausted, dread what comes next. “The wave hasn’t even crashed down on us yet,” Eli Perencevich, an infectious-disease doctor at the University of Iowa, told The Atlantic’s Ed Yong. “It keeps rising and rising, and we’re all running on fear. The health-care system in Iowa is going to collapse, no question.”
Skyrocketing caseloads and healthcare systems teetering on the brink of collapse mean that the US has a lot of work to do to get through the next stage of this pandemic. It’s no longer just about flattening the curve. We’ve got a cliff to conquer.
We also know that the work will be worth it if we can save lives. As The Verge’s Nicole Wetsman wrote this week, “The light is still months away, but it’s there. We only have to make sure as many people as possible can get to it.”
Here’s what else we were watching this week.
Research
Antibodies aren’t the only kind of immune cell in the body. T cells can also fight viruses. A company has come up with a blood test to detect these cells, which would be exciting. Caveat: the data of the test has not been reviewed by other researchers.
(Apoorva Mandivalli/NYT)
An early study found that taking two COVID tests could let people stick to an eight-day quarantine instead of a 14-day quarantine. It’s an intriguing idea, but for it to really work, testing would have to be widely available. Another caveat here: This study has not been reviewed by other researchers.
(Roxanne Khamsi/Elemental)
This is a fun one. We sent a video team to a sewage plant to get a closer look at how wastewater facilities are helping communities track the spread of coronavirus.
(Nicole Wetsman/The Verge)
Development
The vaccine results this week were a big boost for mRNA-based vaccines in general. If this one succeeds, we could see more like it in the future.
(Nicole Wetsman/The Verge)
CNN has a really interesting look into some of the planning going on at a state level to handle a potential vaccine that needs to be kept much colder than ice cold.
(Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield and Sierra Jenkins/CNN)
The CDC is not recommending that hospitals stock up on ultra-cold freezers, but some wealthy hospitals are doing it anyway. Rural hospitals with fewer resources would like to do the same, but can’t afford the equipment, even as supplies dwindle.
(Olivia Goldhill/STAT)
After Pfizer and BioNTech made their announcement, Russia also announced that it had results on its ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine. Experts are skeptical of both the timing and the fact that the results only looked at 20 COVID-19 cases, compared to Pfizer and BioNTech’s 94.
(Jon Cohen/Science)
During clinical trials some people get the treatment being tested, and others get a placebo. The question now is what happens to the people who got a placebo once a vaccine is authorized — and when can they get a working vaccine?
(Matthew Herper/STAT)
Perspectives
“They don’t want to be watched over or babysat or told what to do, and I can understand that, but I’d like to believe we’re still capable of making a communal sacrifice. Stay home. Be reasonable. Wear a mask.”
—Tom Dean, a doctor in South Dakota on the dire situation in his home. As told to Eli Saslow, The Washington Post
“My grandfather’s death, six months into the pandemic, is more than a tragedy. His fate is as political as it is biological. And I am furious.”
—From COVID took my grandfather. But it wasn’t what killed him by Sarah Jones in The Cut
More than numbers
To the more than 53,492,701 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.
To the families and friends of the 1,304,864 people who have died worldwide — 244,364 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten.


theverge--2020-11-14--Netflix’s The Liberator is another war story too focused on spectacle

Netflix ’ s The Liberator almost didn ’ t get made .
The four-episode miniseries , now streaming , was initially envisioned as an eight-episode drama for the History Channel .
The story — both in that version and the one that exists now — was based on the true story of the “ Thunderbirds ” battalion , a group of US forces that spent 500 straight days in combat in 1943 .
Unfortunately , the production costs of staging a grand war epic proved prohibitive for the History Channel , which led to its eventual rebirth on Netflix as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen before .
The Liberator is disorienting to watch .
Its animation — initially a cost-saving measure , created by the animation house Trioscope — combines live-action performances with computer animation , and it feels like a 21st-century take on rotoscoping ( where animators illustrate over live-action footage ) .
Through this process , the Thunderbirds ’ struggle through the final years of the war takes on an uncanny quality , as the soldiers look both extremely real and extremely animated , like the entire miniseries is shot through a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quite good at overcoming The Liberator ’ s flat and clichéd story .
( A group of very different young men find brotherhood in combat . )
In this regard , The Liberator is in good company .
American entertainment about war — particularly both World Wars — is now often discussed in terms of scale , scope , and technical mastery , while their subject matter doesn ’ t demonstrate much interest in grappling with history beyond very straightforward narratives about young valorous men standing nobly against fascism .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better war movie by forgetting the reason we made them in the first place .
Last year , Sam Mendes ’ 1917 won Academy Awards for its cinematography and special effects , as the way it was filmed — carefully and thrillingly crafted to appear as two continuous takes with only one break in the middle — became its calling card .
( The story was almost beside the point : in this one , a soldier faces impossible odds to deliver a letter . )
Christopher Nolan ’ s Dunkirk chronicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European theater of World War II , but it is also seemingly more important to audiences and critics as a Film From The Maker Of The Dark Knight with a clockwork plot and parallel narratives .
2016 ’ s Hacksaw Ridge — which was disgraced director Mel Gibson ’ s comeback film — is a heavy-handed work lionizing a conscientious objector ’ s refusal to arm himself as a Christ-like figure .
It ’ s also one of the most harrowing depictions of conflict in the last few years , gory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The New York Times noted , is a “ gourmand ” of violence . )
There are a number of possible reasons for why war films are the way they are — a thirst for realism in a Hollywood landscape where the only other kind of big-screen spectacle is CG-heavy superhero franchises , maybe , or perhaps because of a latent jingoism in theater audiences .
Or it could be even simpler : studios want to make films that are both commercially and critically successful , and war films are the rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trinity of blockbuster appeal , critical acclaim , and awards prestige .
The Liberator isn ’ t as gripping or memorable as the other works in its category , but it ’ s playing with a lot of the same emotions and leaning on its technical innovations to captivate jaded audiences .
While its blockbuster contemporaries are better crafted and less shopworn narratively speaking , The Liberator seems more interested in recalling its predecessors , like Band of Brothers , than saying anything of note .
Like many other shows and movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern set by Saving Private Ryan : a fictional account so indelible it is treated as authentic , simply because of how it looked .
For The Liberator , the result feels cheap .
It doesn ’ t have to , though .
One of the most striking war films I saw recently was They Shall Not Grow Old , Peter Jackson ’ s 2018 documentary that painstakingly transformed rarely seen archival footage from World War I — hundred-year-old film in danger of decaying forever — with modern special effects .
Impossibly old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and , in some cases , animated .
And then the whole thing is set to excerpts from hours of interviews with veterans .
The result is a work that immerses the viewer in the texture of history , transposing it to a modern scale .
It helps you imagine the terrible power of weapons that could kill en masse wielded for the first time ; as artillery blasts crater the battlefield and men stand atop the entrails of horses .
They Shall Not Grow Old also details propaganda that convinced boys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions that awaited them in the theaters of war .
It ’ s a film about men ’ s worst memories , rendered in high definition for the first time .
“ When you see a dead body in full color , you grieve it all the more ” wrote columnist Drew Magary in a GQ article about the film , the military-industrial complex , and the American cheapening of war .
They Shall Not Grow Old , Magary argues , is a technical feat that serves as a corrective to other popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ pageantry ” and light on the horror .
We have such dazzling tools at our disposal and a concurrent obligation to use them responsibly — a duty to render the why of war as vividly as the how .
To erect monuments and not empty spectacles .
To really contemplate what calling something The Liberator might mean .

Netflix’s The Liberator almost didn’t get made. The four-episode miniseries, now streaming, was initially envisioned as an eight-episode drama for the History Channel. The story — both in that version and the one that exists now — was based on the true story of the “Thunderbirds” battalion, a group of US forces that spent 500 straight days in combat in 1943. Unfortunately, the production costs of staging a grand war epic proved prohibitive for the History Channel, which led to its eventual rebirth on Netflix as an animated series quite unlike anything you’ve seen before.
The Liberator is disorienting to watch. Its animation — initially a cost-saving measure, created by the animation house Trioscope — combines live-action performances with computer animation, and it feels like a 21st-century take on rotoscoping (where animators illustrate over live-action footage). Through this process, the Thunderbirds’ struggle through the final years of the war takes on an uncanny quality, as the soldiers look both extremely real and extremely animated, like the entire miniseries is shot through a very expensive Instagram filter. And the animation is quite good at overcoming The Liberator’s flat and clichéd story. (A group of very different young men find brotherhood in combat.)
In this regard, The Liberator is in good company. American entertainment about war — particularly both World Wars — is now often discussed in terms of scale, scope, and technical mastery, while their subject matter doesn’t demonstrate much interest in grappling with history beyond very straightforward narratives about young valorous men standing nobly against fascism. It’s a machine in service of building a better war movie by forgetting the reason we made them in the first place.
Last year, Sam Mendes’ 1917 won Academy Awards for its cinematography and special effects, as the way it was filmed — carefully and thrillingly crafted to appear as two continuous takes with only one break in the middle — became its calling card. (The story was almost beside the point: in this one, a soldier faces impossible odds to deliver a letter.) Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk chronicles one of the most dramatic moments in the European theater of World War II, but it is also seemingly more important to audiences and critics as a Film From The Maker Of The Dark Knight with a clockwork plot and parallel narratives. 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge — which was disgraced director Mel Gibson’s comeback film — is a heavy-handed work lionizing a conscientious objector’s refusal to arm himself as a Christ-like figure. It’s also one of the most harrowing depictions of conflict in the last few years, gory and uncompromising in its spectacle. (Gibson, The New York Times noted, is a “gourmand” of violence.)
There are a number of possible reasons for why war films are the way they are — a thirst for realism in a Hollywood landscape where the only other kind of big-screen spectacle is CG-heavy superhero franchises, maybe, or perhaps because of a latent jingoism in theater audiences. Or it could be even simpler: studios want to make films that are both commercially and critically successful, and war films are the rare genre that has a frequent shot at the trinity of blockbuster appeal, critical acclaim, and awards prestige.
The Liberator isn’t as gripping or memorable as the other works in its category, but it’s playing with a lot of the same emotions and leaning on its technical innovations to captivate jaded audiences. While its blockbuster contemporaries are better crafted and less shopworn narratively speaking, The Liberator seems more interested in recalling its predecessors, like Band of Brothers, than saying anything of note. Like many other shows and movies, it wants to adhere to a pattern set by Saving Private Ryan: a fictional account so indelible it is treated as authentic, simply because of how it looked. For The Liberator, the result feels cheap.
It doesn’t have to, though. One of the most striking war films I saw recently was They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s 2018 documentary that painstakingly transformed rarely seen archival footage from World War I — hundred-year-old film in danger of decaying forever — with modern special effects. Impossibly old film is colorized, remastered, retouched, and, in some cases, animated. And then the whole thing is set to excerpts from hours of interviews with veterans.
The result is a work that immerses the viewer in the texture of history, transposing it to a modern scale. It helps you imagine the terrible power of weapons that could kill en masse wielded for the first time; as artillery blasts crater the battlefield and men stand atop the entrails of horses. They Shall Not Grow Old also details propaganda that convinced boys to sign up, and the miserable conditions that awaited them in the theaters of war. It’s a film about men’s worst memories, rendered in high definition for the first time.


theverge--2020-11-15--PSA: Games Done Quick’s week-long all-women speedrunning event starts today

Games Done Quick ’ s ( GDQ ) all-women speedrunning community , the Frame Fatales , will be hosting the Fleet Fatales event to raise money for charity this week .
It kicks off today at 4PM ET on the Games Done Quick Twitch channel .
The schedule is live now , and there are some great runs to look forward to .
I ’ m particularly interested the Hades run on Monday , the run for a game called McDonald ’ s Treasure Land Adventures for the Sega Genesis on Tuesday ( no , I had never heard of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but here ’ s a video of it ) , the Donkey Kong : Jungle Beat run on Friday ( Jungle Beat is the Donkey Kong platformer played with the GameCube ’ s bongo controller ) , and the The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time randomizer co-op run on Saturday ( I have no idea how this run will work , but it sounds awesome ) .
Like other recent GDQ events , the Fleet Fatales event will be virtual due to the pandemic .
The event will be raising money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve access to education for girls .
The Frame Fatales hosted the Frost Fatales event in February , which raised more than $ 54,000 for Malala Fund .
( You can watch replays of runs from that event on YouTube . )
Fleet Fatales begins today , and takes place from 4PM to 12AM ET each day this week .
The event ends on Saturday , November 21st .

Games Done Quick’s (GDQ) all-women speedrunning community, the Frame Fatales, will be hosting the Fleet Fatales event to raise money for charity this week. It kicks off today at 4PM ET on the Games Done Quick Twitch channel.
The schedule is live now, and there are some great runs to look forward to. I’m particularly interested the Hades run on Monday, the run for a game called McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventures for the Sega Genesis on Tuesday (no, I had never heard of that game until now, either, but here’s a video of it), the Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat run on Friday (Jungle Beat is the Donkey Kong platformer played with the GameCube’s bongo controller), and the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time randomizer co-op run on Saturday (I have no idea how this run will work, but it sounds awesome).
Like other recent GDQ events, the Fleet Fatales event will be virtual due to the pandemic. The event will be raising money for Malala Fund, which works to improve access to education for girls. The Frame Fatales hosted the Frost Fatales event in February, which raised more than $54,000 for Malala Fund. (You can watch replays of runs from that event on YouTube.)


theverge--2020-11-16--Huawei is selling off its Honor phone business

Huawei has announced plans to sell off Honor , its smartphone business focused on mid-range products for younger consumers .
Huawei says the decision “ has been made by Honor ’ s industry chain to ensure its own survival , ” following “ tremendous pressure ” and “ a persistent unavailability of technical elements needed for our mobile phone business.
” Honor products often rely heavily on Huawei ’ s own technology , so the company has been equally hit by US sanctions preventing Huawei from doing business with American companies .
The V30 line of phones , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that powers Huawei ’ s P40 flagship devices .
Under new ownership , Honor should have more flexibility to develop its products , potentially being able to deal with the likes of Qualcomm and Google .
Huawei says it “ will not hold any shares or be involved in any business management or decision-making activities in the new Honor company.
” That company will be owned by the newly-formed Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co. , a consortium of partners and government-backed businesses .
Terms of the deal weren ’ t disclosed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed Honor sale could reach 100 billion yuan ( $ 15.2 billion ) .

Huawei has announced plans to sell off Honor, its smartphone business focused on mid-range products for younger consumers. Huawei says the decision “has been made by Honor’s industry chain to ensure its own survival,” following “tremendous pressure” and “a persistent unavailability of technical elements needed for our mobile phone business.”
Honor products often rely heavily on Huawei’s own technology, so the company has been equally hit by US sanctions preventing Huawei from doing business with American companies. The V30 line of phones, for example, uses the same Kirin 990 processor that powers Huawei’s P40 flagship devices. Under new ownership, Honor should have more flexibility to develop its products, potentially being able to deal with the likes of Qualcomm and Google.
Huawei says it “will not hold any shares or be involved in any business management or decision-making activities in the new Honor company.” That company will be owned by the newly-formed Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co., a consortium of partners and government-backed businesses.


theverge--2020-11-16--Epic’s new tech could theoretically put your facial expressions in Fortnite

Constant updating has turned Fortnite from an early access fort-building game to a popular social space to spend time with friends , but despite that constant iteration , expression has always been limited to the emotes that Epic programs into the game .
Conveniently , Epic just bought a company called Hyprsense that can put your facial expressions directly onto a video game character using a simple webcam , which seems like a great fit for Fortnite .
For a taste of what that could look like , look no further than this promo for Hyprsense ’ s own app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September and while the app ’ s no longer available , it ’ s easy to imagine how nice even a tiny bit more facial expressiveness could be in Fortnite ’ s slower-paced , non-violent Party Royale .
Party Royale has been host to several social experiences since it launched , like concerts , trailer premieres and talks about race in America — turning Fortnite into a platform as much as it is a game .
Despite the potential , today ’ s acquisition came with no plans for implementing the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Epic CTO Kim Libreri actually suggest this purchase may be about creators first .
“ Bringing on the Hyprsense team enables us to [ ... ] approach the goal of giving all creators full control over expressing their vision down to the smallest nuance , ” Libreri says .
Epic has explored inexpensive forms of motion capture for Unreal Engine before , including using an iPhone ’ s TrueDepth camera to build a depth map of a face , but being able to use a webcam you already own , like Hyprsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facial motion capture accessible for even more developers .
With Hyprsense employees joining Epic ’ s active game development and “ digital human ” teams , we can ’ t say for certain where this motion capture tech will pop-up first , but what is clear is that expressiveness — whether from player characters or NPCs — seems important to Epic ’ s increasingly social future .

Constant updating has turned Fortnite from an early access fort-building game to a popular social space to spend time with friends, but despite that constant iteration, expression has always been limited to the emotes that Epic programs into the game. Conveniently, Epic just bought a company called Hyprsense that can put your facial expressions directly onto a video game character using a simple webcam, which seems like a great fit for Fortnite.
For a taste of what that could look like, look no further than this promo for Hyprsense’s own app:
Hyprmeet was released in open beta in September and while the app’s no longer available, it’s easy to imagine how nice even a tiny bit more facial expressiveness could be in Fortnite’s slower-paced, non-violent Party Royale.
Party Royale has been host to several social experiences since it launched, like concerts, trailer premieres and talks about race in America — turning Fortnite into a platform as much as it is a game. Despite the potential, today’s acquisition came with no plans for implementing the new tech in the game, and comments from Epic CTO Kim Libreri actually suggest this purchase may be about creators first. “Bringing on the Hyprsense team enables us to [...] approach the goal of giving all creators full control over expressing their vision down to the smallest nuance,” Libreri says.


theverge--2020-11-16--Microsoft says Xbox Series X might be in short supply until April or beyond

The Xbox Series X and S launched last week , but if you weren ’ t lucky enough to have a pre-order or snag one of the few launch-day units , you might be waiting until next year — that ’ s when there might be enough Xbox supply to easily pick up a new console off the shelf , according to a top Xbox exec .
“ I think we ’ ll continue to see supply shortages as we head into the post-holiday quarter , so Microsoft ’ s Q3 , calendar Q1 , ” said Xbox chief financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Entertainment Virtual Conference .
( You can read a transcript of Stuart ’ s full remarks at the conference at Seeking Alpha . )
Phil Spencer tried to set expectations about short supply That ’ s not an altogether surprising statement , as Xbox chief Phil Spencer tried to set expectations about short supply at the end of October .
“ We ’ re gon na have more demand than we do supply , and I ’ ll apologize in advance to people for that , ” he said on the Dropped Frames @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re gon na live in that world for a few months that we ’ re going to have a lot more demand than we do supply.
” And Spencer apologized again for the limited number of Xbox consoles at Twitch ’ s virtual Glitchcon event .
“ We ’ ve been building them for almost two months and trying to get as many into the stores as we can , but the demand is just so high , ” he said .
The Xbox Series X and S supply situation could turn around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Stuart .
“ When we get to Q4 , all of our supply chain [ is ] continuing to go full speed heading into kind of the pre-summer months , ” Stuart said .
( Microsoft ’ s fiscal Q4 takes place from April through June . )
“ And that ’ s where I start to — I expect to see a little bit of the demand — the supply profile , meeting the demand profile.
” Microsoft isn ’ t the only company that expects shortages of its new gaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huang said in early October that the company expects to see shortages of its RTX 3080 and 3090 graphics cards until next year .
And it doesn ’ t seem like there are a lot of PlayStation 5 consoles to go around , either , based on my colleagues ’ experiences trying to snag one last week .

The Xbox Series X and S launched last week, but if you weren’t lucky enough to have a pre-order or snag one of the few launch-day units, you might be waiting until next year — that’s when there might be enough Xbox supply to easily pick up a new console off the shelf, according to a top Xbox exec.
“I think we’ll continue to see supply shortages as we head into the post-holiday quarter, so Microsoft’s Q3, calendar Q1,” said Xbox chief financial officer Tim Stuart at the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment Virtual Conference. (You can read a transcript of Stuart’s full remarks at the conference at Seeking Alpha.)
Phil Spencer tried to set expectations about short supply
That’s not an altogether surprising statement, as Xbox chief Phil Spencer tried to set expectations about short supply at the end of October. “We’re gonna have more demand than we do supply, and I’ll apologize in advance to people for that,” he said on the Dropped Frames podcast. “I think we’re gonna live in that world for a few months that we’re going to have a lot more demand than we do supply.”
And Spencer apologized again for the limited number of Xbox consoles at Twitch’s virtual Glitchcon event. “We’ve been building them for almost two months and trying to get as many into the stores as we can, but the demand is just so high,” he said.
The Xbox Series X and S supply situation could turn around early next year, though, according to Stuart. “When we get to Q4, all of our supply chain [is] continuing to go full speed heading into kind of the pre-summer months,” Stuart said. (Microsoft’s fiscal Q4 takes place from April through June.) “And that’s where I start to — I expect to see a little bit of the demand — the supply profile, meeting the demand profile.”
Microsoft isn’t the only company that expects shortages of its new gaming products this year. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in early October that the company expects to see shortages of its RTX 3080 and 3090 graphics cards until next year. And it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of PlayStation 5 consoles to go around, either, based on my colleagues’ experiences trying to snag one last week.


theverge--2020-11-16--The VR arcade that Disney crowned is teetering on the brink of extinction

The Void was the poster child for virtual reality arcades , a future that once seemed bright — we covered it numerous times at The Verge , particularly after Disney and ILMxLab chose to bring Star Wars , Wreck-It Ralph and Avengers experiences exclusively to The Void ’ s arcades .
But Protocol reports that The Void is now as close to death ’ s door as a brand ever truly comes : after defaulting on a loan , Disney has abandoned its partner , the company ’ s assets have been reassigned to a creditor , and that creditor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them off .
While new owner Jim Bennett tells the publication that resuming operations might also be an option , the name of his holding company suggests different , as Protocol points out : It ’ s good to see someone ’ s got a sense of humor .
Even before the pandemic hit , VR arcades were already struggling to take off — IMAX , previously the biggest name in the business , started shutting down all its operations in December 2018 .
But The Void might have suffered from more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing bigger Star Wars games to home VR headsets , whose price of entry has largely gotten less expensive each year .
As we wrote in November 2019 , “ Vader Immortal strips Star Wars down to its swashbuckling adventure roots in a way that creator ILMxLAB ’ s earlier , smaller Star Wars VR experiments haven ’ t. ” Those “ smaller experiments ” were The Void ’ s games .
But now , The Void doesn ’ t even have those smaller Star Wars experiences to draw on : in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down its Downtown Disney locations , and withdrew the rights to use its intellectual property .
With the pandemic still raging , it ’ s hard to imagine the spurned company recovering .

The Void was the poster child for virtual reality arcades, a future that once seemed bright — we covered it numerous times at The Verge, particularly after Disney and ILMxLab chose to bring Star Wars, Wreck-It Ralph and Avengers experiences exclusively to The Void’s arcades. But Protocol reports that The Void is now as close to death’s door as a brand ever truly comes: after defaulting on a loan, Disney has abandoned its partner, the company’s assets have been reassigned to a creditor, and that creditor says he’s planning to sell them off.
While new owner Jim Bennett tells the publication that resuming operations might also be an option, the name of his holding company suggests different, as Protocol points out:
After getting a loan from VR Boom LLC last year, The Void’s assets are now being held by a new holding company aptly named VR Exit LLC.
It’s good to see someone’s got a sense of humor.
Even before the pandemic hit, VR arcades were already struggling to take off — IMAX, previously the biggest name in the business, started shutting down all its operations in December 2018. But The Void might have suffered from more than lackluster attendance: its benefactor Disney began bringing bigger Star Wars games to home VR headsets, whose price of entry has largely gotten less expensive each year. As we wrote in November 2019 about one such home VR game, “Vader Immortal strips Star Wars down to its swashbuckling adventure roots in a way that creator ILMxLAB’s earlier, smaller Star Wars VR experiments haven’t.”
Those “smaller experiments” were The Void’s games.


theverge--2020-11-16--Here are the best AirPods deals you can get right now

Apple AirPods are among the most popular headphones on the market .
They ’ re compact , easy to pair with your devices , and they offer reliable connectivity , which can sometimes be a problem with truly wireless earphones .
So there ’ s a chance that you might be looking for a deal on them .
Surprisingly , they ’ re no stranger to the occasional price cut .
There are commonly discounts on even the more expensive AirPods Pro , which offer noise cancellation and better sound than the standard second-generation model .
We ’ ll run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below , including the second-generation AirPods , the more expensive second-generation AirPods that include a wireless charging case , and finally , the AirPods Pro .
You can currently find the best price on Apple ’ s most affordable AirPods at Amazon , Best Buy , Staples , and Walmart .
Normally $ 159 , but you can get them for $ 130 at those three retailers right now .
Normally retailers knock off $ 30 off its normal price , but we have seen them go down to as low as $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case are identical in every way to the standard AirPods , save for one : their charging case can be charged on a Qi wireless pad .
You ’ ll need to provide your own wireless charging pad to take advantage of this feature ( if you have no use for it , just get the more affordable option above ) , but even the best ones are fairly inexpensive .
Most of the time you can find this version for less than Apple ’ s sticker price , but keep a lookout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 140 , which happens occasionally .
We ’ ve seen them recently go down to $ 108 at Walmart , but the deal was only available in select US states .
Apple ’ s high-end truly wireless earbuds , the AirPods Pro , are frequently available for less than their $ 249 retail price .
At most retailers , that price drop is only $ 15 .
Though , if you aren ’ t getting at least $ 30 off the regular price , I ’ d personally hold off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen the AirPods Pro sell for is $ 190 , but that ’ s not common .
Currently , you can get them as low as $ 200 at Amazon or Walmart .
Compared to the options above , the AirPods Pro have better sound quality , noise cancellation , and now support Apple ’ s new spatial audio feature .
We think they ’ re the best wireless earbuds that iPhone owners should buy .

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods toward the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model slowly dip to around $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly a year, we’re seeing their price fall more often, too.
Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.
The best AirPods (second-gen) deals
In 2021, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.
Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds have dropped to as low as $79.99 before, but right now they’re only on sale for around $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Alternatively, if you prefer the model with the wireless charging case, it’s available at Adorama for $129.99 ($20 off).
The best AirPods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life render them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.
In September, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. They are currently on sale at Amazon and Target for $149.99 ($20 off). You can also buy the option with a MagSafe charging case at B&H Photo and Costco (members only) for around $169.95 ($9 off).
The best AirPods Pro deals
In case you missed it, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event in September, a pair of earbuds that feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation. They also sport swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears.
They typically retail for $249, but right now they’re on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $199 ($50 off), which nearly matches their all-time low. If you live close to a Micro Center, you can also pick them up in-store for $194.99 ($5 off).
The first-gen AirPods Pro are also still available for purchase, and sometimes much cheaper than the second-gen model. They have better sound quality than the non-premium models listed above, as well as active noise cancellation. They also come with swappable silicone tips — albeit three, not four — and support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which adds an immersive surround sound effect to select content.
At the end of 2021, Apple launched a new configuration of the first-gen AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case that supports Apple’s MagSafe technology, just like the third-gen AirPods. While they used to retail for $249, we’ve seen them drop to around $159, and sometimes they even sell for as low as $129. Right now, however, they’re not on sale, which is why we suggest buying the second-gen AirPods Pro while they’re still discounted.
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The best AirPods Max deals
The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.
Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. That said, the Max are receiving a sizable discount at Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo, where you can pick them up in select colors for around $477 ($72 off) at checkout. If you live near a Micro Center, you can also buy them for $469.99 ($80 off).


theverge--2020-11-16--The best Black Friday deals you can get right now

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
The majority of Black Friday deals will launch the day after Thanksgiving ( November 26th ) in the US as usual , but the pandemic has shaken things up in yet another way .
The best deals will be happening online , with fewer in-person sales for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of those great deals are already available , so you can get started on your holiday gift ( or personal ) shopping .
With this post , we ’ re rounding up the best early Black Friday deals from retailers like Amazon , Best Buy , Walmart , Target , Adorama , B & H Photo , Newegg , and anywhere else we find deals you should know about .
Best Buy is currently running its My Best Buy Early Access sale , where several of its products across various categories are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll find below .
You will need to sign up for a free My Best Buy account ( and be logged in to it website ) for the sales prices to appear .
I love seeing this $ 72 off deal on Sony ’ s WH-1000XM4 headphones ( pictured above ) .
It ’ s happening again at Amazon and Best Buy , matching the lowest price we ’ ve seen yet .
This model of headphones released for $ 350 in August , improving on the excellent audio quality , sound-dampening noise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the XM3 from 2018 .
This newer model doesn ’ t bring revolutionary changes in either category , but adding multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and auto-pausing sensors makes the XM4 worth seeking out .
Watch Dogs : Legion , the latest installment in Ubisoft ’ s hack-anything , open-world game , is down to $ 30 — a 50 percent price cut .
It released in late October , so this is a staggering drop in price for such a new game .
What makes this deal even better is that each version will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series X/S or PS5 copies for free .
Even if you don ’ t have much interest in the game , it ’ s an affordable way to check out what impressive ray tracing graphics look like on the new console hardware .
The Apple Watch SE was already the most affordable Watch that Apple made at $ 279 , but it ’ s even cheaper at Amazon , Walmart , and Target .
You can score the 40mm GPS version for $ 230 or the larger 44mm Watch for $ 260 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar to the more expensive Series 6 but lacks the always-on display and a few other features .
The Apple Watch SE aligns more with the Series 5 in terms of specs , but at $ 230 , it ’ s a fantastic value .
Here ’ s an in-depth post on how the SE differs from other recent Apple Watch models .
The eighth-generation iPad is the latest of Apple ’ s most affordable tablet , and it ’ s $ 50 off at Best Buy .
Normally $ 330 , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the same as the previous generation , but the one big upgrade is its leap in processing power , jumping from the A10 ( used first in the iPhone 7 ) to the A12 Bionic ( the same CPU used in the 2019 versions of the iPad mini and iPad Air ) .
Simply put , it ’ s a fast , affordable tablet .
Samsung ’ s latest Galaxy Tab A7 has a 10.4-inch display with slim bezels and a design that looks more like the flagship Galaxy Tab S7 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can pick one up in a 32GB storage configuration for just $ 150 at Best Buy .
This is probably a good option if you don ’ t want to spend as much as the iPad above costs , but you want decent performance .
Acer ’ s Chromebook Spin 713 is the best Chromebook you can currently buy , and it ’ s $ 80 off its normal price .
Normally $ 629 , it ’ s now $ 549 .
That might not seem like much , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want a high-end Chromebook experience , with a 3:2 aspect ratio display , a decent processor and 128GB of SSD storage .
Samsung ’ s Galaxy Buds Plus wireless earbuds are down to just $ 110 at Amazon .
This is the best price we ’ ve seen for this model , which usually cost $ 150 outside of any discounts .
Compared to the standard Galaxy Buds , this upgraded model that launched alongside the Galaxy S20 series of phones has improved sound quality , microphones and battery life .
Persona 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Best Buy , which is the lowest price we ’ ve seen yet .
This is the definitive edition of the popular JRPG from Atlus , so get this if you ’ re looking for the most complete version of the game .
PS5 owners with a PS Plus subscription can enjoy the base version of the game for no extra cost , but you ’ ll miss out on some of the extra content in the Royal version .
If you want 2TB of fast storage for your PC , Samsung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SSD is $ 250 at Newegg and Amazon , beating the lowest price by about $ 40 .
Over the summer , the price was steady at $ 350 .
A PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD like this will fit in only certain kinds of motherboards ( so check before you buy ) .
Alternatively , it can also make for a very fast USB-C drive if you get an M.2 enclosure for it .
Either route you take , you ’ ll get a lot of speedy storage .
Peak Design has kicked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale ” with sizeable discounts on bags and tripods .
It might be tough to imagine when you might next need a durable backpack that can fit a lot of gadgets within , but the company ’ s “ Everyday ” lineup of bags is 20 percent off .
Its bigger “ Travel ” bags are also discounted .
If you ’ re into photography , Peak Design ’ s Travel Tripod and a few accessories that are compatible with it are cheaper than usual .

Cyber Monday is over, but some of the deals are still happening. We won’t be making any more updates to the post below, so if you you want to follow along with the Cyber Week developments, we’re tracking the latest deals here.
Original article follows below.
It’s the last big shopping opportunity of 2020, and if you didn’t already take advantage of some deals that debuted over the weekend, now’s your chance. Every retailer has debuted at least a few new deals earlier than ever, and we’re focused on adding them here — in addition to the great Black Friday deals you can still get. As you’re expecting, there are some great deals on gaming laptops, wireless noise-canceling headphones, earbuds, tablets, and much more.
We’ll be doing our best to keep this post updated during Cyber Monday, and stay tuned throughout Cyber Week as we give you as many chances as possible to get everything on your holiday wish list. We’ve put the latest deals right at the top for easy viewing.
Latest deals
You can still get Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds for $110 at Woot (normally $130 during Cyber Monday), but B&H Photo comes close with its new $120 price for the earbuds.
The latest August Wi-Fi smart lock is $40 off at Best Buy and includes a free Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. Your total checkout cost will be $210 (plus tax).
Jabra’s Elite 75t wireless earbuds (black) are $119 at Best Buy, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet. All other colors are $140.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
B&H Photo is selling the very extreme 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor for $1,250 with an expected availability date of January 28th, 2021. It’s not quite as low as Amazon’s $1,190 deal from last week, but it’s the best currently running.
Target is selling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Party for the Nintendo Switch together for $80. Given that each game usually costs $60, you’re saving $40 overall with this bundle. It’s lasting for the rest of Cyber Monday.
The $100 off deal on the latest MacBook Air with the M1 processor is back on at B&H Photo until the end of the day, or until stock sells out.
You can get two Amazon Echo Show 5 smart displays for $80 at Best Buy for Cyber Monday. Normally $45 each during Black Friday, this bundle will save you $10.
The best Cyber Monday deals on headphones
Whether you’re in the market for a set of wireless earbuds, noise-canceling headphones (or both!), Cyber Monday is delivering the goods with the best deals we’ve seen yet for models like the Apple AirPods, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Plus and Buds Live, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, and many more.
Sony’s WH-XB900N noise-canceling headphones are $118 at Amazon and Best Buy (usually $248)
Even more affordable yet, the Sony WH-CH710N noise-canceling headphones are just $88 at Amazon and Best Buy (usually $200)
Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones (Certified Refurbished) $ 224 $ 380 41 % off $ 224 $ 224 $ 380 41 % off Bose’s flagship over-the-ear headphones allow you to connect two devices simultaneously and have a more modern design compared to other Bose headphones. You can grab a pair of Certified Refurbished ones for $224 (before tax) with code PREZDAY20 entered at checkout. $224 at eBay
Beats Solo Pro $ 145 $ 300 52 % off $ 145 $ 145 $ 300 52 % off Our top pick for best on-ear noise-canceling headphones. The Beats Solo Pro are ideal if you need a durable pair of headphones while you work out. $145 at Woot
The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless noise-canceling headphones are $350 at Amazon and Best Buy, knocking $50 off the normal price
Shure’s Aonic 50 noise-canceling headphones are $300 at Amazon and Best Buy — a whole $100 off their usual price
Apple’s AirPods with a wireless charging case costs $140, which is officially the lowest price. These have been selling for $150 throughout Black Friday, but this early Cyber Monday deal is live now at Amazon.
You can snag a set of Amazon Echo Buds, which also sound good and have Bose noise reduction technology. They cost $80, down from $130, and you’ll get a six-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited.
The Galaxy Buds Plus dropped another $10 at Amazon, down to $100 from their original $150 price. Other retailers are holding steady at $110, at least for now.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds are just $110 at Woot (normally $130 during Cyber Monday). The next best price is at B&H Photo for $120.
Also at $80 are 1More’s ColorBuds, a solid set of wireless earbuds that pop with color. These are normally $100, and you can get this deal through 1More
Related There are more Cyber Monday deals on wireless earbuds
The best Cyber Monday deals on TVs
Several TV models are discounted for Cyber Monday, but only a few of them are likely worth your money. We’ve plucked a few particularly good deals out from the bunch. There are very affordable TVs that have Amazon’s Fire TV software built-in, as well as more high-end options like QLED and OLED TVs that are best paired with a PS5 and Xbox Series X for gaming (or just if you want the best picture quality and contrast for TV shows and movies). Also, we’ve found deals on big-screened TVs that are cheaper than ever.
LG BX OLED $ 1620 $ 1800 10 % off $ 1620 $ 1620 $ 1800 10 % off The 65-inch BX Series supports 4K at 120Hz, a variable refresh rate, and has all the HDMI 2.1 features you could want in a new TV. $1620 at Best Buy (65-inch)
The best Cyber Monday deals on laptops
Laptops are always useful, but they’re especially handy to have amid the pandemic. Whether you’re planning to use one for school, work, or just to have fun browsing or gaming, we’ve selected some standout laptop deals.
HP’s Envy x360 13 2-in-1 is $750 at Best Buy (usually $1,000)
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 14-inch gaming laptop with AMD’s Ryzen 9 4900HS processor, Nvidia’s RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is $1,200 at Best Buy, down from its usual $1,450 price.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 gaming laptop with a six-core Intel Core i7 processor, the RTX 2060, and 16GB of RAM is $1,050 with a rebate card at Newegg (usually $1,300)
Lenovo’s 17-inch Legion 5 gaming laptop with a six-core Intel Core i7 processor, the RTX 2060, and 16GB of RAM is $1,200 at Newegg (normally $1,400)
The G5 15 SE playing Valorant Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
Dell’s 15-inch G5 15 SE gaming laptop with AMD’s Ryzen 7 4800H processor, the Radeon RX 5600M graphics chip, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 144Hz refresh rate display costs $850, down from $1,050. This is a capable machine for the price.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 $ 800 $ 1200 33 % off $ 800 $ 800 $ 1200 33 % off The Surface Pro 7 is one of the best Windows convertibles you can buy. This model includes an Intel Core i5, a 128GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM. $800 at Microsoft$850 at Target
The Acer Aspire 5 is a solid budget laptop with an 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It costs $550 at Newegg, down from $650.
The best Cyber Monday deals on smartwatches & wearables
If you’re looking to get a fitness tracker, or a smartwatch to funnel notifications to your wrist, Cyber Monday is serving up some deals you’ll probably take interest in. The latest models from Fitbit and Apple are present here, and you’ll find those below.
Fitbit Sense $ 200 $ 300 33 % off $ 200 $ 200 $ 300 33 % off One of Fitbit’s more recent product releases, the Sense includes FDA clearance and allows you to track your stress levels in addition to measuring your blood oxygen levels. The watch also includes Google Assistant support. $200 at Amazon$200 at Best Buy
The Apple Watch SE was already somewhat affordable at $279, but it’s even cheaper at Target. It’s $50 off, letting you score the 40mm GPS version for $230 or the larger 44mm Watch in black for $259 at Target.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is also cheaper than usual at Amazon and Walmart. Normally $400 for the 40mm GPS model, it’s down to $330 — but there’s a catch. You must buy this model in either red at Amazon .
The best Cyber Monday deals on smart speakers
For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Amazon’s latest batch of ball-shaped Echo smart speakers, including the fourth-generation Echo and Echo Dots, are cheaper than ever. These feature better sound performance than the previous iteration.
Sonos One (two) $ 378 $ 398 5 % off $ 378 $ 378 $ 398 5 % off The Sonos One is the base smart speaker in the Sonos system, and it puts out a surprising amount of sound from its compact size. $378 at Sonos
Sonos Five (refurbished) $ 495 $ 549 10 % off $ 495 $ 495 $ 549 10 % off The Sonos Five is a Sonos speaker with powerful sound and lots of volume. $495 at Best Buy
Photo: Dan Seifert / The Verge
Google’s latest Nest Audio speakers are available as a duo for $170, knocking $20 off the usual price for buying two together. These can be paired for a stereo arrangement for music and podcasts, and at some point, you’ll be able to use them as a home theater setup with Chromecast.
Best Buy still has stock of the big Google Home Max smart speaker for $150. This speaker usually retails for $300 outside of a sale.
We’ve been enjoying this Sonos Move deal that drops the price from $400 to $300 for the first time. This speaker supports Bluetooth for on-the-go or outdoor listening, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity to let it give your other Sonos speakers a boost.
These aren’t smart speakers, but Marshall’s Emberton Bluetooth speaker usually costs $150, but it’s down to $100 at Best Buy
Ultimate Ears’ WonderBoom 2 Bluetooth speaker is $50, down from $100 at Best Buy and Amazon
The best Cyber Monday deals on smart displays
If someone close to you, be it a friend or family member, is into video chatting via Facebook, a Facebook Portal device might be a good gift. There’s a range of devices available for less than usual, starting at $65.
If you’re a Prime subscriber and heavily invested in Amazon’s services, an Echo Show smart display might be the best choice. You can get the Echo Show 5 for just $45, and it comes equipped with a camera for video chats. It’s tough to beat when it comes to value.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019, first-gen) $ 40 $ 80 50 % off $ 40 $ 40 $ 80 50 % off The first-gen Echo Show 5 is more than just an alarm clock with Alexa built in. Amazon’s small smart display also features a camera that enables video chats. $40 at Amazon
Google’s Nest Hub smart displays are great if you like to watch YouTube, or have a big Google Photos library you want to show off on their screens. The smallest Nest Hub starts at $50, though only the larger Nest Hub Max can make video calls.
The best Cyber Monday deals on phones
There are a handful of great deals on unlocked phones like the Google Pixel 5, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G and OnePlus 8 for Cyber Monday, and a few more that are worth exploring if you’re in the market to upgrade with your carrier. In case you’re hoping to find iPhone discounts, Apple is offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of one.
The Galaxy A51 has a big screen and a big battery
Google Pixel 5 (unlocked) $ 450 $ 699 36 % off $ 450 $ 450 $ 699 36 % off Google’s 2020 flagship phone comes in one size, with a six-inch OLED screen and 128GB of storage. $450 at Woot
If you’re on Verizon and don’t mind activating a phone on Verizon to get a deal, you can save an extra $150 on top of that $50 discount at Best Buy. You can either opt to pay $500 for the Pixel 5 or $20.86 each month for 24 months through a Verizon device payment plan. Taking $200 off the Pixel 5’s regular price is great. You’ll just need to keep the phone on Verizon service for 60 days before it becomes unlocked.
At the OnePlus site, you can get the standard OnePlus 8 for $200 off its usual price, costing $599. B&H Photo is actually offering a slightly bigger price cut of $230 off. This phone shares a few similarities to the 8 Pro, like the Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Though, it doesn’t have wireless charging and its camera array doesn’t quite stack up as favorably. Also, it has a 90Hz refresh rate display compared to 120Hz on the 8 Pro, and the display itself is smaller (about 6.5 inches versus 6.8 inches).
Speaking of the OnePlus 8 Pro, Amazon recently knocked an extra $50 off the Black Friday sale price.
OnePlus 8 Pro $ 750 $ 1000 25 % off $ 750 $ 750 $ 1000 25 % off The OnePlus 8 Pro is filled to the brim with high-end features, like fast charging, a 120Hz refresh rate display, wireless charging, a fast Snapdragon 865 processor, and lots of RAM. $750 at Amazon$800 at OnePlus
The Pixel 4A with 5G is $200 off when new customers purchase it through the Google Fi MVNO service, resulting in a $299 final price. If you’re an existing Google Fi subscriber, you can upgrade to the 4A with 5G and get $150 off, knocking the price down to $349. Not bad, considering that’s the same price as the standard Pixel 4A that doesn’t have 5G support.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Until December 7th, Visible (owned by Verizon, operating on Verizon LTE) will give you a complimentary set of AirPods Pro with the purchase of any phone in the iPhone 12 series. The catch is that you’ll need to buy the phone and port your number to a new line in the same transaction.
The best Cyber Monday deals on streaming services
For new and returning customers (who haven’t subscribed in the last three months and who haven’t taken advantage of last year’s promo), you can get on Hulu’s ad-supported streaming plan for just $1.99 per month for a full year. After that, your monthly rate goes back up to $5.99.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
If you subscribe to YouTube TV by December 31st, you’ll get a free Chromecast with Google TV.
1Password is offering an exclusive offer to readers of The Verge until Thursday, December 3rd. You can save 50 percent each month on the cost of a family subscription (up to five people, and not restricted to a single household) to 1Password’s services, costing $2.50 per month for up to one year. After that year is up, you’ll be charged the regular $5 per month rate.
The best Cyber Monday deals on sound systems
It doesn’t cost much to get a soundbar, and thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s cheaper to get a particularly great setup. This list isn’t exhaustive, but we’ve picked out a few soundbar models that we like, and ones that are cheaper than usual.
Sonos Sub (third-gen) $ 599 $ 749 20 % off $ 599 $ 599 $ 749 20 % off The Sonos Sub is an add-on speaker that provides some extra low-end thump to any Sonos speaker system. $599 at Sonos (third-gen)
The best Cyber Monday deals on streaming devices
Unless you own a smart TV or a modern gaming console, you’ll probably want a streaming device to bring all of your favorite TV shows and movies to your television. Thankfully, you have plenty to choose between, and many options are discounted for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Related Find more the best Cyber Monday deals on TVs here
The best Cyber Monday deals on tablets & e-readers
Tablets are also worth considering if you need a tool for school, leisure, or to unwind on. From Amazon’s very affordable Fire tablets to the mid-range and high-end iPad models, we’ve included a little bit of everything, as well as accessories to help you get the most out of your purchase. Also, if you like to read and are interested in great Kindle e-reader deals, you’ll find those below as well.
The latest iPad mini tablet with 64GB of storage is $100 off at Best Buy, making for the biggest discount we’ve seen yet.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019, 64GB) $ 108 $ 190 43 % off $ 108 $ 108 $ 190 43 % off Amazon’s first USB-C-compatible device, which features a 10.1-inch screen, 64GB of internal storage with the option to expand via microSD, and a second antenna to maintain a better Wi-Fi signal. $108 at Amazon
The Kids Edition Fire HD 10 is $130 instead of $200. This version includes the tablet, a tough case, a year’s worth of the FreeTime Unlimited subscription, and a two-year replacement guarantee if it breaks.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (32GB, ad-supported) $ 50 $ 110 55 % off $ 50 $ 50 $ 110 55 % off Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Plus packs a lot of value in for the money. It’s a suitable vessel for all of your Prime content, and this model, in particular, supports wireless charging. $50 at Amazon (refurbished)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, a 10.4-inch Android tablet with 64GB of storage, costs $250 (usually $350) and includes a free $30 gift card with purchase
The Brydge Pro Plus keyboard has an integrated trackpad, so you don’t need to use the touchscreen (or, at least as much)
The Brydge Pro Plus 12.3-inch (left) and the Brydge Go Plus Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
If you have the Surface Pro 7 or any model going back to the Surface Pro 4, Brydge’s Pro Plus 12.3-inch keyboard with a trackpad is $30 off its usual price, totaling $120.
The Brydge Go Plus, made for the Surface Go, is $100 ($40 off)
The best Cyber Monday gaming deals
While there are no PS5 or Xbox Series X/S deals to speak of, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great price cuts. In fact, for the Nintendo Switch you’ll find the best prices yet on first-party games and accessories. Plus, new releases for the Xbox One and PS4 (several of which include free next-gen upgrades) are discounted.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is $30 at GameStop (usually $60), lower than the best-ever price.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is $40 at GameStop (usually $60), lower than the best-ever price.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is $40 at GameStop (usually $60), its lowest price.
Super Mario Maker 2 is $40 at GameStop (usually $60), its lowest price.
Yoshi’s Crafted World is $30 at GameStop (usually $60), the lowest price ever.
The landscapes in Ghost of Tsushima are serene
Watch Dogs Legion is $30 at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy (usually $60), its lowest price ever. If you buy the Xbox One version and upgrade to that console’s successor, you will receive the next-gen version free of charge.
A still from Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is $13 at Best Buy (usually $30), the lowest price ever. If you own or buy an Xbox Series X / S, you will receive a free upgrade for this game via Smart Delivery.
Gears 5 is $5 at Best Buy (usually $30), the lowest price ever. If you own or buy an Xbox Series X / S, you will receive a free upgrade for this game via Smart Delivery
The best Cyber Monday deals on PC tech
It’s always a good time to make some smart upgrades to your PC. And while that’s usually a costly endeavor, Cyber Monday is making some of it a little cheaper. You’ll have to continue your search for an Nvidia RTX 3080 another day, but for now you can save on monitors, storage and peripherals.
The W-Type keyboard next to the W-Touch wireless trackpad Photo: Brydge
For the first time, Brydge has discounted its W-Touch standalone trackpad for Windows 10. Normally $100, it’s down to $70.
The W-Type wireless, full-sized Bluetooth keyboard is discounted by $20, bringing the price down to $40.
Samsung’s 2TB 970 Evo Plus NVMe SSD is $250 at Newegg and Best Buy , beating the lowest price by about $40. A PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD like this will fit in only certain kinds of motherboards (so check before you buy).
Samsung 970 Evo Plus NVMe SSD (2TB) $ 250 $ 300 17 % off $ 250 $ 250 $ 300 17 % off Samsung’s PCIe 3.0 M.2 NVMe SSD like this will fit in only certain kinds of motherboards with read and write performance levels of up to 3,500MB/s and 3,300MB/s. $250 at Newegg
For an even faster M.2 drive that’s actually capable of delivering quicker read/write speeds for both PCIe 3.0 and motherboards with PCIe 4.0 support, Samsung’s 500GB 980 Pro NVMe SSD is $120 (usually $150) at Amazon.
Related Find many more deals on PC accessories right here
The best Cyber Monday deals on smart home tech
You can add some smarts to your home with a smart speaker, and you can go even deeper with tech like a smart lock for your door, a Wi-Fi-connected security cam, and an alarm kit. This can be expensive to do, but as you probably guessed, it’s a lot cheaper to outfit your home with these upgrades now that Cyber Monday is here.
If you need a security camera, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera is discounted to $100 from $130 at Amazon.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 $ 140 $ 180 22 % off $ 140 $ 140 $ 180 22 % off The latest Ring video doorbell features enhanced dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz support, as well as a new motion zone feature that can spot movement within five to 15 feet of your front door, or wherever you prefer to install it. $140 at Amazon
Ring’s Video Doorbell 3 Plus, which offers four-second video previews of alerts, is $160 instead of $230. Likewise, you can add an Echo Show 5 to the order for $10 more.
The SimpliSafe base next to the keypad. Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
SimpliSafe’s home security systems are 50 percent off, starting at $114 for the most basic bundle. Each bundle includes a free SimpliCam (a $99 value).
Related Here are some more Cyber Monday deals on smart home tech
The best Cyber Monday deals on mesh Wi-Fi routers
One of the most practical upgrades you can make for yourself this weekend. Get a mesh Wi-Fi system if your current router isn’t cutting it in terms of speed or signal strength. A multi-router system casts a wide net of connectivity, so you’ll experience far fewer slow or drop-out zones. And if you have several people in your home — each using several devices to their name — there’s even more reason to make the upgrade.
Google’s Nest Wifi mesh routers are steeply discounted, starting with the single unit that’s $135 instead of $169 at Amazon and $139 at Best Buy.
Related Check out more deals on mesh routers here
The best Cyber Monday deals on misc. tech
A number of retailers are selling the DJI Osmo Action for $199, a discount of about $50 from its regular price. The Osmo Action is similar to GoPro’s line of action cameras, and comes with both front and rear facing screens.
The Oculus Quest 2 with 64GB of storage is $300 at Newegg, which is the normal price, but it comes with a $15 Newegg gift card today. While it’s currently backordered, you can still get the gift card with your purchase.
Segway Ninebot
Ninebot Segway’s Max electric scooter is $649 instead of its usual $800 purchase at Wellbots. This beats a recent discount we covered by $50. This purchase is also tax-free for US residents living outside of NY state.