theverge--2020-09-02--JBL adds noise cancellation and improved sweat resistance to its latest true wireless earbuds

JBL isn ’ t a newcomer to true wireless earbuds , but today the company is announcing several new sets with noise cancellation at prices that reflect just how competitive the market has become .
The JBL Club Pro Plus earbuds ( $ 199.95 ) have adaptive noise cancellation and “ a unibody design inspired by professional in-ear monitors ” and offer JBL ’ s best sound quality with up to eight hours of continuous battery life ( plus 24 extra hours with the battery case ) .
Like many other earbuds of late , they ’ ve got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your own hearing preferences , which JBL calls Personi-Fi .
They ’ re IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance , support Fast Pair for easy setup on Android , and either earbud can be used independently .
The Club Pro Plus earbuds will launch in October , joined by the less expensive Endurance Peak II earbuds ( $ 99.95 ) , which JBL says are geared more toward fitness with an ear hook design , IPX7 water resistance , and powerful bass .
For the Europe market , JBL is also introducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mini TWS .
Both feature IPX7 water resistance and a “ smart ambient ” feature that “ keeps you aware of your surroundings when needed.
” The Live Free NC Plus — available in October for £139.99 ( about $ 186 ) — have ANC , wireless charging , seven hours of continuous battery life ( 21 with case ) , and the ability to use either earbud independently .
They also support Fast Pair on Android for seamless setup .
The Reflect Mini earbuds maintain the same battery life and IPX7 water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up wireless charging to reach the lower £129.99 ( about $ 173 ) price point .
The company is also announcing the new Tune 225TWS earbuds , which improve upon the 220TWS with longer battery life ( though they only top out at five hours of straight playback ) , improved sound quality , and six color options including black , white , gray , rose gold , pink , and blue .
They ’ re coming this month for £89.99 ( about $ 120 ) .

JBL isn’t a newcomer to true wireless earbuds, but today the company is announcing several new sets with noise cancellation at prices that reflect just how competitive the market has become. The JBL Club Pro Plus earbuds ($199.95) have adaptive noise cancellation and “a unibody design inspired by professional in-ear monitors” and offer JBL’s best sound quality with up to eight hours of continuous battery life (plus 24 extra hours with the battery case).
Like many other earbuds of late, they’re IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance, support Fast Pair for easy setup on Android, and either earbud can be used independently. The Club Pro Plus earbuds will launch in October, joined by the less expensive Endurance Peak II earbuds ($99.95), which JBL says are geared more toward fitness with an ear hook design, IPX7 water resistance, and powerful bass.
The Endurance Peak II earbuds are more fitness-oriented. Image: JBL
For the Europe market, JBL is also introducing the Live Free NC Plus and Reflect Mini TWS. Both feature IPX7 water resistance and a “smart ambient” feature that “keeps you aware of your surroundings when needed.” The Live Free NC Plus — available in October for £139.99 (about $186) — have ANC, wireless charging, seven hours of continuous battery life (21 with case), and the ability to use either earbud independently. They also support Fast Pair on Android for seamless setup. The Reflect Mini earbuds maintain the same battery life and IPX7 water / sweat rating, but you give up wireless charging to reach the lower £129.99 (about $173) price point.
Image: JBL
The company is also announcing the new Tune 225TWS earbuds, which improve upon the 220TWS with longer battery life (though they only top out at five hours of straight playback), improved sound quality, and six color options including black, white, gray, rose gold, pink, and blue. They’re coming this month for £89.99 (about $120).


theverge--2020-09-02--JBL’s latest affordable Bluetooth speakers are waterproof and charge via USB-C

JBL has announced new Clip 4 and Go 3 miniature Bluetooth speakers .
Both have gotten a visual makeover from their predecessors , with a streamlined design and a few new colors available .
The Go 3 will launch first in October for $ 39.95 .
The Clip 4 will follow in December for $ 69.95 .
In terms of improvements , both speakers support Bluetooth 5.1 and have IP67 water and dustproofing .
And instead of charging via Micro USB , which can be inconvenient , they feature a USB-C port .
JBL claims the Go 3 will provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needing to be recharged , while the Clip 4 can apparently provide 10 hours .
Neither of those figures strays from the performance claims of the previous iterations .
The Go 3 costs $ 39.95 , and the Clip 4 costs $ 69.95 Something that the Clip 4 and Go 3 have in common is their ability to be clipped or fastened to objects , making them more versatile than most Bluetooth speakers .
This is nothing new for the Clip-branded speaker , and its latest version can still snap onto your belt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its carabiner can fasten .
But the Go 3 ’ s small loop is a new perk that should make it easier to hold or fasten to a bag .
JBL is offering a range of colors for both models , like red , gray , blue , and black , and divisive colorways like camouflage .
If you want something much , much bigger with up to 15 hours of battery life , the new JBL Xtreme 3 has also gotten the upgrade to USB-C charging and IP67 waterproofing .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it can charge a second device , like your phone , with its built-in battery .
The Xtreme 3 will cost $ 349.95 when it launches in November .

JBL has announced new Clip 4 and Go 3 miniature Bluetooth speakers. Both have gotten a visual makeover from their predecessors, with a streamlined design and a few new colors available. The Go 3 will launch first in October for $39.95. The Clip 4 will follow in December for $69.95.
In terms of improvements, both speakers support Bluetooth 5.1 and have IP67 water and dustproofing. And instead of charging via Micro USB, which can be inconvenient, they feature a USB-C port. JBL claims the Go 3 will provide up to five hours of sound before needing to be recharged, while the Clip 4 can apparently provide 10 hours. Neither of those figures strays from the performance claims of the previous iterations.
The Go 3 costs $39.95, and the Clip 4 costs $69.95
Something that the Clip 4 and Go 3 have in common is their ability to be clipped or fastened to objects, making them more versatile than most Bluetooth speakers. This is nothing new for the Clip-branded speaker, and its latest version can still snap onto your belt, a bag, or anywhere else its carabiner can fasten. But the Go 3’s small loop is a new perk that should make it easier to hold or fasten to a bag. JBL is offering a range of colors for both models, like red, gray, blue, and black, and divisive colorways like camouflage.
The JBL Xtreme 3 will come in black, blue, or a green and brown camouflage pattern. Image: JBL


theverge--2020-09-02--Astronomers say they’ve detected the most massive merger of two black holes ever discovered

Astronomers may have detected the most massive collision of two black holes ever discovered , a chaotic merger that occurred some 7 billion years ago , the signs of which have only just reached us .
The cataclysmic event offered researchers a front-row seat to the birth of one of the Universe ’ s most elusive objects .
The distant show included two major players : one black hole roughly 66 times the mass of our Sun , and another black hole roughly 85 times the mass of our Sun .
The two came close together , rapidly spinning around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually crashing together in a violent burst of energy that sent shockwaves throughout the Universe .
The result of their merger ?
One single black hole roughly 142 times the mass of our Sun .
Such a find could be a big one for astronomers .
Up until now , scientists have been able to detect and indirectly observe black holes in two different size ranges .
The smaller variety are between five and 100 times the mass of our Sun .
On the other end of the spectrum , there are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the centers of galaxies that are millions and billions of times our Sun ’ s mass .
For ages , scientists have been trying to pinpoint the black holes in between , so-called “ intermediate mass black holes ” that range from 100 to 1,000 times the mass of the Sun .
Astronomers were certain this kind must be out there but hadn ’ t been able to find any direct evidence of their existence .
A few potential intermediate black holes have been spotted , but are still considered candidates .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people couldn ’ t find anything in between.
” “ They are really the missing link between [ black holes with ] tens of solar masses and millions , ” Salvatore Vitale , an assistant professor at the LIGO Lab of MIT studying gravitational waves , tells The Verge .
“ It was always a bit baffling that people couldn ’ t find anything in between.
” With this discovery , detailed today in the journals Physical Review Letters and The Astrophysical Journal Letters , we may have our first detection of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The discovery could help explain why the Universe looks the way it does — with relatively bountiful scatterings of smaller black holes and a few supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies .
One theory of how supermassive black holes get so big is that smaller black holes merge over and over , consolidating until they became enormous .
But if that were the case , there ’ d have to be intermediate black holes out there in the Universe somewhere .
“ That ’ s why astronomers have been looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in solving this puzzle , ” Vitale says .
To detect this black hole dance , scientists measured the tiny shockwaves the merger produced .
When incredibly massive objects like black holes merge , they warp space and time , creating ripples in the fabric of the Universe that shoot outward at the speed of light from the event .
Known as gravitational waves , these ripples are gargantuan when they ’ re produced , but by the time they reach our planet are incredibly faint and incredibly hard to detect .
Scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny gravitational waves thanks to observatories in the US and Italy .
Known as LIGO and Virgo , the observatories are specifically designed to detect these infinitesimal waves from cataclysmic mergers — by measuring how the ripples affect suspended mirrors here on Earth .
Ever since LIGO made the first detection of gravitational waves in 2015 , the observatories have racked up an impressive resume , detecting roughly 67 mergers of black holes , neutron stars , and black holes merging with neutron stars .
“ The equivalent of seven Suns was destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second.
” At 5.3 billion parsecs away , the detection announced today is also the farthest merger that LIGO and Virgo have ever found , with the waves taking 7 billion years to reach us .
This event , called GW190521 , was detected on May 21st , 2019 , and it was so faint that it could have easily been missed .
LIGO and Virgo only picked up four little waves from the merger in their detectors , perturbations that lasted just one-tenth of a second .
Scientists working with the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wiggles , ultimately allowing them to pinpoint the masses of the merger and just how much energy was released .
“ During the process of the collision , the equivalent of seven times the mass of our Sun was destroyed and became energy leaving the system , so it ’ s pretty impressive in terms of energetics if you think about it , ” Vitale says .
“ The equivalent of seven Suns was destroyed in a very small fraction of a second.
” Because of the small detection , the LIGO and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may not have actually seen a massive black hole merger , but have instead picked up waves from a collapsing star or some other weird phenomenon .
However , the black hole merger is the explanation that is the simplest and makes the most sense for what they ’ ve observed .
Astronomers estimate that mergers like this one are more rare than the smaller black hole mergers that LIGO and Virgo have seen , which would explain why it ’ s taken a while for the observatories to pick this kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every event like this one , there will be roughly 500 mergers of smaller black holes , so it ’ s very rare , ” Vitale says .
But Vitale expects to see mergers like this again .
Right now , LIGO and Virgo are not making observations , but the two facilities will be back online by the end of next year with some upgrades , making their instruments even more sensitive than before .
“ We should be able to detect more of this extremely heavy object , and then we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit more about their origins , where they come from , how rare they are , and their properties , ” Vitale says .
“ So we ’ ll really able to probe the life and death of these black holes .
”

Astronomers may have detected the most massive collision of two black holes ever discovered, a chaotic merger that occurred some 7 billion years ago, the signs of which have only just reached us. The cataclysmic event offered researchers a front-row seat to the birth of one of the Universe’s most elusive objects.
The distant show included two major players: one black hole roughly 66 times the mass of our Sun, and another black hole roughly 85 times the mass of our Sun. The two came close together, rapidly spinning around one another several times per second before eventually crashing together in a violent burst of energy that sent shockwaves throughout the Universe. The result of their merger? One single black hole roughly 142 times the mass of our Sun.
Such a find could be a big one for astronomers. Up until now, scientists have been able to detect and indirectly observe black holes in two different size ranges. The smaller variety are between five and 100 times the mass of our Sun. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the supermassive black holes — the kinds at the centers of galaxies that are millions and billions of times our Sun’s mass. For ages, scientists have been trying to pinpoint the black holes in between, so-called “intermediate mass black holes” that range from 100 to 1,000 times the mass of the Sun. Astronomers were certain this kind must be out there but hadn’t been able to find any direct evidence of their existence. A few potential intermediate black holes have been spotted, but are still considered candidates.
“It was always a bit baffling that people couldn’t find anything in between.”
“They are really the missing link between [black holes with] tens of solar masses and millions,” Salvatore Vitale, an assistant professor at the LIGO Lab of MIT studying gravitational waves, tells The Verge. “It was always a bit baffling that people couldn’t find anything in between.”
With this discovery, detailed today in the journals Physical Review Letters and The Astrophysical Journal Letters, we may have our first detection of an intermediate mass black hole being born. The discovery could help explain why the Universe looks the way it does — with relatively bountiful scatterings of smaller black holes and a few supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. One theory of how supermassive black holes get so big is that smaller black holes merge over and over, consolidating until they became enormous. But if that were the case, there’d have to be intermediate black holes out there in the Universe somewhere. “That’s why astronomers have been looking for these extensively, because they would help in solving this puzzle,” Vitale says.
A plot showing GW190521 compared to the masses of other LIGO-Virgo black hole mergers Image: LIGO/Caltech/MIT/R. Hurt (IPAC)
To detect this black hole dance, scientists measured the tiny shockwaves the merger produced. When incredibly massive objects like black holes merge, they warp space and time, creating ripples in the fabric of the Universe that shoot outward at the speed of light from the event. Known as gravitational waves, these ripples are gargantuan when they’re produced, but by the time they reach our planet are incredibly faint and incredibly hard to detect.
Scientists have become pretty adept at detecting these tiny gravitational waves thanks to observatories in the US and Italy. Known as LIGO and Virgo, the observatories are specifically designed to detect these infinitesimal waves from cataclysmic mergers — by measuring how the ripples affect suspended mirrors here on Earth. Ever since LIGO made the first detection of gravitational waves in 2015, the observatories have racked up an impressive resume, detecting roughly 67 mergers of black holes, neutron stars, and black holes merging with neutron stars.
“The equivalent of seven Suns was destroyed in a very small fraction of a second.”
At 5.3 billion parsecs away, the detection announced today is also the farthest merger that LIGO and Virgo have ever found, with the waves taking 7 billion years to reach us. This event, called GW190521, was detected on May 21st, 2019, and it was so faint that it could have easily been missed. LIGO and Virgo only picked up four little waves from the merger in their detectors, perturbations that lasted just one-tenth of a second. Scientists working with the data used four different algorithms to find the wiggles, ultimately allowing them to pinpoint the masses of the merger and just how much energy was released. “During the process of the collision, the equivalent of seven times the mass of our Sun was destroyed and became energy leaving the system, so it’s pretty impressive in terms of energetics if you think about it,” Vitale says. “The equivalent of seven Suns was destroyed in a very small fraction of a second.”
Because of the small detection, the LIGO and Virgo astronomers are considering the possibility that they may not have actually seen a massive black hole merger, but have instead picked up waves from a collapsing star or some other weird phenomenon. However, the black hole merger is the explanation that is the simplest and makes the most sense for what they’ve observed. Astronomers estimate that mergers like this one are more rare than the smaller black hole mergers that LIGO and Virgo have seen, which would explain why it’s taken a while for the observatories to pick this kind of black hole up. “For every event like this one, there will be roughly 500 mergers of smaller black holes, so it’s very rare,” Vitale says.


theverge--2020-09-02--Amazon is reportedly surveilling its Flex delivery drivers in private Facebook groups

Amazon is covertly monitoring private social media groups used by Amazon Flex workers to discuss their working conditions .
According to what appear to be official company documents discovered online by Vice , the retailing giant employs staff to track and categorize discussions in closed Facebook groups , public subreddits , and on Twitter .
Some posts are then “ escalated ” to internal Amazon teams and company leadership .
As Vice notes , these reports are seemingly compiled primarily to identify and respond to complaints from Flex delivery drivers about things like bugs in the company ’ s app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping tabs on more sensitive discussions .
Those compiling the reports are instructed to note the apparent sentiment of posts and to look for Flex employees sharing news stories where “ Warehouse employees [ are ] complaining about the poor working condition ” or that discuss “ planning for any strike or protest against Amazon.
” Amazon is well-known for employing aggressive tactics against workers trying to organize or protest .
It ’ s fired workers who led strikes or even tweeted criticism of the company , and used heat maps to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just this week it posted job listings for an “ intelligence analyst ” role in order to monitor “ labor organizing threats.
” Amazon quickly removed the listings and said they had been posted in error .
Monitoring discussion among Flex drivers on social media would be in line with this past behavior .
Flex drivers are not official employees but freelance workers who make deliveries from their own vehicles .
They ’ re paid in hourly blocks and Amazon says they make between $ 18 and $ 25 a hour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliveries they make .
Flex drivers do not receive benefits like health insurance or sick pay available to full-time employees In countries like the US , where the job market has been hit hard by the pandemic , reports suggest competition for this sort of gig work is fierce .
In recent months , Amazon Flex drivers have reportedly resorted to tricks like using automated bots or even hanging their phones in trees near dispatch centers in order to claim increasingly-rare delivery slots .
According to the documents shared by Vice , Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers covers dozens of groups in the US , UK , and Spain .
These include private Facebook pages like “ Amazon Flex Las Vegas ” and “ Official Amazon Flex Drivers of Portland.
” You can read more details on the monitoring process , including a full list of the groups under observation , in Vice ’ s original report here .
We ’ ve reached out to Amazon for comment on the story and will update this article if we hear more .

Amazon is covertly monitoring private social media groups used by Amazon Flex workers to discuss their working conditions. According to official company documents discovered online by Vice, the retailing giant employs staff to track and categorize discussions in closed Facebook groups, public subreddits, and on Twitter. Some posts are then “escalated” to internal Amazon teams and company leadership.
As Vice notes, these reports are seemingly compiled primarily to identify and respond to complaints from Flex delivery drivers about things like bugs in the company’s app. But Amazon also appears to be keeping tabs on more sensitive discussions. Those compiling the reports are instructed to note the apparent sentiment of posts and to look for Flex workers sharing news stories where “Warehouse employees [are] complaining about the poor working condition” or that discuss “planning for any strike or protest against Amazon.”
Amazon has previously fired workers who led strikes
Amazon has confirmed that the surveillance reports seen by Vice are genuine but attempted to downplay its activities. In a statement given to The Verge, a spokesperson for the company suggested that Amazon wasn’t previously aware of the surveillance of closed Facebook groups, and that it “discovered” a single team had been carrying out this activity. Vice, however, reported that the monitoring of closed groups has been going on for “years” as part a wider effort to keep track of workers’ discussions, and included employees in both Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Seattle and others in India.
“Upon being notified, we discovered one group within our delivery team that was aggregating information from closed groups,” said the spokesperson. “While they were trying to support drivers, that approach doesn’t meet our standards, and they are no longer doing this as we have other ways for drivers to give us their feedback.”
The statement from Amazon does not address several issues raised by Vice’s reporting, including whether or not surveillance of non-closed Facebook groups will continue, and why Amazon is apparently monitoring workers’ plan to organize protests. We’ve reached out to Amazon with further questions but have yet to hear back.
Amazon is well-known for employing aggressive tactics against workers trying to organize or protest. It’s fired workers who led strikes or even tweeted criticism of the company, and used heat maps to track pro-union sentiment across its Whole Food stores. Just this week it posted job listings for an “intelligence analyst” role in order to monitor “labor organizing threats.” Amazon quickly removed the listings and said they had been posted in error.
Monitoring discussion among Flex drivers on social media would be in line with this past behavior. Flex drivers are not official employees but freelance workers who make deliveries from their own vehicles. They’re paid in hourly blocks and Amazon says they make between $18 and $25 a hour, depending on tips and the number of deliveries they make. Flex drivers do not receive benefits like health insurance or sick pay available to full-time employees
In countries like the US, where the job market has been hit hard by the pandemic, reports suggest competition for this sort of gig work is fierce. In recent months, Amazon Flex drivers have reportedly resorted to tricks like using automated bots or even hanging their phones in trees near dispatch centers in order to claim increasingly-rare delivery slots.
According to the documents shared by Vice, Amazon’s social media monitoring for Flex drivers covers dozens of groups in the US, UK, and Spain. These include private Facebook pages like “Amazon Flex Las Vegas” and “Official Amazon Flex Drivers of Portland.” You can read more details on the monitoring process, including a full list of the groups under observation, in Vice’s original report here. We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment on the story and will update this article if we hear more.


theverge--2020-09-02--Samsung announces its cheapest 5G phone and new Trio wireless charger

Samsung has announced a host of new devices at its Life Unstoppable virtual event today , including the Galaxy A42 5G , which the company said during its presentation would be its most affordable 5G device yet .
Alongside it , Samsung also announced a new wireless charger that can charge multiple devices at once , as well as a new Android tablet , the Galaxy Tab A7 .
The Galaxy A42 5G is the latest in Samsung ’ s midrange A-series lineup .
Samsung says it has a quad camera array on the back , a 6.6-inch OLED display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will launch later this year , according to CNET .
Meanwhile the Wireless Charger Trio is a charger that can wirelessly supply power to three devices simultaneously .
It ’ s a successor to the Wireless Charger Duo which , as its name suggests , can charge two devices at once .
Samsung ’ s press release doesn ’ t mention what charging speeds the Trio will support , which has been a key drawback of at least one recent wireless charger that supports multiple devices .
SamMobile reports that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finally there ’ s the Galaxy Tab A7 , a 10.4-inch tablet for media consumption that features four Dolby Atmos-compatible speakers .
Samsung ’ s presentation didn ’ t mention pricing for the new tablet , but it ’ s expected to be cheaper than the Tab S7 tablets it announced last month at its Note 20 Unpacked event .

Samsung has announced a host of new devices at its Life Unstoppable virtual event today, including the Galaxy A42 5G, which the company said during its presentation would be its most affordable 5G device yet. Alongside it, Samsung also announced a new wireless charger that can charge multiple devices at once, as well as a new Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab A7.
The Galaxy A42 5G is the latest in Samsung’s midrange A-series lineup. Samsung says it has a quad camera array on the back, a 6.6-inch OLED display, and will be available in black. It will launch later this year, according to CNET.
Samsung is billing the Galaxy A42 as an affordable 5G device. Image: Samsung
Meanwhile the Wireless Charger Trio is a charger that can wirelessly supply power to three devices simultaneously. It’s a successor to the Wireless Charger Duo which, as its name suggests, can charge two devices at once. Samsung’s press release doesn’t mention what charging speeds the Trio will support, which has been a key drawback of at least one recent wireless charger that supports multiple devices. SamMobile reports that it will retail for €99 when it launches.
The Galaxy Tab A7 is a new tablet featuring four speakers. Image: Samsung


theverge--2020-09-02--Twitter tries to explain trending topics

Twitter will add pinned tweets and short descriptions to some of the trending topics on its service to help people understand why they ’ ve become popular .
In a blog post announcing the news , the company said it would immediately start adding representative pinned tweets to some topics in the iOS and Android apps , and that these would be coming to Twitter on the web soon .
Descriptions will roll out in the coming weeks , Twitter said .
According to Twitter , the new feature is designed in part to help the 500,000+ people who tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the course of 2019 .
Although the trending topics section is designed to give users an overview of what people ( and bots ) are discussing on the service , in reality it ’ s often filled with tweets from people confused about why a topic is trending in the first place .
Twitter says the pinned tweets will be decided by a combination of algorithms and human curation , and that trending descriptions will be entirely human curated .
Algorithms will be used to try and stop spammy or abusive tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The service ’ s trending section has also come under frequent criticism for helping to spread misinformation .
NBC News notes that in the past pro-Saudi Arabia talking points have trended thanks to help from bot accounts .
Hashtags related to QAnon conspiracy theories have also appeared in the section ( Twitter has since said it will ban these from being highlighted as trending topics ) .
Getting topics to trend on Twitter can help a message spread online , making the section a battleground for malicious actors .
“ Why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half a million times last year Twitter isn ’ t the only service to have had trouble with a trending section .
In 2018 , Facebook removed its trending topics section after facing years of criticism for its role in spreading misinformation and manipulating stories .
The company has since launched a dedicated news tab , featuring stories curated by a team of human editors .
Twitter said the new representative tweets and trending topic descriptions will be available in Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Canada , Colombia , Egypt , France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico , New Zealand , Saudi Arabia , Spain , the United Kingdom , the United Arab Emirates , and the United States .

Twitter will add pinned tweets and short descriptions to some of the trending topics on its service to help people understand why they’ve become popular. In a blog post announcing the news, the company said it would immediately start adding representative pinned tweets to some topics in the iOS and Android apps, and that these would be coming to Twitter on the web soon. Descriptions will roll out in the coming weeks, Twitter said.
According to Twitter, the new feature is designed in part to help the 500,000+ people who tweeted “why is this trending?” over the course of 2019. Although the trending topics section is designed to give users an overview of what people (and bots) are discussing on the service, in reality it’s often filled with tweets from people confused about why a topic is trending in the first place.
Representative tweets will be pinned to some trending topics to give them more context. Image: Twitter Short descriptions will also be added in the coming weeks. Image: Twitter
Twitter says the pinned tweets will be decided by a combination of algorithms and human curation, and that trending descriptions will be entirely human curated. Algorithms will be used to try and stop spammy or abusive tweets from being pinned to a trending topic.
The service’s trending section has also come under frequent criticism for helping to spread misinformation. NBC News notes that in the past pro-Saudi Arabia talking points have trended thanks to help from bot accounts. Hashtags related to QAnon conspiracy theories have also appeared in the section (Twitter has since said it will ban these from being highlighted as trending topics). Getting topics to trend on Twitter can help a message spread online, making the section a battleground for malicious actors.
“Why is this trending?” was asked over half a million times last year
Twitter isn’t the only service to have had trouble with a trending section. In 2018, Facebook removed its trending topics section after facing years of criticism for its role in spreading misinformation and manipulating stories. The company has since launched a dedicated news tab, featuring stories curated by a team of human editors.


theverge--2020-09-02--Samsung announces The Premiere, a luxury ultra-short throw 4K laser projector

Samsung has announced its latest high-end home entertainment device : The Premiere , a new 4K short-throw laser projector that ’ s meant to be a viable alternative to the QLED TVs that Samsung usually focuses on .
The Premiere is the latest entrant to Samsung ’ s “ Lifestyle ” lineup , which includes other design-forward hardware like The Serif , The Frame , The Sero , and The Terrace .
They ’ re products that are meant to blend into your living room , something that The Premiere takes to the logical conclusion by eschewing a screen entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” projector , Samsung says the projector can be placed directly in front of a wall or screen while still providing optimal results .
It ’ s also meant to be an all-in-one solution , with integrated powerful woofers and the same Acoustic Beam virtual surround sound technology that Samsung offers on some of its soundbars ( although you can obviously integrate your existing home speaker setup , too . )
To start , Samsung is planning to offer two models of The Premiere : the LSP9T , which offers a 130-inch projection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANSI lumens , and bears the claim of being “ the world ’ s first HDR10+ certified projector with triple laser technology.
” The LSP7T is the step-down model , measuring in at a mere 120-inch projection .
Samsung also isn ’ t making similar brightness and specification claims for the LSP7T .
Both models will still support Samsung ’ s full Smart TV platform , with the complete array of apps and services that are available on any other recent Samsung TV .
They ’ ll also support the UHD Alliance ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a first for a projector .
Samsung will release The Premiere later this year in the US , Europe , and Korea , although no price or release date has yet been announced .
However , if the pricing of Samsung ’ s other Lifestyle products is anything to go by , they likely won ’ t be cheap .

Samsung has announced its latest high-end home entertainment device: The Premiere, a new 4K short-throw laser projector that’s meant to be a viable alternative to the QLED TVs that Samsung usually focuses on.
The Premiere is the latest entrant to Samsung’s “Lifestyle” lineup, which includes other design-forward hardware like The Serif, The Frame, The Sero, and The Terrace. They’re products that are meant to blend into your living room, something that The Premiere takes to the logical conclusion by eschewing a screen entirely.
Billed as an “ultra-short throw” projector, Samsung says the projector can be placed directly in front of a wall or screen while still providing optimal results. It’s also meant to be an all-in-one solution, with integrated powerful woofers and the same Acoustic Beam virtual surround sound technology that Samsung offers on some of its soundbars (although you can obviously integrate your existing home speaker setup, too.)
To start, Samsung is planning to offer two models of The Premiere: the LSP9T, which offers a 130-inch projection, peak brightness of up to 2,800 ANSI lumens, and bears the claim of being “the world’s first HDR10+ certified projector with triple laser technology.” The LSP7T is the step-down model, measuring in at a mere 120-inch projection. Samsung also isn’t making similar brightness and specification claims for the LSP7T.
Both models will still support Samsung’s full Smart TV platform, with the complete array of apps and services that are available on any other recent Samsung TV. They’ll also support the UHD Alliance’s Filmmaker Mode, which Samsung says is a first for a projector.


theverge--2020-09-01--ZTE announces world’s first phone with an under-display selfie camera

After teasing for a while , ZTE has followed through on its promise to launch the world ’ s first commercial smartphone with a selfie camera embedded in the display .
The Axon 20 5G turns out to be a fairly mid-range device , aside from its headline feature .
ZTE says the under-display 32-megapixel camera has been made possible due to the use of “ high transparency material that includes new organic and inorganic films ” as well as optimized software algorithms to offset the impact on image quality .
Of course , it ’ s hard to judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and testing the camera in practice .
It ’ s also questionable how much value the feature offers over a hole-punch , a pop-up , or even a notch .
But we ’ ll see .
The phone is based around a Snapdragon 765G processor , which is likely what allows it to be just 7.98mm thick while including 5G connectivity and a 4,220mAh battery .
The screen is a 6.92-inch OLED with an in-display fingerprint sensor .
The rear camera array includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor and 8-megapixel ultrawide with 2-megapixel depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage , and there ’ s a microSD card slot .
The Axon 20 5G is available to order in China right now starting at 2,198 yuan ( ~ $ 320 ) .
There ’ s no word yet on a possible release elsewhere .

After teasing for a while, ZTE has followed through on its promise to launch the world’s first commercial smartphone with a selfie camera embedded in the display. The Axon 20 5G turns out to be a fairly mid-range device, aside from its headline feature.
ZTE says the under-display 32-megapixel camera has been made possible due to the use of “high transparency material that includes new organic and inorganic films” as well as optimized software algorithms to offset the impact on image quality.
Of course, it’s hard to judge this without seeing the phone in person and testing the camera in practice. It’s also questionable how much value the feature offers over a hole-punch, a pop-up, or even a notch. But we’ll see.
The phone is based around a Snapdragon 765G processor, which is likely what allows it to be just 7.98mm thick while including 5G connectivity and a 4,220mAh battery. The screen is a 6.92-inch OLED with an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The rear camera array includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor and 8-megapixel ultrawide with 2-megapixel depth and macro sensors. There are options for 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, and there’s a microSD card slot.


theverge--2020-09-02--These students figured out their tests were graded by AI — and the easy way to cheat

On Monday , Dana Simmons came downstairs to find her 12-year-old son , Lazare , in tears .
He ’ d completed the first assignment for his seventh-grade history class on Edgenuity , an online platform for virtual learning .
He ’ d received a 50 out of 100 .
That wasn ’ t on a practice test — it was his real grade .
“ He was like , I ’ m gon na have to get a 100 on all the rest of this to make up for this , ” said Simmons in a phone interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dejected.
” At first , Simmons tried to console her son .
“ I was like well , you know , some teachers grade really harshly at the beginning , ” said Simmons , who is a history professor herself .
Then , Lazare clarified that he ’ d received his grade less than a second after submitting his answers .
A teacher couldn ’ t have read his response in that time , Simmons knew — her son was being graded by an algorithm .
Simmons watched Lazare complete more assignments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Edgenuity revealed at the end .
She surmised that Edgenuity ’ s AI was scanning for specific keywords that it expected to see in students ’ answers .
And she decided to game it .
Now , for every short-answer question , Lazare writes two long sentences followed by a disjointed list of keywords — anything that seems relevant to the question .
“ The questions are things like ... ‘ What was the advantage of Constantinople ’ s location for the power of the Byzantine empire , ’ ” Simmons says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ okay , what are the possible keywords that are associated with this ?
Wealth , caravan , ship , India , China , Middle East , he just threw all of those words in.
” “ I wanted to game it because I felt like it was an easy way to get a good grade , ” Lazare told The Verge .
He usually digs the keywords out of the article or video the question is based on .
Apparently , that “ word salad ” is enough to get a perfect grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test .
Edgenuity didn ’ t respond to repeated requests for comment , but the company ’ s online help center suggests this may be by design .
According to the website , answers to certain questions receive 0 % if they include no keywords , and 100 % if they include at least one .
Other questions earn a certain percentage based on the number of keywords included .
As COVID-19 has driven schools around the US to move teaching to online or hybrid models , many are outsourcing some instruction and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers over 300 online classes for middle and high school students ranging across subjects from math to social studies , AP classes to electives .
They ’ re made up of instructional videos and virtual assignments as well as tests and exams .
Edgenuity provides the lessons and grades the assignments .
Lazare ’ s actual math and history classes are currently held via the platform — his district , the Los Angeles Unified School District , is entirely online due to the pandemic .
( The district declined to comment for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting 100s on every assignment Of course , short-answer questions aren ’ t the only factor that impacts Edgenuity grades — Lazare ’ s classes require other formats , including multiple-choice questions and single-word inputs .
A developer familiar with the platform estimated that short answers make up less than five percent of Edgenuity ’ s course content , and many of the eight students The Verge spoke to for this story confirmed that such tasks were a minority of their work .
Still , the tactic has certainly impacted Lazare ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting 100s on every assignment .
Lazare isn ’ t the only one gaming the system .
More than 20,000 schools currently use the platform , according to the company ’ s website , including 20 of the country ’ s 25 largest school districts , and two students from different high schools to Lazare told me they found a similar way to cheat .
They often copy the text of their questions and paste it into the answer field , assuming it ’ s likely to contain the relevant keywords .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout last semester and received full credit “ pretty much every time.
” Another high school student , who used Edgenuity a few years ago , said he would sometimes try submitting batches of words related to the questions “ only when I was completely clueless.
” The method worked “ more often than not.
” ( We granted anonymity to some students who admitted to cheating , so they wouldn ’ t get in trouble . )
One student , who told me he wouldn ’ t have passed his Algebra 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been able to find lists of the exact keywords or sample answers that his short-answer questions are looking for — he says you can find them online “ nine times out of ten.
” Rather than listing out the terms he finds , though , he tried to work three into each of his answers .
( “ Any good cheater doesn ’ t aim for a perfect score , ” he explained . )
Austin Paradiso , who has graduated but used Edgenuity for a number of classes during high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salads but did use the keyword approach a handful of times .
It worked 100 percent of the time .
“ I always tried to make the answer at least semi-coherent because it seemed a bit cheap to just toss a bunch of keywords into the input field , ” Paradiso said .
“ But if I was a bit lazier , I easily could have just written a random string of words pertinent to the question prompt and gotten 100 percent.
” Teachers do have the ability to review any content students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s assigned grades — the Algebra 2 student says he ’ s heard of some students getting caught keyword-mashing .
But most of the students I spoke to , and Simmons , said they ’ ve never seen a teacher change a grade that Edgenuity assigned to them .
“ If the teachers were looking at the responses , they didn ’ t care , ” one student said .
The transition to Edgenuity has been rickety for some schools — parents in Williamson County , Tennessee are revolting against their district ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countless technological hiccups have impacted their children ’ s grades .
A district in Steamboat Springs , Colorado had its enrollment period disrupted when Edgenuity was overwhelmed with students trying to register .
Simmons , for her part , is happy that Lazare has learned how to game an educational algorithm — it ’ s certainly a useful skill .
But she also admits that his better grades don ’ t reflect a better understanding of his course material , and she worries that exploits like this could exacerbate inequalities between students .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because his parents have graduate degrees and have an interest in tech , ” she said .
“ Otherwise he would still be getting Fs .
What does that tell you about ... the digital divide in this online learning environment ?
”

On Monday, Dana Simmons came downstairs to find her 12-year-old son, Lazare, in tears. He’d completed the first assignment for his seventh-grade history class on Edgenuity, an online platform for virtual learning. He’d received a 50 out of 100. That wasn’t on a practice test — it was his real grade.
“He was like, I’m gonna have to get a 100 on all the rest of this to make up for this,” said Simmons in a phone interview with The Verge. “He was totally dejected.”
At first, Simmons tried to console her son. “I was like well, you know, some teachers grade really harshly at the beginning,” said Simmons, who is a history professor herself. Then, Lazare clarified that he’d received his grade less than a second after submitting his answers. A teacher couldn’t have read his response in that time, Simmons knew — her son was being graded by an algorithm.
Simmons watched Lazare complete more assignments. She looked at the correct answers, which Edgenuity revealed at the end. She surmised that Edgenuity’s AI was scanning for specific keywords that it expected to see in students’ answers. And she decided to game it.
Now, for every short-answer question, Lazare writes two long sentences followed by a disjointed list of keywords — anything that seems relevant to the question. “The questions are things like... ‘What was the advantage of Constantinople’s location for the power of the Byzantine empire,’” Simmons says. “So you go through, okay, what are the possible keywords that are associated with this? Wealth, caravan, ship, India, China, Middle East, he just threw all of those words in.”
“I wanted to game it because I felt like it was an easy way to get a good grade,” Lazare told The Verge. He usually digs the keywords out of the article or video the question is based on.
Apparently, that “word salad” is enough to get a perfect grade on any short-answer question in an Edgenuity test.
Edgenuity didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment, but the company’s online help center suggests this may be by design. According to the website, answers to certain questions receive 0% if they include no keywords, and 100% if they include at least one. Other questions earn a certain percentage based on the number of keywords included.
As COVID-19 has driven schools around the US to move teaching to online or hybrid models, many are outsourcing some instruction and grading to virtual education platforms. Edgenuity offers over 300 online classes for middle and high school students ranging across subjects from math to social studies, AP classes to electives. They’re made up of instructional videos and virtual assignments as well as tests and exams. Edgenuity provides the lessons and grades the assignments. Lazare’s actual math and history classes are currently held via the platform — his district, the Los Angeles Unified School District, is entirely online due to the pandemic. (The district declined to comment for this story).
He’s now getting 100s on every assignment
Of course, short-answer questions aren’t the only factor that impacts Edgenuity grades — Lazare’s classes require other formats, including multiple-choice questions and single-word inputs. A developer familiar with the platform estimated that short answers make up less than five percent of Edgenuity’s course content, and many of the eight students The Verge spoke to for this story confirmed that such tasks were a minority of their work. Still, the tactic has certainly impacted Lazare’s class performance — he’s now getting 100s on every assignment.
Lazare isn’t the only one gaming the system. More than 20,000 schools currently use the platform, according to the company’s website, including 20 of the country’s 25 largest school districts, and two students from different high schools to Lazare told me they found a similar way to cheat. They often copy the text of their questions and paste it into the answer field, assuming it’s likely to contain the relevant keywords. One told me they used the trick all throughout last semester and received full credit “pretty much every time.”
Another high school student, who used Edgenuity a few years ago, said he would sometimes try submitting batches of words related to the questions “only when I was completely clueless.” The method worked “more often than not.” (We granted anonymity to some students who admitted to cheating, so they wouldn’t get in trouble.)
One student, who told me he wouldn’t have passed his Algebra 2 class without the exploit, said he’s been able to find lists of the exact keywords or sample answers that his short-answer questions are looking for — he says you can find them online “nine times out of ten.” Rather than listing out the terms he finds, though, he tried to work three into each of his answers. (“Any good cheater doesn’t aim for a perfect score,” he explained.)
Austin Paradiso, who has graduated but used Edgenuity for a number of classes during high school, was also averse to word salads but did use the keyword approach a handful of times. It worked 100 percent of the time. “I always tried to make the answer at least semi-coherent because it seemed a bit cheap to just toss a bunch of keywords into the input field,” Paradiso said. “But if I was a bit lazier, I easily could have just written a random string of words pertinent to the question prompt and gotten 100 percent.”
Teachers do have the ability to review any content students submit, and can override Edgenuity’s assigned grades — the Algebra 2 student says he’s heard of some students getting caught keyword-mashing. But most of the students I spoke to, and Simmons, said they’ve never seen a teacher change a grade that Edgenuity assigned to them. “If the teachers were looking at the responses, they didn’t care,” one student said.
The transition to Edgenuity has been rickety for some schools — parents in Williamson County, Tennessee are revolting against their district’s use of the platform, claiming countless technological hiccups have impacted their children’s grades. A district in Steamboat Springs, Colorado had its enrollment period disrupted when Edgenuity was overwhelmed with students trying to register.


theverge--2020-09-02--Windows 10 is getting a new touch keyboard with GIFs, emoji, and better voice typing

Microsoft is planning to release some significant changes to its built-in touch keyboard for Windows 10 .
The updated touch keyboard design builds on the company ’ s work with Windows 10X , bringing new key press animations , sounds , and all the all-important ability to search for and insert animated GIFs .
Microsoft called this the WonderBar for Windows 10X , and the new design in Windows 10 also includes better layouts that are optimized for typing , and the ability to move the cursor in through the space bar on the touch keyboard .
This is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cursor , by placing a finger on the space bar and sliding left , right , up , and down to navigate around .
Microsoft is also updating its emoji picker in Windows 10 .
The emoji picker , which activates when you press winkey + period , will soon include an improved design based on Microsoft ’ s Fluent Design system .
There ’ s emoji search , animated GIF support , and the convergence of clipboard history and emoji input into a single interface .
Alongside the keyboard and emoji @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new form of Windows dictation today .
Dubbed Voice Typing , the voice to text interface built into Windows has been overhauled .
It includes a more modern design , auto-punctuation , and an updated backend that Microsoft promises will make it “ the most reliable voice typing experience ever on Windows.
” All of these new Windows 10 changes are being tested with Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel this week , and might not all show up for all testers .
They ’ re part of a bigger update Microsoft is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of 2021 .

Microsoft is planning to release some significant changes to its built-in touch keyboard for Windows 10. The updated touch keyboard design builds on the company’s work with Windows 10X, bringing new key press animations, sounds, and all the all-important ability to search for and insert animated GIFs.
Microsoft called this the WonderBar for Windows 10X, and the new design in Windows 10 also includes better layouts that are optimized for typing, and the ability to move the cursor in through the space bar on the touch keyboard. This is very similar to how iOS lets you operate the cursor, by placing a finger on the space bar and sliding left, right, up, and down to navigate around.
The new cursor support with the spacebar. Windows 10’s new GIF picker for the touch keyboard.
Microsoft is also updating its emoji picker in Windows 10. The emoji picker, which activates when you press winkey + period, will soon include an improved design based on Microsoft’s Fluent Design system. There’s emoji search, animated GIF support, and the convergence of clipboard history and emoji input into a single interface.
Alongside the keyboard and emoji improvements, Microsoft is also announcing a new form of Windows dictation today. Dubbed Voice Typing, the voice to text interface built into Windows has been overhauled. It includes a more modern design, auto-punctuation, and an updated backend that Microsoft promises will make it “the most reliable voice typing experience ever on Windows.”
New Windows voice typing feature.


theverge--2020-09-02--Go read John Boyega’s unfiltered interview about how Disney (and Star Wars) sidelined him

Nearly nine months after Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker was released , John Boyega is opening up about the way his character and his role in the films were treated by Disney .
In a new lengthy interview with GQ , Boyega spoke about the disappointing direction Lucasfilm and Disney took his character — a Black Stormtrooper who abandons his role within the evil First Order to join a group of fighters in the Resistance — by the end of the third film in the trilogy .
Many of the issues Boyega brings up are complaints that Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction of his character , specifically how Finn was sidelined , and never given a chance to flourish while other characters , like Daisy Ridley ’ s Rey and Adam Driver ’ s Kylo Ren , did .
“ What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a black character , market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side , ” Boyega told GQ .
“ It ’ s not good .
I ’ ll say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just Finn , either .
Lucasfilm and Disney have faced criticism for the way the new trilogy — The Force Awakens , The Last Jedi , and The Rise of Skywalker — handled characters like Kelly Marie Tran ’ s Rose Tico , too .
As critic Robert Daniels wrote on Polygon earlier this year , “ In The Last Jedi , Rian Johnson turns him into the MacGuffin love interest — whose romantic importance is teased but never fulfilled , ” adding that by the time Rise of Skywalker came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comic relief opposite Poe , and at worst an accessory to the action.
” “ ... when it came to Kelly Marie Tran , when it came to John Boyega , you know fuck all ” Boyega told GQ it was obvious to everyone , fans and people involved in the productions alike , just how underplayed and underrepresented Finn and Rose Tico became .
“ You knew what to do with these other people , but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran , when it came to John Boyega , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So what do you want me to say ?
What they want you to say is , ‘ I enjoyed being a part of it .
It was a great experience ... ’ Nah , nah , nah .
I ’ ll take that deal when it ’ s a great experience .
They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver , all the nuance to Daisy Ridley .
Let ’ s be honest .
Daisy knows this .
Adam knows this .
Everybody knows .
I ’ m not exposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star Wars — and the harassment Boyega received from angry abusers while filming the trilogy .
Boyega talks about being a Black man in Hollywood , and the power he found attending and participating in Black Lives Matter movements in London .
He spoke about his experience growing up as the child of Nigerian immigrants , and a “ childhood punctuated by incidents of racism and police profiling , ” as GQ journalist Jimi Famurewa writes .
Famurewa ’ s conversation with Boyega is empowering , insightful , brave , and necessary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities , we have to talk through this filter of professionalism and emotional intelligence , ” Boyega said .
“ Sometimes you just need to be mad .
You need to lay down what it is that ’ s on your mind .
Sometimes you don ’ t have enough time to play the game.
” Go read the full story at GQ .

Nearly nine months after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released, John Boyega is opening up about the way his character and his role in the films were treated by Disney.
In a new lengthy interview with GQ, Boyega spoke about the disappointing direction Lucasfilm and Disney took his character — a Black Stormtrooper who abandons his role within the evil First Order to join a group of fighters in the Resistance — by the end of the third film in the trilogy. Many of the issues Boyega brings up are complaints that Star Wars fans and critics also had with the direction of his character, specifically how Finn was sidelined, and never given a chance to flourish while other characters, like Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, did.
“What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side,” Boyega told GQ. “It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
It’s not just Finn, either. Lucasfilm and Disney have faced criticism for the way the new trilogy — The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker — handled characters like Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico, too. As critic Robert Daniels wrote on Polygon earlier this year, “In The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson turns him into the MacGuffin love interest — whose romantic importance is teased but never fulfilled,” adding that by the time Rise of Skywalker came out, Finn is “at best the comic relief opposite Poe, and at worst an accessory to the action.”
“...when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know fuck all”
Boyega told GQ it was obvious to everyone, fans and people involved in the productions alike, just how underplayed and underrepresented Finn and Rose Tico became.
“You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know fuck all,” Boyega said. “So what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, ‘I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience...’ Nah, nah, nah. I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience. They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.”
The interview goes well beyond Star Wars — and the harassment Boyega received from angry abusers while filming the trilogy. Boyega talks about being a Black man in Hollywood, and the power he found attending and participating in Black Lives Matter movements in London. He spoke about his experience growing up as the child of Nigerian immigrants, and a “childhood punctuated by incidents of racism and police profiling,” as GQ journalist Jimi Famurewa writes. Famurewa’s conversation with Boyega is empowering, insightful, brave, and necessary.
“I feel like, especially as celebrities, we have to talk through this filter of professionalism and emotional intelligence,” Boyega said. “Sometimes you just need to be mad. You need to lay down what it is that’s on your mind. Sometimes you don’t have enough time to play the game.”


theverge--2020-09-02--Verizon spent $1.9 billion to catch up on 5G spectrum

Verizon is spending nearly $ 1.9 billion to catch up on 5G spectrum , as the biggest carriers race to roll out higher-speed connections nationwide .
This morning , the Federal Communications Commission revealed the winners of an auction for licenses to valuable spectrum that ’ s especially useful for 5G .
Verizon was the biggest spender by far .
Dish came in second , spending $ 912 million .
Charter , Comcast , and Cox all spent hundreds of millions on spectrum as well .
Companies spent big on this auction because the spectrum , in the 3.5GHz band @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployments .
Verizon , in particular , has been in a tough spot : its 5G strategy so far has largely relied on millimeter-wave deployments .
Those offer the highest-speed connections , but they only work at extremely short ranges — so it doesn ’ t really work as a nationwide strategy .
The midband spectrum that Verizon gained access to from this auction will help it deploy higher-speed connections that can span a longer distance ( though not as long of a distance as the spectrum it uses for LTE ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been buying up spectrum for years , but it finally needs to put that spectrum to use .
The company acquired assets from Sprint ( as part of its sale to T-Mobile ) , and it ’ s in the process of launching what is supposed to be a nationwide mobile network .
It ’ s less clear what Charter , Comcast , and Cox plan to do with their spectrum , but there are a couple of possibilities .
Charter and Comcast offer mobile phone service , but they piggyback off of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to wirelessly deliver at-home internet service .
T-Mobile has been rapidly expanding its 5G network , and as of July , AT & T claims its 5G network is available nationwide .
While T-Mobile is now in a good spot , thanks to Sprint ’ s cache of midband spectrum , the company has previously had to make huge bids to catch up in the airspace race .
It spent nearly $ 8 billion in 2017 to better build out its LTE network .

Verizon is spending nearly $1.9 billion to catch up on 5G spectrum, as the biggest carriers race to roll out higher-speed connections nationwide. This morning, the Federal Communications Commission revealed the winners of an auction for licenses to valuable spectrum that’s especially useful for 5G. Verizon was the biggest spender by far. Dish came in second, spending $912 million. Charter, Comcast, and Cox all spent hundreds of millions on spectrum as well.
Companies spent big on this auction because the spectrum, in the 3.5GHz band, can be used for higher-speed 5G deployments. Verizon, in particular, has been in a tough spot: its 5G strategy so far has largely relied on millimeter-wave deployments. Those offer the highest-speed connections, but they only work at extremely short ranges — so it doesn’t really work as a nationwide strategy. The midband spectrum that Verizon gained access to from this auction will help it deploy higher-speed connections that can span a longer distance (though not as long of a distance as the spectrum it uses for LTE).
As for Dish, it’s been buying up spectrum for years, but it finally needs to put that spectrum to use. The company acquired assets from Sprint (as part of its sale to T-Mobile), and it’s in the process of launching what is supposed to be a nationwide mobile network.
It’s less clear what Charter, Comcast, and Cox plan to do with their spectrum, but there are a couple of possibilities. Charter and Comcast offer mobile phone service, but they piggyback off of bigger networks. Midband spectrum could also be used to wirelessly deliver at-home internet service.


theverge--2020-09-02--Mulan will be available to all Disney Plus subscribers for no extra fee on December 4th

For Disney Plus subscribers who don ’ t want to pay an extra $ 30 to watch Mulan when it drops on September 4th , the company has announced it will be free to all customers on December 4th .
A new description on Mulan ’ s Disney Plus page notes that it will be available to all subscribers on December 4th , 2020 .
An FAQ page for Mulan on Disney Plus also states that “ Premier Access offer will be available until November 2 , 2020 , ” but it ’ s unclear exactly what that means for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 2nd and December 4th .
The Verge has reached out to Disney for more information .
With just three months between the film ’ s initial release and when it becomes available to general subscribers , Mulan has one of the shortest windows in Disney history .
Usually it takes many months before a film moves from a theatrical release to Disney Plus , but much like everything else right now , things are changing as Disney learns to adapt .
Disney announced that Mulan would become a streaming exclusive in August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Chapek told analysts that executives “ thought it was important to find alternative ways to bring [ Mulan ] out in a timely manner.
” Countries where Disney Plus exists will therefore get Mulan exclusively via Disney Plus .
Other countries , including China , where the film was always expected to perform best , will have Mulan available to them as a theatrical release .
“ We ’ re very pleased to be able to bring Mulan to our consumer base that has been waiting for it for a long , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unfortunately move our theatrical date several times , ” Chapek said on an earnings call .
Mulan ’ s Disney Plus debut is an experiment for the House of Mouse .
It ’ s unlikely to generate the same kind of revenue that a movie of its size would with a full theatrical release , but revenue isn ’ t the only goal .
Mulan will also , Disney hopes , bring in subscribers — and keep them .
Customers who purchase Mulan will have access to it forever , as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plus .
Right now , they can ’ t use services like Movies Everywhere to move the film to some other storage area .
By asking people to spend $ 30 on a film , and then ensuring they can only keep it while subscribed to Disney Plus , the company will try to reduce its churn rate , aka the number of people who cancel their subscriptions .
For Disney , Mulan is a bit of a guinea pig .
For people who just want to watch Mulan , now you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for access on September 4th or wait three months until it ’ s available for free .

For Disney Plus subscribers who don’t want to pay an extra $30 to watch Mulan when it drops on September 4th, the company has announced it will be free to all customers on December 4th.
A new description on Mulan’s Disney Plus page notes that it will be available to all subscribers on December 4th, 2020. An FAQ page for Mulan on Disney Plus also states that “Premier Access offer will be available until November 2, 2020,” but it’s unclear exactly what that means for people who want to purchase Mulan between November 2nd and December 4th. The Verge has reached out to Disney for more information.
With just three months between the film’s initial release and when it becomes available to general subscribers, Mulan has one of the shortest windows in Disney history. Usually it takes many months before a film moves from a theatrical release to Disney Plus, but much like everything else right now, things are changing as Disney learns to adapt.
Disney announced that Mulan would become a streaming exclusive in August during an earnings call. Disney CEO Bob Chapek told analysts that executives “thought it was important to find alternative ways to bring [Mulan] out in a timely manner.” Countries where Disney Plus exists will therefore get Mulan exclusively via Disney Plus. Other countries, including China, where the film was always expected to perform best, will have Mulan available to them as a theatrical release.
“We’re very pleased to be able to bring Mulan to our consumer base that has been waiting for it for a long, long time as we’ve had to unfortunately move our theatrical date several times,” Chapek said on an earnings call.
Mulan’s Disney Plus debut is an experiment for the House of Mouse. It’s unlikely to generate the same kind of revenue that a movie of its size would with a full theatrical release, but revenue isn’t the only goal. Mulan will also, Disney hopes, bring in subscribers — and keep them. Customers who purchase Mulan will have access to it forever, as long as they’re subscribed to Disney Plus. Right now, they can’t use services like Movies Everywhere to move the film to some other storage area. By asking people to spend $30 on a film, and then ensuring they can only keep it while subscribed to Disney Plus, the company will try to reduce its churn rate, aka the number of people who cancel their subscriptions.
For Disney, Mulan is a bit of a guinea pig. For people who just want to watch Mulan, now you have two options: either pay $30 for access on September 4th or wait three months until it’s available for free.


theverge--2020-09-02--How to transfer your Google Authenticator 2FA to a new phone

Two-factor authentication ( 2FA ) is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your online accounts secure .
They work by issuing an authentication code on your phone when somebody tries to access the account ; if that person doesn ’ t have the code , they ( or you ) don ’ t get in .
By using a 2FA app , such as Google Authenticator or Authy , you can prevent somebody from accessing your data by getting your password .
( You can have a code texted to you , but that is considered far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called SIM hacking . )
There is , of course , a catch .
Because 2FA uses a key specific to your phone , if you lose or break your phone , you can ’ t simply reinstall the app on your new phone and go on from there .
You need to transfer the key code for that phone as well as the app itself .
Different authentication apps handle this in different ways .
In this article , I ’ m going to look at Google Authenticator , including the easiest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new phone if you do have access to the old one , and how you can prepare for a possible problem ( like a broken phone ) .
Google Authenticator lets you establish 2FA by using your phone to scan a QR code generated by the app on a separate device or by entering a key code .
It ’ s a relatively easy process — unless you find you have to move the app to a new phone .
Because 2FA uses security keys that are specific to each piece of hardware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Authenticator on your new phone and use it to log in .
Instead , you have to transfer the keys to your new app .
The easiest method , especially if you use 2FA with several apps , is to use the Authenticator app ’ s dedicated transfer feature to move your keys from one phone to the other .
However , there are several assumptions here : first , that you need access to both the old and new phone , and second , you ’ ll need Android devices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t work for your situation , there are other methods you can use , which we ’ ll cover next .
If you ’ ve got two Android phones , you can transfer your accounts to a new phone by exporting them via a QR code generated by the Authenticator app .
• Tap on the three dots on the top right of the screen and select “ Transfer accounts ” • Select “ Export accounts.
” You may be asked to verify your identity via a fingerprint , password , or another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to export by checking them off .
Tap “ Next.
” • Go to your new phone .
Follow the instructions above , but select “ Import accounts.
” • You ’ ll be given instructions on how to export your accounts from the older phone .
Since you already know how to do that , just select “ Scan QR code.
” • Scan the code on your old phone with your new phone When you set up an app to use Google Authenticator , before the process is completed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backup codes and asked to print them out or otherwise save them .
( In fact , Google will ask you to enter one of the codes into a field before it will finish the installation , just to make sure you have saved them . )
And you definitely do want to save them ; print them out and put them somewhere safe or create a PDF and save it where nobody else can access it .
If your phone goes south , these codes will be a good way to reestablish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , you haven ’ t misplaced the codes .
This is also a way to reestablish your keys on a new iPhone .
Alternative method # 2 : Take a screenshot of the barcode One way to create a backup in case you lose your phone is to take and save a screenshot of the barcode that is created for each 2FA-secured app .
If you ’ ve mislaid your backup codes , but you ’ ve saved a screenshot of the QR barcode that you originally used to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can use that screenshot to establish your credentials on a new phone .
Just throw the screenshot up on your computer , install Google Authenticator on your new phone , and use the plus sign on the app to scan the barcode .
( You can also enter the setup key code if that ’ s what you saved . )
Do this for each of your apps , and you ’ ll be all set .

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your online accounts secure. It works by issuing an authentication code on your phone when somebody tries to access the account; if that person doesn’t have the code, they (or you) don’t get in. By using a 2FA app, such as Google Authenticator or Authy, you can prevent somebody from accessing your data by getting your password. (You can have a code texted to you, but that is considered far less secure due to the rise of so-called SIM hacking.)
Google Authenticator lets you establish 2FA by using your phone to scan a QR code generated by the app on a separate device or by entering a key code. It’s a relatively easy process.
Except there used to be a catch. Because 2FA uses a key specific to your phone, if you lost or broke your phone, you couldn’t simply reinstall the app on your new phone and go on from there. You needed to transfer the key code for that phone as well as the app itself.
However, as of April 2023, Google updated its Authenticator app for Android and iOS (to version 6.0 and 4.0, respectively), which should make this process much easier. Now the app will automatically sync your codes to a new phone and any other devices that are signed in to your Google account.
Setting up Authenticator to sync
For anyone who has ever lost a phone, syncing your authenticator codes is an enormous time-saver. Moving your Authenticator codes to a new phone is an awkward process at best. Automatically syncing your codes is a lot easier.
On the other hand, there have been some assertions that the process doesn’t include end-to-end encryption. In addition, there is the possibility that if somebody gets hold of one of your devices (and can get past your device’s security), they may be able to use it to access your 2FA app.
You do have a choice, however. When your version of Authenticator is upgraded, you will get a “Welcome” page that asks you to sign in to your account.
If you do want to sync your account to Authenticator and thus be sure that you will always be able to easily access your 2FA codes, just tap on the blue Continue as [your name] button, and you’re set.
button, and you’re set. If you don’t want to connect Authenticator to your accounts so that it will move to all your devices automatically, select the link Use Google Authenticator without an account, which will be under that blue button.
Either way, you can change your mind at any time and either enable syncing with your Google account or remove the sync. Here’s how.
When Authenticator updates to version 6, a welcome page lets you sync your codes to your Google account. Or not. You can change your mind and use Authenticator without connecting it to an account by going to the app’s settings.
Open your Google Authenticator app.
If the app is connected to your Google account, you’ll see a cloud with a little green checkmark next to your personal icon in the upper right. If you’re not syncing, the cloud will be gray with a slash through it.
If you’re currently syncing and want to stop, tap on your personal icon. You’ll see a pop-up menu (which will also let you manage your current Google account and manage all the accounts on your device). Select Use without an account .
. A second pop-up will ask if you want to use Authenticator without an account. Click Continue , and your codes will be removed from your Google account and all your other devices, except the device you are on. If you are currently not using sync, you will be asked if you want to.
, and your codes will be removed from your Google account and all your other devices, except the device you are on. If you are currently not using sync, you will be asked if you want to. If you’re not syncing and want to start, tap on the “person” icon in the upper right (it won’t be a personal icon, since you’re currently not synced with any account). Tap on the account you want to sync with
A second pop-up box will ask Start saving codes to this account? Select Allow.
Using Authenticator without sync
If you decided not to use sync, then the easiest method, especially if you use 2FA with several apps, is to use the Authenticator app’s dedicated transfer feature to move your keys from one phone to the other. However, there are two assumptions here: first, that you have access to both the old and new phone, and second, that you have Android devices. If either of these assumptions doesn’t work for your situation, there are other methods you can use, which we’ll cover next. But first, the easy method.
Transfer your Authenticator keys via Android
If you’ve got two Android phones, you can transfer your accounts to a new phone by exporting them via a QR code generated by the Authenticator app.
Install Google Authenticator on your new phone.
Tap Get started .
. Tap Scan a QR code . You’ll get a grid and instructions to Place QR code within red lines.
. You’ll get a grid and instructions to Open Google Authenticator on your older phone.
Tap on the three dots on the top right of the screen and select Transfer accounts.
Select Export accounts . You may be asked to verify your identity via a fingerprint, password, or another method.
. You may be asked to verify your identity via a fingerprint, password, or another method. Uncheck which accounts you don’t want to export. Tap Next .
. You’ll be shown a QR code. Center it in the grid in your new phone.
You should see the imported app now listed in your Google Authenticator app in the new phone. (Note: the app will not be deleted from your old phone.)
Alternative method #1: Use your backup codes
When you first set up Google Authenticator, you may be given a set of backup codes and asked to print them out or otherwise save them. And you definitely do want to save them; print them out and put them somewhere safe or create a PDF and save it where nobody else can access it. If your phone goes south, these codes will be a good way to reestablish authentication on your new phone — assuming, of course, you haven’t misplaced the codes.
This is also the way to reestablish your keys on a new iPhone.
If you missed that step during the installation, you can get those backup codes anyway. For that, you have to go into your Google account and then follow these steps:
Click on Security in the left-hand column.
in the left-hand column. Scroll down to and select 2-Step Verification . You’ll probably have to enter your password.
. You’ll probably have to enter your password. Scroll down to Backup Codes and click on Show Codes.
Click on “Show Codes” to get your ten backup codes for your Google account.
You’ll get a list of 10 codes. Each code can be used once; if you use them all, you can get more by clicking on Show Codes and then on Get New Codes.
Alternative method #2: Take a screenshot of the barcode
One way to create a backup in case you lose your phone is to take and save a screenshot of the barcode that is created for each 2FA-secured app. If you’ve mislaid your backup codes, but you’ve saved a screenshot of the QR barcode that you originally used to create your app’s authentication, you can use that screenshot to establish your credentials on a new phone.
Just throw the screenshot up on your computer, install Google Authenticator on your new phone, and use the plus sign on the app to scan the barcode. (You can also enter the setup key code if that’s what you saved.) Do this for each of your apps, and you’ll be all set.


theverge--2020-09-02--Western Digital’s fast 500GB NVMe SSD is down to its lowest price

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 .
There ’ s a good deal happening on Western Digital ’ s WD_Black SN750 NVMe M.2 drive with 500GB of storage .
It usually floats around $ 80 , but it ’ s $ 63 right now at Amazon , B & H Photo , and even at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500GB is admittedly not a lot of storage , but if you ’ re in a pinch for something fast and don ’ t require a bunch of extra space , this is worth checking out .
It ’ s an M.2 2280 form factor drive , so make sure your PC ’ s motherboard is compatible .
Alternatively , stuff it into a USB-C enclosure and make it into a fast portable drive .
Another PC-related deal comes from Newegg ( via The Inventory ) , where you can get Intel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processor ( base clock of 3.6GHz and turbo clock of 5GHz ) for $ 370 when you use the offer code GAMERDAYS49 at checkout .
The lowest price recorded at Amazon is $ 420 , but it ’ s currently sitting at $ 400 at Newegg .
This processor fits in motherboards that support LGA 1151 processors , and it ’ s worth noting that it doesn ’ t include a cooling fan so you ’ ll need to supply your own .
The $ 30 discount is great , but what makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processor comes with a download code for the Marvel ’ s Avengers that releases on September 4th , so you can jump right in when the processor arrives ( or before , depending on if the code arrives before you install it in your PC build ) .
Intel announced recently that it worked Square Enix studio Crystal Dynamics to optimize the game and make it more visually impressive for select Intel CPUs , including this one .

There’s a good deal happening on Western Digital’s WD_Black SN750 NVMe M.2 drive with 500GB of storage. It usually floats around $80, but it’s $63 right now at Amazon, B&H Photo, and even at Western Digital’s online store. 500GB is admittedly not a lot of storage, but if you’re in a pinch for something fast and don’t require a bunch of extra space, this is worth checking out.
It’s an M.2 2280 form factor drive, so make sure your PC’s motherboard is compatible. Alternatively, stuff it into a USB-C enclosure and make it into a fast portable drive.
Western Digital WD_Black SN750 500GB NVMe SSD / Was $80, now 21% off. Deal is also available at B&H Photo. $63 at Amazon
Another PC-related deal comes from Newegg (via The Inventory), where you can get Intel’s 9th Gen, eight-core Core i9-9900K processor (base clock of 3.6GHz and turbo clock of 5GHz) for $370 when you use the offer code GAMERDAYS49 at checkout. The lowest price recorded at Amazon is $420, but it’s currently sitting at $400 at Newegg. This processor fits in motherboards that support LGA 1151 processors, and it’s worth noting that it doesn’t include a cooling fan so you’ll need to supply your own.
The $30 discount is great, but what makes this an especially good deal is the processor comes with a download code for the Marvel’s Avengers that releases on September 4th, so you can jump right in when the processor arrives (or before, depending on if the code arrives before you install it in your PC build). Intel announced recently that it worked Square Enix studio Crystal Dynamics to optimize the game and make it more visually impressive for select Intel CPUs, including this one.


theverge--2020-09-02--Twitch now lets anyone host an online movie party with the Amazon Prime Video library

Twitch ’ s Watch Parties function is rolling out to everyone today , giving streamers and their subscribers around the world the ability to watch Amazon ’ s library of movies and TV shows together .
It ’ s not just for families ; as long as everyone has an Amazon Prime account , a streamer can now host a “ public ” movie viewing with all of their fans .
Watch parties have taken off in general over the last few months as people stuck at home figure out ways to make watching TV shows and movies more social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which allows people to stream Netflix , Disney Plus , and HBO titles with friends in the United States , Twitch ’ s Watch Parties is specifically built for Amazon Prime Video .
Ah , the smell of corporate synergy in the morning .
Watch Parties is currently not available on mobile devices , but Twitch is working on it and expects to roll out said feature in the coming months .
The move comes amid recent reports that non-gaming content is out-performing gaming content on Twitch .
Twitch first started slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October 2019 .
Amazon also rolled out a Watch Parties feature directly to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in June for people who wanted to have private watch parties with friends and family .
Although the function will soon be available globally , licensing complications brought on by geographical locations will affect what viewers see .
For example , shows that are licensed to Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom ( like Star Trek : Picard ) aren ’ t available in the United States on Amazon Prime Video ; Picard lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If a UK streamer is playing an episode , a viewer in the US won ’ t be able to watch the episode even if they ’ re using a Prime account .
It ’ s unclear just how many streamers and viewers in the United States have used the feature since the beta was rolled out to Twitch Partners in April .
Still , Watch Parties is another way for Amazon to continue cross-promoting both of its products — and keeping people inside its ecosystem .

Twitch’s Watch Parties function is rolling out to everyone today, giving streamers and their subscribers around the world the ability to watch Amazon’s library of movies and TV shows together. It’s not just for families; as long as everyone has an Amazon Prime account, a streamer can now host a “public” movie viewing with all of their fans.
Watch parties have taken off in general over the last few months as people stuck at home figure out ways to make watching TV shows and movies more social and interactive. Unlike apps like Scener, which allows people to stream Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO titles with friends in the United States, Twitch’s Watch Parties is specifically built for Amazon Prime Video. Ah, the smell of corporate synergy in the morning. Watch Parties is currently not available on mobile devices, but Twitch is working on it and expects to roll out said feature in the coming months.
The move comes amid recent reports that non-gaming content is out-performing gaming content on Twitch. Twitch first started slowly rolling out Watch Parties to some streamers in October 2019. Amazon also rolled out a Watch Parties feature directly to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in June for people who wanted to have private watch parties with friends and family.
Although the function will soon be available globally, licensing complications brought on by geographical locations will affect what viewers see. For example, shows that are licensed to Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom (like Star Trek: Picard) aren’t available in the United States on Amazon Prime Video; Picard lives exclusively on CBS All Access here. If a UK streamer is playing an episode, a viewer in the US won’t be able to watch the episode even if they’re using a Prime account.


theverge--2020-09-02--Samsung’s Galaxy Fit 2 can last for up to three weeks on a charge

Samsung has a new fitness tracker on the way called the Galaxy Fit 2 .
It ’ s an updated version of the original Galaxy Fit band that offers a larger display and more battery life — much more battery life , in fact .
Samsung is promising that the new model can last for at least 15 days on a single charge and up to three weeks depending on your settings .
That ’ s a big jump over the original model , which Samsung promised would get barely a week of usage off a single charge .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over competing trackers , like the upcoming Fitbit Inspire 2 , which only lasts for up to 10 days on a charge .
Most trackers generally offer a week or so of battery life , making Samsung ’ s a big improvement — assuming it holds up .
In case the two to three weeks of battery life wasn ’ t a tip-off , the Galaxy Fit 2 is definitely not a smartwatch .
It ’ s a fitness tracker through and through , with the option to track metrics like calories burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleep patterns .
Samsung also says that the Galaxy Fit can automatically detect up to five different types of fitness activities .
Samsung hasn ’ t said when it ’ ll release the Galaxy Fit 2 or a price , but presumably the company will have more information to share in the coming weeks .

Samsung has a new fitness tracker on the way called the Galaxy Fit 2. It’s an updated version of the original Galaxy Fit band that offers a larger display and more battery life — much more battery life, in fact.
Samsung is promising that the new model can last for at least 15 days on a single charge and up to three weeks depending on your settings. That’s a big jump over the original model, which Samsung promised would get barely a week of usage off a single charge. That battery life is also a dramatic increase over competing trackers, like the upcoming Fitbit Inspire 2, which only lasts for up to 10 days on a charge. Most trackers generally offer a week or so of battery life, making Samsung’s a big improvement — assuming it holds up.
In case the two to three weeks of battery life wasn’t a tip-off, the Galaxy Fit 2 is definitely not a smartwatch. It’s a fitness tracker through and through, with the option to track metrics like calories burned, heart rate, distance, and sleep patterns. Samsung also says that the Galaxy Fit can automatically detect up to five different types of fitness activities.


theverge--2020-09-02--Trump’s TikTok deal has hit a serious roadblock

TikTok ’ s high-profile search for a US buyer is hitting a roadblock after weeks of public negotiations and months of national security debates .
A string of reports from Reuters , Bloomberg , and The Wall Street Journal describes a growing stalemate over the algorithm behind TikTok ’ s For You page , arguably the most important piece of software the company has .
That algorithm has become a sticking point between the US and China , and what happens to that algorithm now seems like the central issue for any possible deal .
First publicly confirmed on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to months of escalating concerns about Chinese ownership of an app used by millions of Americans .
Microsoft , Oracle , and Triller have all put in bids to purchase TikTok ’ s operations in the US , Canada , Australia , and New Zealand ( roughly 30 percent of worldwide users ) to allay the concerns .
The details of the acquisition are still in flux , but it is estimated to be worth around $ 30 billion , and Microsoft has committed to either finalizing or dropping the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them they have until Sept. 15 to make a deal ” But this week has seen new concerns over TikTok ’ s algorithm .
On Friday , China quietly added personalized content recommendation algorithms to its list of export-controlled items , throwing the deal into chaos .
The new export controls mean that any recommendation algorithm — like the one that powers TikTok ’ s For You page — will need government approval before it can be sold to a foreign company .
We don ’ t know exactly how China will interpret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most observers is that the government will block the sale of the algorithm , presenting a huge problem for any potential deal .
The For You page is the heart of TikTok ’ s appeal ; it ’ s the product that lets you scroll for hours and still find new and interesting content .
Without that algorithm , the Microsoft version of TikTok ( MicroTok , if you will ) wouldn ’ t be worth very much .
So now , all three bidders are left scrambling for a way to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal put it tactfully , “ the complexity involved has reduced the chances that a deal could be completed soon.
” Today in Reuters , new information emerged on what the various suitors are considering as a compromise , but none of the ideas are particularly plausible .
You could buy the company without the algorithm ( doesn ’ t seem great ) , you could convince China to let you have the algorithm ( doesn ’ t seem likely ) , or you could kick the can down the road with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t seem like it solves the problem ) .
The most interesting option is the fourth one , in which the acquiring company licenses the use of the algorithm from ByteDance without buying it outright .
But given all of the public concerns about the Chinese government manipulating the feed for propaganda purposes , it would leave a lot of serious national security issues unaddressed .
It ’ s not clear where we go from here President Trump ’ s public statements continue to make things harder rather than easier .
Speaking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregard the November 12th deadline set by his executive order and emphasized the legally dicey idea that the US Treasury should receive payment as part of the deal .
“ I told them they have until Sept. 15 to make a deal — after that we close it up in this country , ” Trump said .
“ I said the United States has to be compensated , well compensated.
” It ’ s not clear where we go from here .
No one has ever split up a social network along regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes the basic premise less appealing .
It ’ s still possible that the bidders will find a way through the jungle and fashion some sort of deal to forge a US-centered version of the TikTok network , but the app could emerge from that process as a shell of its former self .
It ’ s also possible that we ’ ll reach the deadline without a deal , and Trump will make good on his threat to “ close it up , ” with all of the legal problems that suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even likely , that Trump is bluffing , and he ’ ll make a quiet tactical retreat once the deadline hits , unwilling to press the issue so close to the election .
But whatever happens , it ’ s put the US employees of TikTok in a profoundly uncomfortable position and set an ugly precedent for federal control over social networks .

TikTok’s high-profile search for a US buyer is hitting a roadblock after weeks of public negotiations and months of national security debates. A string of reports from Reuters, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal describes a growing stalemate over the algorithm behind TikTok’s For You page, arguably the most important piece of software the company has. That algorithm has become a sticking point between the US and China, and what happens to that algorithm now seems like the central issue for any possible deal.
First publicly confirmed on August 2nd, the proposed TikTok acquisition comes in response to months of escalating concerns about Chinese ownership of an app used by millions of Americans. Microsoft, Oracle, and Triller have all put in bids to purchase TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (roughly 30 percent of worldwide users) to allay the concerns. The details of the acquisition are still in flux, but it is estimated to be worth around $30 billion, and Microsoft has committed to either finalizing or dropping the deal by September 15th.
“I told them they have until Sept. 15 to make a deal”
But this week has seen new concerns over TikTok’s algorithm. On Friday, China quietly added personalized content recommendation algorithms to its list of export-controlled items, throwing the deal into chaos. The new export controls mean that any recommendation algorithm — like the one that powers TikTok’s For You page — will need government approval before it can be sold to a foreign company. We don’t know exactly how China will interpret that clause, but the assumption from most observers is that the government will block the sale of the algorithm, presenting a huge problem for any potential deal.
The For You page is the heart of TikTok’s appeal; it’s the product that lets you scroll for hours and still find new and interesting content. Without that algorithm, the Microsoft version of TikTok (MicroTok, if you will) wouldn’t be worth very much. So now, all three bidders are left scrambling for a way to make the deal work. As The Wall Street Journal put it tactfully, “the complexity involved has reduced the chances that a deal could be completed soon.”
Today in Reuters, new information emerged on what the various suitors are considering as a compromise, but none of the ideas are particularly plausible. You could buy the company without the algorithm (doesn’t seem great), you could convince China to let you have the algorithm (doesn’t seem likely), or you could kick the can down the road with a three-year transition period (doesn’t seem like it solves the problem). The most interesting option is the fourth one, in which the acquiring company licenses the use of the algorithm from ByteDance without buying it outright. But given all of the public concerns about the Chinese government manipulating the feed for propaganda purposes, it would leave a lot of serious national security issues unaddressed.
It’s not clear where we go from here
President Trump’s public statements continue to make things harder rather than easier. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he seemed to disregard the November 12th deadline set by his executive order and emphasized the legally dicey idea that the US Treasury should receive payment as part of the deal.
“I told them they have until Sept. 15 to make a deal — after that we close it up in this country,” Trump said. “I said the United States has to be compensated, well compensated.”