theverge--2020-12-20--Animal Crossing gave me structure in a shapeless year

I broke ground on my Animal Crossing : New Horizons island , Honkland , just three days before the UK ’ s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country was going into lockdown .
I ’ d pitched up my tent , and I was just about to deliver a pile of materials to Timmy Nook to help him build the island ’ s general store .
I was enjoying my first Animal Crossing , but I hadn ’ t quite hit that point of “ getting it ” just yet .
The menus were slow to navigate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I was working toward .
Mining the most material out of each of my island rocks involved a convoluted process of digging two holes and then hitting them repeatedly over the course of several seconds .
Picking fruit involved first shaking a tree and then picking up each piece individually .
It felt deliberately inefficient .
“ From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction : you must stay at home , ” the prime minister said during his address on March 23rd .
“ You should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends ask you to meet , you should say ‘ No.
’ You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home .
You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine — and you should do this as little as you can.
” Inside the flat , we tried to make the best of the situation while we effectively had to press pause on our lives .
Evenings out were replaced with marathon sessions of Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne .
We ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open , running a Zoom call with friends we hadn ’ t seen in months .
We bought elastic resistance bands and slung gymnastic rings over an old pull-up bar for group workouts on the weekends .
And every evening , I booted up Animal Crossing to see what awaited me on Honkland .
Animal Crossing is a game best played in short bursts because the series has a unique approach to the passage of time .
In most games , the time revolves around the player .
It starts passing when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens on your terms .
But Animal Crossing takes place in real time , so if it ’ s the middle of the night on March 23rd in the real world , then it ’ s going to be the middle of the night on March 23rd in the game .
( It ’ s possible to change your console ’ s built-in clock to “ time travel , ” but for me , it ruins the fun . )
‘ Animal Crossing ’ forced me to keep track of the day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play indefinitely each day .
Your island ’ s rocks eventually stop spitting out materials when you try to mine them , and you run out of fruit to pick from your trees .
You can continue to do things like hunt down bugs and fish , but inevitably , you ’ ll come up against a task that needs to be done tomorrow .
It ’ s a bold design that often forces you to wait , while other games often tempt you into playing just one extra hour .
Ordinarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little frustrating , but in a lockdown situation where time felt like it was standing still for weeks , it was exactly what I needed .
I couldn ’ t lose track of time playing it for hours ; instead , I had to keep a grip on what day of the week it was .
I got to work on my island .
I pruned its weeds , moved more villagers in , and started collecting critters to populate my island ’ s museum .
I sold fruit , earned bells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent them on building bridges and ramps to make my island ’ s rough terrain easier to navigate .
It became a little hobby , something to check in with once a day , a little project that built up bit by bit over time .
I have considered myself incredibly lucky over the course of the past 12 months .
I ’ ve thankfully been able to continue working from home , logging on to a computer at the end of my bed each day to chat with colleagues over Slack and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small bit to help this year involved little more than staying at home as much as was physically possible .
Animal Crossing made doing that a little bit more bearable .
It was Animal Crossing ’ s multiplayer elements that I most needed in those first few months of lockdown .
It felt like the whole world was playing the game together , as Twitter and Reddit filled up with screenshots of people ’ s islands as well as requests to collaborate .
At work , we set up a dedicated Slack channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices .
Ordinarily , you can earn a small profit by buying and selling turnips on your own island , but you can make millions if you work as a team with other players , converging on another player ’ s island when it ’ s offering an especially good price for turnips on any given day .
Time felt like it stood still for weeks on end this year It ’ s strange how , in a year when so much history was continuously happening , time felt like it stood still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of working in my bedroom , two days of relaxing in my living room .
Rinse , repeat .
People joke about time passing weirdly on the internet , when events that feel like they happened years ago actually took place just last week .
This year , that weird sense of internet time seeped out into the real world .
Without leaving my flat for anything more than a quick shop , it was hard to feel present in global events , no matter how important and life-changing they were for so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the internet ’ s interest in the game waned , a steady stream of new features and in-game events gave me a reason to keep visiting Honkland .
Nintendo added hedgerows and diving and new characters like Redd , a huckster who occasionally visits your island with “ artwork ” to sell .
Celebrations like Halloween were marked with in-game events that relied on playing the game on the right day to see their content .
Between big events and new feature additions , every month saw the arrival of new bugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collectibles to find before they migrated away .
It was important to have something to do , but this year especially , it was important to me to feel like time was actually passing .
Like many other people , I didn ’ t go on a summer holiday this year , and I didn ’ t attend any Halloween parties .
I didn ’ t have a morning cycling commute to enjoy the country ’ s summer or to see its trees gradually turn an autumnal orange .
Instead , checking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small reminders that the seasons were still changing .

I broke ground on my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, Honkland, just three days before the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country was going into lockdown. I’d pitched up my tent, and I was just about to deliver a pile of materials to Timmy Nook to help him build the island’s general store.
I was enjoying my first Animal Crossing, but I hadn’t quite hit that point of “getting it” just yet. The menus were slow to navigate, and I wasn’t really sure what I was working toward. Mining the most material out of each of my island rocks involved a convoluted process of digging two holes and then hitting them repeatedly over the course of several seconds. Picking fruit involved first shaking a tree and then picking up each piece individually. It felt deliberately inefficient.
A game best played in short bursts
“From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction: you must stay at home,” the prime minister said during his address on March 23rd. “You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say ‘No.’ You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine — and you should do this as little as you can.”
Inside the flat, we tried to make the best of the situation while we effectively had to press pause on our lives. Evenings out were replaced with marathon sessions of Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne. We’d watch films while simultaneously keeping a laptop open, running a Zoom call with friends we hadn’t seen in months. We bought elastic resistance bands and slung gymnastic rings over an old pull-up bar for group workouts on the weekends. And every evening, I booted up Animal Crossing to see what awaited me on Honkland.
The game’s chore-filled early hours were exactly what I needed. Image: Nintendo
Animal Crossing is a game best played in short bursts because the series has a unique approach to the passage of time. In most games, the time revolves around the player. It starts passing when the game starts and stops. Almost everything happens on your terms. But Animal Crossing takes place in real time, so if it’s the middle of the night on March 23rd in the real world, then it’s going to be the middle of the night on March 23rd in the game. (It’s possible to change your console’s built-in clock to “time travel,” but for me, it ruins the fun.)
‘Animal Crossing’ forced me to keep track of the day of the week
The approach makes it difficult to play indefinitely each day. Your island’s rocks eventually stop spitting out materials when you try to mine them, and you run out of fruit to pick from your trees. You can continue to do things like hunt down bugs and fish, but inevitably, you’ll come up against a task that needs to be done tomorrow. It’s a bold design that often forces you to wait, while other games often tempt you into playing just one extra hour. Ordinarily, I would have found the mechanic a little frustrating, but in a lockdown situation where time felt like it was standing still for weeks, it was exactly what I needed. I couldn’t lose track of time playing it for hours; instead, I had to keep a grip on what day of the week it was.
I got to work on my island. I pruned its weeds, moved more villagers in, and started collecting critters to populate my island’s museum. I sold fruit, earned bells (read: money), and spent them on building bridges and ramps to make my island’s rough terrain easier to navigate. It became a little hobby, something to check in with once a day, a little project that built up bit by bit over time.
I have considered myself incredibly lucky over the course of the past 12 months. I’ve thankfully been able to continue working from home, logging on to a computer at the end of my bed each day to chat with colleagues over Slack and conduct interviews over Zoom. Doing my small bit to help this year involved little more than staying at home as much as was physically possible. Animal Crossing made doing that a little bit more bearable.
Multiplayer helped me feel connected. Image: Nintendo
It was Animal Crossing’s multiplayer elements that I most needed in those first few months of lockdown. It felt like the whole world was playing the game together, as Twitter and Reddit filled up with screenshots of people’s islands as well as requests to collaborate. At work, we set up a dedicated Slack channel to share our island’s turnip prices. Ordinarily, you can earn a small profit by buying and selling turnips on your own island, but you can make millions if you work as a team with other players, converging on another player’s island when it’s offering an especially good price for turnips on any given day.
Time felt like it stood still for weeks on end this year
It’s strange how, in a year when so much history was continuously happening, time felt like it stood still for weeks on end. Five days of working in my bedroom, two days of relaxing in my living room. Rinse, repeat. People joke about time passing weirdly on the internet, when events that feel like they happened years ago actually took place just last week. This year, that weird sense of internet time seeped out into the real world. Without leaving my flat for anything more than a quick shop, it was hard to feel present in global events, no matter how important and life-changing they were for so many.
As the months went on and the internet’s interest in the game waned, a steady stream of new features and in-game events gave me a reason to keep visiting Honkland. Nintendo added hedgerows and diving and new characters like Redd, a huckster who occasionally visits your island with “artwork” to sell. Celebrations like Halloween were marked with in-game events that relied on playing the game on the right day to see their content. Between big events and new feature additions, every month saw the arrival of new bugs and fish, a gentle trickle of collectibles to find before they migrated away.


theverge--2020-12-21--The 10 best streaming shows on Netflix for 2020

The year 2020 likely kept many of us inside for most of it , and it looks like that situation may last at least into part of 2021 .
One of the few positives is that many great movies and TV shows were released on streaming services such as Netflix .
The streaming service has made available a plethora of movies and TV shows , some original to Netflix .
Netflix currently offers three plans : Basic ( $ 8.99 / month ) lets you watch content on one screen at a time ; Standard ( $ 13.99 / month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and adds HD content ; and Premium ( $ 17.99 ) offers a total of four screens and Ultra HD content .
Whether you need a new show to binge-watch once The Office leaves Netflix or something for a movie night with your loved ones , here ’ s a list of 10 movies and TV shows you should check out .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games , apps , and entertainment .
Check out our app picks for iPhones , Android phones , PCs , and M1-equipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , the PS5 , Xbox One and Series X / S , Nintendo Switch , and VR .
We ’ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change . )
A 2019 Russian web TV series acquired by Netflix this year , To the Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vongozero by Yana Vagner and focuses on a group of survivors trying to evade a pandemic .
The main character is Sergey , who is tasked with getting his family to a desert island in the middle of an area called Vongozero .
Sergey is joined by his new girlfriend , her son , his father , his next-door neighbor ’ s family , his ex-wife , and his young son .
It ’ s quite unconventional compared to other shows in the apocalyptic zombie genre because it focuses more on its ensemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ton of tension , especially between Sergey ’ s new girlfriend and his ex-wife .
# Alive is a 2020 South Korean film that focuses on Joon-woo , a video game live-streamer , as he struggles to survive during — yes — a zombie apocalypse .
For most of the movie , Joon-woo is barricaded in his parent ’ s apartment in Seoul .
What makes this an intriguing watch is that it accurately depicts some of the same feelings many of us likely had due to the COVID-19 pandemic : fear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Internet memes aside , Tiger King is one of the more enjoyable Netflix shows to come out of 2020 .
It ’ s a documentary miniseries that spans seven episodes and focuses on Joe Exotic , a private zoo owner with over 200 big cats .
The miniseries focuses on various points in his life , such as his unsuccessful runs for public office and his feud with big-cat rights activist Carole Baskin .
This year , Netflix had a ton of dating shows with wild concepts .
Love is Blind brings together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For 10 days , the men and women partake in a blind / speed dating format where they “ date ” each other while in different “ pods.
” After those 10 days of dating , the participants need to decide if they want to become engaged or go home single .
All these reality TV shows are very much guilty pleasures — at first watch , I got some mad Married at First Sight vibes .
With BoJack Horseman airing its final episodes in January , there ’ s a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animation .
Last year , my best friend recommended that I watch Tuca & Bertie , about two bird women in their 30s with a very Yin and Yang type friendship .
I really enjoyed the amount of diversity in the cast and how the show starred two female protagonists , something I find to be a rarity in adult animation TV shows .
And so I was really angry when I heard Netflix decided to cancel the series after one season .
Thankfully , the show is getting a second season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swim block , with new episodes slated to premiere next year .
You can still watch the first season on Netflix , and if you enjoy shows like BoJack Horseman , I strongly encourage you to go watch Tuca & Bertie as soon as possible .
Then ask yourself , “ How could Netflix not renew this show ?
” I got my first experience with The Witcher franchise after playing the game The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt .
First , I decided to go back and revisit the first two games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to read the books to see what the games were based on .
So when I heard that Netflix was going to make a TV show based on the novels , I was very interested — and the fact that Henry Cavill would play Geralt of Rivia put me totally on board .
The first season aired roughly a year ago , and I really liked it .
I am not going to claim the show is better than Game of Thrones because that is an unfair comparison .
And I will warn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second watch because the story , which shuffles timelines , can get a bit confusing .
Nevertheless , if you love fantasy TV shows and liked The Witcher novels and / or the games , the TV show is worth a watch .
A movie adaption based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name , The Prom follows a group of Broadway actors who travel to a small Indiana town to aid a lesbian student who was banned from going to her high school prom with her girlfriend .
The movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright colors and glitter and energetic songs .
While the story itself seems a bit disjointed , the acting and songs kept me entertained throughout .
What happens when you take The Great British Bake Off and switch cooking with floral design ?
You get The Big Flower Fight , of course .
This oddly satisfying reality competition pits artists , florists , and landscapers against each other as they try to build giant sculptures out of plants .
I like watching cooking competitions like MasterChef , and I was won over by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautiful sculptures .
As a history buff , I am overly critical whenever I watch movies or TV shows inspired by historical events .
While The Crown takes a lot of liberties with what actually happened during Queen Elizabeth II ’ s reign , I can ’ t stop watching this show .
To be honest , I am not following it because of its historical accuracy , but because of the incredible cinematography and superb acting from the cast members .
I grew up watching a bunch of crime-focused shows like Snapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me up all night while I played detective — and now , as an adult , I keep coming back to them .
Originally a series released on NBC in the late 1980s , Unsolved Mysteries has breathed new life to a well-loved trope on the streaming giant ’ s platform .
The 2020 reboot spans six episodes , with each episode focusing on a different cold case .

The year 2020 likely kept many of us inside for most of it, and it looks like that situation may last at least into part of 2021. One of the few positives is that many great movies and TV shows were released on streaming services such as Netflix. The streaming service has made available a plethora of movies and TV shows, some original to Netflix.
Netflix currently offers three plans: Basic ($8.99 / month) lets you watch content on one screen at a time; Standard ($13.99 / month) brings it up to two screens and adds HD content; and Premium ($17.99) offers a total of four screens and Ultra HD content.
Whether you need a new show to binge-watch once The Office leaves Netflix or something for a movie night with your loved ones, here’s a list of 10 movies and TV shows you should check out.
To the Lake
To the Lake Image: Netflix
A 2019 Russian web TV series acquired by Netflix this year, To the Lake, is based on the Russian novel Vongozero by Yana Vagner and focuses on a group of survivors trying to evade a pandemic. The main character is Sergey, who is tasked with getting his family to a desert island in the middle of an area called Vongozero. Sergey is joined by his new girlfriend, her son, his father, his next-door neighbor’s family, his ex-wife, and his young son.
It’s quite unconventional compared to other shows in the apocalyptic zombie genre because it focuses more on its ensemble cast of diverse characters and adds a ton of tension, especially between Sergey’s new girlfriend and his ex-wife.
#Alive
#Alive Image: Netflix
#Alive is a 2020 South Korean film that focuses on Joon-woo, a video game live-streamer, as he struggles to survive during — yes — a zombie apocalypse. For most of the movie, Joon-woo is barricaded in his parent’s apartment in Seoul. What makes this an intriguing watch is that it accurately depicts some of the same feelings many of us likely had due to the COVID-19 pandemic: fear, uncertainty, isolation, and loneliness.
Tiger King
Tiger King Image: Netflix
Internet memes aside, Tiger King is one of the more enjoyable Netflix shows to come out of 2020. It’s a documentary miniseries that spans seven episodes and focuses on Joe Exotic, a private zoo owner with over 200 big cats. The miniseries focuses on various points in his life, such as his unsuccessful runs for public office and his feud with big-cat rights activist Carole Baskin.
Love is Blind
Love is Blind Image: Netflix
This year, Netflix had a ton of dating shows with wild concepts. Love is Blind brings together 30 men and women looking for love. For 10 days, the men and women partake in a blind / speed dating format where they “date” each other while in different “pods.” After those 10 days of dating, the participants need to decide if they want to become engaged or go home single. All these reality TV shows are very much guilty pleasures — at first watch, I got some mad Married at First Sight vibes.
Tuca & Bertie
Tuca & Bertie Netflix
With BoJack Horseman airing its final episodes in January, there’s a bit of a void for that type of animation. Last year, my best friend recommended that I watch Tuca & Bertie, about two bird women in their 30s with a very Yin and Yang type friendship. I really enjoyed the amount of diversity in the cast and how the show starred two female protagonists, something I find to be a rarity in adult animation TV shows. And so I was really angry when I heard Netflix decided to cancel the series after one season.
Thankfully, the show is getting a second season, thanks to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, with new episodes slated to premiere next year. You can still watch the first season on Netflix, and if you enjoy shows like BoJack Horseman, I strongly encourage you to go watch Tuca & Bertie as soon as possible. Then ask yourself, “How could Netflix not renew this show?”
The Witcher
The Witcher Image: Netflix
I got my first experience with The Witcher franchise after playing the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. First, I decided to go back and revisit the first two games in the trilogy. Then I decided to read the books to see what the games were based on. So when I heard that Netflix was going to make a TV show based on the novels, I was very interested — and the fact that Henry Cavill would play Geralt of Rivia put me totally on board.
The first season aired roughly a year ago, and I really liked it. I am not going to claim the show is better than Game of Thrones because that is an unfair comparison. And I will warn you that the first season warrants a second watch because the story, which shuffles timelines, can get a bit confusing. Nevertheless, if you love fantasy TV shows and liked The Witcher novels and / or the games, the TV show is worth a watch.
The Prom
The Prom Image: Netflix
A movie adaption based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name, The Prom follows a group of Broadway actors who travel to a small Indiana town to aid a lesbian student who was banned from going to her high school prom with her girlfriend. The movie is extremely vibrant with a ton of bright colors and glitter and energetic songs. While the story itself seems a bit disjointed, the acting and songs kept me entertained throughout.
The Big Flower Fight
The Big Flower Fight Image: Netflix
What happens when you take The Great British Bake Off and switch cooking with floral design? You get The Big Flower Fight, of course. This oddly satisfying reality competition pits artists, florists, and landscapers against each other as they try to build giant sculptures out of plants. I like watching cooking competitions like MasterChef, and I was won over by the idea of a competition to make beautiful sculptures.
The Crown
The Crown Image: Netflix
As a history buff, I am overly critical whenever I watch movies or TV shows inspired by historical events. While The Crown takes a lot of liberties with what actually happened during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, I can’t stop watching this show. To be honest, I am not following it because of its historical accuracy, but because of the incredible cinematography and superb acting from the cast members.
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries Image: Netflix


theverge--2020-12-21--The Book of Boba Fett is another Mandalorian spinoff show, coming to Disney Plus in 2021

After years of speculation about whether Boba Fett would get his own spinoff of some kind , The Mandalorian ’ s season 2 finale confirmed that a new Boba Fett series , titled The Book of Boba Fett , will hit Disney Plus in December 2021 .
Executive producer Jon Favreau appeared on Good Morning America on December 21st to confirm The Book of Boba Fett as a new series ( following some speculation that Book of Boba Fett was some sort of subtitle for The Mandalorian ’ s third season . )
The new show will be an original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandalorian , with Favreau , Dave Filoni , and Robert Rodriguez set to produce the series .
Favreau and Filoni already produce The Mandalorian , while Rodriguez directed the Boba Fett-centric season two episode , “ The Tragedy.
” Production on The Mandalorian ’ s third season will take place right after The Book of Boba Fett .
The show was not included as an announcement during Disney ’ s big investor day last week .
Several other Star Wars projects , including two other Mandalorian spinoffs — an Ahsoka Tano show and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lando Calrissian show , and a Star Wars anime series , were announced then .
Warning : The following contains light spoilers for The Mandalorian ’ s second season finale .
The announcement comes during a post-credits scene ( ah , yes , the post-credits scenes ) , which finds Boba Fett and Fennec Shand in Jabba the Hutt ’ s palace .
Fans will recall this is where Boba Fett was thrown into the sarlacc pit a few years before .
Now , Boba Fett is back — and after blasting away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jabba the Hutt who gave me nightmares as a child — Boba Fett takes his place on Jabba ’ s throne .
The scene announcing the spinoff series will come as a nice surprise for anyone who held out hope for a Boba Fett movie years ago when Rogue One and Solo were being released .
Now , there ’ s a TV show instead .
It ’ s a smart move for Disney and Lucasfilm .
A series is less of a risk than a movie , and it helps keep customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tying everything together is a pretty good way to get people to stay on Disney Plus to watch other shows when they ’ re done with the most recent Mandalorian episode ; it ’ s already happening with Clone Wars .
While this season of The Mandalorian is over , it ’ s clear that fans have a ton of Star Wars to look forward to in 2021 .
Can there be too much Star Wars ?
Former CEO Bob Iger certainly thought Star Wars fatigue took over at the box office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story .
Update ( December 21st , 8:40am ET ) : The story has been updated to include new information about the series .

After years of speculation about whether Boba Fett would get his own spinoff of some kind, The Mandalorian’s season 2 finale confirmed that a new Boba Fett series, titled The Book of Boba Fett, will hit Disney Plus in December 2021.
Executive producer Jon Favreau appeared on Good Morning America on December 21st to confirm The Book of Boba Fett as a new series (following some speculation that Book of Boba Fett was some sort of subtitle for The Mandalorian’s third season.) The new show will be an original series set within the world of The Mandalorian, with Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez set to produce the series. Favreau and Filoni already produce The Mandalorian, while Rodriguez directed the Boba Fett-centric season two episode, “The Tragedy.” Production on The Mandalorian’s third season will take place right after The Book of Boba Fett.
The show was not included as an announcement during Disney’s big investor day last week. Several other Star Wars projects, including two other Mandalorian spinoffs — an Ahsoka Tano show and Rangers of the New Republic — a Lando Calrissian show, and a Star Wars anime series, were announced then.
Warning: The following contains light spoilers for The Mandalorian’s second season finale.
The announcement comes during a post-credits scene (ah, yes, the post-credits scenes), which finds Boba Fett and Fennec Shand in Jabba the Hutt’s palace. Fans will recall this is where Boba Fett was thrown into the sarlacc pit a few years before. Now, Boba Fett is back — and after blasting away Bib Fortuna, the pasty-faced employee of Jabba the Hutt who gave me nightmares as a child — Boba Fett takes his place on Jabba’s throne.
Wild!
The scene announcing the spinoff series will come as a nice surprise for anyone who held out hope for a Boba Fett movie years ago when Rogue One and Solo were being released. Now, there’s a TV show instead. It’s a smart move for Disney and Lucasfilm. A series is less of a risk than a movie, and it helps keep customers subscribed to the platform. Plus, tying everything together is a pretty good way to get people to stay on Disney Plus to watch other shows when they’re done with the most recent Mandalorian episode; it’s already happening with Clone Wars.
While this season of The Mandalorian is over, it’s clear that fans have a ton of Star Wars to look forward to in 2021. Can there be too much Star Wars? Former CEO Bob Iger certainly thought Star Wars fatigue took over at the box office, but maybe Disney Plus is a different story.
Update (December 21st, 8:40am ET): The story has been updated to include new information about the series.


theverge--2020-12-21--OnePlus’ latest concept phone is a color-changing, motion-tracking 8T

OnePlus has a new concept phone to show off , which is its way of teasing tech that maybe , just maybe , might make it into one of the company ’ s future phones .
The OnePlus 8T Concept is a similar phone to the OnePlus 8T that was released a couple months ago , but it ’ s got a pretty unique rear design that changes color alongside a motion-tracking radar module .
According to OnePlus , this color-changing effect is achieved with a film that contains metal oxide , which sits underneath the phone ’ s glass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are applied to it .
At its most basic , it could change color to show off the phone ’ s notifications , like an incoming phone call , much like the notification light that it has included on its phones in the past .
But where things get really interesting is when it gets paired with the concept phone ’ s rear-mounted radar module .
This module , which is built into the camera bump on the back of the phone , uses millimeter wave radar to bounce electromagnetic waves off its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , image , locate , and track objects.
” Although OnePlus says this mmWave technology is “ borrowed from 5G , ” it adds that the radar module is separate from any mmWave communication module in the phone .
Functionally , it sounds similar to the Pixel 4 ’ s radar-enabled Motion Sense technology , which let you swipe your hand above the phone to skip music tracks or silence alarms .
It could also detect your presence to show you the time and any notifications .
The functionality was interesting , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent phones .
This concept phone can also use this motion tracker to do simple things like answering a phone call with a gesture , or offer more advanced functionality like sensing a user ’ s breathing .
This can be combined with its color-changing back to offer some interesting use cases .
For example , its back could change color to indicate an incoming call , and then you could accept or reject it with a gesture , without having to touch the phone itself .
Or the radar could sense your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s color in time with it , “ effectively making the phone a biofeedback device , ” OnePlus says .
It ’ s an ambitious collection of features , but there ’ s no guarantee we ’ ll ever see them come to a consumer device .
After all , a little under a year ago OnePlus was showing off the OnePlus Concept One , an interesting device which used electrochromic glass to make its rear cameras disappear ( and which also acted as a pretty neat little ND filter ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make an appearance in any of the company ’ s flagship phones .
As with the Concept One before it , OnePlus says it has no plans to commercially sell the OnePlus 8T Concept , so it ’ s best thought of as a small showcase of what the company is working on .
But with any luck , the technology could yet come to one of its real smartphones one day .

OnePlus has a new concept phone to show off, which is its way of teasing tech that maybe, just maybe, might make it into one of the company’s future phones. The OnePlus 8T Concept is a similar phone to the OnePlus 8T that was released a couple months ago, but it’s got a pretty unique rear design that changes color alongside a motion-tracking radar module.
According to OnePlus, this color-changing effect is achieved with a film that contains metal oxide, which sits underneath the phone’s glass back and changes color as different voltages are applied to it. At its most basic, it could change color to show off the phone’s notifications, like an incoming phone call, much like the notification light that it has included on its phones in the past. But where things get really interesting is when it gets paired with the concept phone’s rear-mounted radar module.
OnePlus shows how the design on the rear of the phone can change color. Image: OnePlus
This module, which is built into the camera bump on the back of the phone, uses millimeter wave radar to bounce electromagnetic waves off its surroundings and lets the phone “perceive, image, locate, and track objects.” Although OnePlus says this mmWave technology is “borrowed from 5G,” it adds that the radar module is separate from any mmWave communication module in the phone.
Functionally, it sounds similar to the Pixel 4’s radar-enabled Motion Sense technology, which let you swipe your hand above the phone to skip music tracks or silence alarms. It could also detect your presence to show you the time and any notifications. The functionality was interesting, but Google hasn’t included it in subsequent phones.
This concept phone can also use this motion tracker to do simple things like answering a phone call with a gesture, or offer more advanced functionality like sensing a user’s breathing. This can be combined with its color-changing back to offer some interesting use cases. For example, its back could change color to indicate an incoming call, and then you could accept or reject it with a gesture, without having to touch the phone itself. Or the radar could sense your breathing, and then change its back’s color in time with it, “effectively making the phone a biofeedback device,” OnePlus says.
It’s an ambitious collection of features, but there’s no guarantee we’ll ever see them come to a consumer device. After all, a little under a year ago OnePlus was showing off the OnePlus Concept One, an interesting device which used electrochromic glass to make its rear cameras disappear (and which also acted as a pretty neat little ND filter). However, the technology is yet to make an appearance in any of the company’s flagship phones.


theverge--2020-12-21--Adobe releases Apple Silicon version of Premiere Pro in beta

Adobe has released an Arm version of Premiere Pro for macOS , allowing owners of new Apple Silicon M1 Macs to run the video editing software natively .
The program is still very much in beta for now , however , and the Adobe post announcing its availability lists a host of known bugs and missing features .
News of its release was spotted by The 8-Bit , and MacRumors adds that Adobe ’ s Premiere Rush and Audition have also been updated to run on the new machines .
Adobe says it ’ s porting Premiere Pro ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its core editing functions and workflows , as well as popular codecs like H.264 , HEVC , and ProRes .
Third-party integrations will need to be updated by their respective developers to work on Apple Silicon .
Adobe advises that users can run the current release version of Premiere Pro on M1 Macs using Rosetta 2 emulation while the Arm version is still in development , though some third-party integrations may not work in this mode .
Premiere Pro joins other Adobe apps including Photoshop and Lightroom that have seen releases for Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a relatively quick turnaround for Adobe considering the new MacBook Air , MacBook Pro , and Mac mini were only released just over a month ago .

Adobe has released an Arm version of Premiere Pro for macOS, allowing owners of new Apple Silicon M1 Macs to run the video editing software natively. The program is still very much in beta for now, however, and the Adobe post announcing its availability lists a host of known bugs and missing features. News of its release was spotted by The 8-Bit, and MacRumors adds that Adobe’s Premiere Rush and Audition have also been updated to run on the new machines.
Adobe says it’s porting Premiere Pro’s features over in phases, starting with its core editing functions and workflows, as well as popular codecs like H.264, HEVC, and ProRes. Third-party integrations will need to be updated by their respective developers to work on Apple Silicon. Adobe advises that users can run the current release version of Premiere Pro on M1 Macs using Rosetta 2 emulation while the Arm version is still in development, though some third-party integrations may not work in this mode.


theverge--2020-12-21--Dozens of Al Jazeera journalists targeted in apparent iOS spyware attack

36 personal phones belonging to Al Jazeera journalists , producers , anchors , and executives were hacked in a spyware campaign between July and August 2020 , a new report from Citizen Lab alleges .
The attacks reportedly used Pegasus technology provided by the Israeli firm NSO Group , and are thought to be the work of four operators .
Citizen Lab says it has “ medium confidence ” that one is working on behalf of the UAE government and another for the Saudi government .
The attacks are worrying not just because they appear to show politically-motivated targeting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re part of a trend of using increasingly advanced methods that are harder to detect .
According to Citizen Lab , the attacks seem to have used a zero-click exploit to compromise iPhones via iMessage , meaning the attacks happened without the victims needing to do anything , and leave much less of a trace once a device is infected .
In July 2020 , the exploit chain was a zero-day .
iOS 14 is not thought to be vulnerable Citizen Lab ’ s report says “ almost all iPhone devices ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 appear to be vulnerable to the hack , meaning the infections it found are likely to be a “ miniscule fraction ” of the total number .
It has disclosed its findings to Apple , and the company is looking into the issue .
Citizen Lab ’ s analysis suggests the spyware can record audio from a phone ( including ambient noise and audio from phone calls ) , take photos , track location , and access passwords .
Devices updated to iOS 14 don ’ t appear to be affected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Al Jazeera journalist , Tamer Almisshal , allowed the organization to install a VPN on his device because he was worried it might have been compromised .
Using this software , Citizen Lab , noticed that his phone visited a suspected installation server for NSO Group ’ s spyware .
Seconds later , his phone uploaded over 200MB of data to three IP addresses for the first time .
As well as the Al Jazeera employees , Citizen Lab reports that a journalist with Al Araby TV , Rania Dridi , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group ’ s spyware .
These attacks date back to October 2019 , and appear to include two zero-day exploits .
This is not the first time allegations have emerged that spyware from NSO Group has been used to target journalists .
The Guardian reports that the software has allegedly been used to target journalists in Morocco , as well as political dissidents from Rwanda and Spanish politicians .
When contacted for comment a spokesperson for NSO Group told The Verge that Citizen Lab ’ s report was based on “ speculation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to NSO.
” “ NSO provides products that enable governmental law enforcement agencies to tackle serious organized crime and counterterrorism only , and as stated in the past we do not operate them , ” the spokesperson said .
“ However , when we receive credible evidence of misuse with enough information which can enable us to assess such credibility , we take all necessary steps in accordance with our investigation procedure in order to review the allegations.
” As a result of its investigation , Citizen Lab is calling for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and for a global moratorium on its sale and transfer until safeguards are put in place to guard against its misuse .

36 personal phones belonging to Al Jazeera journalists, producers, anchors, and executives were hacked in a spyware campaign between July and August 2020, a new report from Citizen Lab alleges. The attacks reportedly used Pegasus technology provided by the Israeli firm NSO Group, and are thought to be the work of four operators. Citizen Lab says it has “medium confidence” that one is working on behalf of the UAE government and another for the Saudi government.
The attacks are worrying not just because they appear to show politically-motivated targeting of journalists, but also because they’re part of a trend of using increasingly advanced methods that are harder to detect. According to Citizen Lab, the attacks seem to have used a zero-click exploit to compromise iPhones via iMessage, meaning the attacks happened without the victims needing to do anything, and leave much less of a trace once a device is infected. In July 2020, the exploit chain was a zero-day.
iOS 14 is not thought to be vulnerable
Citizen Lab’s report says “almost all iPhone devices” which haven’t been updated to iOS 14 appear to be vulnerable to the hack, meaning the infections it found are likely to be a “miniscule fraction” of the total number. It has disclosed its findings to Apple, and the company is looking into the issue. Citizen Lab’s analysis suggests the spyware can record audio from a phone (including ambient noise and audio from phone calls), take photos, track location, and access passwords. Devices updated to iOS 14 don’t appear to be affected.
Citizen Lab discovered one of the hacks after Al Jazeera journalist, Tamer Almisshal, allowed the organization to install a VPN on his device because he was worried it might have been compromised. Using this software, Citizen Lab, noticed that his phone visited a suspected installation server for NSO Group’s spyware. Seconds later, his phone uploaded over 200MB of data to three IP addresses for the first time.
As well as the Al Jazeera employees, Citizen Lab reports that a journalist with Al Araby TV, Rania Dridi, was also the victim of hacks using NSO Group’s spyware. These attacks date back to October 2019, and appear to include two zero-day exploits.
This is not the first time allegations have emerged that spyware from NSO Group has been used to target journalists. The Guardian reports that the software has allegedly been used to target journalists in Morocco, as well as political dissidents from Rwanda and Spanish politicians.
When contacted for comment a spokesperson for NSO Group told The Verge that Citizen Lab’s report was based on “speculation” and “lacks any evidence supporting a connection to NSO.”
“NSO provides products that enable governmental law enforcement agencies to tackle serious organized crime and counterterrorism only, and as stated in the past we do not operate them,” the spokesperson said. “However, when we receive credible evidence of misuse with enough information which can enable us to assess such credibility, we take all necessary steps in accordance with our investigation procedure in order to review the allegations.”


theverge--2020-12-21--The world’s first under-display selfie camera isn’t very good

In a perfect world , everything would fit under the surface of smartphone displays .
That ’ s been the principle behind the past few years of phone design , at least , ever since the iPhone X escalated the bezel wars with its conspicuous notch .
From in-display fingerprint sensors to pop-up selfie cameras , we ’ ve seen phone manufacturers take creative approaches to achieving the highest possible screen-to-body ratio .
The latest advancement in the bezel wars is the ZTE Axon 20 5G , which goes on sale today and is the world ’ s first phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen .
While in-display fingerprint sensors are commonplace now , doing the same for selfie cameras has proven to be more difficult .
Companies like Oppo and Xiaomi have been showing off demos for years , but ZTE has beaten them to the punch with the first commercial device .
In theory , the advantages are obvious .
You get an unbroken display that doesn ’ t need to account for a notch or hole-punch , and you don ’ t have to build in a motorized mechanism for a pop-up camera module @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect , the camera would just magically exist under the display without compromising image quality on either end .
Readers , the world is not perfect .
Before we talk about the camera , we should talk about the display that lies on top .
I doubt this has anything to do with the camera technology itself , but the fact is that the Axon 20 5G is one of the biggest smartphones I ’ ve ever seen .
The 90Hz OLED panel is a massive 6.92 inches diagonal , which means its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than you ’ ll find on other phones .
It ’ s not a problem in regular use , though , and the screen generally looks pretty good beyond some rough off-angle color shifting .
It sometimes looks worse than a notch What does not look good is the comparatively huge “ chin ” bezel at the bottom .
Even though it would have been considered extraordinarily slim just a few years ago , it really stands out on the Axon 20 5G considering the supposedly breakthrough nature of the device .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to integrate conventional selfie cameras into thinner bezels than this , which kind of undermines the point of putting one under the display .
That feeling only intensifies when you go through the Axon 20 5G ’ s setup process , which shows the camera in the worst possible conditions .
The under-display integration is extremely noticeable on light backgrounds , like what you tend to see on settings screens .
There ’ s a square patch of the screen that exhibits a clear dithering effect , making it appear much lower resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will just say right now that I think it looks worse than a notch .
In more general use , it ’ s harder to notice .
If you ’ re viewing photos or a full-color wallpaper , you can see the lower-resolution area if you look closely , but it isn ’ t quite as distracting .
And as with other companies who ’ ve shipped Android phones with notches or hole-punches , ZTE ’ s default software uses a black background for the top part of the screen where status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does make the camera near-invisible .
But really , if you need to resort to the same old notch-hiding techniques to disguise your under-display camera , what are we even doing here ?
The above images show how visible the camera is on colorful , white , and black backgrounds .
Of course , the next obvious question is how the camera actually performs .
The news here is not great either .
I don ’ t want to diminish the technical achievement of getting a halfway functional camera under an OLED screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transparent materials , pixel filters , and demosaicing algorithms to make sense of the light that hits the 32-megapixel sensor .
But the result , unfortunately , is a bad selfie camera .
In good light , the Axon 20 5G ’ s selfie camera takes hazy , soft photos with weak colors and blown-out highlights .
Compare it to the Pixel 5 below : Just to be clear , that Axon 20 5G photo was taken with the portrait mode and smoothing filters turned off .
The disparity is just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ton of noise and obliterated detail .
I turned off the Pixel 5 ’ s night mode here to make it more of a fair fight , and it still crushed the Axon 20 5G .
This under-display selfie camera is merely functional , and that ’ s being generous .
It can capture images through the screen , yes , which is indeed a minor miracle .
But you probably wouldn ’ t want anyone else to see them .
This is otherwise a pretty credible phone for $ 449 This isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can give a phone with a supposedly breakthrough selfie camera , but the ZTE Axon 20 5G is actually a much better proposition if you don ’ t care about selfies or video calls .
It ’ s otherwise a pretty credible phone for $ 449 , though despite providing a dollar price ZTE says it won ’ t be available in the US or Canada for now .
( It ’ s €449 in the EU and £419 in the UK . )
While the Axon 20 5G has a huge footprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just under 8mm thick , and ZTE has included a reasonably large 4,220mAh battery inside .
The processor is a Snapdragon 765G with an integrated 5G modem , same as the Pixel 5 and the LG Velvet , and it can be configured to have up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage .
Other specs include an optical in-display fingerprint sensor that works fine , 30W fast charging over USB-C , and a headphone jack .
There ’ s a 64-megapixel main camera and a 16-megapixel ultrawide , along with 2-megapixel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably ignore .
The main areas where ZTE has cut corners are its mediocre haptics system and an unimpressive downward-firing speaker .
The fact that ZTE finally got a phone like this onto the market is a notable milestone , but I ’ m not sure who the device is really for .
The under-display selfie camera often looks worse and more distracting than a notch , and the image quality is clearly compromised .
It ’ s ironic that a phone might be more appealing to an audience that actively doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that ’ s where we ’ re at with the Axon 20 5G .

In a perfect world, everything would fit under the surface of smartphone displays. That’s been the principle behind the past few years of phone design, at least, ever since the iPhone X escalated the bezel wars with its conspicuous notch. From in-display fingerprint sensors to pop-up selfie cameras, we’ve seen phone manufacturers take creative approaches to achieving the highest possible screen-to-body ratio.
The latest advancement in the bezel wars is the ZTE Axon 20 5G, which goes on sale today and is the world’s first phone to integrate its front-facing camera underneath the screen. While in-display fingerprint sensors are commonplace now, doing the same for selfie cameras has proven to be more difficult. Companies like Oppo and Xiaomi have been showing off demos for years, but ZTE has beaten them to the punch with the first commercial device.
In theory, the advantages are obvious. You get an unbroken display that doesn’t need to account for a notch or hole-punch, and you don’t have to build in a motorized mechanism for a pop-up camera module. Again, if the world were perfect, the camera would just magically exist under the display without compromising image quality on either end.
Readers, the world is not perfect.
Before we talk about the camera, we should talk about the display that lies on top. I doubt this has anything to do with the camera technology itself, but the fact is that the Axon 20 5G is one of the biggest smartphones I’ve ever seen. The 90Hz OLED panel is a massive 6.92 inches diagonal, which means its 1080p resolution is a little less sharp than you’ll find on other phones. It’s not a problem in regular use, though, and the screen generally looks pretty good beyond some rough off-angle color shifting.
It sometimes looks worse than a notch
What does not look good is the comparatively huge “chin” bezel at the bottom. Even though it would have been considered extraordinarily slim just a few years ago, it really stands out on the Axon 20 5G considering the supposedly breakthrough nature of the device. I’ve seen phones that have managed to integrate conventional selfie cameras into thinner bezels than this, which kind of undermines the point of putting one under the display.
That feeling only intensifies when you go through the Axon 20 5G’s setup process, which shows the camera in the worst possible conditions. The under-display integration is extremely noticeable on light backgrounds, like what you tend to see on settings screens. There’s a square patch of the screen that exhibits a clear dithering effect, making it appear much lower resolution than the rest of the panel. I will just say right now that I think it looks worse than a notch.
In more general use, it’s harder to notice. If you’re viewing photos or a full-color wallpaper, you can see the lower-resolution area if you look closely, but it isn’t quite as distracting. And as with other companies who’ve shipped Android phones with notches or hole-punches, ZTE’s default software uses a black background for the top part of the screen where status and notification icons are displayed, which does make the camera near-invisible. But really, if you need to resort to the same old notch-hiding techniques to disguise your under-display camera, what are we even doing here?
The above images show how visible the camera is on colorful, white, and black backgrounds.
Of course, the next obvious question is how the camera actually performs. The news here is not great either. I don’t want to diminish the technical achievement of getting a halfway functional camera under an OLED screen at all — it involves new types of transparent materials, pixel filters, and demosaicing algorithms to make sense of the light that hits the 32-megapixel sensor. But the result, unfortunately, is a bad selfie camera.
In good light, the Axon 20 5G’s selfie camera takes hazy, soft photos with weak colors and blown-out highlights. Compare it to the Pixel 5 below:
Pixel 5 (left) vs Axon 20 5G (right)
Just to be clear, that Axon 20 5G photo was taken with the portrait mode and smoothing filters turned off.
Pixel 5 (left) vs Axon 20 5G (right)
The disparity is just as stark in low light, with a ton of noise and obliterated detail. I turned off the Pixel 5’s night mode here to make it more of a fair fight, and it still crushed the Axon 20 5G.
This under-display selfie camera is merely functional, and that’s being generous. It can capture images through the screen, yes, which is indeed a minor miracle. But you probably wouldn’t want anyone else to see them.
This is otherwise a pretty credible phone for $449
This isn’t the most effusive compliment I can give a phone with a supposedly breakthrough selfie camera, but the ZTE Axon 20 5G is actually a much better proposition if you don’t care about selfies or video calls. It’s otherwise a pretty credible phone for $449, though despite providing a dollar price ZTE says it won’t be available in the US or Canada for now. (It’s €449 in the EU and £419 in the UK.)
While the Axon 20 5G has a huge footprint, it’s still slim at just under 8mm thick, and ZTE has included a reasonably large 4,220mAh battery inside. The processor is a Snapdragon 765G with an integrated 5G modem, same as the Pixel 5 and the LG Velvet, and it can be configured to have up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Other specs include an optical in-display fingerprint sensor that works fine, 30W fast charging over USB-C, and a headphone jack. There’s a 64-megapixel main camera and a 16-megapixel ultrawide, along with 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors that you can probably ignore. The main areas where ZTE has cut corners are its mediocre haptics system and an unimpressive downward-firing speaker.


theverge--2020-12-21--US relief package provides $7 billion for broadband

After months of deliberation , congressional leaders reached a $ 900 billion coronavirus relief deal on Sunday , including billions in funding for broadband internet access .
Congress ’ latest relief measure provides $ 7 billion in funding for broadband connectivity and infrastructure .
That figure includes $ 3.2 billion for a $ 50-per-month emergency broadband benefit for people who are laid off or furloughed during the pandemic , according to a press release from Sen. Ron Wyden ’ s ( D-OR ) office on Sunday .
“ Broadband connections are essential for Americans seeking to get new jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other government services , ” Wyden said in a statement Sunday night .
“ Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids ’ education , helping people find jobs and jump starting the economic recovery next year.
” “ Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids ’ education ” Axios reported Sunday that the coronavirus relief bill also includes $ 1.9 billion to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from US networks .
In June , the Federal Communications Commission officially designated Huawei and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so , the FCC banned US companies from purchasing the equipment with government money .
Earlier this month , the agency moved to require US telecom companies to “ rip and replace ” any Huawei or ZTE equipment currently deployed in their networks .
The deal also includes $ 1 billion in Tribal broadband grants , $ 250 million toward telehealth , and $ 65 million for broadband mapping improvements , according to Axios .
The US ’ s broadband maps have been the target of criticism for years .
The FCC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ZIP code as having broadband if just one home in that census block is served .
The $ 900 billion COVID relief bill includes a new round of direct payments , following the same requirements as the first round of stimulus checks earlier this year .
This package provides stimulus checks of up to $ 600 per person for people earning up to $ 75,000 a year and another $ 600 for their children , according to The New York Times .
Both the House and Senate approved the measure Sunday night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday evening .

After months of deliberation, congressional leaders reached a $900 billion coronavirus relief deal on Sunday, including billions in funding for broadband internet access.
Congress’ latest relief measure provides $7 billion in funding for broadband connectivity and infrastructure. That figure includes $3.2 billion for a $50-per-month emergency broadband benefit for people who are laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, according to a press release from Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) office on Sunday.
“Broadband connections are essential for Americans seeking to get new jobs, and to access school, health care and other government services,” Wyden said in a statement Sunday night. “Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids’ education, helping people find jobs and jump starting the economic recovery next year.”
“Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids’ education”
Axios reported Sunday that the coronavirus relief bill also includes $1.9 billion to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from US networks. In June, the Federal Communications Commission officially designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats. In doing so, the FCC banned US companies from purchasing the equipment with government money. Earlier this month, the agency moved to require US telecom companies to “rip and replace” any Huawei or ZTE equipment currently deployed in their networks.
The deal also includes $1 billion in Tribal broadband grants, $250 million toward telehealth, and $65 million for broadband mapping improvements, according to Axios. The US’s broadband maps have been the target of criticism for years. The FCC’s current methodology declares an entire ZIP code as having broadband if just one home in that census block is served.


theverge--2020-12-21--Black Panther is now available in Fortnite

Marvel superhero Black Panther is now available in Fortnite .
You can get him , Captain Marvel , and Taskmaster as part of the Marvel Royalty and Warriors Pack , which costs $ 24.99 .
Epic had hinted toward Black Panther ’ s eventual arrival with the release of the Wakandan Salute emote Monday morning .
The salute has become an iconic greeting — something that many of the cast members of the 2018 Black Panther movie have spoke publicly about in the months after its release .
The film grossed $ 1.35 billion at the box office , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During Fortnite ’ s last season , which was Marvel-themed , a large statue of a black panther appeared on the map , and players could find a Black Panther superpower , though a tie-in Black Panther skin never appeared in Fortnite ’ s in-game store .
It seems possible that a Black Panther skin was intended to be released last season but was postponed following the death of Chadwick Boseman , who played the superhero in the 2018 film , in August .
Marvel is planning a Black Panther sequel , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but will not recast Boseman ’ s character for the movie .
Fortnite ’ s newest season is focused primarily around different bounty hunters joining the in-game universe .
While Epic created a number of original characters for this season ’ s battle pass , you can also play as the Mandalorian , and even have Baby Yoda float next to you in his capsule if you reach level 100 .
This season , Epic has also added Kratos from God of War , Master Chief from Halo , and two characters from @ @ @ @

Marvel superhero Black Panther is now available in Fortnite. You can get him, Captain Marvel, and Taskmaster as part of the Marvel Royalty and Warriors Pack, which costs $24.99.
Epic had hinted toward Black Panther’s eventual arrival with the release of the Wakandan Salute emote Monday morning. The salute has become an iconic greeting — something that many of the cast members of the 2018 Black Panther movie have spoke publicly about in the months after its release. The film grossed $1.35 billion at the box office, including an astounding $700.4 million domestically.


theverge--2020-12-21--Big tech companies including Intel, Nvidia, and Cisco were all infected during the SolarWinds hack

Last week , news broke that IT management company SolarWinds had been hacked , possibly by the Russian government , and the US Treasury , Commerce , State , Energy , and Homeland Security departments have been affected — two of which may have had emails stolen as a result of the hack .
Other government agencies and many companies are investigating due to SolarWinds ’ extensive client list .
The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that some big tech companies have been infected , too .
Cisco , Intel , Nvidia , Belkin , and VMware have all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the malware .
There could be far more : SolarWinds had stated that “ fewer than 18,000 ” companies were impacted , as if that number is supposed to be reassuring , and it even attempted to hide the list of clients who used the infected software .
Today ’ s news takes some of SolarWinds ’ big-name clients from “ possibly affected ’ ’ to “ confirmed affected.
” At the moment , the big tech companies have the same story , boiling down to “ we ’ re investigating , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacted us.
” But as we ’ ve repeatedly learned in instances like the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee ’ s email , it can take a long time for the impacts of a hack to be fully realized .
Once hackers are inside a system , it can also be difficult to tell if they ’ re fully gone .
As this Associated Press report explains , it can be difficult to fully trust a network after a hacker has been inside .
In this case , investigators have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the hack is still ongoing and has been for months .
Exacerbating the issue is that investigators found another hacking group that had broken into SolarWinds using a similar exploit .
This attack , dubbed Supernova , was at first thought to be part of the main attack ( aka Sunburst ) , but investigators now think it was executed by a second , less sophisticated group .
There are all sorts of reasons why a hacking group might want to get into a big tech company ’ s systems , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and customer information that could be sold or held for ransom , assuming they actually went looking for that info .
But it ’ s also possible these companies were only collateral damage as these hacking groups went after government agencies , ones that happened to share the same SolarWinds-provided IT management systems .
At the moment , it doesn ’ t seem like any of these companies are particularly worried .
Compare that to the US government ’ s computer security organization , which announced that every federal agency should power down @ @ @ @ @

Last week, news broke that IT management company SolarWinds had been hacked, possibly by the Russian government, and the US Treasury, Commerce, State, Energy, and Homeland Security departments have been affected — two of which may have had emails stolen as a result of the hack. Other government agencies and many companies are investigating due to SolarWinds’ extensive client list. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that some big tech companies have been infected, too.
Cisco, Intel, Nvidia, Belkin, and VMware have all had computers on their networks infected with the malware. There could be far more: SolarWinds had stated that “fewer than 18,000” companies were impacted, as if that number is supposed to be reassuring, and it even attempted to hide the list of clients who used the infected software. Today’s news takes some of SolarWinds’ big-name clients from “possibly affected’’ to “confirmed affected.”
At the moment, the big tech companies have the same story, boiling down to “we’re investigating, but we don’t think this has impacted us.” But as we’ve repeatedly learned in instances like the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee’s email, it can take a long time for the impacts of a hack to be fully realized. Once hackers are inside a system, it can also be difficult to tell if they’re fully gone. As this Associated Press report explains, it can be difficult to fully trust a network after a hacker has been inside.
In this case, investigators have a lot of data to look back through: the hack is still ongoing and has been for months.
Exacerbating the issue is that investigators found another hacking group that had broken into SolarWinds using a similar exploit. This attack, dubbed Supernova, was at first thought to be part of the main attack (aka Sunburst), but investigators now think it was executed by a second, less sophisticated group.


theverge--2020-12-21--Apple wants to build its first car in 2024, Reuters says

Apple once again appears to be seriously looking at making a car .
Reuters reports that Apple is pursuing production of a passenger vehicle by 2024 as well as the creation of self-driving systems and a “ breakthrough battery technology.
” The report is vague on how it all comes together — it ’ s not clear that all of this tech is going into the first passenger vehicle Apple hopes to make — but it indicates that Apple is considering vehicle production , after previously shutting down plans to make a car .
There have been rumors of Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in 2016 , the project was scaled down significantly , with development of a full car being scrapped and Apple ’ s team refocusing on providing software that could be licensed out to car manufacturers , according to reports at the time .
Around 200 people were laid off from Apple ’ s car team just last year .
There are a lot of vague details still , including whether this will actually happen Now it seems that Apple has renewed its focus on building an actual vehicle — though there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when ( and even if ) it will happen .
Reuters says 2024 is the production goal for an Apple-made passenger vehicle , though it could be pushed back “ into 2025 or beyond ” because of pandemic-related delays .
There is also still a chance Apple could scale its efforts back to just autonomous driving tech , the report warns .
The report says that Apple is relying on third parties to provide some components of its self-driving tech , including its LIDAR systems .
Apple ’ s battery technology reportedly relies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows more capacity to be fit into the overall battery unit by not dividing it up into discrete cells .
Reuters reports that it could allow for “ a potentially longer range ” and lower costs .
If Apple is planning to manufacture a self-driving car , it may also face regulatory hurdles before it can hit the road .
There are no true self-driving vehicles available today , though some cars , like those from Tesla , offer a degree of advanced driver assistance driving in certain situations .
Earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car project over to John Giannandrea , the company ’ s head of AI .
Giannandrea was brought on board in 2018 to work on Siri , after previously working at Google as head of search and artificial intelligence .
Just yesterday , another report , from the Economic Daily News in Taiwan , said that an Apple-made car could be released as soon as 2021 in what would be a stunningly ambitious timeframe if true .
Back in 2018 , reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the launch of a car between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Generally , though , the impression has been that Apple was focused on self-driving technology for the past several years , rather than production of an actual Apple-branded vehicle .

Apple once again appears to be seriously looking at making a car. Reuters reports that Apple is pursuing production of a passenger vehicle by 2024 as well as the creation of self-driving systems and a “breakthrough battery technology.” The report is vague on how it all comes together — it’s not clear that all of this tech is going into the first passenger vehicle Apple hopes to make — but it indicates that Apple is considering vehicle production, after previously shutting down plans to make a car.
There have been rumors of Apple developing a car going back to 2015. But in 2016, the project was scaled down significantly, with development of a full car being scrapped and Apple’s team refocusing on providing software that could be licensed out to car manufacturers, according to reports at the time. Around 200 people were laid off from Apple’s car team just last year.
There are a lot of vague details still, including whether this will actually happen
Now it seems that Apple has renewed its focus on building an actual vehicle — though there’s a lot of uncertainty on when (and even if) it will happen. Reuters says 2024 is the production goal for an Apple-made passenger vehicle, though it could be pushed back “into 2025 or beyond” because of pandemic-related delays. There is also still a chance Apple could scale its efforts back to just autonomous driving tech, the report warns.
The report says that Apple is relying on third parties to provide some components of its self-driving tech, including its LIDAR systems. Apple’s battery technology reportedly relies on a “monocell” design that allows more capacity to be fit into the overall battery unit by not dividing it up into discrete cells. Reuters reports that it could allow for “a potentially longer range” and lower costs.
Apple declined to comment.
If Apple is planning to manufacture a self-driving car, it may also face regulatory hurdles before it can hit the road. There are no true self-driving vehicles available today, though some cars, like those from Tesla, offer a degree of advanced driver assistance driving in certain situations.
Earlier this month, Apple handed control of its self-driving car project over to John Giannandrea, the company’s head of AI. Giannandrea was brought on board in 2018 to work on Siri, after previously working at Google as head of search and artificial intelligence.


theverge--2020-12-21--Samsung’s leaked Galaxy Chromebook 2 is oranger than ever

Samsung ’ s upcoming Galaxy Chromebook 2 has been revealed in a new leak , showing off the return of the company ’ s unique bright orange coloring in an otherwise similar-looking design , via Evan Blass .
There are some visible changes to the new model , including minor adjustments to the port layout and the extension of Samsung ’ s application of the orange color .
The keyboard on the second-generation model has been made a more neutral black , even as the orange hue has extended to the sides of the laptop .
But any more substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal specs , which presumably will see some sort of improvement from last year ’ s model — especially considering that there are new 11th Gen Intel laptop chips out .
Combining the improved battery life and graphics performance from those chips with the already good-looking Samsung Galaxy Chromebook sounds like an intriguing possibility .
The original Galaxy Chromebook was a premium device , with a design — and price tag — to match .
But in her review , The Verge ’ s Monica Chen was disappointed with the poor battery life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be improving on in this newly leaked model .
CES 2021 is right around the corner , so odds are that we ’ ll get an official reveal from Samsung in the next few weeks .

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Chromebook 2 has been revealed in a new leak, showing off the return of the company’s unique bright orange coloring in an otherwise similar-looking design, via Evan Blass.
There are some visible changes to the new model, including minor adjustments to the port layout and the extension of Samsung’s application of the orange color. The keyboard on the second-generation model has been made a more neutral black, even as the orange hue has extended to the sides of the laptop.
But any more substantial changes will likely be found in the internal specs, which presumably will see some sort of improvement from last year’s model — especially considering that there are new 11th Gen Intel laptop chips out. Combining the improved battery life and graphics performance from those chips with the already good-looking Samsung Galaxy Chromebook sounds like an intriguing possibility.


theverge--2020-12-21--Stardew Valley’s jam-packed 1.5 update reminds us why it’s our forever game

Stardew Valley is an idyllic digital space to escape to after a long year — and thanks to its 1.5 update available today on PC , you can now bring friends and family along to your farm with local split-screen co-op .
The multiplayer update from a couple of years back made it possible to play and share farms online , but this local co-op addition lets you do the same with the people you actually live with , even if they don ’ t have their own copy of the game .
You can add the ability for local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabins on your farm , or if you ’ re starting from scratch , you can select to have the cabins already built when you make a new game .
Once the cabins are built , you can start local co-op for up to three other people from game menu .
The 1.5 update also adds a new “ Beach Farm ” map that includes sandy soil that can clog up sprinklers , and “ Advanced Game Options ” in character creation that let you randomize bundles in the Community Center and rewards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes for the update contain even more surprises .
The notable ones that had Stardew Valley fans at The Verge excited to return to the game are the ability to sit on chairs ( yes , really ) , a change to the social tab in-game so that it shows you who you ’ ve already talked to each day , and a new coffee maker item that brews a fresh cup every morning .
The special thing about Stardew Valley is that it ’ s so full of features and so consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something to someone .
Having a routine that you follow each day in-game makes it easier to appreciate the little things that streamline those processes .
It was an updated social tab and a coffee maker in this update , but it could just as easily be something else next time .
No matter how small the feature or fix , Stardew Valley updates are a reminder that the game is always exciting and surprising to return to .
It ’ s a comfortable “ forever ” game in a normal year and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need it .
Stardew Valley ’ s 1.5 Update is available now on PC .
The update will come to consoles in early 2021 and mobile phones sometime after that .

Stardew Valley is an idyllic digital space to escape to after a long year — and thanks to its 1.5 update available today on PC, you can now bring friends and family along to your farm with local split-screen co-op. The multiplayer update from a couple of years back made it possible to play and share farms online, but this local co-op addition lets you do the same with the people you actually live with, even if they don’t have their own copy of the game.
You can add the ability for local co-op by having Robin the Carpenter build cabins on your farm, or if you’re starting from scratch, you can select to have the cabins already built when you make a new game. Once the cabins are built, you can start local co-op for up to three other people from game menu. The 1.5 update also adds a new “Beach Farm” map that includes sandy soil that can clog up sprinklers, and “Advanced Game Options” in character creation that let you randomize bundles in the Community Center and rewards in the Mine.
New game options in the 1.5 update. Image: ConcernedApe
The full release notes for the update contain even more surprises. The notable ones that had Stardew Valley fans at The Verge excited to return to the game are the ability to sit on chairs (yes, really), a change to the social tab in-game so that it shows you who you’ve already talked to each day, and a new coffee maker item that brews a fresh cup every morning.
The special thing about Stardew Valley is that it’s so full of features and so consistently updated that every little change could mean something to someone. Having a routine that you follow each day in-game makes it easier to appreciate the little things that streamline those processes.
It was an updated social tab and a coffee maker in this update, but it could just as easily be something else next time. No matter how small the feature or fix, Stardew Valley updates are a reminder that the game is always exciting and surprising to return to. It’s a comfortable “forever” game in a normal year and a nice cure to pandemic blues if you need it.


theverge--2020-12-21--Sweeping new copyright measures poised to pass in spending bill

On Monday , congressional leaders unveiled their massive spending and coronavirus relief measure , including a handful of controversial copyright measures civil liberties activists fear could penalize internet users for everyday online behavior .
Congress is expected to vote on the package as early as Monday .
Congress ’ $ 2.3 trillion spending and relief package includes controversial measures previously introduced as the CASE Act , the Trademark Modernization Act , and a felony streaming proposal — all significantly expanding the rights and powers of intellectual property owners .
Most controversially , the CASE Act would create a quasi-judicial tribunal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would work to resolve infringement claims .
As outlined in the bill , copyright holders could be awarded up to $ 30,000 if they find their creative work being shared online .
Proponents of the CASE Act , like the Copyright Alliance , argue that the bill would make it easier for independent artists to bring about copyright claims without having to endure the lengthy and expensive federal courts process .
Still , critics of the bill , like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future , argue that the CASE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging in everyday online behavior like sharing memes .
“ The CASE Act is a terribly written law that will threaten ordinary Internet users ” “ The CASE Act is a terribly written law that will threaten ordinary Internet users with huge fines for everyday online activity .
It ’ s absurd that lawmakers included these provisions in a must-pass spending bill , ” Evan Greer , deputy director of Fight for the Future , said in a statement Monday .
“ We ’ re facing a massive eviction crisis and millions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congressional leaders could only muster $ 600 stimulus checks for COVID relief , but managed to cram in handouts for content companies like Disney ?
” The multitrillion-dollar package also includes a provision authored by Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) that would allow the Justice Department to charge businesses for felony copyright infringement if they intentionally stream copyrighted material online .
The Trademark Modernization Act would allow third parties to request the Patent Office to reject trademark applications in an effort to combat “ trademark trolls ” who make money off of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As congressional leaders have worked to finalize this package over the last few weeks , a coalition of tech trade groups and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Internet Association urged lawmakers to refuse inclusion of these measures .
These groups claimed that the proposals could “ have negative impacts on small- and medium-sized businesses , creators , libraries and their patrons , students , teachers , educational institutions , religious institutions , fan communities , internet users , and free expression , ” in a letter first reported by @ @ @ @ @

On Monday, congressional leaders unveiled their massive spending and coronavirus relief measure, including a handful of controversial copyright measures civil liberties activists fear could penalize internet users for everyday online behavior. Congress is expected to vote on the package as early as Monday.
Congress’ $2.3 trillion spending and relief package includes controversial measures previously introduced as the CASE Act, the Trademark Modernization Act, and a felony streaming proposal — all significantly expanding the rights and powers of intellectual property owners.
Most controversially, the CASE Act would create a quasi-judicial tribunal of “Copyright Claims Officers” who would work to resolve infringement claims. As outlined in the bill, copyright holders could be awarded up to $30,000 if they find their creative work being shared online.
Proponents of the CASE Act, like the Copyright Alliance, argue that the bill would make it easier for independent artists to bring about copyright claims without having to endure the lengthy and expensive federal courts process. Still, critics of the bill, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future, argue that the CASE Act could fine ordinary internet users for engaging in everyday online behavior like sharing memes.
“The CASE Act is a terribly written law that will threaten ordinary Internet users”
“The CASE Act is a terribly written law that will threaten ordinary Internet users with huge fines for everyday online activity. It’s absurd that lawmakers included these provisions in a must-pass spending bill,” Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future, said in a statement Monday. “We’re facing a massive eviction crisis and millions are unemployed due to the pandemic, but Congressional leaders could only muster $600 stimulus checks for COVID relief, but managed to cram in handouts for content companies like Disney?”
The multitrillion-dollar package also includes a provision authored by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) that would allow the Justice Department to charge businesses for felony copyright infringement if they intentionally stream copyrighted material online. The Trademark Modernization Act would allow third parties to request the Patent Office to reject trademark applications in an effort to combat “trademark trolls” who make money off of trademarks they never planned to use.
As congressional leaders have worked to finalize this package over the last few weeks, a coalition of tech trade groups and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Internet Association urged lawmakers to refuse inclusion of these measures.


theverge--2020-12-21--Slavery and overfishing on the high seas can’t hide from these researchers

A tracking system designed to help ships avoid crashing into each other has become an important tool for spotting bad behavior on the high seas .
Researchers can now put a spotlight on corporations that dominate fishing in unregulated international waters where it ’ s easier to get away with overfishing .
And it ’ s giving us a better idea of how widespread slave labor could be on fishing vessels .
That all makes it easier to make companies answer for any abuses they commit Two recently published papers use this technology , the maritime Automatic Identification System ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little less mysterious .
The first study , published in the journal One Earth on December 18th , traces the origins of thousands of high-seas fishing vessels back to big-time corporations that keep store shelves stocked with seafood .
Other researchers use AIS to reveal telltale markers of forced labor on fishing boats , which were published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ) .
That all makes it easier to make companies answer for any abuses they commit at sea .
The technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , has actually been around for about two decades .
Basically , vessels carry around a box that sends out radio signals that anyone else can pick up on .
Those radio signals share information about the ship , an identifying number , and other things like its size , course , and speed .
That ’ s supposed to help vessels spot each other so they don ’ t get in each other ’ s way .
Satellites can pick up on those radio signals , too , giving researchers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high seas — international waters that make up almost two-thirds of the world ’ s oceans .
In 2014 , Google and environmental nonprofit organizations Oceana and SkyTruth launched Global Fishing Watch , an initiative to track fishing vessels around the world as a way to potentially prevent and hold vessels accountable for abusive practices .
Global Fishing Watch , which is now its own nonprofit , uses AIS and smaller national vessel tracking systems to create a near-real time map tracing the movement of about 60,000 commercial fishing boats .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate professor in New York University ’ s Department of Environmental Studies .
She turned to Global Fishing Watch to identify for the first time seafood companies that own vessels fishing on the high seas .
“ Just in the course of my project , new technology enabled the research in a way that wasn ’ t there when the project began , ” Jacquet tells The Verge .
Her team put together a list of the top 10 corporate actors in high-sea fishing in 2018 , which includes Dongwon Group , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There are few laws and regulations that apply to the high seas , and that is being used by these companies to do whatever they want , ” says Daniel Pauly , an acclaimed marine biologist who has documented the demise of fish populations around the world .
He has pushed for a complete ban on fishing on the high seas .
( Pauly is on the board of directors for Oceana but was not involved in Jacquet ’ s study . )
Modern-day slavery is another problem on the high seas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial fishing vessels were likely to use forced labor , the PNAS study published today found .
As many as 100,000 people are estimated to work on those ships .
The study authors used AIS data from 2012 to 2018 to study the behavior of vessels that had already been documented using slavery .
That allowed them to see how those ships behaved differently from other vessels : they stay away from ports and spend a lot more time on the high seas , for example .
The researchers used that information to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessels showing behaviors that suggest that they might also rely on forced labor .
“ It could not have been done five years ago.
” “ This research , this paper , it could not have been done five years ago , ” says Gavin McDonald , lead author of that study .
“ There would have just been no way to track this many vessels at a global scale without Global Fishing Watch.
” There ’ s still a lot of elbow grease that goes into turning the data from AIS into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how responsibly the fishing industry operates .
Data scientists at Global Fishing Watch had tried to automate this process in the past , but scraping the internet couldn ’ t get the same results .
“ You end up with one level , but you actually need to dig deeper , ” says Nate Miller , a senior data scientist at Global Fishing Watch who was a co-author with Jacquet .
Jacquet and Miller ’ s team for this project did just that .
One of their colleagues found that several high-seas fishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though they listed different owners .
She searched for the address on Google Maps , zoomed in to see the sign on the building , and tied all those ships to Pacific Fishing & Supply based in Hawaii .
It fulfilled one of Jacquet ’ s hopes for this study , which was to identify new players on the high seas since a lot of the spotlight so far had been on Asia-based companies .
More transparency has already forced some companies to act More transparency has already forced some companies to act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s study after a 2015 investigation by The Guardian and The Associated Press revealed that Walmart sold shrimp tied to slave labor .
If the high seas aren ’ t so lawless in the future , we may have researchers like these to thank .
Their work could inform a new treaty being negotiated by the United Nations .
If it comes to fruition next year , it could establish protected areas in the high seas to safeguard marine life .

A tracking system designed to help ships avoid crashing into each other has become an important tool for spotting bad behavior on the high seas. Researchers can now put a spotlight on corporations that dominate fishing in unregulated international waters where it’s easier to get away with overfishing. And it’s giving us a better idea of how widespread slave labor could be on fishing vessels.
That all makes it easier to make companies answer for any abuses they commit
Two recently published papers use this technology, the maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS), to make high-seas fishing a little less mysterious. The first study, published in the journal One Earth on December 18th, traces the origins of thousands of high-seas fishing vessels back to big-time corporations that keep store shelves stocked with seafood. Other researchers use AIS to reveal telltale markers of forced labor on fishing boats, which were published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). That all makes it easier to make companies answer for any abuses they commit at sea.
The technology, the maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS), has actually been around for about two decades. Basically, vessels carry around a box that sends out radio signals that anyone else can pick up on. Those radio signals share information about the ship, an identifying number, and other things like its size, course, and speed. That’s supposed to help vessels spot each other so they don’t get in each other’s way.
Satellites can pick up on those radio signals, too, giving researchers a new set of eyes on the vast high seas — international waters that make up almost two-thirds of the world’s oceans. In 2014, Google and environmental nonprofit organizations Oceana and SkyTruth launched Global Fishing Watch, an initiative to track fishing vessels around the world as a way to potentially prevent and hold vessels accountable for abusive practices. Global Fishing Watch, which is now its own nonprofit, uses AIS and smaller national vessel tracking systems to create a near-real time map tracing the movement of about 60,000 commercial fishing boats.
A game-changer
That was a game-changer for Jennifer Jacquet, an associate professor in New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies. She turned to Global Fishing Watch to identify for the first time seafood companies that own vessels fishing on the high seas. “Just in the course of my project, new technology enabled the research in a way that wasn’t there when the project began,” Jacquet tells The Verge. Her team put together a list of the top 10 corporate actors in high-sea fishing in 2018, which includes Dongwon Group, which owns the popular tuna brand StarKist.
“There are few laws and regulations that apply to the high seas, and that is being used by these companies to do whatever they want,” says Daniel Pauly, an acclaimed marine biologist who has documented the demise of fish populations around the world. He has pushed for a complete ban on fishing on the high seas. (Pauly is on the board of directors for Oceana but was not involved in Jacquet’s study.)
Modern-day slavery is another problem on the high seas. Up to 26 percent of 16,000 industrial fishing vessels were likely to use forced labor, the PNAS study published today found. As many as 100,000 people are estimated to work on those ships.
The study authors used AIS data from 2012 to 2018 to study the behavior of vessels that had already been documented using slavery. That allowed them to see how those ships behaved differently from other vessels: they stay away from ports and spend a lot more time on the high seas, for example. The researchers used that information to build a computer model that can identify vessels showing behaviors that suggest that they might also rely on forced labor.
“It could not have been done five years ago.”
“This research, this paper, it could not have been done five years ago,” says Gavin McDonald, lead author of that study. “There would have just been no way to track this many vessels at a global scale without Global Fishing Watch.”
There’s still a lot of elbow grease that goes into turning the data from AIS into research that can have an impact on how responsibly the fishing industry operates. Data scientists at Global Fishing Watch had tried to automate this process in the past, but scraping the internet couldn’t get the same results. “You end up with one level, but you actually need to dig deeper,” says Nate Miller, a senior data scientist at Global Fishing Watch who was a co-author with Jacquet.
Jacquet and Miller’s team for this project did just that. One of their colleagues found that several high-seas fishing vessels shared the same address, even though they listed different owners. She searched for the address on Google Maps, zoomed in to see the sign on the building, and tied all those ships to Pacific Fishing & Supply based in Hawaii. It fulfilled one of Jacquet’s hopes for this study, which was to identify new players on the high seas since a lot of the spotlight so far had been on Asia-based companies.
More transparency has already forced some companies to act
More transparency has already forced some companies to act. The Walmart Foundation funded McDonald’s study after a 2015 investigation by The Guardian and The Associated Press revealed that Walmart sold shrimp tied to slave labor.