theverge--2020-04-28--Our 14 favorite gadgets and hacks for working at home

If you ’ re not used to working at home — or if you haven ’ t done it lately — then getting your workspace together may take some adjusting to get things .
Whether you ’ re setting up in the guest bedroom , on your living room couch , or in a walk-in closet , sometimes you need a little extra to make it possible to type comfortably , meet online , or just concentrate .
Sometimes it means buying a new desk , a lamp , or a monitor ; sometimes it just means finding a household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier .
We asked the staff of The Verge what they ’ ve been using to make their work-at-home situations more practical , more pleasant , or simply more possible .
Here are some of the answers we got .
I basically live in my AirPods Pro during the day .
They let me listen to music , catch Slack pings , and take calls , all with the added benefit of some noise cancellation to help drown out outside noise .
Their range is also great for my apartment — I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to my computer , which is really nice if I need to step away from my desk to , say , microwave my second cookie of the afternoon .
Turning my phone into a fully functional webcam was surprisingly easy and cost-effective .
I already had a Nexus 6P sitting around , and with these steps that work on most Android and iOS devices , I now have a phone-meets-webcam .
It ’ s got video quality that ’ s roughly on par with a standalone webcam that would probably cost $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even better is that my iOttie car mount connects perfectly to my glass desk , so I don ’ t have to awkwardly arrange the phone to get a good angle on my face .
While I ’ m working off a MacBook , this Satechi hub has been a lifesaver for plugging in podcasting mics and any other gear I ’ m suddenly using on my own .
I go through tons of batteries with my flash when photographing at home and I find that these rechargeable batteries last so much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do they save me trips to the store and keep more batteries out of the landfills , but they also save me money in the end .
This Thunderbolt 3 dock lets me switch my whole desk setup ( keyboard , mouse , speakers , Ethernet , display , external storage drives , and microphone ) from one computer to another by just moving one cable .
I plug all of my peripherals into the dock , and then just use the one Thunderbolt cable to hook up my Mac or whatever Windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment .
It also has a very useful high-speed SD card slot on the front , which is great for whenever I need to dump images from my camera onto my computer .
I just finished installing a Google Nest WiFi router with a mesh point .
I ’ ve had a lot of networking equipment over the years and this is already the best .
And it was extremely easy to set up .
An ultrawide monitor is the best purchase I ever made for working from home .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from side to side to see it all .
I can have three full-size windows up at the same time or countless windows overlapping .
( Right now , I have nine different windows open and it doesn ’ t feel cramped at all . )
Mine is an old LG 34UM94-P that they don ’ t make anymore — it looks like there is an updated version , the LG 34BL850-W .
However , any monitor that is at least 34 inches in size with 1440p or better resolution is what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this desk : The Jarvis from Fully was recommended to me by Verge colleague Christian Mazza and it ’ s been far and away my best work-from-home purchase in years .
It ’ s rather pricey by desk standards , but cheap by standing desk standards .
Assembly was far less cumbersome than I thought it would be .
Just having the option to sit or stand , when you ’ re cooped up in your room or home office all day , makes a big difference .
Plus it looks great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color and desk material .
I love my Jarvis desk for all of the same reasons Nick does .
If you ’ re considering one , I highly recommend spending the extra $ 20 for the extended-range height , which lets the desk get lower for sitting and higher for standing , and the extra $ 35 for the programmable height switcher , which lets you preset heights that you can switch back and forth to just by pressing a button .
I also sprung for the $ 29 casters so that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which lets my wife and I use it as a mobile entertainment system .
When we ’ re done working for the day , we can roll the desk over to our comfy chairs and watch Netflix or play Animal Crossing on the desk ’ s monitor .
I have the Jarvis , too , just in a larger size .
It has served me well for about four years now .
It ’ s a comfortable , stable , spacious desk that has more versatility than typical desk options .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I spend a lot of time working from a couch .
It ’ s bad for me , but also very comfortable .
Using a lap desk like this one helps me at least pretend to be a little more conscientious about my posture ; plus , it ’ s helpful for writing on physical paper ( or when my laptop gets too hot ) .
This monitor mount brings my screen up to a nice height so that I don ’ t hunch over , and it ’ s the tallest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor arms I tried just weren ’ t tall enough for me when I was standing while working — and I ’ m not that tall at five feet , 11 inches .
The mount also lets me adjust my monitor to exactly the right height for movies or Animal Crossing when I ’ m using my desk as a mobile entertainment center .
I ’ m hopelessly addicted to iced lattes and I finally invested in this espresso machine with my stimulus check .
It makes waking up in the morning a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to French press my coffee .
And it came with a milk frother !
I never drink enough water .
I just seem to forget to and I get headaches from dehydration , but something about this bottle helps remind me .
Maybe it ’ s the design ?
I love it !
A good chair is a good thing !
I often go from the couch to a desk and around and around — but a chair that doesn ’ t give you back pain is very helpful .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While all of my work and most of my writing happen on my computer , sometimes it ’ s easier ( especially for sudden phone calls or when I don ’ t want to switch out of a video ) to simply turn to the notebook I keep next to my laptop and jot down a note or two .
And I ’ ve found that using a classy pen is not only good for my morale , but makes it a lot less likely that I ’ ll find myself out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cramp ) when I need to get something important written quickly .
Currently , I ’ m using a True Writer ballpoint pen from Levenger that I got as a birthday present , but any pen that makes you feel good will do .
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Part of / The Verge guide to working from home
It’s been over two years since many of us started working from home due to the pandemic, and if you haven’t yet adjusted your workspace to accommodate your needs, then it’s probably time to get to it.
Whether you’ve set yourself up in the guest bedroom, on your living room couch, or in a walk-in closet, you may need a little extra effort to make it possible to type comfortably, meet online, or just concentrate. Sometimes it means buying a new desk, lamp, or monitor; sometimes, it just means finding a household item that will make life a little easier.
We asked the staff of The Verge what they’ve been using to make their work-at-home situations more practical, more pleasant, or simply more possible. Here are some of the answers we got.
Tech products
Apple AirPods Pro Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
I basically live in my AirPods Pro during the day. They let me listen to music, catch Slack pings, and take calls, all with the added benefit of some noise cancellation to help drown out outside noise. Their range is also great for my apartment — I can be anywhere in the house without losing connection to my computer, which is really nice if I need to step away from my desk to, say, microwave my second cookie of the afternoon. —Jay Peters, news writer
Phone as webcam
Huawei Nexus 6p Photo: Huawei
Webcams are no longer a struggle to find in 2022, but if you want to save money, turning your phone into a fully functional webcam is surprisingly easy, cost-effective, and can yield good results. I already had a Nexus 6P sitting around, and with these steps that work on most Android and iOS devices, I now have a phone-meets-webcam. It’s got picture quality roughly on par with a standalone webcam, which might cost you around $100. If you want a stand that can angle it during calls, I’d suggest picking up one of these Joby GorillaPod tripods that includes a phone clip. —Cameron Faulkner, reviewer
Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand Pro $ 40 A handy tripod for your mobile device that includes a phone clip. $40 at Amazon
Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2 Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
While I’m working off a MacBook, this Satechi hub has been a lifesaver for plugging in podcasting mics and any other gear I’m suddenly using on my own. —Adi Robertson, senior reporter
Eneloop rechargeable batteries Photo: Panasonic
I go through tons of batteries with my flash when photographing at home, and I find that these rechargeable batteries last so much longer than regular single-use batteries. Not only do they save me trips to the store and keep more batteries out of the landfills, but they also save me money in the end. —Amelia Holowaty Krales, senior photo editor
CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock Photo: CalDigit
This Thunderbolt 3 dock lets me switch my whole desk setup (keyboard, mouse, speakers, ethernet, display, external storage drives, and microphone) from one computer to another by just moving one cable. I plug all of my peripherals into the dock and then just use the one Thunderbolt cable to hook up my Mac or whatever Windows machine I need to test at the moment. It also has a very useful high-speed SD card slot on the front, which is great for whenever I need to dump images from my camera onto my computer. [Note: the CalDigit TS3 Plus is no longer available; it’s been replaced by the TS4.] —Dan Seifert, deputy editor
Google Nest Wifi router Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Last year, I installed a Google Nest Wifi router with a mesh point. I’ve had a lot of networking equipment over the years, and this was immediately the best. And it was extremely easy to set up. A year later, my system with one router and three points is still going strong. —TC Sottek, executive editor
Photo: LG
An ultrawide monitor is the best purchase I ever made for working from home. It’s so big I have to physically lean from side to side to see it all. I can have three full-size windows up at the same time or countless windows overlapping. (Right now, I have nine different windows open, and it doesn’t feel cramped at all.) Mine is an old LG 34UM94-P that they don’t make anymore — it looks like there is an updated version, the LG 34WN80C-B. However, any monitor that is at least 34 inches in size with 1440p or better resolution is what I recommend. —Dan Seifert
Home office helpers
Fully Jarvis bamboo standing desk Photo: Jarvis
We heard from two staffers about this desk:
I love my Jarvis desk from Fully. It’s a solidly built desk that looks great in my office, and it’s really handy to have the option to sit or stand while working. If you’re considering one, I highly recommend spending the extra cash for the extended-range height, which lets the desk get lower for sitting and higher for standing, and the programmable height switcher, which lets you preset heights that you can switch back and forth to just by pressing a button.
I also sprang for the $29 casters so I could wheel the desk around my apartment, which lets my wife and I use it as a mobile entertainment system. When we’re done working for the day, we can roll the desk over to our comfy chairs and watch Netflix or play Animal Crossing on the desk’s monitor. —Jay Peters
I have the Jarvis, too, just in a larger size. It has served me well for about four years now. It’s a comfortable, stable, spacious desk that has more versatility than typical desk options. —Dan Seifert
Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk $ 479 $ 599 20 % off $ 479 $ 479 $ 599 20 % off This popular standing desk quickly and quietly adjusts from a top height of 50 inches to a level low enough for you to sit on the floor. $479 at Fully
LapGear designer lap desk Photo: LapGear
I should work at a desk more, but I spend a lot of time working from a couch. It’s bad for me, but also very comfortable. Using a lap desk like this one helps me at least pretend to be a little more conscientious about my posture; plus, it’s helpful for writing on physical paper (or when my laptop gets too hot). —Chaim Gartenberg, senior reporter
Huanuo monitor mount stand Photo: Huanuo
This monitor mount brings my screen up to a nice height so that I don’t hunch over, and it’s the tallest one I’ve found. Other monitor arms I tried just weren’t tall enough for me when I was standing while working — and I’m not that tall at 5 feet, 11 inches. The mount also lets me adjust my monitor to exactly the right height for movies or Animal Crossing when I’m using my desk as a mobile entertainment center. (Note: This monitor mount is no longer available; however, there is a similar model.) —Jay Peters
Huanuo monitor mount stand $ 33 $ 40 18 % off $ 33 $ 33 $ 40 18 % off $33 at Amazon
Nespresso Inissia espresso machine Photo: De’Longhi
I’m hopelessly addicted to iced lattes, and I finally invested in this espresso machine with my stimulus check. It makes waking up in the morning a little more exciting when I don’t have to French press my coffee. And it came with a milk frother! —Makena Kelly, reporter
Ello Devon glass tumbler Photo: Ello Products
I never drink enough water. I just seem to forget to, and I get headaches from dehydration, but something about this bottle helps remind me. Maybe it’s the design? I love it! —Amelia Holowaty Krales
Herman Miller Sayl chair Photo: Herman Miller
The desk chair that I use is the Herman Miller Sayl, which used to sell for around $500 — the low end of that company’s lineup, believe it or not. I almost purchased this chair in mid-2020 when the chair I had was really causing me physical anguish, but Vox Media allowed me to borrow it from our NYC office. So I immediately drove there, stuffed it into my car, and brought it home. My cats and I really like it. (Note: The chair now costs over $900, but you can still get it for around $600 if you eliminate several of the adjustable features.) —Cameron Faulkner
Notebook and pen
True Writer Classic Sea Glass ballpoint pen Photo: Levenger
While all of my work and most of my writing happen on my computer, sometimes it’s easier (especially for sudden phone calls or when I don’t want to switch out of a video) to simply turn to the notebook I keep next to my laptop and jot down a note or two. And I’ve found that using a classy pen is not only good for my morale but makes it a lot less likely that I’ll find myself out of ink (or with a hand cramp) when I need to get something important written quickly. Currently, I’m using a True Writer ballpoint pen from Levenger that I got as a birthday present, but any pen that makes you feel good will do. —Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor


theverge--2020-04-28--Microsoft says Surface devices don’t have Thunderbolt due to security concerns

Microsoft has explained why its range of Surface laptops and tablets don ’ t have Thunderbolt ports or removable RAM : security concerns .
That detail was revealed in a Surface engineering webinar leaked on Twitter by WalkingCat , wherein a Microsoft employee lays out all the engineering involved in the company ’ s latest devices .
“ No Surface device has Thunderbolt .
Why not ?
Because that ’ s a direct memory access port , ” explains the Microsoft employee .
“ If you have a well prepared stick that you can put into the direct memory access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full device in memory and all data that ’ s stored in memory .
We don ’ t believe , at this moment , that Thunderbolt can deliver the security that ’ s really needed from the devices.
” The Verge has verified that the presentation is genuine , and that the Microsoft employee is a Surface technology specialist based in the Netherlands that has worked at the company for more than 10 years .
In the hour-long presentation , it ’ s also revealed that Microsoft ’ s Surface devices don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security concerns .
“ If you ’ d be able to upgrade the memory ... what you can easily do is freeze the memory with liquid nitrogen , get the memory out , and then put it in a specific reader ... and then you can access all the data that was loaded into memory , ” explains the Microsoft employee .
“ That ’ s why on all Surface devices the memory is not physically upgradeable , because of security .
We want to make sure the memory can not be tampered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on the presentation , but the company says it has nothing to share about it .
Other similar business-focused laptops from Lenovo , Dell , and HP have used Thunderbolt for years , but Surface devices have always been an outlier .
Microsoft has also built in Kernel-level protection for Thunderbolt 3 into Windows 10 .
It ’ s surprising to hear Microsoft blame security for the lack of Thunderbolt ports rather than incompatibility with its own Surface Connector .
Microsoft ’ s propriety charging connector doesn ’ t support Thunderbolt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it does offer the uniqueness of data transfer , power delivery , and video support all in a single cable with magnetic positioning .

Microsoft has explained why its range of Surface laptops and tablets don’t have Thunderbolt ports or removable RAM: security concerns. That detail was revealed in a Surface engineering webinar leaked on Twitter by WalkingCat, wherein a Microsoft employee lays out all the engineering involved in the company’s latest devices.
“No Surface device has Thunderbolt. Why not? Because that’s a direct memory access port,” explains the Microsoft employee. “If you have a well prepared stick that you can put into the direct memory access port, then you can access the full device in memory and all data that’s stored in memory. We don’t believe, at this moment, that Thunderbolt can deliver the security that’s really needed from the devices.”
The Verge has verified that the presentation is genuine, and that the Microsoft employee is a Surface technology specialist based in the Netherlands that has worked at the company for more than 10 years. In the hour-long presentation, it’s also revealed that Microsoft’s Surface devices don’t have removable RAM due to similar security concerns.
“If you’d be able to upgrade the memory... what you can easily do is freeze the memory with liquid nitrogen, get the memory out, and then put it in a specific reader... and then you can access all the data that was loaded into memory,” explains the Microsoft employee. “That’s why on all Surface devices the memory is not physically upgradeable, because of security. We want to make sure the memory can not be tampered with.”
We asked Microsoft for a comment on the presentation, but the company says it has nothing to share about it. Other similar business-focused laptops from Lenovo, Dell, and HP have used Thunderbolt for years, but Surface devices have always been an outlier. Microsoft has also built in Kernel-level protection for Thunderbolt 3 into Windows 10.


theverge--2020-04-28--US spending on tech booms even as overall purchasing declines

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in sales for consumer technology in the US , even as spending declines overall , an NPD analyst is reporting .
For the week ending April 18th , NPD ’ s Stephen Baker notes that consumer tech sales increased by 23 percent year-over-year .
In contrast , the group tracked an overall decline in spending of 23 percent across the industries it tracks .
NPD ’ s data also suggests that people are buying more tech to keep themselves entertained , not just to work or learn remotely .
TV sales are up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling at the highest volume ever outside a holiday , according to Baker .
People are also buying accessories like soundbars ( up by 69 percent ) and streaming players ( 42 percent ) .
DVD and Blu-ray players were also up by 27 percent , showing that even physical media is getting a boost .
That ’ s not surprising given that last week the NPD reported that nearly a third of US households are without broadband access , which could limit their ability to stream video .
Sales of monitors increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , PCs were up 53 percent , printers were up by 61 percent , and microphones were up by a massive 147 percent .
Chromebook sales are also reportedly seeing triple-digit sales increases , which makes sense given how popular they are in classrooms .
Underpinning all this tech is a 70 percent increase in the sale of networking equipment .
Although not detailed in Baker ’ s tweets , we ’ ve also seen a shortage of webcams , leading to skyrocketing prices .
The data paints an optimistic view of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
Something we ’ ll find out in detail in the days ahead as silicon valley reports earnings for the January to March period .

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in sales for consumer technology in the US, even as spending declines overall, an NPD analyst is reporting. For the week ending April 18th, NPD’s Stephen Baker notes that consumer tech sales increased by 23 percent year-over-year. In contrast, the group tracked an overall decline in spending of 23 percent across the industries it tracks. NPD’s data also suggests that people are buying more tech to keep themselves entertained, not just to work or learn remotely.
TV sales are up by a massive 86 percent and are selling at the highest volume ever outside a holiday, according to Baker. People are also buying accessories like soundbars (up by 69 percent) and streaming players (42 percent). DVD and Blu-ray players were also up by 27 percent, showing that even physical media is getting a boost. That’s not surprising given that last week the NPD reported that nearly a third of US households are without broadband access, which could limit their ability to stream video.
Sales of monitors increased by 73 percent compared to last year, PCs were up 53 percent, printers were up by 61 percent, and microphones were up by a massive 147 percent. Chromebook sales are also reportedly seeing triple-digit sales increases, which makes sense given how popular they are in classrooms.
Underpinning all this tech is a 70 percent increase in the sale of networking equipment. Although not detailed in Baker’s tweets, we’ve also seen a shortage of webcams, leading to skyrocketing prices.


theverge--2020-04-28--How Big Tech is dictating the terms of the coronavirus response to national governments

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On Monday the six Bay Area counties announced that they would extend stay-at-home orders through May , citing ongoing difficulties in preparing for future spikes in new cases .
A prominent question as elected officials attempt to govern through the next several months is to what extent they will rely on technology solutions to help them identify possible infections .
Over the weekend , we saw a variety of ideas on this subject begin to play out around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some changes to their collaboration on a system-level API for public health authorities , which will use people ’ s smartphones to inform them when they have been in the presence of someone who is later diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The changes are largely meant to address privacy concerns , but to me they ’ re most notable for a change in terminology .
Instead of “ contact tracing , ” the companies are now referring to their project as an “ exposure notification ” system .
I had previously argued here that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for real contact tracing , which requires human beings to track down leads .
But “ exposure notification ” seems like something these companies are well suited to do , and I ’ m glad they ’ re now thinking about it in those terms .
One country that has been persuaded of the companies ’ approach is famously privacy-conscious Germany .
Germans were instrumental in devising the ( tongue twister alert ) Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing project , an effort to do exposure notification in a way that protected citizens from their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required operating system-level changes to Apple ’ s iOS by making Bluetooth available to public-health apps that sought to process exposure notifications on a central server controlled by the government .
For privacy reasons , Apple said no , and now Germany has signed on with Apple ’ s system .
Here are Douglas Busvine and Andreas Rinke in Reuters : England , on the other hand , has said to hell with it .
The country ’ s National Health Service is developing its own contact-tracing app that it says will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the screen is off , a limitation that has stymied other such apps .
The reason it is developing its own app is so that it can process exposure notifications on its own server — the thing that Apple declined to implement for Germany at the operating system level .
Here ’ s Leo Kellion reporting for the BBC : The NHS says it will be easier to notify people believed to be infected using a centralized approach .
We ’ ll see !
Meanwhile , Australia says 1 million people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which also uses a centralized approach .
The app is based on Singapore ’ s open-source TraceTogether app , whose effectiveness at exposure notification is somewhat under dispute .
( Not least because only a small minority of the population is using it . )
Western approaches to exposure notification continue to be rooted in privacy fears , but that ’ s not the case everywhere .
Last month , Israel ’ s internal service , the Shin Bet , was granted emergency powers to track confirmed cases of COVID-19 and analyze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing .
It reportedly marked the first time Israel had used technology built for counterterrorism purposes for civilian uses .
But Israelis have their privacy sensitivities , too .
On Sunday , Israel ’ s top court ruled that if the Shin Bet wishes to continue the practice , it will need to be explicitly permitted in legislation .
It was a weirdly rare reminder that , while so much of the pandemic response has focused on technology — on testing and tracing — lawmakers have a role to play , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perception of the big tech platforms .
⬆ Trending up : WhatsApp has drastically lowered the number of viral forwarded messages on the platform .
Earlier this month , the company limited the number of people a viral message could be forwarded to to just one , and now it says viral forwards are down 70 percent .
( Neha Alawadhi / Business Standard ) ⭐ Amazon is asking warehouse employees who have stayed away from work during the pandemic to return for scheduled shifts beginning May 1st , or request a leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time off without penalty for workers uncomfortable with coming in , but it only runs through April .
Here ’ s Matt Day at Bloomberg : Amazon reportedly reinstated a warehouse worker who says she was fired after she stayed home to protect her kids from COVID-19 .
The company relented after roughly 50 employees went on strike .
Amazon suggested the report contained misinformation without elaborating .
( Lauren Kaori Gurley / Vice ) Amazon is piloting the use of video conference calls to verify the identity of new merchants who want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s part of the company ’ s plan to counter fraud without in-person meetings in the pandemic .
( Reuters ) Amazon is strengthening its position in the retail market in ways that could outlast the pandemic and raise antitrust concerns .
Increasingly , manufacturers of in-demand products are catering to Amazon , while competing retailers take the leftovers .
( Renee Dudley / ProPublica ) Two US lawmakers spearheading an antitrust investigation into Amazon are looking into whether the company lied to Congress about using data on independent sellers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly / The Verge ) A French court rejected Amazon ’ s appeal against a ruling that restricts what it can deliver during the coronavirus crisis .
The news marks a victory for unions that had criticized the company ’ s safety measures .
( Mathieu Rosemain and Sarah White / Reuters ) Last week , the federal government scrambled to stave off a potential wave of public health emergencies sparked by President Trump ’ s dangerous suggestion that injecting bleach might cure people of COVID-19 .
( Philip Rucker , Josh Dawsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / The Washington Post ) European Union officials softened their criticism of China in a report documenting how governments push disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic .
The officials were bowing to heavy pressure from Beijing .
( Matt Apuzzo / The New York Times ) Bill Gates saw the coronavirus coming .
Here ’ s his plan to beat it .
( Ezra Klein / Vox ) A US Army reservist and mother of two has become the target of a conspiracy theory that claims she brought COVID-19 to China , despite never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s turned her life upside down .
( Donie O ’ Sullivan / CNN ) Instacart has turned profitable for the first time ever , thanks to skyrocketing sales .
Demand for grocery deliveries is skyrocketing during the coronavirus pandemic .
( Amir Efrati / The Information ) Instacart plans to add 250,000 new workers .
It ’ s also extending the sick pay period for shoppers with COVID-19 , and introducing new safety measures for workers , including an in-app wellness check .
( Kim Lyons / The Verge ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with disinformation encouraging states to end the quarantine .
The bots have helped stoke protests calling on government officials to let people go back to work , despite the ongoing health risks .
( Thor Benson / Business Insider ) Child abuse images and online exploitation are surging on YouTube , Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram as tech companies ’ moderation efforts continue to be constrained during the coronavirus pandemic .
( Olivia Solon / NBC ) While most people in the US are waiting for antibody tests to become available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting access to them .
The vast majority of these tests been vetted by the Food and Drug Administration and are not guaranteed to be accurate .
( Emily Mullin / OneZero ) Doctors are becoming social media influencers as people struggle to find accurate information about the pandemic .
But online fame comes with risks that are only heightened by the importance of their job .
( Abby Ohlheiser / MIT Technology Review ) Influencers are offering free money to followers as the pandemic continues to disrupt peoples ’ livelihoods .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s also a a savvy growth strategy .
( Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times ) Food delivery by robot is surging during the pandemic .
It could accelerate a shift away from human delivery workers .
( Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica ) Lockdown measures have stopped many protesters from going outside .
So they ’ re getting creative online .
( Christopher Miller / BuzzFeed ) DJs are live streaming sets to big online audiences as the coronavirus pandemic keeps people trapped indoors .
But few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shawn Reynaldo / Pitchfork ) Total cases in the US : At least 977,256 Total deaths in the US : More than 50,000 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 826,095 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New Jersey : 227,775 All total cumulative .
Case data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐ Nearly two years since the General Data Protection Regulation was passed in Europe , it ’ s still struggling to fulfill its promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a model to crack down on the invasive , data-hungry practices of Big Tech .
Adam Satariano at The New York Times has the story : President Trump retweeted a gif of Joe Biden with his tongue out .
On Twitter , people tried to claim this was a “ deepfake.
” It ’ s not , and the distinction matters .
( Samantha Cole / Vice ) A young mechanic at a Honda dealership in Indiana was fired from her job after management learned she was making amateur porn on OnlyFans outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account “ might encourage [ her coworkers ] to approach you with unwanted sexual conduct or comments.
” ( Otillia Steadman / BuzzFeed ) Chinese regulators ordered ByteDance to suspend downloads of its nascent Slack-style office app after discovering content from banned sites like Facebook and Twitter .
The move was a blow to the startup ’ s broader internet ambitions .
( Zheping Huang / Bloomberg ) Twitter turned off its original SMS service in most countries .
The change marks the end of an era for Twitter : when the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge ) Inside Magic Leap ’ s bait and switch .
The VR company raised $ 2.6 billion dollars , then laid off half its employees , while hardly releasing anything at all in seven years .
( Jon Evans / TechCrunch ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Find a COVID-19 test year you .
AllClear is a new open-source project that claims to have the most comprehensive listing of testing sites in the United States — more than 9,000 so far .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Library of Congress is begging you to !
Watch Christine Baranski , Meryl Streep , and Audra McDonald perform “ Ladies Who Lunch ” on Zoom in honor of Stephen Sondheim ’ s 90th birthday .
They ’ re all great but McDonald goes truly HAM and it ’ s wonderful to see and hear .
Commissioner Resigns After He Threw a Cat During Zoom Meeting Christopher Mele has a tale of what not to do at work during quarantine : Please do not throw your cats off screen when you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only part of your appearance on Zoom that any of us were looking forward to .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and fan fiction about tech giants declaring themselves to be nation states : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

On Monday the six Bay Area counties announced that they would extend stay-at-home orders through May, citing ongoing difficulties in preparing for future spikes in new cases. A prominent question as elected officials attempt to govern through the next several months is to what extent they will rely on technology solutions to help them identify possible infections. Over the weekend, we saw a variety of ideas on this subject begin to play out around the world.
First, Apple and Google announced some changes to their collaboration on a system-level API for public health authorities, which will use people’s smartphones to inform them when they have been in the presence of someone who is later diagnosed with COVID-19. The changes are largely meant to address privacy concerns, but to me they’re most notable for a change in terminology. Instead of “contact tracing,” the companies are now referring to their project as an “exposure notification” system. I had previously argued here that Bluetooth-based solutions were unlikely to be effective for real contact tracing, which requires human beings to track down leads. But “exposure notification” seems like something these companies are well suited to do, and I’m glad they’re now thinking about it in those terms.
One country that has been persuaded of the companies’ approach is famously privacy-conscious Germany. Germans were instrumental in devising the (tongue twister alert) Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing project, an effort to do exposure notification in a way that protected citizens from their governments. But the project would have required operating system-level changes to Apple’s iOS by making Bluetooth available to public-health apps that sought to process exposure notifications on a central server controlled by the government.
For privacy reasons, Apple said no, and now Germany has signed on with Apple’s system. Here are Douglas Busvine and Andreas Rinke in Reuters:
Germany changed course on Sunday over which type of smartphone technology it wanted to use to trace coronavirus infections, backing an approach supported by Apple and Google along with a growing number of other European countries. [...] Germany as recently as Friday backed a centralised standard called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT), which would have needed Apple in particular to change the settings on its iPhones. When Apple refused to budge there was no alternative but to change course, said a senior government source.
(As an aside, the idea that we live in a time where Apple is telling Europe what forms of exposure notification will be permitted is basically the entire thesis behind / pitch for the existence of this newsletter. Not because I believe Apple abused its power, but because the world is still catching up to the idea that Apple and a handful other tech giants have this power.)
England, on the other hand, has said to hell with it. The country’s National Health Service is developing its own contact-tracing app that it says will work even when it is in the background and the screen is off, a limitation that has stymied other such apps. The reason it is developing its own app is so that it can process exposure notifications on its own server — the thing that Apple declined to implement for Germany at the operating system level. Here’s Leo Kellion reporting for the BBC:
“Engineers have met several core challenges for the app to meet public health needs and support detection of contact events sufficiently well, including when the app is in the background, without excessively affecting battery life,” said a spokeswoman for NHSX, the health service’s digital innovation unit. [...] It has opted for a “centralised model” to achieve this - meaning that the matching process, which works out which phones to send alerts to - happens on a computer server. This contrasts with Apple and Google’s “decentralised” approach - where the matches take place on users’ handsets.
The NHS says it will be easier to notify people believed to be infected using a centralized approach. We’ll see! Meanwhile, Australia says 1 million people have downloaded its own contact-tracing app, COVIDSafe, which also uses a centralized approach. The app is based on Singapore’s open-source TraceTogether app, whose effectiveness at exposure notification is somewhat under dispute. (Not least because only a small minority of the population is using it.)
Western approaches to exposure notification continue to be rooted in privacy fears, but that’s not the case everywhere. Last month, Israel’s internal service, the Shin Bet, was granted emergency powers to track confirmed cases of COVID-19 and analyze patients’ movements to aid in contact tracing. It reportedly marked the first time Israel had used technology built for counterterrorism purposes for civilian uses.
But Israelis have their privacy sensitivities, too. On Sunday, Israel’s top court ruled that if the Shin Bet wishes to continue the practice, it will need to be explicitly permitted in legislation.
It was a weirdly rare reminder that, while so much of the pandemic response has focused on technology — on testing and tracing — lawmakers have a role to play, too.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
⬆ Trending up: WhatsApp has drastically lowered the number of viral forwarded messages on the platform. Earlier this month, the company limited the number of people a viral message could be forwarded to to just one, and now it says viral forwards are down 70 percent. (Neha Alawadhi / Business Standard)
Pandemic
⭐ Amazon is asking warehouse employees who have stayed away from work during the pandemic to return for scheduled shifts beginning May 1st, or request a leave of absence. The company offered unpaid time off without penalty for workers uncomfortable with coming in, but it only runs through April. Here’s Matt Day at Bloomberg:
The largest online retailer has been scrambling to deal with a surge in orders that arrived just as outbreaks of COVID-19 began to hit its own ranks. Some workers have said Amazon wasn’t doing enough to keep them safe, cries that led to walkouts and protests rarely seen in Amazon’s workforce. Amazon stepped up the cleaning of its facilities and forced workers to keep their distance from one another. But many employees at warehouses across the U.S. stayed home, either out of fear of catching or spreading the disease, or to care for children unable to attend school. Some had hoped to continue to stay away until the pandemic recedes and businesses reopen.
Amazon reportedly reinstated a warehouse worker who says she was fired after she stayed home to protect her kids from COVID-19. The company relented after roughly 50 employees went on strike. Amazon suggested the report contained misinformation without elaborating. (Lauren Kaori Gurley / Vice)
Amazon is piloting the use of video conference calls to verify the identity of new merchants who want to sell goods on the platform. It’s part of the company’s plan to counter fraud without in-person meetings in the pandemic. (Reuters)
Amazon is strengthening its position in the retail market in ways that could outlast the pandemic and raise antitrust concerns. Increasingly, manufacturers of in-demand products are catering to Amazon, while competing retailers take the leftovers. (Renee Dudley / ProPublica)
Two US lawmakers spearheading an antitrust investigation into Amazon are looking into whether the company lied to Congress about using data on independent sellers to create its own products. (Makena Kelly / The Verge)
A French court rejected Amazon’s appeal against a ruling that restricts what it can deliver during the coronavirus crisis. The news marks a victory for unions that had criticized the company’s safety measures. (Mathieu Rosemain and Sarah White / Reuters)
Last week, the federal government scrambled to stave off a potential wave of public health emergencies sparked by President Trump’s dangerous suggestion that injecting bleach might cure people of COVID-19. (Philip Rucker, Josh Dawsey, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Lena H. Sun / The Washington Post)
European Union officials softened their criticism of China in a report documenting how governments push disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. The officials were bowing to heavy pressure from Beijing. (Matt Apuzzo / The New York Times)
Bill Gates saw the coronavirus coming. Here’s his plan to beat it. (Ezra Klein / Vox)
A US Army reservist and mother of two has become the target of a conspiracy theory that claims she brought COVID-19 to China, despite never having tested positive for the virus. It’s turned her life upside down. (Donie O’Sullivan / CNN)
Instacart has turned profitable for the first time ever, thanks to skyrocketing sales. Demand for grocery deliveries is skyrocketing during the coronavirus pandemic. (Amir Efrati / The Information)
Instacart plans to add 250,000 new workers. It’s also extending the sick pay period for shoppers with COVID-19, and introducing new safety measures for workers, including an in-app wellness check. (Kim Lyons / The Verge)
Trolls and bots are flooding social media with disinformation encouraging states to end the quarantine. The bots have helped stoke protests calling on government officials to let people go back to work, despite the ongoing health risks. (Thor Benson / Business Insider)
While most people in the US are waiting for antibody tests to become available, some wealthy and well-connected individuals are already getting access to them. The vast majority of these tests been vetted by the Food and Drug Administration and are not guaranteed to be accurate. (Emily Mullin / OneZero)
Doctors are becoming social media influencers as people struggle to find accurate information about the pandemic. But online fame comes with risks that are only heightened by the importance of their job. (Abby Ohlheiser / MIT Technology Review)
Influencers are offering free money to followers as the pandemic continues to disrupt peoples’ livelihoods. While influencers typically frame the move as charity, it’s also a a savvy growth strategy. (Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times)
Food delivery by robot is surging during the pandemic. It could accelerate a shift away from human delivery workers. (Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica)
Lockdown measures have stopped many protesters from going outside. So they’re getting creative online. (Christopher Miller / BuzzFeed)
DJs are live streaming sets to big online audiences as the coronavirus pandemic keeps people trapped indoors. But few artists are actually getting paid. (Shawn Reynaldo / Pitchfork)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: At least 977,256
Total deaths in the US: More than 50,000
Reported cases in California: 43,787
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 553,409
Reported cases in New York: 292,027
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 826,095
Reported cases in New Jersey: 111,188
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 227,775
Reported cases in Massachusetts: 54,938
Total test results (positive and negative) in Massachusetts: 244,887
Governing
⭐ Nearly two years since the General Data Protection Regulation was passed in Europe, it’s still struggling to fulfill its promise. The privacy law was heralded as a model to crack down on the invasive, data-hungry practices of Big Tech. Adam Satariano at The New York Times has the story:
But since the law was enacted, in May 2018, Google has been the only giant tech company to be penalized — a fine of 50 million euros, worth roughly $54 million today, or about one-tenth of what Google generates in sales each day. No major fines or penalties have been announced against Facebook, Amazon or Twitter. The inaction is creating tension within European governments, as some leaders call for speedier enforcement and broader changes. Privacy groups and smaller tech companies complain that companies like Facebook and Google are avoiding tough oversight. At the same time, the public’s experience with the G.D.P.R. has been a frustrating number of pop-up consent windows to click through when visiting a website.
President Trump retweeted a gif of Joe Biden with his tongue out. On Twitter, people tried to claim this was a “deepfake.” It’s not, and the distinction matters. (Samantha Cole / Vice)
A young mechanic at a Honda dealership in Indiana was fired from her job after management learned she was making amateur porn on OnlyFans outside of work. Her boss said the account “might encourage [her coworkers] to approach you with unwanted sexual conduct or comments.” (Otillia Steadman / BuzzFeed)
Chinese regulators ordered ByteDance to suspend downloads of its nascent Slack-style office app after discovering content from banned sites like Facebook and Twitter. The move was a blow to the startup’s broader internet ambitions. (Zheping Huang / Bloomberg)
Industry
Twitter turned off its original SMS service in most countries. The change marks the end of an era for Twitter: when the service launched, it was built around SMS. (Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge)
Inside Magic Leap’s bait and switch. The VR company raised $2.6 billion dollars, then laid off half its employees, while hardly releasing anything at all in seven years. (Jon Evans / TechCrunch)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Find a COVID-19 test year you. AllClear is a new open-source project that claims to have the most comprehensive listing of testing sites in the United States — more than 9,000 so far.
Remix these public domain audio clips. The Library of Congress is begging you to!
Watch Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, and Audra McDonald perform “Ladies Who Lunch” on Zoom in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday. They’re all great but McDonald goes truly HAM and it’s wonderful to see and hear.
Those good tweets
And finally...
Christopher Mele has a tale of what not to do at work during quarantine:
The cat meowed loudly again. “OK, first, I’d like to introduce my cat,” Mr. Platzer said, lifting it close to the camera and then, with two hands, tossing it off screen. The cat squeaked as it was being thrown, and a thud could be heard.
Please do not throw your cats off screen when you are on Zoom! Honestly it was the only part of your appearance on Zoom that any of us were looking forward to.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-04-28--TikTok’s latest stickers let you donate to charity

TikTok creators can now add Donation Stickers to their videos and live streams to encourage followers to donate to charitable causes during the coronavirus pandemic , the company has announced .
Once added , users can tap the stickers to instantly be taken to a donation page within the app where they can add credit card details and the donation amount .
TikTok says it will match the first $ 10 million donated globally until May 27th .
The list of charities includes the CDC Foundation , Meals on Wheels , and the James Beard Foundation in the US , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Musicians in the UK .
TikTok says it tried to choose charities that help the kinds of communities that use its service , and that have been hit hard by the pandemic .
The CDC Foundation and Meals on Wheels are among the charities Although the initial list of charities is focused on those whose work is important during the COVID-19 pandemic , TikTok says its donation stickers will be an ongoing , permanent feature in the app .
The stickers are currently available in the US , UK , France , Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the first social network to have added charity donation stickers .
Last year Facebook and Instagram added similar features to their stories features .
Instagram also added the option for nonprofit businesses to add donation buttons to their pages if they want a more permanent option .
If you want to add a donation sticker to your own TikTok video , you can do so by tapping on the COVID-19 Donation sticker in the editing page .
You ’ ll then need to pick an organization before you can add the sticker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will automatically add the # doubleyourimpact hashtag to any videos that use the stickers .
Users have to be over 18 to donate .

TikTok creators can now add Donation Stickers to their videos and live streams to encourage followers to donate to charitable causes during the coronavirus pandemic, the company has announced. Once added, users can tap the stickers to instantly be taken to a donation page within the app where they can add credit card details and the donation amount. TikTok says it will match the first $10 million donated globally until May 27th.
The list of charities includes the CDC Foundation, Meals on Wheels, and the James Beard Foundation in the US, and the British Red Cross and Help Musicians in the UK. TikTok says it tried to choose charities that help the kinds of communities that use its service, and that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
The CDC Foundation and Meals on Wheels are among the charities
Although the initial list of charities is focused on those whose work is important during the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok says its donation stickers will be an ongoing, permanent feature in the app. The stickers are currently available in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Italy.
TikTok isn’t the first social network to have added charity donation stickers. Last year Facebook and Instagram added similar features to their stories features. Instagram also added the option for nonprofit businesses to add donation buttons to their pages if they want a more permanent option.


theverge--2020-04-28--Oppo Find X2 Pro review: supercar smartphone

If you want a quick way to illustrate just how good Chinese phones have gotten in the past couple of years , try comparing the Oppo Find X2 Pro to its predecessor .
2018 ’ s Find X was a technically ambitious device that paired a still-unique motorized sliding design with a still-uncommon 3D face unlock system and wonky software .
The Find X2 Pro does none of that stuff .
Instead , it ’ s just an incredibly good phone .
Make no mistake , Oppo is aiming straight for Samsung ’ s heart here .
The €1,099 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the high-end Galaxy S20 phones on design , speed , features , cameras , and price , and in many regards I think it comes out on top .
If you live in a country with a competitive market for Android phones — i.e.
, not the US — it should be taken very seriously , even though for me it has a single deal-breaking flaw .
As is often the case with Oppo flagship phones , the Find X2 Pro shares much in common with the latest high-end OnePlus model , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply chain and common ownership under a larger Chinese conglomerate .
This time , though , that doesn ’ t at all extend to the phones ’ design — the OnePlus 8 Pro is pedestrian , while the Find X2 Pro looks like nothing else .
My review unit , which is the model that appears most in Oppo ’ s marketing , has a unique gold-and-orange vegan leather finish that ’ s immediately striking .
( There are also ceramic models , but this is clearly the one to go for .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back evokes a luxury handbag more than it does a smartphone .
“ Vegan leather ” is a marketing term for polyurethane , sure — it won ’ t get a patina over time and it doesn ’ t smell like anything — but the textured finish really does feel great and helps make the Find X2 Pro the sleekest phone I ’ ve seen all year .
As good as any display I ’ ve ever seen in a phone The same goes for the screen , which is very similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not the same part .
It ’ s a 6.7-inch 3168 x 1440 curved OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate , and it ’ s as good as any display I ’ ve ever seen in a phone .
It ’ s punchy , accurate , and all-around gorgeous , with subtle curves , an excellent in-screen fingerprint scanner , and a small hole-punch cutout for a 32-megapixel selfie camera that proves to be minimally distracting .
Curved screens aren ’ t for everyone , but I didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s less of a vignette effect on light backgrounds than you get with more dramatic “ waterfall ” displays .
Like the OnePlus 8 Pro , the Find X2 Pro uses hardware-based image processing for HDR and motion smoothing , and while I ’ d leave it off most of the time , I found the scaling to be useful sometimes for things like watching sports .
( Remember watching sports ? )
The Find X2 Pro also matches the OnePlus 8 Pro in one key selling point — you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate , whereas Samsung ’ s S20 phones make you choose one or the other .
Both of these features are the kind of thing where you don ’ t know what you ’ re missing until they ’ re in front of you .
I think 1080p phone screens look fine , but I can certainly tell the difference in sharpness with 1440p , particularly when you ’ re comparing it to 1080p scaled up to a 1440p panel .
Meanwhile , there ’ s just no going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been leaving both switched on , then , and while you ’ d think this might torch the battery life , that hasn ’ t been the case for me .
Unlike the Galaxy S20 , the Find X2 Pro dynamically adjusts refresh rate based on the content on the screen , which helps with power consumption .
And while our current circumstances do not lend themselves so well to extended heavy phone use away from a charger , I ’ ve been getting reasonable performance of around five hours of screen time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I remember to plug it in every night , but that brings me to my biggest criticism of the Find X2 Pro : its lack of wireless charging .
This might sound nitpick-y to anyone who uses a phone without it right now , but it ’ s a huge pain to exclusively go back to wired charging when you ’ ve dotted wireless chargers around the house .
Particularly now when I ’ m barely going outside , battery life is just a total non-issue for any of the other phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in my hand , they ’ re charging on my desk .
That ’ s not the case with the Find X2 Pro , which just idles away and slowly drains power whenever I put it down .
Oppo ’ s answer is that the Find X2 Pro has super-fast wired charging , which is true .
The proprietary 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 system fills the 4,260mAh battery from zero to 100 percent in 38 minutes , meaning you at least don ’ t have to keep the phone tethered to the charger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though ?
Oppo announced its first phone with wireless charging this month , which is encouraging , but a device as expensive as the Find X2 Pro really shouldn ’ t have been allowed to ship without it .
Most flagship phones , even including the OnePlus 8 Pro , now offer fast wireless and wired charging .
This might not be a deal-breaker for you , but it is for me .
Back to the good stuff : the Find X2 Pro ’ s cameras are great .
Building on last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a second-generation 13-megapixel 5x periscope camera here along with Sony ’ s new , bigger 48-megapixel sensor for the main camera and an ultrawide that uses Sony ’ s pretty big 48-megapixel IMX586 from last year .
It ’ s a versatile setup that turns in consistently good results , though without necessarily pulling the kind of machine-learning magic tricks that Google and Huawei trade on .
To my eyes , the photos have a kind of “ neutral plus one ” look , as if some solid but flat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra notch of vibrance .
The night mode is good , the hybrid zoom is usable to 20x or so , and the ultrawide camera is much better than most others .
Everything else about the Find X2 Pro ranges from great to par for the course .
The haptics are very good .
The stereo speakers are fine .
Oppo ’ s ColorOS 7.1 is much improved on earlier versions , with a stripped-down design and snappy animations .
The phone ’ s performance is as good as you ’ d expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RAM .
There is no headphone jack .
The bundled USB-C in-ear buds are decent .
Really , there is nothing about this phone that doesn ’ t scream “ expensive high-end flagship ” in every aspect — apart from the lack of wireless charging .
Oppo is a major player in major non-US markets for a reason , and the Find X2 Pro is its most convincing device yet .
This would absolutely be my main phone if I could stick it on a Qi pad , and it feels worthy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That makes it a direct challenger to the Galaxy S20 Plus , which doesn ’ t have a periscope telephoto camera .
( For that , you ’ d have to step up to the €1,349 / $ 1,399 S20 Ultra . )
The comparison with the OnePlus 8 Pro in Europe is slightly less flattering .
That phone starts at €919 ( $ 995 ) , although the base model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage , while the Find X2 Pro is only available in a 12GB / @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t have a periscope telephoto camera , either .
But it does have wireless charging .
I don ’ t mean to harp on about wireless charging too much because I know a lot of people don ’ t care .
It ’ s just that it really is my only significant criticism of the Find X2 Pro .
This is a phone that ’ s as premium and performant as anything else out there in the world , and I think it ’ s only a matter of time before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vox Media has affiliate partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

If you want a quick way to illustrate just how good Chinese phones have gotten in the past couple of years, try comparing the Oppo Find X2 Pro to its predecessor. 2018’s Find X was a technically ambitious device that paired a still-unique motorized sliding design with a still-uncommon 3D face unlock system and wonky software.
The Find X2 Pro does none of that stuff. Instead, it’s just an incredibly good phone.
Make no mistake, Oppo is aiming straight for Samsung’s heart here. The €1,099 ($1,180) Find X2 Pro competes with the high-end Galaxy S20 phones on design, speed, features, cameras, and price, and in many regards I think it comes out on top. If you live in a country with a competitive market for Android phones — i.e., not the US — it should be taken very seriously, even though for me it has a single deal-breaking flaw.
8 Verge Score Oppo Find X2 Pro The Good Eye-catching design
Beautiful display
Great, versatile cameras The Bad No wireless charging
Not available in the US
Expensive How we rate and review products
As is often the case with Oppo flagship phones, the Find X2 Pro shares much in common with the latest high-end OnePlus model, due to the two brands sharing a supply chain and common ownership under a larger Chinese conglomerate. This time, though, that doesn’t at all extend to the phones’ design — the OnePlus 8 Pro is pedestrian, while the Find X2 Pro looks like nothing else.
My review unit, which is the model that appears most in Oppo’s marketing, has a unique gold-and-orange vegan leather finish that’s immediately striking. (There are also ceramic models, but this is clearly the one to go for.) The gold Oppo logo on the back evokes a luxury handbag more than it does a smartphone. “Vegan leather” is a marketing term for polyurethane, sure — it won’t get a patina over time and it doesn’t smell like anything — but the textured finish really does feel great and helps make the Find X2 Pro the sleekest phone I’ve seen all year.
As good as any display I’ve ever seen in a phone
The same goes for the screen, which is very similar to the OnePlus 8 Pro’s — if not the same part. It’s a 6.7-inch 3168 x 1440 curved OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s as good as any display I’ve ever seen in a phone. It’s punchy, accurate, and all-around gorgeous, with subtle curves, an excellent in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a small hole-punch cutout for a 32-megapixel selfie camera that proves to be minimally distracting.
Curved screens aren’t for everyone, but I didn’t have any problems with unwanted touches, and there’s less of a vignette effect on light backgrounds than you get with more dramatic “waterfall” displays. Like the OnePlus 8 Pro, the Find X2 Pro uses hardware-based image processing for HDR and motion smoothing, and while I’d leave it off most of the time, I found the scaling to be useful sometimes for things like watching sports. (Remember watching sports?)
The Find X2 Pro also matches the OnePlus 8 Pro in one key selling point — you can run it at both its full 1440p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, whereas Samsung’s S20 phones make you choose one or the other. Both of these features are the kind of thing where you don’t know what you’re missing until they’re in front of you. I think 1080p phone screens look fine, but I can certainly tell the difference in sharpness with 1440p, particularly when you’re comparing it to 1080p scaled up to a 1440p panel. Meanwhile, there’s just no going back from 120Hz.
I’ve been leaving both switched on, then, and while you’d think this might torch the battery life, that hasn’t been the case for me. Unlike the Galaxy S20, the Find X2 Pro dynamically adjusts refresh rate based on the content on the screen, which helps with power consumption. And while our current circumstances do not lend themselves so well to extended heavy phone use away from a charger, I’ve been getting reasonable performance of around five hours of screen time.
That’s fine as long as I remember to plug it in every night, but that brings me to my biggest criticism of the Find X2 Pro: its lack of wireless charging. This might sound nitpick-y to anyone who uses a phone without it right now, but it’s a huge pain to exclusively go back to wired charging when you’ve dotted wireless chargers around the house. Particularly now when I’m barely going outside, battery life is just a total non-issue for any of the other phones I use because if they’re not in my hand, they’re charging on my desk. That’s not the case with the Find X2 Pro, which just idles away and slowly drains power whenever I put it down.
AGREE TO CONTINUE: OPPO FIND X2 PRO Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To use the Oppo Find X2 Pro, you need to agree to: Oppo’s user agreement
Google’s privacy policy and terms of service
Google Play’s terms of service There are also several optional agreements that you can allow or refuse during setup: The privacy statement for the optional User Experience Program
Google services including location, Wi-Fi network scanning, sending diagnostic data, and automatically installing updates and apps
Automatic system updates In total, that’s three mandatory agreements and six optional agreements.
Oppo’s answer is that the Find X2 Pro has super-fast wired charging, which is true. The proprietary 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 system fills the 4,260mAh battery from zero to 100 percent in 38 minutes, meaning you at least don’t have to keep the phone tethered to the charger for long.
Why not both, though? Oppo announced its first phone with wireless charging this month, which is encouraging, but a device as expensive as the Find X2 Pro really shouldn’t have been allowed to ship without it. Most flagship phones, even including the OnePlus 8 Pro, now offer fast wireless and wired charging. This might not be a deal-breaker for you, but it is for me.
Back to the good stuff: the Find X2 Pro’s cameras are great. Building on last year’s excellent Reno 10x Zoom, there’s a second-generation 13-megapixel 5x periscope camera here along with Sony’s new, bigger 48-megapixel sensor for the main camera and an ultrawide that uses Sony’s pretty big 48-megapixel IMX586 from last year. It’s a versatile setup that turns in consistently good results, though without necessarily pulling the kind of machine-learning magic tricks that Google and Huawei trade on. To my eyes, the photos have a kind of “neutral plus one” look, as if some solid but flat default JPEGs have been given just an extra notch of vibrance. The night mode is good, the hybrid zoom is usable to 20x or so, and the ultrawide camera is much better than most others.
Everything else about the Find X2 Pro ranges from great to par for the course. The haptics are very good. The stereo speakers are fine. Oppo’s ColorOS 7.1 is much improved on earlier versions, with a stripped-down design and snappy animations. The phone’s performance is as good as you’d expect from a Snapdragon 865 and 12GB of RAM. There is no headphone jack. The bundled USB-C in-ear buds are decent. Really, there is nothing about this phone that doesn’t scream “expensive high-end flagship” in every aspect — apart from the lack of wireless charging.
Oppo is a major player in major non-US markets for a reason, and the Find X2 Pro is its most convincing device yet. This would absolutely be my main phone if I could stick it on a Qi pad, and it feels worthy of its €1,099 ($1,180) price. That makes it a direct challenger to the Galaxy S20 Plus, which doesn’t have a periscope telephoto camera. (For that, you’d have to step up to the €1,349 / $1,399 S20 Ultra.)
The comparison with the OnePlus 8 Pro in Europe is slightly less flattering. That phone starts at €919 ($995), although the base model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the Find X2 Pro is only available in a 12GB / 512GB configuration. The OnePlus 8 Pro doesn’t have a periscope telephoto camera, either. But it does have wireless charging.
I don’t mean to harp on about wireless charging too much because I know a lot of people don’t care. It’s just that it really is my only significant criticism of the Find X2 Pro. This is a phone that’s as premium and performant as anything else out there in the world, and I think it’s only a matter of time before Oppo gets more widespread brand recognition.
Photography by Sam Byford / The Verge


theverge--2020-04-28--The iPhone SE can’t expand lock screen notifications with Haptic Touch

It ’ s emerged that the new iPhone SE , which started shipping last Friday , has a curious feature missing : unlike every other modern iPhone , you ’ re unable to bring up rich content on the lock screen or notification shade with a “ Haptic Touch ” long press .
MacRumors noted the omission , and The Verge has confirmed it on a device of our own .
You can still see the rich content — like larger images , or buttons for things like archiving emails without opening the app — by swiping lock-screen notifications to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” so it ’ s not like the functionality has gone away completely .
Haptic Touch also still works on notifications that come in at the top of the screen with the phone unlocked .
The inconsistent behavior is certainly an unusual point of differentiation from other iPhones , not to mention an inconvenient one if you were used to the Haptic Touch method .
It seems unlikely that there ’ s any technical reason , but TechCrunch ’ s Matthew Panzarino reports that the tweak is not a bug and is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presses or 3D Touch hard presses have been a way to expand iPhone notifications ever since the iPhone 6S came out in 2015 .
The iPhone SE ’ s predecessor , the iPhone 8 , had 3D Touch on board , but no currently shipping iPhone includes that feature ; it ’ s a little surprising that the iPhone SE ’ s Haptic Touch works differently than the rest of the lineup .

It’s emerged that the new iPhone SE, which started shipping last Friday, has a curious feature missing: unlike every other modern iPhone, you’re unable to bring up rich content on the lock screen or notification shade with a “Haptic Touch” long press. MacRumors noted the omission, and The Verge has confirmed it on a device of our own.
You can still see the rich content — like larger images, or buttons for things like archiving emails without opening the app — by swiping lock-screen notifications to the left and tapping “View,” so it’s not like the functionality has gone away completely. Haptic Touch also still works on notifications that come in at the top of the screen with the phone unlocked.
The inconsistent behavior is certainly an unusual point of differentiation from other iPhones, not to mention an inconvenient one if you were used to the Haptic Touch method. It seems unlikely that there’s any technical reason, but TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino reports that the tweak is not a bug and is “working as intended.”


theverge--2020-04-28--Apple Maps now shows COVID-19 testing sites

Apple Maps will now show COVID-19 testing sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico ( via TechCrunch ) .
When you search using terms like “ COVID-19 test ” or “ coronavirus test , ” places that offer COVID-19 tests will be marked on your map .
If you start typing COVID-19 into the search bar , you ’ ll also see the “ COVID-19 Testing ” search term appear at the top of your search bar , like what you ’ d see if you started typing something like “ groceries ” or “ coffee shops.
” Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites include the site ’ s hours , address , and phone number , as well as a warning that “ COVID-19 testing may require a doctor ’ s referral and an appointment at the testing center ” and a link to the website of the healthcare provider offering the test .
Apple launched a portal to let healthcare providers submit their information The new testing sites in Apple Maps follow Apple launching a web portal last week to let hospitals and healthcare providers submit their information to be shown on Apple Maps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google began listing COVID-19 test centers in search results for much of the US on April 17th , and as part of those results , you can see testing centers near you displayed on a map except if you live in Maine , New Jersey , Oklahoma , Oregon , or Pennsylvania .
But it appears the search company doesn ’ t show nearly as many test centers when you search for them directly in Google Maps as Apple does on Apple Maps .
Apple ’ s app shows a number of test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I live ) and in New York City , while searching for test centers on Google Maps didn ’ t show any in either location , for example — despite showing numerous testing centers in New York City on the map in search results .
Google tells The Verge that it ’ s working to bring testing center information to Google Maps in addition to search results .
Apple has also made some updates to its mobility trends site , including adding more cities such as Las Vegas , New Orleans , Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diego .
Apple and Google have also teamed up on a coronavirus tracking system that will be built into iOS and Android .
Update April 28th , 9:08PM ET : Clarified that Google does show testing centers in maps in search results , but does not show as many centers when searching for them in Google Maps .

Apple Maps will now show COVID-19 testing sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico (via TechCrunch). When you search using terms like “COVID-19 test” or “coronavirus test,” places that offer COVID-19 tests will be marked on your map. If you start typing COVID-19 into the search bar, you’ll also see the “COVID-19 Testing” search term appear at the top of your search bar, like what you’d see if you started typing something like “groceries” or “coffee shops.”
Apple’s information cards for the testing sites include the site’s hours, address, and phone number, as well as a warning that “COVID-19 testing may require a doctor’s referral and an appointment at the testing center” and a link to the website of the healthcare provider offering the test.
Apple launched a portal to let healthcare providers submit their information
The new testing sites in Apple Maps follow Apple launching a web portal last week to let hospitals and healthcare providers submit their information to be shown on Apple Maps, which was spotted by 9to5Mac.
Google began listing COVID-19 test centers in search results for much of the US on April 17th, and as part of those results, you can see testing centers near you displayed on a map except if you live in Maine, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, or Pennsylvania. But it appears the search company doesn’t show nearly as many test centers when you search for them directly in Google Maps as Apple does on Apple Maps.
Apple’s app shows a number of test centers in Arizona, for example, while searching for a test center on Google Maps for the state doesn’t show a testing center there. However, if you do a Google search for COVID-19 testing in Arizona, Google will surface a map with some test centers in the state. Google tells The Verge that it’s working to bring testing center information to Google Maps in addition to search results.
Apple has also made some updates to its mobility trends site, including adding more cities such as Las Vegas, New Orleans, Portland, Salt Lake City, and San Diego.
Apple and Google have also teamed up on a coronavirus tracking system that will be built into iOS and Android.
Update April 28th, 9:08PM ET: Clarified that Google does show testing centers in maps in search results, but does not show as many centers when searching for them in Google Maps.


theverge--2020-04-28--AMC Theaters will no longer play Universal movies after Trolls World Tour’s on-demand success

AMC Theatres will no longer play Universal films effective immediately after “ unacceptable ” comments were made from NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell on its decision to bypass a traditional theatrical release for Trolls World Tour and make it a digital exclusive , according to The Hollywood Reporter .
In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal , Jeff Shell noted that Trolls World Tour succeeded their expectations , pulling in nearly $ 100 million in revenue through digital sales alone and more than five million copies sold .
As a result , Shell noted that as “ soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movies on both formats , ” meaning some movies would continue with theatrical releases while others would go directly to digital retailers or possibly land on NBCUniversal ’ s new streaming service , Peacock .
The move led to a lengthy statement from AMC Theatres chair-CEO Adam Aron , who claimed that Shell ’ s comments were “ unacceptable.
” “ It is disappointing to us , but Jeff ’ s comments as to Universal ’ s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice , ” Aron wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer play any Universal movies in any of our theatres in the United States , Europe or the Middle East.
” “ This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se , goes into effect today and as our theatres reopen , and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat.
” AMC Theatres is the largest cinema chain in the US , and losing access to its theaters is a devastating blow for Universal ’ s biggest upcoming films , including F9 .
The ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 , when Universal expected to give it a proper theatrical release .
F9 is a movie that ’ s likely to generate close to $ 1 billion at the global box office , if not more .
It seems unlikely that Universal will give up its share of that revenue , but Aron reiterated in his statement this is “ not some hollow or ill-considered threat.
” “ This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se , goes into effect today and as our theatres reopen , and is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aron continued in his letter .
“ Incidentally , this policy is not aimed solely at Universal out of pique or to be punitive in any way , it also extends to any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices absent good faith negotiations between us , so that they as distributor and we as exhibitor both benefit and neither are hurt from such changes.
” Universal isn ’ t the only studio who ’ s bypassing theatrical releases for some of its films , but Shell is one of the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change to the status quo , ” according to Aron .
That ’ s why , despite WarnerMedia and Disney moving Scoob !
and Artemis Fowl to streaming and digital exclusives , AMC has not barred them from playing films .
Still , both WarnerMedia and Disney heads have made similar comments about looking at their distribution options .
Trolls World Tour ’ s on-demand success comes at a particularly scary time for movie theaters .
Both independent theaters and major chains are staring at dim prospects for the rest of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue right now as theaters across the country remain closed .

AMC Theatres will no longer play Universal films effective immediately after “unacceptable” comments were made from NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell on its decision to bypass a traditional theatrical release for Trolls World Tour and make it a digital exclusive, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Jeff Shell noted that Trolls World Tour succeeded their expectations, pulling in nearly $100 million in revenue through digital sales alone and more than five million copies sold.
As a result, Shell noted that as “soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats,” meaning some movies would continue with theatrical releases while others would go directly to digital retailers or possibly land on NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock. The move led to a lengthy statement from AMC Theatres chair-CEO Adam Aron, who claimed that Shell’s comments were “unacceptable.”
“It is disappointing to us, but Jeff’s comments as to Universal’s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice,” Aron wrote. “Therefore, effectively immediately AMC will no longer play any Universal movies in any of our theatres in the United States, Europe or the Middle East.”
“This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se, goes into effect today and as our theatres reopen, and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat.”
AMC Theatres is the largest cinema chain in the US, and losing access to its theaters is a devastating blow for Universal’s biggest upcoming films, including F9. The ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise was delayed from this year until April 2021, when Universal expected to give it a proper theatrical release. F9 is a movie that’s likely to generate close to $1 billion at the global box office, if not more. It seems unlikely that Universal will give up its share of that revenue, but Aron reiterated in his statement this is “not some hollow or ill-considered threat.”
“This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se, goes into effect today and as our theatres reopen, and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat,” Aron continued in his letter. “Incidentally, this policy is not aimed solely at Universal out of pique or to be punitive in any way, it also extends to any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices absent good faith negotiations between us, so that they as distributor and we as exhibitor both benefit and neither are hurt from such changes.”
Universal isn’t the only studio who’s bypassing theatrical releases for some of its films, but Shell is one of the only executives who is “contemplating a wholesale change to the status quo,” according to Aron. That’s why, despite WarnerMedia and Disney moving Scoob! and Artemis Fowl to streaming and digital exclusives, AMC has not barred them from playing films. Still, both WarnerMedia and Disney heads have made similar comments about looking at their distribution options.


theverge--2020-04-28--Overwatch’s biggest star is moving to Valorant

Overwatch ’ s top professional player is moving on to a new game .
Today , Jay “ Sinatraa ” Won left the Overwatch League ’ s San Francisco Shock , and ESPN reported that it ’ s so he can switch to a different title : Riot ’ s new team shooter Valorant , which is currently in closed beta .
Won will compete for esports organization Sentinels , the team announced today .
Sentinels is also home to Fortnite World Cup champion Kyle “ Bugha ” Giersdorf .
Earlier , Won confirmed his departure from the Shock and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a post on Twitlonger , Won said he retired from Overwatch because he “ straight up just lost passion ” for the game .
Won took home the OWL MVP award last year Won made headlines last year with a dominating season .
His team won the OWL grand finals , while he took home the MVP award ; he followed that up by winning the Overwatch World Cup title ( and another MVP award ) as part of team USA .
Sentinels said that its Valorant team will also include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on the Sentinels Apex Legends team , and former Counter-Strike : Global Offensive pros Shahzeb “ ShahZaM ” Khan and Hunter “ SicK ” Mims .
The team said it ’ s working to find a final fifth member for its Valorant squad .
While it ’ s still in closed beta , Valorant has already proved hugely popular , breaking Twitch viewership records as major streamers flocked to it .
The tactical shooter , which blends elements of Counter-Strike and Overwatch , seems ready-made to become the next big esport .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet announced formal plans for a professional league to support the game , and will instead focus on community-led events for the time being .
“ There ’ s no doubt that , as a hyper-competitive experience , Valorant has the ingredients to be a successful esport and we have big dreams for what this can be , but we want to be thoughtful in how we put it all together , ” Riot ’ s senior director of esports Whalen “ Magus ” Rozelle wrote in a blog post .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in competitive gaming , operating multiple long-running professional leagues for League of Legends , which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary .
Many players and teams appear to be banking on that stability as they try to get in early with the competitive Valorant scene .
Won ’ s departure comes at an awkward time for OWL , which is currently in the midst of its third season .
The league recently shifted to an online structure , and this week announced plans to introduce a mid-season tournament for May .
Won also isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blizzard ’ s pro league ; last year OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer left to join Fortnite developer Epic Games .

Overwatch’s top professional player is moving on to a new game. Today, Jay “Sinatraa” Won left the Overwatch League’s San Francisco Shock, and ESPN reported that it’s so he can switch to a different title: Riot’s new team shooter Valorant, which is currently in closed beta.
Won took home the OWL MVP award last year
Won made headlines last year with a dominating season. His team won the OWL grand finals, while he took home the MVP award; he followed that up by winning the Overwatch World Cup title (and another MVP award) as part of team USA.
Sentinels said that its Valorant team will also include Jared “Zombs” Gitlin, who is on the Sentinels Apex Legends team, and former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pros Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan and Hunter “SicK” Mims. The team said it’s working to find a final fifth member for its Valorant squad.
That said, Riot hasn’t yet announced formal plans for a professional league to support the game, and will instead focus on community-led events for the time being. “There’s no doubt that, as a hyper-competitive experience, Valorant has the ingredients to be a successful esport and we have big dreams for what this can be, but we want to be thoughtful in how we put it all together,” Riot’s senior director of esports Whalen “Magus” Rozelle wrote in a blog post.
Of course, the developer has a long history in competitive gaming, operating multiple long-running professional leagues for League of Legends, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Many players and teams appear to be banking on that stability as they try to get in early with the competitive Valorant scene.


theverge--2020-04-28--Jay Z is using copyright strikes to remove deepfaked audio of himself from YouTube

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has become an unlikely source of inspiration within the budding community of artificial intelligence-powered impersonation , known colloquially as deepfakes , and the rap icon ’ s record label has taken notice and issued copyright strikes to shut some of it down .
It ’ s not that Jay-Z is being maligned without his consent , as a majority of deepfakes tend to do by pasting the head of female celebrities and other women onto the bodies of adult film actresses .
Rather , this is the world of safe-for-work , audio-only deepfakes that dabble mostly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display the awe-inspiring technical sophistication the field has produced in just a few short years time .
Roc Nation has issued strikes against some Jay-Z audio deepfakes In a fascinating deep dive from XOXO festival co-founder Andy Baio over at his website Waxy , Baio looks into AI-powered Jay-Z impersonations on YouTube , specifically one creator using Jay-Z ’ s iconic voice and hip-hop flow to rhyme classics like William Shakespeare 's “ To Be or Not to Be ” soliloquy from Hamlet and Billy Joel ’ s “ We Didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn of events , Roc Nation LLC , Jay-Z ’ s full-service entertainment agency , filed copyright strikes against the YouTube uploads of the above-mentioned deepfakes .
The notices specifically cite AI , with Roc Nation writing , “ this content unlawfully uses an AI to impersonate our client ’ s voice , ” according to Baio ’ s conversations with the creator , who remains anonymous and goes by the online handle Voice Synthesis .
The channel itself has nearly 40,000 subscribers , and many of its videos have racked up hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jay-Z deepfake videos featuring the rapper ’ s synthetic voice rhyming the Book of Genesis and the infamous Navy Seal copypasta meme remain on YouTube .
But you can ’ t chalk it up to those being free to use ; “ We Did n't Start the Fire ” is of course copyrighted , but Shakespeare ’ s works are public domain .
All of Voice Synethesis ’ videos are created by feeding Google ’ s open source Tacotron 2 text-to-speech model with Jay-Z songs and lyrics and having the synthetic voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascinating questions about what exactly is being infringed upon here if the synthetic voice is simply producing original content using the likeness of a celebrity .
For a deeper look into the copyright issues at play here , I highly suggest you read Baio ’ s analysis in full because he gets into the finer details of fair use and why Jay-Z ’ s claims may not hold up in court .
“ It seems reasonable to assume that a model and audio generated from copyrighted audio recordings would be considered derivative works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like virtually everything in the world of copyright , it depends — on how it was used , and for what purpose , ” Baio explains .
He uses an example of a record producer featuring Jay-Z on a new single without his permission as an obvious legal transgression before arguing why Vocal Synthesis may likely be in the right here .
Deepfakes stand on murky legal ground .
Some US states like California have banned political candidates from disseminating deepfakes to try and influence an election , while Virginia last year expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images and video .
A number of social platforms — including Facebook , Reddit , and Twitter — all have deepfake bans on the books that cover a wide-ranging variety of content , in most cases to prohibit manipulated or deceptive video or audio that ’ s designed to cause harm .
“ As far as I ’ m aware , this was the first time YouTube has removed a video for impersonating a voice using AI.
” But none of these bans seem to cover harmless entertainment , which Voice Synthesis ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was pretty surprised to receive the takedown order .
As far as I ’ m aware , this was the first time YouTube has removed a video for impersonating a voice using AI , ” the account creator tells Baio in an interview , which you should definitely read in full over at his website .
“ I ’ ve been posting these kind of videos for months and have not had any other videos removed for this reason .
There are also several other channels making speech synthesis videos similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of any of them having videos removed for this reason.
” Voice Synthesis has a point ; AI-powered voice impersonation is all over the internet , especially on YouTube .
It ’ s just that , in this one particular case , a well-known celebrity happened to take notice when he became the subject and took an action that may have some far-reaching consequences if it becomes standard practice for moderating these types of deepfakes in the future .
“ I ’ m not a lawyer and have not studied intellectual property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t really understand why mimicking a celebrity ’ s voice using an AI model should be treated differently than someone naturally doing an ( extremely accurate ) impression of that celebrity ’ s voice , ” Voice Synthesis argues .
YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Roc Nation does not list phone numbers or email addresses on its website for contacting the company or its record label subsidiary .

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has become an unlikely source of inspiration within the budding community of artificial intelligence-powered impersonation, known colloquially as deepfakes, and the rap icon’s record label has taken notice and issued copyright strikes to shut some of it down.
It’s not that Jay-Z is being maligned without his consent, as a majority of deepfakes tend to do by pasting the head of female celebrities and other women onto the bodies of adult film actresses. Rather, this is the world of safe-for-work, audio-only deepfakes that dabble mostly in parody, as well as putting on display the awe-inspiring technical sophistication the field has produced in just a few short years time.
Roc Nation has issued strikes against some Jay-Z audio deepfakes
In a strange turn of events, Roc Nation LLC, Jay-Z’s full-service entertainment agency, filed copyright strikes against the YouTube uploads of the above-mentioned deepfakes. The notices specifically cite AI, with Roc Nation writing, “this content unlawfully uses an AI to impersonate our client’s voice,” according to Baio’s conversations with the creator, who remains anonymous and goes by the online handle Voice Synthesis. The channel itself has nearly 40,000 subscribers, and many of its videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.
Weirdly enough, Jay-Z deepfake videos featuring the rapper’s synthetic voice rhyming the Book of Genesis and the infamous Navy Seal copypasta meme remain on YouTube. But you can’t chalk it up to those being free to use; “We Didn't Start the Fire” is of course copyrighted, but Shakespeare’s works are public domain.
All of Voice Synethesis’ videos are created by feeding Google’s open source Tacotron 2 text-to-speech model with Jay-Z songs and lyrics and having the synthetic voice read pre-written text. The situation raises fascinating questions about what exactly is being infringed upon here if the synthetic voice is simply producing original content using the likeness of a celebrity. For a deeper look into the copyright issues at play here, I highly suggest you read Baio’s analysis in full because he gets into the finer details of fair use and why Jay-Z’s claims may not hold up in court.
“It seems reasonable to assume that a model and audio generated from copyrighted audio recordings would be considered derivative works. But is it copyright infringement? Like virtually everything in the world of copyright, it depends — on how it was used, and for what purpose,” Baio explains. He uses an example of a record producer featuring Jay-Z on a new single without his permission as an obvious legal transgression before arguing why Vocal Synthesis may likely be in the right here.
After initially removing the videos, YouTube has since reinstated them. “After reviewing the DMCA takedown requests for the videos in question, we determined that they were incomplete,” a Google spokesperson tells The Verge. “Pending additional information from the claimant, we have temporarily reinstated the videos.”
“As far as I’m aware, this was the first time YouTube has removed a video for impersonating a voice using AI.”
But none of these bans seem to cover harmless entertainment, which Voice Synthesis’ videos appear to fall under. “I was pretty surprised to receive the takedown order. As far as I’m aware, this was the first time YouTube has removed a video for impersonating a voice using AI,” the account creator tells Baio in an interview, which you should definitely read in full over at his website. “I’ve been posting these kind of videos for months and have not had any other videos removed for this reason. There are also several other channels making speech synthesis videos similar to mine, and I’m not aware of any of them having videos removed for this reason.”
Voice Synthesis has a point; AI-powered voice impersonation is all over the internet, especially on YouTube. It’s just that, in this one particular case, a well-known celebrity happened to take notice when he became the subject and took an action that may have some far-reaching consequences. Although YouTube’s decision to reinstate the videos seems to illustrate that the copyright argument may not hold water.
“I’m not a lawyer and have not studied intellectual property law, but logically I don’t really understand why mimicking a celebrity’s voice using an AI model should be treated differently than someone naturally doing an (extremely accurate) impression of that celebrity’s voice,” Voice Synthesis argues.
Roc Nation does not list phone numbers or email addresses on its website for contacting the company or its record label subsidiary.


theverge--2020-04-28--Google’s Meet teleconferencing service now adding about 3 million users per day

Google ’ s Meet teleconferencing service is now adding about 3 million users per day , Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced on the company ’ s first quarter earnings call .
That ’ s up quite a bit from earlier this month — Google had said that more than 2 million new users were were connecting on the service every day as of April 9th .
Meet ’ s significant growth is likely driven by increased usage of the service as schools and workplaces have had to host classes and meetings online while at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant milestone , ” said Pichai on today ’ s earnings call .
“ We are now adding roughly 3 million new users each day and have seen a thirty-fold increase in usage since January .
There are now over 100 million daily Meet meeting participants.
” Google is adding new features to Meet to help it compete with rivals To encourage organizations to use Meet , which is part of Google ’ s G Suite productivity apps , Google rolled out free access to some advanced features of Meet on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free access to those features until September 30th on April 9th .
Google is also adding new features to Meet to help it better compete with rivals like Zoom and Microsoft Teams , including a Zoom-like gallery view and background noise cancelation .
Meet ’ s 100 million daily users is lower than Zoom ’ s 300 million daily users , however .
Alphabet , Google ’ s parent company , reported earned $ 6.8 billion in profit on revenue of $ 41.2 billion for the first fiscal quarter of 2020 .
Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes G Suite , earned $ 2.8 billion , up 55 percent from the first quarter of 2019 .

Google’s Meet teleconferencing service is now adding about 3 million users per day, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced on the company’s first quarter earnings call. That’s up quite a bit from earlier this month — Google had said that more than 2 million new users were were connecting on the service every day as of April 9th. Meet’s significant growth is likely driven by increased usage of the service as schools and workplaces have had to host classes and meetings online while at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last week, we surpassed a significant milestone,” said Pichai on today’s earnings call. “We are now adding roughly 3 million new users each day and have seen a thirty-fold increase in usage since January. There are now over 100 million daily Meet meeting participants.”
Google is adding new features to Meet to help it compete with rivals
To encourage organizations to use Meet, which is part of Google’s G Suite productivity apps, Google rolled out free access to some advanced features of Meet on March 3rd and said it would be extending free access to those features until September 30th on April 9th. Google is also adding new features to Meet to help it better compete with rivals like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, including a Zoom-like gallery view and background noise cancelation. Meet’s 100 million daily users is lower than Zoom’s 300 million daily users, however.