theverge--2020-12-29--11 great apps ready for your new 2020 M1 Mac

This year marked the introduction of the first Macs to be powered by Apple ’ s own silicon instead of Intel chips .
As is evidenced by our reviews of the M1 MacBook Air , 13-inch MacBook Pro , and Mac mini , these machines are incredibly powerful and offer wicked fast performance .
This is especially true for apps that are designed to run natively on them and take full advantage of Apple ’ s latest technologies .
So in that vein , this year ’ s Mac apps list is going to focus on some of the software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new era of Apple hardware .
Last year ’ s picks remain just as relevant and useful today if you ’ re on an Intel machine .
But if you ’ ve been gifted ( or are gifting yourself ) one of these new speed-demon Macs , these are a few great ways of sampling what they can do .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games , apps , and entertainment .
Check out our app picks for iPhones , Android phones , Windows PCs , and M1-equipped Macs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , the PS5 , Xbox One and Series X / S , Nintendo Switch , and VR .
We ’ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change . )
Pixelmator Pro is one of the very best image editing apps for the Mac .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ editing tools , presets , sophisticated layer editing , and photo filters , and makes it easy to control every detail of your images .
What sets Pixelmator Pro apart are the automatic adjustments it can make through a machine learning algorithm that has been trained with over 20 million photos .
The latest update also allows greater customizability over the interface , letting you put everything where it makes the most sense for your workflow .
And in a world where many creative apps demand a subscription , I really appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app gives you .
Pixelmator Pro ’ s iPad app ( $ 4.99 ) is also wonderful — especially if you like retouching things with your Apple Pencil , which is how I edit many of my review photos .
Lightroom is the first of Adobe ’ s hugely popular apps to be optimized for Apple ’ s M1 silicon .
And for many people , it 's the default choice for editing and organizing their photo collection .
Now the app has been updated to leverage the power of Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even quicker .
Keep in mind this is the regular version of Lightroom ; Lightroom Classic doesn ’ t run natively on M1 , but Adobe says there are no known issues running it through Rosetta 2 translation .
In my experience , Lightroom Classic feels very similar to its performance on Intel Macs .
A native M1 version of Photoshop is set to follow sometime next year , but Adobe hasn ’ t given release time frames for other apps such as Premiere Pro .
Two major browsers , Chrome and Firefox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natively on M1 Macs , so you shouldn ’ t encounter any issues or irregular performance drops when using either .
In the case of Chrome , just be sure that you select “ Mac with Apple chip ” when downloading — otherwise you ’ ll end up installing the Intel version , which will still run , but not as efficiently .
Microsoft Edge currently has M1 support in its beta channel , so that shouldn ’ t be too far off either .
If Apple ’ s built-in Calendar app isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then Fantastical might be the more advanced alternative you ’ re looking for .
Its natural language parser can turn normal sentences about your plans into a perfectly formatted appointment entry .
You can set your calendar view in exactly the way you want , and Fantastical also has widgets that you can pop into your Mac ’ s “ Today ” sidebar .
There is a basic free version ; the Premium version , which starts at $ 4.99 a month , offers additional features such as the ability to add tasks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ syncing .
Microsoft has quickly updated its entire Mac suite to fully optimize Word , PowerPoint , Excel , Outlook , and OneNote for M1 .
So you should notice very speedy performance when doing work with any of them .
I ’ m sure many people will prefer these over Apple ’ s own productivity apps like Pages and Numbers .
Hear me out : the Twitter app for macOS has actually gotten very good .
It took some polishing and bug fixes to reach this point , but Twitter for Mac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not nearly as crash-prone as before .
If you haven ’ t given Twitter ’ s native app a chance yet , now ’ s a great time .
If you still prefer a third-party app , Tweetbot remains the go-to , and it ’ s also universal and M1-ready .
iMazing is a great device manager for digging into everything residing on your iPhone or iPad .
You can create backups ( different from the regular Apple ones ) and grab your messages , photos , music , and more right off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered soon after the launch of M1 Macs that this software can be used to “ side load ” and install iPhone apps — even those that have not yet opted in — to macOS .
If you ’ re experimenting with this , just expect that not everything will work flawlessly .
iMazing also recently added the option to clearly see which apps on your system are universal or developed for Intel .
If you ’ ve got a cluttered mess of a menu bar at the top of your Mac ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring order to things .
A longtime favorite macOS utility of ours , this app lets you neatly hide everything under one menu bar icon to ease up on the chaos .
You can also set triggers so that certain icons only show at those times when it makes the most sense .
Neural Mix Pro is an app that lets you separate the various parts of a song — vocals , instrumentation , and beats — and listen to them individually .
You can also change up the tempo of a song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool for DJs and musicians , it also just appeals to my inner music nerd .
The end result can still sometimes sound a bit phase-y ( like most vocal remover software ) and have some artifacts , but it does a better job than other apps I ’ ve tried for this purpose .
Just know that it ’ s pricey compared to other recommendations here ; you ’ ll have to pay $ 50 to unlock the app .
If you ’ ve got the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that means you ’ ve also got the love-it-or-hate-it Touch Bar above your keyboard .
There are ways of customizing it to your liking in macOS settings , but BetterTouchTool is a utility that gives you even greater flexibility over what goes where when using the Touch Bar , allowing you to quickly tap useful shortcuts for your most important apps .

This year marked the introduction of the first Macs to be powered by Apple’s own silicon instead of Intel chips. As is evidenced by our reviews of the M1 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, these machines are incredibly powerful and offer wicked fast performance. This is especially true for apps that are designed to run natively on them and take full advantage of Apple’s latest technologies.
So in that vein, this year’s Mac apps list is going to focus on some of the software that has already been optimized for this new era of Apple hardware. Last year’s picks remain just as relevant and useful today if you’re on an Intel machine. But if you’ve been gifted (or are gifting yourself) one of these new speed-demon Macs, these are a few great ways of sampling what they can do.
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro is one of the very best image editing apps for the Mac. It has the usual set of RAW editing tools, presets, sophisticated layer editing, and photo filters, and makes it easy to control every detail of your images. What sets Pixelmator Pro apart are the automatic adjustments it can make through a machine learning algorithm that has been trained with over 20 million photos. The latest update also allows greater customizability over the interface, letting you put everything where it makes the most sense for your workflow. And in a world where many creative apps demand a subscription, I really appreciate the one-time $19.99 price for everything this app gives you.
Pixelmator Pro’s iPad app ($4.99) is also wonderful — especially if you like retouching things with your Apple Pencil, which is how I edit many of my review photos.
Pixelmator Pro / $19.99 from the Mac App Store Download now
Lightroom
Lightroom
Lightroom is the first of Adobe’s hugely popular apps to be optimized for Apple’s M1 silicon. And for many people, it's the default choice for editing and organizing their photo collection. Now the app has been updated to leverage the power of Apple’s M1 chip to make that editing go even quicker.
Keep in mind this is the regular version of Lightroom; Lightroom Classic doesn’t run natively on M1, but Adobe says there are no known issues running it through Rosetta 2 translation. In my experience, Lightroom Classic feels very similar to its performance on Intel Macs.
A native M1 version of Photoshop is set to follow sometime next year, but Adobe hasn’t given release time frames for other apps such as Premiere Pro.
Adobe Lightroom / Free from the Mac App Store (Creative Cloud subscription required) Download now
Adobe Creative Cloud / $52.99 monthly from Adobe Buy now
Google Chrome and Firefox
Google Chrome
Two major browsers, Chrome and Firefox, have already been updated to run natively on M1 Macs, so you shouldn’t encounter any issues or irregular performance drops when using either. In the case of Chrome, just be sure that you select “Mac with Apple chip” when downloading — otherwise you’ll end up installing the Intel version, which will still run, but not as efficiently.
Microsoft Edge currently has M1 support in its beta channel, so that shouldn’t be too far off either.
Google Chrome / Free from Google Download now
Firefox / Free from Mozilla Download now
Fantastical
Fantastical
If Apple’s built-in Calendar app isn’t doing it for you, then Fantastical might be the more advanced alternative you’re looking for. Its natural language parser can turn normal sentences about your plans into a perfectly formatted appointment entry. You can set your calendar view in exactly the way you want, and Fantastical also has widgets that you can pop into your Mac’s “Today” sidebar. There is a basic free version; the Premium version, which starts at $4.99 a month, offers additional features such as the ability to add tasks, full screen views, and calendar syncing.
Fantastical / Free on the Mac App Store Download now
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365
Microsoft has quickly updated its entire Mac suite to fully optimize Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote for M1. So you should notice very speedy performance when doing work with any of them. I’m sure many people will prefer these over Apple’s own productivity apps like Pages and Numbers.
Microsoft 365 for iMac / Free from the Mac App Store, Microsoft 365 subscription required Download now
Microsoft 365 / Subscription starts at $69.99 / year Buy now
Twitter
Twitter
Hear me out: the Twitter app for macOS has actually gotten very good. It took some polishing and bug fixes to reach this point, but Twitter for Mac is now full-featured, responsive, and not nearly as crash-prone as before. If you haven’t given Twitter’s native app a chance yet, now’s a great time.
If you still prefer a third-party app, Tweetbot remains the go-to, and it’s also universal and M1-ready.
Twitter / Free from the Mac App Store Download now
iMazing
iMazing
iMazing is a great device manager for digging into everything residing on your iPhone or iPad. You can create backups (different from the regular Apple ones) and grab your messages, photos, music, and more right off the device.
But it was also discovered soon after the launch of M1 Macs that this software can be used to “side load” and install iPhone apps — even those that have not yet opted in — to macOS. If you’re experimenting with this, just expect that not everything will work flawlessly.
iMazing also recently added the option to clearly see which apps on your system are universal or developed for Intel.
iMazing / Free trial, personal licenses start at $45 Download now
Bartender
Bartender
If you’ve got a cluttered mess of a menu bar at the top of your Mac’s screen, Bartender can help you bring order to things. A longtime favorite macOS utility of ours, this app lets you neatly hide everything under one menu bar icon to ease up on the chaos. You can also set triggers so that certain icons only show at those times when it makes the most sense.
Bartender / Free trial, $15 to purchase Download now
Neural Mix Pro
Neural Mix Pro
Neural Mix Pro is an app that lets you separate the various parts of a song — vocals, instrumentation, and beats — and listen to them individually. You can also change up the tempo of a song without ruining the pitch. A handy tool for DJs and musicians, it also just appeals to my inner music nerd. The end result can still sometimes sound a bit phase-y (like most vocal remover software) and have some artifacts, but it does a better job than other apps I’ve tried for this purpose. Just know that it’s pricey compared to other recommendations here; you’ll have to pay $50 to unlock the app.
Neural Mix Pro / Free from Mac App Store, $49.99 to unlock all features Download now
BetterTouchTool
BetterTouchTool
If you’ve got the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 chip, well, that means you’ve also got the love-it-or-hate-it Touch Bar above your keyboard. There are ways of customizing it to your liking in macOS settings, but BetterTouchTool is a utility that gives you even greater flexibility over what goes where when using the Touch Bar, allowing you to quickly tap useful shortcuts for your most important apps.


theverge--2020-12-29--Apple Watch leak offers rare glimpse inside ‘Ultra security program’

New images and video purporting to show an Apple Watch prototype , concealed by a security case that resembles a tiny iPod , offer a rare look behind the product-development curtain of the notoriously secretive company built by Steve Jobs .
First teased a few months ago by Twitter user Apple Demo , this is our first look at the device turned on and running Apple ’ s own internal development apps on a pre-watchOS 1.0 software build .
The video starts by showing what appears to be the original cardboard packaging used to deliver the prototype hardware to testers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple Confidential and is designated an ‘ Ultra ’ security program , ” reads the label .
“ This prototype MUST be returned when recalled or when your , ” says the labelling before being obscured to hide the origins of the device .
A sticker on the back of the prototype device itself shows it ’ s a “ PVTe ” configuration , which presumably means Production Validation Testing ( engineering ) in line with language seen on previous Apple development hardware , like the leaked EVT board for the original iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , we can see that it ’ s configured to show Apple ’ s own internal apps .
One is the “ Lisa tester , ” identified with an icon of Lisa Simpson but likely a tribute to Jobs ’ daughter and namesake of Apple ’ s Lisa computer — one of the first computers to feature a GUI interface .
The app lets testers tweak the UI elements of the prototype Watch .
The “ Springboard zoom ” app found inside the Lisa Tester is very similar to the original watchOS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple Watch in 2015 .
There ’ s no Digital Crown for navigation .
Instead buttons along the right side of the case can be used for home and power .
The Home button on the front and what appear to be volume up/down buttons on the left are never shown being used and might not be functional .
When clicking into settings , the device reports that it hasn ’ t received FCC approval for sales , adding additional confirmation of its prototype status .
Assuming the prototype is real — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a remarkable example of a pre-production Apple device we were never meant to see .

New images and video purporting to show an Apple Watch prototype, concealed by a security case that resembles a tiny iPod, offer a rare look behind the product-development curtain of the notoriously secretive company built by Steve Jobs. First teased a few months ago by Twitter user Apple Demo, this is our first look at the device turned on and running Apple’s own internal development apps on a pre-watchOS 1.0 software build.
The video starts by showing what appears to be the original cardboard packaging used to deliver the prototype hardware to testers. “This product is classified as Apple Confidential and is designated an ‘Ultra’ security program,” reads the label. “This prototype MUST be returned when recalled or when your,” says the labeling before being obscured to hide the origins of the device. A sticker on the back of the prototype device itself shows it’s a “PVTe” configuration, which presumably means Production Validation Testing (engineering) in line with language seen on previous Apple development hardware, like the leaked EVT board for the original iPhone.
The original cardboard packaging used to ship the prototype hardware to testers. Image: Apple Demo
When the touchscreen device is turned on, we can see that it’s configured to show Apple’s own internal apps. One is the “Lisa tester,” identified with an icon of Lisa Simpson but likely a tribute to Jobs’ daughter and namesake of Apple’s Lisa computer — one of the first computers to feature a GUI interface. The app lets testers tweak the UI elements of the prototype Watch. The “Springboard zoom” app found inside the Lisa tester is very similar to the original watchOS home screen that shipped on the first Apple Watch in 2015.
There’s no Digital Crown for navigation. Instead, buttons along the right side of the case can be used for home and power. The Home button on the front and what appear to be volume up/down buttons on the left are never shown being used and might not be functional. When clicking into settings, the device reports that it hasn’t received FCC approval for sales, adding further confirmation of its prototype status.
The “Lisa tester” is accessible via the Lisa Simpson icon. Image: Apple Demo


theverge--2020-12-29--A modder has made a Nintendo 64 that’s smaller than the original’s controller

Taking an old console and making it as small as possible is a well-established tradition in the modding community , and there may be a new victor in the race to shrink the Nintendo 64 as far as possible ( via Input ) .
GmanModz has cut down an N64 to the point where it ’ s smaller than a GameCube controller — and only slightly bigger than the cartridges it takes .
Yes , cartridges .
This isn ’ t an emulator , this is an actual Nintendo 64 that was cut , soldered , and otherwise modded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with screen , battery , and controls ( the joysticks are from a Nintendo Switch , chosen for their diminutive size ) .
At three and a half inches , the screen is smaller than what you ’ d be used to when playing an N64 , and it has a resolution of 320 x 240 .
Making up the shell are two different plastics , with the back being more heat-resistant — an important consideration when you ’ re using a motherboard designed to be in a roomy home console .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versions of the console : they ’ ve also modded it into a Game Boy Advance SP-inspired form factor ( twice ) .
For this mod , though , they gave themselves a challenge : don ’ t custom-design any boards .
There are some third-party boards inside that were available on an online modding shop , but they weren ’ t made specifically for this build .
GmanModz says that this was “ to be fair ” to the previous smallest N64 record holder .
In the video showing off the project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the greatest portable Nintendo 64 experience .
But that ’ s not really the point — the point was to make the smallest portable N64 , and they apparently achieved that .
“ The battery life sucks , it ’ s uncomfortable to hold , but hey .
It fits in my pocket .
Does your N64 ?
” As expected with such a small handheld , the battery only lasts about an hour and a half .
But hey , if you ’ re gunning for a Super Mario 64 speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need .

Taking an old console and making it as small as possible is a well-established tradition in the modding community, and there may be a new victor in the race to shrink the Nintendo 64 as far as possible (via Input). GmanModz has cut down an N64 to the point where it’s smaller than a GameCube controller — and only slightly bigger than the cartridges it takes.
The mod versus an N64 controller. Photo: GmanModz
Yes, cartridges. This isn’t an emulator, this is an actual Nintendo 64 that was cut, soldered, and otherwise modded to fit into a handheld package, complete with screen, battery, and controls (the joysticks are from a Nintendo Switch, chosen for their diminutive size).
At three and a half inches, the screen is smaller than what you’d be used to when playing an N64, and it has a resolution of 320 x 240. Making up the shell are two different plastics, with the back being more heat-resistant — an important consideration when you’re using a motherboard designed to be in a roomy home console.
In order to fit it into such a small form factor, the N64’s motherboard had to have all nonessential parts cut off. Photo: GmanModz
The modder is no stranger to making portable versions of the console: they’ve also modded it into a Game Boy Advance SP-inspired form factor (twice). For this mod, though, they gave themselves a challenge: don’t custom-design any boards. There are some third-party boards inside that were available on an online modding shop, but they weren’t made specifically for this build. GmanModz says that this was “to be fair” to the previous smallest N64 record holder.
In the video showing off the project, GmanModz admits that it’s not the greatest portable Nintendo 64 experience. But that’s not really the point — the point was to make the smallest portable N64, and they apparently achieved that.
“The battery life sucks, it’s uncomfortable to hold, but hey. It fits in my pocket. Does your N64?”
Photo: GmanModz


theverge--2020-12-29--Apple pulls iPhone app promoting secret parties during the COVID-19 pandemic

An iOS app called Vybe Together that promoted private parties during the COVID-19 pandemic has been removed from the Apple App Store , had its account on TikTok banned , and scrubbed most of its online presence .
The app ’ s creators told The Verge that Apple was the one to take it off the App Store .
Vybe Together billed itself on TikTok and its website as a place to organize and attend underground parties , using the tagline “ Get your rebel on .
Get your party on.
” Organizers would have to approve everyone who wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got approved would receive the address two hours before the event .
Most of these gatherings would have been illegal under current US pandemic restrictions — which may explain why the app required you to submit a profile for approval before you were allowed on .
Calling a phone number on Vybe Together ’ s site connected The Verge with someone who identified themselves as Albin , one of the app ’ s co-founders .
They said that the app had a few thousand users , and that a few thousand additional applicants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company started putting videos on TikTok .
Applying involved submitting your Instagram handle and uploading pictures of you partying to the service , presumably to make sure that you weren ’ t someone who was going to spill the beans about the events .
Vybe Together largely had a low profile before today , although it was mentioned in at least one EventBrite invitation to a New York party in September .
It received wider exposure after The New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz critically tweeted screenshots of the website and described it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting COVID-unsafe large , indoor house parties.
” Vybe Together ’ s now-removed FAQ page acknowledged the danger of the pandemic , but it said the app was designed to promote “ small gatherings ” rather than “ big parties.
” ( Smaller gatherings of people from different households can still spread the coronavirus , creating chains of infection that extend far beyond the original event , putting people who didn ’ t attend the party at risk . )
It ’ s unknown whether the app substantially contributed to people holding unsafe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every weekend ” — including an upcoming New Year ’ s Eve party — in a TikTok video .
The Vybe Together app had only 25 ratings before being removed , and its Instagram page has under 1,000 followers .
In a statement to The Verge , TikTok said the account on that platform had only 139 followers when it was removed .
The app appears to have launched previously under the name Trendies , a name mentioned on its now largely empty Instagram page .
Vybe Together ’ s website also advertised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 Zamna Festival music event in Tulum , Mexico .
The house ’ s pictures correspond to an Airbnb listing for a rental called the Casa Remy Villa .
However , the listing ’ s manager couldn ’ t confirm the existence of a “ Vybe House ” event to The Verge .
“ We have rented the villa to some influencers , ” said the owner , who had “ no idea ” if any renters were linked to the app .
“ But they know parties aren ’ t allowed of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities during [ the ] pandemic , with the risk of shutting down the property and a huge fine.
” The Airbnb host also notes that the Zamna festival was recently postponed to April — not the January dates listed on its website .
Vybe Together ’ s Instagram account now contains a single text post .
“ Blown out of proportion by media , ” it reads .
“ We DO NOT CONDONE LARGE GATHERINGS.
” Update December 29 , 8:06 ET : The app ’ s creators have now clarified that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app from the App Store .

An iOS app called Vybe Together that promoted private parties during the COVID-19 pandemic has been removed from the Apple App Store, had its account on TikTok banned, and scrubbed most of its online presence. The app’s creators told The Verge that Apple was the one to take it off the App Store.
Vybe Together billed itself on TikTok and its website as a place to organize and attend underground parties, using the tagline “Get your rebel on. Get your party on.” Organizers would have to approve everyone who wanted to attend, and those who got approved would receive the address two hours before the event. Most of these gatherings would have been illegal under current US pandemic restrictions — which may explain why the app required you to submit a profile for approval before you were allowed on.
Screenshots from the iOS App Store page.
Calling a phone number on Vybe Together’s site connected The Verge with someone who identified themselves as Albin, one of the app’s co-founders. They said that the app had a few thousand users, and that a few thousand additional applicants had requested access to it since the company started putting videos on TikTok. Applying involved submitting your Instagram handle and uploading pictures of you partying to the service, presumably to make sure that you weren’t someone who was going to spill the beans about the events.
Vybe Together largely had a low profile before today, although it was mentioned in at least one EventBrite invitation to a New York party in September. It received wider exposure after The New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz critically tweeted screenshots of the website and described it as an app for “finding and promoting COVID-unsafe large, indoor house parties.”
Vybe Together’s now-removed FAQ page acknowledged the danger of the pandemic, but it said the app was designed to promote “small gatherings” rather than “big parties.” (Smaller gatherings of people from different households can still spread the coronavirus, creating chains of infection that extend far beyond the original event, putting people who didn’t attend the party at risk.)
In a statement to The Verge, a spokesperson denied that the app was intended to promote unsafe behavior. “Vybe Together was [a minimum viable product] designed to help other people organize small get-togethers in parks or apartments during COVID,” the spokesperson said. “We never hosted any large parties, and we made one over-the-top marketing video that left a wrong impression about our intentions, which has since been taken down. We do not condone large unsafe parties during a pandemic.”
It’s unknown whether the app substantially contributed to people holding unsafe events, although it promoted “gatherings every weekend” — including an upcoming New Year’s Eve party — in a TikTok video. The Vybe Together app had only 25 ratings before being removed, and its Instagram page has under 1,000 followers. In a statement to The Verge, TikTok said the account on that platform had only 139 followers when it was removed. The app appears to have launched previously under the name Trendies, a name mentioned on its now largely empty Instagram page.
Vybe Together’s website also advertised a “Vybe House” for the 2021 Zamna Festival music event in Tulum, Mexico. The house’s pictures correspond to an Airbnb listing for a rental called the Casa Remy Villa. However, the listing’s manager couldn’t confirm the existence of a “Vybe House” event to The Verge.
“We have rented the villa to some influencers,” said the owner, who said they had “no idea” if any renters were linked to the app. “But they know parties aren’t allowed of any kind as they are forbidden by authorities during [the] pandemic, with the risk of shutting down the property and a huge fine.” The Airbnb host also notes that the Zamna Festival was recently postponed to April — not the January dates listed on its website.
Vybe Together’s Instagram account now contains a single text post. “Blown out of proportion by media,” it reads. “We DO NOT CONDONE LARGE GATHERINGS.”
Update December 29th, 8:06PM ET: The app’s creators have now clarified that Apple was the one to pull the app from the App Store.


theverge--2020-12-29--McConnell ties full repeal of Section 230 to push for $2,000 stimulus checks

On Tuesday night , McConnell introduced a new bill tying increased stimulus payments to a full repeal of Section 230 , according to bill text obtained by The Verge .
The bill comes amid new momentum for direct $ 2000 stimulus payments , and increasing pressure on party leaders to appease President Trump ’ s escalating demands .
Democratic party leaders criticized the inclusion of Section 230 repeal as an effort to scuttle stimulus talks .
“ Senator McConnell knows how to make $ 2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them , ” Senate Minority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Tuesday .
“ Will Senate Republicans go along with Sen. McConnell ’ s cynical gambit or will they push him to give a vote on the standalone [ bill ] ?
” McConnell ’ s bid for a full repeal of Section 230 comes amid increasingly chaotic negotiating over the level of direct payments to be included as part of stimulus efforts .
On Sunday , President Trump signed into law Congress ’ $ 900 billion COVID-19 relief and government spending package that would provide $ 600 in stimulus payments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after signing the bill , Trump urged congressional leaders to hold a standalone vote on increasing direct payments to $ 2,000 .
By Tuesday morning , many Republicans who previously opposed the increased stimulus checks flipped to support of them alongside Democrats .
In particular , both Georgia Senate runoff incumbents , Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , announced Tuesday that they would vote to approve the additional payments after days of sidestepping the question , creating a difficult position for McConnell .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate has “ got the votes ” to approve the increased payments .
But later that day , McConnell blocked a House bill that would provide $ 2,000 in stimulus payments to most Americans , citing the need to tackle higher payments alongside other issues raised by President Trump .
In a floor statement made Tuesday , Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) linked a handful of unrelated policy measures to the future of the increased stimulus checks ; amongst them , Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook and Google from legal liability over the content users post on their platforms .
“ During this process , the president highlighted three additional issues of national significance he would like to see Congress tackle together , ” McConnell said Tuesday afternoon .
“ This week , the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.
” Even before the bill was introduced , some lawmakers feared the majority leader would use Section 230 as a poison pill to doom the broader package .
“ That is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart , ” Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-CT ) said on the Senate floor Tuesday .
In recent months , Trump has often used Section 230 as a negotiating tool to push forward other policy priorities or tie up unwanted legislation .
Last week , Trump vetoed the $ 740 billion National Defense Authorization Act ( or NDAA ) , after complaints that the defense bill did not include a provision that would repeal Section 230 .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) threatened Tuesday to block a Senate vote to override Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not agree to open a standalone vote on $ 2,000 checks .
“ Big Tech must not get protections of Section 230 !
” Trump said in a statement Sunday .
“ Voter fraud must be fixed !
” Updated 12/29/20 at 5:28 PM ET : A previous version of this article was published at 2:33PM ET under the headline “ Section 230 has become a bargaining chip in ongoing stimulus talks.
” The article was updated to its current form , including a new headline and timestamp , when full bill text @ @ @

On Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a new bill tying increased stimulus payments to a full repeal of Section 230, according to bill text obtained by The Verge. The bill comes amid new momentum for direct $2,000 stimulus payments, and increasing pressure on party leaders to appease President Donald Trump’s escalating demands.
Democratic party leaders criticized the inclusion of Section 230 repeal as an effort to scuttle stimulus talks. “Senator McConnell knows how to make $2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement Tuesday. “Will Senate Republicans go along with Sen. McConnell’s cynical gambit or will they push him to give a vote on the standalone [bill]?”
McConnell’s bid for a full repeal of Section 230 comes amid increasingly chaotic negotiations over the level of direct payments to be included in stimulus efforts. On Sunday, President Trump signed into law Congress’ $900 billion COVID-19 relief and government spending package that would provide $600 in stimulus payments to most Americans. In a public statement after signing the bill, Trump urged congressional leaders to hold a standalone vote on increasing direct payments to $2,000.
What is Section 230? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which was passed in 1996, says an “interactive computer service” can’t be treated as the publisher or speaker of third-party content. This protects websites from lawsuits if a user posts something illegal, although there are exceptions for pirated and prostitution-related material. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) crafted Section 230 so website owners could moderate sites without worrying about legal liability. The law is particularly vital for social media networks, but it covers many sites and services, including news outlets with comment sections — like The Verge. The Electronic Frontier Foundation calls it “the most important law protecting internet speech.” It’s increasingly controversial and frequently misinterpreted, however. Critics argue that its broad protections let powerful companies ignore real harm to users. On the other hand, some lawmakers incorrectly claim that it only protects “neutral platforms” — a term that’s irrelevant to the law.
By Tuesday morning, many Republicans who previously opposed the increased stimulus checks flipped to supporting them alongside Democrats. In particular, both Georgia Senate runoff incumbents, Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), announced Tuesday that they would vote to approve the additional payments after days of sidestepping the question, creating a difficult position for McConnell.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said in a tweet Tuesday that the Senate has “got the votes” to approve the increased payments. But later that day, McConnell (R-KY) blocked a House bill that would provide $2,000 in stimulus payments to most Americans, citing the need to tackle higher payments alongside other issues raised by President Trump.
In a floor statement made Tuesday, McConnell linked a handful of unrelated policy measures to the future of the increased stimulus checks; among them, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that shields tech companies like Facebook and Google from legal liability over the content users post on their platforms.
“During this process, the president highlighted three additional issues of national significance he would like to see Congress tackle together,” McConnell said Tuesday afternoon. “This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.”
Even before the bill was introduced, some lawmakers feared the majority leader would use Section 230 as a poison pill to doom the broader package.
“That is an invitation for this entire effort to fall apart,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
In recent months, Trump has often used Section 230 as a negotiating tool to push forward other policy priorities or tie up unwanted legislation. Last week, Trump vetoed the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act (or NDAA), after complaints that the defense bill did not include a provision that would repeal Section 230. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) threatened Tuesday to block a Senate vote to override Trump’s NDAA veto if McConnell did not agree to open a standalone vote on $2,000 checks.
“Big Tech must not get protections of Section 230!” Trump said in a statement Sunday. “Voter fraud must be fixed!”
Updated December 29th at 5:28PM ET: A previous version of this article was published at 2:33PM ET under the headline “Section 230 has become a bargaining chip in ongoing stimulus talks.” The article was updated to its current form, including a new headline and timestamp, when full bill text became available.


theverge--2020-12-29--You can escape this room, but you’ll never escape Google Docs

For anyone who ’ s been lucky enough to spend the majority of the pandemic working from home , the idea of escaping the room ( or couch ) that ’ s become a makeshift office is probably a relatable one .
Enter this series of “ escape rooms ” built in Google Docs , that let you do just that , inside web software you ’ ve probably become far too familiar with .
” Part 3 ” of the game was finally released today , but you ’ ll never fully escape using Google Docs .
“ Escape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is styled as a choose-your-own-adventure game set in a series of interlinked Google Docs .
You “ wake up ” from a mysterious dream in a cabin room filling with smoke , and are tasked with getting out .
“ Part 2 ” has you do the same thing in a hotel corridor , and “ Part 3 ” that just released today , I won ’ t spoil for myself or anyone reading this .
We ’ ve seen other escape room games built in Google ’ s software before , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creepy charm that ’ s hard to deny .
As cool as this all is , Google Docs is not the best place to play a game .
Clicking links in Docs can require multiple clicks to actually take you somewhere else , and the new tabs quickly add up .
I could tell my laptop was straining under the number of tabs I had open for cross-referencing clues and dialing the in-game phone .
What is a nice benefit of playing in a collaborative word processor is the possibility to get help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Part 2 ” feature pages that pull double duty as guestbooks for people to leave their names , and help each other solve puzzles .
You need to request access to edit the page for “ Part 1 ” , but even without live edits , it ’ s still handy for hints .
The actual narrative early on in “ Escape ” is slim , but it leaves plenty of room to fill in the weirder edges with your own connections .
For instance , for the entire time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shake the similarities between the game ’ s smoked filled cabin , and Control ’ s “ Oceanview Motel ” .
That Control level featured an escape room-style puzzle and functioned as a liminal space in the game that you returned to multiple times .
“ Escape ” lacks the cool visual aesthetics of Control , but there ’ s some shared heritage in their weirdness .
I spent around an hour working through the first part of “ Escape ” and ended it with over 50 tabs open and a pretty weird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about dentistry , grew frustrated with myself for not remembering all of the 151 original Pokémon , and became increasingly concerned that this was all a trick to get me to better understand how links work in Docs .
All in all , it ’ s not a bad way to spend some time online “ Escape : A Game ” can be played for free in Google Docs .
” Part 1 “ , ” Part 2 “ , and ” Part 3 “ are available now for your puzzle solving pleasure @

For anyone who’s been lucky enough to spend the majority of the pandemic working from home, the idea of escaping the room (or couch) that’s become a makeshift office is probably a relatable one. Enter this series of “escape rooms” built in Google Docs, that let you do just that, inside web software you’ve probably become far too familiar with. “Part 3” of the game was finally released Tuesday, but you’ll never fully escape using Google Docs.
“Escape: A Game” by Anthony Smith is styled as a choose-your-own-adventure game set in a series of interlinked Google Docs. You “wake up” from a mysterious dream in a cabin room filling with smoke, and are tasked with getting out. “Part 2” has you do the same thing in a hotel corridor, and “Part 3,” which just released Tuesday, I won’t spoil for myself or anyone reading this. We’ve seen other escape room games built in Google’s software before, but “Escape” has an odd, creepy charm that’s hard to deny.
The first of many choices in “Escape: A Game”.
As cool as this all is, Google Docs is not the best place to play a game. Clicking links in Docs can require multiple clicks to actually take you somewhere else, and the new tabs quickly add up. I could tell my laptop was straining under the number of tabs I had open for cross-referencing clues and dialing the in-game phone.
What is a nice benefit of playing in a collaborative word processor is the possibility to get help solving puzzles. Both “Part 1” and “Part 2” feature pages that pull double duty as guestbooks for people to leave their names, and help each other solve puzzles. You need to request access to edit the page for “Part 1,” but even without live edits, it’s still handy for hints.
The actual narrative early on in “Escape” is slim, but it leaves plenty of room to fill in the weirder edges with your own connections. For instance, the entire time I played, I couldn’t shake the similarities between the game’s smoke-filled cabin, and Control’s “Oceanview Motel.” That Control level featured an escape room-style puzzle and functioned as a liminal space in the game that you returned to multiple times. “Escape” lacks the cool visual aesthetics of Control, but there’s some shared heritage in their weirdness.
I spent around an hour working through the first part of “Escape” and ended it with over 50 tabs open and a pretty weird YouTube history. I learned some facts about dentistry, grew frustrated with myself for not remembering all of the 151 original Pokémon, and became increasingly concerned that this was all a trick to get me to better understand how links work in Docs. All in all, it’s not a bad way to spend some time online.


theverge--2020-12-29--No, NFL player Russell Okung is not being paid in Bitcoin

“ Panthers ’ Russell Okung Becomes First NFL Player to Be Paid in Bitcoin , ” the headline proclaimed — and soon , ones just like it started sprouting up across the web , with sports publications , tech publications , and mainstream media outlets alike jumping to tell how the Carolina Panthers offensive lineman finally fulfilled his spoken desire to get paid in cryptocurrency .
Unfortunately , the headline isn ’ t true .
“ Not accurate , ” an NFL spokesperson tells me , adding that “ his people are converting some of the money into bitcoin ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just like every other NFL player .
More like “ NFL player decides to spend half his salary on Bitcoin ” Okung ’ s own team , the Carolina Panthers , also confirmed to The Verge that teams pay their players in US dollars .
By that standard , anyone can get their salary “ paid in bitcoin ” anytime they want : just go buy some bitcoin with your salary after it arrives , which is probably what the company that Okung is pumping — Zap — is hoping you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s repping it online .
It ’ s not clear why Okung chose this particular startup to convert his paycheck ( it does accept direct deposit ) , or why he ’ s tweeted fourteen times this afternoon encouraging his followers to hop on board the bitcoin and Zap train .
He doesn ’ t disclose any kind of relationship with Zap on Twitter , although Zap founder Jack Mallers does call him a “ friend.
” ( Mallers didn ’ t respond to repeated requests for comment . )
But even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some sort with Zap , he would have some financial incentive simply by being a bitcoin investor — the more people get excited enough to buy gobs of bitcoin , the higher the price and the more his stake is worth .
( Okung converted half of his $ 13 million salary to bitcoin , according to the Coindesk report . )
To generate that kind of excitement , it helps to have headlines like “ First NFL player to be paid in Bitcoin ” spread around the web .
It certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decides to spend 50 percent of his salary on Bitcoin , ” right ?
It ’ ll be interesting to see if any of those headlines change overnight .

“Panthers’ Russell Okung Becomes First NFL Player to Be Paid in Bitcoin,” the headline proclaimed — and soon, ones just like it started sprouting up across the web, with sports publications, tech publications, and mainstream media outlets alike jumping to tell how the Carolina Panthers offensive lineman finally fulfilled his spoken desire to get paid in cryptocurrency.
Unfortunately, the headline isn’t true. “Not accurate,” an NFL spokesperson tells me, adding that “his people are converting some of the money into bitcoin” after he gets paid in US dollars, just like every other NFL player.
More like “NFL player decides to spend half his salary on bitcoin”
Okung’s own team, the Carolina Panthers, also confirmed to The Verge that teams pay their players in US dollars.
By that standard, anyone can get their salary “paid in bitcoin” anytime they want: just go buy some bitcoin with your salary after it arrives, which is probably what the company that Okung is pumping — Zap — is hoping you’ll do when you see he’s repping it online.
It’s not clear why Okung chose this particular startup to convert his paycheck (it does accept direct deposit), or why he’s tweeted 14 times this afternoon encouraging his followers to hop on board the bitcoin and Zap train.
He doesn’t disclose any kind of relationship with Zap on Twitter, although Zap founder Jack Mallers does call him a “friend.” (Mallers didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.)
But even if Okung doesn’t have a deal of some sort with Zap, he would have some financial incentive simply by being a Bitcoin investor — the more people get excited enough to buy gobs of bitcoin, the higher the price, and the more his stake is worth. (Okung converted half of his $13 million salary to bitcoin, according to the Coindesk report.)


theverge--2020-12-29--Apple loses early challenge in virtualization copyright claim

Apple has lost an early challenge in its lawsuit against Corellium , a security firm that offers a virtualized version of iOS for security testing .
Ruling on a motion for summary judgment , the judge presiding over the case has dismissed Apple ’ s copyright infringement claim over Corellium ’ s software , finding that Corellium ’ s use of Apple code constituted fair use .
The judge deferred ruling on a separate Digital Millenium Copyright Act ( DMCA ) charge , but the result is still a significant setback for the iPhone manufacturer ’ s legal case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post .
In particular , the judge found that additional features within Corellium ’ s tool strengthened its case for fair use , particularly the ability to modify the kernel or observe and halt processes .
“ Corellium makes several changes to iOS and incorporates its own code to create a product that serves a transformative purpose , ” the judge wrote in his ruling .
“ Hence , Corellium ’ s profit motivation does not undermine its fair use defense , particularly considering the public benefit of the product.
” Crucially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of Apple ’ s case .
Apple has alleged that Corellium circumvented its authentication server and secure boot chain , among other measures , violating the DMCA ’ s ban on circumventing copy protection measures .
Corellium also mounted a fair use defense against the DMCA charges , but the judge did not find it compelling enough to dismiss the DMCA allegations before a full trial .
Apple began its lawsuit against Corellium on copyright grounds in August 2019 , adding alleged DMCA violations to the case the following January .
Throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its purpose is “ not to encumber good-faith security research , but to bring an end to Corellium ’ s unlawful commercialization of Apple ’ s valuable copyrighted works.
” Still , the lawsuit has been alarming to many security firms who rely on Corellium products for iOS analysis .
The Oracle v. Google case has cast a heavy shadow over the trial , and is referenced several times in the ruling as a preeminent example of successful copyright claim over software .
However , the judge ultimately found the case had little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple .

Apple has lost an early challenge in its lawsuit against Corellium, a security firm that offers a virtualized version of iOS for security testing.
Ruling on a motion for summary judgment in the US District Court for Southern Florida, US District Judge Rodney Smith has dismissed Apple’s copyright infringement claim over Corellium’s software, finding that Corellium’s use of Apple code constituted fair use. Smith deferred ruling on a separate Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) charge, but the result is still a significant setback for the iPhone manufacturer’s legal case. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.
In particular, the judge found that additional features within Corellium’s tool strengthened its case for fair use, particularly the ability to modify the kernel or observe and halt processes.
“Corellium makes several changes to iOS and incorporates its own code to create a product that serves a transformative purpose,” Smith wrote in his ruling. “Hence, Corellium’s profit motivation does not undermine its fair use defense, particularly considering the public benefit of the product.”
Crucially, the court didn’t dismiss all of Apple’s case. Apple has alleged that Corellium circumvented its authentication server and secure boot chain, among other measures, violating the DMCA’s ban on circumventing copy protection measures. Corellium also mounted a fair use defense against the DMCA charges, but the judge did not find it compelling enough to dismiss the DMCA allegations before a full trial.
Apple began its lawsuit against Corellium on copyright grounds in August 2019, adding alleged DMCA violations to the case the following January. Throughout the case, Apple has insisted that its purpose is “not to encumber good-faith security research, but to bring an end to Corellium’s unlawful commercialization of Apple’s valuable copyrighted works.” Still, the lawsuit has been alarming to many security firms who rely on Corellium products for iOS analysis.


theverge--2020-12-29--Apple supplier Lens Technology accused of using forced Uighur labor

A major Chinese supplier of consumer electronics components , Lens Technology , has been accused of using forced Uighur labor workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang , China , according to a report from the Tech Transparency Project ( TTP ) shared with The Verge .
The report says Lens Technology — a gadget glass supplier to companies like Amazon , Apple , and Tesla — has used thousands of such workers as part of the Chinese government ’ s ongoing detention and forced labor campaign against the Uighur minority .
The Washington Post first reported TTP ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s investigation cites media reports from Global Times of China and government records , which allegedly show Lens Technology was sent thousands of workers from Xinjiang to work in its factories in the Hunan province as part of a “ poverty alleviation ” program carried out by the Xinjiang–Suzhou Chamber of Commerce .
TTP also cites an online video titled “ Lens Tech Uyghurs celebrating National Day , ” which shows hundreds of workers sitting on the ground outside a building with banners revealing the workers ’ Xinjiang origin and their employment at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in or connection to China ’ s forced labor programs Many of these workers previously lived in indoctrination camps and are often forced to renounce Islam and learn Mandarin before they are transported to various factories throughout China , according to extensive reporting on the crisis .
Apple has denied any role in or connection to China ’ s forced labor practices , saying it regularly investigates its suppliers as part of its auditing process and has seen no evidence that Lens Technology has used such workers on Apple production lines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor .
Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we conduct , including surprise audits , ” Apple spokesperson Josh Rosenstock said in a statement .
“ Earlier this year we confirmed that none of our suppliers have Uighur workers from ‘ pairing programs ’ from Xinjiang on any Apple production lines.
” The TTP report is consistent with that claim , as it only purports to show Xinjiang workers at Lens rather than working specifically on Apple components .
Still , it ’ s an unsettling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auditing efforts and how little is publicly known about many prominent tech suppliers , especially as the Chinese government resists efforts from outside independent agencies and human rights groups to investigate working conditions and labor practices in the country .
Neither Amazon nor Tesla were immediately available for comment regarding contracts with Lens Technology .
A major BuzzFeed News investigation published on Monday further revealed the extent of China ’ s campaign against the Uighur minority , including a look at the vast network of factories the government has built within its detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work .
The investigation also cites an Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identifying nearly 100 companies with suppliers that have used Uighur workers outside the Xinjiang region who were forcefully relocated and placed in labor camps .
The list includes high-profile brands like Apple and Amazon , as well as H & M , Nike , Nintendo , and dozens of others .
Outside of China , concern has steadily grown over government ’ s treatment of Uighurs , which began under the pretense of combating foreign extremism and promoting the values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and human rights watchers have fiercely criticized the detention camps and forced relocation and work programs .
More recently , such groups have called on companies like Apple to take more forceful stances against the abuses .
The TTP report also says the focus on Apple is warranted because of the company ’ s role in allegedly lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act , a bill that would sanction US tech companies for connections to the Chinese government ’ s forced labor campaign , according to a separate report from The @ @ @ @ @ @

A major Chinese supplier of consumer electronics components, Lens Technology, has been accused of using forced-labor Uighur workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, China, according to a report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) shared with The Verge.
The report says Lens Technology — a gadget glass supplier to companies like Amazon, Apple, and Tesla — has used thousands of such workers as part of the Chinese government’s ongoing detention and forced labor campaign against people of the Uighur minority. The Washington Post first reported TTP’s findings on Tuesday.
TTP’s investigation cites media reports from Global Times of China and government records, which allegedly show Lens Technology was sent thousands of workers from Xinjiang to work in its factories in the Hunan province as part of a “poverty alleviation” program carried out by the Xinjiang–Suzhou Chamber of Commerce. Xinjiang, on China’s northwest border, is home to most Uighur people in the country.
TTP also cites an online video titled “Lens Tech Uyghurs celebrating National Day,” which shows hundreds of workers sitting on the ground outside a building with banners revealing the workers’ Xinjiang origin and their employment at Lens Technology.
Apple has denied any role in or connection to China’s forced labor programs
Many of these workers previously lived in indoctrination camps and are often forced to renounce Islam and learn Mandarin before they are transported to various factories throughout China, according to extensive reporting on the crisis. The Uighur people are largely Muslim in religion and culture, and speak the Uighur language.
Apple has denied any role in or connection to China’s forced labor practices, saying it regularly investigates its suppliers as part of its auditing process and has seen no evidence that Lens Technology has used such workers on Apple production lines.
“Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor. Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we conduct, including surprise audits,” Apple spokesperson Josh Rosenstock said in a statement. “Earlier this year we confirmed that none of our suppliers have Uighur workers from ‘pairing programs’ from Xinjiang on any Apple production lines.”
The TTP report is consistent with that claim, as it only purports to show Xinjiang workers at Lens Technology, rather than working specifically on Apple components. Still, it’s an unsettling reminder of the limits of supply chain auditing efforts, and of how little is publicly known about many prominent tech suppliers, especially as the Chinese government resists efforts from outside independent agencies and human rights groups to investigate working conditions and labor practices in the country.
Neither Amazon nor Tesla were immediately available for comment regarding contracts with Lens Technology.
A major BuzzFeed News investigation published on Monday further revealed the extent of China’s campaign against the Uighur minority, including a look at the vast network of factories the government has built within its detention camps for putting imprisoned residents of Xinjiang to work. The investigation also cites an Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identifying nearly 100 companies with suppliers that have used Uighur workers outside the Xinjiang region who were forcefully relocated and placed in labor camps. The list includes high-profile brands like Apple and Amazon, as well as H&M, Nike, Nintendo, and dozens of others.
Outside of China, concern has steadily grown over its government’s treatment of Uighurs, which began under the pretense of combating foreign extremism and promoting the values of the Chinese Communist Party. Activists and human rights watchers have fiercely criticized the detention camps and forced relocation and work programs. More recently, such groups have called on companies like Apple to take more forceful stances against the abuses.


theverge--2020-12-29--Boston Dynamics robots take over the dance floor in latest video

Boston Dynamics ’ Atlas and Spot robots can do a lot of things : sprinting , gymnastic routines , parkour , backflips , open doors to let in an army of their friends , wash dishes , and ( poorly ) get actual jobs .
But the company ’ s latest video adds another impressive trick to our future robotic overlords ’ repertoire : busting sick dance moves .
The video sees Boston Dynamics entire lineup of robots — the humanoid Atlas , the dog-shaped Spot , and the box-juggling Handle — all come together in a bopping , coordinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Do You Love Me.
” It ’ s not the first time Boston Dynamics has shown off its robots ’ dancing skills : the company showcased a video of its Spot robot doing the Running Man to “ Uptown Funk ” in 2018. but the new video takes things to another level , with the Atlas robot tearing it up on the dance floor : smoothly running , jumping , shuffling , and twirling through different moves .
Things get even more incredible as more robots file out , prancing around in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts my own , admittedly awful human dancing to shame .
Compared to the jerky movements of the 2016 iteration of Atlas , the new model almost looks like a CGI creation .
Boston Dynamics was recently purchased by Hyundai , which bought the robotics firm from SoftBank in a $ 1.1 billion deal .
The company was originally founded in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , where it became known for its dog-like quadrupedal robots ( most notably , the DARPA-funded BigDog , a precursor to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spot . )
It was bought by Alphabet ’ s X division in 2013 , and then by Softbank in 2017 .
While the Atlas and Handle robots featured here are still just research prototypes , Boston Dynamics has recently started selling the Spot model to any company for the considerable price of $ 74,500 .
But can you really put a price on creating your own personal legion of boogieing robot minions ?

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas and Spot robots can do a lot of things: sprinting, gymnastic routines, parkour, backflips, opening doors to let in an army of their friends, washing dishes, and (poorly) getting actual jobs. But the company’s latest video adds another impressive trick to our future robotic overlords’ repertoire: busting sick dance moves.
The video sees Boston Dynamics’ entire lineup of robots — the humanoid Atlas, the dog-shaped Spot, and the box-juggling Handle — all come together in a bopping, coordinated dance routine set to The Contours’ “Do You Love Me.”
Video: Boston Dynamics
It’s not the first time Boston Dynamics has shown off its robots’ dancing skills: the company showcased a video of its Spot robot doing the Running Man to “Uptown Funk” in 2018. but the new video takes things to another level, with the Atlas robot tearing it up on the dance floor: smoothly running, jumping, shuffling, and twirling through different moves.
Things get even more incredible as more robots file out, prancing around in the kind of coordinated dance routine that puts my own, admittedly awful human dancing to shame. Compared to the jerky movements of the 2016 iteration of Atlas, the new model almost looks like a CGI creation.
Boston Dynamics was recently purchased by Hyundai, which bought the robotics firm from SoftBank in a $1.1 billion deal. The company was originally founded in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where it became known for its dog-like quadrupedal robots (most notably, the DARPA-funded BigDog, a precursor to the company’s first commercial robot, Spot.) It was bought by Alphabet’s X division in 2013, and then by SoftBank in 2017.


theverge--2020-12-29--The Brexit deal calls for DNA profiles to use a 20-year-old email app

The mammoth , last-minute deal that will govern the United Kingdom and European Union ’ s trade relations going forward post-Brexit has been finalized in the nick of time .
But some security researchers have noted some puzzling aspects of the deal , including mentions of the defunct , 23-year old Netscape Communicator email software and recommendations of outdated encryption standards .
The mention occurs in a series of regulations concerning “ encrypt [ ing ] messages containing DNA profile information ” between countries , which must be done using a specific set of encryption protocols .
The open standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard SMTP will be deployed to encrypt messages containing DNA profile information .
The protocol s/MIME ( V3 ) allows signed receipts , security labels , and secure mailing lists ...
The underlying certificate used by s/MIME mechanism has to be in compliance with X.509 standard ... .
The processing rules for s/MIME encryption operations ... are as follows : the sequence of the operations is : first encryption and then signing , the encryption algorithm AES ( Advanced Encryption Standard ) with 256 bit key length and RSA with 1,024 bit key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymmetric encryption respectively , the hash algorithm SHA-1 shall be applied .
s/MIME functionality is built into the vast majority of modern e-mail software packages including Outlook , Mozilla Mail as well as Netscape Communicator 4.x and inter-operates among all major e-mail software packages .
The actual impact of this on major day-to-day operations of either the EU or the UK will likely be small .
Netscape Communicator is simply mentioned as an example of a “ modern e-mail software package ” that supports s/MIME ( alongside Outlook and Mozilla Mail ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards is a bit more concerning , as Hackaday points out — the SHA-1 hash algorithm has effectively been broken as of 2017 , while 1024-bit RSA encryption is vulnerable to brute force attacks by more powerful modern computing .
The language itself may be older than it looks .
As the BBC reports , the same text also appears on a 2008 EU document , which seems to indicate that the lawmakers cobbling together the massive 1,256-page treaty may have recycled some old text without reading it too closely .
Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first to notice the outdated requirements ) commented to the BBC , “ this looks like a standard copy-and-paste of old standards , and with little understanding of the technical details.
” But even then , it ’ s not clear why the EU felt that Netscape Communicator 4 ( an app last updated in 2002 , and succeeded by several generations of Netscape apps by 2008 , which had also all subsequently been discontinued in March 2008 ) was a useful email application to cite in a June 2008 bill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recycled 2008 text was itself borrowed from an even earlier time , back when Netscape was still relevant .
None of this will likely shatter the state of the complex geopolitics between the European Union and the United Kingdom .
If you ’ re going to crib old legislation , using outdated cryptographic standards or email apps for something like DNA results seems better than say , trade tariffs .
But given the size of the Brexit deal and the impact it ’ ll have on the UK , the EU , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d be nice to see that it was founded on something a little stronger than Netscape Communicator 4 .

The open standard s/MIME as extension to de facto e-mail standard SMTP will be deployed to encrypt messages containing DNA profile information. The protocol s/MIME (V3) allows signed receipts, security labels, and secure mailing lists... The underlying certificate used by s/MIME mechanism has to be in compliance with X.509 standard.... The processing rules for s/MIME encryption operations... are as follows:
the sequence of the operations is: first encryption and then signing,
the encryption algorithm AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with 256 bit key length and RSA with 1,024 bit key length shall be applied for symmetric and asymmetric encryption respectively,
the hash algorithm SHA-1 shall be applied.
s/MIME functionality is built into the vast majority of modern e-mail software packages including Outlook, Mozilla Mail as well as Netscape Communicator 4.x and inter-operates among all major e-mail software packages.


theverge--2020-12-30--Samsung’s One UI 3.0 update starts rolling out to Galaxy Note 10 devices

Samsung ’ s One UI 3.0 update has started hitting older Samsung devices , starting with the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus , according to SamMobile .
The update , which brings Android 11-specific feature changes and some small visual and interface tweaks to Samsung smartphones , is only arriving on last year ’ s Note 10 devices in Germany , Spain , and Switzerland for now , but a wider release is expected at some point early next year if not in just a few weeks .
Samsung first began beta testing One UI 3.0 this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 , and it ’ s been at various stages of availability for different smartphones depending on your region .
The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus versions have been available in beta since October , and in early December Samsung began its official rollout of the update to phones in its Galaxy S20 line , with plans to bring the update to its foldables and Samsung ’ s 2019 devices in the “ coming weeks.
” That would imply we ’ ll see a One UI 3.0 release for the Z Fold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flip shortly , as well as wider availability of the update on the Note 10 line beyond Europe .
We ’ ve reached out to Samsung to ask whether the company has a concrete timetable for this broader release outside the initial three markets .

Samsung’s One UI 3.0 update has started hitting older Samsung devices, starting with the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus, according to SamMobile. The update, which brings Android 11-specific feature changes and some small visual and interface tweaks to Samsung smartphones, is only arriving on last year’s Note 10 devices in Germany, Spain, and Switzerland for now, but a wider release is expected at some point early next year if not in just a few weeks.
Samsung first began beta testing One UI 3.0 this past fall following the release of Android 11, and it’s been at various stages of availability for different smartphones depending on your region. The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus versions have been available in beta since October, and in early December Samsung began its official rollout of the update to phones in its Galaxy S20 line, with plans to bring the update to its foldables and Samsung’s 2019 devices in the “coming weeks.”


theverge--2020-12-30--10 great games to play on your new 2020 VR headset

If you received a virtual reality gaming headset this holiday season , congratulations !
Whether you ’ ve got the newly released Oculus Quest 2 , one of the last few units of the now discontinued Oculus Rift S , or another headset like the PlayStation VR , there are a ton of video games for you to explore with your new head mount display .
Here are ten games I personally enjoy and think are worth your time and money .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games , apps , and entertainment .
Check out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones , Windows PCs , and M1-equipped Macs ; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , the PS5 , Xbox One and Series X / S , Nintendo Switch , and VR .
We ’ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
But the fact that Half-Life : Alyx even exists is truly a blessing and is a great addition to the Half-Life franchise .
Set five years after the events of Half-Life 2 , you control Alyx , who is tasked with taking a super weapon that belongs to an alien empire .
When I was a little girl , I always wanted to pilot an X-Wing .
I thought it was so cool to be soaring through space and blasting Tie Fighters out of the sky .
So when EA announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VR support , I knew I could finally fulfill my childhood dream .
It ’ s a very difficult game , and you don ’ t need a VR headset to play .
But it ’ s also a very rewarding game that fully immersed me when I strapped on a virtual reality headset .
When I was growing up on the eastern shore of Maryland , fishing was ( and is ) a very popular activity in the summer .
There ’ s something great about casting your line with a cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the challenge and patience it takes to reel in a fish .
Now that it is winter , I needed something to fill the void until the warmer season returns once again , and Real VR Fishing does not disappoint .
Void Racer : Extreme is a sci-fi racing game that gives me the same adrenaline rush that I get from games like Wipeout or Sprint Vector and combines it with an aesthetic like that seen in the film Tron .
If you are looking for a fast-paced racing game and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game for you .
Sure , there are no true PS5 games released yet , but the PlayStation VR still has a solid library of PS4 titles that you can check out , including Media Molecule ’ s 2020 game creation title Dreams .
It ’ s not a video game in the traditional sense — it 's more of a game about creating games .
Dreams strongly encourages players to embrace their creative side , and you would be surprised by what type of user-generated content you can create .
Rez Infinite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trippy graphics that is truly a breathtaking experience .
It ’ s released on practically every virtual reality gaming headset , which makes it very accessible to play .
Although Beat Saber was originally released in 2019 , this is still one of the best VR games around , and it ’ s one that every VR headset owner needs to experience .
A rhythm game where you use lightsaber-like drumsticks to slice through musical beats ?
You can ’ t beat that .
The game has also expanded to a slew of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some licensed songs from bands like Linkin Park and BTS .
Among the many things I missed this year because of the pandemic is sports .
Namely , the ability to go to a basketball court and shoot some hoops .
After some asking around , I heard about a really decent VR simulation title called VR Shoot Around , and it did not disappoint .
Oh , and did I mention this game is only $ 5 ?
Like a few games on this list , Trover Saves the Universe was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was released this year for the Oculus Quest ) .
Developed by Squanch Games , this game is one of the goofier titles available on VR headsets .
And if you are a fan of Rick and Morty , you will surely get a kick out of this game — in fact , it was created by Justin Roiland , one of the co-creators of that series .
Like its predecessor , Pixel Ripped 1995 is a love letter of sorts to the decade it is set in : the ‘ 90s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ripped 1989 and will make anyone who grew up during the 16-bit or 32-bit era of gaming feel nostalgic .

If you received a virtual reality gaming headset this holiday season, congratulations! Whether you’ve got the newly released Oculus Quest 2, one of the last few units of the now discontinued Oculus Rift S, or another headset like the PlayStation VR, there are a ton of video games for you to explore with your new head mount display. Here are ten games I personally enjoy and think are worth your time and money.
Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx Image: Valve
Yeah, it’s not Half-Life 3. But the fact that Half-Life: Alyx even exists is truly a blessing and is a great addition to the Half-Life franchise. Set five years after the events of Half-Life 2, you control Alyx, who is tasked with taking a super weapon that belongs to an alien empire.
Half-Life: Alyx / $60 from Steam Buy now
Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadrons Image: EA
When I was a little girl, I always wanted to pilot an X-Wing. I thought it was so cool to be soaring through space and blasting Tie Fighters out of the sky. So when EA announced that Star Wars: Squadrons would have VR support, I knew I could finally fulfill my childhood dream.
It’s a very difficult game, and you don’t need a VR headset to play. But it’s also a very rewarding game that fully immersed me when I strapped on a virtual reality headset.
Star Wars: Squadrons / $40 from Electronic Arts Buy now
Real VR Fishing
Real VR Fishing Image: Miragesoft
When I was growing up on the eastern shore of Maryland, fishing was (and is) a very popular activity in the summer. There’s something great about casting your line with a cold drink in hand while on the water, and the challenge and patience it takes to reel in a fish. Now that it is winter, I needed something to fill the void until the warmer season returns once again, and Real VR Fishing does not disappoint.
Real VR Fishing / $20 from Oculus Buy now
Void Racer: Extreme
Void Racer: Extreme Image: Coplanar Games
Void Racer: Extreme is a sci-fi racing game that gives me the same adrenaline rush that I get from games like Wipeout or Sprint Vector and combines it with an aesthetic like that seen in the film Tron. If you are looking for a fast-paced racing game and love sci-fi vibes, this is the game for you.
Voice Racer: Extreme / $10 from Oculus Buy now
Dreams
Dreams Image: Media Molecule
Sure, there are no true PS5 games released yet, but the PlayStation VR still has a solid library of PS4 titles that you can check out, including Media Molecule’s 2020 game creation title Dreams. It’s not a video game in the traditional sense — it's more of a game about creating games. Dreams strongly encourages players to embrace their creative side, and you would be surprised by what type of user-generated content you can create.
Dreams / $20 at Amazon Buy now
Rez Infinite
Rez Infinite Image: Enhance Experience
Rez Infinite is a techno-fueled shooter with sublime and trippy graphics that is truly a breathtaking experience. It’s released on practically every virtual reality gaming headset, which makes it very accessible to play.
Rez Infinite / $20 at Oculus Buy now
Rez Infinite / $30 at PlayStation Store Buy now
Rez Infinite / $25 at Steam Buy now
Beat Saber
Beat Saber Image: Beat Games
Although Beat Saber was originally released in 2019, this is still one of the best VR games around, and it’s one that every VR headset owner needs to experience. A rhythm game where you use lightsaber-like drumsticks to slice through musical beats? You can’t beat that. The game has also expanded to a slew of content packs, which include original songs and some licensed songs from bands like Linkin Park and BTS.
Beat Saber / $30 at Steam Buy now
Beat Saber / $30 at Oculus Buy now
Beat Saber / $30 at PlayStation Store Buy now
VR Shoot Around
VR Shoot Around Image: BoninblueDesignLab
Among the many things I missed this year because of the pandemic is sports. Namely, the ability to go to a basketball court and shoot some hoops. After some asking around, I heard about a really decent VR simulation title called VR Shoot Around, and it did not disappoint. Oh, and did I mention this game is only $5?
VR Shoot Around / $5 on Steam Buy now
Trover Saves the Universe
Trover Saves the Universe Image: Squanch Games
Like a few games on this list, Trover Saves the Universe was not released in 2020 (though it was released this year for the Oculus Quest). Developed by Squanch Games, this game is one of the goofier titles available on VR headsets. And if you are a fan of Rick and Morty, you will surely get a kick out of this game — in fact, it was created by Justin Roiland, one of the co-creators of that series.
Trover Saves the Universe / $21 at Amazon for the PS4 Buy now
Trover Saves the Universe / $30 at Oculus Buy now
Trover Saves the Universe / $30 at Steam Buy now
Pixel Ripped 1995
Pixel Ripped 1995 Image: ARVORE Immersive Experiences
Like its predecessor, Pixel Ripped 1995 is a love letter of sorts to the decade it is set in: the ‘90s. It’s a sequel to Pixel Ripped 1989 and will make anyone who grew up during the 16-bit or 32-bit era of gaming feel nostalgic.
Pixel Ripped 1995 / $20 at Steam Buy now
Pixel Ripped 1995 / $20 at Oculus Buy now


theverge--2020-12-30--New Samsung TVs with HDR10+ will adapt to ambient lighting

HDR10+ Adaptive is a new feature coming to the high dynamic range standard that ’ ll optimize TV picture quality based on a room ’ s ambient brightness , Samsung announced today .
HDR content is typically designed to look its best in dark rooms with as little ambient light as possible , but the new feature promises to use your TV ’ s light sensor to react to bright environments and adjust its picture quality accordingly .
Samsung says the feature will launch globally with its “ upcoming QLED TV products.
” HDR10+ isn ’ t the first HDR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At last year ’ s CES , Dolby announced Dolby Vision IQ , a new feature for its own HDR standard that similarly promises to optimize HDR content for the room it ’ s being watched in .
The feature went on to appear in select TVs from LG and Panasonic over the course of the year and was generally well-received in reviews .
HDR10+ content can be found on Amazon Prime Video Samsung notes that HDR10+ Adaptive will work with Filmmaker Mode , a display setting launched last year which turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show content as accurately as possible .
Compared to Dolby Vision , the HDR10+ standard isn ’ t quite as widely supported by TV manufacturers and streaming services .
However , it has the support of Samsung , the world ’ s biggest TV manufacturer , and Amazon through its Amazon Prime Video streaming service .
It ’ s no coincidence that these were the two companies that announced the standard over three years ago .
Dolby Vision , meanwhile , is supported in TVs from manufacturers like LG and Sony , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus .
Samsung says its upcoming QLED TVs will support HDR10+ Adaptive , but it ’ s unclear if its existing TVs will be updated with the new feature .

HDR10+ Adaptive is a new feature coming to the high dynamic range standard that’ll optimize TV picture quality based on a room’s ambient brightness, Samsung announced today. HDR content is typically designed to look its best in dark rooms with as little ambient light as possible, but the new feature promises to use your TV’s light sensor to react to bright environments and adjust its picture quality accordingly. Samsung says the feature will launch globally with its “upcoming QLED TV products.”
HDR10+ isn’t the first HDR standard to have introduced such a feature. At last year’s CES, Dolby announced Dolby Vision IQ, a new feature for its own HDR standard that similarly promises to optimize HDR content for the room it’s being watched in. The feature went on to appear in select TVs from LG and Panasonic over the course of the year and was generally well-received in reviews.
HDR10+ content can be found on Amazon Prime Video
Samsung notes that HDR10+ Adaptive will work with Filmmaker Mode, a display setting launched last year which turns off post-processing effects like motion smoothing to show content as accurately as possible.
Compared to Dolby Vision, the HDR10+ standard isn’t quite as widely supported by streaming services. However, it has the support of Samsung, the world’s biggest TV manufacturer, and Amazon through its Amazon Prime Video streaming service. It’s no coincidence that these were the two companies that announced the standard over three years ago. Dolby Vision, meanwhile, is supported in TVs from manufacturers like LG and Sony, and content supporting the standard can be found on streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus.


theverge--2020-12-30--This maker built a working Batman grappling gun in only a year

If you ’ ve ever watched a Batman movie or played Just Cause , you ’ ve probably thought “ wow , using a grappling hook would be so much fun.
” YouTuber Built IRL , whose name is JT , thought so too — and he ’ s been working on making that happen for the past year .
The end result is a grappling hook gun that functions pretty similarly to the ones we ’ ve seen in movies and games .
As you ’ ll see in the video above , this new grappling gun is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one thing , it ’ s self-contained — the entire unit fits on his arm , including the CO2-powered blasting mechanism that shoots the hook using standard cartridges , and a very powerful 10,000W motor that ’ s properly fast and can completely pull him up into the air .
( He shows off some previous historical attempts to build such a gadget , and definitely seems like his hook would win the grappling gun race . )
Unlike some other DIY grappling hooks , JT ’ s contraption can also bring him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control his direction and speed with a wheel near his thumb .
You can also see some of the real-world limitations of a grapple gun , ones that Batman never had to deal with since he ’ s a work of fiction .
The device can be hard to control — partly because JT ’ s trying to use his thumb while also supporting all his weight with one hand .
For the most part , he uses it attached to a harness , so the impact of being yanked up into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body instead of being dragged by a single arm .
( Just thinking about that makes my shoulders hurt . )
It also turns out that wrapping a grappling hook around whatever you ’ re trying to climb isn ’ t as easy as it seems in Overwatch or Titanfall 2 .
That ’ s especially true when it ’ s being fired out of something attached to your arm .
Despite the drawbacks , the device still works shockingly well for something so small , and it ’ s awesome to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s also working on a version of Spider-Man ’ s web shooters , and his success with the grappling gun makes me think he may actually have a shot .
If you want to see the origins of the project , you can check out the video JT made with Hacksmith Industries in November 2019 .
If you want to see the entire build process , you can also check out this playlist of videos detailing the project ’ s evolution .

If you’ve ever watched a Batman movie or played Just Cause, you’ve probably thought “wow, using a grappling hook would be so much fun.” YouTuber Built IRL, whose name is JT, thought so too — and he’s been working on making that happen for the past year. The end result is a grappling hook gun that functions pretty similarly to the ones we’ve seen in movies and games.
As you’ll see in the video above, this new grappling gun is more impressive than many previous attempts. For one thing, it’s self-contained — the entire unit fits on his arm, including the CO2-powered blasting mechanism that shoots the hook using standard cartridges, and a very powerful 10,000W motor that’s properly fast and can completely pull him up into the air. (He shows off some previous historical attempts to build such a gadget, and definitely seems like his hook would win the grappling gun race.)
Unlike some other DIY grappling hooks, JT’s contraption can also bring him back down to earth. He can control his direction and speed with a wheel near his thumb.
Pretty small for a device that can haul a human at such speed. Photo: Built IRL
You can also see some of the real-world limitations of a grapple gun, ones that Batman never had to deal with since he’s a work of fiction. The device can be hard to control — partly because JT’s trying to use his thumb while also supporting all his weight with one hand. For the most part, he uses it attached to a harness, so the impact of being yanked up into the air can be spread across his whole body instead of being dragged by a single arm. (Just thinking about that makes my shoulders hurt.)
It also turns out that wrapping a grappling hook around whatever you’re trying to climb isn’t as easy as it seems in Overwatch or Titanfall 2. That’s especially true when it’s being fired out of something attached to your arm.
Despite the drawbacks, the device still works shockingly well for something so small, and it’s awesome to see a project like this come together. He’s also working on a version of Spider-Man’s web shooters, and his success with the grappling gun makes me think he may actually have a shot.


theverge--2020-12-30--ESPN Plus is raising its annual subscription price to $59.99 in 2021

The cost for an annual subscription for ESPN Plus subscribers will increase from $ 49.99 to $ 59.99 in 2021 , according to Variety .
ESPN raised the monthly price of ESPN Plus earlier this year to $ 5.99 , and now the annual subscription is getting the same treatment .
New subscribers will start paying $ 59.99 on January 8th , 2021 , and the new price will reportedly trickle down to existing subscribers a few months later in March .
Disney had already announced that Disney Plus and the company ’ s bundle of Hulu , Disney Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 more starting in March 2021 , raising those prices to $ 8.99 and $ 13.99 , respectively .
Streaming price hikes have been a theme of 2020 ; YouTube TV raised its price , Fubo followed not long after , Netflix raised the cost of its most popular streaming plan by $ 1 , and Hulu ’ s Live TV service got a price bump as well .
The pricing for ESPN Plus ’ UFC pay-per-view events will also change in January .
Currently each match costs $ 64.99 to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will change to $ 69.99 .
UFC pay-per-view matches are exclusive to ESPN Plus in the US , so the price change will affect anyone who keeps up with MMA regularly .
Outside the US , the availability of matches varies depending on the region , but the official UFC site has the most up-to-date information .
These kinds of streaming service price hikes aren ’ t unusual , and if anything it gives some insight into ESPN and Disney ’ s confidence in their service .
There are new ESPN Plus exclusives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but ESPN ’ s biggest get is streaming rights to Southeastern Conference football , which will bring SEC games to the streaming service in 2021 .
We ’ ll have to see if these are enough for existing subscribers to stick around .

The cost for an annual subscription for ESPN Plus subscribers will increase from $49.99 to $59.99 in 2021, according to Variety. ESPN raised the monthly price of ESPN Plus earlier this year to $5.99, and now the annual subscription is getting the same treatment.
The pricing for ESPN Plus’ UFC pay-per-view events will also change in January. Currently each match costs $64.99 to watch, but after January 8th, that will change to $69.99. UFC pay-per-view matches are exclusive to ESPN Plus in the US, so the price change will affect anyone who keeps up with MMA regularly. Outside the US, the availability of matches varies depending on the region, but the official UFC site has the most up-to-date information.


theverge--2020-12-30--Ticketmaster will pay $10 million for hacking rival ticket seller

Ticketmaster has agreed to pay $ 10 million for breaking into a competitors ’ network .
The company and its parent Live Nation admitted to hiring a former employee from rival ticket seller CrowdSurge , then using his knowledge — including old usernames and passwords — to learn CrowdSurge ’ s inner workings and “ cut [ the company ] off at the knees.
” “ Ticketmaster employees repeatedly — and illegally — accessed a competitor ’ s computers without authorization using stolen passwords to unlawfully collect business intelligence , ” said acting US attorney Seth DuCharme .
“ Further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a division-wide ‘ summit ’ at which the stolen passwords were used to access the victim company ’ s computers.
” The hacking allegations were reported in 2017 after CrowdSurge ( which had merged with another company called Songkick ) sued Live Nation for antitrust violations .
According to court documents and previous reports , Live Nation hired a former CrowdSurge employee named Stephen Mead in 2013 .
Then , now-fired Ticketmaster executive Zeeshan Zaidi and other executives encouraged him to turn over his old employer ’ s secrets .
That included logging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies , getting a window into CrowdSurge ’ s operations .
Ticketmaster even offered a “ product review ” of its far smaller rival at a 2014 company summit , asking Mead to log in and demonstrate its capabilities in a presentation .
In addition to actual password theft , Mead also revealed that his old employer used non-protected but difficult-to-find preview links for ticketing pages .
Ticketmaster gathered a spreadsheet of every ticketing page it could find , letting it identify artists who were using the service and “ dissuade ” them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the system by 2015 , the same year CrowdSurge merged with Songkick .
Songkick sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster for violating antitrust laws .
But it soon sold or shut down its services , and in 2018 , it accepted a $ 110 million settlement — plus an undisclosed sum to sell some of its remaining assets to Ticketmaster .
Ticketmaster expressed satisfaction with the outcome in a statement .
“ Ticketmaster terminated both Zaidi and Mead in 2017 , after their conduct came to light .
Their actions violated our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values .
We are pleased that this matter is now resolved , ” a spokesperson told The Verge .
Today ’ s judgment defers prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act .
Ticketmaster must pay the fine in question , maintain clear policies to detect and prevent unauthorized computer intrusion , and present annual reports on its conduct for the next three years .

Ticketmaster has agreed to pay $10 million for breaking into a competitors’ network. The company and its parent Live Nation admitted to hiring a former employee from rival ticket seller CrowdSurge, then using his knowledge — including old usernames and passwords — to learn CrowdSurge’s inner workings and “cut [the company] off at the knees.”
“Ticketmaster employees repeatedly — and illegally — accessed a competitor’s computers without authorization using stolen passwords to unlawfully collect business intelligence,” said acting US attorney Seth DuCharme. “Further, Ticketmaster’s employees brazenly held a division-wide ‘summit’ at which the stolen passwords were used to access the victim company’s computers.”
The hacking allegations were reported in 2017 after CrowdSurge (which had merged with another company called Songkick) sued Live Nation for antitrust violations. According to court documents and previous reports, Live Nation hired a former CrowdSurge employee named Stephen Mead in 2013. Then, now-fired Ticketmaster executive Zeeshan Zaidi and other executives encouraged him to turn over his old employer’s secrets. That included logging into pages with analytics for artist management companies, getting a window into CrowdSurge’s operations. Ticketmaster even offered a “product review” of its far smaller rival at a 2014 company summit, asking Mead to log in and demonstrate its capabilities in a presentation.
In addition to actual password theft, Mead also revealed that his old employer used non-protected but difficult-to-find preview links for ticketing pages. Ticketmaster gathered a spreadsheet of every ticketing page it could find, letting it identify artists who were using the service and “dissuade” them from doing so.
Ticketmaster apparently lost access to the system by 2015, the same year CrowdSurge merged with Songkick. Songkick sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster for violating antitrust laws. But it soon sold or shut down its services, and in 2018, it accepted a $110 million settlement — plus an undisclosed sum to sell some of its remaining assets to Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster expressed satisfaction with the outcome in a statement. “Ticketmaster terminated both Zaidi and Mead in 2017, after their conduct came to light. Their actions violated our corporate policies and were inconsistent with our values. We are pleased that this matter is now resolved,” a spokesperson told The Verge.
Today’s judgment defers prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Ticketmaster must pay the fine in question, maintain clear policies to detect and prevent unauthorized computer intrusion, and present annual reports on its conduct for the next three years.


theverge--2020-12-30--The LG Wing’s dual screens get a little easier to use in a new software update

LG ’ s screen-swiveling Wing was one of the most interesting looking smartphones of 2020 , but its unique design was held back by poor software support .
A new software update , out today for the Verizon-exclusive device , looks to help address those issues by adding some new dual-screen functionality .
Specifically , Droid Life reports that the new update makes it much easier to send apps to and from the smaller display to the main one ( a process that previously involved some convoluted menu wrangling . )
With the new update , there ’ s now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps from one display to the other , along with a “ restart ” button to relaunch apps that transition over poorly .
You can also use a third-finger gesture to accomplish a similar task .
Finally , LG has added app names to the homescreen when the phone is swiveled open , making it better resemble the standard Android homescreen .
LG has also fixed one of the biggest pet peeves about the second display , adding media controls for all apps to the second display when watching ( instead of just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube . )
Now , apps like Netflix will offer similar functionality .
There ’ s also a few other additional features in the update , including the ability to automatically scan QR codes in the camera app , a new wallpaper , a matching 5G icon , and a November security patch .
If you own an LG Wing , you ’ ll be able to install the update now by checking for a software update in the settings app .

LG’s screen-swiveling Wing was one of the most interesting looking smartphones of 2020, but its unique design was held back by poor software support. A new software update, out today for the Verizon-exclusive device, looks to help address those issues by adding some new dual-screen functionality.
Specifically, Droid Life reports that the new update makes it much easier to send apps to and from the smaller display to the main one (a process that previously involved some convoluted menu wrangling.) With the new update, there’s now a “send” button that shuttle apps from one display to the other, along with a “restart” button to relaunch apps that transition over poorly. You can also use a third-finger gesture to accomplish a similar task. Finally, LG has added app names to the homescreen when the phone is swiveled open, making it better resemble the standard Android homescreen.
LG has also fixed one of the biggest pet peeves about the second display, adding media controls for all apps to the second display when watching (instead of just a handful of select apps, like YouTube.) Now, apps like Netflix will offer similar functionality.
There’s also a few other additional features in the update, including the ability to automatically scan QR codes in the camera app, a new wallpaper, a matching 5G icon, and a November security patch.