theverge--2020-05-19--Lenovo Chromebook Duet review: this has no business costing so little

Lenovo ’ s Chromebook Duet is far from flawless .
But when you ’ re evaluating a device that starts at $ 279 , the question isn ’ t “ Is this a perfect device ?
” The question is : “ Is this better than other stuff you can get for that price ?
” Chromebooks in that price range tend to be clunky and cheap , like HP ’ s Chromebook 14 or Chromebook x360 12b .
If you want a Windows alternative , you ’ re looking at the lowest end of the Acer Aspire or Acer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the Motile 14 .
And , of course , there are entry-level iPads and other basic Android tablets , but those don ’ t come with a keyboard .
Lenovo has certainly cut some corners to shave the Chromebook Duet down to that price point .
And since I ’ m employed as a professional griper , gripe I shall .
But at the end of the day , they feel like cut corners — not like major missteps that significantly hamper the device .
And after several days using the Duet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable saying it feels much more like a Surface Go with some concessions than it does an ultra-budget PC .
Next to the latest iPads or higher-end Chromebooks like the Pixelbook Go , the Duet Chromebook has significant drawbacks .
But those devices are a step up in price ( especially when you include the keyboard covers ) .
If you ’ re looking for a convertible in the sub- $ 300 range that kind of has a foot in both doors , the Duet is the best you will find .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage .
The price includes the keyboard and kickstand , which isn ’ t the case with the Surface Go or any iPad model .
I tested the $ 299 version , which has the same processor and RAM but 128GB of storage .
Twenty dollars isn ’ t a huge difference , so I recommend that you go for the extra storage if you can afford it — 64G will fill up quickly if you plan on downloading lots of apps , videos , or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the big thing to know about this Chromebook is that it ’ s small .
At 10.1 inches , it ’ s a typical size for a tablet , but if you ’ re trying to use it the way you ’ d use a work laptop ( with dozens of tabs and Windows side by side , for example ) things get cramped .
I was able to write this entire review on the Duet , but going back to the 13-inch 3:2 screen on my personal computer felt like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a 16:10 aspect ratio , which I appreciate — and if you ’ re used to using 16:9 panels , you ’ ll notice the extra vertical space .
I still feel slightly less constricted on a 13-inch 16:9 screen , but it ’ s close .
As a consequence , the detachable keyboard is also tiny .
Most of the keys aren ’ t terrible to press ; they ’ re actually a bit larger than the Surface Go ’ s keys , with about 1.3mm travel .
The cramped setup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a day or so of using the device I was able to hit my typical typing speed ( around 130 words per minute ) .
Where Lenovo has had to compromise , however , is on the keys on the outskirts of the deck ( tab , backspace , enter , colon , apostrophe , dash , etc. )
.
These are minuscule ( just over half the size of the letter keys ) and hitting them was a chore .
Even after using the device for several days , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the time — I can ’ t tell you how many times I ended up slamming the equals sign instead .
Similarly , I very often hit enter when I meant to hit the adjacent apostrophe key .
Hitting dash , which is squeezed to the left of the equals key , felt like a needle-in-haystack scenario , and I found myself instinctively avoiding using dashes in my writing .
I imagine you ’ ll get used to all this if you buy the Duet , but expect a steep learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocked to learn that the touchpad is also small , at 3.4 x 1.9 inches .
It feels fine and scrolls competently ( though I have small hands ) .
I did have some trouble clicking and dragging ( I often resorted to doing that on the touchscreen ) , and two-finger clicks occasionally registered as regular clicks .
Additionally , when the keyboard was uneven in my lap , it sometimes twisted into a position where the clicker stopped working ( an ailment you ’ ll be familiar with if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you prefer to use the screen , the Duet is also compatible with USI styluses .
If you were hoping to connect a bunch of peripherals in lieu of the included keyboard , make sure you have splitters and dongles in tow .
The Duet has all of one USB-C port , which will be occupied whenever the device is charging .
It would be nice to have at least an audio jack , though Lenovo does include a headphone dongle .
( While we ’ re making wish lists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plug in a mouse while charging the thing , would be welcome ) .
At this price point , though , I don ’ t see the cramped peripherals as missteps on Lenovo ’ s part ; they ’ re trade-offs you ’ re making .
In exchange , you get a device that ’ s quite compact and portable .
The tablet alone is .99 pounds ( 449g ) , and with the keyboard and kickstand attached it ’ s only 2.03 pounds ( 921g ) .
And despite the corners that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touchpad , no part of the Duet looks or feels cheap .
The tablet itself is made of an aluminum alloy , which is sturdy and nice to hold .
The cover is made of a chic gray fabric — it looks like a classy notebook when closed .
Both the keyboard and the kickstand reliably stayed in place while I was using the device .
The Duet does lack the two-part magnetic mechanism that the Surface Go uses to keep both covers in place , meaning the keyboard tends to slide around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , corners .
Another area where the Duet is punching above its weight class : battery life .
Lenovo claims 10 hours ; I got close to 11 and a half , running the device through my typical workload of Chrome tabs and apps including Gmail , Twitter , Slack , Asana , Facebook , Docs , and Sheets , as well as the occasional Zoom call and Spotify streaming , with the screen at medium brightness .
On a day where I only used Chrome , I got just over 12 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the charger ; the included 10W USB-C brick only juiced the device up 24 percent in an hour . )
There ’ s a clear ( at least , partial ) explanation for that result : the low-end processor .
Lenovo is using an octa-core , 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P60T .
Power-wise , it ’ s closer to a budget Snapdragon smartphone processor than the Intel chips you ’ ll find in nice Chromebooks .
With that understood , the Duet ’ s performance was surprisingly decent .
If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netflix , or running an app or two , you shouldn ’ t have a problem .
I was even able to run a daily dose of eight to 12 Chrome tabs and six to eight Android apps without much trouble .
Docs and Spotify each crashed once or twice , but it wasn ’ t a rampant problem .
It was near impossible to get anything else done while a Zoom call was running ( though that might be a blessing in disguise for my co-workers ) .
I also ran the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use , and things started to slow down at around 15 tabs .
But again , heavy multitasking isn ’ t what this device is for ( and the 4GB of RAM is likely as much of a limiting factor as the processor ) .
Speaking of Zoom , the Duet has two cameras , including a 2MP front shooter and an 8MP rear shooter .
Both were actually better than the webcams I tend to see on laptops .
My face on video calls was clear and not particularly washed out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take incredible photos but will do just fine if you need to snap a picture of your notes or a PowerPoint slide .
The dual speakers ( located in the top bezel ) delivered surprisingly well-balanced audio that was clear at higher volumes .
They don ’ t get as loud as many full-sized laptops do — that ’ s understandable given their size , but that ’ s another reason there really should be a headphone jack on this thing .
Gaming was also a good experience .
Flipping Legend and Monster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smooth .
They also looked sharp on the 1920 x 1200 screen .
The Duet even did a good job with photo work in Lightroom .
Editing , both of singular photos and batches , wasn ’ t instantaneous , but it also wasn ’ t agonizingly slow ; the experience was about on par with midrange Intel-powered Chromebooks I ’ ve tested in the past .
( The panel is a bit dim for anyone doing serious creative work ; the glare was substantial enough that the screen was hard to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software : the things Chrome OS people like about Chrome OS are all here .
The Duet boots quickly , the interface is simple , you get automatic background updates every six weeks , you have access to your favorite Android apps ( including Microsoft Office ) through the Google Play Store , and Google Assistant can answer your queries and keep you company .
The OS is well-integrated with the rest of Google ’ s ecosystem , and there ’ s a slew of cute ways you can use it with your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tethering , meaning you can automatically hitch it to your phone ’ s data connection without having to dink around with hotspots .
You also use Android to sign in and out of the Chromebook remotely , as long as it ’ s nearby .
And you can use Click-to-Call to send contact numbers from the Duet to your phone .
The usual Chrome OS caveats also apply ; Android apps are hit-or-miss , with some being well-optimized for Chromebook , some being okay but worse than their browser equivalents , and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute disasters .
It ’ s still much harder to sideload apps than it is on Android .
Once you ’ ve gotten the hang of what apps you can safely use and what you should keep in Chrome , you should be able to navigate the operating system just fine .
But if you ’ re new to Chromebooks , there ’ s a learning curve .
The exciting thing here is that Google has also made a few tweaks to Chrome OS to optimize it for the convertible form factor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ device ever to launch with a version of Chrome that ’ s actually optimized for tablet use .
( RIP Pixel Slate ) .
There are three “ modes ” : Type Mode ( when the keyboard is attached ) , Watch Mode ( when the kickstand is open and the keyboard is detached ) , and Browse Mode ( when it ’ s just a tablet ) .
( Watch Mode and Browse Mode are essentially the same , as far as I can tell ) .
Browse Mode ’ s headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A long swipe up sends you to the home screen , a short swipe up summons the app shelf , swiping up and holding shows all of your open app windows .
Swipe up , hold , and drag a window to one side to split the display ; swipe right to return to a previous screen .
I wouldn ’ t say these gestures were necessarily fluid — at least , not compared to what you ’ ll see on an iPad .
But they ’ re the start of a system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future , and they did make browsing in tablet mode a bit easier .
Nothing about the Chromebook Duet is perfect ; I could nitpick all day about various suboptimal qualities of the keyboard , touchpad , performance , or screen .
But the Duet isn ’ t trying to be perfect .
It ’ s not for power users , and it ’ s not meant to accommodate heavy multitasking .
With that in mind , this is the closest to perfection that I ’ ve ever seen from a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for a fun device for kids that can also handle homeschooling work , or a portable 2-in-1 for watching Netflix and sending emails on the go , the Duet should do just fine .
It ’ s a solid midrange 2-in-1 Chromebook that has no business being as cheap as it is .

Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet is far from flawless. But when you’re evaluating a device that starts at $279, the question isn’t “Is this a perfect device?” The question is: “Is this better than other stuff you can get for that price?”
Chromebooks in that price range tend to be clunky and cheap, like HP’s Chromebook 14 or Chromebook x360 12b. If you want a Windows alternative, you’re looking at the lowest end of the Acer Aspire or Acer Swift lines or other extremely bare-bones options like the Motile 14. And, of course, there are entry-level iPads and other basic Android tablets, but those don’t come with a keyboard.
Lenovo has certainly cut some corners to shave the Chromebook Duet down to that price point. And since I’m employed as a professional griper, gripe I shall. But at the end of the day, they feel like cut corners — not like major missteps that significantly hamper the device. And after several days using the Duet as my primary driver, I feel comfortable saying it feels much more like a Surface Go with some concessions than it does an ultra-budget PC.
8.5 Verge Score Lenovo Chromebook Duet $ 299 The Good Ultra portable
11-hour battery life
Included keyboard and kickstand
You can’t beat the price The Bad Cramped keyboard and touchpad
Just one port (and it’s not a headphone jack)
Lacks the horsepower for serious multitasking $299 at Best Buy How we rate and review products
Next to the latest iPads or higher-end Chromebooks like the Pixelbook Go, the Duet Chromebook has significant drawbacks. But those devices are a step up in price (especially when you include the keyboard covers). If you’re looking for a convertible in the sub-$300 range that kind of has a foot in both doors, the Duet is the best you will find.
The Chromebook Duet’s base model has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The price includes the keyboard and kickstand, which isn’t the case with the Surface Go or any iPad model. I tested the $299 version, which has the same processor and RAM but 128GB of storage. Twenty dollars isn’t a huge difference, so I recommend that you go for the extra storage if you can afford it — 64G will fill up quickly if you plan on downloading lots of apps, videos, or other media.
It’s super, super light. The screen gets up to 400 nits, according to Lenovo. The kickstand is fairly sturdy and doesn’t slide around. It’s easy to change the screen’s angle.
Aside from its head-turning price, the big thing to know about this Chromebook is that it’s small. At 10.1 inches, it’s a typical size for a tablet, but if you’re trying to use it the way you’d use a work laptop (with dozens of tabs and Windows side by side, for example) things get cramped. I was able to write this entire review on the Duet, but going back to the 13-inch 3:2 screen on my personal computer felt like a whole new world.
The display does have a 16:10 aspect ratio, which I appreciate — and if you’re used to using 16:9 panels, you’ll notice the extra vertical space. I still feel slightly less constricted on a 13-inch 16:9 screen, but it’s close.
As a consequence, the detachable keyboard is also tiny. Most of the keys aren’t terrible to press; they’re actually a bit larger than the Surface Go’s keys, with about 1.3mm travel. The cramped setup took some getting used to, but after a day or so of using the device I was able to hit my typical typing speed (around 130 words per minute).
Where Lenovo has had to compromise, however, is on the keys on the outskirts of the deck (tab, backspace, enter, colon, apostrophe, dash, etc.). These are minuscule (just over half the size of the letter keys) and hitting them was a chore. Even after using the device for several days, I was still only correctly tapping backspace about 75 percent of the time — I can’t tell you how many times I ended up slamming the equals sign instead. Similarly, I very often hit enter when I meant to hit the adjacent apostrophe key. Hitting dash, which is squeezed to the left of the equals key, felt like a needle-in-haystack scenario, and I found myself instinctively avoiding using dashes in my writing. I imagine you’ll get used to all this if you buy the Duet, but expect a steep learning curve.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet specs (as reviewed) MediaTek Helio P60T
4GB RAM
128GB storage
10.1-inch display (1920 x 1200)
7,000mAh (27Wh) battery
10W adapter
Two speakers
Two digital microphones
One USB-C port
You won’t be shocked to learn that the touchpad is also small, at 3.4 x 1.9 inches. It feels fine and scrolls competently (though I have small hands). I did have some trouble clicking and dragging (I often resorted to doing that on the touchscreen), and two-finger clicks occasionally registered as regular clicks. Additionally, when the keyboard was uneven in my lap, it sometimes twisted into a position where the clicker stopped working (an ailment you’ll be familiar with if you’ve used cheap keyboard covers before). If you prefer to use the screen, the Duet is also compatible with USI styluses.
If you were hoping to connect a bunch of peripherals in lieu of the included keyboard, make sure you have splitters and dongles in tow. The Duet has all of one USB-C port, which will be occupied whenever the device is charging. It would be nice to have at least an audio jack, though Lenovo does include a headphone dongle. (While we’re making wish lists, another USB-C port, so we could plug in a mouse while charging the thing, would be welcome).
The Duet includes a kickstand and keyboard.
The screen had substantial glare outside.
At this price point, though, I don’t see the cramped peripherals as missteps on Lenovo’s part; they’re trade-offs you’re making. In exchange, you get a device that’s quite compact and portable. The tablet alone is .99 pounds (449g), and with the keyboard and kickstand attached it’s only 2.03 pounds (921g).
And despite the corners that have been cut with the keyboard and touchpad, no part of the Duet looks or feels cheap. The tablet itself is made of an aluminum alloy, which is sturdy and nice to hold. The cover is made of a chic gray fabric — it looks like a classy notebook when closed. Both the keyboard and the kickstand reliably stayed in place while I was using the device. The Duet does lack the two-part magnetic mechanism that the Surface Go uses to keep both covers in place, meaning the keyboard tends to slide around when the laptop is closed. Again, corners.
Another area where the Duet is punching above its weight class: battery life. Lenovo claims 10 hours; I got close to 11 and a half, running the device through my typical workload of Chrome tabs and apps including Gmail, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Facebook, Docs, and Sheets, as well as the occasional Zoom call and Spotify streaming, with the screen at medium brightness. On a day where I only used Chrome, I got just over 12. (Lenovo has, however, skimped on the charger; the included 10W USB-C brick only juiced the device up 24 percent in an hour.)
There’s a clear (at least, partial) explanation for that result: the low-end processor. Lenovo is using an octa-core, 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P60T. Power-wise, it’s closer to a budget Snapdragon smartphone processor than the Intel chips you’ll find in nice Chromebooks.
With that understood, the Duet’s performance was surprisingly decent. If you’re browsing in a couple tabs, streaming Netflix, or running an app or two, you shouldn’t have a problem. I was even able to run a daily dose of eight to 12 Chrome tabs and six to eight Android apps without much trouble. Docs and Spotify each crashed once or twice, but it wasn’t a rampant problem. It was near impossible to get anything else done while a Zoom call was running (though that might be a blessing in disguise for my co-workers). I also ran the Duet through a day of just Chrome use, and things started to slow down at around 15 tabs. But again, heavy multitasking isn’t what this device is for (and the 4GB of RAM is likely as much of a limiting factor as the processor).
AGREE TO CONTINUE: Lenovo Chromebook Duet Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To use the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, you have to agree to: Connect to Wi-Fi
Chrome OS terms of service
Chrome sync (porting over history, bookmarks, passwords, and other settings from your Google account)
Personalized Google services
Google Play terms of services The following agreements are optional: Send diagnostic and usage data to Google
A Google account
Back up to Google Drive
Allow apps and services with location permission to use your device’s location
Google Assistant voice match
Let Assistant show you information related to what’s on your screen
Connect to an Android phone Final tally: five mandatory agreements and seven optional ones
Speaking of Zoom, the Duet has two cameras, including a 2MP front shooter and an 8MP rear shooter. Both were actually better than the webcams I tend to see on laptops. My face on video calls was clear and not particularly washed out, and the rear camera doesn’t take incredible photos but will do just fine if you need to snap a picture of your notes or a PowerPoint slide. The dual speakers (located in the top bezel) delivered surprisingly well-balanced audio that was clear at higher volumes. They don’t get as loud as many full-sized laptops do — that’s understandable given their size, but that’s another reason there really should be a headphone jack on this thing.
Gaming was also a good experience. Flipping Legend and Monster Legends occasionally stuttered but were generally pretty smooth. They also looked sharp on the 1920 x 1200 screen.
The Duet even did a good job with photo work in Lightroom. Editing, both of singular photos and batches, wasn’t instantaneous, but it also wasn’t agonizingly slow; the experience was about on par with midrange Intel-powered Chromebooks I’ve tested in the past. (The panel is a bit dim for anyone doing serious creative work; the glare was substantial enough that the screen was hard to see outdoors).
The letter keys are fine, but the outer ones are a struggle.
Moving on to the software: the things Chrome OS people like about Chrome OS are all here. The Duet boots quickly, the interface is simple, you get automatic background updates every six weeks, you have access to your favorite Android apps (including Microsoft Office) through the Google Play Store, and Google Assistant can answer your queries and keep you company.
The OS is well-integrated with the rest of Google’s ecosystem, and there’s a slew of cute ways you can use it with your Android phone. The Duet supports instant tethering, meaning you can automatically hitch it to your phone’s data connection without having to dink around with hotspots. You also use Android to sign in and out of the Chromebook remotely, as long as it’s nearby. And you can use Click-to-Call to send contact numbers from the Duet to your phone.
The usual Chrome OS caveats also apply; Android apps are hit-or-miss, with some being well-optimized for Chromebook, some being okay but worse than their browser equivalents, and some (hello, Facebook Messenger) being absolute disasters. It’s still much harder to sideload apps than it is on Android. Once you’ve gotten the hang of what apps you can safely use and what you should keep in Chrome, you should be able to navigate the operating system just fine. But if you’re new to Chromebooks, there’s a learning curve.
The usual Chrome OS caveats apply
The exciting thing here is that Google has also made a few tweaks to Chrome OS to optimize it for the convertible form factor. Google says the Duet is the first device ever to launch with a version of Chrome that’s actually optimized for tablet use. (RIP Pixel Slate). There are three “modes”: Type Mode (when the keyboard is attached), Watch Mode (when the kickstand is open and the keyboard is detached), and Browse Mode (when it’s just a tablet). (Watch Mode and Browse Mode are essentially the same, as far as I can tell).
Browse Mode’s headline feature is a new gesture-navigation system. A long swipe up sends you to the home screen, a short swipe up summons the app shelf, swiping up and holding shows all of your open app windows. Swipe up, hold, and drag a window to one side to split the display; swipe right to return to a previous screen. I wouldn’t say these gestures were necessarily fluid — at least, not compared to what you’ll see on an iPad. But they’re the start of a system I can see becoming quite polished in the future, and they did make browsing in tablet mode a bit easier.
Nothing about the Chromebook Duet is perfect; I could nitpick all day about various suboptimal qualities of the keyboard, touchpad, performance, or screen. But the Duet isn’t trying to be perfect. It’s not for power users, and it’s not meant to accommodate heavy multitasking.


theverge--2020-05-19--How to watch Microsoft’s Build conference

Microsoft ’ s annual Build developer conference kicks off today , where the company will focus on Windows , Office , and cloud announcements .
Microsoft usually hosts Build in Seattle to around 5,000 developers who pay around $ 2,000 to attend , but the pandemic means Build is going fully online this year , and free for anyone to watch .
Microsoft will host 48 hours of non-stop Build content in different time zones starting at 8AM PT / 11AM ET today .
You ’ ll be able to tune into the main keynotes , replay them later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also replayed at different hours of the day .
If you ’ re interested in software development , or simply the latest news on Windows , Office , and more then you can register free to attend this virtual Build .
You ’ ll need to register first .
All 604 sessions will be streamed on Microsoft ’ s site , and you can create a schedule to attend the sessions that are most interesting in your own time zone right here .
Microsoft has also promised to stream live coding workshops on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet shared details on which Twitch channel these will be hosted on .
If you want to watch along , the stream begins at 8AM PT / 11AM ET and continues for 48 hours of varying content .

Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference kicks off today, where the company will focus on Windows, Office, and cloud announcements. Microsoft usually hosts Build in Seattle to around 5,000 developers who pay around $2,000 to attend, but the pandemic means Build is going fully online this year, and free for anyone to watch.
Microsoft will host 48 hours of non-stop Build content in different time zones starting at 8AM PT / 11AM ET today. You’ll be able to tune into the main keynotes, replay them later, and register for multiple sessions that are also replayed at different hours of the day. If you’re interested in software development, or simply the latest news on Windows, Office, and more then you can register free to attend this virtual Build.
How do I watch Microsoft Build?
You’ll need to register first. All 604 sessions will be streamed on Microsoft’s site, and you can create a schedule to attend the sessions that are most interesting in your own time zone right here.
Microsoft has also promised to stream live coding workshops on Twitch, but the company has not yet shared details on which Twitch channel these will be hosted on.
What time does Microsoft Build start?


theverge--2020-05-19--Google’s experimental ‘smart braid’ headphone wire controls music with a squeeze

From touch-sensitive jean jackets to radar controls in smartphones , Google has always had a penchant for weird and wonderful user interfaces .
Its latest is the “ I/O braid ” — a textile UI that lets users control electronics by pinching , patting , squeezing , or swiping a fabric cord .
The I/O braid uses AI to distinguish between different types of touch The braid uses what Google calls a “ helical sensing matrix ” ( or HSM ) to register commands from users .
A series of capacitive and conductive yarns are woven into the braid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s touched by someone ’ s hand with 360 degrees of visibility .
Fiber optic strings are also woven into the fabric to provide visual feedback .
Although the braid is very much just a research project at this point , Google suggests a number of ways it could be integrated into consumer electronics .
You could use it to add touch controls to the power cord on a smartphone speaker , for example , or to your headphones .
Or you could create a hoodie with touch-sensitive drawstrings that connect to your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to distinguish between different types of touch , Google collected data from volunteers who were asked to interact with the smart braid .
They then trained a machine learning model on this data , which allows the braid to distinguish between a number of different gestures , including a swipe , a pinch , squeezing , and twisting .
Google says its software is able to recognize different gestures with around 94 percent accuracy .
That ’ s a good start , but likely too inaccurate for consumer products .
Another potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrated into headphones , say , then there would also be ample opportunities for accidental commands .
Nevertheless , Google says it found that the I/O braid paradigm could be preferable to traditional inputs .
In a study comparing the interface to in-line headphone controls , users said twisting an I/O braid to change volume was faster and easier than using regular buttons .
Will the I/O braid ever make it to consumers ?
We ’ re a little doubtful .
But then again , who would have expected that Google would partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a denim jacket with touch-sensitive controls in the sleeve ?
Let ’ s just wait and see .

From touch-sensitive jean jackets to radar controls in smartphones, Google has always had a penchant for weird and wonderful user interfaces. Its latest is the “I/O braid” — a textile UI that lets users control electronics by pinching, patting, squeezing, or swiping a fabric cord.
The I/O braid uses AI to distinguish between different types of touch
The braid uses what Google calls a “helical sensing matrix” (or HSM) to register commands from users. A series of capacitive and conductive yarns are woven into the braid, allowing it to identify when it’s touched by someone’s hand with 360 degrees of visibility. Fiber optic strings are also woven into the fabric to provide visual feedback.
Although the braid is very much just a research project at this point, Google suggests a number of ways it could be integrated into consumer electronics. You could use it to add touch controls to the power cord on a smartphone speaker, for example, or to your headphones. Or you could create a hoodie with touch-sensitive drawstrings that connect to your phone and control your music.
In order to distinguish between different types of touch, Google collected data from volunteers who were asked to interact with the smart braid. They then trained a machine learning model on this data, which allows the braid to distinguish between a number of different gestures, including a swipe, a pinch, squeezing, and twisting.
Google says its software is able to recognize different gestures with around 94 percent accuracy. That’s a good start, but likely too inaccurate for consumer products. Another potential problem is that if the technology was integrated into headphones, say, then there would also be ample opportunities for accidental commands.
Nevertheless, Google says it found that the I/O braid paradigm could be preferable to traditional inputs. In a study comparing the interface to in-line headphone controls, users said twisting an I/O braid to change volume was faster and easier than using regular buttons.
Fiber optic lines in the braid provide visual feedback. GIF: Google


theverge--2020-05-19--How Facebook’s past acquisitions could haunt its purchase of Giphy

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
On Friday , Facebook made its fifth-largest known acquisition ever .
The company bought Giphy , a database and search engine for the short looping videos known as GIFs , for $ 400 million .
Today let ’ s talk about some of the reasons , stated and unstated , that Facebook bought Giphy , and then consider what might come next .
The stated reason for acquiring Giphy , as expressed in this blog post from Instagram ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is twofold .
One , Facebook can now build tighter integrations between the products to enhance stickers , stories , and other products .
And two , it can make further investments in Giphy ’ s technology and content library to benefit all the companies that rely on Giphy for GIF supply .
Here ’ s Vishal Shah : The two companies began talking before the pandemic , I ’ m told , to explore some sort of expanded partnership .
More than half of the GIFs sent through Giphy land on Facebook-owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Instagram specifically .
So it ’ s natural that the two companies would be in regular conversation .
The problem for Giphy is that its business wasn ’ t working .
The 7-year-old company , which had raised $ 150.9 million , had developed a convoluted advertising model in which it would host GIFs for brands and let them pay to promote them in conversation .
That generated some level of experimental revenue from advertisers , but the product failed to take off .
Giphy claimed 700 million daily users .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it likely would have gone out of business had it not been acquired , and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri tweeted that Giphy “ needed a home.
” ( He said a bit more to Sara Fischer . )
At the same time , GIFs are a core part of any social app , and Giphy had already built the largest independent GIF library .
( Google acquired the other big player , Tenor , in 2018 . )
There ’ s obvious strategic value to Facebook in acquiring a tool that is fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online .
A Giphy ad deck from last spring that someone sent me reported that the company served 7 billion GIFs per day , and so without Giphy in the world Facebook would have to find another way to source 3.5 billion daily GIFs .
Better yet , from Facebook ’ s perspective , Giphy was available at a discount .
The app had last raised funding in 2016 at a valuation of $ 600 million , and the combination of a failing ad business and pandemic-related uncertainty had given the company a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still large by Facebook standards , though , suggesting that other players may have been competing for it .
Giphy integrates with Apple ’ s iMessage , ByteDance ’ s TikTok , Slack , Snapchat , and Twitter , among many others , and it ’ s not hard to imagine any of them putting in an offer .
( That said , I imagine $ 400 million was too steep a price tag for most of them . )
For all these reasons , few scoffed when Facebook announced its purchase .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of brilliant , pricey strategic purchases , there was a sense over the weekend that some greater game must be unfolding .
To me it seemed like shrewd dealmaking during troubled times — buy a useful thing for cheap — but I also suspected that there might have been a more anticompetitive motive in play .
Sarah Frier explored this question in Bloomberg : Mosseri denied this , as did other Facebook executives I spoke with over the weekend .
While it ’ s tempting to imagine Facebook building a sequel to Onavo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at most Giphy would be redundant in this regard .
When TikTok arose as a threat in 2018 , Facebook could tell because the company was spending $ 1 billion on ads — many of them Facebook ads .
And when smaller threats emerge , Facebook can tell because people post about them ... on Facebook .
If a new social app arose that used a Giphy integration , and Facebook could see that it was serving them exponentially more GIFs month after month , that could potentially be useful to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given all the other data at Facebook ’ s fingertips , that it would be all that surprising .
There ’ s a secondary data question , though , and it ’ s how all of Giphy ’ s partners feel about suddenly becoming Facebook customers .
An important question is whether Facebook will receive data about individual consumer behavior through Giphy ; the answer seems to be no .
Ben Thompson , who beat me to many of these points in his newsletter today , explains how ( and has a fascinating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Verge , Jay Peters asks Giphy ’ s most high-profile partners what they make of the deal , and they responded in two ways : either saying that they had been hiding user data from Giphy , or declining to comment at all .
Ultimately , these partners are going to vote with their products .
If they come to view Giphy as a data giveaway to Facebook , they ’ re likely to find alternatives .
But if Apple and Snap remain Giphy customers , perhaps skepticism of the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t count on it . )
Among the current skeptics are some members of Congress .
Here ’ s Makena Kelly in The Verge : There ’ s something darkly funny , to me anyway , about Giphy being the Facebook acquisition that rouses Congressional antitrust hawks from their multi-decade slumber party .
Is Congress going to assert that Facebook now has a GIF monopoly ?
What are the barriers to entry to creating GIFs , exactly ?
We desperately need Congress to enforce antitrust when it comes to social networks acquiring other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floundering content libraries seems like it ought to remain permissible .
But you know what they say about generals fighting the last war .
Knowing what they know now , it seems likely that Congress would not today approve Facebook buying Instagram or WhatsApp .
It would be incredible if , so many years after those purchases , it wound up being Giphy that paid the price for those failures .
On Thursday I wrote about the idea that COVID-19 is making Silicon Valley a less attractive place to live , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers heading for cheaper pastures .
I got great responses from folks working at Facebook , Google , and Twitter , among other places , reflecting a wide range of views .
Two , I think , are especially worth calling out .
One is that employees ’ arbitrage scheme might be less effective than they hope , because companies already know that other places are cheaper to live and will lower their pay accordingly once they move .
( I ’ m told that Google and Facebook already do this . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wilderness is really only a good option for people who are partnered up and well established in their careers .
Younger and more junior employees benefit immensely from city life and office life .
As one younger tech worker told me : It ’ s a great point .
In any case , I do think Silicon Valley will survive .
As another tech worker put it to me in response to the newsletter : “ The Bay Area ( and all of California ) has been desirable and expensive for over 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the tech community to think they are the reason why SF is desirable and that if they leave , the city will collapse.
” In any case , I ’ m not going anywhere .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Instagram launched a series of wellness Guides to help people during the pandemic .
Creators will now have the ability to connect with credible organizations to share resources on managing grief and anxiety , among other things .
( Instagram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 1,503,600 Total deaths in the US : At least 89,800 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 1,439,557 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New Jersey : 505,569 Data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐The coronavirus pandemic has prompted Mark Zuckerberg to take a more hands-on approach to running Facebook , a shift that started in 2016 .
In the process , COO Sheryl Sandberg has seen her role diminish , report Mike Isaac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times : Facebook hired a former deputy prime minister of the UK to fix its reputation and governance .
“ Since arriving , Clegg has ushered into existence the company ’ s external oversight board , helped shepherd Zuckerberg ’ s most significant policy speech to date and defended the company ’ s controversial policies on political speech .
And this year , Clegg has been intimately involved in shaping the company ’ s coronavirus response , in particular working with dozens of governments around the world to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should play in the pandemic—not retreating , but leaning into its role in society and even politics.
” ( Nancy Scola / Politico ) The Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit against Facebook for allegedly provided “ material support ” to terrorists by hosting their content .
The case , Force v. Facebook , was brought by the families of five Americans who were hurt or killed by Palestinian attacks in Israel .
An important Section 230 case .
( Adi Robertson / The Verge ) Facebook ’ s hesitancy to wade deep into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the fear that debunking a bogus claim could make the lie grow stronger .
But whatever the company thinks about the backfire effect , this phenomenon has not been demonstrated in any convincing way .
( Ethan Porter / Wired ) Anti-vaxxers on Instagram are fueling coronavirus conspiracy theories .
The company ’ s efforts to curb health misinformation have done little to stem the flow of conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 .
( Karissa Bell / Engadget ) India ’ s antitrust watchdog is looking into allegations that WhatsApp engaged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company bundled its digital payment feature within its messaging app , allowing it to abuse its market position and penetrate India ’ s booming digital payments market .
( Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra / Reuters ) Attorney General William Barr voiced his frustration with Apple for failing to help the US government unlock the Pensacola shooter ’ s iPhone .
He said voters and Congress should make encryption decisions — not tech companies .
( Chris Welch / The Verge ) The pandemic has intensified the fight between Amazon and labor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor activism hasn ’ t stopped the company from dominating online retail .
( Liz Alderman and Adam Satariano / The New York Times ) Also : Amazon is planning to gradually reopen its French warehouses starting on May 19th .
The company is finalizing an agreement with unions to end a dispute over coronavirus protection steps that closed the sites for more than a month .
( Reuters ) A seventh Amazon employee has died of COVID-19 .
The company still refuses to say how many workers are sick .
( Josh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas is holding the first known jury trial by Zoom .
The news comes as court systems across the country face a choice between postponing trials until the pandemic ends or holding remote proceedings .
( Zoe Schiffer / The Verge ) Doctors are tweeting about coronavirus to make facts go viral and combat misinformation on the platform .
Bob Wachter , the chairman of the department of medicine at UCSF , sets aside two hours a day to tweet updates about the virus .
( Georgia Wells / The Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an army of contact tracers to contain the COVID-19 outbreak .
But high caseloads , low testing , and American attitudes toward authority are likely to pose serious challenges .
( James Temple / MIT Technology Review ) Germany and Australia have opted for two very different approaches to contact tracing .
Australia will store user data on a central server , while Germany is going with a decentralized approach .
( Amrita Khalid / Quartz ) A major question about Europe ’ s coronavirus contact-tracing apps is whether they will work when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As borders begin to reopen , the question will get even more pressing .
( Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch ) ⭐ Disney ’ s top streaming executive , Kevin Mayer , resigned on Monday to become CEO of TikTok .
Mayer , who was once seen as Disney ’ s CEO in waiting , will now serve as COO of ByteDance , TikTok ’ s Chinese parent company .
It ’ s a huge get for TikTok .
Here ’ s Brooks Barnes from The New York Times : Square told employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a similar announcement from Twitter last week .
While many tech companies have extended remote work timelines due to COVID-19 , only Jack Dorsey ’ s organizations have made the switch permanent .
( Zoe Schiffer / The Verge ) People have now spent $ 100 million on Oculus Quest virtual reality content .
And Portal sales are up 10 times year over year , Andrew “ Boz ” Bosworth says in this interview .
( Janko Roettgers / Protocol ) Oculus says Quest is starting a VR revolution .
But plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s prospects for making the leap from nerd caves to living rooms .
( Seth Schiesel / Protocol ) TikTok houses all kind of look the same .
That ’ s likely not an accident — moderators were told to hide videos with environments that were “ shabby and dilapidated , ” with “ crack [ s ] in the wall ” or “ old and disreputable decorations.
” ( Emma Alpern / Curbed ) Clubhouse raised Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz , bringing the company ’ s valuation to just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a voice-based social media app with fewer than 5,000 beta users , is now one of the most richly valued pieces of beta software ever .
( Alex Konrad / Forbes ) Discord is also in talks to raise funding from investors .
Business is booming because of stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic .
( Gillian Tan and Katie Roof / Bloomberg ) Google Meet has been downloaded 50 million times , up from five million at the beginning of March .
The app has received a significant boost as people continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kavafian / Android Police ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Watch the BBC together with your friends .
BBC Together is like Netflix ’ s similar Watch Party , but for British TV .
Read 14 ways that people are finding joy during the pandemic , including taking butt selfies .
Listen to me talk about various aspects of tech and the pandemic with iHeartRadio ’ s Daily Dive , Kara Swisher and her son Louie , and my friends on The Vergecast .
I also spoke with Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook ’ s preliminary settlement with content moderators .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and GIFs : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

On Friday, Facebook made its fifth-largest known acquisition ever. The company bought Giphy, a database and search engine for the short looping videos known as GIFs, for $400 million. Today let’s talk about some of the reasons, stated and unstated, that Facebook bought Giphy, and then consider what might come next.
The stated reason for acquiring Giphy, as expressed in this blog post from Instagram’s head of product announcing the deal, is twofold. One, Facebook can now build tighter integrations between the products to enhance stickers, stories, and other products. And two, it can make further investments in Giphy’s technology and content library to benefit all the companies that rely on Giphy for GIF supply. Here’s Vishal Shah:
People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to GIPHY’s APIs; and GIPHY’s creative community will still be able to create great content.
The two companies began talking before the pandemic, I’m told, to explore some sort of expanded partnership. More than half of the GIFs sent through Giphy land on Facebook-owned apps, and half of those land on Instagram specifically. So it’s natural that the two companies would be in regular conversation.
The problem for Giphy is that its business wasn’t working. The 7-year-old company, which had raised $150.9 million, had developed a convoluted advertising model in which it would host GIFs for brands and let them pay to promote them in conversation. That generated some level of experimental revenue from advertisers, but the product failed to take off. Giphy claimed 700 million daily users. Two people close to the deal told me it likely would have gone out of business had it not been acquired, and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri tweeted that Giphy “needed a home.” (He said a bit more to Sara Fischer.)
At the same time, GIFs are a core part of any social app, and Giphy had already built the largest independent GIF library. (Google acquired the other big player, Tenor, in 2018.) There’s obvious strategic value to Facebook in acquiring a tool that is fundamental to the way that people express themselves online. A Giphy ad deck from last spring that someone sent me reported that the company served 7 billion GIFs per day, and so without Giphy in the world Facebook would have to find another way to source 3.5 billion daily GIFs.
Better yet, from Facebook’s perspective, Giphy was available at a discount. The app had last raised funding in 2016 at a valuation of $600 million, and the combination of a failing ad business and pandemic-related uncertainty had given the company a 33 percent haircut. The deal is still large by Facebook standards, though, suggesting that other players may have been competing for it. Giphy integrates with Apple’s iMessage, ByteDance’s TikTok, Slack, Snapchat, and Twitter, among many others, and it’s not hard to imagine any of them putting in an offer. (That said, I imagine $400 million was too steep a price tag for most of them.)
For all these reasons, few scoffed when Facebook announced its purchase. But given the company’s history of brilliant, pricey strategic purchases, there was a sense over the weekend that some greater game must be unfolding. To me it seemed like shrewd dealmaking during troubled times — buy a useful thing for cheap — but I also suspected that there might have been a more anticompetitive motive in play. Sarah Frier explored this question in Bloomberg:
Giphy provides the same search service to many of Facebook’s competitors, Apple Inc.’s iMessage, Twitter, Signal, TikTok and others. The company has a view of the health of those platforms and how often people use them, which is exactly the kind of insight Facebook values most, and has sought in the past. After Giphy joins Facebook, the company will maintain those integrations, and will keep getting data from GIF searches and posts around the internet. [...] Since Facebook doesn’t own a mobile phone operating system like iOS or Android, it has relied on other means to understand competitors’ strengths — sometimes getting in trouble in the process. In 2013, for instance, Facebook acquired Onavo, an Israeli company that made a VPN, a tool to keep online activity private. Just not from Facebook, which analyzed the data to see which apps were getting popular, and then came up with ways to compete with or purchase them. Apple in 2018 banned the Onavo app, declaring that the data collection violated its app store rules.
Mosseri denied this, as did other Facebook executives I spoke with over the weekend. While it’s tempting to imagine Facebook building a sequel to Onavo as an early-warning system for potential threats, at most Giphy would be redundant in this regard. When TikTok arose as a threat in 2018, Facebook could tell because the company was spending $1 billion on ads — many of them Facebook ads. And when smaller threats emerge, Facebook can tell because people post about them ... on Facebook.
If a new social app arose that used a Giphy integration, and Facebook could see that it was serving them exponentially more GIFs month after month, that could potentially be useful to the company. But it seems unlikely, given all the other data at Facebook’s fingertips, that it would be all that surprising.
There’s a secondary data question, though, and it’s how all of Giphy’s partners feel about suddenly becoming Facebook customers. An important question is whether Facebook will receive data about individual consumer behavior through Giphy; the answer seems to be no. Ben Thompson, who beat me to many of these points in his newsletter today, explains how (and has a fascinating aside at the end):
The GIPHY API, on the other hand, which allows for a custom-built integration, has no such requirement, and Signal explained in 2017 how GIPHY’s service can be proxied to hide all user data. Slack has already said that they proxy GIPHY in the same way, and I strongly suspect that Twitter and Apple do the same. That means that Facebook can get total usage data from these apps, but not individual user data (and as further evidence that this sort of proxying is effective, Facebook-owned WhatsApp actually uses Google’s Tenor service; I highly doubt Facebook would have tolerated that to-date if Google were getting per-user data).
Meanwhile at The Verge, Jay Peters asks Giphy’s most high-profile partners what they make of the deal, and they responded in two ways: either saying that they had been hiding user data from Giphy, or declining to comment at all. Ultimately, these partners are going to vote with their products. If they come to view Giphy as a data giveaway to Facebook, they’re likely to find alternatives. But if Apple and Snap remain Giphy customers, perhaps skepticism of the deal will subside. (I wouldn’t count on it.)
Among the current skeptics are some members of Congress. Here’s Makena Kelly in The Verge:
In statements Friday, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Democrats Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) were skeptical of the deal. “Facebook keeps looking for even more ways to take our data,” Hawley said in a statement to The Verge. “Just like Google purchased DoubleClick because of its widespread presence on the internet and ability to collect data, Facebook wants Giphy so it can collect even more data on us. Facebook shouldn’t be acquiring any companies while it is under antitrust investigation for its past purchases.”
There’s something darkly funny, to me anyway, about Giphy being the Facebook acquisition that rouses Congressional antitrust hawks from their multi-decade slumber party. Is Congress going to assert that Facebook now has a GIF monopoly? What are the barriers to entry to creating GIFs, exactly? We desperately need Congress to enforce antitrust when it comes to social networks acquiring other social networks, but social networks acquiring floundering content libraries seems like it ought to remain permissible.
But you know what they say about generals fighting the last war. Knowing what they know now, it seems likely that Congress would not today approve Facebook buying Instagram or WhatsApp. It would be incredible if, so many years after those purchases, it wound up being Giphy that paid the price for those failures.
Pushback
On Thursday I wrote about the idea that COVID-19 is making Silicon Valley a less attractive place to live, noting that there are already stories about some tech workers heading for cheaper pastures. I got great responses from folks working at Facebook, Google, and Twitter, among other places, reflecting a wide range of views. Two, I think, are especially worth calling out. One is that employees’ arbitrage scheme might be less effective than they hope, because companies already know that other places are cheaper to live and will lower their pay accordingly once they move. (I’m told that Google and Facebook already do this.)
The other is that fleeing to the wilderness is really only a good option for people who are partnered up and well established in their careers. Younger and more junior employees benefit immensely from city life and office life. As one younger tech worker told me:
Young people need to learn social working skills in their first job (and it won’t happen over Zoom). Young people need to gossip about coworkers. Young people need to date. Young people need to be around other people. My colleagues who are making decisions based on these policies are — by and large — married with kids. I think that’s expected! and I think it’s really good for them. But the specific effects of that — employers’ most senior employees moving offsite — could have a drastic impact on the future of how these companies operate, and I don’t think I’ve seen that well represented.
It’s a great point. In any case, I do think Silicon Valley will survive. As another tech worker put it to me in response to the newsletter: “The Bay Area (and all of California) has been desirable and expensive for over 100 years. It’s so self-centered for the tech community to think they are the reason why SF is desirable and that if they leave, the city will collapse.”
In any case, I’m not going anywhere.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Instagram launched a series of wellness Guides to help people during the pandemic. Creators will now have the ability to connect with credible organizations to share resources on managing grief and anxiety, among other things. (Instagram)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: More than 1,503,600
Total deaths in the US: At least 89,800
Reported cases in California: 80,803
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 1,292,672
Reported cases in New York: 355,037
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 1,439,557
Reported cases in New Jersey: 148,039
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 505,569
Reported cases in Illinois: 94,362
Total test results (positive and negative) in Illinois: 603,241
Governing
⭐The coronavirus pandemic has prompted Mark Zuckerberg to take a more hands-on approach to running Facebook, a shift that started in 2016. In the process, COO Sheryl Sandberg has seen her role diminish, report Mike Isaac, Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang of The New York Times:
Now, the coronavirus has presented Mr. Zuckerberg with the opportunity to demonstrate that he has grown into his responsibilities as a leader — a 180-degree turn from the aloof days of 2016. It’s given him the chance to lead 50,000 employees through a crisis that, for once, is not of their own making. And seizing the moment might allow Mr. Zuckerberg to prove a thesis that he truly believes: That if one sees past its capacity for destruction, Facebook can be a force for good.
Facebook hired a former deputy prime minister of the UK to fix its reputation and governance. “Since arriving, Clegg has ushered into existence the company’s external oversight board, helped shepherd Zuckerberg’s most significant policy speech to date and defended the company’s controversial policies on political speech. And this year, Clegg has been intimately involved in shaping the company’s coronavirus response, in particular working with dozens of governments around the world to figure out what role the social network can and should play in the pandemic—not retreating, but leaning into its role in society and even politics.” (Nancy Scola / Politico)
The Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit against Facebook for allegedly provided “material support” to terrorists by hosting their content. The case, Force v. Facebook, was brought by the families of five Americans who were hurt or killed by Palestinian attacks in Israel. An important Section 230 case. (Adi Robertson / The Verge)
Facebook’s hesitancy to wade deep into the waters of fact checking is based on the fear that debunking a bogus claim could make the lie grow stronger. But whatever the company thinks about the backfire effect, this phenomenon has not been demonstrated in any convincing way. (Ethan Porter / Wired)
Anti-vaxxers on Instagram are fueling coronavirus conspiracy theories. The company’s efforts to curb health misinformation have done little to stem the flow of conspiracy theories related to COVID-19. (Karissa Bell / Engadget)
India’s antitrust watchdog is looking into allegations that WhatsApp engaged in anticompetitive behavior. The complaint says the company bundled its digital payment feature within its messaging app, allowing it to abuse its market position and penetrate India’s booming digital payments market. (Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra / Reuters)
Attorney General William Barr voiced his frustration with Apple for failing to help the US government unlock the Pensacola shooter’s iPhone. He said voters and Congress should make encryption decisions — not tech companies. (Chris Welch / The Verge)
The pandemic has intensified the fight between Amazon and labor. But despite several clashes in Europe, labor activism hasn’t stopped the company from dominating online retail. (Liz Alderman and Adam Satariano / The New York Times)
Also: Amazon is planning to gradually reopen its French warehouses starting on May 19th. The company is finalizing an agreement with unions to end a dispute over coronavirus protection steps that closed the sites for more than a month. (Reuters)
A seventh Amazon employee has died of COVID-19. The company still refuses to say how many workers are sick. (Josh Dzieza / The Verge)
A court in Texas is holding the first known jury trial by Zoom. The news comes as court systems across the country face a choice between postponing trials until the pandemic ends or holding remote proceedings. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
Doctors are tweeting about coronavirus to make facts go viral and combat misinformation on the platform. Bob Wachter, the chairman of the department of medicine at UCSF, sets aside two hours a day to tweet updates about the virus. (Georgia Wells / The Wall Street Journal)
The United States is amassing an army of contact tracers to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. But high caseloads, low testing, and American attitudes toward authority are likely to pose serious challenges. (James Temple / MIT Technology Review)
Germany and Australia have opted for two very different approaches to contact tracing. Australia will store user data on a central server, while Germany is going with a decentralized approach. (Amrita Khalid / Quartz)
A major question about Europe’s coronavirus contact-tracing apps is whether they will work when citizens of one country travel to another. As borders begin to reopen, the question will get even more pressing. (Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch)
Industry
⭐ Disney’s top streaming executive, Kevin Mayer, resigned on Monday to become CEO of TikTok. Mayer, who was once seen as Disney’s CEO in waiting, will now serve as COO of ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company. It’s a huge get for TikTok. Here’s Brooks Barnes from The New York Times:
Mr. Mayer’s departure from Disney is not entirely a surprise. Disney’s board of directors passed over him earlier this year when it was looking for a successor for Robert A. Iger, who abruptly stepped down in February. (Mr. Iger remains executive chairman, with a focus on the creative process.) Many people in Hollywood and on Wall Street had viewed Mr. Mayer, 58, as the logical internal candidate because the future of Disney rests on its ability to transform itself into a streaming titan. The top job, however, went to Bob Chapek, the lower-profile chairman of Disney’s theme parks and consumer products businesses.
Square told employees they can work from home forever, following a similar announcement from Twitter last week. While many tech companies have extended remote work timelines due to COVID-19, only Jack Dorsey’s organizations have made the switch permanent. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
People have now spent $100 million on Oculus Quest virtual reality content. And Portal sales are up 10 times year over year, Andrew “Boz” Bosworth says in this interview. (Janko Roettgers / Protocol)
Oculus says Quest is starting a VR revolution. But plenty of unanswered questions remain about the technology’s prospects for making the leap from nerd caves to living rooms. (Seth Schiesel / Protocol)
TikTok houses all kind of look the same. That’s likely not an accident — moderators were told to hide videos with environments that were “shabby and dilapidated,” with “crack[s] in the wall” or “old and disreputable decorations.” (Emma Alpern / Curbed)
Clubhouse raised Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz, bringing the company’s valuation to just above $100 million. Clubhouse, a voice-based social media app with fewer than 5,000 beta users, is now one of the most richly valued pieces of beta software ever. (Alex Konrad / Forbes)
Discord is also in talks to raise funding from investors. Business is booming because of stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Gillian Tan and Katie Roof / Bloomberg)
Singapore state investor Temasek joined the Libra Association. (Saheli Roy Choudhury / CNBC)
Google Meet has been downloaded 50 million times, up from five million at the beginning of March. The app has received a significant boost as people continue to shelter in place. (Hagop Kavafian / Android Police)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Watch the BBC together with your friends. BBC Together is like Netflix’s similar Watch Party, but for British TV.
Those good tweets
Talk to us


theverge--2020-05-19--OnePlus will temporarily disable ‘X-ray’ camera filter that sees through plastic and clothes

OnePlus will temporarily disable a camera filter on the OnePlus 8 Pro after users discovered they could use it to see through certain plastics and clothes .
Although the company has stressed that the “ Photochrom ” filter can not see through thick materials , it apologized for “ creating privacy concerns and causing troubles for OnePlus users and other netizens , ” Abacus News reports .
OnePlus announced the move in a statement on its Weibo page .
The OnePlus 8 Pro was released back in April , but it wasn ’ t until last week that people started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was capable of .
On Twitter , Ben Geskin demonstrated how the filter can be used to see through the Apple TV ’ s black plastic housing , while Unbox Therapy observed that it could even see through an ( admittedly thin ) black T-shirt .
The filter seems to work by capturing infrared light that ’ s otherwise invisible to the naked eye .
There are many professional uses for cameras that can see infrared light , like letting firefighters see through smoke , but it ’ s less common to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphone .
When the OnePlus 8 Pro was first announced , the Photochrom mode appeared to be little more than an artistic color filter .
While it produces some interesting results when photographing trees and plants , we thought it was an unnecessary inclusion overall in our review .
“ It is silly , low-resolution , and not much better than applying a heavy-handed effect in post .
I don ’ t know why it ’ s there , and likely neither will you , ” was our assessment .
OnePlus ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be temporarily disabled by an update within a week , according to Abacus News ’ English translation , but it ’ s unclear exactly what the company plans to change before bringing it back .
OnePlus did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

OnePlus will remove the accidental “X-ray” functionality from its OnePlus 8 Pro phone in an upcoming over-the-air update, the company said today. It’s also temporarily disabling the camera filter that can see through plastic and clothing in the Chinese version of its operating system until the update is released, choosing to leave it operational in its global OS. Although the company has stressed that the “Photochrom” filter cannot see through thick materials, it apologized for “creating privacy concerns and causing troubles for OnePlus users and other netizens,” Abacus News reports. OnePlus initially announced the move in a statement on its Weibo page.
“While we think this camera gives users the ability to get more creative with smartphone photography, we also understand the concerns that have been raised,” the company said in a statement on its English-language forum. “Therefore, we are already working on an OTA that we’ll push out in the coming weeks to offer the Photochrom filter while limiting other functionality that may be of concern.”
OnePlus says it has disabled the filter in its HydrogenOS for China “out of an abundance of caution” over what it says is “false and misleading information circulating on social media in China.” It does not plan to disable it in OxygenOS, the company’s global operating system.
The OnePlus 8 Pro was released back in April, but it wasn’t until last week that people started paying serious attention to what its camera was capable of. On Twitter, Ben Geskin demonstrated how the filter can be used to see through the Apple TV’s black plastic housing, while Unbox Therapy observed that it could even see through an (admittedly thin) black T-shirt.
The filter seems to work by capturing infrared light that’s otherwise invisible to the naked eye. There are many professional uses for cameras that can see infrared light, like letting firefighters see through smoke, but it’s less common to see it on a consumer device like a smartphone.
When the OnePlus 8 Pro was first announced, the Photochrom mode appeared to be little more than an artistic color filter. While it produces some interesting results when photographing trees and plants, we thought it was an unnecessary inclusion overall in our review. “It is silly, low-resolution, and not much better than applying a heavy-handed effect in post. I don’t know why it’s there, and likely neither will you,” was our assessment.
OnePlus’s Chinese-language Weibo post notes that the filter will be temporarily disabled by an update within a week, according to Abacus News’ English translation.


theverge--2020-05-19--Americans still don’t trust self-driving cars

Self-driving cars are having a really rough time gaining our trust .
This is not a total shock considering autonomous vehicles remain theoretical and elusive for most people .
The limited number of self-driving cars on the road today are mostly test vehicles that aren ’ t available to the riding public .
Combine that with Americans ’ very , shall we say , complicated feelings toward concepts like “ freedom ” and “ control , ” and you can see where this is going .
Digging on technology in the streets , control freaks in the sheets .
Digging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freaks in the sheets The latest poll to affirm this deep distrust comes from Partners for Automated Vehicle Education ( PAVE ) , a coalition of industry players and nonprofits aimed at improving the public ’ s understanding of autonomous vehicles .
A quick glance at the results reveals that they ’ ll have their work cut out for them .
• Nearly 3 in 4 Americans say autonomous vehicle technology “ is not ready for primetime.
” • About 48 percent said they would never get in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent think autonomous vehicles will never be safe .
• Only 34 percent think the advantages of AVs will outweigh the disadvantages .
• Only 18 percent are eager to get on a waitlist for the first AV .
These were some of the findings to emerge from PAVE ’ s survey of 1,200 Americans , who were contacted by polling firm SurveyUSA between late February and early March 2020 .
But it could easily have been the results of any poll about self-driving cars taken over the last five years .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelley Blue Book , and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety have found similar skepticism in their polls .
Taken together , these results paint a pretty grim picture for the future of autonomous vehicles .
After all , much of the technology ’ s success will depend on public perception and willingness .
Taken together , these results paint a pretty grim picture for the future of autonomous vehicles Companies working on self-driving taxis , like Waymo , Cruise , and Argo , are already confronting these issues through their own pilot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , they have their own data and thus their own ideas on how to overcome this skepticism .
And the numbers aren ’ t all bad , either .
Around half of the people polled by PAVE and SurveyUSA said they owned vehicles with advanced driver assistance system ( ADAS ) features like automatic emergency braking , lane-keep assist , and blind spot detection .
Familiarity and approval of these features can lead to a more positive attitude about self-driving cars , the poll finds .
It makes sense , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a car with enhanced cruise control and one that can drive itself without human intervention .
Most people responded favorably to a vehicle that supports the task of driving “ but with the driver always in full control.
” This is antithetical to every company that claims to be pursuing fully driverless cars .
They argue that most vehicle crashes are the result of human error , and that in order to improve road safety , humans need to be removed from the equation .
That ’ s why you have companies like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steering wheels and pedals .
And companies like Nuro are lobbying the government for exemptions from federal regulations requiring certain features like rearview mirrors and backup cameras .
PAVE says this skepticism and distrust is rooted in ignorance PAVE says this skepticism and distrust is rooted in ignorance and lack of experience rather than knowledge of a specific downside or problem .
For example , a majority of the respondents said they weren ’ t familiar with any of the fatalities associated with automated technologies , such as the deadly Uber crash in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drivers who were killed while using Tesla ’ s Autopilot system .
That should be a red flag to operators : people don ’ t need to hear about the really big failures to harbor real hostility toward the technology .
The more self-driving cars that hit the road , the more people are likely to trust them , PAVE concludes .
But that will take some time , given that many of the early predictions about the readiness of the technology have since proven to be overly optimistic .
A lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overrun with robot vehicles by 2020 , but here we are .
It ’ s 2020 , and the number of AVs currently testing today are a fraction of a fraction of a percent .
“ There was a misperception that autonomous tech would one day be solved in a binary fashion and become available everywhere , ” Karl Iagnemma , CEO of Hyundai and Aptiv ’ s joint venture on autonomous vehicles , told me recently .
“ There ’ s been steady improvement over time , but it ’ s clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where one day we don ’ t have AVs and the next they ’ re everywhere.
” Iagnemma said that AV operators are only just beginning to grasp how the public perceives self-driving cars .
This is useful information , but it will take time and more vehicles and more people before perceptions start to change .
For example , Aptiv ’ s robotaxi pilot with Lyft in Las Vegas , which has conducted over 100,000 rides , includes two safety operators in the front seat .
People see those two operators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things they haven ’ t seen before .
“ Despite the fact that there are vehicle operators in the car , customers see the steering wheel turn by itself , ” Iagnemma said .
“ It ’ s a big moment for most people .
A formative experience .
”

Self-driving cars are having a really rough time gaining our trust.
This is not a total shock considering autonomous vehicles remain theoretical and elusive for most people. The limited number of self-driving cars on the road today are mostly test vehicles that aren’t available to the riding public. Combine that with Americans’ very, shall we say, complicated feelings toward concepts like “freedom” and “control,” and you can see where this is going. Digging on technology in the streets, control freaks in the sheets.
Digging on technology in the streets, control freaks in the sheets
The latest poll to affirm this deep distrust comes from Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), a coalition of industry players and nonprofits aimed at improving the public’s understanding of autonomous vehicles. A quick glance at the results reveals that they’ll have their work cut out for them.
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans say autonomous vehicle technology “is not ready for primetime.”
About 48 percent said they would never get in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle that was self-driving.
Another 20 percent think autonomous vehicles will never be safe.
Only 34 percent think the advantages of AVs will outweigh the disadvantages.
Only 18 percent are eager to get on a waitlist for the first AV.
These were some of the findings to emerge from PAVE’s survey of 1,200 Americans, who were contacted by polling firm SurveyUSA between late February and early March 2020. But it could easily have been the results of any poll about self-driving cars taken over the last five years. A variety of auto-related groups like AAA, Kelley Blue Book, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety have found similar skepticism in their polls.
Taken together, these results paint a pretty grim picture for the future of autonomous vehicles. After all, much of the technology’s success will depend on public perception and willingness.
Taken together, these results paint a pretty grim picture for the future of autonomous vehicles
Companies working on self-driving taxis, like Waymo, Cruise, and Argo, are already confronting these issues through their own pilot projects and limited commercial deployments. Of course, they have their own data and thus their own ideas on how to overcome this skepticism.
And the numbers aren’t all bad, either. Around half of the people polled by PAVE and SurveyUSA said they owned vehicles with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind spot detection. Familiarity and approval of these features can lead to a more positive attitude about self-driving cars, the poll finds. It makes sense, but it’s still a far leap between a car with enhanced cruise control and one that can drive itself without human intervention.
Most people responded favorably to a vehicle that supports the task of driving “but with the driver always in full control.” This is antithetical to every company that claims to be pursuing fully driverless cars. They argue that most vehicle crashes are the result of human error, and that in order to improve road safety, humans need to be removed from the equation.
That’s why you have companies like Cruise introducing vehicles without traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. And companies like Nuro are lobbying the government for exemptions from federal regulations requiring certain features like rearview mirrors and backup cameras.
PAVE says this skepticism and distrust is rooted in ignorance
PAVE says this skepticism and distrust is rooted in ignorance and lack of experience rather than knowledge of a specific downside or problem. For example, a majority of the respondents said they weren’t familiar with any of the fatalities associated with automated technologies, such as the deadly Uber crash in Tempe, Arizona, or any of the drivers who were killed while using Tesla’s Autopilot system. That should be a red flag to operators: people don’t need to hear about the really big failures to harbor real hostility toward the technology.
The more self-driving cars that hit the road, the more people are likely to trust them, PAVE concludes. But that will take some time, given that many of the early predictions about the readiness of the technology have since proven to be overly optimistic. A lot of people thought the roads would be overrun with robot vehicles by 2020, but here we are. It’s 2020, and the number of AVs currently testing today are a fraction of a fraction of a percent.
“There was a misperception that autonomous tech would one day be solved in a binary fashion and become available everywhere,” Karl Iagnemma, CEO of Hyundai and Aptiv’s joint venture on autonomous vehicles, told me recently. “There’s been steady improvement over time, but it’s clear there would not be binary step function where one day we don’t have AVs and the next they’re everywhere.”
Iagnemma said that AV operators are only just beginning to grasp how the public perceives self-driving cars. This is useful information, but it will take time and more vehicles and more people before perceptions start to change. For example, Aptiv’s robotaxi pilot with Lyft in Las Vegas, which has conducted over 100,000 rides, includes two safety operators in the front seat. People see those two operators, but they also see the car do things they haven’t seen before.


theverge--2020-05-19--New SD Express card spec is nearly four times faster than the current one

The SD Association , the group that sets the standards for memory cards , announced a new SD 8.0 specification for SD Express memory cards today that will allow the cards to transfer data at a rate of nearly four gigabytes per second , in large part thanks to utilizing PCIe 4.0 and NVMe interfaces commonly found in solid-state drives .
That faster transfer rate could be useful as new technologies , like 8K video , create ever-larger files , which in turn require faster throughput if you want to transfer data in a timely manner .
Specifically , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 3,938 megabytes per second , according to an SD Association white paper .
That ’ s a significant jump from the maximum transfer speeds of 985 megabytes per second you ’ d find in cards built to the SD 7.0 and SD7.1 specs , which utilized the slower PCIe 3.1 interface .
The new specification will be available on SDHC , SDXC , and SDUC memory cards , says the SD Association , which means it could theoretically be used on a 128TB SDUC card , which is currently the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card .
Although the spec was announced today , that doesn ’ t mean you can run to Best Buy and pick up a new card with the SD 8.0 specification — you ’ ll have to wait until memory card makers actually implement the specification into upcoming products .
You ’ ll also need devices that read the cards on the hardware end — like laptops , cameras , and card readers — to support the spec , a process that ’ s likely to take quite a while .

The SD Association, the group that sets the standards for memory cards, announced a new SD 8.0 specification for SD Express memory cards today that will allow the cards to transfer data at a rate of nearly four gigabytes per second, in large part thanks to utilizing PCIe 4.0 and NVMe interfaces commonly found in solid-state drives. That faster transfer rate could be useful as new technologies, like 8K video, create ever-larger files, which in turn require faster throughput if you want to transfer data in a timely manner.
Specifically, the 8.0 specification allows for transfer speeds of up to 3,938 megabytes per second, according to an SD Association white paper. That’s a significant jump from the maximum transfer speeds of 985 megabytes per second you’d find in cards built to the SD 7.0 and SD7.1 specs, which utilized the slower PCIe 3.1 interface. The new specification will be available on SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC memory cards, says the SD Association, which means it could theoretically be used on a 128TB SDUC card, which is currently the highest amount of memory supported by an SD card.


theverge--2020-05-19--Google’s app is getting a dark mode starting today

The Google mobile app is getting a dark mode , with Android and iOS users gaining the option to enable the feature by the end of the week .
After the update , the app will automatically use whatever theme your operating system is already set to if you use Android or iOS 13 .
Google says the feature is starting to roll out today , but it won ’ t be globally available until later this week .
You ’ ll also be able to manually toggle between light and dark mode by heading to the app ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older operating systems will have to do .
If dark mode is available to you on your device , you might see a pop-up at the bottom of your screen , highlighting that a dark mode theme is now accessible and asking if you want to activate it , as 9to5Google points out .
A full rollout for dark mode across all of Google ’ s apps has been slow within the last year .
Gmail , Google Calendar , and Google Fit have all added a dark theme for Android , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some apps like Google Maps are still missing the feature .
iOS and Android both began supporting dark mode at a system level last year .
In recent years , more tech companies have started to add the battery-saving ( and often stylish ) feature .
Facebook globally launched a dark mode alongside a new redesign to its official website earlier this month , and in late March , WhatsApp added dark mode to its app on both Android and iOS devices .
Computers and gaming consoles have begun offering dark modes , @ @

The Google mobile app is getting a dark mode, with Android and iOS users gaining the option to enable the feature by the end of the week.
After the update, the app will automatically use whatever theme your operating system is already set to if you use Android or iOS 13. Google says the feature is starting to roll out today, but it won’t be globally available until later this week. You’ll also be able to manually toggle between light and dark mode by heading to the app’s settings, which is what users on older operating systems will have to do.
If dark mode is available to you on your device, you might see a pop-up at the bottom of your screen, highlighting that a dark mode theme is now accessible and asking if you want to activate it, as 9to5Google points out.


theverge--2020-05-19--Apple TV Plus nabs Tom Hanks’ new movie from Sony during global pandemic

Apple is joining other streamers in becoming a foster home for movies that studios are looking to unload in the middle of this global pandemic .
Tom Hanks ’ Greyhound will land on Apple TV Plus ( there ’ s no release date yet ) , but the film was originally reserved for a theatrical release by Sony Pictures .
The movie is described by Variety as being “ set in the early days of World War II as an international convoy of 37 Allied ships , led by Hanks ’ Capt .
Ernest Krause , crosses the treacherous North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packs of Nazi submarines.
” It ’ ll mark the first time that Hanks is seeing one of his movies go directly to a streamer instead of a wide theatrical release , according to Deadline ( Hanks both wrote and stars in Greyhound . )
Sony was originally planning to release the film on June 12th .
Right now is a good time for Apple to invest Greyhound is Apple ’ s “ biggest feature commitment , ” according to Deadline , but it joins a growing list of acclaimed titles , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Banker , and Hala .
A new report from Bloomberg also suggests that Apple is interested in licensing older movies and TV series for its service , a departure from the company ’ s original vision for its streaming platform .
Until now , Apple has only acquired or produced wholly new shows and films it offers subscribers , listing them as Apple Originals .
Right now , however , is a good time for Apple to invest — including buying films from studios like Sony who are looking to offload @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released some of their movies digitally for people to rent and purchase , with Warner Bros. planning to move Scoob to HBO Max .
Disney is making films like Artemis Fowl and Hamilton Disney Plus exclusives .
Other studios , like Paramount , have sold films like The Lovebirds to Netflix .
Sony isn ’ t as invested in subscription streaming as Disney , Warner Bros. , and NBCUniversal , creating a lucrative and appealing option to sell films to companies like Apple that need content for their streaming services .
Apple is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it compete in the attention wars — people are stuck inside , streaming everything .
Time spent playing video games is up , alongside the amount of TV and movies people are streaming .
Every major streaming service has seen an uptick in activity over the last few months , but they ’ re still competing for people ’ s attention .
Having a new Tom Hanks movie might help Apple garner a few more eyeballs on the platform , alongside giving current subscribers something new to watch .
If the goal is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ensuring there ’ s something new and eye-catching to watch is a big part of the strategy .

Apple is joining other streamers in becoming a foster home for movies that studios are looking to unload in the middle of this global pandemic.
Tom Hanks’ Greyhound will land on Apple TV Plus (there’s no release date yet), but the film was originally reserved for a theatrical release by Sony Pictures. The movie is described by Variety as being “set in the early days of World War II as an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by Hanks’ Capt. Ernest Krause, crosses the treacherous North Atlantic while being hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi submarines.”
It’ll mark the first time that Hanks is seeing one of his movies go directly to a streamer instead of a wide theatrical release, according to Deadline (Hanks both wrote and stars in Greyhound.) Sony was originally planning to release the film on June 12th.
Right now is a good time for Apple to invest
Greyhound is Apple’s “biggest feature commitment,” according to Deadline, but it joins a growing list of acclaimed titles, including Beastie Boys Story, The Elephant Queen, The Banker, and Hala. A new report from Bloomberg also suggests that Apple is interested in licensing older movies and TV series for its service, a departure from the company’s original vision for its streaming platform. Until now, Apple has only acquired or produced wholly new shows and films it offers subscribers, listing them as Apple Originals.
Right now, however, is a good time for Apple to invest — including buying films from studios like Sony who are looking to offload titles. Warner Bros. and Universal have released some of their movies digitally for people to rent and purchase, with Warner Bros. planning to move Scoob to HBO Max. Disney is making films like Artemis Fowl and Hamilton Disney Plus exclusives. Other studios, like Paramount, have sold films like The Lovebirds to Netflix. Sony isn’t as invested in subscription streaming as Disney, Warner Bros., and NBCUniversal, creating a lucrative and appealing option to sell films to companies like Apple that need content for their streaming services.


theverge--2020-05-19--Panasonic to resume work at Tesla’s New York solar factory this week

Panasonic is restarting production at Tesla ’ s Buffalo , New York solar panel factory this week after some businesses in the Western New York region have been given the green light to reopen , The Verge has learned .
The factory has been idle for roughly two months .
“ I decided to reopen the factory from Wednesday , 5/20 , ” Mark Shima , the president of Panasonic ’ s North American solar energy division , said in a Monday evening email to his 400 employees that was obtained by The Verge .
The first two days will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , and “ standard manufacturing ” will start on Friday , May 22nd .
Panasonic has “ completed preparations under close collaboration with Tesla , such as preparation of masks , sanitizers and wipes , set new protocol for entrance , new rules in cafeteria and production floor , new seat assignment in the office area in order to keep 6 ’ to the next person , ” Shima wrote .
Employees will also have to go through a pandemic safety training before their first shift , according to the email .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which employs more than 1,000 people at the factory , is also restarting production there after having already resumed battery production in Nevada and vehicle manufacturing in California .
Multiple spokespeople for the company did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday .
Panasonic originally planned to bring its employees back on May 16th , but had to delay restarting its production lines because the Western New York region did not initially meet all of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ’ s criteria for reopening , as The Verge first reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been halted since mid-March , and one of Panasonic ’ s factory workers tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the shutdown — the fourth known employee at one of Tesla ’ s US facilities to test positive at the time .
Panasonic announced plans to end its involvement at the Buffalo factory earlier this year .
The company told most of its employees that they would only be needed through the end of May , with some being needed through the beginning of June .
But since the shutdown robbed the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told employees that Panasonic will now operate in the factory until the end of June .
The company is supposed to fully exit the factory in September .
The Buffalo factory is where Tesla also makes its “ Solar Roof ” product , which squeezes solar panel-style technology into individual roof tiles .
Musk recently said that Tesla was “ gaining momentum with Solar Roof before COVID essentially shut us down , both from the ability to install and the ability to get permits.
” Musk had also said Tesla might use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , but it ’ s unclear if Tesla ever made any .
The company instead sourced some from places like China and sent them to places in need .
Panasonic is leaving the factory later this year , but still has overseas orders to fill After news of Panasonic and Tesla ’ s breakup surfaced in February , it was discovered that Tesla has been using solar cells from a Chinese company in those Solar Roof tiles , and that Panasonic started exporting the products it makes at the Buffalo factory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders left to fill , according to the email , which is why the company is extending manufacturing for another month .
Both companies resumed operations at Tesla ’ s Nevada Gigafactory last week .
( Panasonic makes battery cells for Tesla ’ s electric vehicles and energy storage products at that factory . )
Just this week , Panasonic ’ s chief financial officer said the company is considering expanding its presence at the Nevada factory .
Tesla , meanwhile , is reportedly working on a next-generation battery for its products in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Technology Co. Ltd. Tesla has also resumed making cars at its third US factory in California .
CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly railed against the stay-home orders that caused his company ’ s factories to shut down , calling them “ unconstitutional ” and “ fascist.
” In an email to employees last week , Shima said Panasonic will “ always follow the laws and official direction from State and local government , even if those are different from our intention for PSNA ’ s business activities .
”

Panasonic is restarting production at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York solar panel factory this week after some businesses in the Western New York region have been given the green light to reopen, The Verge has learned. The factory has been idle for roughly two months.
“I decided to reopen the factory from Wednesday, 5/20,” Mark Shima, the president of Panasonic’s North American solar energy division, said in a Monday evening email to his 400 employees that was obtained by The Verge. The first two days will be spent doing equipment checks, he said, and “standard manufacturing” will start on Friday, May 22nd.
Panasonic has “completed preparations under close collaboration with Tesla, such as preparation of masks, sanitizers and wipes, set new protocol for entrance, new rules in cafeteria and production floor, new seat assignment in the office area in order to keep 6’ to the next person,” Shima wrote. Employees will also have to go through a pandemic safety training before their first shift, according to the email.
Panasonic prepared to reopen “under close collaboration with Tesla.”
It’s not clear whether Tesla, which employs more than 1,000 people at the factory, is also restarting production there after having already resumed battery production in Nevada and vehicle manufacturing in California. Multiple spokespeople for the company did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
Panasonic originally planned to bring its employees back on May 16th, but had to delay restarting its production lines because the Western New York region did not initially meet all of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s criteria for reopening, as The Verge first reported last week. Production at the factory has been halted since mid-March, and one of Panasonic’s factory workers tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the shutdown — the fourth known employee at one of Tesla’s US facilities to test positive at the time.
Panasonic announced plans to end its involvement at the Buffalo factory earlier this year. The company told most of its employees that they would only be needed through the end of May, with some being needed through the beginning of June. But since the shutdown robbed the company of two months of production, Shima told employees that Panasonic will now operate in the factory until the end of June. The company is supposed to fully exit the factory in September.
The Buffalo factory is where Tesla also makes its “Solar Roof” product, which squeezes solar panel-style technology into individual roof tiles. Musk recently said that Tesla was “gaining momentum with Solar Roof before COVID essentially shut us down, both from the ability to install and the ability to get permits.” Musk had also said Tesla might use the Buffalo factory to manufacture ventilators for COVID-19 patients, but it’s unclear if Tesla ever made any. The company instead sourced some from places like China and sent them to places in need.
Panasonic is leaving the factory later this year, but still has overseas orders to fill
After news of Panasonic and Tesla’s breakup surfaced in February, it was discovered that Tesla has been using solar cells from a Chinese company in those Solar Roof tiles, and that Panasonic started exporting the products it makes at the Buffalo factory. Panasonic still has some of these overseas orders left to fill, according to the email, which is why the company is extending manufacturing for another month.


theverge--2020-05-19--Google Fi is rolling out eSIM support on iOS for existing customers

Google is rolling out the ability to use Google Fi via eSIM for existing customers of the cellular service on @ @ @ @ @ supports it ( via 9to5Google ) .
You ’ ll need the latest version of @ @ @ @ @ and an iPhone XR , XS , XS Max , 11 series , or 2020 @ @ @ @ @ offer Dual SIM functionality .
Google added eSIM support for new Google Fi customers last @ @ @ @ @ notes for yesterday ’ s Google Fi iOS update say that “ you can now @ @ @ @ @ select iPhone devices , ” some Google Fi users on Reddit have had to uninstall @ @ @ @ @ follow the instructions on the Google Fi website to add a cellular plan to their @ @ @ @ @ work .
Google hasn ’ t replied to a request for comment about when eSIM @ @ @ @ @ on iOS might be rolled out more broadly .

Google is rolling out the ability to use Google Fi via eSIM for existing customers of the cellular service on iOS, assuming their iPhone supports it ( via 9to5Google ). You’ll need the latest version of the Google Fi iOS app and an iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, 11 series, or 2020 SE, as those phones offer Dual SIM functionality . Google added eSIM support for new Google Fi customers last month .
Although the release notes for yesterday’s Google Fi iOS update say that “you can now activate Fi via eSIM on select iPhone devices,” some Google Fi users on Reddit have had to uninstall their Google Fi app and follow the instructions on the Google Fi website to add a cellular plan to their iPhone to get eSIM to work. Google hasn’t replied to a request for comment about when eSIM for current Google Fi customers on iOS might be rolled out more broadly.