theverge--2020-08-20--Microsoft Flight Simulator has some amazing bugs, glitches, and mountain-high obelisks

Microsoft Flight Simulator produces some stunning realism most of the time , but there ’ s the odd occasion where things go hilariously wrong .
PC players inside simulated airplanes have been scouring the globe this week and have discovered some rather amusing glitches .
The biggest discovery is a giant mountain-high obelisk in Melbourne , Australia .
The unusually tall building doesn ’ t exist in real life , but Bing Maps thinks a giant obelisk dominates the skies of northern Melbourne .
Microsoft Flight Simulator utilizes Microsoft ’ s Bing Maps technology — streaming data directly from two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it ’ s likely that this particular glitch is based on incorrect Bing Maps data .
Some Flight Simulator players have been visiting the obelisk at midnight , eager to get some pictures of the giant structure before it ’ s inevitably removed .
Giant obelisks aren ’ t the only things going awry in Microsoft Flight Simulator .
The game uses Azure-powered procedural generation technology to fill any gaps in the Bing Maps data .
Landmarks and bridges can ’ t be generated with AI , so they need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of cities looking a little odd if you look too close .
Flight Simulator players discovered that Buckingham Palace , the official London residence of Britain ’ s monarchs , has been turned into an office building .
Similarly , the Washington Monument in Washington DC has also been turned into a narrow skyscraper .
Over on the west coast , the game seems to be struggling with palm trees that line the streets of southern California .
In Flight Simulator they ’ ve turned into weird angular structures jutting out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flight Simulator players have stumbled upon other places where objects are rendered crudely , including a bridge in Portland where trucks are glued to the sides .
Some of the glitches could be down to the data streaming settings that players pick in Flight Simulator , though .
One player discovered that TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville , Florida looks like it has been filled with grass with a sunken office-like building in the middle of the stadium .
We visited the TIAA Bank Field this morning , and it rendered in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settings enabled .
It ’ s unlikely that Asobo Studio , the developers behind Microsoft Flight Simulator , fixed the stadium in less than 24 hours .
Some of the visual glitches that people are experiencing could be related to internet connectivity to the streaming data used to power Flight Simulator , or simply due to players not enabling the full data download when the game is configured .
The glitches are more amusing than they are game breaking , and you ’ re not likely to notice some of the inaccuracies unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how many buildings are supposed to look in a particular city or area .
I ’ ve spent hours flying around parts of the world I ’ ve never visited in Microsoft Flight Simulator .
It ’ s still a stunningly realistic virtual version of our planet , even if some giant obelisks are creating some virtual air traffic over Australia .

Microsoft Flight Simulator produces some stunning realism most of the time, but there’s the odd occasion where things go hilariously wrong. PC players inside simulated airplanes have been scouring the globe this week and have discovered some rather amusing glitches.
The biggest discovery is a giant mountain-high obelisk in Melbourne, Australia. The unusually tall building doesn’t exist in real life, but Bing Maps thinks a giant obelisk dominates the skies of northern Melbourne. Microsoft Flight Simulator utilizes Microsoft’s Bing Maps technology — streaming data directly from two petabytes of storage in the cloud — so it’s likely that this particular glitch is based on incorrect Bing Maps data.
Some Flight Simulator players have been visiting the obelisk at midnight, eager to get some pictures of the giant structure before it’s inevitably removed.
Giant obelisks aren’t the only things going awry in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game uses Azure-powered procedural generation technology to fill any gaps in the Bing Maps data. Landmarks and bridges can’t be generated with AI, so they need to be built by hand. That leaves some parts of cities looking a little odd if you look too close.
Buckingham Palace turned into an office block. kraven420 (Reddit)
Flight Simulator players discovered that Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain’s monarchs, has been turned into an office building. Similarly, the Washington Monument in Washington DC has also been turned into a narrow skyscraper.
Over on the west coast, the game seems to be struggling with palm trees that line the streets of southern California. In Flight Simulator they’ve turned into weird angular structures jutting out of the ground like prehistoric shark teeth.
Flight Simulator players have stumbled upon other places where objects are rendered crudely, including a bridge in Portland where trucks are glued to the sides.
Some of the glitches could be down to the data streaming settings that players pick in Flight Simulator, though. One player discovered that TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida looks like it has been filled with grass with a sunken office-like building in the middle of the stadium.
TIAA Bank Field in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
We visited the TIAA Bank Field this morning, and it rendered in all its glory with all the data streaming settings enabled. It’s unlikely that Asobo Studio, the developers behind Microsoft Flight Simulator, fixed the stadium in less than 24 hours. Some of the visual glitches that people are experiencing could be related to internet connectivity to the streaming data used to power Flight Simulator, or simply due to players not enabling the full data download when the game is configured.


theverge--2020-08-20--Sony is making it easier to use its digital cameras as webcams on Windows

Sony has unveiled a new program for Windows 10 that makes it easier to use the company ’ s digital cameras as webcams .
The software is called Imaging Edge Webcam and allows you to connect your Sony camera to your PC via USB without the need for additional hardware like a USB capture card .
That means you can get a huge boost in image quality compared to most traditional webcams .
Unfortunately , there ’ s no mention of a version for macOS .
Sony says that a total of 35 of its cameras are compatible with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alpha 7S III .
Other supported models include the Alpha 9 II , Alpha 9 , Alpha 7R IV , Alpha 7R III , Alpha 7R II , Alpha 7S II , Alpha 7S , Alpha 7 III , Alpha 7 II , Alpha 6600 , Alpha 6400 , Alpha 6100 , RX100 VII , RX100 VI , RX0 II , RX0 , and vlog camera ZV-1 .
A full list of cameras can be found on this Sony support page , and instructions on how to set up the software can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recharge over USB while in use .
Sony isn ’ t the only camera manufacturer to release software like this .
Over the past few months , Canon , Olympus , Panasonic , Fujifilm , and even GoPro have all launched programs that make it easier to use their cameras as webcams .
The trend has been prompted by this year ’ s huge shift towards remote working , which at points has led to some of the most popular webcams selling out online .
Repurposing an existing digital camera is win-win : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own and end up with much better image quality than you ’ d get from even a good standalone webcam .
If you ’ re a Windows user and own a compatible camera , then the Windows 10 software can be downloaded for free from Sony ’ s site .
However , even if you ’ re a Mac user or you own a camera that ’ s not officially supported , you might still be able to use it as a webcam using some additional hardware .
We ’ ve got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right here .

Sony has unveiled a new program for Windows 10 that makes it easier to use the company’s digital cameras as webcams. The software is called Imaging Edge Webcam and allows you to connect your Sony camera to your PC via USB without the need for additional hardware like a USB capture card. That means you can get a huge boost in image quality compared to most traditional webcams. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of a version for macOS.
Sony says that a total of 35 of its cameras are compatible with the new software, including the newly announced Alpha 7S III. Other supported models include the Alpha 9 II, Alpha 9, Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 7R III, Alpha 7R II, Alpha 7S II, Alpha 7S, Alpha 7 III, Alpha 7 II, Alpha 6600, Alpha 6400, Alpha 6100, RX100 VII, RX100 VI, RX0 II, RX0, and vlog camera ZV-1. A full list of cameras can be found on this Sony support page, and instructions on how to set up the software can be found here. Certain cameras can also recharge over USB while in use.
A list of supported cameras from Sony’s website. Screenshot: Sony
Sony isn’t the only camera manufacturer to release software like this. Over the past few months, Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and even GoPro have all launched programs that make it easier to use their cameras as webcams.
The trend has been prompted by this year’s huge shift towards remote working, which at points has led to some of the most popular webcams selling out online. Repurposing an existing digital camera is win-win: you make use of hardware you already own and end up with much better image quality than you’d get from even a good standalone webcam.


theverge--2020-08-20--The US government can’t use DJI drones - but here are five it just approved

DJI may be synonymous with “ drone , ” but after the US Armed Forces , the Pentagon , and the Department of the Interior started banning and grounding Chinese models over spying fears , it created a vacuum in the market for a drone the United States government could trust .
But the US Department of Defense may already be filling that hole .
It just wrapped up a program designed to find more palatable drones — one that actually kicked off in November 2018 , arguably long before the tensions with China boiled over .
Today , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing not one , not two , but five such drones that have been tested , approved , and are now formally available for government use — including two from formerly consumer-focused drone companies Skydio ( based in California ) and Parrot ( based in France ) .
The five DIU-approved drones are : Note that there ’ s nothing that necessarily kept these companies from selling drones to the US government before now .
Skydio , for instance , tells The Verge that it ’ s already shipped some units of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has other deals in the works .
“ It ’ s one of the first time we ... really feel comfortable saying that.
” But after working with these five companies for the past 18 months — helping them tweak their airframes , weed out potential Chinese components , perform cybersecurity penetration testing , and standardize on communication protocols and controls — and certifying each one , the DIU believes these specific drones are actually ready for government work .
“ It ’ s one of the first times we as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel comfortable saying that , ” says DIU project manager Matthew Borowski .
Another benefit of the program : they ’ ll be on the GSA schedule , which means government agencies should be able to buy them in bulk for a discount .
The US Army may wind up being one of those bulk customers .
The current plan is that one of these five drones will be chosen to fulfill an order that could see every platoon in the Army fielding them sometime in the next six months , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general idea is that every echelon of the US Army might have a different kind of drone it can use — including “ soldier-borne sensors ” like the pocket-sized FLIR Black Hornet for each squad , a “ short range reconnaissance ” drone for every platoon , and fixed-wing ( think airplane , not quadcopter ) Raven and Puma drones at the company and battalion levels .
Today ’ s drones are all candidates for that short-range reconnaissance ( SRR ) contract , specifically .
As you can see in the image above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SRR program weren ’ t too strenuous compared to existing consumer-grade drones — but that doesn ’ t mean the SRR candidates are consumer-grade .
Even the Parrot Anafi , whose consumer version retails for $ 700 , now has a three-camera array with both thermal imaging and a claimed 32x digital zoom , is sealed so it can fly in the rain , and has special antennas so it can be controlled and communicate over DoD frequency bands .
Each drone also had to weigh less than three pounds and “ take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit inside a soldier ’ s standard-issue rucksack.
” They ’ ll also have premium price tags : $ 14,000 for a complete Parrot Anafi system , or $ 16K with an additional military radio link , and between $ 10,000 and $ 20,000 for a complete Skydio X2-D. That DoD radio tweak applies to all of these drones , as does standardization on the MAVLink protocol and open-source PX4 flight software , so military and other government agencies can also standardize on whatever kind of controller they ’ d prefer .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parrot will have a new controller , unlike the one we disliked in our original Parrot Anafi and Skydio 2 reviews . )
We ’ ve previously written about how Skydio and Parrot ’ s potential pivots to military and industrial drones were intriguing — Parrot actually followed through — and the DIU is taking some of the credit for helping these companies push beyond the consumer market .
The unit points out that each company received millions from the US government to help build military-grade drones , and each wound up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge that a bit , though , telling us that the DoD benefited from its expertise as well — and that the $ 4 million it recently received under the Defense Production Act was simply used to “ fund incremental R & D projects on next-gen technologies , ” not create the X2 .
By the way , you might be interested to know that DJI was never in the running for this program at all .
While Trump didn ’ t technically sign the National Defense Authorization Act that prohibited “ foreign-made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — where “ foreign ” explicitly means “ China , ” just to be clear — the DIU says the Chinese company never bothered to apply .

DJI may be synonymous with “drone,” but after the US Armed Forces, the Pentagon, and the Department of the Interior started banning and grounding Chinese models over spying fears, it created a vacuum in the market for a drone the United States government could trust.
But the US Department of Defense may already be filling that hole. It just wrapped up a program designed to find more palatable drones — one that actually kicked off in November 2018, arguably long before the tensions with China boiled over.
Today, the DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit is announcing not one, not two, but five such drones that have been tested, approved, and are now formally available for government use — including ones from formerly consumer-focused drone companies Skydio and Vantage (each based in California) and Parrot (based in France).
The five DIU-approved drones are:
Note that there’s nothing that necessarily kept these companies from selling drones to the US government before now. Skydio, for instance, tells The Verge that it’s already shipped some units of the X2-D to “early access customers” and has other deals in the works.
Previous Next
1 / 5 The Skydio X2-D. Previous Next
1 / 5 The Skydio X2-D.
“It’s one of the first time we...really feel comfortable saying that.”
But after working with these five companies for the past 18 months — helping them tweak their airframes, weed out potential Chinese components, perform cybersecurity penetration testing, and standardize on communication protocols and controls — and certifying each one, the DIU believes these specific drones are actually ready for government work. “It’s one of the first times we as the federal government have said that and really feel comfortable saying that,” says DIU project manager Matthew Borowski.
Another benefit of the program: they’ll be on the GSA schedule, which means government agencies should be able to buy them in bulk for a discount.
The US Army may wind up being one of those bulk customers. The current plan is that one of these five drones will be chosen to fulfill an order that could see every platoon in the Army fielding them sometime in the next six months, according to DIU project manager Chris Bonzagni.
The general idea is that every echelon of the US Army might have a different kind of drone it can use — including “soldier-borne sensors” like the pocket-sized FLIR Black Hornet for each squad, a “short range reconnaissance” drone for every platoon, and fixed-wing (think airplane, not quadcopter) Raven and Puma drones at the company and battalion levels. Today’s drones are all candidates for that short-range reconnaissance (SRR) contract, specifically.
(Speaking of FLIR, it racked up $60 million in Army contracts for the Black Hornet as of May, and it also provides the Hadron thermal camera module used in at least two of the new drones featured today. An Army spokesperson tells The Verge that most units should have the “soldier borne sensors” by 2027.)
As you can see in the image above, the basic performance requirements for the SRR program weren’t too strenuous compared to existing consumer-grade drones — but that doesn’t mean the SRR candidates are consumer-grade.
Even the Parrot Anafi, whose consumer version retails for $700, now has a three-camera array with both thermal imaging and a claimed 32x digital zoom, is sealed so it can fly in the rain, and has special antennas so it can be controlled and communicate over DoD frequency bands. Each drone also had to weigh less than three pounds and “take less than 2 minutes to assemble and fit inside a soldier’s standard-issue rucksack.”
They’ll also have premium price tags: $14,000 for a complete Parrot Anafi system, or $16K with an additional military radio link, and between $10,000 and $20,000 for a complete Skydio X2-D.
That DoD radio tweak applies to all of these drones, as does standardization on the MAVLink protocol and open-source PX4 flight software for most of them, so military and other government agencies can also standardize on whatever kind of controller they’d prefer. (Skydio tells The Verge that it will still offer its own proprietary self-flying “autonomy” system, though, instead of PX4.) We’re also glad to report the Parrot will have a new controller, unlike the one we disliked in our original Parrot Anafi and Skydio 2 reviews.
We’ve previously written about how Skydio and Parrot’s potential pivots to military and industrial drones were intriguing — Parrot actually followed through — and the DIU is taking some of the credit for helping these companies push beyond the consumer market. The unit points out that each company received millions from the US government to help build military-grade drones, and each wound up with an enterprise variant too. Skydio does challenge that a bit, though, telling us that the DoD benefited from its expertise as well — and that the $4 million it recently received under the Defense Production Act was simply used to “fund incremental R&D projects on next-gen technologies,” not create the X2.
By the way, you might be interested to know that DJI was never in the running for this program at all. While Trump didn’t technically sign the National Defense Authorization Act that prohibited government purchases of “foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems” until last December — where “foreign” explicitly means “China,” just to be clear — the DIU says the Chinese company never bothered to apply.
Update, 3:11 PM ET: Added mention that Vantage used to be a consumer-focused drone company too! I forgot all about the Snap.
Update, 8:40 PM ET: Added comment from an Army spokesperson about the timeline for soldier-borne sensors.


theverge--2020-08-20--Facebook’s big QAnon crackdown might have come too late

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Before the Tide Pods challenge was a public health crisis , it was a joke .
The laundry detergent capsules , which were originally released in 2012 , evolved over time to look strangely delicious : lush green and blue gels , swirled around one another attractively , all but daring you to eat them .
This led to many jokes about Tide Pods maybe secretly being candy , and it might have stopped there — but then people actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pods challenge ” surged on social networks in 2018 , and ultimately more than 10,000 children were reported to have been exposed to whatever extremely inedible substance is actually inside Tide Pods .
Of teenagers who were affected , more than a quarter of the cases were intentional , the Washington Post reported at the time .
Eventually platforms banned the Tide Pods challenge , and the mania around their consumption subsided .
But the story posed questions to platforms like Facebook , YouTube , and Twitter that they have struggled to answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a joke seriously ?
When does dumb talk cross the line into something dangerous ?
When does a lunatic conspiracy theory cross the line from a shitpost into a potential incitement to violence ?
When , in other words , was the right time to ban any talk of the Tide Pod challenge ?
Looking back , it seems clear that the answer is “ sooner.
” But “ sooner ” is still not an answer to when .
I thought about all this today reading about Facebook ’ s latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fringe theory that Donald Trump is an intelligent person working in secret to purge the country of Satanist pedophiles , while using lieutenants to send coded messages to 4chan users .
( Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny wrote a definitive piece on QAnon ’ s origins as a grift for NBC News in 2018 . )
On its face , this theory seems no less a joke than the idea that TidePods secretly taste delicious .
But as with the laundry detergent , thousands of Americans have now been poisoned by QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be far more dire , and long-lasting .
First , though , the purge .
Here are Collins and Zadrozny on Wednesday for NBC News : Twitter made a similar move last month , banning 7,000 accounts and putting restrictions on 150,000 more .
Both moves fell short of a full ban on discussing QAnon , though Facebook ’ s move to prevent QAnon groups from being recommended to users could cut off a key avenue for recruitment of new adherents .
“ While we will allow people to post content that supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they do not otherwise violate our content policies , we will restrict their ability to organize on our platform , ” Facebook said in a blog post .
In the New York Times , Sheera Frenkel reported that Facebook began scrutinizing the movement more closely in May , when QAnon groups played an essential role in promoting the “ Plandemic ” hoax .
But by that time , Q adherents were already running for Congress , and several had been linked to real-world violence .
Frenkel writes : There are likely other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months to roll out these bans , and the company ’ s recent action against Boogaloo groups offers some clues .
In that case , as in QAnon , the group ’ s boundaries are ambiguous , and ever shifting .
Part of the appeal of QAnon is that many of its core messages are written in code , giving it the feel of an augmented reality game .
But coded messages are harder to discern , particularly by policy teams that have not invested in unscrambling them .
It ’ s easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our early reactions to the Tide Pods challenge — no one actually believes this stuff , right ?
— than it is to take any kind of preemptive action .
But in 2020 we know what happens when you let a movement fester .
We have seen Reddit ignore its most racist forums until they spun out into thriving standalone communities .
And we have now seen QAnon , which Facebook was recommending in its group recommendation algorithms until Tuesday , evolve into something like a new religion .
Notably , Reddit banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it even banned hate speech — after the forums were found to be inciting violence .
Someone asked the president about QAnon on Wednesday , and he replied that he didn ’ t know all that much about them , but he appreciated that they seem to like him , and also that he is “ saving the world.
” Trump has fanned the flames of QAnon for years , retweeting dozens of accounts linked to the theory , and demonstrating that the group ’ s rise is much more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is praising a group that his own FBI has designated a domestic terrorism threat , the solutions are not at the level of platform policy .
Still , Facebook made it clear today that , like other networks before it , the company does consider QAnon a problem .
As with Tide Pods , it seems likely that we ’ ll all look back and wish the company had taken Q seriously sooner .
And if we want platforms to do better at managing whatever the next threat is that bubbles up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on when exactly that should have been .
Yesterday I included a link to a story in Time about a request from the Gambian government to help investigate the genocide in Myanmar , where the United Nations has said Facebook contributed to the incitement of violence .
Facebook wrote me last night to say that to comply with the request would violate users ’ privacy : One of the things that Matthew doesn ’ t mention is the fact that we are actively working with the UN ’ s Independent Investigative Mechanism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future proceedings .
We recognize the extraordinary gravity of the atrocities in Myanmar , which is why we ’ re making a voluntary disclosure to the IIMM , which is required by its mandate to help all courts and tribunals seeking accountability for Myanmar .
And a little more background on why we opposed The Gambia ’ s request : we have an obligation under the SCA not to release certain data to third parties , including the US and foreign governments , unless the user consents , there ’ s an emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order or the foreign government has a CLOUD Act agreement with the US .
This means that for US companies to respond to a government ’ s request for most user data , those government need to have a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US and use the MLAT process to make the request .
The Gambia doesn ’ t have either kind of agreement with the US , and the SCA doesn ’ t include exceptions for international justice efforts .
It ’ s true that there are lots of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see Facebook indiscriminately handing over user data to governments , no matter how serious-seeming the request .
So this feels like useful context to share .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Facebook is supporting Black-owned businesses in the US with $ 40 million in grants .
It ’ s also allowing them to identify their page as a Black-owned business so people can find and support them more easily .
( Facebook ) ⭐ As Facebook executives promised to crack down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have fueled traffic to a network of sites sharing dangerously inaccurate news .
A report by the nonprofit Avaaz found that pages from the top 10 sites peddling pandemic conspiracy theories received almost four times as many views on Facebook as the top 10 reputable sites for health information .
( This is the unfortunate counterpoint to yesterday ’ s column here about the Plandemic sequel flop . )
Emma Graham-Harrison and Alex Hern at The Guardian share some top findings : A top executive at Facebook in India is asking police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wall Street Journal published a story saying she intervened to keep anti-Muslim hate speech online from politicians of India ’ s ruling Bharatiya Jana Party .
How on earth does Facebook square its mission of “ giving people a voice ” with a top policy executive making a criminal complaint over a journalist criticizing them in a Facebook post ?
This seems ludicrous , and no one I talked to at Facebook on Wednesday could explain it to me .
( Pranav Dixit and Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed ) Related : Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content moderation practices are being followed by the India team in light of the allegations .
A small group of employees penned an open letter demanding company leaders denounce “ anti-Muslim bigotry ” and ensure more policy consistency .
( Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil / Reuters ) India ’ s antitrust watchdog dismissed a case against WhatsApp , saying the company did not abuse its dominant position to expand in the country ’ s digital payments market .
The case , filed in March , alleged that WhatsApp was bundling its digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which already had a large user base .
( Reuters ) Inside the Boogaloo , America ’ s extremely online extremists .
To understand the movement , this piece says , you first need to understand the militia movement that took root in the 1990s .
But while militias are waiting for an imminent war , Boogaloo adherents seem intent on making the war happen .
( Leah Sottile / The New York Times Magazine ) Silicon Valley executives are rallying behind Kamala Harris as Joe Biden ’ s VP pick .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , their bosses are relieved to have someone with closer ties to the valley .
( Eric Newcomer / Bloomberg ) President Trump said he supports Oracle buying TikTok .
Oracle has closer ties to the White House than most other parties involved in the bidding , including Microsoft .
Corruption in plain sight .
( Aaron Tilley and Georgia Wells / The Wall Street Journal ) A TikTok ban is overdue , this opinion writer argues .
The privilege of accessing the open internet should extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that openness themselves .
( Tim Wu / The New York Times ) Apple pulled more than 47,000 apps from the Chinese App Store earlier this month as tensions continue to rise between the US and China .
The company recently eliminated a loophole that previously allowed paid games and games with in-app purchases to be sold even though they were still awaiting approval from Chinese regulators .
( Jay Peters / The Verge ) WeChat has helped Tibetan refugees keep in touch with their families .
At the same time , its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool have been causes of concern , particularly among Tibetan activists .
( Tsering D. Gurung / Rest of World ) Taiwan is planning to ban mainland Chinese streaming services iQiyi and Tencent Holdings from operating on the island .
The move follows the US and India placing restrictions on Chinese tech companies amid heightened political tensions .
( Iris Deng , Yujie Xue in Shenzhen and Josh Ye / South China Morning Post ) Taiwan accused Chinese hackers of infiltrating government agencies to try and access sensitive data on citizens .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the escalating struggle for global influence between the US and China .
( Debby Wu / Bloomberg ) Data gleaned from two Twitter employees who allegedly spied on behalf of the Saudi government was later used to harass or arrest Saudi dissidents .
Human rights organizations say they have identified six Saudi citizens who ran anonymous or pseudonymous Twitter accounts critical of the government who have been arrested .
Chilling .
( Ryan Gallagher / Bloomberg ) Herman Cain ’ s Twitter account is bringing up uncomfortable questions around what should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media profiles after they die .
Should the account remain verified , or should it lose that status to better reflect the memorialized state of the account ?
Personally I hope to keep tweeting long after I ’ m dead , but just super generic stuff like “ Thread ” and “ That ’ s it , that ’ s the tweet.
” ( Tamara Kneese / Slate ) ⭐ The stocks of Apple , Amazon , Alphabet , Microsoft and Facebook now constitute 20 percent of the stock market ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a single industry in at least 70 years .
This dominance is propelled by the companies ’ unprecedented reach into our lives .
Here are Peter Eavis and Steve Lohr at The New York Times : Zoom is coming to the Amazon Echo Show , Facebook Portal , and Google Nest Hub Max later this year .
It ’ s a big expansion for the video conferencing app , and a shift for the tech giants that have previously stuck to their own , in-house video chatting solutions on their smart displays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Instagram is bringing QR codes to the app .
The idea is that businesses can print their QR code and have customers scan it to open their Instagram account easily .
( Ashley Carman / The Verge ) Instagram is now placing ads at the end of the feed , where the “ You ’ re All Caught Up ” notice sits .
It ’ ll also suggest new organic posts for users to view .
( Sarah Perez / TechCrunch ) QAnon is spreading among Instagram influencers , some of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child trafficking .
The conspiracy theory is sprinkled in beside regular lifestyle content .
It will be interesting to see how Facebook ’ s QAnon purge affects Instagram .
( Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic ) New networking apps are capitalizing on the remote work trend and trying to speed up networking .
Personally I have decided to let my professional networks wither and die during this time !
( Ann-Marie Alcántara / The Wall Street Journal ) Black founders and CEOs say they faced biased assumptions , racism and harassment as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to investors .
One founder says he was asked , “ Were your grandparents slaves ?
” during an initial meeting .
( Emily Birnbaum / Protocol ) Send us tips , comments , questions , and conspiracy theories : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

Before the Tide Pods challenge was a public health crisis, it was a joke. The laundry detergent capsules, which were originally released in 2012, evolved over time to look strangely delicious: lush green and blue gels, swirled around one another attractively, all but daring you to eat them. This led to many jokes about Tide Pods maybe secretly being candy, and it might have stopped there — but then people actually started eating them. The “Tide Pods challenge” surged on social networks in 2018, and ultimately more than 10,000 children were reported to have been exposed to whatever extremely inedible substance is actually inside Tide Pods. Of teenagers who were affected, more than a quarter of the cases were intentional, the Washington Post reported at the time.
Eventually platforms banned the Tide Pods challenge, and the mania around their consumption subsided. But the story posed questions to platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter that they have struggled to answer ever since. When do you start to take a joke seriously? When does dumb talk cross the line into something dangerous? When does a lunatic conspiracy theory cross the line from a shitpost into a potential incitement to violence?
When, in other words, was the right time to ban any talk of the Tide Pod challenge?
Looking back, it seems clear that the answer is “sooner.” But “sooner” is still not an answer to when.
I thought about all this today reading about Facebook’s latest purge of accounts related to QAnon, the fringe theory that Donald Trump is an intelligent person working in secret to purge the country of Satanist pedophiles, while using lieutenants to send coded messages to 4chan users. (Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny wrote a definitive piece on QAnon’s origins as a grift for NBC News in 2018.) On its face, this theory seems no less a joke than the idea that TidePods secretly taste delicious. But as with the laundry detergent, thousands of Americans have now been poisoned by QAnon, and the consequences seem likely to be far more dire, and long-lasting.
First, though, the purge. Here are Collins and Zadrozny on Wednesday for NBC News:
Facebook on Wednesday banned about 900 pages and groups and 1,500 ads tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, part of a sweeping action that also restricted the reach of over 10,000 Instagram pages and almost 2,000 Facebook groups pushing the baseless conspiracy theory that has spawned real-world violence. Facebook also took down thousands of accounts, pages and groups as part of what they called a “policy expansion,” seeking to limit violent rhetoric tied to QAnon, political militias and protest groups like antifa.
Twitter made a similar move last month, banning 7,000 accounts and putting restrictions on 150,000 more. Both moves fell short of a full ban on discussing QAnon, though Facebook’s move to prevent QAnon groups from being recommended to users could cut off a key avenue for recruitment of new adherents. “While we will allow people to post content that supports these movements and groups, so long as they do not otherwise violate our content policies, we will restrict their ability to organize on our platform,” Facebook said in a blog post.
In the New York Times, Sheera Frenkel reported that Facebook began scrutinizing the movement more closely in May, when QAnon groups played an essential role in promoting the “Plandemic” hoax. But by that time, Q adherents were already running for Congress, and several had been linked to real-world violence. Frenkel writes:
In New York, a woman who had cited QAnon theories as a reason she wanted to “take out” the Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden Jr., was arrested on May 1 with dozens of knives in her car. The group has been linked to more than a dozen violent incidents over the last year, including a train hijacking; last month, a QAnon supporter rammed a car into a government residence in Canada. The spiking activity on its network, combined with real-world incidents, pushed Facebook to discuss policy changes to limit QAnon’s spread, the two employees said. But the conversations stalled because taking down QAnon-related groups, pages and accounts could feed into the movement’s conspiracy theory that social media companies are trying to silence them, the people said.
There are likely other reasons it took Facebook a couple of months to roll out these bans, and the company’s recent action against Boogaloo groups offers some clues. In that case, as in QAnon, the group’s boundaries are ambiguous, and ever shifting. Part of the appeal of QAnon is that many of its core messages are written in code, giving it the feel of an augmented reality game. But coded messages are harder to discern, particularly by policy teams that have not invested in unscrambling them. It’s easier to maintain the ironic detachment that defined our early reactions to the Tide Pods challenge — no one actually believes this stuff, right? — than it is to take any kind of preemptive action.
But in 2020 we know what happens when you let a movement fester. We have seen Reddit ignore its most racist forums until they spun out into thriving standalone communities. And we have now seen QAnon, which Facebook was recommending in its group recommendation algorithms until Tuesday, evolve into something like a new religion. Notably, Reddit banned QAnon forums starting in 2018 — long before it even banned hate speech — after the forums were found to be inciting violence.
Someone asked the president about QAnon on Wednesday, and he replied that he didn’t know all that much about them, but he appreciated that they seem to like him, and also that he is “saving the world.” Trump has fanned the flames of QAnon for years, retweeting dozens of accounts linked to the theory, and demonstrating that the group’s rise is much more than a problem of content moderation. When the president is praising a group that his own FBI has designated a domestic terrorism threat, the solutions are not at the level of platform policy.
Still, Facebook made it clear today that, like other networks before it, the company does consider QAnon a problem. As with Tide Pods, it seems likely that we’ll all look back and wish the company had taken Q seriously sooner. And if we want platforms to do better at managing whatever the next threat is that bubbles up, we would do well to reflect on when exactly that should have been.
Pushback
Yesterday I included a link to a story in Time about a request from the Gambian government to help investigate the genocide in Myanmar, where the United Nations has said Facebook contributed to the incitement of violence. Facebook wrote me last night to say that to comply with the request would violate users’ privacy:
One of the things that Matthew doesn’t mention is the fact that we are actively working with the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar who are collecting evidence for any future proceedings. We recognize the extraordinary gravity of the atrocities in Myanmar, which is why we’re making a voluntary disclosure to the IIMM, which is required by its mandate to help all courts and tribunals seeking accountability for Myanmar. And a little more background on why we opposed The Gambia’s request: we have an obligation under the SCA not to release certain data to third parties, including the US and foreign governments, unless the user consents, there’s an emergency, the requesting party has a court order or the foreign government has a CLOUD Act agreement with the US. This means that for US companies to respond to a government’s request for most user data, those government need to have a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US and use the MLAT process to make the request. The Gambia doesn’t have either kind of agreement with the US, and the SCA doesn’t include exceptions for international justice efforts.
It’s true that there are lots of cases where we wouldn’t want to see Facebook indiscriminately handing over user data to governments, no matter how serious-seeming the request. So this feels like useful context to share.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Facebook is supporting Black-owned businesses in the US with $40 million in grants. It’s also allowing them to identify their page as a Black-owned business so people can find and support them more easily. (Facebook)
Governing
⭐ As Facebook executives promised to crack down on health misinformation, its algorithm appears to have fueled traffic to a network of sites sharing dangerously inaccurate news. A report by the nonprofit Avaaz found that pages from the top 10 sites peddling pandemic conspiracy theories received almost four times as many views on Facebook as the top 10 reputable sites for health information. (This is the unfortunate counterpoint to yesterday’s column here about the Plandemic sequel flop.) Emma Graham-Harrison and Alex Hern at The Guardian share some top findings:
It found that global networks of 82 sites spreading health misinformation over at least five countries had generated an estimated 3.8bn views on Facebook over the last year. Their audience peaked in April, with 460m views in a single month. “This suggests that just when citizens needed credible health information the most, and while Facebook was trying to proactively raise the profile of authoritative health institutions on the platform, its algorithm was potentially undermining these efforts,” the report said. A relatively small but influential network is responsible for driving huge amounts of traffic to health misinformation sites. Avaaz identified 42 “super-spreader” sites that had 28m followers generating an estimated 800m views.
Related: Facebook employees are now raising questions about whether content moderation practices are being followed by the India team in light of the allegations. A small group of employees penned an open letter demanding company leaders denounce “anti-Muslim bigotry” and ensure more policy consistency. (Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil / Reuters)
India’s antitrust watchdog dismissed a case against WhatsApp, saying the company did not abuse its dominant position to expand in the country’s digital payments market. The case, filed in March, alleged that WhatsApp was bundling its digital payment service in its messaging app, which already had a large user base. (Reuters)
Inside the Boogaloo, America’s extremely online extremists. To understand the movement, this piece says, you first need to understand the militia movement that took root in the 1990s. But while militias are waiting for an imminent war, Boogaloo adherents seem intent on making the war happen. (Leah Sottile / The New York Times Magazine)
Silicon Valley executives are rallying behind Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s VP pick. While many tech workers supported more progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, their bosses are relieved to have someone with closer ties to the valley. (Eric Newcomer / Bloomberg)
President Trump said he supports Oracle buying TikTok. Oracle has closer ties to the White House than most other parties involved in the bidding, including Microsoft. Corruption in plain sight. (Aaron Tilley and Georgia Wells / The Wall Street Journal)
A TikTok ban is overdue, this opinion writer argues. The privilege of accessing the open internet should extended only to companies from countries that respect that openness themselves. (Tim Wu / The New York Times)
Apple pulled more than 47,000 apps from the Chinese App Store earlier this month as tensions continue to rise between the US and China. The company recently eliminated a loophole that previously allowed paid games and games with in-app purchases to be sold even though they were still awaiting approval from Chinese regulators. (Jay Peters / The Verge)
WeChat has helped Tibetan refugees keep in touch with their families. At the same time, its potential to be used as a surveillance tool have been causes of concern, particularly among Tibetan activists. (Tsering D. Gurung / Rest of World)
Taiwan is planning to ban mainland Chinese streaming services iQiyi and Tencent Holdings from operating on the island. The move follows the US and India placing restrictions on Chinese tech companies amid heightened political tensions. (Iris Deng, Yujie Xue in Shenzhen and Josh Ye / South China Morning Post)
Taiwan accused Chinese hackers of infiltrating government agencies to try and access sensitive data on citizens. The revelation comes as Taiwan has been caught up in the escalating struggle for global influence between the US and China. (Debby Wu / Bloomberg)
Data gleaned from two Twitter employees who allegedly spied on behalf of the Saudi government was later used to harass or arrest Saudi dissidents. Human rights organizations say they have identified six Saudi citizens who ran anonymous or pseudonymous Twitter accounts critical of the government who have been arrested. Chilling. (Ryan Gallagher / Bloomberg)
Herman Cain’s Twitter account is bringing up uncomfortable questions around what should happen to a public figure’s social media profiles after they die. Should the account remain verified, or should it lose that status to better reflect the memorialized state of the account? Personally I hope to keep tweeting long after I’m dead, but just super generic stuff like “Thread” and “That’s it, that’s the tweet.” (Tamara Kneese / Slate)
Industry
⭐ The stocks of Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook now constitute 20 percent of the stock market’s total worth, a level not seen from a single industry in at least 70 years. This dominance is propelled by the companies’ unprecedented reach into our lives. Here are Peter Eavis and Steve Lohr at The New York Times:
Amazon’s business, already towering over competitors in e-commerce and cloud computing, has become even more important to businesses and households. Its stock is up over 50 percent from its pre-pandemic high, underscoring just how much investors think it has benefited from the disruption. Critics say the companies have grown in part because of a range of anticompetitive practices. European regulators are investigating whether Apple’s App Store breaks competition rules. American regulators are looking at whether large tech firms committed antitrust abuses when acquiring other companies. Some antitrust scholars believe the rise of industry-dominating companies has led to stagnant wages and increased inequality. Last month, tech chief executives were grilled by members of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee.
Zoom is coming to the Amazon Echo Show, Facebook Portal, and Google Nest Hub Max later this year. It’s a big expansion for the video conferencing app, and a shift for the tech giants that have previously stuck to their own, in-house video chatting solutions on their smart displays. (Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge)
Instagram is bringing QR codes to the app. The idea is that businesses can print their QR code and have customers scan it to open their Instagram account easily. (Ashley Carman / The Verge)
Instagram is now placing ads at the end of the feed, where the “You’re All Caught Up” notice sits. It’ll also suggest new organic posts for users to view. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)
QAnon is spreading among Instagram influencers, some of whom have latched on to the theory about child trafficking. The conspiracy theory is sprinkled in beside regular lifestyle content. It will be interesting to see how Facebook’s QAnon purge affects Instagram. (Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic)
New networking apps are capitalizing on the remote work trend and trying to speed up networking. Personally I have decided to let my professional networks wither and die during this time! (Ann-Marie Alcántara / The Wall Street Journal)
Black founders and CEOs say they faced biased assumptions, racism and harassment as they’ve tried to pitch their companies to investors. One founder says he was asked, “Were your grandparents slaves?” during an initial meeting. (Emily Birnbaum / Protocol)
Those good tweets
Talk to us


theverge--2020-08-20--Go read this investigation into a flawed contact-tracing app used by one US college

When Albion College announced it would be re-opening back in June it said it would put a number of health measures in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 , including reduced lecture sizes , and virus tests for staff and students .
But as TechCrunch reports in a new investigation , it also introduced a mandatory contact-tracing app with a number of privacy issues .
The report highlights the problems facing these apps and the institutions that are introducing them , and it ’ s well worth a read as a case study .
The app , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school when a student tests positive for the virus and to let students know when they may have come into contact with someone else who has it .
But rather than relying on local Bluetooth proximity signals to tell when contact has occurred ( as Apple and Google ’ s system does ) , Aura instead uses location data , a practice that ’ s been criticized for creating privacy problems .
As well as being bad for privacy generally , the approach also means the college can keep tabs on where students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their movements : In addition to having to install the app , students were told they are not allowed to leave campus for the duration of the semester without permission over fears that contact with the wider community might bring the virus back to campus .
If a student leaves campus without permission , the app will alert the school , and the student ’ s ID card will be locked and access to campus buildings will be revoked , according to an email to students , seen by TechCrunch .
Investigations have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secret keys for the app ’ s backend servers were found in the app ’ s code , allowing one researcher to access patient data stored in the app ’ s databases and cloud storage .
TechCrunch also discovered an issue with the QR codes the app generates which are designed to confirm whether or not someone has tested negative for the virus .
Our network analysis tool showed that the QR code was not generated on the device but on a hidden part of Aura ’ s website .
The web address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aura user ’ s account number , which isn ’ t visible from the app .
If we increased or decreased the account number in the web address by a single digit , it generated a QR code for that user ’ s Aura account .
In other words , because we could see another user ’ s QR code , we could also see the student ’ s full name , their COVID-19 test result status and what date the student was certified or denied .
Although these most egregious issues have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s developers , one security researcher quoted by TechCrunch said that they pointed towards the app being a “ rush job.
” The incident raises serious questions about the contact-tracing software being rolled out in other institutions around the world , and TechCrunch ’ s investigation sheds an important light on the problems it can cause .

In addition to having to install the app, students were told they are not allowed to leave campus for the duration of the semester without permission over fears that contact with the wider community might bring the virus back to campus.
If a student leaves campus without permission, the app will alert the school, and the student’s ID card will be locked and access to campus buildings will be revoked, according to an email to students, seen by TechCrunch.


theverge--2020-08-20--Epic to host a #FreeFortnite tournament with anti-Apple prizes

Fortnite-maker Epic Games and Apple are currently embroiled in a public battle over Apple ’ s App Store policies , and in the latest move in the dispute , Epic has announced a Fortnite tournament taking place August 23rd where players can compete to win anti-Apple prizes .
Last week , Epic added a new direct payment system to Fortnite in violation of Apple ’ s policies .
Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store the same day , and shortly after , Epic launched a campaign against Apple by suing the company , releasing a “ Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1984 ” ad , and promoting the hashtag # FreeFortnite .
Players who compete in the tournament have the opportunity to win an in-game skin of the evil-looking apple featured in Epic ’ s “ Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite ” video ( cheekily dubbed the “ Tart Tycoon ” ) , a “ Free Fortnite ” hat , and even non-iOS gaming hardware , including an Alienware laptop , a Galaxy Tab S7 , a OnePlus 8 phone , a PlayStation 4 Pro , an Xbox One X , or a Nintendo Switch .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also reminded iOS players that they won ’ t be able to play the next season of Fortnite , which is scheduled to begin on August 27th and will likely add significant updates to the game .
( This isn ’ t a new refrain — the studio used similar messaging last week . )
Epic suggested iOS players consider migrating to other platforms where Fortnite is available before the next season begins ( which includes the PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Nintendo Switch , PC , Mac , and Android ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Apple with the # FreeFortnite hashtag .
Earlier this week , Epic filed a preliminary injunction to attempt to stop Apple from cutting the studio out of Apple ’ s developer program , but Apple said it “ won ’ t make an exception ” for Epic .
In the injunction , Epic said Apple will remove Epic from the Apple Developer Program on August 28th .

Fortnite-maker Epic Games and Apple are currently embroiled in a public battle over Apple’s App Store policies, and in the latest move in the dispute, Epic has announced a Fortnite tournament taking place August 23rd where players can compete to win anti-Apple prizes.
Last week, Epic added a new direct payment system to Fortnite in violation of Apple’s policies. Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store the same day, and shortly after, Epic launched a campaign against Apple by suing the company, releasing a “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite” video mocking Apple’s famous “1984” ad, and promoting the hashtag #FreeFortnite.
Players who compete in the tournament have the opportunity to win an in-game skin of the evil-looking apple featured in Epic’s “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite” video (cheekily dubbed the “Tart Tycoon”), a “Free Fortnite” hat, and even non-iOS gaming hardware, including an Alienware laptop, a Galaxy Tab S7, a OnePlus 8 phone, a PlayStation 4 Pro, an Xbox One X, or a Nintendo Switch.
In its blog about the tournament, Epic also reminded iOS players that they won’t be able to play the next season of Fortnite, which is scheduled to begin on August 27th and will likely add significant updates to the game. (This isn’t a new refrain — the studio used similar messaging last week.) Epic suggested iOS players consider migrating to other platforms where Fortnite is available before the next season begins (which includes the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and Android) and voicing their displeasure by tweeting directly at Apple with the #FreeFortnite hashtag. On Friday, Epic also released assets parodying Apple’s “Think Different” ad campaign for players to use to make their own anti-Apple gear.
Earlier this week, Epic filed a preliminary injunction to attempt to stop Apple from cutting the studio out of Apple’s developer program, but Apple said it “won’t make an exception” for Epic. In the injunction, Epic said Apple will remove Epic from the Apple Developer Program on August 28th.


theverge--2020-08-20--After inking a deal with Netflix, Trump impersonator Sarah Cooper is also getting a TV show

We already knew that Sarah Cooper , the comedian that has gone viral for her impersonations of Trump , is getting a comedy special on Netflix .
And today , Cooper has inked a deal with CBS to adapt one of her books into a TV series , according to Deadline and Variety .
CBS plans to develop a comedy show inspired by Cooper ’ s book How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men ’ s Feelings .
The show will focus on three females working at a predominantly male company .
As you might have guessed from the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tackle today ’ s gender politics and their impact on the trio ’ s professional and personal lives .
Cooper will also be involved in the series serving as a co-writer and executive producer .
Sarah Cooper blew up on social just last year after pursuing full-time comedy since 2014 Cooper released How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men ’ s Feelings in 2018 .
She has also authored several other books , including 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings , and is currently writing a “ humorous semi-autobiographical take ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friends and Influence People , which is set to release next year on Audible , according to her website .
I mentioned earlier this month how Sarah Cooper blew up on social just last year after pursuing full-time comedy since 2014 .
She gained significant attention after she began posting various political satire videos of herself lip-syncing Donald Trump .
Her first viral video , which was posted on her Twitter account in April , has racked up over 22 million views .

We already knew that Sarah Cooper, the comedian that has gone viral for her impersonations of Trump, is getting a comedy special on Netflix. And today, Cooper has inked a deal with CBS to adapt one of her books into a TV series, according to Deadline and Variety.
CBS plans to develop a comedy show inspired by Cooper’s book How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings. The show will focus on three females working at a predominantly male company. As you might have guessed from the name of the book, the show will tackle today’s gender politics and their impact on the trio’s professional and personal lives. Cooper will also be involved in the series serving as a co-writer and executive producer.
Sarah Cooper blew up on social just last year after pursuing full-time comedy since 2014
Cooper released How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings in 2018. She has also authored several other books, including 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings, and is currently writing a “humorous semi-autobiographical take” on Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is set to release next year on Audible, according to her website.


theverge--2020-08-20--Magic Leap’s lost work The Last Light gets a surprise release after its developers were laid off

The Last Light , Magic Leap ’ s in-house mixed reality experience thought to be lost after nearly everyone who made it was laid off , got a surprise — and official — release this week .
( We spotted the release thanks to a tweet from former Magic Leap employee Alexandria Heston . )
In The Last Light , you follow along as a young woman , Kayah , moves through a story about her family that plays out on objects in the room in front of you .
“ It is not a game or a tech demo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anastasia Devana on LinkedIn .
“ It ’ s essentially a short film that is best experienced alone , in a quiet area , and uninterrupted for around 35-40 minutes or so.
” The Last Light was originally set to premiere at SXSW in March , but the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Then , on April 22nd , Magic Leap reportedly laid off around 1,000 employees , including many of the game ’ s developers .
That same day , Magic Leap co-founder and former CEO Rony Abovitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue opportunities are currently concentrated on the enterprise side , ” which seemed to indicate a shift away from content like The Last Light .
( Abovitz said he would step down from Magic Leap in May , and has since been replaced by former Microsoft exec Peggy Johnson . )
My colleague Adi Robertson spoke to developers who worked on The Last Light , and I highly recommend her article about it published on July 6th .
The developers told her at the time that The Last Light was in limbo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magic Leap could release it on its app store — which is exactly what the company has since done .
It ’ s now available as a free download .

The Last Light, Magic Leap’s in-house mixed reality experience thought to be lost after nearly everyone who made it was laid off, got a surprise — and official — release this week. (We spotted the release thanks to a tweet from former Magic Leap employee Alexandria Heston.)
In The Last Light, you follow along as a young woman, Kayah, moves through a story about her family that plays out on objects in the room in front of you. “It is not a game or a tech demo,” said former Magic leap employee Anastasia Devana on LinkedIn. “It’s essentially a short film that is best experienced alone, in a quiet area, and uninterrupted for around 35-40 minutes or so.”
The Last Light was originally set to premiere at SXSW in March, but the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, on April 22nd, Magic Leap reportedly laid off around 1,000 employees, including many of the game’s developers. That same day, Magic Leap co-founder and former CEO Rony Abovitz said Magic Leap’s “near-term revenue opportunities are currently concentrated on the enterprise side,” which seemed to indicate a shift away from content like The Last Light. (Abovitz said he would step down from Magic Leap in May, and has since been replaced by former Microsoft exec Peggy Johnson.)


theverge--2020-08-20--Android 11 phones will summon Android Auto wirelessly, no need to pull out your device

Apple CarPlay and Google ’ s Android Auto both seem pretty useful for drivers — simply plug in your phone to charge , and it ’ ll link up with your car ’ s bigger touchscreen to give you directions to your doctor ’ s appointment , play music from your Spotify playlist , or send a text .
Google also has an easier version that lets you connect wirelessly to your car stereo without even taking your phone out of your pocket — but it was limited to Google and Samsung phones .
Now , Google has quietly announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to connect to Android Auto , cable-free .
Google ’ s updated Android Auto support page now notes that “ any smartphone with Android 11.0 ” will be able to connect to Android Auto wirelessly .
It ’ s likely in addition to Google and Samsung , phones from manufacturers like LG , Motorola , and OnePlus may also receive support when Android 11 exits public beta later this year .
But Android 11 support for Android Auto wireless comes with a few requirements But Android 11 support for Android Auto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to have both a phone and Android Auto head unit that supports 5GHz Wi-Fi .
If you live in Japan or Russia , you won ’ t have access as Google says those territories do not support Android Auto ’ s wireless feature .
Even in the EU , there are additional requirements ; Google says Android phones in the EU that use 5GHz Wi-Fi in the car must “ comply with additional regulatory requirements , ” but we ’ re not quite sure what that means for you .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you might want to consider buying a wireless charger as well — after all , your phone isn ’ t going to be charging while it ’ s streaming Android Auto from your pocket .

Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto both seem pretty useful for drivers — simply plug in your phone to charge, and it’ll link up with your car’s bigger touchscreen to give you directions to your doctor’s appointment, play music from your Spotify playlist, or send a text. Google also has an easier version that lets you connect wirelessly to your car stereo without even taking your phone out of your pocket — but it was limited to Google and Samsung phones. Now, Google has quietly announced that any phone running Android 11 will be able to connect to Android Auto, cable-free.
Google’s updated Android Auto support page now notes that “any smartphone with Android 11.0” will be able to connect to Android Auto wirelessly. It’s likely in addition to Google and Samsung, phones from manufacturers like LG, Motorola, and OnePlus may also receive support when Android 11 exits public beta later this year.
But Android 11 support for Android Auto wireless comes with a few requirements
But Android 11 support for Android Auto wireless comes with a few requirements: you need to have both a phone and Android Auto head unit that supports 5GHz Wi-Fi. If you live in Japan or Russia, you won’t have access as Google says those territories do not support Android Auto’s wireless feature. Even in the EU, there are additional requirements; Google says Android phones in the EU that use 5GHz Wi-Fi in the car must “comply with additional regulatory requirements,” but we’re not quite sure what that means for you.


theverge--2020-08-20--Adobe accidentally deleted people’s photos in latest Lightroom update

For the past two days , photographers have been posting in a panic across Twitter , Reddit , and the Photoshop feedback forums .
They ’ d downloaded Adobe ’ s latest update for Lightroom ’ s iOS app , and suddenly their photos and presets were gone .
Adobe has now confirmed the issue , and it ’ s also said that the data is gone for good .
“ I ’ ve talked with customer service for 4+ hours over the past 2 days and just a minute ago they told me that the issue has no fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” complained one Reddit user , who says they ’ ve lost over two years ’ worth of photo edits .
The complaints were spotted by PetaPixel .
“ This is literally the worst , ” tweeted another customer , who said they ’ d lost not only 800 pictures but hundreds of dollars worth of paid presets .
Adobe representative Rikk Flohr acknowledged and apologized for the snafu in a forum post yesterday .
Per Flohr , the company has released another update “ to prevent this issue from impacting additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be recovered , according to Flohr .
The update won ’ t help anyone who ’ s already been impacted .
“ We sincerely apologize to any customers who have been affected by this issue , ” Flohr wrote .
Adobe has since released a statement , which largely repeats Flohr ’ s comments .
The statement clarifies that the issue specifically affected Lightroom mobile users without an Adobe cloud subscription , as well as subscribers with photos and presets that hadn ’ t been synced to the Adobe cloud at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company also noted that some customers might be able to recover their data from iPhone or iPad backups .
“ We know how frustrating and upsetting this will be to people affected and we sincerely apologize , ” the company said .
This isn ’ t the first time that company mistakes have caused user photos to go missing .
Canon took down its “ image.canon ” platform earlier this month after a storage issue resulted in the loss of some photo and video files .
It should serve as a reminder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Update August 20th , 5:36PM ET : Added details from Adobe ’ s official statement .

For the past two days, photographers have been posting in a panic across Twitter, Reddit, and the Photoshop feedback forums. They’d downloaded Adobe’s latest update for Lightroom’s iOS app, and suddenly their photos and presets were gone. Adobe has now confirmed the issue, and it’s also said that the data is gone for good.
“I’ve talked with customer service for 4+ hours over the past 2 days and just a minute ago they told me that the issue has no fix and that these lost photos are unrecoverable,” complained one Reddit user, who says they’ve lost over two years’ worth of photo edits. The complaints were spotted by PetaPixel.
“This is literally the worst,” tweeted another customer, who said they’d lost not only 800 pictures but hundreds of dollars worth of paid presets.
“These lost photos are unrecoverable.”
Adobe representative Rikk Flohr acknowledged and apologized for the snafu in a forum post yesterday. Per Flohr, the company has released another update “to prevent this issue from impacting additional customers.” However, the photos can’t be recovered, according to Flohr. The update won’t help anyone who’s already been impacted.
“We sincerely apologize to any customers who have been affected by this issue,” Flohr wrote.
Adobe has since released a statement, which largely repeats Flohr’s comments. The statement clarifies that the issue specifically affected Lightroom mobile users without an Adobe cloud subscription, as well as subscribers with photos and presets that hadn’t been synced to the Adobe cloud at the time of the update. The company also noted that some customers might be able to recover their data from iPhone or iPad backups.
“We know how frustrating and upsetting this will be to people affected and we sincerely apologize,” the company said.
This isn’t the first time that company mistakes have caused user photos to go missing. Canon took down its “image.canon” platform earlier this month after a storage issue resulted in the loss of some photo and video files. It should serve as a reminder to everyone: back up your stuff.


theverge--2020-08-20--Major news publishers ask Apple what can get them an App Store deal like Amazon’s

Major US news publishers have joined the list of companies and app developers criticizing Apple ’ s App Store terms as unfair and potentially anti-competitive .
The digital media trade association Digital Content Next — which includes newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post and numerous magazines , broadcasters , and websites ( Vox Media , parent company of The Verge , is also a member ) — sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday .
The letter asks the Apple chief executive what would be necessary to negotiate a deal similar to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Prime video app .
News of the letter was first reported today by The Wall Street Journal .
“ We would like to know what conditions our members — high quality digital content companies — would need to meet in order to qualify for the arrangement Amazon is receiving for its Amazon Prime Video app in the Apple App Store , ” the letter , penned by Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint , reads .
That deal , revealed as part of a House antirust hearing that brought Cook and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify late last month , granted Amazon a more generous 85-15 percent revenue share with Apple for in-app subscriptions of Prime Video .
Apple typically takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases .
News publishers want to know how to get the more generous App Store cut Amazon was offered That “ Apple tax , ” as it ’ s sometimes called , is at the center of both a European Union antitrust investigation and a legal and regulatory showdown with Fortnite creator Epic Games , which sued Apple last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game from the App Store over Epic ’ s inclusion and promotion of an alternative in-app payment system .
( Epic sued also Google after it removed Fortnite from the Play Store for similar reasons as Apple . )
The App Store cut in addition to Apple ’ s other restrictions it imposes on developers have become central issues for the iPhone maker in repeated dustups with third-party developers of late , including Hey email service creator Basecamp and Facebook .
Now news publishers , which have had a contentious relationship with Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are starting to take issue with the App Store cut , too .
Although Apple isn ’ t responsible for the online ad duopoly that has helped decimate revenues for news publishers over the last two decades ( that would be Facebook and Google ) , it does operate a massive news platform across iOS and macOS in the form of the Apple News app and its magazine-focused subscription platform , Apple News Plus .
Publishers have taken issue in the past with Apple ’ s control over in-app ads and user data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the platform .
The New York Times notably declined to participate in Apple News Plus over the platform ’ s reportedly unfavorable terms , and the publisher even pulled all of its articles from the standard , free version of Apple News back in June over similar concerns .
In the letter , Kint brings up Cook ’ s response regarding the Amazon deal , in which Cook said such terms are available to any developer “ meeting the conditions.
” Cook never clarified what those conditions are and which in reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival like Amazon , whose CEO Jeff Bezos personally negotiated with Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue to secure the terms , according to emails revealed by the House antitrust subcommittee .
“ Nearly all of DCN ’ s members offer apps in the Apple App Store and , as noted above , many offer subscription-based access to a wide variety of content .
The terms of Apple ’ s unique marketplace greatly impact the ability to continue to invest in high-quality , trusted news and entertainment particularly in competition with other larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In keeping with your statement to the Committee , I ask that you clearly define the conditions that Amazon satisfied for its arrangement so that DCN ’ s member companies meeting those conditions can be offered the same agreement .
I look forward to discussing this with you.
” Update August 20th , 7:42PM ET : Added that Digital Content Next includes major digital media companies , news broadcasters , and websites , including Vox Media , the parent company of The Verge .

Major US news publishers have joined the list of companies and app developers criticizing Apple’s App Store terms as unfair and potentially anti-competitive. The digital media trade association Digital Content Next — which includes newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post and numerous magazines, broadcasters, and websites (Vox Media, parent company of The Verge, is also a member) — sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday. The letter asks the Apple chief executive what would be necessary to negotiate a deal similar to the one it granted Amazon in 2016 for its Prime video app. News of the letter was first reported today by The Wall Street Journal.
“We would like to know what conditions our members — high quality digital content companies — would need to meet in order to qualify for the arrangement Amazon is receiving for its Amazon Prime Video app in the Apple App Store,” the letter, penned by Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint, reads.
That deal, revealed as part of a House antirust hearing that brought Cook and other major tech executives to Capitol Hill to testify late last month, granted Amazon a more generous 85-15 percent revenue share with Apple for in-app subscriptions of Prime Video. Apple typically takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases.
News publishers want to know how to get the more generous App Store cut Amazon was offered
That “Apple tax,” as it’s sometimes called, is at the center of both a European Union antitrust investigation and a legal and regulatory showdown with Fortnite creator Epic Games, which sued Apple last week after the iPhone-maker removed the battle royale game from the App Store over Epic’s inclusion and promotion of an alternative in-app payment system. (Epic sued also Google after it removed Fortnite from the Play Store for similar reasons as Apple.) The App Store cut in addition to Apple’s other restrictions it imposes on developers have become central issues for the iPhone maker in repeated dustups with third-party developers of late, including Hey email service creator Basecamp and Facebook.
Now news publishers, which have had a contentious relationship with Apple since the introduction of Apple News, are starting to take issue with the App Store cut, too. Although Apple isn’t responsible for the online ad duopoly that has helped decimate revenues for news publishers over the last two decades (that would be Facebook and Google), it does operate a massive news platform across iOS and macOS in the form of the Apple News app and its magazine-focused subscription platform, Apple News Plus.
Publishers have taken issue in the past with Apple’s control over in-app ads and user data that might help publishers monetize content shared on the platform. The New York Times notably declined to participate in Apple News Plus over the platform’s reportedly unfavorable terms, and the publisher even pulled all of its articles from the standard, free version of Apple News back in June over similar concerns.
In the letter, Kint brings up Cook’s response regarding the Amazon deal, in which Cook said such terms are available to any developer “meeting the conditions.” Cook never clarified what those conditions are and which in reality presumably involve being a gigantic corporate tech rival like Amazon, whose CEO Jeff Bezos personally negotiated with Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue to secure the terms, according to emails revealed by the House antitrust subcommittee.
“Nearly all of DCN’s members offer apps in the Apple App Store and, as noted above, many offer subscription-based access to a wide variety of content. The terms of Apple’s unique marketplace greatly impact the ability to continue to invest in high-quality, trusted news and entertainment particularly in competition with other larger firms,” Kint writes. “In keeping with your statement to the Committee, I ask that you clearly define the conditions that Amazon satisfied for its arrangement so that DCN’s member companies meeting those conditions can be offered the same agreement. I look forward to discussing this with you.”


theverge--2020-08-20--Tesla is working on a sensor that can detect a child left behind in a hot car

Tesla is working on a new motion-detection sensor that could detect a child left behind in a hot car .
According to Reuters , the company is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) to market the technology , which would use unlicensed millimeter-wave radar sensors designed to operate at higher power levels than allowed under existing rules .
In its application , Tesla said the device could be used to “ reduce the risk of pediatric vehicular heatstroke , protect vehicle occupants from injury through advanced airbag deployment and seatbelt reminders , and enhance theft prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to measure body size so it can tell the difference between adults and children .
This can help the car “ optimize airbag deployment in a crash – more effectively than existing weight based , in-seat sensor systems , ” the company explains .
Tesla cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that found “ more than 50 ” children died of heatstroke in a car in 2018 and 2019 , mostly because someone forgot them there .
The FCC is seeking public comment on Tesla ’ s request through September 21st .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such sensors could end up in Tesla ’ s vehicles .
A spokesperson for the company did not respond to a request for comment .
Tesla already utilizes the interior and exterior sensors on its vehicles for a variety of safety measures .
Dog Mode keeps the car at a comfortable temperature for owners who need to leave their pets behind for a few minutes , and it ’ ll use the jumbo display at the center to show a message for passersby that you ’ ll be returning soon .
Sentry Mode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car guard itself using its exterior cameras to monitor nearby movement and identify potential threats .
Other automakers have introduced technological upgrades over the last few years to help reduce the number of children left behind in hot cars .
In 2018 , Nissan included sensors in its Pathfinder SUVs to detect when the rear door is opened before a trip .
If the driver neglects to open the rear door again after the car is parked , the horn will beep several times as a reminder .
Likewise , GM has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a host of its models that sounds a chime and displays a message on the instrument panel to remind drivers to check behind them .
The inclusion of an in-car sensor by Tesla is noteworthy because the company has resisted calls to add an active driver-monitoring system to supplement Autopilot , its advance driver assistance system .
Engineers at Tesla wanted to add robust driver monitoring systems , but the company executives , including CEO Elon Musk , reportedly rejected the idea out of concern the options might not work well enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers might become annoyed by an overly nagging system .

Tesla is working on a new motion-detection sensor that could detect a child left behind in a hot car. According to Reuters, the company is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to market the technology, which would use unlicensed millimeter-wave radar sensors designed to operate at higher power levels than allowed under existing rules.
In its application, Tesla said the device could be used to “reduce the risk of pediatric vehicular heatstroke, protect vehicle occupants from injury through advanced airbag deployment and seatbelt reminders, and enhance theft prevention systems.”
“reduce the risk of pediatric vehicular heatstroke”
Tesla envisions using radar imaging to measure body size so it can tell the difference between adults and children. This can help the car “optimize airbag deployment in a crash – more effectively than existing weight based, in-seat sensor systems,” the company explains.
Tesla cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that found “more than 50” children died of heatstroke in a car in 2018 and 2019, mostly because someone forgot them there. The FCC is seeking public comment on Tesla’s request through September 21st.
It’s unclear how and when such sensors could end up in Tesla’s vehicles. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to a request for comment.
Tesla already utilizes the interior and exterior sensors on its vehicles for a variety of safety measures. Dog Mode keeps the car at a comfortable temperature for owners who need to leave their pets behind for a few minutes, and it’ll use the jumbo display at the center to show a message for passersby that you’ll be returning soon. Sentry Mode, the other hand, essentially lets the car guard itself using its exterior cameras to monitor nearby movement and identify potential threats.
Other automakers have introduced technological upgrades over the last few years to help reduce the number of children left behind in hot cars. In 2018, Nissan included sensors in its Pathfinder SUVs to detect when the rear door is opened before a trip. If the driver neglects to open the rear door again after the car is parked, the horn will beep several times as a reminder. Likewise, GM has installed a feature called Rear Seat Reminder in a host of its models that sounds a chime and displays a message on the instrument panel to remind drivers to check behind them.


theverge--2020-08-20--Fertility app Premom reportedly shared customer data with Chinese companies

A fertility app that helps women monitor their cycles when hoping to become pregnant was sharing user data with several Chinese companies , The Washington Post reported on Thursday .
The International Digital Accountability Council ( IDAC ) , a nonprofit consumer privacy watchdog , said its research found that the Android version of the app was sharing data with three Chinese analytics firms , including unique device identifiers which could help them follow users ’ activities across other apps and websites .
IDAC sent letters to the FTC , Google , and the attorney general of Illinois , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since users had no way to opt out of the tracking and were not aware it was even happening , IDAC says the practice could violate state and federal law .
It ’ s also a violation of Google ’ s rules as well .
IDAC identified the companies as Jiguang , UMSNS , and Umeng .
The latter company , Umeng , is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba .
The Beijing-based startup provides “ mobile app analytics solutions for mobile development teams and individual developers , ” according to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profile also says it “ provides its clients with user activity analysis , precision marketing , financial risk.
” Jiguang told the Post it was “ 100 percent in compliance with Chinese laws.
” Premom did not respond to our request for comment Thursday , but it told the Post that it had revoked Jiguang ’ s access to the data , which IDAC also confirmed .
Yet according to IDAC , the Premom app also shared data with the two other Chinese companies through at least mid-June .
Premom told the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either company .

A fertility app that helps women monitor their cycles when hoping to become pregnant was sharing user data with several Chinese companies, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The International Digital Accountability Council (IDAC), a nonprofit consumer privacy watchdog, said its research found that the Android version of the app was sharing data with three Chinese analytics firms, including unique device identifiers which could help them follow users’ activities across other apps and websites.
IDAC sent letters to the FTC, Google, and the attorney general of Illinois, where Premom is based, earlier this month. Since users had no way to opt out of the tracking and were not aware it was even happening, IDAC says the practice could violate state and federal law. It’s also a violation of Google’s rules as well.
IDAC identified the companies as Jiguang, UMSNS, and Umeng. The latter company, Umeng, is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The Beijing-based startup provides “mobile app analytics solutions for mobile development teams and individual developers,” according to its profile on Crunchbase. Jiguang’s profile also says it “provides its clients with user activity analysis, precision marketing, financial risk.” Jiguang told the Post it was “100 percent in compliance with Chinese laws.”


theverge--2020-08-20--NASA is going to try to hunt down a leak on the International Space Station this weekend

NASA and its Russian partner Roscosmos are going to try to hunt down the source of a very small leak on the International Space Station this weekend , one that has been causing air to release a little more rapidly from the ISS for the last year .
The three crew members currently on board the station will stay in the Russian segment of the ISS over the weekend , while NASA tries to isolate the origin of the leak in other parts of the spacecraft .
NASA first noticed it might have a leak on the station way back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the station slowly leaks out of the ISS over time , but officials noticed that the air seemed to be escaping at a slightly higher rate than usual .
Since then , the leak seems to have increased slightly .
However , NASA hasn ’ t had much time to investigate .
Things have been pretty busy on the ISS since September , with astronauts conducting various spacewalks and new vehicles like SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon bringing people to and from the ISS .
The leak hasn ’ t been a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help maintain the station ’ s pressure whenever air escapes .
NASA first noticed they might have a leak way back in September of 2019 Now that the schedule has slowed down , NASA has time to figure out where the leak is coming from .
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner will bunk together inside the Russian segment after closing all of the hatches to the other ISS modules .
Over the weekend , NASA will monitor the air pressure levels in each of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leak .
Results of the test should be available next week .
NASA says that the crew will have plenty of room inside the Russian segment and that the crew isn ’ t in any danger .
Leaks pop up from time to time on the ISS , but one leak in 2018 got much more attention than the others .
At the time , astronauts traced a leak on board the ISS to a small hole inside a visiting Russian Soyuz capsule docked to the ISS .
Conspiracy theories abounded in Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drilled from the inside of the Soyuz by someone on board the ISS .
Two cosmonauts even did a spacewalk to examine the hole from the outside .
Ultimately , Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin indicated that Russian officials knew how the hole got there , but they wouldn ’ t divulge the cause .

NASA and its Russian partner Roscosmos are going to try to hunt down the source of a very small leak on the International Space Station this weekend, one that has been causing air to release a little more rapidly from the ISS for the last year. The three crew members currently on board the station will stay in the Russian segment of the ISS over the weekend, while NASA tries to isolate the origin of the leak in other parts of the spacecraft.
NASA first noticed it might have a leak on the station way back in September of 2019. Air inside the station slowly leaks out of the ISS over time, but officials noticed that the air seemed to be escaping at a slightly higher rate than usual. Since then, the leak seems to have increased slightly. However, NASA hasn’t had much time to investigate. Things have been pretty busy on the ISS since September, with astronauts conducting various spacewalks and new vehicles like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon bringing people to and from the ISS. The leak hasn’t been a huge issue since tanks on board the ISS can help maintain the station’s pressure whenever air escapes.
NASA first noticed they might have a leak way back in September of 2019
Now that the schedule has slowed down, NASA has time to figure out where the leak is coming from. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner will bunk together inside the Russian segment after closing all of the hatches to the other ISS modules. Over the weekend, NASA will monitor the air pressure levels in each of the modules in order to pinpoint the offending leak. Results of the test should be available next week. NASA says that the crew will have plenty of room inside the Russian segment and that the crew isn’t in any danger.


theverge--2020-08-20--Mark Zuckerberg testified before the FTC as part of its Facebook antitrust probe

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the Federal Trade Commission this week as part of the regulator ’ s ongoing antitrust investigation into the company , according to a new report from Politico Thursday .
The FTC has been investigating Facebook for potential violations of US antitrust law for at least a year .
Facebook announced in July 2019 that the agency had launched a probe into the company as part of its quarterly earnings disclosures .
According to Politico , that investigation is still ongoing , and Zuckerberg testified under oath over the course of two days this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission ’ s inquiry ” “ We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission ’ s inquiry and answering the questions the Agency may have , ” a Facebook Company spokesperson told The Verge Thursday .
The FTC declined to comment .
Facebook is under several antitrust investigations outside of the FTC ’ s .
Last September , a coalition of state attorneys general , led by New York Attorney General Letitia James , opened an investigation into the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House Judiciary Committee has been investigating big tech companies , including Facebook .
Just last month , that House panel held a hearing where Zuckerberg testified , along with the CEOs of Apple , Amazon , and Google .
In 2019 , the FTC fined Facebook $ 5 billion as a result of a years-long investigation into the company ’ s relationship with the political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica and other privacy breaches .
Throughout that hearing , Zuckerberg faced tough questions about Facebook ’ s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Zuckerberg over text messages the committee obtained that suggested he threatened to copy Instagram as a new Facebook product if the photo-sharing app ’ s co-founder Kevin Systrom didn ’ t agree to sell it to the social media giant .
“ When the dominant platform threatens its potential rivals , that should not be a normal business practice , ” said Jayapal said during July ’ s hearing .

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the Federal Trade Commission this week as part of the regulator’s ongoing antitrust investigation into the company, according to a new report from Politico Thursday.
The FTC has been investigating Facebook for potential violations of US antitrust law for at least a year. Facebook announced in July 2019 that the agency had launched a probe into the company as part of its quarterly earnings disclosures. According to Politico, that investigation is still ongoing, and Zuckerberg testified under oath over the course of two days this week as part of the probe.
“We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission’s inquiry”
“We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission’s inquiry and answering the questions the Agency may have,” a Facebook Company spokesperson told The Verge Thursday. The FTC declined to comment.
Facebook is under several antitrust investigations outside of the FTC’s. Last September, a coalition of state attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, opened an investigation into the social media company. Since last July, the House Judiciary Committee has been investigating big tech companies, including Facebook. Just last month, that House panel held a hearing where Zuckerberg testified, along with the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, and Google.
In 2019, the FTC fined Facebook $5 billion as a result of a years-long investigation into the company’s relationship with the political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica and other privacy breaches.
Throughout that hearing, Zuckerberg faced tough questions about Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) dug into Zuckerberg over text messages the committee obtained that suggested he threatened to copy Instagram as a new Facebook product if the photo-sharing app’s co-founder Kevin Systrom didn’t agree to sell it to the social media giant.