theverge--2020-12-01--Lucid Motors finishes the first phase of its $700 million EV factory in Arizona

Last year , The Verge published the first images of Lucid Motors ’ planned $ 700 million electric car factory in Arizona .
Now , nearly a year after breaking ground , the company announced that it has finished the first phase of construction and is on schedule to start production of its first vehicle , the luxury Lucid Air sedan , by spring 2021 .
The first phase of the factory comprises 999,000 square feet of space , with the goal of eventually expanding that to a whopping 5.1 million square feet by 2028 .
The next phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lucid says .
Initially , the factory will have the capacity to produce 30,000 vehicles a year , with the goal of eventually getting to an annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles .
Initially , the factory will have the capacity to produce 30,000 vehicles a year Lucid says it has already produced a “ full beta prototype test fleet ” and is now transitioning to the construction of “ production representative ” versions of the Air .
The company hopes to expand the factory to begin production of its SUV , codenamed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lucid Motors doesn ’ t own the land ; instead , Pinal County bought the more than 500-acre site and will lease it to the EV startup with the goal of eventually handing it over .
Pinal County raised $ 29.94 million through bonds to buy the land , and Lucid Motors will pay $ 1.8 million each year in rent , before being given the opportunity to buy the land in five years .
The Lucid Air , first revealed last September , will get up to 517 miles of range , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds , packs over 1,000 horsepower , and will have a base price of $ 77,400 .
But Lucid is prioritizing the pricier trim levels in the hopes of replicating Tesla ’ s strategy of selling a lot of really expensive cars to generate enough cash flow for the more affordable versions .
The two most expensive versions of the Air — the $ 139,000 Air Grand Touring and $ 169,000 Air Dream Edition — are expected to go on sale in the second quarter of 2021 .
Over the last decade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money pouring into the EV startup space , without many new EVs to show for it .
One of the major hurdles has been factory construction .
Some companies believed they needed to build big , expensive factories , a la Tesla ’ s Gigafactory , to impress investors and signal their intention to compete with Elon Musk .
Others searched for smaller , preexisting factories to lease in the hopes of saving money on capital costs .
Like many other EV startups , Lucid Motors almost ran out of money as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air .
It took on loans from a hedge fund and a Chinese bus company to stay afloat and ultimately received a massive $ 1 billion lifeline from Saudi Arabia ’ s Public Investment Fund .

Last year, The Verge published the first images of Lucid Motors’ planned $700 million electric car factory in Arizona. Now, nearly a year after breaking ground, the company announced that it has finished the first phase of construction and is on schedule to start production of its first vehicle, the luxury Lucid Air sedan, by spring 2021.
The first phase of the factory comprises 999,000 square feet of space, with the goal of eventually expanding that to a whopping 5.1 million square feet by 2028. The next phase of construction will begin in early 2021, Lucid says. Initially, the factory will have the capacity to produce 30,000 vehicles a year, with the goal of eventually getting to an annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles.
Initially, the factory will have the capacity to produce 30,000 vehicles a year
Lucid says it has already produced a “full beta prototype test fleet” and is now transitioning to the construction of “production representative” versions of the Air. The company hopes to expand the factory to begin production of its SUV, codenamed “Project Gravity,” by 2023.
Lucid Motors doesn’t own the land; instead, Pinal County bought the more than 500-acre site and will lease it to the EV startup with the goal of eventually handing it over. Pinal County raised $29.94 million through bonds to buy the land, and Lucid Motors will pay $1.8 million each year in rent, before being given the opportunity to buy the land in five years.
The Lucid Air, first revealed last September, will get up to 517 miles of range, can hit a quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, packs over 1,000 horsepower, and will have a base price of $77,400. But Lucid is prioritizing the pricier trim levels in the hopes of replicating Tesla’s strategy of selling a lot of really expensive cars to generate enough cash flow for the more affordable versions. The two most expensive versions of the Air — the $139,000 Air Grand Touring and $169,000 Air Dream Edition — are expected to go on sale in the second quarter of 2021.
Over the last decade, there’s been a lot of money pouring into the EV startup space, without many new EVs to show for it. One of the major hurdles has been factory construction. Some companies believed they needed to build big, expensive factories, a la Tesla’s Gigafactory, to impress investors and signal their intention to compete with Elon Musk. Others searched for smaller, preexisting factories to lease in the hopes of saving money on capital costs.


theverge--2020-12-01--Ossoff campaign turns to TikTok and Snapchat ahead of special election

On Tuesday , the Democratic Senate campaign for Jon Ossoff plans to launch new accounts on TikTok and Snapchat as part of an effort to reach young voters in the last few weeks before the Georgia runoff election on January 5th .
The Ossoff campaign TikTok ( @ jon ) account will use video and music trends on the popular platform to highlight the candidate ’ s policy positions and share voting information for voters in Georgia , according to the campaign .
The Snapchat account will be used to share Ossoff ’ s life on the campaign trail as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 6th , after days of counting , a runoff election was called between Ossoff and incumbent Sen. David Perdue ( R ) .
Perdue received 49.8 percent of the vote to Ossoff ’ s 47.8 , triggering the special election since Georgia requires candidates to reach a 50 percent voting threshold to be declared the winner .
A special runoff election is also being held between Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) and Raphael Warnock ( D-GA ) , putting the Republican Senate majority in jeopardy if both Democrats prevail .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 The coronavirus pandemic upended traditional campaign strategy in 2020 , forcing candidates to invest heavily in digital outreach programs .
The Ossoff campaign told The Verge that it has made large investments in digital advertising on Snapchat , a platform broadly used by younger people .
It will also kick off an influencer program equipping young , non-white influencers based in Georgia with tools to inform their followers about how they can register and participate in the state ’ s January special election .
The Ossoff campaign also said that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where volunteers will use social media DMs to reach voters , providing them with voting information and recruiting them as campaign volunteers .
Other campaigns , including Pete Buttigieg ’ s presidential campaign , used DMs to reach voters this year .
The Ossoff campaign says that it has a group of organizers dedicated to registering some of the 23,000 newly eligible voters for the upcoming special election .
In the coming weeks , the campaign plans to continue with real-world outreach , making several trips to college campuses for socially distanced events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proved an effective tool for Democrats looking to register young voters throughout the 2020 election cycle .
In September , Snapchat rolled out a host of voting tools for users , including a feature allowing them to register to vote directly in the app .
As of October 26th , Snapchat said that it helped more than 1.24 million users with voter registration .
Snap said at the time that it reaches more 13- to 24-year-olds than Facebook , Instagram , and Messenger combined and that 80 percent of US Snapchat users were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election cycle , few candidates decided to launch campaign TikTok accounts .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Sen. Ed Markey ( D-MA ) were two of the only candidates to start accounts on TikTok for their presidential and Senate campaigns , respectively .
The Sanders campaign was first with his staff using the account to republish original content from supporters onto their feed .
The Markey TikTok account relied heavily on reposted content , but the longtime senator was also featured on his feed , participating in timely platform trends with @ @ @

On Tuesday, the Democratic Senate campaign for Jon Ossoff plans to launch new accounts on TikTok and Snapchat as part of an effort to reach young voters in the last few weeks before the Georgia runoff election on January 5th.
The Ossoff campaign TikTok (@jon) account will use video and music trends on the popular platform to highlight the candidate’s policy positions and share voting information for voters in Georgia, according to the campaign. The Snapchat account will be used to share Ossoff’s life on the campaign trail as the special election season progresses.
On November 6th, after days of counting, a runoff election was called between Ossoff and incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R). Perdue received 49.8 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 47.8, triggering the special election since Georgia requires candidates to reach a 50 percent voting threshold to be declared the winner. A special runoff election is also being held between Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), putting the Republican Senate majority in jeopardy if both Democrats prevail.
The coronavirus pandemic upended traditional campaign strategy in 2020
The coronavirus pandemic upended traditional campaign strategy in 2020, forcing candidates to invest heavily in digital outreach programs. The Ossoff campaign told The Verge that it has made large investments in digital advertising on Snapchat, a platform broadly used by younger people. It will also kick off an influencer program equipping young, non-white influencers based in Georgia with tools to inform their followers about how they can register and participate in the state’s January special election.
The Ossoff campaign also said that it would start a “digital doorknocking” program where volunteers will use social media DMs to reach voters, providing them with voting information and recruiting them as campaign volunteers. Other campaigns, including Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, used DMs to reach voters this year.
The Ossoff campaign says that it has a group of organizers dedicated to registering some of the 23,000 newly eligible voters for the upcoming special election. In the coming weeks, the campaign plans to continue with real-world outreach, making several trips to college campuses for socially distanced events before the holiday breaks.
Snapchat has proved an effective tool for Democrats looking to register young voters throughout the 2020 election cycle. In September, Snapchat rolled out a host of voting tools for users, including a feature allowing them to register to vote directly in the app. As of October 26th, Snapchat said that it helped more than 1.24 million users with voter registration. Snap said at the time that it reaches more 13- to 24-year-olds than Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger combined and that 80 percent of US Snapchat users were of voting age.


theverge--2020-12-01--Amazon boasts of ‘biggest holiday season’ ever as in-store shopping plummets

Amazon says it has just had its “ biggest holiday season to date ” as customers turned to the site to shop rather than venturing out to physical stores .
Although CNBC notes that the company did not share actual sales figures for either Black Friday or Cyber Monday , in a blog post the company revealed figures for independent sellers on its platform .
Amazon says these sellers saw over $ 4.8 billion in sales through the two shopping days worldwide , an increase of 60 percent over last year .
“ Through Cyber Monday , 2020 has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our company ’ s history thanks to customers around the world , ” Amazon wrote .
While Amazon ’ s sales reached record highs , traffic at physical stores has reportedly plummeted .
Preliminary data from Sensormatic Solutions reported by CNBC said that in-store traffic fell by 52.1 percent this Black Friday compared with 2019 , as customers stayed home to avoid the crowds .
If current trends continue , 42 cents of every dollar spent this holiday season could go to Amazon , according to one analysis , up from 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the largest holiday shopping season so far in our company ’ s history.
” Amazon says 71,000 small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide surpassed $ 100,000 in sales so far this holiday season .
But Amazon ’ s own brands also appear to have sold gangbusters .
The company says customers bought “ more Ring , Blink , and eero devices on Amazon than during any previous holiday shopping weekend.
” The company adds that other top-selling devices on Black Friday and Cyber Monday include its new Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the holiday season include Barack Obama ’ s book , A Promised Land ; a Revlon hair dryer and volumizer hot air brush ; and a genetic DNA test ancestry kit from 23andMe .
Over the course of this year , Amazon has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of changing shopping habits due to the pandemic .
In its last earnings release , the company reported that its net income nearly tripled in the quarter compared to the previous year , and that ’ s not including its Prime Day sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This growth has fueled a massive hiring spree at the company , The New York Times reports , with Amazon adding 427,300 employees to its global workforce over the course of ten months .

Amazon says it has just had its “biggest holiday season to date” as customers turned to the site to shop rather than venturing out to physical stores. Although CNBC notes that the company did not share actual sales figures for either Black Friday or Cyber Monday, in a blog post the company revealed figures for independent sellers on its platform. Amazon says these sellers saw over $4.8 billion in sales through the two shopping days worldwide, an increase of 60 percent over last year.
“Through Cyber Monday, 2020 has been the largest holiday shopping season so far in our company’s history thanks to customers around the world,” Amazon wrote.
While Amazon’s sales reached record highs, traffic at physical stores has reportedly plummeted. Preliminary data from Sensormatic Solutions reported by CNBC said that in-store traffic fell by 52.1 percent this Black Friday compared with 2019, as customers stayed home to avoid the crowds. If current trends continue, 42 cents of every dollar spent this holiday season could go to Amazon, according to one analysis, up from 36 cents last year.
“2020 has been the largest holiday shopping season so far in our company’s history.”
Amazon says 71,000 small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide surpassed $100,000 in sales so far this holiday season. But Amazon’s own brands also appear to have sold gangbusters.
The company says customers bought “more Ring, Blink, and eero devices on Amazon than during any previous holiday shopping weekend.” The company adds that other top-selling devices on Black Friday and Cyber Monday include its new Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick 4K.
Other top-sellers in the US over the holiday season include Barack Obama’s book, A Promised Land; a Revlon hair dryer and volumizer hot air brush; and a genetic DNA test ancestry kit from 23andMe.


theverge--2020-12-01--Where to buy the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti graphics card, starting 6am PT Wednesday

Nvidia ’ s $ 399 RTX 3060 Ti is available to purchase on Wednesday , December 2nd — and 6am PT / 9am ET is when it ’ ll go on sale , Nvidia confirms to The Verge .
Like the RTX 3070 , this card is a great option if you are looking to play PC games at a 1440p resolution .
Also like the RTX 3070 and every other graphics card released this year , stock will likely not last long at most retailers , so you ’ ll want to be on the dot .
In Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ti , it put up impressive frame rates on popular titles like Control , Call of Duty : Warzone , Death Stranding , and Fortnite at 1440p resolution — some of these games were even tested with ray-tracing enabled .
At $ 399 , the RTX 3060 Ti provides faster performance than the RTX 2080 Super or the RTX 2080 graphics cards , each of which started at $ 699 in 2019 and 2018 respectively .
If you ’ re looking for the $ 399 RTX 3060 Founder ’ s Edition that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to find it at Best Buy and Micro Center in the United States , but other retailers like Newegg should have an array of boards from partners too , some of which may cost a bit more .
So far , only Best Buy has published listings for its complement of cards in the US : We ’ ll be updating this post with more retailer links as they become available and assuming they stay in stock .
But if you ’ re thinking of buying it and spot one , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stay that way for long .
You may also be able to find it at Amazon , Newegg , Adorama , B & H and Micro Center in the US , Currys and Ebuyer in the UK , and Best Buy Canada .

Nvidia’s $399 RTX 3060 Ti is available to purchase on Wednesday, December 2nd — and 6am PT / 9am ET is when it’ll go on sale, Nvidia confirms to The Verge. Like the RTX 3070, this card is a great option if you are looking to play PC games at a 1440p resolution. Also like the RTX 3070 and every other graphics card released this year, stock will likely not last long at most retailers, so you’ll want to be on the dot.
In Tom Warren’s review of the 3060 Ti, it put up impressive frame rates on popular titles like Control, Call of Duty: Warzone, Death Stranding, and Fortnite at 1440p resolution — some of these games were even tested with ray-tracing enabled. At $399, the RTX 3060 Ti provides faster performance than the RTX 2080 Super or the RTX 2080 graphics cards, each of which started at $699 in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
If you’re looking for the $399 RTX 3060 Founder’s Edition that we reviewed, you’ll only be able to find it at Best Buy and Micro Center in the United States, but other retailers like Newegg should have an array of boards from partners too, some of which may cost a bit more.
So far, only Best Buy has published listings for its complement of cards in the US:
Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti $ 400 An impressive PCIe 4.0 graphics card that delivers 1440p gaming at a competitive price thanks to its 8GB GDDR6 as well as ray tracing and DLSS support. $400 at Best Buy
We’ll be updating this post with more retailer links as they become available and assuming they stay in stock. But if you’re thinking of buying it and spot one, you should probably pounce, as it won’t stay that way for long.
Best Buy Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti listings
B&H Photo Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti listings
Micro Center Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti listings


theverge--2020-12-01--The Galactus event was Fortnite’s biggest yet

The season-ending live event that just took place in Fortnite was the game ’ s biggest to date , Epic @ @ @ @ @ Galactus event , which concluded Fortnite ’ s current Marvel-themed season , had a record @ @ @ @ @ the company said in a tweet .
That beats out the Travis Scott concert from @ @ @ @ @ 12.3 million concurrents during the first showing .
The record before that was the Marshmello @ @ @ @ @ million .
Epic says that 3.4 million people also watched the Galactus event on Twitch @ @ @ @ @ saw players teaming up to stop the Marvel supervillain from destroying Fortnite ’ s island @ @ @ @ @ bus to feed him .
Fortnite is currently shut down as Epic prepares to launch @ @ @ @ @ the game right now will see a timer counting down until the next season — @ @ @ @ @ at just under six hours to go .

The season-ending live event that just took place in Fortnite was the game’s biggest to date, Epic Games has confirmed. The Galactus event, which concluded Fortnite’s current Marvel-themed season, had a record 15.3 million concurrent players, the company said in a tweet.
That beats out the Travis Scott concert from April, which peaked at 12.3 million concurrents during the first showing. The record before that was the Marshmello show, which reached 10.7 million. Epic says that 3.4 million people also watched the Galactus event on Twitch and YouTube. The event saw players teaming up to stop the Marvel supervillain from destroying Fortnite’s island by piloting an explosives-laden battle bus to feed him.


theverge--2020-12-01--iFixit’s secret-Santa-priced screwdriver sets have the bits to open a MacBook or Switch

Following their sea creature naming convention , iFixit has released two new screwdriver kits : the Minnow and the Moray .
You probably know iFixit for their teardowns of the latest gadgets , but a number of Verge writers also swear by their screwdriver sets which come with lots of exotic bits to open up electronics yourself .
These new sets are their smallest and cheapest yet , with 16 and 32 bits respectively , and both come in under $ 20 .
Both sets come with the bits you need to take apart some of the most popular consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macbooks with the pentalobe bits , Nintendo Switches with the tri-wing bits , and some PCs and older Apple computers with the Torx and Torx security bits .
Both sets also include the basic Phillips and flatheads that you ’ d find yourself reaching for during everyday household maintenance , as well as the grippy handle that the included bits magnetically slot into , and a lifetime warranty .
The handle also hides a built-in SIM removal tool , which could sometimes be handier than the stand-alone one that ’ s probably hiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kit costs $ 14.99 , and has a lot of what people will need if they ’ re just working on newer tech devices .
For people with older gadgets , however , the $ 19.99 Moray may be a better fit .
It justifies its $ 5 price increase by adding more sizes of the bits found in the Minnow , as well as obscure bits like triangle ( often found in toys and vacuum cleaners ) and Gamebit ( for older consoles such as N64 , NES and SNES , Sega @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be the choice for people who do some work around the home , as it includes a couple of metric hex bits that are used in everything from bikes to build-it-yourself bar stools from Ikea .
While the sets are relatively inexpensive , shoppers who are always fixing things may want to look at some of iFixit ’ s other kits , such as the $ 25 Essential Electronics Toolkit , which comes with a lot of the same bits , plus tweezers , spudgers , and other tools that are useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or clipped-together devices .
There ’ s also the Mako toolkit at $ 35 , which includes a whopping 64 bits and has an aluminum driver handle , as opposed to the plastic ones found in the Minnow , Moray , and Essential Toolkit .
That said , having more options when it comes to repairing your devices is a good thing , and the Minnow and Moray have attractive prices for people who will only need to repair devices every so often ( or for people looking for a secondary kit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backpack ) .
With the low price points , these sets seem poised to be popular stocking stuffers , possibly from family members hinting they have computers they want you to repair .
I received my own iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit from my mom a few Christmases back as a ( successful ) bribe to upgrade her laptop ’ s hard drive .
Since then , I ’ ve used it to keep all of my tech in good working order .
And all of my mom ’ s tech .
And my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s .
You get the point .

Following their sea creature naming convention, iFixit has released two new screwdriver kits: the Minnow and the Moray. You probably know iFixit for their teardowns of the latest gadgets, but a number of Verge writers also swear by their screwdriver sets which come with lots of exotic bits to open up electronics yourself. These new sets are their smallest and cheapest yet, with 16 and 32 bits respectively, and both come in under $20.
Both sets come with the bits you need to take apart some of the most popular consumer tech: you can open iPhones and Macbooks with the pentalobe bits, Nintendo Switches with the tri-wing bits, and some PCs and older Apple computers with the Torx and Torx security bits. Both sets also include the basic Phillips and flatheads that you’d find yourself reaching for during everyday household maintenance, as well as the grippy handle that the included bits magnetically slot into, and a lifetime warranty. The handle also hides a built-in SIM removal tool, which could sometimes be handier than the stand-alone one that’s probably hiding in your drawer.
The iFixit Minnow comes with 16 bits and a driver. Photo: iFixit
The Minnow driver kit costs $14.99, and has a lot of what people will need if they’re just working on newer tech devices. For people with older gadgets, however, the $19.99 Moray may be a better fit. It justifies its $5 price increase by adding more sizes of the bits found in the Minnow, as well as obscure bits like triangle (often found in toys and vacuum cleaners) and Gamebit (for older consoles such as N64, NES and SNES, Sega systems, etc.). It may also be the choice for people who do some work around the home, as it includes a couple of metric hex bits that are used in everything from bikes to build-it-yourself bar stools from Ikea.
The Moray comes with the same bits as the Minnow, but adds some more sizes and varieties. Photo: iFixit
While the sets are relatively inexpensive, shoppers who are always fixing things may want to look at some of iFixit’s other kits, such as the $25 Essential Electronics Toolkit, which comes with a lot of the same bits, plus tweezers, spudgers, and other tools that are useful for taking apart today’s glued or clipped-together devices. There’s also the Mako toolkit at $35, which includes a whopping 64 bits and has an aluminum driver handle, as opposed to the plastic ones found in the Minnow, Moray, and Essential Toolkit.


theverge--2020-12-01--Nintendo hacker Ryan Hernandez sentenced to three years in prison following guilty plea

Ryan Hernandez , the hacker who pled guilty to stealing information about the Nintendo Switch prior to its release , has been sentenced to three years in prison .
The sentencing follows a plea agreement originally proposed in January 2020 .
In addition to prison time , Hernandez will also be required to pay Nintendo $ 259,323 in retribution for the stolen information .
Hernandez was first investigated by the FBI after he and an associate successfully phished confidential information from a Nintendo employee in 2016 .
The FBI requested that Hernandez stop all illegal activity in 2017 .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information in the following years and the FBI renewed its investigation .
A July 2019 search of Hernandez ’ s hard drives by the FBI revealed a stash of child pornography and videos of child abuse .
Hernandez ultimately pled guilty to possession of the graphic images , and as a result , is now a registered sex offender .
The judge overseeing the case recommended that Hernandez be placed in “ a Bureau of Prisons facility for inmates with cognitive challenges ” and afterwards that he receive a seven year supervised release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of several that Nintendo has suffered over the last few years .
There was a breach by a security researcher in 2018 that leaked thousands of usernames and passwords , but the most notable is the “ Gigaleak ” of source code and development assets .
Though the exact source of that leak isn ’ t known , its contents were a treasure trove of unreleased Nintendo designs , including an unused Animal Crossing villager and early prototypes of Pokemon Diamond .
But those intriguing looks came with a cost : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making the leak an ethical quandary for archivists and historians .

Ryan Hernandez, the hacker who pled guilty to stealing information about the Nintendo Switch prior to its release, has been sentenced to three years in prison. The sentencing follows a plea agreement originally proposed in January 2020. In addition to prison time, Hernandez will also be required to pay Nintendo $259,323 in retribution for the stolen information.
Hernandez was first investigated by the FBI after he and an associate successfully phished confidential information from a Nintendo employee in 2016. The FBI requested that Hernandez stop all illegal activity in 2017. However, Hernandez continued to dig up confidential information in the following years and the FBI renewed its investigation.
A July 2019 search of Hernandez’s hard drives by the FBI revealed a stash of child pornography and videos of child abuse. Hernandez ultimately pled guilty to possession of the graphic images, and as a result, is now a registered sex offender. The judge overseeing the case recommended that Hernandez be placed in “a Bureau of Prisons facility for inmates with cognitive challenges” and afterwards that he receive a seven year supervised release.


theverge--2020-12-01--This incredible exploit could have let hackers remotely own iPhones without even touching them

Ever watch that movie , or play that video game , about the hacker who can instantly take over someone ’ s device without touching it at all ?
Those scenes are typically unrealistic as heck .
But every once in a while , a real-life hack makes them seem downright plausible — a hack like the one you can see examples of in the videos above and below .
Today , Google Project Zero security researcher Ian Beer has revealed that , until May , a variety of Apple iPhones and other iOS devices were vulnerable to an incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and take complete control of their devices from a distance — including reading emails and other messages , downloading photos , and even potentially watching and listening to you through the iPhone ’ s microphone and camera .
How is such a thing even possible ?
Why would an iPhone even listen to a remote hacking attempt ?
According to Beer , that ’ s because today ’ s iPhones , iPads , Macs and Watches use a protocol called Apple Wireless Direct Link ( AWDL ) to create mesh networks for features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beam photos and files to other iOS devices ) and Sidecar ( to quickly turn an iPad into a secondary screen ) .
Not only did Beer figure out a way to exploit that , he also found a way to force AWDL to turn on even if it was left off previously .
While Beer says he has “ no evidence that these issues were exploited in the wild ” and admits it took him six whole months to sniff out , verify and demonstrate this exploit — and while it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he suggests we shouldn ’ t take the existence of such a hack lightly : The takeaway from this project should not be : no one will spend six months of their life just to hack my phone , I ’ m fine .
Instead , it should be : one person , working alone in their bedroom , was able to build a capability which would allow them to seriously compromise iPhone users they ’ d come into close contact with .
Apple doesn ’ t dispute the exploit existed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for several of its May 2020 security updates that are linked to the vulnerability .
But the company does point out that most iOS users , by far , are already using newer versions of iOS that have been patched — and suggests that an attacker would have needed to be within Wi-Fi range for it to work .
You can read Beer ’ s lengthy explanation of exactly how the hack worked right here .

Ever watch that movie, or play that video game, about the hacker who can instantly take over someone’s device without touching it at all? Those scenes are typically unrealistic as heck. But every once in a while, a real-life hack makes them seem downright plausible — a hack like the one you can see examples of in the videos above and below.
Today, Google Project Zero security researcher Ian Beer has revealed that, until May, a variety of Apple iPhones and other iOS devices were vulnerable to an incredible exploit that could let attackers remotely reboot and take complete control of their devices from a distance — including reading emails and other messages, downloading photos, and even potentially watching and listening to you through the iPhone’s microphone and camera.
How is such a thing even possible? Why would an iPhone even listen to a remote hacking attempt? According to Beer, that’s because today’s iPhones, iPads, Macs and Watches use a protocol called Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) to create mesh networks for features like AirDrop (so you can easily beam photos and files to other iOS devices) and Sidecar (to quickly turn an iPad into a secondary screen). Not only did Beer figure out a way to exploit that, he also found a way to force AWDL to turn on even if it was left off previously.
While Beer says he has “no evidence that these issues were exploited in the wild” and admits it took him six whole months to sniff out, verify and demonstrate this exploit — and while it’s been patched as of May — he suggests we shouldn’t take the existence of such a hack lightly:
The takeaway from this project should not be: no one will spend six months of their life just to hack my phone, I’m fine. Instead, it should be: one person, working alone in their bedroom, was able to build a capability which would allow them to seriously compromise iPhone users they’d come into close contact with.
Eerie stuff.
Apple doesn’t dispute the exploit existed, and in fact cites Beer in the changelogs for several of its May 2020 security updates that are linked to the vulnerability. But the company does point out that most iOS users, by far, are already using newer versions of iOS that have been patched — and suggests that an attacker would have needed to be within Wi-Fi range for it to work.
You can read Beer’s lengthy explanation of exactly how the hack worked right here.


theverge--2020-12-01--Apple’s $129 MagSafe Duo charger is now available

Apple ’ s MagSafe Duo charger is now on sale online , after initially having been announced without a release date as part of this year ’ s iPhone launch .
The $ 129 folding accessory includes a magnetic wireless charging puck for the iPhone 12 as well as an Apple Watch charger .
It ’ s pretty expensive for what you get , especially when you consider that it doesn ’ t include a charging brick .
You ’ ll need to use at least a 20W USB-C adapter , like Apple ’ s own $ 19 option , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeds — and even then it won ’ t be as fast as the regular 15W MagSafe charger .
20W adapters will charge at 11W , while you ’ ll get up to 14W from 27W adapters and above .
That said , I can see the appeal as someone who would rather not carry two separate power bricks and cables to charge my watch and phone when traveling .
Is that worth $ 129-plus to you ?
If so , right now Apple says the MagSafe Duo will ship within one business @ @

Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger is now on sale online, after initially having been announced without a release date as part of this year’s iPhone launch. The $129 folding accessory includes a magnetic wireless charging puck for the iPhone 12 as well as an Apple Watch charger.
It’s pretty expensive for what you get, especially when you consider that it doesn’t include a charging brick. You’ll need to use at least a 20W USB-C adapter, like Apple’s own $19 option, in order to get the faster charging speeds — and even then it won’t be as fast as the regular 15W MagSafe charger. 20W adapters will charge at 11W, while you’ll get up to 14W from 27W adapters and above.


theverge--2020-12-01--Microsoft is selling an ugly MS Paint sweater and part of the proceeds benefit Girls Who Code

Microsoft is getting into the holiday spirit a bit early today by offering an MS Paint-themed “ ugly ” sweater for sale on its online store , with a portion of the proceeds from each sale donated to Girls Who Code .
The company made Windows XP and 95 sweaters in the past to give to influencers and super fans , but this marks the first time the company is selling a sweater directly to customers .
There were briefly three varieties of Microsoft “ soft-wear ” available for purchase this morning : the previously mentioned MS Paint sweater and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ XP sweaters .
When we first checked the store , those XP and 95 sweaters were already running low on stock , and as of right now , only this year ’ s MS Paint sweater is available .
You can check out all three varieties in the gallery below to see what you might have missed .
Microsoft has had fun in the past with these promotions , even packaging the older Windows XP sweater inside a Windows XP-style box .
Since MS Paint comes installed on Windows rather than being sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how exactly this year ’ s sweater will come packaged , but here ’ s hoping Microsoft ’ s goofy trend continues .
Clearly the company has some sweater fans among its ranks ; maybe it ’ s a latent bit of Bill Gates ’ influence ?
Whatever the source , the MS Paint sweater is still in stock for $ 69.99 a piece , with $ 20 of each sale going directly to Girls Who Code from today , December 1st , through the 23rd .
Microsoft says it plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit from this promotion .
If you ’ re unfamiliar , Girls Who Code is a nonprofit dedicated to getting more women into the computer science field by offering classes and educational resources .
The relative ugliness of these sweaters is up for debate ( personally I think the MS Paint sweater looks pretty good ) , but if you ’ re nostalgic for the Windows of old , you can now deck yourself out in time for a digital ugly sweater party .
Keeping on theme , Microsoft is also providing Windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Teams , if you want to look like you ’ re trapped in a drawing you made on your parent ’ s computer while video chatting .
You can purchase the MS Paint Ugly Sweater now and benefit a good cause .

Microsoft is getting into the holiday spirit a bit early by offering MS Paint and Windows-themed “ugly” sweaters for sale on its online store, with a portion of the proceeds from each sale donated to Girls Who Code. The company made Windows XP and 95 sweaters in the past to give to influencers and super fans, but this marks the first time the company is selling a sweater directly to customers.
When the sweaters first went on sale on Tuesday, there were briefly three varieties of Microsoft “soft-wear” available for purchase: the previously mentioned MS Paint sweater and leftover stock of the Windows 95 and XP sweaters. When we first checked the store, those XP and 95 sweaters were already running low on stock, and they quickly sold out with only this year’s MS Paint sweater available.
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1 / 3 The MS Paint Ugly Sweater features icons for all your favorite tools. Image: Microsoft Previous Next
1 / 3 The MS Paint Ugly Sweater features icons for all your favorite tools. Image: Microsoft
On Friday, December 4th, Microsoft restocked its older Windows 95 and Windows XP sweaters, but keep in mind this new run won’t ship until after December 25th. The offer is exciting all the same.
Microsoft has had fun in the past with these promotions, even packaging the older Windows XP sweater inside a Windows XP-style box.
Since MS Paint comes installed on Windows rather than being sold separately, it’s hard to know how this year’s sweater will come packaged, but here’s hoping Microsoft’s goofy trend continues. Clearly, the company has some sweater fans among its ranks. Maybe it’s a latent bit of Bill Gates’ influence?
Bill Gates wearing a sweater, as he often does.
Whatever the source, the sweaters are now all in stock for $69.99 each, with $20 of each sale going directly to Girls Who Code through December 23rd. Microsoft says it plans to donate a minimum of $50,000 to the nonprofit from this promotion. Girls Who Code is a nonprofit dedicated to getting more women into the computer science field by offering classes and educational resources.
The relative ugliness of these sweaters is up for debate (personally, I think the MS Paint sweater looks pretty good), but if you’re nostalgic for the Windows of old, you can deck yourself out in time for a virtual ugly sweater party. Keeping on theme, Microsoft is also providing Windows and MS Paint backgrounds for Skype and Teams, if you want to look like you’re trapped in a drawing you made on your parent’s computer while video chatting.


theverge--2020-12-01--The Mandalorian’s Clone Wars tie-in is the boost Disney Plus needed

The Mandalorian ’ s second season is halfway done and , beyond The Child ’ s big name reveal , what ’ s become more apparent as the show goes on is how much it relies on Star Wars : The Clone Wars .
Audiences turning to The Clone Wars as a way to better understand what ’ s happening in The Mandalorian or refresh their memories makes sense , but the spike in Clone Wars viewership has an even bigger winner — Disney Plus .
Spoilers below for The Mandalorian season 2 , episode 5 Like anything in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooted in deeper Star Wars lore .
It was this week ’ s episode , however , and the appearance of Ahsoka Tano that finally convinced me to start Clone Wars .
And based on data provided to The Verge by Parrot Analytics , I ’ m not the only person who ’ s looking to marathon Dave Filoni ’ s animated series to keep up with The Mandalorian .
The Mandolorian has caused jumps in Clone Wars views before .
When The Mandalorian first came out in November 2019 , Clone Wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained high until the second spike in spring 2020 when the seventh season of Clone Wars was released on Disney Plus .
It dropped after that , but the show saw a third third spike accompanying The Mandalorian ’ s second season premiere in October .
It ’ s been trending high ever since , according to the analytics firm .
Spike in ‘ Clone Wars ’ viewership has an even bigger winner — Disney Plus When looking at data from January 1st , 2017 to present day , the team ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , Clone Wars saw a “ level of demand from US audiences that is many factors greater than anything it has experienced before , ” according to Samuel Stadler , vice president of marketing at Parrot Analytics .
To put that into additional context , Clone Wars now — a year after The Mandalorian debuted — is over four times as popular as it was before the live-action series came around , according to Parrot ( which measures demand by how much time people are spending watching a show through social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calculate overall interest ) .
And while data for Star Wars Rebels wasn ’ t provided , Google Trends shows a similar spike in interest for the show over the last week , which likely has to do with the big Admiral Thrawn reveal at the end of “ The Jedi.
” This makes sense .
People sign up for or sign into Disney Plus to watch the wonderful adventures of Grogu ( forever Baby Yoda in my mind ) , and then spend the next several weeks making their way through Clone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the best possible outcome .
An October report from research firm MoffettNathanson found that daily usage on Disney Plus has declined over the last six months .
There have been some spikes in viewership ; Hamilton brought in a number of subscribers and convinced people who wouldn ’ t sign up for Disney Plus to do just that , but getting people to use the platform every single day was getting tougher .
The newfound and renewed interest is also a major win for Disney Without being able to flood the streamer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as competitors like Netflix , Disney Plus has to rely on opportunities to grow .
The uptick in Clone Wars viewership and interest helps to solve part of that problem .
The Mandalorian pushes more people every single week to check out Clone Wars — a show with seven seasons — which in turn might encourage fans to revisit one or two of the main Skywalker saga movies .
The interconnected universe is something that Star Wars fans deep into the universe ’ s lore want more of , and it provides Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the platform when they ’ re done with an episode of The Mandalorian .
With a number of live-action and animated series ordered for Disney Plus , that universe becomes a bigger web that Disney can keep spinning as fans , old and new , remain invested in the bigger Star Wars story .
It ’ s also how Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige plans to interweave the Marvel Cinematic Universe films with the new shows on Disney Plus .
WandaVision , for example , will play into Doctor Strange in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other reports that characters from other films like Black Widow could end up in the Hawkeye series .
Clearly , Clone Wars and Rebels creator Dave Filoni ( an executive producer on The Mandalorian ) is writing The Mandalorian into his more expansive Star Wars universe .
It ’ s a good thing for fans of the live-action series — the show has never been better and , as a new fan of Clone Wars , I love catching up with a show I ’ ve put off for so long .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major win for Disney in its effort to find a way to steal people ’ s attention away from other streamers like Netflix and , more importantly , keep it .

The Mandalorian’s second season is halfway done and, beyond The Child’s big name reveal, what’s become more apparent as the show goes on is how much it relies on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Audiences turning to The Clone Wars as a way to better understand what’s happening in The Mandalorian or refresh their memories makes sense, but the spike in Clone Wars viewership has an even bigger winner — Disney Plus.
Spoilers below for The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5
Like anything in the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian is rooted in deeper Star Wars lore. It was this week’s episode, however, and the appearance of Ahsoka Tano that finally convinced me to start Clone Wars. And based on data provided to The Verge by Parrot Analytics, I’m not the only person who’s looking to marathon Dave Filoni’s animated series to keep up with The Mandalorian.
The Mandolorian has caused jumps in Clone Wars views before. When The Mandalorian first came out in November 2019, Clone Wars saw its first massive spike. Interest remained high until the second spike in spring 2020 when the seventh season of Clone Wars was released on Disney Plus. It dropped after that, but the show saw a third third spike accompanying The Mandalorian’s second season premiere in October. It’s been trending high ever since, according to the analytics firm.
Spike in ‘Clone Wars’ viewership has an even bigger winner — Disney Plus
When looking at data from January 1st, 2017 to present day, the team’s researchers found that by the end of 2019, Clone Wars saw a “level of demand from US audiences that is many factors greater than anything it has experienced before,” according to Samuel Stadler, vice president of marketing at Parrot Analytics.
To put that into additional context, Clone Wars now — a year after The Mandalorian debuted — is over four times as popular as it was before the live-action series came around, according to Parrot (which measures demand by how much time people are spending watching a show through social media, fan ratings, and piracy to calculate overall interest). And while data for Star Wars Rebels wasn’t provided, Google Trends shows a similar spike in interest for the show over the last week, which likely has to do with the big Admiral Thrawn reveal at the end of “The Jedi.”
This makes sense. People sign up for or sign into Disney Plus to watch the wonderful adventures of Grogu (forever Baby Yoda in my mind), and then spend the next several weeks making their way through Clone Wars. For Disney, it’s the best possible outcome. An October report from research firm MoffettNathanson found that daily usage on Disney Plus has declined over the last six months. There have been some spikes in viewership; Hamilton brought in a number of subscribers and convinced people who wouldn’t sign up for Disney Plus to do just that, but getting people to use the platform every single day was getting tougher.
The newfound and renewed interest is also a major win for Disney
Without being able to flood the streamer with TV shows and film as often as competitors like Netflix, Disney Plus has to rely on opportunities to grow. The uptick in Clone Wars viewership and interest helps to solve part of that problem. The Mandalorian pushes more people every single week to check out Clone Wars — a show with seven seasons — which in turn might encourage fans to revisit one or two of the main Skywalker saga movies.
The interconnected universe is something that Star Wars fans deep into the universe’s lore want more of, and it provides Disney with the perfect opportunity to keep people on the platform when they’re done with an episode of The Mandalorian. With a number of live-action and animated series ordered for Disney Plus, that universe becomes a bigger web that Disney can keep spinning as fans, old and new, remain invested in the bigger Star Wars story.
It’s also how Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige plans to interweave the Marvel Cinematic Universe films with the new shows on Disney Plus. WandaVision, for example, will play into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and there are other reports that characters from other films like Black Widow could end up in the Hawkeye series.


theverge--2020-12-01--The people saving our lives should get vaccinated first, experts say

An independent committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended Tuesday that the limited first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States go to health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities .
“ We expect a constrained supply environment for some months and need to make the best use of available vaccine , ” said Sara Oliver , an epidemic intelligence service officer at the CDC , during Tuesday ’ s meeting .
Officials in the Trump administration have pushed for an early wave of vaccinations to go to older adults over the age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of having a severe case of and dying from COVID-19 , Stat News reported .
But the committee , called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ) , stuck to the expected plan of placing health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities first in line .
The recommendations will now go to CDC Director Robert Redfield for final approval .
Beth Bell , the chair of the committee ’ s COVID-19 vaccine work group , stressed the urgency of the efforts to distribute vaccines .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States right now , ” she said during the meeting Tuesday .
“ In the time it takes us to have this ACIP meeting , 180 people will have died from COVID-19.
” Health care workers are at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus through their interactions with patients , and hundreds of thousands have contracted the disease .
Protecting this group also helps prevent staffing issues at hospitals and health care facilities — surges in COVID-19 cases , and illness among health care workers , has led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other health care workers .
Long-term care facilities have been devastated by outbreaks of COVID-19 .
Even though residents of these facilities make up less than 1 percent of the US population , they ’ ve accounted for 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths .
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) hasn ’ t yet authorized any of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates , and it ’ s set to review submissions from Pfizer and Moderna this month .
But states have to let the federal government know by Friday where to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA signs off — and having guidelines as to which groups will get them first will guide those decisions .
States don ’ t have to follow the recommendations , but most likely will .
ACIP usually works to recommend how and when routine vaccinations should be given to children and adults .
But when quantities of vaccines are limited , like the COVID-19 vaccine will be in the next few months , it ’ s also responsible for determining where the limited supply goes .
ACIP laid out four ethical principles it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report published last week : maximizing benefits and minimizing harms ; promoting justice ; mitigating health inequities ; and promoting transparency .
Moderna and Pfizer said that they ’ d likely have enough vaccines available to vaccinate 10 million and 12.5 million people in the US , respectively , by the end of 2020 .
That ’ s more than enough to vaccinate the approximately 3 million residents of long-term care facilities in the US .
But there are about 21 million health care workers in the US .
If states or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have enough vaccines to cover all health care workers in the first round of vaccinations , Oliver said there may need to be additional subgroups — workers with direct patient contact may take priority over people who could work remotely , for example .
Capacity is expected to ramp up through the start of 2021 , and vaccines will become available to broader swaths of the population .
At later meetings , ACIP will vote on the groups that should get COVID-19 vaccines after health care workers and long-term care residents — next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , people over 65 , and adults with underlying health conditions .

An independent committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended Tuesday that the limited first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States go to health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities.
“We expect a constrained supply environment for some months and need to make the best use of available vaccine,” said Sara Oliver, an epidemic intelligence service officer at the CDC, during Tuesday’s meeting.
Officials in the Trump administration have pushed for an early wave of vaccinations to go to older adults over the age of 65, who are at high risk of having a severe case of and dying from COVID-19, Stat News reported. But the committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), stuck to the expected plan of placing health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities first in line. The recommendations will now go to CDC Director Robert Redfield for final approval.
Beth Bell, the chair of the committee’s COVID-19 vaccine work group, stressed the urgency of the efforts to distribute vaccines. “We’re averaging one COVID-19 death per minute in the United States right now,” she said during the meeting Tuesday. “In the time it takes us to have this ACIP meeting, 180 people will have died from COVID-19.”
Health care workers are at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus through their interactions with patients, and hundreds of thousands have contracted the disease. Protecting this group also helps prevent staffing issues at hospitals and health care facilities — surges in COVID-19 cases, and illness among health care workers, has led to shortages of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers.
Long-term care facilities have been devastated by outbreaks of COVID-19. Even though residents of these facilities make up less than 1 percent of the US population, they’ve accounted for 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t yet authorized any of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and it’s set to review submissions from Pfizer and Moderna this month. But states have to let the federal government know by Friday where to send shipments of the shots once the FDA signs off — and having guidelines as to which groups will get them first will guide those decisions. States don’t have to follow the recommendations, but most likely will.
ACIP usually works to recommend how and when routine vaccinations should be given to children and adults. But when quantities of vaccines are limited, like the COVID-19 vaccine will be in the next few months, it’s also responsible for determining where the limited supply goes. ACIP laid out four ethical principles it used to determine COVID-19 vaccine priority in a report published last week: maximizing benefits and minimizing harms; promoting justice; mitigating health inequities; and promoting transparency.
Moderna and Pfizer said that they’d likely have enough vaccines available to vaccinate 10 million and 12.5 million people in the US, respectively, by the end of 2020. That’s more than enough to vaccinate the approximately 3 million residents of long-term care facilities in the US. But there are about 21 million health care workers in the US. If states or individual health care facilities don’t have enough vaccines to cover all health care workers in the first round of vaccinations, Oliver said there may need to be additional subgroups — workers with direct patient contact may take priority over people who could work remotely, for example.


theverge--2020-12-01--Fortnite’s Galactus event was a giant arcade shooter — and now the game is down

The Marvel-themed season of Fortnite ended with a Galactus-sized bang .
As has been teased since the debut of season 4 in August , the game ’ s current season concluded with a live event that pitted Fortnite players against the planet-sized supervillain in a dramatic showdown — and it ended with the game going down , replaced by a timer for the launch of season 5 .
For those who managed to get into the event , things started out pretty tame .
I spent around half an hour just hanging around on the Avengers ’ helicarrier while empty-handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build or pick up a weapon .
Epic even posted a message letting players know they were indeed in the right place .
When the event started properly , Galactus slowly made his way to the island before bellowing the ominous words “ Beware .
I hunger.
” He then slapped the helicarrier out of the sky , and players were guided into the action by Iron Man himself .
It was a strange event : in order to stop Galactus from destroying the island , players had to pilot a version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to feed the supervillain .
Things played out like an over-the-top arcade shooter and eventually ended with Galactus exploding , leaving the island seemingly intact .
There was also a tease connecting the events to Fortnite ’ s own strange lore : things ended with a shot of main character Jonesy , in a suit , lying on the floor of a drab office .
Currently , the game is down , with a countdown ticking away the hours until season 5 launches at 12AM ET tonight .
Leading up to the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking in the background during battle royale matches , steadily growing in size with each day that passed .
It also appears that developer Epic expected a big crowd , warning players to arrive an hour ahead of the 4PM ET kickoff time ( though it ended up starting a bit later than that ) .
Of course , this is just the latest in a series of dramatic live events in Fortnite .
In the past , that has included a mech versus kaiju battle , an explosion that flooded the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps the most ambitious saw the entire island sucked into a black hole , shutting the game down for several days , before the launch of Fortnite : Chapter 2 .

The Marvel-themed season of Fortnite ended with a Galactus-sized bang. As has been teased since the debut of season 4 in August, the game’s current season concluded with a live event that pitted Fortnite players against the planet-sized supervillain in a dramatic showdown — and it ended with the game going down, replaced by a timer for the launch of season 5.
For those who managed to get into the event, things started out pretty tame. I spent around half an hour just hanging around on the Avengers’ helicarrier while empty-handed, not able to do anything like build or pick up a weapon. Epic even posted a message letting players know they were indeed in the right place.
When the event started properly, Galactus slowly made his way to the island before bellowing the ominous words “Beware. I hunger.” He then slapped the helicarrier out of the sky, and players were guided into the action by Iron Man himself. It was a strange event: in order to stop Galactus from destroying the island, players had to pilot a version of the iconic battle bus armed with explosives to feed the supervillain. Things played out like an over-the-top arcade shooter and eventually ended with Galactus exploding, leaving the island seemingly intact.
There was also a tease connecting the events to Fortnite’s own strange lore: things ended with a shot of main character Jonesy, in a suit, lying on the floor of a drab office. Currently, the game is down, with a countdown ticking away the hours until season 5 launches at 12AM ET tonight.


theverge--2020-12-02--Sonos launches microphone-free Arc SL soundbar exclusively at Costco

Sonos is releasing a microphone-free version of its premium Dolby Atmos soundbar , the Sonos Arc .
It shares the same “ SL ” branding as the no-mic Sonos One speakers , but unlike those , this version of the Arc — $ 50 cheaper than the regular model — is available exclusively at Costco in the US and Canada beginning today .
As noted by Android Central , it had already been spotted on Costco shelves and posted to the Sonos subreddit before the company confirmed its existence .
The Sonos Arc SL comes in a “ shadow edition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also black , so it ’ s not immediately clear to me if there ’ s any difference between the two ; if anything , the SL might be more gray .
Everything else about the Arc SL , including audio performance , should be exactly the same as the regular hardware that has built-in mics for Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands .
The Arc sounds fantastic , and Sonos has been improving upon the Arc since its release with firmware updates ; the company recently added support for multichannel LPCM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With the $ 50 price reduction , you ’ re looking at spending $ 749 compared to the usual $ 799 .
Not enormous savings , but at least there ’ s now a microphone-free selection for Sonos ’ excellent soundbar for those who prefer the option .
Should you later decide you want some level of voice control , you can always link Sonos equipment to an Amazon Echo or Google Assistant speaker or put a Sonos One somewhere in the house .

Sonos is releasing a microphone-free version of its premium Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Sonos Arc. It shares the same “SL” branding as the no-mic Sonos One speakers, but unlike those, this version of the Arc — $50 cheaper than the regular model — is available exclusively at Costco in the US and Canada beginning today. As noted by Android Central, it had already been spotted on Costco shelves and posted to the Sonos subreddit before the company confirmed its existence.
The Sonos Arc SL comes in a “shadow edition” color, but the standard Arc is also black, so it’s not immediately clear to me if there’s any difference between the two; if anything, the SL might be more gray.
Everything else about the Arc SL, including audio performance, should be exactly the same as the regular hardware that has built-in mics for Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. The Arc sounds fantastic, and Sonos has been improving upon the Arc since its release with firmware updates; the company recently added support for multichannel LPCM surround sound over an eARC HDMI connection.


theverge--2020-12-02--The best Cyber Monday deals that are still happening

Cyber Monday may be a thing of the past , but some of its best deals are still happening .
Many retailers will keep some of them going a little longer this week , now dubbed “ Cyber Week.
” Between now and the winter holidays , you can expect the non-stop barrage of deals to slow down a bit .
However , in an effort to keep you coming back to snag those last-minute gifts , some stores may reintroduce this year ’ s best deals at a moment ’ s notice .
Below , you ’ ll find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headphones , earbuds , video games , and more .
If you like where a price is at , it may be a good idea to make a purchase now , as these deals could end any moment .
We ’ ll be doing our best to keep this post updated during Cyber Week , including adding new deals when they arrive , and striking through expired deals .
And if you ’ ve been around these parts before and are just looking for what ’ s new , you ’ ll find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post .
• Walmart is selling the Nintendo Switch Pro controller for $ 69 ( normal price ) , but it includes a download for Super Mario Odyssey .
That game is normally $ 60 by itself .
• Apple AirPods Pro are available from Best Buy for $ 170 .
These are refurbished , yet they match the low Black Friday price we saw last week .
Woot offers the second-best price at $ 190 for a new set .
Each of these refurb sets from Best Buy has been certified to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accessories .
• The lava red color of the Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are $ 150 new , which is the lowest price yet .
The best Cyber Week deals on headphones • Sony ’ s WH-XB900N noise-canceling headphones are $ $ 123 at Amazon and Best Buy ( usually $ 248 ) • Even more affordable yet , the Sony WH-CH710N noise-canceling headphones are just $ 88 Best Buy ( usually $ 200 ) AirPods Pro are back down to $ 190 at Woot , matching the deal we saw just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your order will arrive before Christmas on December 25th .
• The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless noise-canceling headphones are $ 350 at Amazon and Best Buy , knocking $ 50 off the normal price • Shure ’ s Aonic 50 noise-canceling headphones are $ 300 at Amazon — a whole $ 100 off their usual price • Beats Powerbeats Pro in the lava red and spring yellow colors are $ 150 , down from their usual $ 200 asking price at Amazon .
Best Buy is selling the moss color , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for $ 160 .
• If you missed Woot ’ s incredible deal on the Galaxy Buds Live , don ’ t worry , B & H Photo has the wireless earbuds on sale for $ 120 in black and bronze .
It is not the lowest we have seen these bean-shaped earbuds for , but still an incredible deal .
Amazon also has the Galaxy Buds Live on sale starting at $ 129 , and Best Buy has the earbuds for $ 130 .
• Jabra ’ s previous-generation Elite 65t are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earbuds , and they ’ re pretty cheap at Amazon .
Normally $ 120 , they ’ re $ 70 .
Apple ’ s AirPods with a wireless charging case costs $ 140 , which is officially the lowest price .
These have been selling for $ 150 throughout Black Friday , but this early Cyber Monday deal is live now at Amazon .
• You can snag a set of Amazon Echo Buds , which also sound good and have Bose noise reduction technology .
They cost $ 80 , down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a six-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited .
The Galaxy Buds Plus dropped another $ 10 at Amazon , down to $ 100 from their original $ 150 price .
Other retailers have joined Amazon at $ 100 .
• Also at $ 80 are 1More ’ s ColorBuds , a solid set of wireless earbuds that pop with color .
These are normally $ 100 , and you can get this deal through 1More The best Cyber Week deals on streaming services • If you subscribe to YouTube TV by December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free Chromecast with Google TV .
1Password is offering an exclusive offer to readers of The Verge until Thursday , December 10th .
You can save 50 percent each month on the cost of a family subscription ( up to five people , and not restricted to a single household ) to 1Password ’ s services , costing $ 2.50 per month for up to one year .
After that year is up , you ’ ll be charged the regular $ 5 per month rate .
The best Cyber Week deals on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptops • HP ’ s Envy x360 13 2-in-1 is $ 750 at Best Buy ( usually $ 1,000 ) • The Gigabyte Aorus 5 gaming laptop with a six-core Intel Core i7 processor , the RTX 2060 , and 16GB of RAM is $ 1,050 with a rebate card at Newegg ( usually $ 1,300 ) • The Acer Aspire 5 is a solid budget laptop with an 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 processor , 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD .
It costs $ 550 at Newegg , down from $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on smart speakers • If you want the new spherical Echo Dot with a digital clock embedded in the fabric , that one costs $ 39 at Amazon .
It ’ s normally $ 60 .
Stock seems to be running low for this model , as it ’ s currently set to restock in an extremely vague “ three to six months ” .
• The new ( and adorable ) Kids Edition Echo Dot is $ 39 .
It normally costs $ 60 .
Google ’ s latest Nest Audio speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 170 , knocking $ 20 off the usual price for buying two together .
These can be paired for a stereo arrangement for music and podcasts , and at some point , you ’ ll be able to use them as a home theater setup with Chromecast .
The best Cyber Week deals on smart displays Google ’ s Nest Hub smart displays are great if you like to watch YouTube , or have a big Google Photos library you want to show off on their screens .
The smallest Nest Hub starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger Nest Hub Max can make video calls .
The best Cyber Week deals on phones At the OnePlus site , you can get the standard OnePlus 8 for $ 200 off its usual price , costing $ 599 .
B & H Photo is actually offering a slightly bigger price cut of $ 230 off .
This phone shares a few similarities to the 8 Pro , like the Snapdragon 865 processor , 12GB of RAM , and 256GB of storage .
Though , it doesn ’ t have wireless charging and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stack up as favorably .
Also , it has a 90Hz refresh rate display compared to 120Hz on the 8 Pro , and the display itself is smaller ( about 6.5 inches versus 6.8 inches ) .
Speaking of the OnePlus 8 Pro , Amazon recently knocked an extra $ 50 off the Black Friday sale price .
The Pixel 4A with 5G is $ 200 off when new customers purchase it through the Google Fi MVNO service , resulting in a $ 299 final price .
If you ’ re an existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the 4A with 5G and get $ 150 off , knocking the price down to $ 349 .
Not bad , considering that ’ s the same price as the standard Pixel 4A that doesn ’ t have 5G support .
Until December 7th , Visible ( owned by Verizon , operating on Verizon LTE ) will give you a complimentary set of AirPods Pro with the purchase of any phone in the iPhone 12 series .
The catch is that you ’ ll need to buy the phone and port your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same transaction .
The best Cyber Week deals on streaming devices • The standard Amazon Fire TV Stick with a more capable Alexa Remote is $ 28 ( usually $ 40 ) • The Amazon Fire TV 4K Stick with Dolby Atmos and 4K HDR support is $ 30 ( usually $ 50 ) • The high-end Amazon Fire TV Cube that supports 4K HDR , Dolby Atmos , and can handle voice queries from across the room is $ 80 ( usually $ 120 ) The best Cyber Week deals on tablet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keyboard with a trackpad built-in for the 11-inch iPad Pro ( 2018 or 2020 versions ) is $ 140 , down from its usual $ 160 price .
The 12.9-inch version is • If you don ’ t need a trackpad with your keyboard , the models costs $ 100 , down from $ 170 .
The is the same price .
• The Brydge keyboard made for 10.5-inch iPads , including the seventh and eight generation iPad , the previous-generation iPad Air and iPad Pro models , is $ 70 off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• The Brydge Go Plus , made for the Surface Go , is $ 119 ( $ 40 off ) • Yakuza : Like a Dragon rereleased earlier this month and during Black Friday and Cyber Monday , the game was marked down to $ 35 on PS4 and Xbox and Best Buy , the latter providing you a free copy on Xbox One and the Xbox Series X / S if you own one of Microsoft ’ s next-gen consoles .
• FIFA 21 is $ 25 at GameStop ( usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been .
If you buy the PS4 version and upgrade to the PS5 , you will receive the next-gen version free of charge until FIFA 22 releases .
• Madden NFL 21 is $ 25 at GameStop , the lowest price ever .
If you buy the PS4 version and upgrade to the PS5 , you will receive the next-gen version , free of charge until Madden 22 releases .
• The Last of Us Part II is $ 30 at Best Buy , GameStop , and Walmart ( usually $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is $ 40 at Amazon , Best Buy , GameStop , and Walmart ( usually $ 60 ) • NBA 2K21 is $ 25 ( usually $ 60 ) , the lowest price we ’ ve seen .
• Watch Dogs Legion is $ 37 at Amazon and $ 40 at Walmart ( usually $ 60 ) .
If you buy the Xbox One version and upgrade to that console ’ s successor , you will receive the next-gen version free of charge .
The best Cyber Week deals on PC tech For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually capable of delivering quicker read/write speeds for both PCIe 3.0 and motherboards with PCIe 4.0 support , Samsung ’ s 500GB 980 Pro NVMe SSD is $ 120 ( usually $ 150 ) at Amazon .
• The all-black HyperX Cloud Alpha S wired gaming headset is $ 100 at Amazon , down from its usual $ 130 price .
The best Cyber Monday deals on mesh Wi-Fi routers • Google ’ s Nest Wifi mesh routers are steeply discounted , starting with the single unit that ’ s $ 135 instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 139 at Best Buy .
The best Cyber Week deals on misc .
tech A number of retailers are selling the DJI Osmo Action for $ 199 , a discount of about $ 50 from its regular price .
The Osmo Action is similar to GoPro ’ s line of action cameras , and comes with both front and rear facing screens .

Cyber Monday may be a thing of the past, but some of its best deals are still happening. Many retailers will keep some of them going a little longer this week, now dubbed “Cyber Week.” Between now and the winter holidays, you can expect the non-stop barrage of deals to slow down a bit. However, in an effort to keep you coming back to snag those last-minute gifts, some stores may reintroduce this year’s best deals at a moment’s notice.
Below, you’ll find a few good deals on wireless noise-canceling headphones, earbuds, video games, and more. If you like where a price is at, it may be a good idea to make a purchase now, as these deals could end any moment.
We’ll be doing our best to keep this post updated during Cyber Week, including adding new deals when they arrive, and striking through expired deals. And if you’ve been around these parts before and are just looking for what’s new, you’ll find those deals at the top of the post.
Latest Deals
Walmart is selling the Nintendo Switch Pro controller for $69 (normal price), but it includes a download for Super Mario Odyssey. That game is normally $60 by itself.
Apple AirPods Pro are available from Best Buy for $170. These are refurbished, yet they match the low Black Friday price we saw last week. Woot offers the second-best price at $190 for a new set. Each of these refurb sets from Best Buy has been certified to work and your purchase includes all original accessories.
The lava red color of the Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are $150 new, which is the lowest price yet.
The best Cyber Week deals on headphones
Sony’s WH-XB900N noise-canceling headphones are $ 148 $123 at Amazon and Best Buy (usually $248)
$123 at Amazon and Best Buy (usually $248) Even more affordable yet, the Sony WH-CH710N noise-canceling headphones are just $88 at Amazon and Best Buy (usually $200)
AirPods Pro are back down to $190 at Woot, matching the deal we saw just before Black Friday. Woot guarantees that your order will arrive before Christmas on December 25th.
Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones (Certified Refurbished) $ 224 $ 380 41 % off $ 224 $ 224 $ 380 41 % off Bose’s flagship over-the-ear headphones allow you to connect two devices simultaneously and have a more modern design compared to other Bose headphones. You can grab a pair of Certified Refurbished ones for $224 (before tax) with code PREZDAY20 entered at checkout. $224 at eBay
Beats Solo Pro $ 145 $ 300 52 % off $ 145 $ 145 $ 300 52 % off Our top pick for best on-ear noise-canceling headphones. The Beats Solo Pro are ideal if you need a durable pair of headphones while you work out. $145 at Woot
The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless noise-canceling headphones are $350 at Amazon and Best Buy, knocking $50 off the normal price
Shure’s Aonic 50 noise-canceling headphones are $300 at Amazon and Best Buy — a whole $100 off their usual price
Jabra’s previous-generation Elite 65t are still a great starter set of wireless earbuds, and they’re pretty cheap at Amazon and Best Buy . Normally $120, they’re $70.
Apple’s AirPods with a wireless charging case costs $140, which is officially the lowest price. These have been selling for $150 throughout Black Friday, but this early Cyber Monday deal is live now at Amazon.
You can snag a set of Amazon Echo Buds, which also sound good and have Bose noise reduction technology. They cost $80, down from $130, and you’ll get a six-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited.
The Galaxy Buds Plus dropped another $10 at Amazon, down to $100 from their original $150 price. Other retailers have joined Amazon at $100.
Also at $80 are 1More’s ColorBuds, a solid set of wireless earbuds that pop with color. These are normally $100, and you can get this deal through 1More
The best Cyber Week deals on streaming services
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
If you subscribe to YouTube TV by December 31st, you’ll get a free Chromecast with Google TV.
1Password is offering an exclusive offer to readers of The Verge until Thursday, December 3rd December 10th. You can save 50 percent each month on the cost of a family subscription (up to five people, and not restricted to a single household) to 1Password’s services, costing $2.50 per month for up to one year. After that year is up, you’ll be charged the regular $5 per month rate.
The best Cyber Week deals on TVs
The best Cyber Week deals on laptops
HP’s Envy x360 13 2-in-1 is $750 at Best Buy (usually $1,000)
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 gaming laptop with a six-core Intel Core i7 processor, the RTX 2060, and 16GB of RAM is $1,050 with a rebate card at Newegg (usually $1,300)
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 $ 800 $ 1200 33 % off $ 800 $ 800 $ 1200 33 % off The Surface Pro 7 is one of the best Windows convertibles you can buy. This model includes an Intel Core i5, a 128GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM. $800 at Microsoft$850 at Target
The Acer Aspire 5 is a solid budget laptop with an 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It costs $550 at Newegg, down from $650.
The best Cyber Week deals on smart speakers
If you want the new spherical Echo Dot with a digital clock embedded in the fabric, that one costs $39 at Amazon. It’s normally $60. Stock seems to be running low for this model, as it’s currently set to restock in an extremely vague “three to six months”.
The new (and adorable) Kids Edition Echo Dot is $39. It normally costs $60.
Photo: Dan Seifert / The Verge
Google’s latest Nest Audio speakers are available as a duo for $170, knocking $20 off the usual price for buying two together. These can be paired for a stereo arrangement for music and podcasts, and at some point, you’ll be able to use them as a home theater setup with Chromecast.
The best Cyber Week deals on smart displays
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019, first-gen) $ 40 $ 80 50 % off $ 40 $ 40 $ 80 50 % off The first-gen Echo Show 5 is more than just an alarm clock with Alexa built in. Amazon’s small smart display also features a camera that enables video chats. $40 at Amazon
Google’s Nest Hub smart displays are great if you like to watch YouTube, or have a big Google Photos library you want to show off on their screens. The smallest Nest Hub starts at $50, though only the larger Nest Hub Max can make video calls.
The best Cyber Week deals on phones
At the OnePlus site, you can get the standard OnePlus 8 for $200 off its usual price, costing $599. B&H Photo is actually offering a slightly bigger price cut of $230 off. This phone shares a few similarities to the 8 Pro, like the Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Though, it doesn’t have wireless charging and its camera array doesn’t quite stack up as favorably. Also, it has a 90Hz refresh rate display compared to 120Hz on the 8 Pro, and the display itself is smaller (about 6.5 inches versus 6.8 inches).
Speaking of the OnePlus 8 Pro, Amazon recently knocked an extra $50 off the Black Friday sale price.
OnePlus 8 Pro $ 750 $ 1000 25 % off $ 750 $ 750 $ 1000 25 % off The OnePlus 8 Pro is filled to the brim with high-end features, like fast charging, a 120Hz refresh rate display, wireless charging, a fast Snapdragon 865 processor, and lots of RAM. $750 at Amazon$800 at OnePlus
The Pixel 4A with 5G is $200 off when new customers purchase it through the Google Fi MVNO service, resulting in a $299 final price. If you’re an existing Google Fi subscriber, you can upgrade to the 4A with 5G and get $150 off, knocking the price down to $349. Not bad, considering that’s the same price as the standard Pixel 4A that doesn’t have 5G support.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Until December 7th, Visible (owned by Verizon, operating on Verizon LTE) will give you a complimentary set of AirPods Pro with the purchase of any phone in the iPhone 12 series. The catch is that you’ll need to buy the phone and port your number to a new line in the same transaction.
The best Cyber Week deals on streaming devices
The best Cyber Week deals on tablet accessories
The Brydge Pro Plus keyboard has an integrated trackpad, so you don’t need to use the touchscreen (or, at least as much)
The best Cyber Week gaming deals
The landscapes in Ghost of Tsushima are serene
Ghost of Tsushima is $40 at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart (usually $60)
NBA 2K21 is $30 $25 (usually $60), the lowest price we’ve seen.
$25 (usually $60), the lowest price we’ve seen. Watch Dogs Legion is $30 $37 at Amazon and $40 at Walmart (usually $60). If you buy the Xbox One version and upgrade to that console’s successor, you will receive the next-gen version free of charge.
The best Cyber Week deals on PC tech
For a fast M.2 drive that’s actually capable of delivering quicker read/write speeds for both PCIe 3.0 and motherboards with PCIe 4.0 support, Samsung’s 500GB 980 Pro NVMe SSD is $120 (usually $150) at Amazon.
The all-black HyperX Cloud Alpha S wired gaming headset is $100 at Amazon, down from its usual $130 price.
The best Cyber Monday deals on mesh Wi-Fi routers
Google’s Nest Wifi mesh routers are steeply discounted, starting with the single unit that’s $135 instead of $169 at Amazon and $139 at Best Buy.
The best Cyber Week deals on misc. tech
A number of retailers are selling the DJI Osmo Action for $199, a discount of about $50 from its regular price. The Osmo Action is similar to GoPro’s line of action cameras, and comes with both front and rear facing screens.


theverge--2020-12-02--Where to buy the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti graphics card, starting 6am PT Wednesday

Nvidia ’ s $ 399 RTX 3060 Ti is available to purchase on Wednesday , December 2nd — and 6am PT / 9am ET is when it ’ ll go on sale , Nvidia confirms to The Verge .
Like the RTX 3070 , this card is a great option if you are looking to play PC games at a 1440p resolution .
Also like the RTX 3070 and every other graphics card released this year , stock will likely not last long at most retailers , so you ’ ll want to be on the dot .
In Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ti , it put up impressive frame rates on popular titles like Control , Call of Duty : Warzone , Death Stranding , and Fortnite at 1440p resolution — some of these games were even tested with ray-tracing enabled .
At $ 399 , the RTX 3060 Ti provides faster performance than the RTX 2080 Super or the RTX 2080 graphics cards , each of which started at $ 699 in 2019 and 2018 respectively .
If you ’ re looking for the $ 399 RTX 3060 Founder ’ s Edition that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to find it at Best Buy and Micro Center in the United States , but other retailers like Newegg should have an array of boards from partners too , some of which may cost a bit more .
So far , only Best Buy has published listings for its complement of cards in the US : We ’ ll be updating this post with more retailer links as they become available and assuming they stay in stock .
But if you ’ re thinking of buying it and spot one , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stay that way for long .
You may also be able to find it at Amazon , Newegg , and Adorama in the US , Currys and Ebuyer in the UK , and Best Buy Canada .


theverge--2020-12-02--TikTok is reportedly testing longer, three-minute videos

Brevity is the soul of wit — and the heart of TikTok — but the company wants to see if giving people the ability to record longer videos is something its creators want to explore .
The company is reportedly rolling out the ability to record videos up to three minutes in length , according to social media consultant Matt Navarra .
Navarra tweeted a screenshot of the update , which notes the feature is still in early access stages .
The Verge has reached out to TikTok for more information .
Currently , TikTok allows all creators to upload @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s proven to be a successful length — longer than a Vine , shorter than most YouTube videos .
The constraint of finding ways to make something funny within 60 short , sweet seconds is part of what makes TikTok work .
Not having to focus more than a minute of attention on one video and being able to easily flip to the next right after is a welcome feature in a world dominated by longer content .
Three-minute videos on TikTok feel like a miniature replica of YouTube , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 minutes .
Will this fill the space left by Quibi ’ s demise ?
Three minutes is a lot of time .
It could allow for full movie trailers or makeup tutorials — things that are found more often than not on YouTube .
Look , it might not be the worst thing — people were upset when Twitter doubled the length of a tweet from 140 to 280 characters , but that ’ s mostly worked out fine .
Still , trepidation is warranted .
Short videos defined TikTok — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit through someone ’ s three-minute recap of Riverdale just because they have the ability to do so .

Brevity is the soul of wit — and the heart of TikTok — but the company wants to see if giving people the ability to record longer videos is something its creators want to explore.
The company is reportedly rolling out the ability to record videos up to three minutes in length, according to social media consultant Matt Navarra. Navarra tweeted a screenshot of the update, which notes the feature is still in early access stages. The Verge has reached out to TikTok for more information.
Currently, TikTok allows all creators to upload videos up to a minute in length. It’s proven to be a successful length — longer than a Vine, shorter than most YouTube videos. The constraint of finding ways to make something funny within 60 short, sweet seconds is part of what makes TikTok work. Not having to focus more than a minute of attention on one video and being able to easily flip to the next right after is a welcome feature in a world dominated by longer content.
Three-minute videos on TikTok feel like a miniature replica of YouTube, back when YouTube videos were shorter than 10 minutes. Will this fill the space left by Quibi’s demise? Three minutes is a lot of time. It could allow for full movie trailers or makeup tutorials — things that are found more often than not on YouTube.


theverge--2020-12-02--Amazon adds webcam support to the Fire TV Cube

Amazon ’ s Fire TV Cube can now be linked with a webcam for video chats on your TV screen .
The new feature is available starting today and is limited to the newer second-generation model of the Cube .
But it allows owners of that product to start two-way video calls with “ any Alexa-enabled device with a screen , including tablets , phones and devices like the Echo Show.
” A new software update that enables video calling will begin rolling out today through the coming weeks in the US , UK , Canada , France , Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For a webcam to be compatible , according to Amazon , it must “ support UVC with at least 720p resolution and 30fps , ” but you ’ ll get a “ better experience ” from “ webcams with 1080p resolution and 60 to 90-degree field of view from 6 to 10 feet away from the TV.
” 4K webcams “ are not recommended.
” To make the whole process a bit simpler , Amazon has put out a list of recommended webcams to start from , including several Logitech models : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll have to deal with : since the Fire TV Cube only has a Micro USB port on the back , you ’ ll need a USB-A to Micro USB adapter to get this webcam functionality up and running .
Amazon also has some picks for those : These video calls all start with video off by default .
If there ’ s an incoming one , you ’ ll see the caller ID on-screen , and Alexa will speak out the caller ’ s name .
You can answer by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon says it ’ s doing all this to help ease an unconventional holiday season where many people might not see one another in person .
“ Forget holding up a phone for 30 minutes , or cramming everyone in to see who ’ s on screen .
With video calling on Fire TV Cube , you don ’ t even have to leave the couch to catch up with friends and family.
” There are also new upcoming features for other Fire TV devices that Amazon announced today : With holiday shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliveries this month , Fire TV owners will be able to receive notifications on their Fire TV screen when the doorbell rings and watch the security camera video in full-screen by saying “ Alexa , show me [ Ring device name ] , ” or “ Alexa , talk to [ Ring device name ] .
” Fire TV devices can receive doorbell notifications for Ring doorbell devices only ; Fire TV Cube ( 2nd generation ) is not supported .
Learn more about linking Ring products to Fire TV devices here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fire TV devices about the weather or for general information without interrupting the TV viewing or browsing experience .
Responses will be answered by Alexa on a partial screen overlay on top of full-screen video playback or the Fire TV browse screen background .
To get started , simply ask , “ Alexa , how is the weather ?
” or “ Alexa , how far is planet Mars ?
” This feature will be available on all Fire TV devices , excluding 1st Gen Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Fire @ @

Ring Doorbell Camera Notifications
With holiday shopping likely to generate a flurry of package deliveries this month, Fire TV owners will be able to receive notifications on their Fire TV screen when the doorbell rings and watch the security camera video in full-screen by saying “Alexa, show me [Ring device name],” or “Alexa, talk to [Ring device name].” Fire TV devices can receive doorbell notifications for Ring doorbell devices only; Fire TV Cube (2nd generation) is not supported. Learn more about linking Ring products to Fire TV devices here.
Alexa Responses While Watching TV
Customers will be able to ask Alexa on Fire TV devices about the weather or for general information without interrupting the TV viewing or browsing experience. Responses will be answered by Alexa on a partial screen overlay on top of full-screen video playback or the Fire TV browse screen background. To get started, simply ask, “Alexa, how is the weather?” or “Alexa, how far is planet Mars?” This feature will be available on all Fire TV devices, excluding 1st Gen Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Fire TV.


theverge--2020-12-02--What does aggregation theory tell us about Google’s antitrust case?

We talk about the big tech companies all the time , but the sheer scale of them can be hard to comprehend .
Google currently runs the most popular search engine , the most popular web browser , and the most popular mobile operating system ( on a worldwide basis , at least ) .
Amazon hired 427,000 people this year , bringing its global workforce to well over 1 million .
In its most recent quarter , Facebook brought in an average of $ 230 million in revenue each day .
Entire books have been written about how each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there ’ s a lot that ’ s unique to each one — but there ’ s also something bigger going on .
How did these companies get so powerful so fast ?
The best answer we have is Aggregation Theory , a term coined and developed by Stratechery ’ s Ben Thompson .
The basic idea is that the internet led to a sea change in how products get distributed — or more precisely , how they get from the people making them to the people buying them .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled by the manufacturer ( think Ford dealerships and Apple Stores ) , but that changes with the internet .
Suddenly , you have intermediaries like Amazon that wield a lot of their power by controlling the supply of consumers .
Producers are now competing just to get on Amazon ’ s front page since that ’ s where all of the customers are .
In general terms , it ’ s not that different from a department store like Macy ’ s , but it ’ s happening on a scale that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How did these companies get so powerful so fast ?
There ’ s a lot more detail to the theory , so you should read Thompson ’ s posts if you want to get the gritty details .
( Our video above covers the basics . )
It ’ s a detailed and compelling case for why internet-era business is different from what came before , with a lot of implications for anyone doing business with them .
But over the past few weeks , there ’ s been a surprisingly heated debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust movement .
The argument started with a post from Columbia Law professor Tim Wu , trying to carve out a place for antitrust action into aggregation theory ’ s broader story about tech companies competing to better serve consumers .
Thompson responded a few days later , and the result has been a remarkable back-and-forth between the two men , getting into the details of switching costs and the mechanics of how Google , in particular , enforces its dominance .
So far , it ’ s just an argument between two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequences in court .
Google is currently fighting an ambitious antitrust case from the US Department of Justice , and skeptics in Congress are pushing similar arguments against Facebook , Amazon , and Apple .
But those antitrust cases argue that internet companies got so big by using market power to drive out competitors through acquisitions , predatory pricing , or other exclusionary deals .
It ’ s a much simpler case than aggregation theory and a much scarier one .
Wu is primarily concerned with the various ways Thompson ’ s theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust prosecutions like US v. Google — but there are difficult questions waiting as regulators start to look for concrete ways to unwind the alleged monopolies .
If the lessons of aggregation theory really do apply , those questions may be even harder than they look .

We talk about the big tech companies all the time, but the sheer scale of them can be hard to comprehend. Google currently runs the most popular search engine, the most popular web browser, and the most popular mobile operating system (on a worldwide basis, at least). Amazon hired 427,000 people this year, bringing its global workforce to well over 1 million. In its most recent quarter, Facebook brought in an average of $230 million in revenue each day. Entire books have been written about how each of these companies clamored to the top, and there’s a lot that’s unique to each one — but there’s also something bigger going on. How did these companies get so powerful so fast?
The best answer we have is Aggregation Theory, a term coined and developed by Stratechery’s Ben Thompson. The basic idea is that the internet led to a sea change in how products get distributed — or more precisely, how they get from the people making them to the people buying them. For most 20th century products, distribution was controlled by the manufacturer (think Ford dealerships and Apple Stores), but that changes with the internet. Suddenly, you have intermediaries like Amazon that wield a lot of their power by controlling the supply of consumers. Producers are now competing just to get on Amazon’s front page since that’s where all of the customers are. In general terms, it’s not that different from a department store like Macy’s, but it’s happening on a scale that those earlier intermediaries could never achieve.
How did these companies get so powerful so fast?
There’s a lot more detail to the theory, so you should read Thompson’s posts if you want to get the gritty details. (Our video above covers the basics.) It’s a detailed and compelling case for why internet-era business is different from what came before, with a lot of implications for anyone doing business with them.
But over the past few weeks, there’s been a surprisingly heated debate about what aggregation theory means for the antitrust movement. The argument started with a post from Columbia Law professor Tim Wu, trying to carve out a place for antitrust action into aggregation theory’s broader story about tech companies competing to better serve consumers. Thompson responded a few days later, and the result has been a remarkable back-and-forth between the two men, getting into the details of switching costs and the mechanics of how Google, in particular, enforces its dominance.
So far, it’s just an argument between two thinkers, but it could have significant consequences in court. Google is currently fighting an ambitious antitrust case from the US Department of Justice, and skeptics in Congress are pushing similar arguments against Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. But those antitrust cases argue that internet companies got so big by using market power to drive out competitors through acquisitions, predatory pricing, or other exclusionary deals. It’s a much simpler case than aggregation theory and a much scarier one.