theverge--2020-12-17--In 2021, we need to fix America’s internet

Every few months it ’ ll send me a postcard .
Once , in the midst of the pandemic , it even sent salespeople to my door .
AT & T wants to sell me 1,000Mbps fiber-optic internet , and I ’ m beyond ready to pay for it .
In fact , I ’ ve already signed the contract at least nine times now .
But like tens of millions of my fellow citizens across the United States , I don ’ t actually have the ability to switch .
Across the country , the FCC and internet service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an unimaginable number of places where it doesn ’ t actually exist .
It ’ s a nationwide problem , but one that I ’ m experiencing even in the Silicon Valley — where you ’ d think the internet might be better .
Today , I pay $ 100 a month for Comcast internet , and the cable company ’ s speeds leave something to be desired .
My wife , a video producer , can ’ t reliably upload her company ’ s videos to its FTP servers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take hours to appear in Google Photos , and there ’ s no point in me even trying to stream games to YouTube or Twitch .
While my download speed is decent at 200Mbps , the uploads are absolutely atrocious at just 5Mbps up , and I ’ d have to pay Comcast even more to change that .
And my bill has already gone up : I paid $ 70 until the pandemic hit and we started running into Comcast ’ s completely arbitrary 1.2TB data cap .
Now , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t rack up overage fees every single month .
AT & T seems like the obvious answer .
The company ’ s fiber network offers 1,000Mbps downloads and 1,000Mbps uploads for $ 70 a month , no data cap whatsoever .
Competition is good , eh ?
The only problem is that AT & T doesn ’ t actually serve my address ... even though it continues to insist it does .
The company ’ s field technicians have visited my home easily a dozen times now , but their conclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T buried its fiber in the wrong place .
A few houses down from me , there ’ s a concrete cover embedded in the pavement .
If you look underneath , you ’ ll find a fiber-optic node labeled with my exact street address .
It ’ s supposed to be in front of my home ; AT & T ’ s service maps say it ’ s in front of my home , but those maps are wrong .
The more grizzled AT & T vets warned me I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They told me it was illegal to run wires over my particular street — and that there was little to no chance AT & T would spend $ 10,000+ to dig up the sidewalk just to serve more houses on my side of the road .
Some friendly techs filed dig tickets anyhow !
I was told at least twice it was actually going to happen .
( AT & T sales reps told me it had already happened according to their records . )
Once , I even got an actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order had been canceled .
But every other time , I ’ d call weeks later to find out my order had simply , quietly vanished .
If the company wasn ’ t going to give me internet , why couldn ’ t it remove me from its marketing lists ?
Why couldn ’ t it simply update its maps ?
That last question , it turns out , is far bigger than I imagined .
It may help explain why America ’ s internet is so broken to begin with , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
As FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wrote for The Verge last March , as many as one in three US households doesn ’ t have broadband internet access , currently defined as just 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up — which feels like the bare minimum for a remote learning family these days .
Even before the pandemic , that statistic might have been shocking ; now , it ’ s the difference between whether millions of schoolchildren can attend classes and do their homework or not .
Nearly 12 million children don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , the Senate Joint Economic Committee reported in 2017 .
And the “ homework gap ” hits harder if you ’ re poor , of course : only 56 percent of households with incomes under $ 30,000 had broadband as of last February , according to the Pew Research Center .
But even if they could afford broadband , there ’ s no guarantee they ’ d get it — because the FCC has spent the past decade trying to paint a rosy picture of America ’ s broadband instead of figuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 , the US spent $ 350 million on a “ National Broadband Map ” that turned out to be nothing more than a chance for the wolves to guard the hens : it relied on ISPs like Comcast and AT & T to submit their own data , which the FCC does not audit .
According to the FCC ’ s map , I have 11 different broadband providers at my address !
But if you break it down : • Two of them are “ fixed wireless ” that cater to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which starts at $ 99 a month for 3Mbps ( not a typo ) • Two of them are slow , data-capped satellite internet • Four of them are duplicates of the same providers ( including three different tiers of AT & T DSL ) • Two of them don ’ t offer service at my address at all That leaves me with just Comcast — and you with the reason why the United States and its ISP lobbyists get to pretend they ’ re doing a decent job , even when there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 88.3 million Americans only have a single choice of broadband provider , according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance , because their other choice is DSL that doesn ’ t even meet the FCC ’ s own definition of broadband at 25Mbps down / 3Mbps up .
That ’ s effectively a monopoly , and the report claims 22 million of them are dependent on Comcast alone .
And those are *low* estimates , by the way , because they ’ re based on the same faulty , self-reported data as the FCC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows you have no other alternative , it can get away with things you ’ d never see anywhere else .
Exhibit A : the 1.2TB home internet data caps it ’ s about to erect in a dozen additional states next year .
Forget for a moment that Comcast itself was caught red-handed explaining that data caps have nothing to do with network congestion .
Forget that the CEOs of several smaller ISPs have admitted that internet capacity is anything but scarce .
Forget that Comcast disabled its own congestion management system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forget even that Comcast is a wildly profitable company whose cable division spends only a tenth of its yearly revenues on keeping that network strong .
The proof that data caps are a swindle is something you probably witnessed yourself earlier this year : Comcast , AT & T , and T-Mobile all suspended their data caps when the pandemic hit , and the internet kept on working without a hitch .
But Comcast ’ s generosity didn ’ t last for long .
Now , with cases and deaths repeatedly hitting record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of Americans out of work , and many of them thousands of dollars behind on rent , the ISP is so unconcerned about angry customers that it ’ s bringing those data caps to even more states .
AT & T , to its credit , extended its initial data cap waiver through the end of the year — but that wasn ’ t enough to pressure Comcast to do the same .
Comcast ’ s waiver expired on July 1st , alongside most other ISPs , and now it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fist .
Exhibit B : Though the United States once led development of the world ’ s internet , we now pay more than the rest of the developed world on average .
We pay twice as much as Europe for high-speed internet — before you even count caps and fees We consistently pay more than Europe regardless of speed , according to a fascinating , approachable study you should read from the New America think tank .
In fact , we pay roughly double that of Europe at the 100Mbps and 1,000Mbps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to rent a modem on average than Asia and Europe do , respectively .
Only one US city cracked the top ten in affordability but only because it had an ace up its sleeve : a municipal fiber-optic network erected by the city itself , where ISPs provide their services across fiber that the residents themselves own .
Those sorts of municipal networks create competition that simply doesn ’ t exist in many places in the US because it wasn ’ t designed to exist .
In places that do erect municipal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed and affordability far outpace the rest of the US .
That ’ s why it ’ s a real shame many states ( and telecom lobbyists ) have erected roadblocks to keep those municipal networks from spreading .
In one particularly egregious example , Comcast sued the city of Chattanooga , Tennessee to try to block its municipal network in 2015 , lobbied for a law to prevent its award-winning network from expanding to rural areas , then finally convinced the state to spend $ 45 million of taxpayer money to subsidize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competition .
We need accurate maps to clearly see just how little competition there actually is , and we need to change the laws to let citizens fed up with being unserved and underserved build their own networks instead .
We need those maps to show how much people actually pay .
We need to stop pouring taxpayer money into hugely profitable telecoms that claim they ’ ll build out internet access , since they ’ ve found they can often just straight-up lie or wait to be sued instead of fulfilling their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be infuriated , follow that last link and keep on clicking through the examples . )
At least in 2020 , the US is finally making some progress .
This year , Congress finally passed a bill that requires the FCC to actually audit its broadband map data and create a “ user-friendly challenge process ” so people like me can point out that no , AT & T doesn ’ t actually offer fiber ( or even fast DSL ) at my address .
And earlier this month , the FCC already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies to bring broadband to 5.2 million rural Americans over the next ten years — though big companies like Charter , CenturyLink , Frontier , and Windstream still account for at least $ 2.4 billion of it .
But another way of looking at things is that we ’ re already too late : the FCC just awarded a decade ’ s worth of money to bring broadband to only five million additional addresses , without knowing whether it was awarding those contracts to communities that will now see competition — or just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fringe .
What is the rest of America supposed to do , wait another decade ?
We need to go much , much further than fixing our maps .
If the best we can do during the pandemic is ask ISPs to “ pretty please make the internet work better for 60 days , ” to borrow a phrase , it ’ s time for more regulation .
The internet is more important than the telephone ever was ; let ’ s regulate it that way The COVID-19 pandemic has shown , perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet is .
The internet was already a powerful tool for learning , but now it ’ s a critical one for kids to attend school .
Many millions are jobless but could maybe find a new job that lets them work from home .
Many are already working from home because — with no other choice — companies are learning to adapt .
This all means there might finally be enough political will to declare the internet should be delivered to homes like a utility , the way water and electricity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telephones were under the Communications Act of 1934 that originally created the FCC .
The last time it was truly overhauled was 1996 — back when the internet was delivered one digital screech at a time over standard phone lines , after all .
That ’ s how we ’ ve always dealt with necessary monopolies , the ones that own the pipes and wires that feed your house .
We put them on a tight leash and make them serve everyone , not just the homes they deem most profitable .

Every few months it’ll send me a postcard. Once, in the midst of the pandemic, the company even sent salespeople to my door.
AT&T wants to sell me 1,000Mbps fiber-optic internet, and I’m beyond ready to pay for it. In fact, I’ve already signed the contract at least nine times now.
But like tens of millions of my fellow citizens across the United States, I don’t actually have the ability to switch. Across the country, the FCC and internet service providers are pretending there’s competition in an unimaginable number of places where it doesn’t actually exist. It’s a nationwide problem, but one that I’m experiencing even in the Silicon Valley — where you’d think the internet might be better.
I ordered AT&T Fiber at least nine times. It never rejected me. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge
Today, I pay $100 a month for Comcast internet, and the cable company’s speeds leave something to be desired. My wife, a video producer, can’t reliably upload her company’s videos to its FTP servers. The family videos we shoot on our smartphones take hours to appear in Google Photos, and there’s no point in me even trying to stream games to YouTube or Twitch. While my download speed is decent at 200Mbps, the uploads are absolutely atrocious at just 5Mbps up, and I’d have to pay Comcast even more to change that. And my bill has already gone up: I paid $70 until the pandemic hit and we started running into Comcast’s completely arbitrary 1.2TB data cap. Now, I have to pay extra for unlimited so I don’t rack up overage fees every single month. (Disclosure: Comcast and NBCUniversal are investors in Vox Media, parent company of The Verge)
AT&T seems like the obvious answer. The company’s fiber network offers 1,000Mbps downloads and 1,000Mbps uploads for $70 a month, no data cap whatsoever. Competition is good, eh? The only problem is that AT&T doesn’t actually serve my address... even though it continues to insist it does. The company’s field technicians have visited my home easily a dozen times now, but their conclusion is always the same: AT&T buried its fiber in the wrong place.
A few houses down from me, there’s a concrete cover embedded in the pavement. If you look underneath, you’ll find a fiber-optic node labeled with my exact street address. It’s supposed to be in front of my home; AT&T’s service maps say it’s in front of my home, but those maps are wrong.
Where AT&T’s fiber should be vs. where it actually is. One day, I walked outside to find these chalk arrows connecting the two — false hope, sadly. GIF by Sean Hollister/The Verge
The more grizzled AT&T vets warned me I’d get no satisfaction from AT&T. They told me it was illegal to run wires over my particular street — and that there was little to no chance AT&T would spend $10,000+ to dig up the sidewalk just to serve more houses on my side of the road.
Some friendly techs filed dig tickets anyhow! I was told at least twice it was actually going to happen. (AT&T sales reps told me it had already happened according to their records.) Once, I even got an actual notice from AT&T that my order had been canceled. But every other time, I’d call weeks later to find out my order had simply, quietly vanished.
If the company wasn’t going to give me internet, why couldn’t it remove me from its marketing lists? Why couldn’t it simply update its maps?
That last question, it turns out, is far bigger than I imagined. It may help explain why America’s internet is so broken to begin with, and get us on the path to fixing it.
As FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wrote for The Verge last March, as many as one in three US households doesn’t have broadband internet access, currently defined as just 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up — which feels like the bare minimum for a remote learning family these days. Even before the pandemic, that statistic might have been shocking; now, it’s the difference between whether millions of schoolchildren can attend classes and do their homework or not. Nearly 12 million children don’t have a broadband connection at home, the Senate Joint Economic Committee reported in 2017. And the “homework gap” hits harder if you’re poor, of course: only 56 percent of households with incomes under $30,000 had broadband as of last February, according to the Pew Research Center.
But even if they could afford broadband, there’s no guarantee they’d get it — because the FCC has spent the past decade trying to paint a rosy picture of America’s broadband instead of figuring out where it actually exists.
In 2009, the US spent $350 million on a “National Broadband Map” that turned out to be nothing more than a chance for the wolves to guard the hens: it relied on ISPs like Comcast and AT&T to submit their own data, which the FCC does not audit. According to the FCC’s map, I have 11 different broadband providers at my address! But if you break it down:
Two of them are “fixed wireless” that cater to businesses, not homes, one of which starts at $99 a month for 3Mbps (not a typo)
Two of them are slow, data-capped satellite internet
Four of them are duplicates of the same providers (including three different tiers of AT&T DSL, two of which don't meet the FCC's definition of broadband)
Two of them don’t offer service at my address at all
That leaves me with just Comcast — and you with the reason why the United States and its ISP lobbyists get to pretend they’re doing a decent job, even when there’s no meaningful competition. About 88.3 million Americans only have a single choice of broadband provider, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, because their other choice is DSL that doesn’t even meet the FCC’s own definition of broadband at 25Mbps down / 3Mbps up. That’s effectively a monopoly, and the report claims 22 million of them are dependent on Comcast alone. And those are *low* estimates, by the way, because they’re based on the same faulty, self-reported data as the FCC’s terrible maps.
When Comcast knows you have no other alternative, it can get away with things you’d never see anywhere else. Exhibit A: the 1.2TB home internet data caps it’s about to erect in a dozen additional states next year.
Forget for a moment that Comcast itself was caught red-handed explaining that data caps have nothing to do with network congestion. Forget that the CEOs of several smaller ISPs have admitted that internet capacity is anything but scarce. Forget that Comcast disabled its own congestion management system because it found it was unnecessary. Forget even that Comcast is a wildly profitable company whose cable division spends only a tenth of its yearly revenues on keeping that network strong. The proof that data caps are a swindle is something you probably witnessed yourself earlier this year: Comcast, AT&T, and T-Mobile all suspended their data caps when the pandemic hit, and the internet kept on working without a hitch.
But Comcast’s generosity didn’t last for long. Now, with cases and deaths repeatedly hitting record highs in the United States, tens of millions of Americans out of work, and many of them thousands of dollars behind on rent, the ISP is so unconcerned about angry customers that it’s bringing those data caps to even more states. AT&T, to its credit, extended its initial data cap waiver through the end of the year — but that wasn’t enough to pressure Comcast to do the same. Comcast’s waiver expired on July 1st, alongside most other ISPs, and now it’s back to extracting money hand over fist.
Exhibit B: Though the United States once led development of the world’s internet, we now pay more than the rest of the developed world on average.
We pay twice as much as Europe for high-speed internet — before you even count caps and fees
We consistently pay more than Europe regardless of speed, according to a fascinating, approachable study you should read from the New America think tank. In fact, we pay roughly double that of Europe at the 100Mbps and 1,000Mbps tiers, and eight to 17 times more to rent a modem on average than Asia and Europe do, respectively. Only one US city cracked the top ten in affordability but only because it had an ace up its sleeve: a municipal fiber-optic network erected by the city itself, where ISPs provide their services across fiber that the residents themselves own. Those sorts of municipal networks create competition that simply doesn’t exist in many places in the US because it wasn’t designed to exist. In places that do erect municipal networks, New America shows that both speed and affordability far outpace the rest of the US.
That’s why it’s a real shame many states (and telecom lobbyists) have erected roadblocks to keep those municipal networks from spreading. In one particularly egregious example, Comcast sued the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee to try to block its municipal network in 2015, lobbied for a law to prevent its award-winning network from expanding to rural areas, then finally convinced the state to spend $45 million of taxpayer money to subsidize the big ISPs instead.
A sampling of recent articles from our friend Karl Bode at Techdirt. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge
We need competition. We need accurate maps to clearly see just how little competition there actually is, and we need to change the laws to let citizens fed up with being unserved and underserved build their own networks instead. We need those maps to show how much people actually pay. We need to stop pouring taxpayer money into hugely profitable telecoms that claim they’ll build out internet access, since they’ve found they can often just straight-up lie or wait to be sued instead of fulfilling their obligations. (If you want to be infuriated, follow that last link and keep on clicking through the examples.)
At least in 2020, the US is finally making some progress. This year, Congress finally passed a bill that requires the FCC to actually audit its broadband map data and create a “user-friendly challenge process” so people like me can point out that no, AT&T doesn’t actually offer fiber (or even fast DSL) at my address. Here's hoping it actually works, unlike the millions upon millions of net neutrality comments the FCC simply ignored. Earlier this month, the FCC also already awarded $9.2 billion to 180 different companies to bring broadband to 5.2 million rural Americans over the next ten years — though big companies like Charter, CenturyLink, Frontier, and Windstream still account for at least $2.4 billion of it.
But another way of looking at things is that we’re already too late: the FCC just awarded a decade’s worth of money to bring broadband to only five million additional addresses, without knowing whether it was awarding those contracts to communities that will now see competition — or just erecting more pockets of monopoly on the fringe. What is the rest of America supposed to do, wait another decade?
We need to go much, much further than fixing our maps. If the best we can do during the pandemic is ask ISPs to “pretty please make the internet work better for 60 days,” to borrow a phrase, it’s time for more regulation.
The internet is more important than the telephone ever was; let’s regulate it that way
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, perhaps for the first time, how essential the internet is. The internet was already a powerful tool for learning, but now it’s a critical one for kids to attend school. Many millions are jobless but could maybe find a new job that lets them work from home. Many are already working from home because — with no other choice — companies are learning to adapt.
This all means there might finally be enough political will to declare the internet should be delivered to homes like a utility, the way water and electricity are delivered today, the way landline telephones were under the Communications Act of 1934 that originally created the FCC. The last time the law was truly overhauled was 1996 — back when the internet was delivered one digital screech at a time over standard phone lines, after all.


theverge--2020-12-17--Facebook is temporarily disabling some Messenger and Instagram features in Europe

Facebook is notifying Messenger and Instagram users in Europe that some features are temporarily unavailable .
A small message has appeared in both the Facebook Messenger and Instagram apps for European users this week , noting that some features aren ’ t available to “ respect new rules for messaging services in Europe.
” Facebook doesn ’ t outline exactly what features will be missing , but the company does reveal on its support pages that polls on both Messenger and Instagram are currently unavailable in Europe , alongside a lack of stickers in Instagram and no personalized replies on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of certain file sends on Messenger , missing nicknames , or the ability to share AR effects in DMs on Instagram .
Facebook has temporarily disabled some of these features to comply with new rules on data usage in EU countries .
It ’ s part of the national implementations that are taking place of the 2002 Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive ( ePrivacy Directive ) .
This directive imposes stricter rules on data use across communications services that operate in countries that are part of the European Union .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinstate these features for European users , but a spokesperson tells The Verge that most will return “ very soon .
”

Facebook is notifying Messenger and Instagram users in Europe that some features are temporarily unavailable. A small message has appeared in both the Facebook Messenger and Instagram apps for European users this week, noting that some features aren’t available to “respect new rules for messaging services in Europe.”
Facebook doesn’t outline exactly what features will be missing, but the company does reveal on its support pages that polls on both Messenger and Instagram are currently unavailable in Europe, alongside a lack of stickers in Instagram and no personalized replies on Messenger. Other missing features may include a lack of certain file sends on Messenger, missing nicknames, or the ability to share AR effects in DMs on Instagram.
Facebook’s warning in Instagram DMs.
Facebook has temporarily disabled some of these features to comply with new rules on data usage in EU countries. It’s part of the national implementations that are taking place of the 2002 Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive (ePrivacy Directive). This directive imposes stricter rules on data use across communications services that operate in countries that are part of the European Union.


theverge--2020-12-17--Here’s the best look yet at Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds

Samsung ’ s Galaxy Buds Pro have leaked again , this time in a full 360-degree animation courtesy of Evan @ @ @ @ @ Evleaks drop gives us our best look yet at how Samsung ’ s latest true @ @ @ @ @ every angle .
Rumored to arrive alongside the Galaxy S21 in January , Samsung ’ @ @ @ @ @ Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Plus has already leaked in three different colors : black @ @ @ @ @ , again courtesy of Blass .
The Galaxy Buds Pro are expected to feature active @ @ @ @ @ be much improved over the open-ear design of the Galaxy Buds Live .
The Pros @ @ @ @ @ 500mAh battery according to an FCC filing .
Samsung is rumored to be hosting an @ @ @ @ @ January 14th where we should learn more about Galaxy Buds Pro .

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro have leaked again, this time in a full 360-degree animation courtesy of Evan Blass. The latest @Evleaks drop gives us our best look yet at how Samsung’s latest true wireless earbuds will look from every angle.
Rumored to arrive alongside the Galaxy S21 in January, Samsung’s followup to the Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Plus has already leaked in three different colors: black, violet, and silver, again courtesy of Blass.
All three Galaxy Buds Pro color options. Evan Blass
The Galaxy Buds Pro are expected to feature active noise cancellation, that should be much improved over the open-ear design of the Galaxy Buds Live. The Pros will also feature a beefier 500mAh battery according to an FCC filing.


theverge--2020-12-17--Facebook hits back at Apple with second critical newspaper ad

Facebook is stepping up its campaign against Apple ’ s privacy changes with a second full-page newspaper ad today .
This new ad claims Apple ’ s iOS 14 privacy changes “ will change the internet as we know it , ” and force websites and blogs “ to start charging you subscription fees ” or add in-app purchases due to a lack of personalized ads .
It follows a similar full-page newspaper ad in the The Wall Street Journal , New York Times , and the Washington Post yesterday .
Apple is planning to make changes to iOS 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask for permission to gather data and track users across mobile apps and websites on an iPhone or iPad .
Apple revealed how iOS 14 users will be prompted to opt into tracking in apps this week , noting that developers like Facebook can explain to users why they should allow tracking within the prompt .
These changes will impact Facebook ’ s lucrative ad business , but the social networking giant is framing them as something far larger that could impact small businesses .
Unsurprisingly , Apple doesn ’ t agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a simple matter of standing up for our users , ” said an Apple spokesperson in response to Facebook ’ s first full-page newspaper ad yesterday .
“ Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not.
” Facebook clearly isn ’ t holding back on its PR campaign , with this latest newspaper ad trying to sway readers that Apple ’ s changes are more about moving websites and apps into a paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-app purchases and subscriptions .
With full-page ads in The Wall Street Journal , New York Times , and the Washington Post , Facebook is also very clearly trying to convince regulators ( i.e .
people that still read paper newspapers ) to look at Apple ’ s privacy changes .
This is just the latest in an ongoing public spat between Apple and Facebook over iOS 14 privacy and policy changes , and follows Apple ’ s new App Store privacy labels .
Facebook also hit out against Apple ’ s App @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the growing industry pressure against Apple ’ s cloud gaming restrictions .
Facebook also welcomed the EU ’ s new Digital Markets Act ( DMA ) and the Digital Services Act ( DSA ) this week , hoping that the DMA “ will also set boundaries for Apple .
”

Facebook is stepping up its campaign against Apple’s privacy changes with a second full-page newspaper ad today. This new ad claims Apple’s iOS 14 privacy changes “will change the internet as we know it,” and force websites and blogs “to start charging you subscription fees” or add in-app purchases due to a lack of personalized ads. It follows a similar full-page newspaper ad in the The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the Washington Post yesterday.
Apple is planning to make changes to iOS 14 early next year that will require developers to ask for permission to gather data and track users across mobile apps and websites on an iPhone or iPad. Apple revealed how iOS 14 users will be prompted to opt into tracking in apps this week, noting that developers like Facebook can explain to users why they should allow tracking within the prompt.
Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 privacy prompt. Image: Apple
These changes will impact Facebook’s lucrative ad business, but the social networking giant is framing them as something far larger that could impact small businesses. Unsurprisingly, Apple doesn’t agree. “We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users,” said an Apple spokesperson in response to Facebook’s first full-page newspaper ad yesterday. “Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook further defended the company’s position in a Thursday evening tweet. “We believe users should have the choice over the data that is being collected about them and how it’s used,” Cook said.
Facebook clearly isn’t holding back on its PR campaign, with this latest newspaper ad trying to sway readers that Apple’s changes are more about moving websites and apps into a paid model where Apple stands to benefit from in-app purchases and subscriptions. With full-page ads in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the Washington Post, Facebook is also very clearly trying to convince regulators (i.e. people that still read paper newspapers) to look at Apple’s privacy changes.
This is just the latest in an ongoing public spat between Apple and Facebook over iOS 14 privacy and policy changes, and follows Apple’s new App Store privacy labels. Facebook also hit out against Apple’s App Store policies earlier this year, adding to the growing industry pressure against Apple’s cloud gaming restrictions. Facebook also welcomed the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) this week, hoping that the DMA “will also set boundaries for Apple.”


theverge--2020-12-17--Microsoft president sounds alarm on ‘ongoing’ SolarWinds hack, identifies 40 more precise targets

Microsoft president Brad Smith warned that the wide-ranging hack of the SolarWinds ’ Orion IT software is “ ongoing , ” and that investigations reveal “ an attack that is remarkable for its scope , sophistication and impact.
” The breach targeted several US government agencies and is believed to have been carried out by Russian nation-state hackers .
Smith characterized the hack as “ a moment of reckoning ” and laid out in no uncertain terms just how large and how dangerous Microsoft believes the hack to be .
It “ represents an act of recklessness that created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the world , ” Smith argues .
He believes that it “ is not just an attack on specific targets , but on the trust and reliability of the world ’ s critical infrastructure in order to advance one nation ’ s intelligence agency.
” Though the post stops short of explicitly accusing Russia , the implication is very clear .
“ The weeks ahead will provide mounting and we believe indisputable evidence about the source of these recent attacks , ” according to Smith .
To illustrate just how far-reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that used telemetry taken from Microsoft ’ s Defender Anti-Virus software to show people who had installed versions of the Orion software that contained malware from the hackers .
Microsoft has also been working this week to notify “ more than 40 customers that the attackers targeted more precisely and compromised through additional and sophisticated measures , ” according to Smith .
Approximately 80 percent of those customers are located in the US , but Microsoft also identified victims in Canada , Mexico , Belgium , Spain , the UK , Israel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing , ” Smith said .
Investigations into the hack are ongoing .
The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) , and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI ) issued a joint statement on Wednesday to say that they were coordinating a “ whole-of-government response to this significant cyber incident.
” And Smith warned that “ we should all be prepared for stories about additional victims in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations.
” Earlier on Thursday , Reuters reported that Microsoft had been hacked as part of the breach and that “ it also had its own products leveraged to further the attacks on others.
” But Microsoft denied that claim in a statement to The Verge : Like other SolarWinds customers , we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment , which we isolated and removed .
We have not found evidence of access to production services or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ongoing , have found absolutely no indications that our systems were used to attack others .
Microsoft has been responding to the hack since December 13th , including blocking versions of SolarWinds Orion that contained the malware .
Microsoft and a coalition of tech companies also seized control a domain that played a key role in the SolarWinds breach , ZDNet reported .
SolarWinds has also taken the step of hiding a list of high-profile clients from its website , perhaps to protect them from negative publicity .
The list included more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fortune 500 .
As for Microsoft , Smith used his post to call for a more organized , communal response against cyberattacks , both at a government level and amongst private institutions .
“ We need a more effective national and global strategy to protect against cyberattacks , ” he writes .
Microsoft is also looking for “ stronger steps to hold nation-states accountable for cyberattacks .
”

Microsoft president Brad Smith warned that the wide-ranging hack of the SolarWinds’ Orion IT software is “ongoing,” and that investigations reveal “an attack that is remarkable for its scope, sophistication and impact.” The breach targeted several US government agencies and is believed to have been carried out by Russian nation-state hackers.
Smith characterized the hack as “a moment of reckoning” and laid out in no uncertain terms just how large and how dangerous Microsoft believes the hack to be. It “represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world,” Smith argues.
He believes that it “is not just an attack on specific targets, but on the trust and reliability of the world’s critical infrastructure in order to advance one nation’s intelligence agency.” Though the post stops short of explicitly accusing Russia, the implication is very clear. “The weeks ahead will provide mounting and we believe indisputable evidence about the source of these recent attacks,” according to Smith.
To illustrate just how far-reaching the hack was, Smith included a map that used telemetry taken from Microsoft’s Defender Anti-Virus software to show people who had installed versions of the Orion software that contained malware from the hackers.
A map showing customers affected by the malware in SolarWinds’ Orion. Image: Microsoft
Microsoft has also been working this week to notify “more than 40 customers that the attackers targeted more precisely and compromised through additional and sophisticated measures,” according to Smith. Approximately 80 percent of those customers are located in the US, but Microsoft also identified victims in Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, the UK, Israel, and the UAE. “It’s certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing,” Smith said.
Investigations into the hack are ongoing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued a joint statement on Wednesday to say that they were coordinating a “whole-of-government response to this significant cyber incident.” And Smith warned that “we should all be prepared for stories about additional victims in the public sector and other enterprises and organizations.”
Earlier on Thursday, Reuters reported that Microsoft had been hacked as part of the breach and that “it also had its own products leveraged to further the attacks on others.” But Microsoft denied that claim in a statement to The Verge:
Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious Solar Winds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed. We have not found evidence of access to production services or customer data. Our investigations, which are ongoing, have found absolutely no indications that our systems were used to attack others.
Microsoft has been responding to the hack since December 13th, including blocking versions of SolarWinds Orion that contained the malware. Microsoft and a coalition of tech companies also seized control a domain that played a key role in the SolarWinds breach, ZDNet reported.
SolarWinds has also taken the step of hiding a list of high-profile clients from its website, perhaps to protect them from negative publicity. The list included more than 425 of the companies on the Fortune 500.


theverge--2020-12-17--Sony is pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and offering full refunds

Sony is pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and offering full refunds for anyone who bought the game from the digital storefront , the company said on Thursday .
If you want to start the refund process now , Sony says to visit this site and sign into your PlayStation account to submit a request .
However , later on Thursday evening , Sony said it is “ aware some users are experiencing issues ” accessing the refund form .
If you ’ re seeing issues , you may want to try again later .
Cyberpunk 2077 has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few Verge staffers on their PS5s , and the game doesn ’ t come up in a search for “ Cyberpunk 2077 ” on the web version of the store .
Following older , online listing links to the game will show its store page , but with the option to wish list it only .
Players have found that Cyberpunk 2077 , which has only been out for a little more than one week , has been riddled with bugs .
And while game looks and performs well in backwards compatibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prone to routine crashes and a number of distracting visual glitches .
On PS4 , however , the game fares a lot worse — Eurogamer reported poor performance , low framerate , and texture pop-in .
Sony ’ s move comes just days after Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red said people unsatisfied with their purchase on the PS4 or Xbox One should request a refund .
Yet due to Sony ’ s stringent refund policy , many who bought digital versions of the game from the PlayStation Store were unable to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xbox One version of the game have reported better luck with Microsoft ’ s more generous refund policy . )
It ’ s unclear when Sony plans to return Cyberpunk 2077 to the PlayStation Store ; the company ’ s note says the game will be unavailable in its digital format “ until further notice.
” It ’ s also not clear if Microsoft plans to similarly yank the game from its digital storefront or offer full refunds .
Microsoft didn ’ t immediately reply to a request for comment .
CD Projekt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve Cyberpunk 2077 .
The company has already released one post-launch update , and in a December 13th statement , the studio said another update is “ coming within the next 7 days.
” More significant patches are planned for January and February .
“ Together these should fix the most prominent problems gamers are facing on last-gen consoles , ” the company said .
Update December 17th , 9:50PM ET : Added new information from Sony about issues with the refund form .

Sony is pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and offering full refunds for anyone who bought the game from the digital storefront, the company said on Thursday. If you want to start the refund process now, Sony says to visit this site and sign into your PlayStation account to submit a request.
However, later on Thursday evening, Sony said it is “aware some users are experiencing issues” accessing the refund form. If you’re seeing issues, you may want to try again later.
Cyberpunk 2077 has already been removed from the PlayStation Store for a few Verge staffers on their PS5s, and the game doesn’t come up in a search for “Cyberpunk 2077” on the web version of the store. Following older, online listing links to the game will show its store page, but with the option to wish list it only.
Players have found that Cyberpunk 2077, which has only been out for a little more than one week, has been riddled with bugs. And while game looks and performs well in backwards compatibility mode on the PS5, it is prone to routine crashes and a number of distracting visual glitches. On PS4, however, the game fares a lot worse — Eurogamer reported poor performance, low framerate, and texture pop-in.
Sony’s move comes just days after Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red said people unsatisfied with their purchase on the PS4 or Xbox One should request a refund. Yet due to Sony’s stringent refund policy, many who bought digital versions of the game from the PlayStation Store were unable to get refunds. (Players who bought the Xbox One version of the game have reported better luck with Microsoft’s more generous refund policy.)
CD Projekt Red posted a note to its investor website disclosing Sony’s decision, saying (PDF):
The decision [to disclose Sony’s decision] was undertaken following our discussion with SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] regarding a full refund for all gamers who had purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store and want a refund at this time. All copies of the game previously purchased digitally on PlayStation Store remain available for use by their respective buyers. Gamers can still buy physical versions of the game in retail and mail order stores. All copies, whether digital or physical, will continue to receive support and updates from the Company.
It’s unclear when Sony plans to return Cyberpunk 2077 to the PlayStation Store; the company’s note says the game will be unavailable in its digital format “until further notice.” It’s also not clear if Microsoft plans to similarly yank the game from its digital storefront or offer full refunds. Microsoft didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
All digital and physical copies of the game will continue to receive support and updates, and PlayStation owners can still buy physical copies of Cyberpunk 2077. “We are working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to the PlayStation Store as soon as possible,” says CD Projekt Red.
CD Projekt Red has also committed to releasing patches to improve Cyberpunk 2077. The company has already released one post-launch update, and in a December 13th statement, the studio said another update is “coming within the next 7 days.” More significant patches are planned for January and February. “Together these should fix the most prominent problems gamers are facing on last-gen consoles,” the company said.


theverge--2020-12-17--Baby Yoda can live on your desk thanks to AR and Google Search

Google has added Grogu ( formerly Baby Yoda ) to its augmented reality search results , so some quick typing can drop an AR version of the little guy straight into your bedroom or home office , no spaceship required .
Searching “ Grogu ” , “ The Child ” , “ The Mandalorian ” , or “ Baby Yoda ” on mobile or in the Google app will return the usual Knowledge Panel with a Wikipedia summary of the character .
But now you can click “ View in 3D ” to check out a model , and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baby Yoda fan Werner Herzog , “ View in your space ” to get up close and personal in AR .
Interactions are limited to zooming in and out , but he ’ s a really cute alien .
Maybe that ’ s enough for you .
Google last added 50 new animals to its AR search results , including hippos , zebras , and giraffes .
The company has grown its digital menagerie over time , but Grogu is by far the most exotic and far flung inclusion since dinosaurs .
Grogu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has feature Star Wars content prominently in its products .
The company partnered with Disney for The Mandalorian AR Experience app built to use Google ’ s ARCore , and before that , offered exclusive AR stickers on the Pixel 2 in its now-discontinued Playground feature .
You can can catch up with Grogu ’ s TV exploits with our handy Guide to The Mandalorian .
Or , if you ’ re like me , you can calmly wait for Google to add voice recognition so AR Grogu can react every time you @ @ @ @

Google has added Grogu (formerly Baby Yoda) to its augmented reality search results, so some quick typing can drop an AR version of the little guy straight into your bedroom or home office, no spaceship required.
Searching “Grogu”, “The Child”, “The Mandalorian”, or “Baby Yoda” in the Google app will return the usual Knowledge Panel with a Wikipedia summary of the character. But now you can click “View in 3D” to check out a model, and if you’re really feeling like noted Baby Yoda fan Werner Herzog, “View in your space” to get up close and personal in AR. Interactions are limited to zooming in and out, but he’s a really cute alien. Maybe that’s enough for you.
Conveniently, Grogu is only slightly bigger than my water bottle.
Google last added 50 new animals to its AR search results, including hippos, zebras, and giraffes. The company has grown its digital menagerie over time, but Grogu is by far the most exotic and far flung inclusion since dinosaurs. Grogu isn’t the first time Google has feature Star Wars content prominently in its products. The company partnered with Disney for The Mandalorian AR Experience app built to use Google’s ARCore, and before that, offered exclusive AR stickers on the Pixel 2 in its now-discontinued Playground feature.


theverge--2020-12-17--Hot Wheels is giving the real Tesla experience by delaying their model Cybertruck

If you ’ ve been waiting anxiously for your radio-controlled Cybertruck , you ’ re going to have to wait a little longer : Mattel has had to delay it until May 2021 , according to Bloomberg .
The RC cars , announced in February , were supposed to ship this month , but have been delayed because of “ unforseen production issues.
” Mattel appears to be experiencing “ manufacturing hell , ” though the company did not release details on the delay .
Just another way that the model imitates reality These toys are scaled-down versions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ models : an 1:64 scale model , which costs $ 20 , and an 1:10 scale model that costs $ 400 .
Both models went out of stock after pre-orders .
Tesla ’ s Cybertruck , unveiled in November 2019 , is a futuristic , electric spin on a pickup truck .
The angular , stainless steel truck has armored glass windows , though , embarrassingly , they shattered during a public test .
Still , CEO Elon Musk has said it ’ s the “ truck you want in the apocalypse.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hit the road in late 2021 , with the $ 39,900 rear-wheel drive version coming in 2022 .
The $ 400 toy version of the truck is supposed to be hobbyist grade and off-roadable .
And while it may not have the armored glass windows of the real thing , it does come with a sticker that makes its window look shattered , just like in the demo .
While any hardcore Tesla fans who reserved the car may be disappointed , this is just another way that the model imitates reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Model X shipped a year after was promised , the cheapest Model 3 went past its delivery timeframe , and the Roadster ’ s release was supposed to be this year — but wasn ’ t .
So in a sense , Hot Wheels is just trying to give you the experience of buying one of Tesla ’ s actual cars , just at a 1:100 scale cost .

If you’ve been waiting anxiously for your radio-controlled Cybertruck, you’re going to have to wait a little longer: Mattel has had to delay it until May 2021, according to Bloomberg.
The RC cars, announced in February, were supposed to ship this month, but have been delayed because of “unforseen production issues.” Mattel appears to be experiencing “manufacturing hell,” though the company did not release details on the delay.
Just another way that the model imitates reality
These toys are scaled-down versions of the real Cybertruck, and come in two models: an 1:64 scale model, which costs $20, and an 1:10 scale model that costs $400. Both models went out of stock after pre-orders.
Tesla’s Cybertruck, unveiled in November 2019, is a futuristic, electric spin on a pickup truck. The angular, stainless steel truck has armored glass windows, though, embarrassingly, they shattered during a public test. Still, CEO Elon Musk has said it’s the “truck you want in the apocalypse.” The $69,900 tri-motor Cybertruck is expected to hit the road in late 2021, with the $39,900 rear-wheel drive version coming in 2022.
The $400 toy version of the truck is supposed to be hobbyist grade and off-roadable. And while it may not have the armored glass windows of the real thing, it does come with a sticker that makes its window look shattered, just like in the demo.
While any hardcore Tesla fans who reserved the car may be disappointed, this is just another way that the model imitates reality. Tesla is infamous for its delays. The Model X shipped a year after was promised, the cheapest Model 3 went past its delivery timeframe, and the Roadster’s release was supposed to be this year — but wasn’t.


theverge--2020-12-17--Diablo Immortal plays like, well, Diablo on your phone

Diablo Immortal didn ’ t make a great first impression .
It was announced at Blizzcon in 2018 when most fans were expecting the next mainline Diablo title , not a free-to-play spinoff for smartphones .
Since then , Blizzard has been very quiet about Immortal ( though Diablo IV was eventually announced ) .
That ’ s starting to change .
Ahead of a technical alpha that ’ s set to kick off soon , I was able to play through the early stages of the game .
And while I can ’ t speak to every aspect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels like a proper Diablo game .
A mobile version of Diablo makes a lot of sense .
There are already countless clones and Diablo-inspired titles on smartphones , while the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III proved just how fun the series is to play on the go .
There ’ s just something about the hack and slash gameplay that makes it a great fit for a handheld experience .
It ’ s the kind of game that can suck you in for hours and yet , paradoxically , is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your full attention .
I spent part of my time previewing Immortal while I was also in a Zoom meeting .
( Don ’ t tell Nilay . )
Immortal takes place between the events of the last two Diablo games , and it ’ s surprisingly story-heavy for a mobile title .
There are brief cutscenes and lots of voice acting , though the actual narrative is typical Diablo fare : you ’ re dropped into a small village overrun with the undead and cultists , while Deckard Cain tells you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world-ending calamity — you know , regular Diablo stuff .
More important is how the game plays .
Immortal features entirely touch-based controls ( there ’ s no gamepad support right now ) and they work surprisingly well .
The left side of the screen is a virtual joystick so you can move around , while the right features all of your powers .
It works just like a regular Diablo title for the most part .
You have a main attack and will quickly unlock special abilities , each with their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abilities to use them , and some require you to actually aim .
The only big addition is a new class-specific “ ultimate ” ability , which is reminiscent of Overwatch ; it ’ s an incredibly powerful attack , but one that builds up slowly , forcing you to use it sparingly .
The early-game dungeons I played through were all relatively small , which made them great for mobile , as I could squeeze them in when I just had 20 minutes or so to play .
They were also relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself doing much exploration in search of loot or other secrets .
That said , I really enjoyed the boss fights and raids , which do a good job of increasing the scale with massive monsters and big waves of enemies .
Really , the fact that the game feels so familiar is arguably the best-case scenario .
Blizzard seems to have done an admirable job of transporting the spirit of its loot-heavy roleplaying game to a smartphone .
But there are also a few elements of the experience — ones that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I couldn ’ t test out in this preview .
For one thing , Immortal is billed as a massively multiplayer game , one where tens of thousands of players exist simultaneously on one server .
I saw a few players running around dungeons and graveyards while I played , but I couldn ’ t test out any of the actual social features .
Perhaps the biggest question mark , though , is how Blizzard will monetize the game .
The developer says all character classes and story content will be entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t something you can buy .
Instead , you have to collect it out in the world by defeating monsters or completing quests .
But there ’ s still plenty to buy , including stones that let you reforge an item , “ crests ” that add better rewards when you complete a randomized dungeon , and a battle pass that Blizzard says will refresh monthly .
There ’ s even a player-to-player marketplace — though the developer is quick to say it ’ s nothing like the infamous auction house from Diablo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details let ’ s be clear — this is not the Diablo III real-money auction house .
Player exchange has been a part of Diablo ’ s history , and we ’ ve learned many lessons–both good and bad–along the way .
In Diablo Immortal we want players to have the ability to participate in a fair , healthy , player-driven economy that doesn ’ t circumvent gameplay .
The market connects anonymous buyers and sellers , with no ability to cash-out .
There are limits to what can and can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a possible source of certain materials , supplementary items , and legendary gems , it is not a place to acquire gear .
It ’ s also a way for players who wish to remain free-to-play to exchange items they find for additional in-game currency , beyond what they ’ re able to earn through play .
Those are some important question marks , though it ’ s likely it ’ ll still be a while before we have a complete picture of what Diablo Immortal is .
Blizzard is opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Android users in Australia as part of this alpha , but there ’ s no word on when it will be available more broadly , as the game still doesn ’ t have a release date .

Diablo Immortal didn’t make a great first impression. It was announced at Blizzcon in 2018 when most fans were expecting the next mainline Diablo title, not a free-to-play spinoff for smartphones. Since then, Blizzard has been very quiet about Immortal (though Diablo IV was eventually announced).
That’s starting to change. Ahead of a technical alpha that’s set to kick off soon, I was able to play through the early stages of the game. And while I can’t speak to every aspect, one thing was immediately clear: this feels like a proper Diablo game.
A mobile version of Diablo makes a lot of sense. There are already countless clones and Diablo-inspired titles on smartphones, while the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III proved just how fun the series is to play on the go. There’s just something about the hack and slash gameplay that makes it a great fit for a handheld experience. It’s the kind of game that can suck you in for hours and yet, paradoxically, is also something that doesn’t always require your full attention. I spent part of my time previewing Immortal while I was also in a Zoom meeting. (Don’t tell Nilay.)
Immortal takes place between the events of the last two Diablo games, and it’s surprisingly story-heavy for a mobile title. There are brief cutscenes and lots of voice acting, though the actual narrative is typical Diablo fare: you’re dropped into a small village overrun with the undead and cultists, while Deckard Cain tells you to collect magical shards that can stop some world-ending calamity — you know, regular Diablo stuff.
More important is how the game plays. Immortal features entirely touch-based controls (there’s no gamepad support right now) and they work surprisingly well. The left side of the screen is a virtual joystick so you can move around, while the right features all of your powers. It works just like a regular Diablo title for the most part. You have a main attack and will quickly unlock special abilities, each with their own cooldowns. You just tap on the abilities to use them, and some require you to actually aim. The only big addition is a new class-specific “ultimate” ability, which is reminiscent of Overwatch; it’s an incredibly powerful attack, but one that builds up slowly, forcing you to use it sparingly.
The early-game dungeons I played through were all relatively small, which made them great for mobile, as I could squeeze them in when I just had 20 minutes or so to play. They were also relatively straightforward: I didn’t find myself doing much exploration in search of loot or other secrets. That said, I really enjoyed the boss fights and raids, which do a good job of increasing the scale with massive monsters and big waves of enemies.
Really, the fact that the game feels so familiar is arguably the best-case scenario. Blizzard seems to have done an admirable job of transporting the spirit of its loot-heavy roleplaying game to a smartphone. But there are also a few elements of the experience — ones that will likely be key to its longevity — that I couldn’t test out in this preview. For one thing, Immortal is billed as a massively multiplayer game, one where tens of thousands of players exist simultaneously on one server. I saw a few players running around dungeons and graveyards while I played, but I couldn’t test out any of the actual social features.
Perhaps the biggest question mark, though, is how Blizzard will monetize the game. The developer says all character classes and story content will be entirely free, and that gear isn’t something you can buy. Instead, you have to collect it out in the world by defeating monsters or completing quests.
But there’s still plenty to buy, including stones that let you reforge an item, “crests” that add better rewards when you complete a randomized dungeon, and a battle pass that Blizzard says will refresh monthly. There’s even a player-to-player marketplace — though the developer is quick to say it’s nothing like the infamous auction house from Diablo III.
Here’s how Blizzard explains it:
Before we get into the details let’s be clear — this is not the Diablo III real-money auction house. Player exchange has been a part of Diablo’s history, and we’ve learned many lessons–both good and bad–along the way. In Diablo Immortal we want players to have the ability to participate in a fair, healthy, player-driven economy that doesn’t circumvent gameplay. The market connects anonymous buyers and sellers, with no ability to cash-out. There are limits to what can and cannot be put on the market. While it will be a possible source of certain materials, supplementary items, and legendary gems, it is not a place to acquire gear. It’s also a way for players who wish to remain free-to-play to exchange items they find for additional in-game currency, beyond what they’re able to earn through play.


theverge--2020-12-17--Moderna vaccine gets sign-off from independent FDA committee

An independent committee of experts recommended that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older .
This is the second COVID-19 vaccine to go before the committee — the first , made by Pfizer and BioNTech , was authorized last week .
The agency is expected to issue an authorization for Moderna ’ s vaccine within a day or two .
“ This is a really opportune time for us to move science forward , ” said Hayley Gans , a committee member and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University Medical Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The evidence available for benefits of the vaccine outweighs any issues , she said .
“ That really supports us being able to , with the pandemic in the background , really move forward , and finally provide a safe and effective way to get to herd immunity.
” The FDA ’ s review of the vaccine ahead of the meeting confirmed that it ’ s safe and 94 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 , all but guaranteeing a vote of confidence .
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data , spent the day discussing the additional questions remaining around the vaccine and how Moderna should handle vaccinations in the placebo group of its clinical trial .
To test how well the vaccine works , during the clinical trial some people received a placebo , or an inactive shot instead of the vaccine .
Moderna said during its presentation that the company plans to offer active vaccines to people who got the placebo quickly .
Pfizer and BioNTech , on the other hand , plan to wait for participants in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine prioritization plans before telling them of their placebo status .
Moderna would vaccinate this group with doses set aside for the clinical trial , which the company argues means study participants aren ’ t cutting in line .
Telling the placebo group that they did , in fact , receive a placebo limits the ability to study the vaccine .
If people know they didn ’ t get a vaccine , their behavior might change , and once they actually get a vaccine , researchers will no longer have a control to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worries the VRBPAC , which would like to collect data for as long as possible .
The pharmaceutical companies , though , both said they think they have a responsibility to offer vaccines to the placebo group .
The committee also pointed to a handful of issues the clinical trials still haven ’ t addressed .
Moderna still doesn ’ t know , for example , if the vaccine can protect against asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 — stopping infection with the coronavirus entirely — or if it just prevents symptoms .
Early data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymptomatic infection .
Trial participants who didn ’ t have symptoms were tested for the coronavirus between their first and second dose .
People who took the vaccine were less likely to test positive than people in the placebo group .
More answers on that question are coming in January , Moderna said .
Moderna is still analyzing data collected after it submitted the vaccine for authorization .
There were 450 more cases of disease reported in the trial after that submission , and that will add to the understanding of the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine are distributed throughout the country , the pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies will track how well they work and how safe they are in the real world .
Already , regulators are finding effects that weren ’ t seen in clinical trials — a handful of allergic reactions and cases of anaphylaxis were reported in the US and United Kingdom in people vaccinated with the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine , for example .
The FDA is investigating the US incidents .

An independent committee of experts recommended that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older. This is the second COVID-19 vaccine to go before the committee — the first, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, was authorized last week. The agency is expected to issue an authorization for Moderna’s vaccine within a day or two.
“This is a really opportune time for us to move science forward,” said Hayley Gans, a committee member and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University Medical Center, during the committee’s deliberations. The evidence available for benefits of the vaccine outweighs any issues, she said. “That really supports us being able to, with the pandemic in the background, really move forward, and finally provide a safe and effective way to get to herd immunity.”
The FDA’s review of the vaccine ahead of the meeting confirmed that it’s safe and 94 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, all but guaranteeing a vote of confidence. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which met to discuss the data, spent the day discussing the additional questions remaining around the vaccine and how Moderna should handle vaccinations in the placebo group of its clinical trial.
To test how well the vaccine works, during the clinical trial some people received a placebo, or an inactive shot instead of the vaccine. Moderna said during its presentation that the company plans to offer active vaccines to people who got the placebo quickly. Pfizer and BioNTech, on the other hand, plan to wait for participants in the placebo group to become eligible under their vaccine prioritization plans before telling them of their placebo status. Moderna would vaccinate this group with doses set aside for the clinical trial, which the company argues means study participants aren’t cutting in line.
Telling the placebo group that they did, in fact, receive a placebo limits the ability to study the vaccine. If people know they didn’t get a vaccine, their behavior might change, and once they actually get a vaccine, researchers will no longer have a control to compare with the vaccinated group. That worries the VRBPAC, which would like to collect data for as long as possible. The pharmaceutical companies, though, both said they think they have a responsibility to offer vaccines to the placebo group.
The committee also pointed to a handful of issues the clinical trials still haven’t addressed. Moderna still doesn’t know, for example, if the vaccine can protect against asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 — stopping infection with the coronavirus entirely — or if it just prevents symptoms. Early data from Moderna hints that it could block asymptomatic infection. Trial participants who didn’t have symptoms were tested for the coronavirus between their first and second dose. People who took the vaccine were less likely to test positive than people in the placebo group. More answers on that question are coming in January, Moderna said.
Moderna is still analyzing data collected after it submitted the vaccine for authorization. There were 450 more cases of disease reported in the trial after that submission, and that will add to the understanding of the vaccine’s efficacy.


theverge--2020-12-17--Twitter is now testing its Clubhouse-like voice chat rooms

Twitter has begun testing its Spaces feature , the voice-based chat rooms it first announced last month .
In the thread announcing the test , the company said a very small group of users would be given the ability to create Spaces , but that in theory anyone could join them — though who would be allowed into any given space depends on the user who created it .
Twitter outlined last month how the first people to be given access to Spaces would be women and people from other marginalized communities , groups who are more likely than others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when trying to engage in conversations in regular , comment-based discussions on the platform .
Moderation seems to be a big focus of Spaces .
Creators can control who can or can not speak in the Space , and there are reporting and blocking features included in the first version .
Other features that are being tested include emoji reactions , being able to share tweets in a Space , and a “ very early version ” of live voice transcription .
At the moment , it seems like joining a Space only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to join from the web just takes you to a “ page not found ” error .
Strangely enough , joining one requires having Periscope integration enabled .
That ’ s the live-streaming service that Twitter just announced it was shutting down , so it remains to be seen how Twitter plans to handle the technical backend of its voice chats once Periscope does disappear .

Twitter has begun testing its Spaces feature, the voice-based chat rooms it first announced last month. In the thread announcing the test, the company said a very small group of users would be given the ability to create Spaces, but that in theory anyone could join them — though who would be allowed into any given space depends on the user who created it.
Twitter outlined last month how the first people to be given access to Spaces would be women and people from other marginalized communities, groups who are more likely than others to be subjected to abuse and harassment when trying to engage in conversations in regular, comment-based discussions on the platform.
Moderation seems to be a big focus of Spaces. Creators can control who can or cannot speak in the Space, and there are reporting and blocking features included in the first version.
The Spaces interface for a listener.
Other features that are being tested include emoji reactions, being able to share tweets in a Space, and a “very early version” of live voice transcription.
Users in a space can react with certain emojis, which will show over their profile picture.


theverge--2020-12-17--Go read this LA Times report about how toxic jet fumes can seep into the air on planes

A stunning new report from the Los Angeles Times details how toxic jet engine fumes can leak into airplanes ’ air supplies , sickening passengers and crew — and the airline industry has known this was a problem for several decades .
The Times reports that one pilot told colleagues the situation was “ the tobacco and asbestos of aviation.
” “ Fume events ” occur when heated jet engine oil leaks into the air supply , causing toxic gases inside the plane .
Airlines and airplane makers are aware that fume events have potentially serious problems .
People can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fumes , according to the Times report , but they haven ’ t taken measures to prevent the problem even though the technology exists .
Airlines have been asking Boeing to install air sensors for years .
But the company decided against developing the technology .
Senior Boeing engineers worried that data from sensors would prove damaging in lawsuits by sick passengers and crew members , according to internal emails and sworn depositions obtained by The Times .
An internal Boeing memo described it as a “ risk ” to give air sensors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deposition of a Boeing executive .
The fumes tend to smell like dirty socks or a gym locker , according to people who have experienced it .
And while not everyone gets sick , the fumes can give people flu-like symptoms , including vomiting and chills , and they have been linked in some cases to more serious neurological problems .
Airlines aren ’ t required to report fume events , the article notes , and the Federal Aviation Administration “ has no plans ” to require air filters or air sensors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t flying due to the pandemic and may be feeling a bit wistful about eventually being able to travel again .
But before you book those tickets , go read Kiera Feldman ’ s incredible investigation into jet fuel fumes aboard airplanes .

Airlines have been asking Boeing to install air sensors for years. But the company decided against developing the technology. Senior Boeing engineers worried that data from sensors would prove damaging in lawsuits by sick passengers and crew members, according to internal emails and sworn depositions obtained by The Times.
An internal Boeing memo described it as a “risk” to give air sensors to even one airline, according to a deposition of a Boeing executive.


theverge--2020-12-17--Google to shut down Android Things, a smart home OS that never took off

Google plans to shut down Android Things , a stripped-down version of Android designed for smart home devices .
The OS never really got off the ground , so this isn ’ t all that much of a loss , but it is yet another entry in Google ’ s expansive graveyard of shut-down projects .
The smart home project got its start in 2015 under the name Brillo , which was meant to provide the “ underlying operating system for the internet of things.
” In 2016 , Google revamped Brillo and relaunched the initiative as Android Things , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products like connected speakers , security cameras , and routers .
By relying on Android , the OS was supposed to be familiar to developers and easy to get started with .
The system will shut down in January 2022 Then nothing happened .
In 2018 , some initial smart speakers and smart displays came out using the underlying OS .
It seems no other companies were interested , because in February 2019 , Google announced it was “ refocusing ” Android Things to cater specifically to smart speakers and smart displays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Things is now on track to be shut down .
The Android Things Console , which lets developers push updates to their devices , will stop accepting new non-commercial projects starting January 5th , 2021 .
A year later , on January 5th , 2022 , “ the console will be turned down completely and all project data will be permanently deleted.
” That essentially means developers have a year to wind down any Android Things projects they already have set up .
It ’ s an inglorious ending for a project that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dent in the landscape , particularly as smart home devices began to boom in popularity .
In case you ’ re interested , here ’ s the story of Android Things , told across all four headlines it made on The Verge :

Google plans to shut down Android Things, a stripped-down version of Android designed for smart home devices. The OS never really got off the ground, so this isn’t all that much of a loss, but it is yet another entry in Google’s expansive graveyard of shut-down projects.
The smart home project got its start in 2015 under the name Brillo, which was meant to provide the “underlying operating system for the internet of things.” In 2016, Google revamped Brillo and relaunched the initiative as Android Things, which was likewise meant to run on products like connected speakers, security cameras, and routers. By relying on Android, the OS was supposed to be familiar to developers and easy to get started with.
The system will shut down in January 2022
Then nothing happened. In 2018, some initial smart speakers and smart displays came out using the underlying OS. It seems no other companies were interested, because in February 2019, Google announced it was “refocusing” Android Things to cater specifically to smart speakers and smart displays.
Nearly two years later, and Android Things is now on track to be shut down. The Android Things Console, which lets developers push updates to their devices, will stop accepting new non-commercial projects starting January 5th, 2021. A year later, on January 5th, 2022, “the console will be turned down completely and all project data will be permanently deleted.” That essentially means developers have a year to wind down any Android Things projects they already have set up.
It’s an inglorious ending for a project that, over five years, barely made a dent in the landscape, particularly as smart home devices began to boom in popularity.


theverge--2020-12-17--COVID-19 vaccine monitoring program limited to English speakers

A text message program designed to track side effects in COVID-19 vaccine recipients is currently only available in English , which could limit the data it is able to collect .
The program , called v-safe , is one way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will follow up with people who take the vaccine .
It was rolled out with the first wave of vaccinations last week .
“ When you ’ re talking about technology , literacy and language are usually second tier , ” says Jorge Rodriguez , a health technology equity researcher at Brigham and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Version one is English-speaking , and the Spanish version will come later , the Mandarin version will come later.
” The CDC plans to roll out a Spanish version of v-safe “ fairly shortly , ” Tom Shimabukuro , a member of the Vaccine Safety Team on the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force , told The Verge .
The agency also plans to offer v-safe in simplified Chinese , Korean , and Vietnamese , but Shimabukuro did not have a timeline for when that might be available .
“ They ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from English to these other languages , ” he says .
The agency ’ s information toolkit around the COVID-19 vaccines , which includes fact sheets for the health care workers who are part of the first wave of vaccinations , is also still only available in English .
Translations of the kit into other languages are in progress — Spanish first , and then other languages , the CDC says .
The lag is a concern for the approximately 25 million people in the United States who speak limited English .
Information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with low literacy and broadly translated , said David Curry , executive director of the New York University and Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia-affiliated Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy .
“ We energetically urge and are confident that CDC will extend a special effort to enhance these materials , ” he said in a public comment made during the CDC ’ s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting , held on December 12th .
Until those translations are complete , the agency ’ s vaccination information and the v-safe program may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even after translation , people who speak languages other than those that v-safe plans to include may not be able to participate .
The portion of vaccine recipients not covered by these languages might not be enormous , but it overlaps with groups that tend to already be underserved by the health care system .
Non-English speakers tend to have worse health outcomes overall , and they ’ ve had worse outcomes from COVID-19 as well .
“ Given the disparities that we ’ ve seen in terms of outcomes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s even more critical to really get the information out in various languages , ” Rodriguez says .
Non-English speakers tend to have worse health outcomes overall Pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies made a notable effort to enroll diverse populations in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials .
Dropping some of that focus during vaccine follow-ups like v-safe could stall that work .
“ You do wonder how much you will lose on the progress made in those trials by having this be one of your primary ways to collect data on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rodriguez says .
V-safe is only one of a number of ways the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) will monitor the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines .
Other systems include the two-decade-old Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ( VAERS ) , where doctors and individuals can report any reactions that they think could be linked to a vaccine .
It ’ s a spontaneous surveillance system — the federal agencies depend on people sending in reports , Shimabukuro says .
V-safe , in contrast , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the way the CDC is reaching out to people and asking them about their experience with a vaccine .
It ’ ll capture a different set of information than VAERS , including information from people who had no or minimal side effects .
By starting with English , and only including a handful of other languages later on , that data could be limited , Rodriguez says .
“ You ’ re setting yourself up for disparities in vaccination tracking , ” he says .
The CDC ’ s information page on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is a good start , Rodriguez says .
Translating the page only changes the text on the page , not the information in the images of the app in action .
“ It ’ s going to exclude a good chunk of the population , and that ’ s the same underserved group that may have low literacy , which is often essential workers , who may have had worse health outcomes during the pandemic , ” Rodriguez says .
That ’ s why it ’ s important to have multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m a big fan of technology , ” he says .
“ But we have to acknowledge its limitations and capture some of this information in other ways to make sure the sample you ’ re getting is really representative of the population .
”

A text message program designed to track side effects in COVID-19 vaccine recipients is currently only available in English, which could limit the data it is able to collect.
The program, called v-safe, is one way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will follow up with people who take the vaccine. It was rolled out with the first wave of vaccinations last week.
“When you’re talking about technology, literacy and language are usually second tier,” says Jorge Rodriguez, a health technology equity researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Version one is English-speaking, and the Spanish version will come later, the Mandarin version will come later.”
The CDC plans to roll out a Spanish version of v-safe “fairly shortly,” Tom Shimabukuro, a member of the Vaccine Safety Team on the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told The Verge. The agency also plans to offer v-safe in simplified Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, but Shimabukuro did not have a timeline for when that might be available. “They’re all in the process of undergoing a translation from English to these other languages,” he says.
The CDC’s v-safe program is currently only available in English. Image: CDC
The agency’s information toolkit around the COVID-19 vaccines, which includes fact sheets for the health care workers who are part of the first wave of vaccinations, is also still only available in English. Translations of the kit into other languages are in progress — Spanish first, and then other languages, the CDC says. The lag is a concern for the approximately 25 million people in the United States who speak limited English. Information about vaccines must be available for people with low literacy and broadly translated, said David Curry, executive director of the New York University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia-affiliated Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy.
“We energetically urge and are confident that CDC will extend a special effort to enhance these materials,” he said in a public comment made during the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting, held on December 12th.
Until those translations are complete, the agency’s vaccination information and the v-safe program may not be easily accessible for non-English speakers. Even after translation, people who speak languages other than those that v-safe plans to include may not be able to participate.
The portion of vaccine recipients not covered by these languages might not be enormous, but it overlaps with groups that tend to already be underserved by the health care system. Non-English speakers tend to have worse health outcomes overall, and they’ve had worse outcomes from COVID-19 as well. “Given the disparities that we’ve seen in terms of outcomes in the pandemic, for this specific vaccination campaign, it’s even more critical to really get the information out in various languages,” Rodriguez says.
Non-English speakers tend to have worse health outcomes overall
Pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies made a notable effort to enroll diverse populations in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Dropping some of that focus during vaccine follow-ups like v-safe could stall that work. “You do wonder how much you will lose on the progress made in those trials by having this be one of your primary ways to collect data on symptoms and follow up after the vaccine,” Rodriguez says.
V-safe is only one of a number of ways the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will monitor the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Other systems include the two-decade-old Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), where doctors and individuals can report any reactions that they think could be linked to a vaccine. It’s a spontaneous surveillance system — the federal agencies depend on people sending in reports, Shimabukuro says.
V-safe, in contrast, is the agency’s active surveillance program and the way the CDC is reaching out to people and asking them about their experience with a vaccine. It’ll capture a different set of information than VAERS, including information from people who had no or minimal side effects. By starting with English, and only including a handful of other languages later on, that data could be limited, Rodriguez says. “You’re setting yourself up for disparities in vaccination tracking,” he says.
The CDC’s information page on v-safe is already available in multiple languages, which is a good start, Rodriguez says. Translating the page only changes the text on the page, not the information in the images of the app in action. “It’s going to exclude a good chunk of the population, and that’s the same underserved group that may have low literacy, which is often essential workers, who may have had worse health outcomes during the pandemic,” Rodriguez says.


theverge--2020-12-18--Apple explains how the AirPods Max conserve battery life — with or without the case

After some initial confusion around how the AirPods Max handle power management , Apple has tried to clarify the issue with an updated support page outlining how and when its new $ 550 headphones automatically conserve battery life .
Originally , the company said that “ when stored in their soft , slim smart case , AirPods Max enter an ultra‑low‑power state that preserves charge.
” But there was uncertainty about what happens when they ’ re left outside the case .
In my review , I found that the headphones lost only a few battery percentage points when left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to a worrying level of drain .
But not everyone had that experience ; Marques Brownlee observed a greater amount of battery loss when the AirPods Max were idle .
According to Apple , the AirPods Max enter a “ low power mode ” when removed from your head and left stationary for five minutes outside of the case .
If they ’ re left in that state for 72 hours , they go into a lower power mode that switches off Bluetooth and features like Apple ’ s Find My location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like when they actually turn “ off.
” But somewhat surprisingly , the smart case doesn ’ t immediately trigger this deeper sleep mode as quickly as I would ’ ve thought .
Inserting the AirPods Max into the case puts them into that lighter low power mode right away .
But it takes 18 hours of the headphones being in the smart case for them to enter the ultra-low power mode .
When the case is factored in , Apple never mentions that the headphones have to be “ stationary ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it takes almost an entire 24 hours for the AirPods Max to hit that point where they maximize battery — even in the case — is a bit surprising to me .
Clearly , the company is prioritizing quick device reconnections and convenience over eking every last bit of battery out of the AirPods Max .
One big question is what happens if the headphones are left worn around your neck when removed ; since they ’ re not stationary in that scenario , my guess is that they remain fully active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table or stand .
It ’ s possible that Apple could adjust these default behaviors through firmware updates , but for now , this is how the AirPods Max work .
Even if I ’ ve seen minimal battery drain , and just as I say in our video review , I still wish they had a power button .
For simplicity ’ s sake .

After some initial confusion around how the AirPods Max handle power management, Apple has tried to clarify the issue with an updated support page outlining how and when its new $550 headphones automatically conserve battery life.
Originally, the company said that “when stored in their soft, slim smart case, AirPods Max enter an ultra‑low‑power state that preserves charge.” But there was uncertainty about what happens when they’re left outside the case. In my review, I found that the headphones lost only a few battery percentage points when left out overnight with no case — nothing close to a worrying level of drain. But not everyone had that experience; Marques Brownlee observed a greater amount of battery loss when the AirPods Max were idle.
According to Apple, the AirPods Max enter a “low power mode” when removed from your head and left stationary for five minutes outside of the case. If they’re left in that state for 72 hours, they go into a lower power mode that switches off Bluetooth and features like Apple’s Find My location tracking. This, essentially, sounds like when they actually turn “off.”
But somewhat surprisingly, the smart case doesn’t immediately trigger this deeper sleep mode as quickly as I would’ve thought. Inserting the AirPods Max into the case puts them into that lighter low power mode right away. But it takes 18 hours of the headphones being in the smart case for them to enter the ultra-low power mode. When the case is factored in, Apple never mentions that the headphones have to be “stationary” to enter these modes. But the fact that it takes almost an entire 24 hours for the AirPods Max to hit that point where they maximize battery — even in the case — is a bit surprising to me.
Clearly, the company is prioritizing quick device reconnections and convenience over eking every last bit of battery out of the AirPods Max. One big question is what happens if the headphones are left worn around your neck when removed; since they’re not stationary in that scenario, my guess is that they remain fully active until taken off and put on a table or stand. It’s possible that Apple could adjust these default behaviors through firmware updates, but for now, this is how the AirPods Max work.


theverge--2020-12-18--NASA will fly Orion deep-space crew capsule ‘as is,’ despite failed component

NASA is opting to fly its future deep-space crew capsule Orion “ as is ” next year , after the agency discovered that one of the spacecraft ’ s power instruments had suffered a failure .
Engineers had been mulling over whether to replace the instrument before the vehicle ’ s flight but ultimately decided that there was enough redundancy in the system to withstand the failed component .
“ NASA has confidence in the health of the overall power and data system , which has been through thousands of hours of powered operations and testing , ” the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision .
“ Engineers will perform additional testing and continue to monitor the health of the spacecraft while Orion is powered on to provide continued confidence in the system.
” “ NASA has confidence in the health of the overall power and data system.
” In November , engineers at NASA and Lockheed Martin , Orion ’ s primary contractor , found that part of an instrument known as a power and data unit , or PDU , had failed .
One of eight PDUs on Orion , the instrument is needed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in flight .
It ’ s also in a fairly hard-to-reach place .
This PDU is located in the adapter that connects the Orion capsule with its service module , a cylindrical trunk that supports the vehicle during flight .
Replacing the PDU wouldn ’ t exactly be a quick fix .
Engineers were looking at options that would have taken four to 12 months to complete .
The fixes would have involved either taking apart the vehicle or tunneling through the outer walls to reach the PDU , and the extra time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orion ’ s target launch date in November 2021 .
Instead , NASA has chosen not to replace the PDU .
The instrument can still function ; it just lost one of its power channels used for redundancy .
That means this PDU will fly without a backup system in case its primary channel fails .
Replacing the PDU wouldn ’ t exactly be a quick fix NASA claims that fixing the PDU presented more risk than flying with the PDU .
“ [ Engineers ] determined that due to the limited accessibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intrusiveness to the overall spacecraft systems , and other factors , the risk of collateral damage outweighed the risk associated with the loss of one leg of redundancy in a highly redundant system , ” the agency wrote in its blog post .
“ Therefore , NASA has made the decision to proceed with vehicle processing.
” No people will be on board this Orion spacecraft when it flies .
The vehicle is slated to fly uncrewed on top of NASA ’ s future massive rocket , the Space Launch System , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergoing testing ahead of that flight , and it ’ s unclear if it will be ready by November 2021 .

NASA is opting to fly its future deep-space crew capsule Orion “as is” next year, after the agency discovered that one of the spacecraft’s power instruments had suffered a failure. Engineers had been mulling over whether to replace the instrument before the vehicle’s flight but ultimately decided that there was enough redundancy in the system to withstand the failed component.
“NASA has confidence in the health of the overall power and data system, which has been through thousands of hours of powered operations and testing,” the agency wrote in a blog post announcing the decision. “Engineers will perform additional testing and continue to monitor the health of the spacecraft while Orion is powered on to provide continued confidence in the system.”
“NASA has confidence in the health of the overall power and data system.”
In November, engineers at NASA and Lockheed Martin, Orion’s primary contractor, found that part of an instrument known as a power and data unit, or PDU, had failed. One of eight PDUs on Orion, the instrument is needed for activating various functions while the capsule is in flight. It’s also in a fairly hard-to-reach place. This PDU is located in the adapter that connects the Orion capsule with its service module, a cylindrical trunk that supports the vehicle during flight.
Replacing the PDU wouldn’t exactly be a quick fix. Engineers were looking at options that would have taken four to 12 months to complete. The fixes would have involved either taking apart the vehicle or tunneling through the outer walls to reach the PDU, and the extra time could have potentially caused a delay for Orion’s target launch date in November 2021. Instead, NASA has chosen not to replace the PDU. The instrument can still function; it just lost one of its power channels used for redundancy. That means this PDU will fly without a backup system in case its primary channel fails.
Replacing the PDU wouldn’t exactly be a quick fix
NASA claims that fixing the PDU presented more risk than flying with the PDU. “[Engineers] determined that due to the limited accessibility to this particular box, the degree of intrusiveness to the overall spacecraft systems, and other factors, the risk of collateral damage outweighed the risk associated with the loss of one leg of redundancy in a highly redundant system,” the agency wrote in its blog post. “Therefore, NASA has made the decision to proceed with vehicle processing.”