theverge--2020-10-14--Forget 5G: MagSafe could be the biggest reason to buy an iPhone 12

By now , you ’ ve probably read my colleague Nick Statt ’ s piece about how the iPhone 12 ’ s MagSafe magnetically-attached wireless charging cable opens up a future where iPhones won ’ t need ports at all .
That sounds futuristic !
Now , let ’ s talk about something a little more practical ... something legions of people already do with their phones .
We stick them in cases — thousands upon thousands of different cases every year — to protect them from damage , attach them to car docks , add fancy lenses and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mood .
We glue on flashy finger ring holders and PopSockets , slap on stickers , anything to make them look and feel different from the same damn iPhone our friends , family , neighbors and strangers are toting around .
Recently , Apple let iPhone owners reimagine their entire iOS 14 homescreen with custom widgets and app icons , and teens have been going to extreme lengths to re-skin their entire phone with Animal Crossing , Harry Potter , Star Wars , Marvel , Twilight and other themes .
Despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a lot of friction keeping most of us from doing the same .
But with MagSafe , Apple is literally taking the friction out of accessorizing your iPhone .
Magnets make it a snap .
Immediately , you can see how much easier it ’ d be to swap cases each morning , or perhaps before you go out for the evening ( once society starts doing that kind of thing again ) .
Today ’ s cases effectively have claws that grasp the edges of your phone — but with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to painstakingly pry those away from your phone ’ s corners , or press down hard on your pricey camera module just to get enough leverage to pop it off .
Just as importantly , these MagSafe cases are stackable with a MagSafe charger and other compatible accessories .
You can attach more than one at a time .
Ever had to remove or return a case because your wireless charger couldn ’ t reliably beam its power through ?
Ever had to stick a steel plate into or onto your case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your car dock ?
Ever owned a special case you had to pop on every time you wanted to add an additional lens , or a kickstand , or carry credit cards , or secure your phone to your bike , or one thin enough to slot into the controller for your drone ?
Were those special cases disgustingly ugly and devoid of personality ?
I bet some of them were .
Theoretically , MagSafe means your phone ’ s case , charging capabilities and attachment points no longer need to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to transmit wireless power , and you can easily pop off any accessories ( like your credit card wallet or lens mount ) that might get in the way .
Want to swap out your PopSocket or phone ring ?
No need to wear out the adhesive ; magnets could let you swap them out multiple times a day .
Heck , tomorrow ’ s magnetic car docks might not need you to purchase a case at all — they could magnetically grab onto the back of your phone .
Add-on steel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of buying a big , beefy phone-grabbing wireless charging dock like the one I use today , you could imagine a simple holster for Apple ’ s existing MagSafe cable .
And why limit our imagination to the kinds of accessories that already attach to a case ?
Take DJI ’ s Osmo Mobile 4 motorized smartphone stabilizer , which features detachable magnetic mounts so you can quickly pop off your phone in a pinch .
But you ’ ve still got to attach the Osmo ’ s claw mount to your phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you ’ re done .
What if it directly magnetically attached to your new iPhone itself ?
Today ’ s drone controllers similarly use clamping frames to keep your phone securely attached .
What if they had a flip-out MagSafe attachment plate instead ?
And what if instead of buying an extended battery case for your iPhone , you could quickly attach a magnetic battery back ?
Lenovo and Motorola failed to make modular phones stick , but their Moto Mods modular component ideas were always pretty neat — I stuck with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit .
You lose some efficiency with wireless charging compared to direct copper contacts , but perhaps some accessory manufacturer will try again .
Of course , a lot of these ideas depend on the strength of Apple ’ s magnets .
PopSockets and ring holders won ’ t work particularly well if it ’ s too easy to pop them off the phone , and if a magnetic car mount can ’ t hold an iPhone 12 while driving down a bumpy road , the claws will still win out .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a benevolent overlord or rule the MagSafe ecosystem with an iron fist , and we don ’ t know the answer to that yet .
Magnets themselves aren ’ t proprietary , so theoretically case and mount makers could easily take advantage , and the Qi wireless charging standard also isn ’ t under Apple ’ s control .
Still , Apple ’ s marketing videos have already shown us that the iPhone can detect and react to “ official ” accessories as well — and , in the case of MagSafe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified charging pads .
After years of making money off its MFi ( Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad ) licensing and certification program , it ’ s hard to imagine Apple giving up that revenue so easily .
Either way , this could be a lucrative new reboot for Apple ’ s accessories ecosystem , as there will be less friction to accessorize than ever before .
Combined with the ease of charging your iPhone at bedtime — where sleepy hands might misalign the coils and today ’ s pads don ’ t work well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MagSafe could be the single best new reason to buy an iPhone this year .
Cameras keep getting better , processors keep getting faster , and 5G will inevitably make its way to every phone , whether Android or Apple .
But no Android manufacturer has an accessory system like the iPhone 12 just teased .

By now, you’ve probably read my colleague Nick Statt’s piece about how the iPhone 12’s MagSafe magnetically-attached wireless charging cable opens up a future where iPhones won’t need ports at all.
That sounds futuristic! Now, let’s talk about something a little more practical... something legions of people already do with their phones.
We stick them in cases — thousands upon thousands of different cases every year — to protect them from damage, attach them to car docks, add fancy lenses and, most of all, reflect our personality and mood. We glue on flashy finger ring holders and PopSockets, slap on stickers, anything to make them look and feel different from the same damn iPhone our friends, family, neighbors and strangers are toting around.
The most personal computer
Recently, Apple let iPhone owners reimagine their entire iOS 14 homescreen with custom widgets and app icons, and teens have been going to extreme lengths to re-skin their entire phone with Animal Crossing, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel, Twilight and other themes. Despite the rise of apps like Widgetsmith, there’s a lot of friction keeping most of us from doing the same.
But with MagSafe, Apple is literally taking the friction out of accessorizing your iPhone. Magnets make it a snap.
Apple’s MagSafe cases and accessories snap right into place with magnets. Image: Apple
Immediately, you can see how much easier it’d be to swap cases each morning, or perhaps before you go out for the evening (once society starts doing that kind of thing again). Today’s cases effectively have claws that grasp the edges of your phone — but with magnets, there’d be less need to painstakingly pry those away from your phone’s corners, or press down hard on your pricey camera module just to get enough leverage to pop it off.
Just as importantly, these MagSafe cases are stackable with a MagSafe charger and other compatible accessories. You can attach more than one at a time.
Your credit cards are shielded from the magnets, according to Apple. Image: Apple
Ever had to remove or return a case because your wireless charger couldn’t reliably beam its power through? Ever had to stick a steel plate into or onto your case to get it to magnetically attach to your car dock? Ever owned a special case you had to pop on every time you wanted to add an additional lens, or a kickstand, or carry credit cards, or secure your phone to your bike, or one thin enough to slot into the controller for your drone?
Were those special cases disgustingly ugly and devoid of personality? I bet some of them were.
Theoretically, MagSafe means your phone’s case, charging capabilities and attachment points no longer need to be a package deal. Every case can be designed to transmit wireless power, and you can easily pop off any accessories (like your credit card wallet or lens mount) that might get in the way. Want to swap out your PopSocket or phone ring? No need to wear out the adhesive; magnets could let you swap them out multiple times a day.
Heck, tomorrow’s magnetic car docks might not need you to purchase a case at all — they could magnetically grab onto the back of your phone. Add-on steel plates might go away. And instead of buying a big, beefy phone-grabbing wireless charging dock like the one I use today, you could imagine a simple holster for Apple’s existing MagSafe cable.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 4 and a Moment case and lens. Image: DJI
And why limit our imagination to the kinds of accessories that already attach to a case? Take DJI’s Osmo Mobile 4 motorized smartphone stabilizer, which features detachable magnetic mounts so you can quickly pop off your phone in a pinch. But you’ve still got to attach the Osmo’s claw mount to your phone to begin with, and remove it when you’re done. What if it directly magnetically attached to your new iPhone itself?
Today’s drone controllers similarly use clamping frames to keep your phone securely attached. What if they had a flip-out MagSafe attachment plate instead?
The return of modular accessories?
And what if instead of buying an extended battery case for your iPhone, you could quickly attach a magnetic battery back? Lenovo and Motorola failed to make modular phones stick, but their Moto Mods modular component ideas were always pretty neat — I stuck with a Moto Z2 Play for quite a bit. You lose some efficiency with wireless charging compared to direct copper contacts, but perhaps some accessory manufacturer will try again.
Of course, a lot of these ideas depend on the strength of Apple’s magnets. PopSockets and ring holders won’t work particularly well if it’s too easy to pop them off the phone, and if a magnetic car mount can’t hold an iPhone 12 while driving down a bumpy road, the claws will still win out.
Otterbox tried building swappable PopSockets into a case — a halfway step. Image: Otterbox
It also may depend on whether Apple will be a benevolent overlord or rule the MagSafe ecosystem with an iron fist, and we don’t know the answer to that yet. Magnets themselves aren’t proprietary, so theoretically case and mount makers could easily take advantage, and the Qi wireless charging standard also isn’t under Apple’s control.
Still, Apple’s marketing videos have already shown us that the iPhone can detect and react to “official” accessories as well — and, in the case of MagSafe, only offer full charging speed with certified charging pads. After years of making money off its MFi (Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad) licensing and certification program, it’s hard to imagine Apple giving up that revenue so easily.
Either way, this could be a lucrative new reboot for Apple’s accessories ecosystem, as there will be less friction to accessorize than ever before. Combined with the ease of charging your iPhone at bedtime — where sleepy hands might misalign the coils and today’s pads don’t work well in bed — and I feel like MagSafe could be the single best new reason to buy an iPhone this year.


theverge--2020-10-14--Sony’s A8G 65-inch OLED TV is just $1,500 right now

We ’ re in the final day of Prime Day 2020 , and there are some stellar Lightning Deals happening .
One that ’ s happening right now is on Sony ’ s 65-inch A8G OLED 4K television .
Normally $ 1,998 , it ’ s down to $ 1,500 for a limited time .
This deal is set to last until 5PM ET today , but I have my doubts it will remain in stock for that long .
$ 1,500 is a good price for a 55-inch OLED TV , so getting a bigger size for that amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of specs , the A8G is solid .
It can be mounted to a wall , and has it Android TV with Cast built-in .
In terms of ports , it has four HDMI ports with ARC and CEC support to let the TV work better with your other entertainment devices .
Two of those ports support HDMI 2.0 .
In general , an OLED TV will provide far better image quality than LCD or traditional LED panels .
Colors will be more true to life , and the blacks will be as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excellent contrast .
The A8G has broad HDR support , with HDR10 , Dolby Vision and HLG .
Rtings.com , an in-depth review publication , says this TV has a native 120Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution and below .
Of course , if you want to go bigger than a 65-inch TV while actually saving some money in the process , you can do that with Best Buy ’ s early Black Friday deals on TVs , which conclude later tonight .
Samsung ’ s big 70-inch 4K TV costs just $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you want a Sony OLED TV , but $ 1,500 isn ’ t in your budget , the 55-inch A8H is $ 1,300 at Best Buy .
At the high-end , LG ’ s 65-inch GX OLED 4K TV is $ 2,600 at Best Buy , costing $ 200 less than usual .

We’re in the final day of Prime Day 2020, and there are some stellar Lightning Deals happening. One that’s happening right now is on Sony’s 65-inch A8G OLED 4K television. Normally $1,998, it’s down to $1,500 for a limited time. This deal is set to last until 5PM ET today, but I have my doubts it will remain in stock for that long.
$1,500 is a good price for a 55-inch OLED TV, so getting a bigger size for that amount is a steal. And in terms of specs, the A8G is solid. It can be mounted to a wall, and has it Android TV with Cast built-in. In terms of ports, it has four HDMI ports with ARC and CEC support to let the TV work better with your other entertainment devices. Two of those ports support HDMI 2.0.
Sony 65-inch A8G OLED 4K TV $ 1500 $ 1998 25 % off $ 1500 $ 1500 $ 1998 25 % off Sony’s A8G OLED TVs might be two years old but these are still a great OLED option that is not as expensive compared to other options. It features a X1 Extreme Professor and a 120Hz refresh rate along with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. $1500 at Amazon


theverge--2020-10-14--The company formerly known as WeWork will be known as WeWork again

The We Company , which was once known as WeWork , will change its branding back to WeWork , Reuters reports .
It is part of a larger reckoning , as the company recognizes it is in the real estate business , and somehow , nebulously , “ tech.
” “ We want to be strategic .
We want to be innovative .
We want to be impactful .
We want to be WeWork , ” wrote the new CEO of the once and future WeWork , Sandeep Mathrani , in the memo Reuters obtained .
Unless the last thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amnesiac , you may recall that The We Company filed documents to go public in 2019 , and got laughed at so hard its founder and CEO Adam Neumann had to quit .
Also , the IPO was canceled .
But before all that , in January 2019 , the company was known as WeWork , and it occupied the most real office estate of any private company in Manhattan .
In January 2019 , WeWork announced a rebrand : it would become The We Company , which was meant to reflect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines .
( The other two were WeLive , a communal apartment space , and WeGrow , for elementary schools , a particular pet project of Rebekah Paltrow Neumann , co-founder of WeWork , cousin of Gwyneth , and wife of Adam . )
The We Company rebrand suggested larger ambitions than just a coworking space — a whole WeBrand lifestyle .
Perhaps to credulous investors , this looked like an IRL Facebook .
But from the IPO documents in August 2019 , the public discovered that in order to get the trademark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We Holdings LLC $ 5.9 million .
We Holdings LLC belonged to Adam Neumann , who essentially paid himself $ 5.9 million for the rebrand .
He later said he ’ d return the money .
By reverting back to WeWork , the Neumann-less company appears to be accepting its future in real estate .
( Rental arbitrage is not a terrible business model in non-pandemic times ! )
This makes sense ; a little while ago , Rebekah Paltrow Neumann bought back WeGrow assets from the company soon-to-be-formerly-known-as-the-We-Company so she can build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SOLFL , short for Students of Life for Life , and pronounced “ soulful , ” I suppose .
Anyway , separately from the ( potent ! )
symbolism of abandoning the intellectual property and other lines of business , the move acknowledges something that was apparent even before the IPO .
Just about everyone went on calling The We Company WeWork , no matter what Adam Neumann or anyone else renamed it .

The We Company, which was once known as WeWork, will change its branding back to WeWork, Reuters reports. It is part of a larger reckoning, as the company recognizes it is in the real estate business, and somehow, nebulously, “tech.”
“We want to be strategic. We want to be innovative. We want to be impactful. We want to be WeWork,” wrote the new CEO of the once and future WeWork, Sandeep Mathrani, in the memo Reuters obtained.
Unless the last thousand years of pandemic have somehow rendered you amnesiac, you may recall that The We Company filed documents to go public in 2019, and got laughed at so hard its founder and CEO Adam Neumann had to quit. Also, the IPO was canceled. But before all that, in January 2019, the company was known as WeWork, and it occupied the most real office estate of any private company in Manhattan.
A whole WeBrand lifestyle
In January 2019, WeWork announced a rebrand: it would become The We Company, which was meant to reflect that WeWork was only one of three business lines. (The other two were WeLive, a communal apartment space, and WeGrow, for elementary schools, a particular pet project of Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, co-founder of WeWork, cousin of Gwyneth, and wife of Adam.) The We Company rebrand suggested larger ambitions than just a coworking space — a whole WeBrand lifestyle. Perhaps to credulous investors, this looked like an IRL Facebook.
But from the IPO documents in August 2019, the public discovered that in order to get the trademark for The We Company, WeWork paid We Holdings LLC $5.9 million. We Holdings LLC belonged to Adam Neumann, who essentially paid himself $5.9 million for the rebrand. He later said he’d return the money.
By reverting back to WeWork, the Neumann-less company appears to be accepting its future in real estate. (Rental arbitrage is not a terrible business model in non-pandemic times!) This makes sense; a little while ago, Rebekah Paltrow Neumann bought back WeGrow assets from the company soon-to-be-formerly-known-as-the-We-Company so she can build her own school. It is called SOLFL, short for Students of Life for Life, and pronounced “soulful,” I suppose.


theverge--2020-10-14--Razer’s Blade 15 Advanced gaming laptop with a 300Hz display is $600 off

Razer ’ s Blade 15 Advanced gaming laptop got a hefty $ 500 discount for Prime Day 2020 , but Razer quietly knocked an additional $ 100 off today that brings it down to a more reasonable $ 2,000 until the end of the day .
Better yet , it ’ s for a model that ’ s close in the specs department to the one that I just reviewed , containing an eight-core Intel Core i7-10875H CPU , the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super Max-Q graphics chip , 16GB of RAM , a 512GB PCIe SSD and a 300Hz refresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,600 right now at Razer ’ s store , but with a Prime membership your price is $ 600 less .
This laptop will also get you a download code for Marvel ’ s Avengers .
Compared to most gaming laptops out there , the Razer Blade 15 Advanced rocks a low-profile aluminum design with few flashy elements aside from its glowing backlit keyboard .
If you aren ’ t totally pleased with the RAM and storage amounts , you can open it up to add more .
Given its thin design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get hot while playing games , but it ’ s less of an issue if you ’ re using it as a desktop replacement .

Razer’s Blade 15 Advanced gaming laptop got a hefty $500 discount for Prime Day 2020, and yesterday Razer quietly knocked an additional $100 off today that brings it down to a more reasonable $2,000 until the end of the day. This deal is now over, but we’ve collected a few of the best Prime Day deals that you can still get.
Better yet, it’s for a model that’s close in the specs department to the one that I just reviewed, containing an eight-core Intel Core i7-10875H CPU, the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super Max-Q graphics chip, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD and a 300Hz refresh rate 1080p display. This model is $2,600 right now at Razer’s store, but with a Prime membership your price is $600 less. This laptop will also get you a download code for Marvel’s Avengers.
Razer Blade 15 $ 2000 $ 2300 13 % off $ 2000 $ 2000 $ 2300 13 % off $2000 at Best Buy


theverge--2020-10-14--Teespring is offering creators the ability to sell digital merchandise like filters

For both aspiring and established creators , T-shirts and hoodies are so passé — the new wave of merchandise is all digital .
Teespring , one of the biggest platforms for creator and influencer merchandising and an official commerce partner for YouTube , Instagram , and TikTok , is rolling out the ability to sell digital merchandise .
These include photo filters , e-books , premium content , zines , and other items that creators can sell directly to fans instead of relying on physical merchandise .
Teespring decided to move into the digital merchandise space after a few influencers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer their fans , CEO Chris Lamontagne and vice president of marketing , Les Green , told The Verge on Wednesday .
While Lamonatagne and the team had worked for a while on developing digital products , it was the pandemic that accelerated their plan to roll it out to creators who use Teespring .
That includes people on YouTube , Instagram and , most recently , TikTok .
“ The future isn ’ t just physical or digital — it ’ s gon na be digital and physical , ” Lamontagne said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are doing bundles where it ’ s like , ‘ Hey buy my shirt , download my filter.
’ ” Digital merchandise , which Lamontagne and Green refer to as digital commerce for creators , has been popular in other territories for years .
Influencers abroad have created digital , personalized keyboards that are popular , for example .
Creators who partook in Teespring ’ s digital merchandise beta were interested in working with Teespring on personalized digital products specifically for their audience , including a YouTuber who specializes in financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial planner for fans to use .
“ The future isn ’ t just physical or digital — it ’ s gon na be digital and physical.
” “ For most of these creators , that ’ s the world that they live in — they create and distribute their content digitally , ” Green said .
“ I think to be able to use that platform and leverage it to some more of their creative products out is a natural fit in many ways.
” Digital merchandise might sound a little more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T-shirt and mailing it out is one thing ; designing a filter that works for every phone ’ s specifications is slightly trickier .
Green said keeping up with how hardware and software changes — like different iPhone sizes or big Instagram software updates — are affecting people ’ s technology usage is “ critical for us to adopt , ” adding that Teespring will “ sure that the products are compatible and appropriate for their fans.
” Neither Green nor Lamontagne said just how involved Teespring ’ s design team will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products that might require some extra technical skills , but Green mentioned they ’ re “ going to be listening to the creators more often , and have a deeper relationship ” with them to ensure their technical needs are met .
More than 450,000 verified creators are eligible to create digital products with Teespring .
Creating a listing doesn ’ t cost anything , the company added in a press release , and there are no additional monthly charges or hosting fees .

For both aspiring and established creators, T-shirts and hoodies are so passé — the new wave of merchandise is all digital.
Teespring, one of the biggest platforms for creator and influencer merchandising and an official commerce partner for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, is rolling out the ability to sell digital merchandise. These include photo filters, e-books, premium content, zines, and other items that creators can sell directly to fans instead of relying on physical merchandise.
Teespring decided to move into the digital merchandise space after a few influencers asked if it was something they could offer their fans, CEO Chris Lamontagne and vice president of marketing, Les Green, told The Verge on Wednesday. While Lamonatagne and the team had worked for a while on developing digital products, it was the pandemic that accelerated their plan to roll it out to creators who use Teespring. That includes people on YouTube, Instagram and, most recently, TikTok.
“The future isn’t just physical or digital — it’s gonna be digital and physical,” Lamontagne said. “We’re already seeing people who are doing bundles where it’s like, ‘Hey buy my shirt, download my filter.’”
Digital merchandise, which Lamontagne and Green refer to as digital commerce for creators, has been popular in other territories for years. Influencers abroad have created digital, personalized keyboards that are popular, for example. Creators who partook in Teespring’s digital merchandise beta were interested in working with Teespring on personalized digital products specifically for their audience, including a YouTuber who specializes in financial advice and wanted to create a digital financial planner for fans to use.
“The future isn’t just physical or digital — it’s gonna be digital and physical.”
“For most of these creators, that’s the world that they live in — they create and distribute their content digitally,” Green said. “I think to be able to use that platform and leverage it to some more of their creative products out is a natural fit in many ways.”
Digital merchandise might sound a little more complicated than physical merch. Printing a T-shirt and mailing it out is one thing; designing a filter that works for every phone’s specifications is slightly trickier. Green said keeping up with how hardware and software changes — like different iPhone sizes or big Instagram software updates — are affecting people’s technology usage is “critical for us to adopt,” adding that Teespring will “sure that the products are compatible and appropriate for their fans.”
Neither Green nor Lamontagne said just how involved Teespring’s design team will be with creators who want to offer digital products that might require some extra technical skills, but Green mentioned they’re “going to be listening to the creators more often, and have a deeper relationship” with them to ensure their technical needs are met.


theverge--2020-10-14--Nikon’s Z6 II and Z7 II cameras add 4K60 video and a much-needed second memory card slot

Nikon has announced its latest full-frame mirrorless cameras , the Z6 II and Z7 II , which improve upon their predecessors with faster performance , improved autofocus , and the inclusion of a secondary memory card slot .
Otherwise , the second-gen cameras are largely similar to the Z6 and Z7 , using the same sensors and with no outward design updates .
The electronic viewfinder and vari-angle LCD — it can ’ t be rotated to face forward for vlogging — are unchanged in both models .
But pros will appreciate one new addition when they open the memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UHS-II SD card slot that joins the lone XQD / CFexpress slot from last time .
So if you want immediate backups for your shots and videos , there you go .
Other changes are on the inside : there ’ s now a second Expeed 6 processor in each camera — yes , they ’ ve got dual processors — and that ’ s enabled Nikon to increase their continuous shooting capabilities .
The 24.5-megapixel Z6 II can hit 14 frames per second , while the 45.7-megapixel Z7 II now tops out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60fps has been added to both the Z6 II and Z7 II , but only the latter will offer it at launch .
Nikon says a firmware update in February 2021 will bring this feature to the Z6 II .
On the Z7 II , you ’ ll get a 1.08x crop when recording 4K60 .
As for the autofocus improvements , Nikon ’ s face and eye-detect autofocus ( along with animal detect AF ) can now be used in wide-area AF mode .
Both cameras are also better at hitting focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company .
There ’ s a new vertical battery grip , and Nikon has also made usability improvements like allowing firmware updates over the Snapbridge mobile app .
The Z6 II will go on sale in November for $ 2,000 in a body-only configuration or $ 2,600 when bundled with the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens .
The Z7 II will follow in December for $ 3,000 ( body only ) or $ 3,600 ( with the kit lens ) .
Nikon is hoping that with both cameras , the increased processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity , more capable autofocus options , and faster shooting will help the company stay in the mix with Canon , Sony , Panasonic , and other camera makers .

Nikon has announced its latest full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z6 II and Z7 II, which improve upon their predecessors with faster performance, improved autofocus, and the inclusion of a secondary memory card slot. Otherwise, the second-gen cameras are largely similar to the Z6 and Z7, using the same sensors and with no outward design updates. The electronic viewfinder and vari-angle LCD — it can’t be rotated to face forward for vlogging — are unchanged in both models.
But pros will appreciate one new addition when they open the memory card door: Nikon has added a UHS-II SD card slot that joins the lone XQD / CFexpress slot from last time. So if you want immediate backups for your shots and videos, there you go. Other changes are on the inside: there’s now a second Expeed 6 processor in each camera — yes, they’ve got dual processors — and that’s enabled Nikon to increase their continuous shooting capabilities. The 24.5-megapixel Z6 II can hit 14 frames per second, while the 45.7-megapixel Z7 II now tops out at 10fps.
4K video recording at 60fps has been added to both the Z6 II and Z7 II, but only the latter will offer it at launch. Nikon says a firmware update in February 2021 will bring this feature to the Z6 II. On the Z7 II, you’ll get a 1.08x crop when recording 4K60.
As for the autofocus improvements, Nikon’s face and eye-detect autofocus (along with animal detect AF) can now be used in wide-area AF mode. Both cameras are also better at hitting focus in low-light conditions, according to the company. There’s a new vertical battery grip, and Nikon has also made usability improvements like allowing firmware updates over the Snapbridge mobile app.


theverge--2020-10-14--Add 12TB of storage to your desktop for just $175 today

There are a few hours left before Prime Day 2020 wraps up , but there are still a bunch of deals available to take advantage of .
If you are looking to beef up your desktop storage , Western Digital ’ s 12TB desktop hard drive is on sale for just $ 175 at Amazon , Best Buy , B & H Photo , and Newegg .
Normally , this product will set you back $ 250 or more , so if you need an excuse to add a lot more space to your computer , this is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with NTFS use with Windows computers , but you can reformat it if you are a macOS user looking for a Time Machine drive option .
Western Digital ’ s 12TB Elements desktop hard drive connects via USB but still requires a power cable to function ( included with the purchase ) and features speedy desktop storage transfers with rates up to 5GB per second in USB 3.0 mode or 480MB per second in USB 2.0 mode .
( Note that Best Buy ’ s version is branded “ easystore , ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are the same drives inside , however . )
But the best part about this hard drive is that it uses the same drives as the Western Digital Red NAS .
So if you decide that you want an internal hard drive instead of an external hard drive , you can take out the internal SATA drive and install it inside your desktop .
If you are looking for additional things to upgrade your PC setup , like a new keyboard or mouse , we picked out all of the best Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up your PC setup .

There are a few hours left before Prime Day 2020 wraps up, but there are still a bunch of deals available to take advantage of. If you are looking to beef up your desktop storage, Western Digital’s 12TB desktop hard drive is on sale for just $175 at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Newegg. Normally, this product will set you back $250 or more, so if you need an excuse to add a lot more space to your computer, this is not a bad option. The product is pre-formatted with NTFS use with Windows computers, but you can reformat it if you are a macOS user looking for a Time Machine drive option.
Western Digital’s 12TB Elements desktop hard drive connects via USB but still requires a power cable to function (included with the purchase) and features speedy desktop storage transfers with rates up to 5GB per second in USB 3.0 mode or 480MB per second in USB 2.0 mode. (Note that Best Buy’s version is branded “easystore,” while the others are “WD Elements.” They are the same drives inside, however.)
But the best part about this hard drive is that it uses the same drives as the Western Digital Red NAS. So if you decide that you want an internal hard drive instead of an external hard drive, you can take out the internal SATA drive and install it inside your desktop.


theverge--2020-10-15--Sony gives in-depth look at PlayStation 5 UI in new video

Sony just revealed one of the final big questions about the upcoming PlayStation 5 : what the user interface looks like .
A lengthy new walkthrough shows off what it ’ ll look like to actually use the upcoming console when it launches on November 12th .
The new UI is a big change for Sony , offering a complete overhaul of the rather spartan menus that the PlayStation 4 offered .
The main menu of the console is broken up into a new “ Control Center ” menu , accessed at any time by pressing the PlayStation button , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ array of system tools , like seeing notifications , which friends are online , controlling music , managing settings for the console and controller , and seeing the status of downloads .
There ’ s also a new series of cards , a key part of the user interface that serves as a sort of ongoing feed of news about games , recent achievements or screenshots , and more .
Also in the row of cards are new “ Activities ” , individual cards that link out to specific levels or gameplay modes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will give an overview of that level , including a personalized estimate of how much time the PlayStation 5 thinks it ’ ll take you to finish the level , and any objects you have yet to accomplish .
Some games and objectives will also include official “ Game Help ” for PlayStation Plus subscribers , which will show helpful videos and hints for the specific objective directly within the game .
Some cards will even support a picture-in-picture mode or split-screen view to help players see the hints side-by-side .

Sony just revealed one of the final big questions about the upcoming PlayStation 5: what the user interface looks like. A lengthy new walkthrough shows off what it’ll look like to actually use the upcoming console when it launches on November 12th.
The new UI is a big change for Sony, offering a complete overhaul of the rather spartan menus that the PlayStation 4 offered. Similar to the PlayStation 4, Sony will offer a row of installed or available games (or streaming apps, in a separate tab) that shows off the various games, each with its own hub.
Scrolling down with that game hub will show more specific activities and game modes that can be launched directly from the home screen, along with other news and clips from the title. Sony says that some backwards compatible PS4 games will offer similar functionality, too.
The new PlayStation 5 home screen.
Sony is also experimenting with an Explore menu that shows official news from Sony and developers, along with trending videos and gameplay clips, although it says that it’s still testing the feature and that not all users may have access to it at launch.
There’s a new “Control Center” menu, accessed at any time by pressing the PlayStation button, which gives players access to a wide array of system tools, like seeing notifications, which friends are online, controlling music, managing settings for the console and controller, and seeing the status of downloads. There’s also a new series of cards, a key part of the user interface that serves as a sort of ongoing feed of news about games, recent achievements or screenshots, and more.
Also in the row of cards are new “Activities,” individual cards that link out to specific levels or gameplay modes within a game. Selecting an activity will give an overview of that level, including a personalized estimate of how much time the PlayStation 5 thinks it’ll take you to finish the level and any objects you have yet to accomplish.
The control center menu.
Some games and objectives will also include official “Game Help” for PlayStation Plus subscribers, which will show helpful videos and hints for the specific objective directly within the game. Some cards will even support a picture-in-picture mode or split-screen view to help players see the hints side by side.
Sony is also expanding how parties will work on the PlayStation 5. Players can now share their screens with other members of their party and even pin those separate gameplay streams alongside their own. Parties are also meant to serve as more persistent gameplay groups, instead of one-off voice chat channels.


theverge--2020-10-15--When senior citizens are the early adopters

Steve Kasch ’ s mom , Julia , was always worried about losing her keys .
“ She wasn ’ t even driving , but she was checking her purse every ten minutes , ” he says .
Kasch told me that his mom was fairly independent , but over the past few years , her memory started to go .
She would forget if she ate a meal or , more troubling , forget if she took medication .
“ She might think she took her pill , and not take it for three days , ” he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one day.
” In December , Kasch and his wife realized she couldn ’ t keep living on her own , and they started shopping around for an assisted living facility .
The Legacy at Town Square in Amarillo , Texas , stood out .
It gave each resident a location-monitoring , emergency button-equipped wristband — which also swiped them into their rooms .
“ Now , there ’ s no keys , ” Kasch says .
Just after she moved in , the COVID-19 pandemic shut down access to senior care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flattened by the virus .
The wristbands , already a draw for family members like Kasch , became even more of a selling point .
They ’ re made by a company called CarePredict .
CarePredict normally markets its devices to caregivers as tools that track changes in older adults ’ behavior .
They monitor things like activity level and walking patterns .
But when the COVID-19 pandemic started devastating nursing homes , the team quickly spun up a new feature : automatic contact tracing .
The team quickly spun up a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps control the spread of an infectious disease by tracking down anyone who has been in contact with a sick person and monitoring them to check if they caught the disease .
Usually , it ’ s done manually by interviewing patients and asking them who they ’ d been in contact with .
But facilities equipped with CarePredict already track peoples ’ every move .
The systems are packed with data on the interactions of anyone with a wristband .
“ You could rewind and replay , ” says Jerry Wilmink , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For months , tech companies like Google and Apple and countries like Germany and the United Kingdom have tried to use high-tech systems to automate the contact tracing process .
They ’ re appealing , quick solutions , but they ’ ve been slow to get off the ground and are hobbled by concerns around efficacy , privacy , and adoption .
While public health experts argue tech-driven contact tracing has a role in the fight against the coronavirus , there ’ s open debate over how and if that might happen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , though , are already quietly using automated systems to guide contact tracing , facilitated by companies like CarePredict .
The privacy concerns that haunt broader tech-based contact tracing efforts are present in those environments , too , but they often aren ’ t considered .
Because the tools are used for older adults , it ’ s assumed that the benefits are worth any trade-offs .
Concerns around autonomy and choice aren ’ t given the same weight , says Clara Berridge , a professor at the University of Washington who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Autonomy and privacy are super interlinked , ” Berridge says .
“ And we tend to undervalue both of those things for older adults .
Instead , safety is at the forefront.
” Wilmink showed me the CarePredict monitoring system in action .
“ I ’ m going to share my screen to show you , ” he told me , before pulling up the dashboard for a Lifewell senior living community and sharing his screen .
It showed the floorplans of the building , with blue and green dots clustered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is real time .
The blue dots are the residents , and the green dots are the staff , ” Wilmink told me .
Next to the floorplans , a sidebar showed a list of every resident and staffer .
For my sake , they replaced the names with strings of characters .
$ bsvobtbifcb was in room 315 , a bedroom , and had a low battery .
$ nbsztusjdlmfs was in room 109 , the kitchen .
Live alerts continued to fill the screen .
“ You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their kitchen had pressed the button on their wearable , and this staff member has selected to address this particular alert , ” Wilmink says .
Next , Wilmink clicks through to the contact tracing report feature .
He selects resident $ bmkvez from a drop-down menu .
“ I look at this particular resident here , ” he says .
“ Say they test positive today.
” He sets the calendar to cover from May 12th to May 19th .
“ Let ’ s go back a week.
” Immediately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen other residents and staffers .
It lists their name and the length of time that their wearable location monitoring tag was nearby $ bmkvez ’ s wearable location monitoring tag .
It also notes the length of time they were in close proximity — five minutes , three hours — and the room where it happened .
The system can quickly generate a list of everyone else who may need to be tested or quarantined If a resident or staff member actually tested positive for COVID-19 or started showing symptoms , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else who may need to be tested or quarantined .
Some Lifewell living facilities have already used the feature to track down the contacts of people who tested positive .
Most of the time , the initial case has been of a staff member , Greg Zobel , chief operating officer at CarePredict , told me during the demonstration .
The system can then help track every person a staff member interacted with .
The Legacy at Town Square , the Lifewell facility in Amarillo , Texas , doesn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has had people tested for the virus , and it used the contact tracing tool while they were waiting for the test results to come back .
Joe Walter , the executive director of the facility , says it ’ s useful .
“ We were super pumped when they came out with the contact tracing , because it ’ s just such a time saver , ” Walter says .
“ It ’ s so much more thorough than me , and my management team , and whoever ’ s involved trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I the last 14 days.
” Care facilities like the Legacy at Town Square then don ’ t have to rely on their elderly residents to retrace their steps .
“ Good luck having them remember , ” Zobel says .
Other companies that make location tracking systems for senior living facilities , like the North Dakota-based ZulaFly , have similar features .
ZulaFly ’ s systems can run location history reports on residents wearing tags , says managing partner Stephanie Andersen .
Usually , it ’ s used to pass along information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one did on a particular day .
“ Someone says , you know , my mom didn ’ t go to therapy or participate in activities , ” Andersen says .
“ I can run a location history report and see how she spent her time.
” The same report can help with contact tracing .
ZulaFly reached out to their customers ( many of which are nursing homes ) as COVID-19 case numbers started to climb in the US to remind them of the feature .
“ One replied and said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Andersen says .
“ It really does have everything they need to know the second someone tests positive.
” Health care company CenTrak has listed location history as one of the benefits of its location tracking systems for years , says Ari Naim , president and CEO .
“ But it was like , number 25 , in terms of the list of benefits , ” he says .
“ I have a feeling it ’ s going to go further up.
” Experts working in health services refer to older adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , as a “ high-need , high-cost ” group , Berridge says .
“ They ’ re set up in a way that calls for more data collection to protect them , ” she says .
Arguments that call for using apps and digital systems to automate the contact tracing process lean on similar principles .
A once-in-a-generation pandemic is a high-need event , during which public health is regularly weighted more heavily than personal privacy .
If collecting personal information ( like where someone has been and who they were with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem more reasonable .
The contact tracing apps used for the general population aren ’ t fully analogous to the location monitoring systems used in nursing homes .
They use Bluetooth , not real-time location services — so rather than follow where people go , the Bluetooth systems only track the other devices they were nearby .
All of that information is ( theoretically ) unidentifiable .
Users have to opt in , and the tech companies described the steps they took to make the data anonymous .
Nursing facility systems , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , not opt in , Berridge says .
They use real-time location tracking and tie that information to each person ’ s name .
It takes more and more detailed information on older adults living in nursing homes to get the benefits facilities are looking for .
Knowing where residents are , at all times , helps staffers keep track of people with dementia .
It helps them pinpoint someone ’ s location if they need help , and it can flag if an individual isn ’ t attending meals or activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a problem .
“ It ’ s pretty darn useful if you ’ re in independent living , and you decide to go for a walk , ” says Laurie Orlov , elder care advocate and founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch , which documents and analyzes trends in technology for older adults .
A wearable that monitors location and can call for help is a valuable backup if someone slips or has health trouble .
“ If it ’ s night , and there ’ s ice , having a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is really useful , ” she says .
The Missouri Slope long-term care facility started using the ZulaFly monitoring system in August 2018 .
It was a slow rollout , says LeAnn Hokanson , vice president of resident services .
But it helps the facility keep track of people in the sprawling old building , which takes up multiple city blocks .
“ We wanted residents to be able to call for help more easily , ” she says .
“ We tried to focus more on the positive aspects , and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CarePredict stress that the benefits of their systems make it worth the concessions to resident and staff privacy .
Monitoring residents keeps them safer , and empowers the staff to provide personalized care , Wilmink says .
The tools aren ’ t just tracking , Naim said , they have emergency call buttons as well .
“ It ’ s a very simple principle .
That is , what is the value it provides , and what are you giving up , ” he says .
Contact tracing apps created for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : advocates say they could help flag interactions people don ’ t remember they had and take some of the burden off of the manual contact tracing workforce .
Discussions of that value , though , have been secondary to conversations around privacy and consent .
Apple and Google talked just as much , if not more , about privacy when they announced their Bluetooth-centered contact tracing tool .
The nursing home systems , which are more obtrusive , haven ’ t faced the same level of scrutiny The nursing home systems , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t faced the same level of scrutiny .
That ’ s not surprising to Berridge .
When it comes to technology like this , she says , there isn ’ t as much consideration to how the older adults they ’ re attached to might feel about it .
Berridge contributed to a survey of subject-matter experts , which is under review prior to publication , that evaluated risks and benefits of technology used in dementia care .
She says experts were concerned about the amount of data the devices collect , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that data was used .
They also noted that , if the data showed evidence of high-risk behavior from residents or staff , that information could theoretically lead to increased health insurance premiums .
It may be that the benefits are worth the intrusions , Orlov says .
“ I think with fall detection , and anything that can help when you ’ re alone , the benefits exceed the cost of the privacy — assuming that you ’ re with it enough to opt in.
” Careful consideration of that question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations around technology and senior care , Berridge says .
When privacy is discussed , it ’ s often framed as a way to encourage people to use the tech .
“ It ’ s around acceptance — how do we get people to agree to use this ?
” she says .
Steven Kasch says his mother was uncertain about the CarePredict system , at first .
She was used to being independent and said she didn ’ t see the need for it .
But her memory loss made it important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept reiterating that it ’ s a safeguard , and it ’ s there to help you , ” he says .
“ She ’ s warming up to it.
” There ’ s similar carpeting and decor all through the different hallways at Legacy at Town Square , so it ’ s easy to get lost .
The bracelet , and it ’ s call button , are there as a backup if she gets turned around .
“ We sold it to her as safety , ” Kasch says .
Julia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story .
It ’ s not uncommon for there to be gaps between how adult children and caregivers think about monitoring technology , and how the seniors they care for think about it , Berridge says .
For caregivers , safety is critical .
But older adults care a lot more about their privacy than many people give them credit for .
Berridge asked a group of homebound seniors who received Meals on Wheels how they felt about monitoring technologies like location trackers and cameras .
She spoke to their adult children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The gaps were clear : the caregivers were more supportive of the technology than the homebound parents were .
Many caregivers said that they didn ’ t feel that they needed to involve their parents in the decisions to use the technology .
“ They grossly underestimated their parents ’ ability to comprehend the basic functions of the technology , ” Berridge says .
In fact , the seniors did understand the technology and had strong feelings about it .
They said they behaved differently when tracking systems were watching them : they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may trigger an alarm , or they rushed in the bathroom because they don ’ t want the system to raise a flag if they were taking too long .
“ You tend to hear people say , ‘ Oh no , not for me.
’ ” It ’ s hard for caregivers to predict how they might feel if they were in the position their parents are in .
Berridge does ask , though , if people think that they would be comfortable if there were trackers on them when they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear people say , ‘ Oh no , not for me , ’ ” she says .
“ It tends to be , no , I wouldn ’ t want that , or I realized that my mother would hate this , but I love having it for her.
” Monitoring systems are often sold as ways to help give older adults more freedom .
They can go where they want , and if they run into trouble , someone can come and help them .
But the power dynamics between seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies restrict , rather than enhance , freedoms .
“ You ’ re causing people to actually change their behavior , because it ’ s causing feelings of being controlled by the system , ” Berridge says .
The power dynamics are amplified when monitoring systems are used for older adults with dementia or other cognitive impairments who often have caretakers making decisions for them .
“ We ’ re talking about others opting in on their behalf , and possibly without their permission , ” Orlov , the elder care advocate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to keep dementia patients from wandering off were based on lockdown technology invented for prisons , she says .
Even though the stated goal may be for safety , they have their roots in systems that were used on people who had no say in the matter — and should have extra scrutiny before they ’ re introduced .
“ You ’ re taking advantage of an individual who can ’ t give permission to your tracking and the way you ’ re going to track is something on their body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can push tricky ethical conversations to the side — and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in this technology .
The virus burned through senior care facilities around the country , and by one estimate in June , around 40 percent of the people who have died from the virus in the United States contracted it in a nursing home .
For an added layer of protection for this and future disease outbreaks , many senior care facilities and nursing homes are newly interested in location tracking systems , the companies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Naim says that they ’ ve seen an increase in orders for tracking tags since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic .
CarePredict is also seeing a surge in interest focused on its location tracking capabilities , Zobel says .
It wasn ’ t the company ’ s original focus , but now it ’ s the main draw .
They could envision the system being used for other infectious disease outbreaks in senior living facilities : outbreaks of highly contagious norovirus , which causes vomiting and diarrhea , are common in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example .
“ This is us hoping a little bit , but we think that the way this is going , some version of this is going to be standard operating procedures for them — they ’ re going to need a way to control these contagious diseases , ” Zobel says .
However , they probably won ’ t be available to everyone .
Nursing homes and care facilities with more resources will be the ones that can use them .
Most care facilities — like the one Berridge ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardly have internet access .
“ They ’ re on the wrong side of the digital divide .
Certain nursing homes are going to have more access to that contact tracing , and the help that provides during a crisis , ” she says .
“ It could be a false promise of something useful.
” It ’ s still not clear , though , how much they ’ d actually help .
Like contact tracing apps , these location monitoring systems haven ’ t been used for infectious disease outbreaks before .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t sure how effective they ’ ll be .
If nursing home residents in a place using the monitors are restricted to their rooms and not allowed to mingle , as many have been during the pandemic , there won ’ t be much from them to keep track of .
“ It could be a false promise of something useful , ” she says .
“ It ’ s an opportunity for some companies to make a buck.
” Berridge worries that a rush to adopt these systems could distract from efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices in nursing facilities .
In March , staffers in around a third of facilities in the US weren ’ t able to demonstrate thorough handwashing , and a quarter weren ’ t using personal protective equipment ( PPE ) like masks properly .
And that ’ s if they had access to equipment at all .
Staffers in nursing homes are often low-paid and don ’ t have sick leave .
“ If we say , we think we have a solution to our contact tracing problem , yet we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not adequately training staff and we ’ ve got major turnover issues , that ’ s a problem , ” she says .
Even if wearables are more security theater than ways to prevent the spread of disease , they ’ re still appealing to nursing home management groups worried about the fallout from devastating COVID-19 outbreaks .
Vendors can market to companies concerned that they ’ ll be sued for failing to protect residents , Orlov says .
“ They ’ re going to have to convince people to come there in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prediction that these systems will become standard is correct , integration of location monitoring for older adults won ’ t be temporary .
In the context of a crisis , scaling up some of these systems may make sense , Berridge says .
“ The extent to which this would continue beyond the crisis — and it probably would continue beyond this crisis — I think that ’ s a concern.
” Meanwhile , Apple and Google , plan to disable their Bluetooth contact tracing system after the COVID-19 pandemic fades .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does it seem ?
There are benefits and drawbacks to any new technology , and ideally , people affected by that technology can decide how much privacy they ’ re willing to give up for a potential benefit .
Each time a new contact tracing app launches , the questions resurface : Is it actually worth it ?
How much will it help ?
How invasive does it seem ?
Then , they get to make a choice .
“ For the general public , it ’ s already hard , ” Orlov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s even harder .
They might ask different questions about location monitoring than the general public , and they might balance out safety and privacy differently than other demographics .
But they don ’ t tend to have the same opportunity to make a choice based on their values .
The elderly tend to be a disempowered group , and their caregivers end up being the ones empowered to make decisions .
If and as location monitoring systems from older adults become more common , people involved in their adoption should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swirled around contact tracing apps .
Using them ethically is possible , and they could help keep people safe .
But they can ’ t be introduced without real consideration of older adults ’ autonomy .
“ It ’ s not just privacy , ” Berridge says .
“ It ’ s privacy paired with issues of power and control .
”

Steve Kasch’s mom, Julia, was always worried about losing her keys. “She wasn’t even driving, but she was checking her purse every ten minutes,” he says.
Kasch told me that his mom was fairly independent, but over the past few years, her memory started to go. She would forget if she ate a meal or, more troubling, forget if she took medication. “She might think she took her pill, and not take it for three days,” he says. “Or she might take six in one day.”
In December, Kasch and his wife realized she couldn’t keep living on her own, and they started shopping around for an assisted living facility. The Legacy at Town Square in Amarillo, Texas, stood out. It gave each resident a location-monitoring, emergency button-equipped wristband — which also swiped them into their rooms. “Now, there’s no keys,” Kasch says.
Just after she moved in, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down access to senior care facilities, many of which have been flattened by the virus. The wristbands, already a draw for family members like Kasch, became even more of a selling point. They’re made by a company called CarePredict. CarePredict normally markets its devices to caregivers as tools that track changes in older adults’ behavior. They monitor things like activity level and walking patterns. But when the COVID-19 pandemic started devastating nursing homes, the team quickly spun up a new feature: automatic contact tracing.
The team quickly spun up a new feature: automatic contact tracing
Contact tracing helps control the spread of an infectious disease by tracking down anyone who has been in contact with a sick person and monitoring them to check if they caught the disease. Usually, it’s done manually by interviewing patients and asking them who they’d been in contact with. But facilities equipped with CarePredict already track peoples’ every move. The systems are packed with data on the interactions of anyone with a wristband.
“You could rewind and replay,” says Jerry Wilmink, the chief business officer at CarePredict.
For months, tech companies like Google and Apple and countries like Germany and the United Kingdom have tried to use high-tech systems to automate the contact tracing process. They’re appealing, quick solutions, but they’ve been slow to get off the ground and are hobbled by concerns around efficacy, privacy, and adoption. While public health experts argue tech-driven contact tracing has a role in the fight against the coronavirus, there’s open debate over how and if that might happen.
Some senior living facilities in the United States, though, are already quietly using automated systems to guide contact tracing, facilitated by companies like CarePredict.
The privacy concerns that haunt broader tech-based contact tracing efforts are present in those environments, too, but they often aren’t considered. Because the tools are used for older adults, it’s assumed that the benefits are worth any trade-offs. Concerns around autonomy and choice aren’t given the same weight, says Clara Berridge, a professor at the University of Washington who studies health care technology in aging populations.
“Autonomy and privacy are super interlinked,” Berridge says. “And we tend to undervalue both of those things for older adults. Instead, safety is at the forefront.”
Wilmink showed me the CarePredict monitoring system in action. “I’m going to share my screen to show you,” he told me, before pulling up the dashboard for a Lifewell senior living community and sharing his screen. It showed the floorplans of the building, with blue and green dots clustered in the numbered rooms and open spaces. “This is real time. The blue dots are the residents, and the green dots are the staff,” Wilmink told me.
Next to the floorplans, a sidebar showed a list of every resident and staffer. For my sake, they replaced the names with strings of characters. $bsvobtbifcb was in room 315, a bedroom, and had a low battery. $nbsztusjdlmfs was in room 109, the kitchen. Live alerts continued to fill the screen. “You can see, for instance, this individual in their kitchen had pressed the button on their wearable, and this staff member has selected to address this particular alert,” Wilmink says.
Next, Wilmink clicks through to the contact tracing report feature. He selects resident $bmkvez from a drop-down menu. “I look at this particular resident here,” he says. “Say they test positive today.” He sets the calendar to cover from May 12th to May 19th. “Let’s go back a week.”
Immediately, a list pops up of around a dozen other residents and staffers. It lists their name and the length of time that their wearable location monitoring tag was nearby $bmkvez’s wearable location monitoring tag. It also notes the length of time they were in close proximity — five minutes, three hours — and the room where it happened.
The system can quickly generate a list of everyone else who may need to be tested or quarantined
If a resident or staff member actually tested positive for COVID-19 or started showing symptoms, the system can quickly generate a list of everyone else who may need to be tested or quarantined. Some Lifewell living facilities have already used the feature to track down the contacts of people who tested positive. Most of the time, the initial case has been of a staff member, Greg Zobel, chief operating officer at CarePredict, told me during the demonstration. The system can then help track every person a staff member interacted with.
The Legacy at Town Square, the Lifewell facility in Amarillo, Texas, doesn’t have any positive COVID-19 cases. But it has had people tested for the virus, and it used the contact tracing tool while they were waiting for the test results to come back. Joe Walter, the executive director of the facility, says it’s useful.
“We were super pumped when they came out with the contact tracing, because it’s just such a time saver,” Walter says. “It’s so much more thorough than me, and my management team, and whoever’s involved trying to remember, ok, where was I the last 14 days.”
Care facilities like the Legacy at Town Square then don’t have to rely on their elderly residents to retrace their steps. “Good luck having them remember,” Zobel says.
“Good luck having them remember.”
Other companies that make location tracking systems for senior living facilities, like the North Dakota-based ZulaFly, have similar features. ZulaFly’s systems can run location history reports on residents wearing tags, says managing partner Stephanie Andersen. Usually, it’s used to pass along information to family members about what their loved one did on a particular day. “Someone says, you know, my mom didn’t go to therapy or participate in activities,” Andersen says. “I can run a location history report and see how she spent her time.”
The same report can help with contact tracing. ZulaFly reached out to their customers (many of which are nursing homes) as COVID-19 case numbers started to climb in the US to remind them of the feature. “One replied and said they’d already been using it,” Andersen says. “It really does have everything they need to know the second someone tests positive.”
Health care company CenTrak has listed location history as one of the benefits of its location tracking systems for years, says Ari Naim, president and CEO. “But it was like, number 25, in terms of the list of benefits,” he says. “I have a feeling it’s going to go further up.”
Experts working in health services refer to older adults, who often have other chronic health conditions, as a “high-need, high-cost” group, Berridge says. “They’re set up in a way that calls for more data collection to protect them,” she says.
Arguments that call for using apps and digital systems to automate the contact tracing process lean on similar principles. A once-in-a-generation pandemic is a high-need event, during which public health is regularly weighted more heavily than personal privacy. If collecting personal information (like where someone has been and who they were with) can protect people, the risks seem more reasonable.
The contact tracing apps used for the general population aren’t fully analogous to the location monitoring systems used in nursing homes. They use Bluetooth, not real-time location services — so rather than follow where people go, the Bluetooth systems only track the other devices they were nearby. All of that information is (theoretically) unidentifiable. Users have to opt in, and the tech companies described the steps they took to make the data anonymous.
Nursing facility systems, on the other hand, are usually opt out, not opt in, Berridge says. They use real-time location tracking and tie that information to each person’s name.
They use real-time location tracking
It takes more and more detailed information on older adults living in nursing homes to get the benefits facilities are looking for. Knowing where residents are, at all times, helps staffers keep track of people with dementia. It helps them pinpoint someone’s location if they need help, and it can flag if an individual isn’t attending meals or activities, which could be a sign of a problem.
“It’s pretty darn useful if you’re in independent living, and you decide to go for a walk,” says Laurie Orlov, elder care advocate and founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, which documents and analyzes trends in technology for older adults. A wearable that monitors location and can call for help is a valuable backup if someone slips or has health trouble. “If it’s night, and there’s ice, having a full detection capability that knows where you are is really useful,” she says.
The Missouri Slope long-term care facility started using the ZulaFly monitoring system in August 2018. It was a slow rollout, says LeAnn Hokanson, vice president of resident services. But it helps the facility keep track of people in the sprawling old building, which takes up multiple city blocks. “We wanted residents to be able to call for help more easily,” she says. “We tried to focus more on the positive aspects, and not as much on the tracking.”
CenTrak and CarePredict stress that the benefits of their systems make it worth the concessions to resident and staff privacy. Monitoring residents keeps them safer, and empowers the staff to provide personalized care, Wilmink says. The tools aren’t just tracking, Naim said, they have emergency call buttons as well. “It’s a very simple principle. That is, what is the value it provides, and what are you giving up,” he says.
Contact tracing apps created for the general population could add value as well: advocates say they could help flag interactions people don’t remember they had and take some of the burden off of the manual contact tracing workforce. Discussions of that value, though, have been secondary to conversations around privacy and consent. Apple and Google talked just as much, if not more, about privacy when they announced their Bluetooth-centered contact tracing tool.
The nursing home systems, which are more obtrusive, haven’t faced the same level of scrutiny
The nursing home systems, which are more obtrusive, haven’t faced the same level of scrutiny. That’s not surprising to Berridge. When it comes to technology like this, she says, there isn’t as much consideration to how the older adults they’re attached to might feel about it.
Berridge contributed to a survey of subject-matter experts, which is under review prior to publication, that evaluated risks and benefits of technology used in dementia care. She says experts were concerned about the amount of data the devices collect, the security of that data, and how that data was used. They also noted that, if the data showed evidence of high-risk behavior from residents or staff, that information could theoretically lead to increased health insurance premiums.
It may be that the benefits are worth the intrusions, Orlov says. “I think with fall detection, and anything that can help when you’re alone, the benefits exceed the cost of the privacy — assuming that you’re with it enough to opt in.”
Careful consideration of that question, though, has been slow to enter conversations around technology and senior care, Berridge says. When privacy is discussed, it’s often framed as a way to encourage people to use the tech. “It’s around acceptance — how do we get people to agree to use this?” she says.
Steven Kasch says his mother was uncertain about the CarePredict system, at first. She was used to being independent and said she didn’t see the need for it. But her memory loss made it important, Kasch says. “We just kept reiterating that it’s a safeguard, and it’s there to help you,” he says. “She’s warming up to it.” There’s similar carpeting and decor all through the different hallways at Legacy at Town Square, so it’s easy to get lost. The bracelet, and it’s call button, are there as a backup if she gets turned around.
“We sold it to her as safety,” Kasch says. Julia Kasch declined to be interviewed for this story.
It’s not uncommon for there to be gaps between how adult children and caregivers think about monitoring technology, and how the seniors they care for think about it, Berridge says. For caregivers, safety is critical. But older adults care a lot more about their privacy than many people give them credit for.
Berridge asked a group of homebound seniors who received Meals on Wheels how they felt about monitoring technologies like location trackers and cameras. She spoke to their adult children, who served as caregivers, separately. The gaps were clear: the caregivers were more supportive of the technology than the homebound parents were. Many caregivers said that they didn’t feel that they needed to involve their parents in the decisions to use the technology. “They grossly underestimated their parents’ ability to comprehend the basic functions of the technology,” Berridge says.
In fact, the seniors did understand the technology and had strong feelings about it. They said they behaved differently when tracking systems were watching them: they avoided sleeping in a chair because it may trigger an alarm, or they rushed in the bathroom because they don’t want the system to raise a flag if they were taking too long.
“You tend to hear people say, ‘Oh no, not for me.’”
It’s hard for caregivers to predict how they might feel if they were in the position their parents are in. Berridge does ask, though, if people think that they would be comfortable if there were trackers on them when they were in their 80s. “You tend to hear people say, ‘Oh no, not for me,’” she says. “It tends to be, no, I wouldn’t want that, or I realized that my mother would hate this, but I love having it for her.”
Monitoring systems are often sold as ways to help give older adults more freedom. They can go where they want, and if they run into trouble, someone can come and help them. But the power dynamics between seniors and their caregivers sometimes means that the technologies restrict, rather than enhance, freedoms. “You’re causing people to actually change their behavior, because it’s causing feelings of being controlled by the system,” Berridge says.
The power dynamics are amplified when monitoring systems are used for older adults with dementia or other cognitive impairments who often have caretakers making decisions for them. “We’re talking about others opting in on their behalf, and possibly without their permission,” Orlov, the elder care advocate, says. The oldest wearable tracking devices used to keep dementia patients from wandering off were based on lockdown technology invented for prisons, she says.
Even though the stated goal may be for safety, they have their roots in systems that were used on people who had no say in the matter — and should have extra scrutiny before they’re introduced. “You’re taking advantage of an individual who can’t give permission to your tracking and the way you’re going to track is something on their body,” Orlov says.
Emergencies, though, can push tricky ethical conversations to the side — and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in this technology. The virus burned through senior care facilities around the country, and by one estimate in June, around 40 percent of the people who have died from the virus in the United States contracted it in a nursing home. For an added layer of protection for this and future disease outbreaks, many senior care facilities and nursing homes are newly interested in location tracking systems, the companies that make those products say.
CenTrak’s Naim says that they’ve seen an increase in orders for tracking tags since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. CarePredict is also seeing a surge in interest focused on its location tracking capabilities, Zobel says. It wasn’t the company’s original focus, but now it’s the main draw. They could envision the system being used for other infectious disease outbreaks in senior living facilities: outbreaks of highly contagious norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, are common in senior living facilities and nursing homes, for example.
“This is us hoping a little bit, but we think that the way this is going, some version of this is going to be standard operating procedures for them — they’re going to need a way to control these contagious diseases,” Zobel says.
However, they probably won’t be available to everyone. Nursing homes and care facilities with more resources will be the ones that can use them. Most care facilities — like the one Berridge’s grandfather lived in, for example — hardly have internet access. “They’re on the wrong side of the digital divide. Certain nursing homes are going to have more access to that contact tracing, and the help that provides during a crisis,” she says.
“It could be a false promise of something useful.”
It’s still not clear, though, how much they’d actually help. Like contact tracing apps, these location monitoring systems haven’t been used for infectious disease outbreaks before. Despite the marketing, Orlov isn’t sure how effective they’ll be. If nursing home residents in a place using the monitors are restricted to their rooms and not allowed to mingle, as many have been during the pandemic, there won’t be much from them to keep track of. “It could be a false promise of something useful,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for some companies to make a buck.”
Berridge worries that a rush to adopt these systems could distract from efforts to fill the gaps in infection control practices in nursing facilities. In March, staffers in around a third of facilities in the US weren’t able to demonstrate thorough handwashing, and a quarter weren’t using personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks properly. And that’s if they had access to equipment at all. Staffers in nursing homes are often low-paid and don’t have sick leave. “If we say, we think we have a solution to our contact tracing problem, yet we’re not providing PPE and we’re not adequately training staff and we’ve got major turnover issues, that’s a problem,” she says.
Even if wearables are more security theater than ways to prevent the spread of disease, they’re still appealing to nursing home management groups worried about the fallout from devastating COVID-19 outbreaks. Vendors can market to companies concerned that they’ll be sued for failing to protect residents, Orlov says. “They’re going to have to convince people to come there in the future.”
If Zobel’s prediction that these systems will become standard is correct, integration of location monitoring for older adults won’t be temporary. In the context of a crisis, scaling up some of these systems may make sense, Berridge says. “The extent to which this would continue beyond the crisis — and it probably would continue beyond this crisis — I think that’s a concern.” Meanwhile, Apple and Google, plan to disable their Bluetooth contact tracing system after the COVID-19 pandemic fades.
How much will it help? How invasive does it seem?
There are benefits and drawbacks to any new technology, and ideally, people affected by that technology can decide how much privacy they’re willing to give up for a potential benefit. Each time a new contact tracing app launches, the questions resurface: Is it actually worth it? How much will it help? How invasive does it seem? Then, they get to make a choice. “For the general public, it’s already hard,” Orlov says.
For older adults, it’s even harder. They might ask different questions about location monitoring than the general public, and they might balance out safety and privacy differently than other demographics. But they don’t tend to have the same opportunity to make a choice based on their values. The elderly tend to be a disempowered group, and their caregivers end up being the ones empowered to make decisions.
If and as location monitoring systems from older adults become more common, people involved in their adoption should have similar conversations around privacy and autonomy that swirled around contact tracing apps. Using them ethically is possible, and they could help keep people safe. But they can’t be introduced without real consideration of older adults’ autonomy.