theverge--2020-01-21--Tim Cook’s favorite showerhead is now smaller and cheaper

Nebia , the shower startup that counts Apple CEO Tim Cook among its early investors , has launched the third-generation of its shower system on Kickstarter .
The big news this time around is the new Nebia by Moen shower ’ s price , which starts at $ 199 compared to $ 499 for last year ’ s model , and its slightly smaller size .
That starting price includes the overhead part of the shower , while stepping up to the $ 269 model gets you the optional “ wand ” to clean those “ hard-to-reach areas.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 199 , respectively , for the duration of the Kickstarter campaign .
Outside of the price and size reduction , the selling points of Nebia ’ s third-generation shower are similar to its previous models .
The company claims its shower head produces much smaller water-droplets than a regular shower , which means it uses 45 percent less water while offering two times the coverage .
The company also claims it uses 41 percent less heating energy , but promises that its latest shower is its hottest yet .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy its shower is to set up , and promises a 15 minute installation process that doesn ’ t require you to call a plumber .
New for this model is support for European-style waist-high water outlets , which should broaden compatibility outside of North America .
Along with Tim Cook , the company also counts a number of other big names among its list of investors including FitBit CEO James Park , and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia .
The company also announced a partnership with Moen last year .
However , Tim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been particularly helpful , with Bloomberg reporting that the CEO was happy to personally provide advice to the company in “ long , well crafted , and detailed ” emails .
Nebia ’ s third-generation shower is available in nickel , chrome , and matte black as part of its Kickstarter which is running until February 29th .
The company says its showers will start shipping out to its North American backers in March , while backers elsewhere in the world will have to wait until August .

Nebia, the shower startup that counts Apple CEO Tim Cook among its early investors, has launched the third-generation of its shower system on Kickstarter. The big news this time around is the new Nebia by Moen shower’s price, which starts at $199 compared to $499 for last year’s model, and its slightly smaller size. That starting price includes the overhead part of the shower, while stepping up to the $269 model gets you the optional “wand” to clean those “hard-to-reach areas.” The prices are temporarily discounted to $160 and $199, respectively, for the duration of the Kickstarter campaign.
Outside of the price and size reduction, the selling points of Nebia’s third-generation shower are similar to its previous models. The company claims its shower head produces much smaller water-droplets than a regular shower, which means it uses 45 percent less water while offering two times the coverage. The company also claims it uses 41 percent less heating energy, but promises that its latest shower is its hottest yet.
A note on crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is a chaotic field by nature: companies looking for funding tend to make big promises. According to a study run by Kickstarter in 2015, roughly 1 in 10 “successful” products that reach their funding goals fail to actually deliver rewards. Of the ones that do deliver, delays, missed deadlines, or overpromised ideas mean that there’s often disappointment in store for those products that do get done. The best defense is to use your best judgment. Ask yourself: does the product look legitimate? Is the company making outlandish claims? Is there a working prototype? Does the company mention existing plans to manufacture and ship finished products? Has it completed a Kickstarter before? And remember: you’re not necessarily buying a product when you back it on a crowdfunding site.
The company is also making big claims about how easy its shower is to set up, and promises a 15 minute installation process that doesn’t require you to call a plumber. New for this model is support for European-style waist-high water outlets, which should broaden compatibility outside of North America.
Along with Tim Cook, the company also counts a number of other big names among its list of investors including FitBit CEO James Park, and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. The company also announced a partnership with Moen last year. However, Tim Cook’s involvement appears to have been particularly helpful, with Bloomberg reporting that the CEO was happy to personally provide advice to the company in “long, well crafted, and detailed” emails.


theverge--2020-01-21--Google favors temporary facial recognition ban as Microsoft pushes back

The regulation of facial recognition is emerging as a key disagreement among the world ’ s biggest tech companies , with Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai suggesting a temporary ban , as recently suggested by the EU , might be welcome , while Microsoft ’ s chief legal officer Brad Smith cautions against such intervention .
“ I think it is important that governments and regulations tackle it sooner rather than later and give a framework for it , ” Pichai said at a conference in Brussels on Monday , reports Reuters .
“ It can be immediate but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before we really think about how it ’ s being used ...
It ’ s up to governments to chart the course.
” But in an interview published last week , Smith , who also serves as Microsoft ’ s chief legal officer , was dismissive of the idea of a moratorium .
“ This is young technology .
It will get better.
” “ Look , you can try to solve a problem with a meat cleaver or a scalpel , ” Smith told NPR when questioned about a potential ban .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can solve the problem in a way that enables good things to get done and bad things to stop happening ... that does require a scalpel .
This is young technology .
It will get better .
But the only way to make it better is actually to continue developing it .
And the only way to continue developing it actually is to have more people using it.
” The two executives ’ comments come as the EU considers a five-year ban on the use of facial recognition in public spaces .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was leaked to the press last week and could change when announced officially , says a temporary ban would give governments and regulators time to assess the dangers of the technology .
Across the world , law enforcement and private enterprise are increasingly using facial recognition to identify people in public spaces .
While proponents argue that the technology helps solve crimes , critics say its unchecked adoption undermines civil liberties and leads to increased discrimination due to algorithmic bias .
Facial recognition is a key technology used by the Chinese state in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , and the country sells the same technology to other repressive regimes around the world .
In the US the technology is increasingly used by the police via small contractors .
A recent report from the New York Times shed light on a facial recognition system that can search 3 billion photos scraped from websites like Facebook without users ’ consent , and is used by more than 600 local law enforcement agencies .
Pichai ’ s comments this week are particularly noteworthy as Google itself refuses to sell facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misuse and mass surveillance ) but has not previously argued for a ban .
Writing in an editorial for The Financial Times on Monday , Pichai advocated for greater regulation of artificial intelligence .
“ [ T ] here is no question in my mind that artificial intelligence needs to be regulated , ” he wrote .
“ Companies such as ours can not just build promising new technology and let market forces decide how it will be used.
” So far , the market is indeed dictating the rules , with big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue .
Microsoft sells facial recognition but has self-imposed limits , for example , like letting police use the technology in jails but not on the street , and not selling to immigration services .
Amazon has eagerly pursued police partnerships , particularly though its video Ring doorbells , which critics say gives law enforcement access to a massive crowdsourced surveillance network .
In the US , at least , it seems unlikely that a nationwide ban could be introduced .
Some cities in America like San Francisco and Berkley have independently banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has cited such measures as examples of regulatory overreach .
The government has indicated that it wants to take a hands-off approach to the regulation of AI , including facial recognition , in the name of spurring innovation .

The regulation of facial recognition is emerging as a key disagreement among the world’s biggest tech companies, with Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai suggesting a temporary ban, as recently suggested by the EU, might be welcome, while Microsoft’s chief legal officer Brad Smith cautions against such intervention.
“I think it is important that governments and regulations tackle it sooner rather than later and give a framework for it,” Pichai said at a conference in Brussels on Monday, reports Reuters. “It can be immediate but maybe there’s a waiting period before we really think about how it’s being used ... It’s up to governments to chart the course.”
But in an interview published last week, Smith, who also serves as Microsoft’s chief legal officer, was dismissive of the idea of a moratorium.
“This is young technology. It will get better.”
“Look, you can try to solve a problem with a meat cleaver or a scalpel,” Smith told NPR when questioned about a potential ban. “And, you know, if you can solve the problem in a way that enables good things to get done and bad things to stop happening ... that does require a scalpel. This is young technology. It will get better. But the only way to make it better is actually to continue developing it. And the only way to continue developing it actually is to have more people using it.”
The two executives’ comments come as the EU considers a five-year ban on the use of facial recognition in public spaces. The EU’s proposal, which was leaked to the press last week and could change when announced officially, says a temporary ban would give governments and regulators time to assess the dangers of the technology.
Across the world, law enforcement and private enterprise are increasingly using facial recognition to identify people in public spaces. While proponents argue that the technology helps solve crimes, critics say its unchecked adoption undermines civil liberties and leads to increased discrimination due to algorithmic bias.
Facial recognition is a key technology used by the Chinese state in the repression of its Muslim Uighur minority, for example, and the country sells the same technology to other repressive regimes around the world. In the US the technology is increasingly used by the police via small contractors. A recent report from the New York Times shed light on a facial recognition system that can search 3 billion photos scraped from websites like Facebook without users’ consent, and is used by more than 600 local law enforcement agencies.
Pichai’s comments this week are particularly noteworthy as Google itself refuses to sell facial recognition to customers (citing fears of misuse and mass surveillance) but has not previously argued for a ban. Writing in an editorial for The Financial Times on Monday, Pichai advocated for greater regulation of artificial intelligence.
“[T]here is no question in my mind that artificial intelligence needs to be regulated,” he wrote. “Companies such as ours cannot just build promising new technology and let market forces decide how it will be used.”
Facial recognition has become portable, fitting into products like these sunglasses worn by Chinese police officers. Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images
So far, the market is indeed dictating the rules, with big tech companies taking different stances on the issue. Microsoft sells facial recognition but has self-imposed limits, for example, like letting police use the technology in jails but not on the street, and not selling to immigration services. Amazon has eagerly pursued police partnerships, particularly though its video Ring doorbells, which critics say gives law enforcement access to a massive crowdsourced surveillance network.


theverge--2020-01-21--Google’s Pixelbook Go Chromebook is now available in that pink color

Google ’ s Pixelbook Go Chromebook is available in a color other than black now that the “ not pink ” version of the laptop is shipping from the US Google Store .
Although the base $ 649 configuration with an Intel Core M3 chip is still only available in black , you can get the pink model if you ’ re willing to step up to the $ 849 Core i5 version we tested in our review .
Chrome Unboxed was first to spot the availability of the new color scheme .
We can ’ t imagine there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on buying a Pixelbook Go purely because of the limited color options .
Nevertheless , it was a decent-enough laptop when we tried it out for ourselves .
Battery life is good , the keyboard is excellent , and overall it ’ s a solidly built laptop .
Its slightly high price means that we wouldn ’ t go as far as to recommend it as the best Chromebook around .
For comparison , Acer ’ s Chromebook C871 was announced earlier today with a starting price of $ 329 .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then there ’ s a version of the Pixelbook Go available with a 4K screen that was released in December for $ 1,399 .

Google’s Pixelbook Go Chromebook is available in a color other than black now that the “not pink” version of the laptop is shipping from the US Google Store. Although the base $649 configuration with an Intel Core M3 chip is still only available in black, you can get the pink model if you’re willing to step up to the $849 Core i5 version we tested in our review. Chrome Unboxed was first to spot the availability of the new color scheme.
We can’t imagine there are many people who’ve been holding off on buying a Pixelbook Go purely because of the limited color options. Nevertheless, it was a decent-enough laptop when we tried it out for ourselves. Battery life is good, the keyboard is excellent, and overall it’s a solidly built laptop. Its slightly high price means that we wouldn’t go as far as to recommend it as the best Chromebook around. For comparison, Acer’s Chromebook C871 was announced earlier today with a starting price of $329.
If you want to go all out, then there’s a version of the Pixelbook Go available with a 4K screen that was released in December for $1,399.
Google Pixelbook Go / Available starting at $649 Order on Google


theverge--2020-01-21--Disney+ is launching a week early in the UK and parts of Europe

Disney+ will now launch in the UK and other markets in Western Europe on March 24th , one week earlier than the March 31st release date that was originally announced .
Pricing has also been officially confirmed as £5.99/€6.99 a month or £59.99/€69.99 a year .
The service ’ s initial European roll out will cover the UK , Ireland , France , Germany , Italy , Spain , Austria , and Switzerland .
The news means that March 24th will be the first time much of Europe will be able to legally watch the original content that has debuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its official launch in the US , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , and The Netherlands last year .
These originals include the hit Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian , as well as High School Musical : The Musical : The Series , a live action version of Lady and the Tramp , and The World According to Jeff Goldblum .
The service launched in the US and Canada last year The service ’ s UK pricing is the same as Netflix ’ s standard definition tier , however Disney+ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no additional features locked behind more expensive subscription plans .
Variety notes that Disney ’ s service launched with almost 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes across the company ’ s Disney , Pixar , Marvel , Star Wars , and National Geographic brands .
After its initial March 24th launch , Disney says the streaming service will come to Belgium , the Nordics , and Portugal later in summer 2020 .

Disney+ will now launch in the UK and other markets in Western Europe on March 24th, one week earlier than the March 31st release date that was originally announced. Pricing has also been officially confirmed as £5.99/€6.99 a month or £59.99/€69.99 a year. The service’s initial European roll out will cover the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland.
The news means that March 24th will be the first time much of Europe will be able to legally watch the original content that has debuted on Disney’s streaming service following its official launch in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and The Netherlands last year. These originals include the hit Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian, as well as High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a live action version of Lady and the Tramp, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
The service launched in the US and Canada last year
The service’s UK pricing is the same as Netflix’s standard definition tier, however Disney+ is only offered at a single price with no additional features locked behind more expensive subscription plans. Variety notes that Disney’s service launched with almost 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes across the company’s Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic brands.
After its initial March 24th launch, Disney says the streaming service will come to Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal later in summer 2020.
Disney+ / $6.99 per month or $69.99 if you pay annually Subscribe


theverge--2020-01-21--Google is giving free $130 Stadia gaming kits to new Verizon Fios subscribers

Google has found its first major partner to help push the company ’ s nascent Stadia game streaming service in the United States : Verizon .
Tonight the companies announced that new Verizon Fios customers who sign up for the Gigabit plan will get a Stadia Premiere Edition and a three-month Stadia Pro subscription .
They ’ ll also receiver a Stadia controller and a Chromecast Ultra for using the service on a TV .
The deal kicks off on January 29th .
Once the three months are up , you ’ ll start getting charged Stadia ’ s normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are yours to keep .
The Stadia Premiere Edition usually goes for $ 130 .
Fios gigabit packages start at $ 79.99 per month , and the company recently unveiled a new “ mix and match ” approach to internet service that lets customers opt for a bundle of Fios internet and TV — or just the former combined with a streaming TV service like YouTube TV .
Verizon and Google have already partnered up on that front , giving Fios customers a free month of the subscription TV service / cable alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge game consoles , Google will need more deals like this that bring the service greater exposure .
Verizon says it ’ ll have additional Stadia promos for 5G Home customers , and also notes that the Stadia offer can be stacked with the free year of Disney+ that is also being gifted to Fios subscribers .
Definitely check out Verizon ’ s news release for all the fine print , however .

Google has found its first major partner to help push the company’s nascent Stadia game streaming service in the United States: Verizon. Tonight the companies announced that new Verizon Fios customers who sign up for the Gigabit plan will get a Stadia Premiere Edition and a three-month Stadia Pro subscription. They’ll also receiver a Stadia controller and a Chromecast Ultra for using the service on a TV.
The deal kicks off on January 29th. Once the three months are up, you’ll start getting charged Stadia’s normal $9.99/month subscription, but the gadgets are yours to keep. The Stadia Premiere Edition usually goes for $130.
Fios gigabit packages start at $79.99 per month, and the company recently unveiled a new “mix and match” approach to internet service that lets customers opt for a bundle of Fios internet and TV — or just the former combined with a streaming TV service like YouTube TV. Verizon and Google have already partnered up on that front, giving Fios customers a free month of the subscription TV service / cable alternative.


theverge--2020-01-21--The patent that would have cost Nintendo $10 million is worthless, judge rules

A Dallas company that successfully sued Nintendo for $ 10 million for patent infringement may not have invented anything in the first place , a federal court has ruled .
Although the novelty of Wii Tennis and other Wii Remote games has long since been replaced with newer models , Nintendo faced a slew of patent lawsuits challenging its motion-sensor technology when it introduced the Wii in the early 2000s , and in 2017 a jury actually ruled in favor of one of them , iLife Technologies .
But federal Judge Barbara Glynn ruled Friday that iLife ’ s patent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to patent something , you have to explain what you ’ ve actually invented , what ’ s new that competitors could rip off .
Judge Glynn seems to suggest in her ruling that what iLife ’ s patent application describes isn ’ t unique or new , but more of an abstract idea .
In 2015 , iLife ’ s then-CEO described technology that could monitor sudden death syndrome in babies or prevent falls among the elderly .
But Judge Glynn ’ s ruling says that the key patent ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ we use an accelerometer and processor to transmit motion sensing data somehow , ” with no indication that iLife has invented any new way to do that thing better than before .
“ Overall , claim 1 encompasses a sensor that senses data , a processor that processes data , and a communications device that communicates data , and no further inventive concept is recited to transform the abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention , ” Glynn writes in her ruling .
It ’ s not clear whether iLife Technologies even exists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes , its website has been taken down .
” Nintendo has a long history of developing new and unique products , and we are pleased that , after many years of litigation , the court agreed with Nintendo , ” Nintendo of America spokesman Ajay Singh said in a statement .
“ We will continue to vigorously defend our products against companies seeking to profit off of technology they did not invent .
”

A Dallas company that successfully sued Nintendo for $10 million for patent infringement may not have invented anything in the first place, a federal court has ruled. Although the novelty of Wii Tennis and other Wii Remote games has long since been replaced with newer models, Nintendo faced a slew of patent lawsuits challenging its motion-sensor technology when it introduced the Wii in the early 2000s, and in 2017 a jury actually ruled in favor of one of them, iLife Technologies.
But federal Judge Barbara G. Lynn ruled Friday that iLife’s patent is not valid. If you’re going to patent something, you have to explain what you’ve actually invented, what’s new that competitors could rip off. Judge Lynn seems to suggest in her ruling that what iLife’s patent application describes isn’t unique or new, but more of an abstract idea.
ILife’s patent didn’t meet the requirements, the judge ruled
In 2015, iLife’s then-CEO described technology that could monitor sudden death syndrome in babies or prevent falls among the elderly. But Judge Lynn’s ruling says that the key patent’s primary claim basically boils down to “we use an accelerometer and processor to transmit motion sensing data somehow,” with no indication that iLife has invented any new way to do that thing better than before.
“Overall, claim 1 encompasses a sensor that senses data, a processor that processes data, and a communications device that communicates data, and no further inventive concept is recited to transform the abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention,” Lynn writes in her ruling. It’s not clear whether iLife Technologies even exists any more; but as Ars Technica notes, its website has been taken down.
”Nintendo has a long history of developing new and unique products, and we are pleased that, after many years of litigation, the court agreed with Nintendo,” Nintendo of America spokesman Ajay Singh said in a statement. “We will continue to vigorously defend our products against companies seeking to profit off of technology they did not invent.”


theverge--2020-01-21--Netflix uses Google Trends to claim The Witcher was more popular than The Mandalorian

Netflix released its quarterly earnings report Tuesday afternoon , including a trove of new data on its latest hit , The Witcher .
Among the data points Netflix cites in promoting its business over the last three months includes a Google Trends chart comparing interest in its new fantasy adaptation to Disney+ ’ s The Mandalorian , the other huge streaming hit of the holiday season .
According to Netflix , The Witcher blew the competition out of the water , including trouncing not only the Star Wars spinoff , but also Apple TV Plus ’ The Morning Show and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data is a bit misleading .
Netflix ’ s included chart relies on global Google search data .
That ’ s an issue when comparing Netflix hits to those of new streaming services from Apple and Disney , both of which only launched in the last few months .
As you can see above , a popular Netflix show made available all across the world naturally trounces programs made available only in a few territories .
That makes sense .
Netflix is available in 190 countries , and The Witcher — based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its video game counterpart from a Polish game studio — was made available in multiple languages , helping its global appeal .
Disney+ , on the other hand , has only been available in five countries since its November launch : the US , Canada , the Netherlands , Australia , and New Zealand .
So although The Mandalorian featured more language and subtitle support than The Witcher , it simply can ’ t be watched in anywhere near as many countries .
If we adjust the Google Trends chart from “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” we get a more telling look at the two hit shows ’ popularity in comparison : What we see here is emblematic of the difference in release approach between Disney+ and Netflix , and the results are not as flattering for Netflix as they may seem .
The Witcher did indeed enjoy a huge spike in searches with its release in mid-December .
That ’ s to be expected , considering Netflix drops entire seasons all at once nearly everywhere its service is available .
And yes , that initial spike was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandalorian .
But Disney has opted for a traditional , weekly release approach in line with the standard TV practice we see HBO and others keep using .
And it looks like it paid off .
The Mandalorian experienced sizable , sustained boosts from its entire eight-episode run over the course of two months .
The finale and the premiere both had similar spikes in line with The Witcher ’ s popularity just a week or so after its release , indicating The Mandalorian likely maintained an impressive level of popularity throughout its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Witcher as a whole is less popular than at any time a new episode of The Mandalorian released throughout its first season .
Netflix may be sacrificing sustained popularity for short bursts of success As my colleague Chaim Gartenberg noted last month , this clashing of release strategies may help Netflix in the short term , but hurt the platform in the long run : “ By dropping every episode at once , Netflix is sacrificing weekly discussions around The Witcher for a short burst of popularity , after which it trickles off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attentions are quickly grabbed by the next big thing .
That extra time between episodes would let viewership build over time , as more people hear about the show or proselytize it to their friends.
” The Mandalorian , on the other hand , had the benefit of a enormous , organic meme in the form of Baby Yoda on top of a weekly and passionate deluge of recaps and analysis , fan theorizing , and genuine discussion on the series and its many Easter eggs and other Star Wars lore references .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a deal for Netflix right now , especially if its big hits keep clocking impressive viewing metrics like The Witcher did .
But if the goal for all of these services is to create the next big , buzzy hit show in the post-Game of Thrones era , the all-at-once release method may not be the best approach .
And the Google Trends data proves it .

Netflix released its quarterly earnings report Tuesday afternoon, including a trove of new data on its latest hit, The Witcher. Among the data points Netflix cites in promoting its business over the last three months includes a Google Trends chart comparing interest in its new fantasy adaptation to Disney+’s The Mandalorian, the other huge streaming hit of the holiday season.
According to Netflix, The Witcher blew the competition out of the water, including trouncing not only the Star Wars spinoff, but also Apple TV Plus’ The Morning Show and Amazon’s Jack Ryan. Yet the data is a bit misleading. Netflix’s included chart relies on global Google search data. That’s an issue when comparing Netflix hits to those of new streaming services from Apple and Disney, both of which only launched in the last few months.
Screenshot by Nick Statt / The Verge
As you can see above, a popular Netflix show made available all across the world naturally trounces programs made available only in a few territories. That makes sense. Netflix is available in 190 countries, and The Witcher — based both on a popular Polish book series and its video game counterpart from a Polish game studio — was made available in multiple languages, helping its global appeal.
Disney+, on the other hand, has only been available in five countries since its November launch: the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand. So although The Mandalorian featured more language and subtitle support than The Witcher, it simply can’t be watched in anywhere near as many countries.
If we adjust the Google Trends chart from “worldwide” to “United States,” we get a more telling look at the two hit shows’ popularity in comparison:
Screenshot by Nick Statt / The Verge
What we see here is emblematic of the difference in release approach between Disney+ and Netflix, and the results are not as flattering for Netflix as they may seem. The Witcher did indeed enjoy a huge spike in searches with its release in mid-December. That’s to be expected, considering Netflix drops entire seasons all at once nearly everywhere its service is available. And yes, that initial spike was greater than any one moment for The Mandalorian.
But Disney has opted for a traditional, weekly release approach in line with the standard TV practice we see HBO and others keep using. And it looks like it paid off. The Mandalorian experienced sizable, sustained boosts from its entire eight-episode run over the course of two months. The finale and the premiere both had similar spikes in line with The Witcher’s popularity just a week or so after its release, indicating The Mandalorian likely maintained an impressive level of popularity throughout its entire run. Right now, The Witcher as a whole is less popular than at any time a new episode of The Mandalorian released throughout its first season.
Netflix may be sacrificing sustained popularity for short bursts of success
As my colleague Chaim Gartenberg noted last month, this clashing of release strategies may help Netflix in the short term, but hurt the platform in the long run: “By dropping every episode at once, Netflix is sacrificing weekly discussions around The Witcher for a short burst of popularity, after which it trickles off into the void as people’s attentions are quickly grabbed by the next big thing. That extra time between episodes would let viewership build over time, as more people hear about the show or proselytize it to their friends.”
The Mandalorian, on the other hand, had the benefit of a enormous, organic meme in the form of Baby Yoda on top of a weekly and passionate deluge of recaps and analysis, fan theorizing, and genuine discussion on the series and its many Easter eggs and other Star Wars lore references. Perhaps this isn’t as big of a deal for Netflix right now, especially if its big hits keep clocking impressive viewing metrics like The Witcher did.


theverge--2020-01-21--Cold with a chance of falling iguanas, Miami National Weather Service warns

Miami ’ s National Weather Service issued a warning for falling iguanas along with a cold front swooping through South Florida today and tomorrow .
Temperatures are expected to drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit tonight , with wind chill values reaching the mid 20s .
That ’ s enough to ( seemingly ) freeze the cold-blooded creatures in their tracks .
“ This isn ’ t something we usually forecast , but don ’ t be surprised , ” NWS Miami said on Twitter .
“ They may fall from trees , but they are not dead.
” A similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cold-stunned iguanas littering residents ’ yards and patios .
The animals will usually revive on their own , although a lingering 2010 cold snap in Florida cut down the population .
Green iguanas are an invasive species to Florida , introduced by pet owners .
They ’ ve thrived in Florida ’ s subtropical climate , where they ’ ve managed to damage seawalls , sidewalks , and foundations by digging burrows .
They even cost West Palm Beach $ 1.8 billion in emergency repairs .
They might be a nuisance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they ’ re down .
“ I knew of a gentleman who was collecting them off the street and throwing them in the back of his station wagon , and all of a sudden these things are coming alive , crawling on his back and almost caused a wreck , ” wildlife photographer Ron Magill told NBC News in 2010 .

Miami’s National Weather Service issued a warning for falling iguanas along with a cold front swooping through South Florida today and tomorrow. Temperatures are expected to drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit tonight, with wind chill values reaching the mid 20s. That’s enough to (seemingly) freeze the cold-blooded creatures in their tracks.
“This isn’t something we usually forecast, but don’t be surprised,” NWS Miami said on Twitter. “They may fall from trees, but they are not dead.” A similar cold spell in 2018 led to photos of cold-stunned iguanas littering residents’ yards and patios.
The animals will usually revive on their own, although a lingering 2010 cold snap in Florida cut down the population. Green iguanas are an invasive species to Florida, introduced by pet owners. They’ve thrived in Florida’s subtropical climate, where they’ve managed to damage seawalls, sidewalks, and foundations by digging burrows. They even cost West Palm Beach $1.8 million in emergency repairs.
They might be a nuisance, but experts warn against moving the creatures while they’re down. “I knew of a gentleman who was collecting them off the street and throwing them in the back of his station wagon, and all of a sudden these things are coming alive, crawling on his back and almost caused a wreck,” wildlife photographer Ron Magill told NBC News in 2010.


theverge--2020-01-21--Saudi Arabian prince reportedly hacked Jeff Bezos’ phone with malicious WhatsApp message

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was targeted and successfully hacked through WhatsApp from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , according to a new report from The Guardian .
Citing the results of a digital forensic analysis , The Guardian says the hack , which took place in May 2018 , targeted unknown contents on Bezos ’ personal cellphone .
According to the report , Bezos and the Saudi prince were having a friendly exchange over WhatsApp when the crown prince ’ s account sent a mysterious video file , after which Bezos ’ device was compromised and large amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Guardian reports .
Heir apparent to the Saudi throne , Prince Mohammed was embroiled last year in the controversy over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi , and has faced growing outcry over his country ’ s civil rights record .
Bezos investigated potential security breaches after reports of his extramarital affair The incident is particularly notable because of a subsequent breach of Bezos ’ personal data less than a year later .
In February 2019 , Bezos publicly accused the National Enquirer in a bombshell Medium post of trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nude photos exposing details of his high-profile extramarital affair .
Reports of the affair published in the tabloid paper a month earlier revealed why he and his longtime wife MacKenzie Bezos were divorcing , leading Jeff to form an investigative team to discover how he was compromised .
Bezos ’ security chief , Gavin de Becker , later on suggested the Saudi government played a role in acquiring the information , and de Becker also floated the possibility that the Saudi government was a source for the National Enquirer ’ s story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensively and the CIA eventually determined the murder was personally ordered by the crown prince himself , despite the numerous denials and a suspect trial that eventually convicted eight men for the crime .
Some experts believe hacking Bezos may have been a way to gain leverage over the chief executive due to the Post ’ s often critical coverage of the kingdom , which included columns from Khashoggi himself before the journalist ’ s death .
“ He probably believed that if he got something on Bezos , it could shape coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Andrew Miller , an expert on the Middle East and a former national security advisor in the Obama administration , told The Guardian .
“ It is clear that the Saudis have no real boundaries or limits in terms of what they are prepared to do in order to protect and advance [ Mohammed bin Salman ] , whether it is going after the head of one of the largest companies in the world or a dissident who is on their own .
”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was targeted and successfully hacked through WhatsApp from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a new report from The Guardian. Citing the results of a digital forensic analysis, The Guardian says the hack, which took place in May 2018, targeted unknown contents on Bezos’ personal cellphone.
According to the report, Bezos and the Saudi prince were having a friendly exchange over WhatsApp when the crown prince’s account sent a mysterious video file, after which Bezos’ device was compromised and large amounts of data were transferred off the phone, The Guardian reports. A documentary titled The Dissident which premieres on Friday says that the video sent to Bezos’ phone took advantage of a WhatsApp vulnerability discovered in May 2018 to inject Pegasus spyware, The Washington Post reports. Heir apparent to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed was embroiled last year in the controversy over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and has faced growing outcry over his country’s civil rights record.
“Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos’ phone are absurd,” Saudi Arabia’s US embassy responded in a tweet denying The Guardian’s reporting. “We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out.”
Bezos investigated potential security breaches after reports of his extramarital affair
The alleged incident is particularly notable because of a subsequent breach of Bezos’ personal data less than a year later. In February 2019, Bezos publicly accused the National Enquirer in a bombshell Medium post of trying to blackmail him with text messages and nude photos exposing details of his high-profile extramarital affair.
Reports of the affair published in the tabloid paper a month earlier revealed why he and his longtime wife MacKenzie Bezos were divorcing, leading Jeff to form an investigative team to discover how he was compromised. Bezos’ security chief, Gavin de Becker, later on suggested the Saudi government played a role in acquiring the information, and de Becker also floated the possibility that the Saudi government was a source for the National Enquirer’s story.
The Washington Post covered the Khashoggi murder extensively and the CIA eventually determined the murder was personally ordered by the crown prince himself, despite the numerous denials and a suspect trial that eventually convicted eight men for the crime. Some experts believe hacking Bezos may have been a way to gain leverage over the chief executive due to the Post’s often critical coverage of the kingdom, which included columns from Khashoggi himself before the journalist’s death.
“He probably believed that if he got something on Bezos, it could shape coverage of Saudi Arabia in The Post,” Andrew Miller, an expert on the Middle East and a former national security advisor in the Obama administration, told The Guardian. “It is clear that the Saudis have no real boundaries or limits in terms of what they are prepared to do in order to protect and advance [Mohammed bin Salman], whether it is going after the head of one of the largest companies in the world or a dissident who is on their own.”


theverge--2020-01-21--Netflix grew bigger even amid competition from Baby Yoda

Even with the high-profile launches of Disney+ and Apple TV Plus last fall , Netflix added more subscribers than expected in the last three months of 2019 .
Its Q4 results released today show the company continued to grow , even as an avalanche of new streaming services approach and competitors start to release hit series .
According to Netflix , membership grew “ both globally and in the US on a year over year basis.
” Netflix reports that it now has more than 167 million paid subscribers and that it added about 8.8 million subscribers over the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same amount of subscribers Netflix added in Q4 2018 , and a good amount ahead of the 7.6 million subscribers the company was forecasting .
However , the company acknowledged that its price increases announced last January and launches of other streaming services may have affected growth in the US and Canada , where it added only 550,000 subscribers .
That ’ s down from the 610,000 subscribers it added in the third quarter of 2019 and down from the 1.75 million subscribers added in the fourth quarter of 2018 .
Competing services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also forecasting that in the first quarter of 2020 , it will add 7 million subscribers , which will be considerably less than the 9.6 million subscribers it added in the first quarter of 2019 .
The company says this is due to “ slightly elevated churn levels we are seeing in the US.
” Since the Baby Yoda-fueled juggernaut that is Disney+ is only available in the US , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , and The Netherlands , it ’ s not entirely surprising that it hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s subscriber growth so far .
And Disney+ won ’ t hit the UK and other markets in Western Europe until March 24th , or Belgium , the Nordics , and Portugal until later in summer 2020 .
Apple TV Plus has more reach than Disney+ , as it ’ s available in more than 100 countries , but it hasn ’ t quite had a smash hit like Disney ’ s The Mandalorian .
And other competitors are still a ways out — HBO Max won ’ t launch until May 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t launching until July 15th , for example .
And none of the competing services have Netflix ’ s 190-country footprint just yet , so it may still be a while before we see if any of them can really take subscribers away from Netflix in the long term .
In today ’ s earnings , Netflix also shared some figures about its content , including that 76 million households have watched at least two minutes of The Witcher .

Even with the high-profile launches of Disney+ and Apple TV Plus last fall, Netflix added more subscribers than expected in the last three months of 2019. Its Q4 results released today show the company continued to grow, even as an avalanche of new streaming services approach and competitors start to release hit series.
According to Netflix, membership grew “both globally and in the US on a year over year basis.” Netflix reports that it now has more than 167 million paid subscribers and that it added about 8.8 million subscribers over the previous three months. That was about the same amount of subscribers Netflix added in Q4 2018, and a good amount ahead of the 7.6 million subscribers the company was forecasting.
However, the company acknowledged that its price increases announced last January and launches of other streaming services may have affected growth in the US and Canada, where it added only 550,000 subscribers. That’s down from the 610,000 subscribers it added in the third quarter of 2019 and down from the 1.75 million subscribers added in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Competing services may have affected US subscriber growth
Netflix is also forecasting that in the first quarter of 2020, it will add 7 million subscribers, which will be considerably less than the 9.6 million subscribers it added in the first quarter of 2019. The company says this is due to “slightly elevated churn levels we are seeing in the US.”
Since the Baby Yoda-fueled juggernaut that is Disney+ is only available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and The Netherlands, it’s not entirely surprising that it hasn’t had a massive effect on Netflix’s subscriber growth so far. And Disney+ won’t hit the UK and other markets in Western Europe until March 24th, or Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal until later in summer 2020.
Apple TV Plus has more reach than Disney+, as it’s available in more than 100 countries, but it hasn’t quite had a smash hit like Disney’s The Mandalorian. And other competitors are still a ways out — HBO Max won’t launch until May 2020, while NBC’s Peacock isn’t launching until July 15th, for example. And none of the competing services have Netflix’s 190-country footprint just yet, so it may still be a while before we see if any of them can really take subscribers away from Netflix in the long term.
In today’s earnings, Netflix also shared some figures about its content, including that 76 million households have watched at least two minutes of The Witcher.


theverge--2020-01-21--Oculus is dropping the Oculus Go from its business platform

Oculus ’ virtual reality business software program is dropping support for the budget Go headset , pushing users toward the fuller-featured Quest .
UploadVR noted today that the “ Oculus for Business ” page no longer lists the Oculus Go for the platform .
An explanatory note says “ it ’ s become clear that Oculus Quest , with its high end graphics and fully immersive capabilities , is the best solution for most business VR needs .
We ’ ve decided to focus our efforts on developing the platform based on Quest features and functionality.
” Businesses can still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allows for commercial use , but they won ’ t get Oculus for Business software , which includes features like remote device management .
A representative told UploadVR that the Go was withdrawn after a closed beta period , and for the “ small number ” of customers impacted by this choice , “ we are partnering on various solutions that include transitioning them to Quest.
” This news comes after Oculus ( which is owned by Facebook ) permanently cut the consumer Go ’ s price by $ 50 , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oculus designer Dimitri Diakopoulos wrote on Twitter , it ’ s easy to read this as a death knell for the Go , even if the headset isn ’ t going away just yet .
The Go isn ’ t as good for gaming as the Quest or Rift S since it doesn ’ t have full-fledged motion controllers and it won ’ t let you walk around a virtual space .
It was designed for passive VR media like film , but that ’ s getting harder and harder to find .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a bare-bones but still well-constructed VR headset made sense ; Walmart bought Go headsets for employee training , for instance .
But now , Oculus is downplaying even that use case and betting more of its money on the fuller-featured Quest .

Oculus’ virtual reality business software program is dropping support for the budget Go headset, pushing users toward the fuller-featured Quest. UploadVR noted today that the “Oculus for Business” page no longer lists the Oculus Go for the platform. An explanatory note says “it’s become clear that Oculus Quest, with its high end graphics and fully immersive capabilities, is the best solution for most business VR needs. We’ve decided to focus our efforts on developing the platform based on Quest features and functionality.”
Businesses can still place bulk Go orders with a license that allows for commercial use, but they won’t get Oculus for Business software, which includes features like remote device management. A representative told UploadVR that the Go was withdrawn after a closed beta period, and for the “small number” of customers impacted by this choice, “we are partnering on various solutions that include transitioning them to Quest.” This news comes after Oculus (which is owned by Facebook) permanently cut the consumer Go’s price by $50, bringing it to $149.


theverge--2020-01-21--Eight Senators snuck Apple Watches into impeachment hearings despite electronics ban

Eight senators have been spotted wearing Apple Watches to President Trump ’ s impeachment trial , seemingly breaking the chamber ’ s ban on electronics during the proceedings .
The apparent violations were spotted by Roll Call , which saw Apple Watches on the wrists of six Republican senators and two Democratic senators , as well as an aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
Under rules published last week , senators are prohibited from bringing any electronics into the chamber .
“ No use of phones or electronic devices will be allowed in the Chamber .
All electronics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the storage provided , ” the rules read .
No specific reason was given for the ban — whether it ’ s a concern about senators recording private conversations , causing a commotion on social media , or just being distracted during an important proceeding .
Apple Watches include messaging and recording features , and newer models can come with LTE to keep users connected even when there ’ s no Wi-Fi .
They ’ re a lot harder to tweet from and read emails on than a smartphone , though .
Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his social media manager — mocked the ban , tweeting an image of an iPhone that says “ come and take it ” after he was accused of tweeting during the proceedings .
Cruz hasn ’ t been spotted with an iPhone on the Senate floor .
Taking photos , videos , or audio recordings has been banned in the House of Representatives since 2017 , with violators paying up to a $ 2,500 fine starting on their second offense .
The Senate ’ s ban is broader than that , prohibiting electronics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
But it doesn ’ t appear to have implemented a fine like in the House , so it may be trickier to enforce — especially for something as low profile as a smartwatch .

Eight senators have been spotted wearing Apple Watches to President Trump’s impeachment trial, seemingly breaking the chamber’s ban on electronics during the proceedings. The apparent violations were spotted by Roll Call, which saw Apple Watches on the wrists of six Republican senators and two Democratic senators, as well as an aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Under rules published last week, senators are prohibited from bringing any electronics into the chamber. “No use of phones or electronic devices will be allowed in the Chamber. All electronics should be left in the Cloakroom in the storage provided,” the rules read.
No specific reason was given for the ban — whether it’s a concern about senators recording private conversations, causing a commotion on social media, or just being distracted during an important proceeding. Apple Watches include messaging and recording features, and newer models can come with LTE to keep users connected even when there’s no Wi-Fi. They’re a lot harder to tweet from and read emails on than a smartphone, though.
Senator Ted Cruz — or at least, his social media manager — mocked the ban, tweeting an image of an iPhone that says “come and take it” after he was accused of tweeting during the proceedings. But Cruz hasn’t been spotted with an iPhone on the Senate floor, and a Cruz spokesperson later confirmed to The Verge that he didn’t bring his phone onto the Senate floor.
Taking photos, videos, or audio recordings has been banned in the House of Representatives since 2017, with violators paying up to a $2,500 fine starting on their second offense. The Senate’s ban is broader than that, prohibiting electronics even when they’re not in use. But it doesn’t appear to have implemented a fine like in the House, so it may be trickier to enforce — especially for something as low profile as a smartwatch.


theverge--2020-01-21--AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT review roundup: the new desktop GPU to beat under $300

At CES 2020 , AMD announced its new Radeon RX 5600 XT , a midrange $ 279 graphics card utilizing the company ’ s Navi architecture that sits between the cheaper RX 5500 series and the more powerful RX 5700 series .
AMD is positioning the 5600 XT as “ the ultimate graphics card for 1080p gaming , ” and reviews out today seem to indicate that AMD might have made a card that ’ s exactly that .
Anandtech found that the RX 5600 XT lives up to AMD ’ s “ ultimate ” claim , averaging more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it tested — that game being Metro Exodus .
At 1080p with all of the settings cranked to their highest ( with the Nvidia ’ s HairWorks graphical setting turned off ) , it managed 58 frames per second , a respectable count that ’ s a handful of frames ahead of the slightly more expensive Nvidia RTX 2060 .
The publication said that the card is “ fast enough to deliver a no-compromises experience even with the craziest settings.
” It also said that the 5600 XT “ clobbers ” Nvidia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and similarly priced card that also targets gamers who want great 1080p graphics .
Other reviewers saw great performance as well .
Tom ’ s Hardware found that the card “ easily ” eclipsed 60 fps at 1080p ( with maximum settings activated ) on most of the titles that it tested , which includes heavy hitters like The Division 2 and Gears of War 5 .
Compared to the RTX 2060 , the 5600 XT maintained a higher , steadier frame rate across the board .
PC Gamer found 1080p to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card and said it achieved average frame rates of around 137 fps across 12 games .
The closest competitor to the 5600 XT is probably the aforementioned Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti , which came out last year and also costs $ 279 , and reviewers generally found that the RX 5600 XT performed better than the GTX 1660 Ti .
But perhaps in response to AMD ’ s new card , Nvidia dropped the price on its entry-level ray-tracing graphics card , the RTX 2060 Founders Edition , to $ 299 .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competition at that sub- $ 300 price point , though models at this price point currently appear to be sold out .
Directly comparing the two cards together , Tom ’ s Hardware found that the 5600 XT “ wins more than it loses ” against the RTX 2060 , though only Nvidia ’ s option can handle ray tracing .
Engadget called the 5600 XT “ the most powerful 1080p gaming option on the market under $ 300 , ” though , and other reviews are backing that up .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will let you play games at 1080p and high frame rates , the 5600 XT seems like it could be a good choice .
If you ’ re looking to get your hands on one of these cards , PC Gamer has found several configurations of AMD ’ s new graphics card that are available right now , starting at $ 279.99 .

Anandtech found that the RX 5600 XT lives up to AMD’s “ultimate” claim, averaging more than 60 fps in all but one game it tested — that game being Metro Exodus. At 1080p with all of the settings cranked to their highest (with the Nvidia’s HairWorks graphical setting turned off), it managed 58 frames per second, a respectable count that’s a handful of frames ahead of the slightly more expensive Nvidia RTX 2060. The publication said that the card is “fast enough to deliver a no-compromises experience even with the craziest settings.” It also said that the 5600 XT “clobbers” Nvidia’s GTX 1660 Ti, a popular and similarly priced card that also targets gamers who want great 1080p graphics.
Other reviewers saw great performance as well. Tom’s Hardware found that the card “easily” eclipsed 60 fps at 1080p (with maximum settings activated) on most of the titles that it tested, which includes heavy hitters like The Division 2 and Gears of War 5. Compared to the RTX 2060, the 5600 XT maintained a higher, steadier frame rate across the board. PC Gamer found 1080p to be an “easy hurdle” for the card and said it achieved average frame rates of around 137 fps across 12 games.
The closest competitor to the 5600 XT is probably the aforementioned Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti, which came out last year and also costs $279, and reviewers generally found that the RX 5600 XT performed better than the GTX 1660 Ti. But perhaps in response to AMD’s new card, Nvidia dropped the price on its entry-level ray-tracing graphics card, the RTX 2060 Founders Edition, to $299. So there’s now a bit more competition at that sub-$300 price point, though models at this price point currently appear to be sold out. Directly comparing the two cards together, Tom’s Hardware found that the 5600 XT “wins more than it loses” against the RTX 2060, though only Nvidia’s option can handle ray tracing.
Engadget called the 5600 XT “the most powerful 1080p gaming option on the market under $300,” though, and other reviews are backing that up. If you’re looking for a midrange card that will let you play games at 1080p and high frame rates, the 5600 XT seems like it could be a good choice.
If you’re looking to get your hands on one of these cards, PC Gamer has found several configurations of AMD’s new graphics card that are available right now, starting at $279.99.
If you’re planning to buy a 5600 XT, you should know that just days before it was released, AMD pushed a BIOS update for it that may improve performance, and that BIOS update may not make its way to every card you can buy off the shelf today. However, Anandtech and PC Gamer both found that the $289 Sapphire Pulse RX 5600 XT cards they reviewed, which is slightly more powerful and more expensive than AMD’s $279 5600 XT reference design, were pretty good even before the BIOS update, so the performance gains they found from the BIOS update were a cherry on top.
Anandtech has a good explainer on how the BIOS updates affected performance for the Sapphire Pulse it reviewed. The gist of the whole situation is that the BIOS update seems to make specific factory-overclocked versions of the 5600 XT even more desirable — but none of the reviews we’ve cited in this article relied on that fact to come to their conclusions.


theverge--2020-01-21--Netflix reveals that 76 million people watched at least two minutes of The Witcher

Netflix ’ s fourth quarter 2019 earnings are here , and so are the first official numbers for Netflix ’ s latest streaming hit The Witcher .
The company says the series was watched by 76 million households , making it the most-watched first season of television ever for Netflix .
That ’ s according to Netflix ’ s newly unveiled definition of “ watched , ” which it changed from “ watched 70 percent of a single episode of a series ” to anyone who “ chose to watch and did watch for at least 2 minutes.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the two-minute time period is meant to be “ long enough to indicate the choice was intentional , ” and it says that it follows similar metrics used by BBC ’ s iPlayer , YouTube , and The New York Times ’ measurements of page views .
But the reasoning behind the change is obvious : to juice viewer numbers , with Netflix acknowledging that the new two-minute metric is “ about 35 % higher on average than the prior metric.
” What counts as a “ watch , ” anyway ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two minutes of The Witcher is less time than it takes to reach the opening credits of the first episode ; the action-packed cold opening is coincidentally two minutes and 16 seconds long .
By Netflix ’ s new metric , anyone who watched just the opening scene of the episode ( or 3.2 percent of the total runtime of the episode , which is itself one of eight episodes ) is now counted as a view for the entire season .
That is also shorter than the amount of time it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Toss a Coin to Your Witcher , ” which is also featured in the series .
Still , no matter how you slice it , 76 million households in the first four weeks is a lot of eyes on The Witcher , which Netflix says is “ tracking to be our biggest season one TV series ever.
” And apparently that ’ s enough for Netflix to invest in the show for the long haul , as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said The Witcher is a “ massive new franchise that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a video interview today .
It was renewed for a second season before season one aired , but Hastings ’ comments seem to indicate that it will be a multi-season show .
The company also announced that 6 Underground from director Michael Bay and starring Ryan Reynolds was viewed by 83 million households in its first four weeks ( using the company ’ s new metric ) .
By comparison , Netflix expected The Irishman to hit just 40 million views in its first month out , although that doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Underground ’ s numbers get from the new two-minute metric .
Update January 21st , 7:05PM ET : Added quote about The Witcher ’ s future from CEO Reed Hastings .

Netflix’s fourth quarter 2019 earnings are here, and so are the first official numbers for Netflix’s latest streaming hit The Witcher. The company says the series was watched by 76 million households, making it the most-watched first season of television ever for Netflix. That’s according to Netflix’s newly unveiled definition of “watched,” which it changed from “watched 70 percent of a single episode of a series” to anyone who “chose to watch and did watch for at least 2 minutes.”
In explaining the new metric, Netflix notes that the two-minute time period is meant to be “long enough to indicate the choice was intentional,” and it says that it follows similar metrics used by BBC’s iPlayer, YouTube, and The New York Times’ measurements of page views. But the reasoning behind the change is obvious: to juice viewer numbers, with Netflix acknowledging that the new two-minute metric is “about 35% higher on average than the prior metric.”
What counts as a “watch,” anyway?
To put that number in perspective, two minutes of The Witcher is less time than it takes to reach the opening credits of the first episode; the action-packed cold opening is coincidentally two minutes and 16 seconds long. By Netflix’s new metric, anyone who watched just the opening scene of the episode (or 3.2 percent of the total runtime of the episode, which is itself one of eight episodes) is now counted as a view for the entire season. That is also shorter than the amount of time it would take to listen to the hit song “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,” which is also featured in the series.
Still, no matter how you slice it, 76 million households in the first four weeks is a lot of eyes on The Witcher, which Netflix says is “tracking to be our biggest season one TV series ever.” And apparently that’s enough for Netflix to invest in the show for the long haul, as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said The Witcher is a “massive new franchise that we’ll develop season after season” in a video interview today. It was renewed for a second season before season one aired, but Hastings’ comments seem to indicate that it will be a multi-season show.
The company also announced that 6 Underground from director Michael Bay and starring Ryan Reynolds was viewed by 83 million households in its first four weeks (using the company’s new metric). By comparison, Netflix expected The Irishman to hit just 40 million views in its first month out, although that doesn’t factor in the 35 percent boost 6 Underground’s numbers get from the new two-minute metric.


theverge--2020-01-22--Can Apple live up to Apple’s privacy ads?

The thing that convulsed the internet for much of yesterday was this Reuters report that Apple decided against throwing away its keys to users ’ encrypted iCloud backups after the FBI complained about encryption .
The word “ after ” does a lot of work in that formulation — it reads as though it ’ s meant to be about cause but might just simply be about chronology .
Reuters itself didn ’ t come out and say that Apple chose to retain the ability to unlock your iCloud backups because it was worried about the FBI freaking out if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t not not say that either .
One source told the outlet that “ Apple didn ’ t want to poke the bear , ” the bear being the FBI .
The news isn ’ t that the iCloud loophole exists — we ’ ve always known that .
If Reuters ’ reporting is correct ( and I have no reason to doubt it ) , the news is Apple ’ s rare about-face on its march to protect your data .
It ’ s caused a stir because the larger context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusing Apple of refusing to help with FBI investigations , a claim Apple strenuously denies .
But inside that denial is also the awkward fact that Apple has access to that data in the first place via the iCloud loophole .
Apple set itself up as the paragon of privacy over the past year .
I ’ d argue that Apple ’ s own rhetoric around privacy and security meant that anything less than perfectly private and secure data would be seen as a failure .
And friends : there is no such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To be clear , Apple really is doing a lot to try to limit the collection and spread of your data — that ’ s one of the core issues in the big Browser War I wrote about last week .
It also has been way out ahead of the rest of big tech when it comes to on-device encryption .
Other big tech companies should be doing more to follow Apple ’ s example when it comes to device encryption and tracking .
Credit where due .
Speaking of credit where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say I forgot about this until John Gruber mentioned it — Google offers full backup encryption that it can ’ t access on its servers for newer Android phones .
( If only it would offer a more secure default messaging experience ! )
Anyway , this whole story was all anybody in tech was talking about yesterday ( until the Bezos phone hack story hit .
Like I said , there ’ s a lot going on ! )
.
My favorite tweet on the whole fight comes from Joe Cieplinski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly the right context : I don ’ t know if there is a complete absence of reason , but the truth is that data privacy and encryption is Really Actually Quite Complicated .
As much a we ’ d like it to be a simple binary choice between secure and not , the truth is that security is a spectrum .
You make a trade-off every time you choose a password you have a ghost of a chance of remembering .
Apple makes a trade-off when it chooses to keep the decryption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Tim Cook spoke directly to this issue that I ’ m aware of , he said Apple kept the keys for users who forget their passwords .
That ’ s a legitimate use case , and whether you believe that to be the main reason or not is between you and your general level of trust in Apple and in big tech generally .
This debate has been a long time coming , by the way .
It was already one of those things that tech people sort of knew but didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mossberg wrote about the “ iCloud loophole ” in 2016 in his column on The Verge .
It was a vaguely troubling thing back in 2016 .
Now in 2020 , it ’ s a much bigger story because Apple itself made it the story of the iPhone all of last year .
When you put up a giant billboard at the biggest consumer electronics show in America touting that “ What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone , ” as Apple did at CES in 2019 , people tend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
When you follow it up with a “ Privacy matters ” ad in May , people expect you to live up to it .
The heat on this topic is high in large part because Apple ’ s own rhetoric has been so vociferous .
This might sound like I ’ m railing against Apple for hypocrisy .
I am not — yet .
As I mentioned , data security is a spectrum and it ’ s difficult to understand how everything works in the first place .
If I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s for talking about data security and privacy in such absolutist terms .
And I get the impetus !
Putting up a billboard that reads “ Every security and privacy decision involves trade-offs and we are making the best choices we can in that regard without locking your phone down so much you can barely use it ” isn ’ t going to sell a lot of phones .
That ’ s not how marketing works .
What ’ s next ?
I expect a lot of hunkering down from Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our request for comment , for example ) .
I don ’ t know how long it can simply stay silent , however .
The FBI and the Attorney General are definitely going to keep pushing .
I doubt Apple ’ s big tech competitors will make hay about it in the way Apple itself has , but that doesn ’ t mean Apple ’ s users won ’ t demand better .
Apple ’ s choices for iCloud backups involve trade-offs that reasonable people can argue about .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact I don ’ t think I do ) , but it would be nice to have an open , nuanced discussion about them .
The problem is that , as Cieplinski tweeted , nuance and reason are in pretty short supply when it comes to discussions about encryption .
More stories from The Verge └ Exclusive look at Cruise ’ s first driverless car without a steering wheel or pedals Andrew Hawkins with the inside ( pardon the pun ) look at GM ’ s entry into the self-driving car discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially .
└ Microsoft ’ s CEO looks to a future beyond Windows , iOS , and Android Tom Warren has a great write up of what a bunch of reporters learned about Microsoft ’ s strategy at a small summit in New York last week .
This quote from CEO Satya Nadella is really something : James Vincent on the recent back and forth about facial recognition .
Here ’ s an idea : what if we set tech policy by a democratic system involving our duly elected representative instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their image .
Weird , I know .
└ SpaceX successfully tests escape system on new spacecraft — while destroying a rocket Loren Grush has all the details , including this bit from Elon Musk , who knows how to give a good quote : └ Meet the 26-year-old socialist trucker running for Congress on TikTok Great profile from Makena Kelly !
Mostly , though , I ’ m going to be laughing for days over the phrase “ yeet the rich.
” └ Sonos and Tile execs warn Congress that Amazon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adi Robertson ’ s story on one of the most engaging hearings I ’ ve seen in quite some time .
I know it ’ s nothing like impeachment or having big tech CEOs testify , but if you care at all about the consumer tech ecosystem , you should pay attention .
At the very least I recommend watching some of the surprisingly forthright opening statements from all of these companies — each of them could be snuffed out in an instant by Amazon or Google or Apple and those giant companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The testimony starts at around the 45 minute mark here .
Things that are not modular and things that are └ Sonos will stop providing software updates for its oldest products in May Speaking of Sonos , this is a tough but probably necessary call .
The fact that its system won ’ t update beyond what the oldest speaker in your network can handle is a bummer .
Maybe in the future that won ’ t be a limitation .
I cracked a joke on Twitter about how this is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gadgetry is short-sighted .
But it ’ s not really a joke .
All the attempts to do it on phones have basically flopped — some so much so ( Ara ! )
that it has poisoned consumers on the whole idea , which is a shame .
Super fun video with with Becca Farsace .
This board seems genuinely cool and modular ( at least something can be in 2020 ! )
.
Mixing and matching parts to get the thing to meet your needs is great .
...
The fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battery is full is not so great .
└ Skip pulls back the curtain on the high costs of electric scooter maintenance Modularity !
Turns out re-purposing a bunch of scooters original designed for light , personal use into heavy-duty rideshare vehicles was a bad idea .
Good on Skip for the transparency here , and hopefully we ’ ll see these things get more durable over time .

The thing that convulsed the internet for much of yesterday was this Reuters report that Apple decided against throwing away its keys to users’ encrypted iCloud backups after the FBI complained about encryption.
The word “after” does a lot of work in that formulation — it reads as though it’s meant to be about cause but might just simply be about chronology. Reuters itself didn’t come out and say that Apple chose to retain the ability to unlock your iCloud backups because it was worried about the FBI freaking out if it locked them down, but didn’t not not say that either. One source told the outlet that “Apple didn’t want to poke the bear,” the bear being the FBI.
The news isn’t that the iCloud loophole exists — we’ve always known that. If Reuters’ reporting is correct (and I have no reason to doubt it), the news is Apple’s rare about-face on its march to protect your data.
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It’s caused a stir because the larger context is that the US Attorney General is accusing Apple of refusing to help with FBI investigations, a claim Apple strenuously denies. But inside that denial is also the awkward fact that Apple has access to that data in the first place via the iCloud loophole.
Apple set itself up as the paragon of privacy over the past year. I’d argue that Apple’s own rhetoric around privacy and security meant that anything less than perfectly private and secure data would be seen as a failure. And friends: there is no such thing as perfectly private and secure data.
To be clear, Apple really is doing a lot to try to limit the collection and spread of your data — that’s one of the core issues in the big Browser War I wrote about last week. It also has been way out ahead of the rest of big tech when it comes to on-device encryption. Other big tech companies should be doing more to follow Apple’s example when it comes to device encryption and tracking. Credit where due.
Anyway, this whole story was all anybody in tech was talking about yesterday (until the Bezos phone hack story hit. Like I said, there’s a lot going on!). My favorite tweet on the whole fight comes from Joe Cieplinski, who puts the whole debate into exactly the right context:
I love that now the non-tech world thinks Apple is aiding terrorists, and the tech world is simultaneously thinking Apple is selling us out to the FBI. ... Gotta love the complete absence of reason in our discourse these days.
I don’t know if there is a complete absence of reason, but the truth is that data privacy and encryption is Really Actually Quite Complicated. As much a we’d like it to be a simple binary choice between secure and not, the truth is that security is a spectrum. You make a trade-off every time you choose a password you have a ghost of a chance of remembering. Apple makes a trade-off when it chooses to keep the decryption key for iCloud backups.
The last time Tim Cook spoke directly to this issue that I’m aware of, he said Apple kept the keys for users who forget their passwords. That’s a legitimate use case, and whether you believe that to be the main reason or not is between you and your general level of trust in Apple and in big tech generally.
This debate has been a long time coming, by the way. It was already one of those things that tech people sort of knew but didn’t think much about when Walt Mossberg wrote about the “iCloud loophole” in 2016 in his column on The Verge. It was a vaguely troubling thing back in 2016. Now in 2020, it’s a much bigger story because Apple itself made it the story of the iPhone all of last year.
When you put up a giant billboard at the biggest consumer electronics show in America touting that “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone,” as Apple did at CES in 2019, people tend to want to see you live up to it. When you follow it up with a “Privacy matters” ad in May, people expect you to live up to it. The heat on this topic is high in large part because Apple’s own rhetoric has been so vociferous.
This might sound like I’m railing against Apple for hypocrisy. I am not — yet. As I mentioned, data security is a spectrum and it’s difficult to understand how everything works in the first place. If I’m unhappy with Apple for anything, it’s for talking about data security and privacy in such absolutist terms.
And I get the impetus! Putting up a billboard that reads “Every security and privacy decision involves trade-offs and we are making the best choices we can in that regard without locking your phone down so much you can barely use it” isn’t going to sell a lot of phones. That’s not how marketing works.
What’s next? I expect a lot of hunkering down from Apple (it hasn’t responded to our request for comment, for example). I don’t know how long it can simply stay silent, however. The FBI and the Attorney General are definitely going to keep pushing. I doubt Apple’s big tech competitors will make hay about it in the way Apple itself has, but that doesn’t mean Apple’s users won’t demand better.
Apple’s choices for iCloud backups involve trade-offs that reasonable people can argue about. I don’t know that I agree with them (in fact I don’t think I do), but it would be nice to have an open, nuanced discussion about them. The problem is that, as Cieplinski tweeted, nuance and reason are in pretty short supply when it comes to discussions about encryption.
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Andrew Hawkins with the inside (pardon the pun) look at GM’s entry into the self-driving car discussion. Don’t miss the video, especially.
Inside are two bench seats facing each other, a pair of screens on either end... and nothing else. The absence of all the stuff you expect to see when climbing into a vehicle is jarring. No steering wheel, no pedals, no gear shift, no cockpit to speak of, no obvious way for a human to take control should anything go wrong. There’s a new car smell, but it’s not unpleasant. It’s almost like cucumber-infused water.
Tom Warren has a great write up of what a bunch of reporters learned about Microsoft’s strategy at a small summit in New York last week. This quote from CEO Satya Nadella is really something:
”Windows with its billion is good, Android with its 2 billion is good, iOS with its billion is good — but there is 46 billion more. So let’s go and look at what that 46 billion plus 4 [billion] looks like, and define a strategy for that, and then have everything have a place under the sun.”
James Vincent on the recent back and forth about facial recognition. Here’s an idea: what if we set tech policy by a democratic system involving our duly elected representative instead of whatever these corporations think is best for their image. Weird, I know.
So far, the market is indeed dictating the rules, with big tech companies taking different stances on the issue. Microsoft sells facial recognition but has self-imposed limits, for example, like letting police use the technology in jails but not on the street, and not selling to immigration services. Amazon has eagerly pursued police partnerships, particularly though its video Ring doorbells, which critics say gives law enforcement access to a massive crowdsourced surveillance network.
Loren Grush has all the details, including this bit from Elon Musk, who knows how to give a good quote:
But Musk said the Crew Dragon could have survived if it had been right on top of the fireball. “Since the spacecraft has a very powerful base heat shield, it should not really be significantly affected by the fireball,” Musk said. “It could quite literally look like something out of Star Wars, where it flies right out of the fireball.” Musk also noted that the Crew Dragon could do an escape like at any point during the climb to space, right up until it’s deployed into orbit.
Great profile from Makena Kelly! Mostly, though, I’m going to be laughing for days over the phrase “yeet the rich.”
Adi Robertson’s story on one of the most engaging hearings I’ve seen in quite some time. I know it’s nothing like impeachment or having big tech CEOs testify, but if you care at all about the consumer tech ecosystem, you should pay attention. At the very least I recommend watching some of the surprisingly forthright opening statements from all of these companies — each of them could be snuffed out in an instant by Amazon or Google or Apple and those giant companies might not even notice they did it. The testimony starts at around the 45 minute mark here.
Things that are not modular and things that are
Speaking of Sonos, this is a tough but probably necessary call. The fact that its system won’t update beyond what the oldest speaker in your network can handle is a bummer. Maybe in the future that won’t be a limitation. I cracked a joke on Twitter about how this is an example of why the lack of modular gadgetry is short-sighted. But it’s not really a joke. All the attempts to do it on phones have basically flopped — some so much so (Ara!) that it has poisoned consumers on the whole idea, which is a shame.
Super fun video with with Becca Farsace. This board seems genuinely cool and modular (at least something can be in 2020!). Mixing and matching parts to get the thing to meet your needs is great. ...The fact that it can’t brake when the battery is full is not so great.
Modularity! Turns out re-purposing a bunch of scooters original designed for light, personal use into heavy-duty rideshare vehicles was a bad idea. Good on Skip for the transparency here, and hopefully we’ll see these things get more durable over time.