theverge--2020-02-05--Tech company Super Bowl ads said as little as possible

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
Two quick things : One , there were major formatting issues with Thursday ’ s newsletter ; Revue says it was a bug .
If you recoiled in horror from the formatting and skipped the ( magnificent ! )
column , you can catch up here .
Two , we ’ re looking forward to seeing lots of you in San Francisco on Tuesday for the second Interface Live event with Anna Wiener .
I love meeting newsletter readers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re there !
And now on with today ’ s update .
Are you ready for some football-assisted Big Tech brand rehab ?
With the techlash in full swing , and Congress investigating the giants for various privacy and antitrust issues , tech companies have few obvious levers for reversing the erosion of public trust .
But the Super Bowl , which brings together a critical mass of drunken Americans before their televisions to watch unnaturally large men shorten their lives , offers an appealing opportunity to reset the narrative on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our giants shot their shot .
Let ’ s see what they had to say .
Google , with its heartstring-tugging ad “ Loretta , ” made an emotional case for the collection and preservation of highly personal data .
In it , an elderly man tells the Google Assistant a series of things he wants to remember about his dead wife .
“ Remember she always snorted when she laughed , ” goes one .
“ Loretta used to hum showtunes , ” is another .
“ A little help with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concludes , as make-you-cry piano chords tinkle in the background .
The message is clear : tell Google everything you know now , or forget your dead wife forever .
I found it all rather moving , in spite of myself , even if the user experience of remembering currently leaves something to be desired .
( It ’ s just “ Here ’ s what you told me to remember , ” followed by a dictated list of bullet points .
“ Show me photos of me and Loretta , ” also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better . )
Anyway the ad is based on the experience of actual Googlers , so if you don ’ t like this ad you ’ re a bad person !
Over at Amazon , # BeforeAlexa — yes , the ad was named after its own social hashtag ; get it trending fam !
— featured Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi wondering what life was like before the introduction of the company ’ s voice-activated assistant .
( The period before Alexa covers all of human history before November 2014 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 41 , respectively . )
It goes on to show a bunch of jobs that were eliminated by automation .
It ’ s pretty funny , particularly the opening shot of a maid lowering the temperature by grabbing a flaming log from the fireplace and throwing it through a glass window .
But it also seemed a bit tone deaf — not just by mocking the idea of human beings doing labor , but also a bit where a newsboy tells a customer who asks him for the day ’ s headlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s all fake.
” Given how often that charge is leveled by the president against the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post , the line ’ s inclusion here was beyond weird .
Elsewhere at the Super Bowl , Bezos came out as a Lizzo fan , prompting a heated Twitter discourse about whether being friends with the billionaire makes you a class traitor .
Both Google and Amazon are Super Bowl ad veterans ; Google did its first 10 years ago .
Facebook had stayed away until this year , when it tasked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that showed off “ positive ways to use the platform , ” according to Fast Company .
The result is “ Ready to Rock , ” an ad that suggests the agency ’ s brief was to make the absolute least offensive commercial possible .
In it , we see a variety of Facebook groups loosely themed around “ rocks ” — Moab rock climbers , rock buggies , amateur experimental rocketry , and so on .
It culminates with Chris Rock meeting Rocky — well , the actor who played him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia Museum of Art steps made famous by the movie .
It was set to Twisted Sister ’ s 1984 cheeseball anthem “ I Wan na Rock , ” which was parodied in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie .
Fast Company was , frankly , disturbingly excited about “ Ready to Rock.
” The ad racked up more than 21 million views on YouTube by mid-day Monday .
That compares favorably to the Google ad ’ s 13.4 million views , and less well to Amazon ’ s 61 million views .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to likes than either of the other two ads .
When I sat down to view all three ads together , I hoped they might tell us something about the way tech platforms would seek to reinvent themselves amid new pressure from governments and their user bases .
Instead , what I found was fairly straightforward consumer marketing .
Google wants to promote its technical lead in voice recognition ; Amazon wants to promote its dominance in the same category ; Facebook wants to pivot to private messaging .
And yet the ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistently differed for years .
Google and Amazon relentlessly promote their fundamental utility , while Facebook is left to gesture more broadly at the good feelings that come with “ connecting.
” While Google and Amazon sell the idea that you can master your domain with technology , Facebook shows off pretty pictures of the user base .
The effects of this are more consequential than you might think .
In 2018 , I wrote about how Google ’ s focus on making useful things meant that its own privacy scandals tended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A Facebook group is surely a useful thing , but it ’ s also a thing that had been created many times before .
( And by Google , among others . )
If Facebook wants to create a Super Bowl ad that people remember past Monday , it could start by building something both useful and unique .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Facebook and Instagram will remove false claims and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy to remove content that could cause physical harm .
Trending up : Twitter permanently banned the pro-Trump website Zero Hedge for harassment after it published an article falsely implicating a Chinese scientist in the outbreak of the coronavirus .
Trending sideways : Apple ’ s policy of putting user privacy before the interests of federal governments has pushed the company into direct conflict with leaders like Vladimir Putin .
A new internet law in Russia is forcing the company to decide whether to exit the country completely or change its stance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrators at a New York state school access to a student ’ s parody account after they complained he was mocking the school .
The company later said that handing over access was a “ mistake.
” Also it gave away user phone numbers to bad actors .
A bad , if entirely on-brand , weekend for Twitter .
⭐ Trump ’ s allies are taking to Twitter to spread false claims about electoral fraud on the eve of the Iowa caucuses .
Despite being quickly debunked , the claims went viral on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm report : Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang supporters pushed false conspiracy theories on Twitter over the weekend tied to a canceled Des Moines Register poll .
The poll , a closely watched indicator of the Iowa race , was canceled after at least one interviewer apparently omitted Pete Buttigieg ’ s name from the randomized list of candidates the surveyor read .
( Ben Collins / NBC ) The Democratic National Committee is testing out new tools aimed at stopping the spread of misinformation , in time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re focused on misinformation related to the candidates and voting .
( Donie O ’ Sullivan / CNN ) Here ’ s YouTube ’ s plan to stop the spread of misinformation ahead of the 2020 election .
Content that tries to mislead people about voting or the census is banned , as are deepfake videos that “ may pose a serious risk of egregious harm , ” beyond just being taken out of context .
Note that nothing here is actually new — just restated in time for the caucuses .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key tools that track ad spending , a move that could disrupt hundreds of marketers who rely on the tools to do their jobs .
The situation underscores the powerful role Google plays in the digital advertising space , and has prompted some industry partners to call the company anticompetitive .
( Gerrit De Vynck and Mark Bergen / Bloomberg ) Ad industry groups are asking California to delay enforcement of the state ’ s new privacy law .
The law went into effect on January 1st but its most stringent rules won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The groups say that ’ s not enough time for businesses to get in compliance .
( Suhauna Hussain / Los Angeles Times ) Senator Lindsey Graham , a top Trump ally , is targeting big tech companies like Apple and Facebook with a new child protection bill that could threaten their use of encryption .
The proposal would also weaken Section 230 protections related to child exploitation and abuse laws .
( Ben Brody and Naomi Nix / Bloomberg ) A popular pro-Trump website released the personal information of a scientist from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of creating the coronavirus as a bioweapon .
The scientist ’ s name , photo , email , and a telephone number are now spreading across social media .
( Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed ) Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his new talking point that Facebook is going to stand for free speech and encryption , even if it pisses people off .
The comments came during a speech at Silicon Slopes Tech Summit 2020 in Salt Lake City .
( Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC ) Republicans and Democrats say they want to bring broadband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s still a distant priority for most presidential candidates .
In Iowa , the caucuses have brought tons of political attention to the state , but little of that attention has gone to the state ’ s networks .
( Makena Kelly / The Verge ) A group of Instacart employees in Chicago voted to unionize on Saturday .
It ’ s a historic win for gig workers at the grocery delivery platform and could send a message to other part-time and hourly employees who are fed up with their working conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow is the latest major city to introduce live facial recognition cameras to its streets , with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announcing that the technology is already operating “ on a mass scale.
” It follows news late last month that London is integrating live facial recognition into daily police activities .
( James Vincent / The Verge ) Kenya ’ s high court temporarily suspended the country ’ s new biometric identity program until the government enacts laws to protect prevent discrimination against minorities .
The decision is a setback for the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 40 million Kenyans during a mass registration last year .
( Abdi Latif Dahir and Carlos Mureithi / The New York Times ) ⭐YouTube generated nearly $ 5 billion in ad revenue in the last three months , Google revealed today as part of its fourth quarter earnings report .
The surprise announcement marks the first time in YouTube ’ s history that the company has revealed how much money its ads contribute to Google ’ s bottom line .
Nick Statt at The Verge has the story : Doctors are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to counter medical misinformation for a young audience .
( Emma Goldberg / The New York Times ) Creators say TikTok ’ s inconsistent enforcement policies make their potentially lucrative work much harder .
The company sends in-app notifications when a video is removed , but it reserves the right to take down content “ for any reason or no reason.
” ( Blake Montgomery / Daily Beast ) How the lip-syncing app Dubsmash revived itself to become # 2 to TikTok .
The app , which was on the brink of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion video views per month .
( Josh Constine / TechCrunch ) People are methodically blocking brands on Twitter in a failed effort to create an ad-free timeline .
The process involves blocking any sponsored tweet that happens to show up in your feed .
( Steve Rousseau / OneZero ) Facebook announced that Dropbox CEO Drew Houston is joining the company ’ s board of directors .
We ’ re told that internal posts have been lit up with Facebookers complaining that the company ’ s board is now even less diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sue Desmond-Hellman . )
On the plus side , Zuckerberg retains total voting control and the makeup of the board arguably does not matter at all !
( Facebook ) A social media boosting startup , which bills itself as a service to increase a user ’ s Instagram followers , has exposed thousands of Instagram account passwords .
The company was storing the passwords of linked Instagram accounts in plain text .
Not good !
( Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch ) A forthcoming social network allegedly backed by Peter Thiel is banking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to host their own chat rooms — and people paying to hear what they have to say .
The network , called Column , was widely mocked on Twitter after news of it first broke .
( Theodore Schleifer / Recode ) Carlos Maza is leaving Vox to pursue being a full time YouTube creator .
Last year , Maza ’ s experience being harassed by a conservative commentator on YouTube set off a firestorm around the company ’ s harassment policies .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) Facebook launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with trolls .
Now creators can remove comments , mute people , or ban them from their Page .
Once someone is banned they will still be able to watch but won ’ t be able to comment or react to the stream or other people , and their previous comments will be removed .
( Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat ) Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced that she engaged to her boyfriend , Tom Bernthal .
( Rachel DeSantis and Charlotte Triggs / People ) Meet the 15-year-old kid from Philadelphia who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Punxsutawney Phil .
( Mic Wright / Mel ) His name is Andrew and he is a very good writer !
He shared this exchange with the Mel : You and me both , Phil .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and Super Bowl ad pitches : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

Two quick things: One, there were major formatting issues with Thursday’s newsletter; Revue says it was a bug. If you recoiled in horror from the formatting and skipped the (magnificent!) column, you can catch up here. Two, we’re looking forward to seeing lots of you in San Francisco on Tuesday for the second Interface Live event with Anna Wiener. I love meeting newsletter readers in person, so please say hi if you’re there! And now on with today’s update.
Are you ready for some football-assisted Big Tech brand rehab?
With the techlash in full swing, and Congress investigating the giants for various privacy and antitrust issues, tech companies have few obvious levers for reversing the erosion of public trust. But the Super Bowl, which brings together a critical mass of drunken Americans before their televisions to watch unnaturally large men shorten their lives, offers an appealing opportunity to reset the narrative on friendlier terms. On Sunday, three of our giants shot their shot.
Let’s see what they had to say.
Google, with its heartstring-tugging ad “Loretta,” made an emotional case for the collection and preservation of highly personal data. In it, an elderly man tells the Google Assistant a series of things he wants to remember about his dead wife. “Remember she always snorted when she laughed,” goes one. “Loretta used to hum showtunes,” is another. “A little help with the little things,” the ad concludes, as make-you-cry piano chords tinkle in the background. The message is clear: tell Google everything you know now, or forget your dead wife forever.
I found it all rather moving, in spite of myself, even if the user experience of remembering currently leaves something to be desired. (It’s just “Here’s what you told me to remember,” followed by a dictated list of bullet points. “Show me photos of me and Loretta,” also featured in the ad, works much better.) Anyway the ad is based on the experience of actual Googlers, so if you don’t like this ad you’re a bad person!
Over at Amazon, #BeforeAlexa — yes, the ad was named after its own social hashtag; get it trending fam! — featured Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi wondering what life was like before the introduction of the company’s voice-activated assistant. (The period before Alexa covers all of human history before November 2014, when DeGeneres and De Rossi were 56 and 41, respectively.) It goes on to show a bunch of jobs that were eliminated by automation.
It’s pretty funny, particularly the opening shot of a maid lowering the temperature by grabbing a flaming log from the fireplace and throwing it through a glass window. But it also seemed a bit tone deaf — not just by mocking the idea of human beings doing labor, but also a bit where a newsboy tells a customer who asks him for the day’s headlines “Doesn’t matter. It’s all fake.” Given how often that charge is leveled by the president against the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post, the line’s inclusion here was beyond weird.
Elsewhere at the Super Bowl, Bezos came out as a Lizzo fan, prompting a heated Twitter discourse about whether being friends with the billionaire makes you a class traitor.
Both Google and Amazon are Super Bowl ad veterans; Google did its first 10 years ago. Facebook had stayed away until this year, when it tasked Wieden + Kennedy with making an ad that showed off “positive ways to use the platform,” according to Fast Company. The result is “Ready to Rock,” an ad that suggests the agency’s brief was to make the absolute least offensive commercial possible.
In it, we see a variety of Facebook groups loosely themed around “rocks” — Moab rock climbers, rock buggies, amateur experimental rocketry, and so on. It culminates with Chris Rock meeting Rocky — well, the actor who played him, Sylvester Stallone — on top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps made famous by the movie. It was set to Twisted Sister’s 1984 cheeseball anthem “I Wanna Rock,” which was parodied in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
Fast Company was, frankly, disturbingly excited about “Ready to Rock.”
This should be a Super Bowl ad home run. Huge global brand, with a product that provides almost unlimited fodder to play with, in the hands of one of the best ad agencies on the planet (if not the best) that just happens to specialize in making epic ads for iconic brands. W+K had its heavy hitters working on it, with creative vets who’ve created award-winning work for Old Spice and Nike, as well as agency chair and ad legend Susan Hoffman. That firepower shines through in the results.
The ad racked up more than 21 million views on YouTube by mid-day Monday. That compares favorably to the Google ad’s 13.4 million views, and less well to Amazon’s 61 million views. It also had a much higher ratio of dislikes to likes than either of the other two ads.
When I sat down to view all three ads together, I hoped they might tell us something about the way tech platforms would seek to reinvent themselves amid new pressure from governments and their user bases. Instead, what I found was fairly straightforward consumer marketing. Google wants to promote its technical lead in voice recognition; Amazon wants to promote its dominance in the same category; Facebook wants to pivot to private messaging.
And yet the ads do reveal one way the companies have consistently differed for years. Google and Amazon relentlessly promote their fundamental utility, while Facebook is left to gesture more broadly at the good feelings that come with “connecting.” While Google and Amazon sell the idea that you can master your domain with technology, Facebook shows off pretty pictures of the user base.
The effects of this are more consequential than you might think. In 2018, I wrote about how Google’s focus on making useful things meant that its own privacy scandals tended to fade more quickly than Facebook’s:
Google gives us sincerely new and useful things. And so, when we learn that it has exposed our data inadvertently, we might be more likely to give it a pass. At Facebook, on the other hand, the prime directive is still user growth. The company talks about a shift to foster more “meaningful” connections, but in practice this simply means growing different parts of its product suite. Facebook is useful, but it is useful mainly in the way that a phone book is useful.
A Facebook group is surely a useful thing, but it’s also a thing that had been created many times before. (And by Google, among others.) If Facebook wants to create a Super Bowl ad that people remember past Monday, it could start by building something both useful and unique.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Facebook and Instagram will remove false claims and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. It’s part of the company’s policy to remove content that could cause physical harm.
🔃 Trending sideways: Apple’s policy of putting user privacy before the interests of federal governments has pushed the company into direct conflict with leaders like Vladimir Putin. A new internet law in Russia is forcing the company to decide whether to exit the country completely or change its stance on privacy.
Governing
⭐ Trump’s allies are taking to Twitter to spread false claims about electoral fraud on the eve of the Iowa caucuses. Despite being quickly debunked, the claims went viral on social media. The Washington Post’s Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm report:
The Iowa Democratic Party, in partnership with national Democratic officials, has labored to make the caucuses more transparent and to fend off the sort of confusion and conspiracy theories that marred the process in 2016. The Democratic National Committee has its own unit tracking viral disinformation and flagging falsehoods to campaigns, as well as to technology companies that have pledged to clean up their platforms after they were enlisted by Russian actors to boost Donald Trump in his campaign against Hillary Clinton. But their efforts falter in the face of falsehoods pushed by users with massive online audiences, which social media platforms often refuse to remove, arguing they should not serve as the Web’s arbiters of truth. On Monday, Twitter affirmed its mostly hands-off approach, maintaining the false claims about Iowa’s voter rolls did not qualify as a form of voter suppression.
Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang supporters pushed false conspiracy theories on Twitter over the weekend tied to a canceled Des Moines Register poll. The poll, a closely watched indicator of the Iowa race, was canceled after at least one interviewer apparently omitted Pete Buttigieg’s name from the randomized list of candidates the surveyor read. (Ben Collins / NBC)
The Democratic National Committee is testing out new tools aimed at stopping the spread of misinformation, in time for the Iowa caucuses. They’re focused on misinformation related to the candidates and voting. (Donie O’Sullivan / CNN)
Here’s YouTube’s plan to stop the spread of misinformation ahead of the 2020 election. Content that tries to mislead people about voting or the census is banned, as are deepfake videos that “may pose a serious risk of egregious harm,” beyond just being taken out of context. Note that nothing here is actually new — just restated in time for the caucuses. (YouTube)
Google is limiting access to key tools that track ad spending, a move that could disrupt hundreds of marketers who rely on the tools to do their jobs. The situation underscores the powerful role Google plays in the digital advertising space, and has prompted some industry partners to call the company anticompetitive. (Gerrit De Vynck and Mark Bergen / Bloomberg)
Ad industry groups are asking California to delay enforcement of the state’s new privacy law. The law went into effect on January 1st but its most stringent rules won’t be enforced until July. The groups say that’s not enough time for businesses to get in compliance. (Suhauna Hussain / Los Angeles Times)
Senator Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, is targeting big tech companies like Apple and Facebook with a new child protection bill that could threaten their use of encryption. The proposal would also weaken Section 230 protections related to child exploitation and abuse laws. (Ben Brody and Naomi Nix / Bloomberg)
A popular pro-Trump website released the personal information of a scientist from Wuhan, China, falsely accusing them of creating the coronavirus as a bioweapon. The scientist’s name, photo, email, and a telephone number are now spreading across social media. (Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed)
Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his new talking point that Facebook is going to stand for free speech and encryption, even if it pisses people off. The comments came during a speech at Silicon Slopes Tech Summit 2020 in Salt Lake City. (Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC)
Republicans and Democrats say they want to bring broadband to rural America. But it’s still a distant priority for most presidential candidates. In Iowa, the caucuses have brought tons of political attention to the state, but little of that attention has gone to the state’s networks. (Makena Kelly / The Verge)
A group of Instacart employees in Chicago voted to unionize on Saturday. It’s a historic win for gig workers at the grocery delivery platform and could send a message to other part-time and hourly employees who are fed up with their working conditions. (Lauren Kaori Gurley / Vice)
Moscow is the latest major city to introduce live facial recognition cameras to its streets, with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announcing that the technology is already operating “on a mass scale.” It follows news late last month that London is integrating live facial recognition into daily police activities. (James Vincent / The Verge)
Kenya’s high court temporarily suspended the country’s new biometric identity program until the government enacts laws to protect prevent discrimination against minorities. The decision is a setback for the government, which had already collected data from nearly 40 million Kenyans during a mass registration last year. (Abdi Latif Dahir and Carlos Mureithi / The New York Times)
Industry
⭐YouTube generated nearly $5 billion in ad revenue in the last three months, Google revealed today as part of its fourth quarter earnings report. The surprise announcement marks the first time in YouTube’s history that the company has revealed how much money its ads contribute to Google’s bottom line. Nick Statt at The Verge has the story:
On an annual basis, Google says YouTube generated $15 billion last year and contributed roughly 10 percent to all Google revenue. Those figures make YouTube’s ad business nearly one fifth the size of Facebook’s, and more than six times larger than all of Amazon-owned Twitch. Overall, Alphabet made $46 billion in revenue in the quarter that ended December 31st, 2019, a 17 percent jump over 2018. Nearly $10.7 billion of that was profit, the company says. Google’s search business remains the big moneymaker of Alphabet’s sprawling empire, earning $27.2 billion for the quarter. But alongside YouTube ad revenue, Google is also disclosing the financial performance of its cloud computing division. Google Cloud made $2.6 billion in revenue for the quarter, the report reveals.
Doctors are trying to go viral on TikTok in an attempt to counter medical misinformation for a young audience. (Emma Goldberg / The New York Times)
Creators say TikTok’s inconsistent enforcement policies make their potentially lucrative work much harder. The company sends in-app notifications when a video is removed, but it reserves the right to take down content “for any reason or no reason.” (Blake Montgomery / Daily Beast)
How the lip-syncing app Dubsmash revived itself to become #2 to TikTok. The app, which was on the brink of failure in 2017, now has 1 billion video views per month. (Josh Constine / TechCrunch)
People are methodically blocking brands on Twitter in a failed effort to create an ad-free timeline. The process involves blocking any sponsored tweet that happens to show up in your feed. (Steve Rousseau / OneZero)
Facebook announced that Dropbox CEO Drew Houston is joining the company’s board of directors. We’re told that internal posts have been lit up with Facebookers complaining that the company’s board is now even less diverse than before. (Houston is replacing Sue Desmond-Hellman.) On the plus side, Zuckerberg retains total voting control and the makeup of the board arguably does not matter at all! (Facebook)
A social media boosting startup, which bills itself as a service to increase a user’s Instagram followers, has exposed thousands of Instagram account passwords. The company was storing the passwords of linked Instagram accounts in plain text. Not good! (Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch)
A forthcoming social network allegedly backed by Peter Thiel is banking on Silicon Valley’s elite wanting to host their own chat rooms — and people paying to hear what they have to say. The network, called Column, was widely mocked on Twitter after news of it first broke. (Theodore Schleifer / Recode)
Carlos Maza is leaving Vox to pursue being a full time YouTube creator. Last year, Maza’s experience being harassed by a conservative commentator on YouTube set off a firestorm around the company’s harassment policies. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
Facebook launched a series of tools to help streamers deal with trolls. Now creators can remove comments, mute people, or ban them from their Page. Once someone is banned they will still be able to watch but won’t be able to comment or react to the stream or other people, and their previous comments will be removed. (Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat)
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced that she engaged to her boyfriend, Tom Bernthal. (Rachel DeSantis and Charlotte Triggs / People)
And finally...
His name is Andrew and he is a very good writer! He shared this exchange with the Mel:
Phil: Two more weeks of winter, Grace. Grace: We should meet up 😉 my roommates are out of town this weekend. Phil: Oh I’d love to but 2 miles is quite a lot for a burrowing rodent and I’m afraid I’m not allowed on the subway. I’m starting a petition to stop them from discriminating against groundhogs though! Grace: That’s okay… I can pick you up. Phil: No, that’s okay… every time I go outside winter gets longer and I’d really like to have strawberries in season again.
You and me both, Phil.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-02-05--All of Lost will stream for free on Amazon’s lesser-known IMDb TV streaming service

Some good news for Lost fans : all 121 episodes of the series will soon be available to stream for free .
The only downside is that it requires using yet another streaming service — and dealing with ads .
IMDb TV , a free streaming service owned by Amazon , will be the exclusive free streaming service for Lost , according to Variety .
Fans of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse ’ s ABC drama will be available to stream the episodes beginning May 1st , marking the 10th anniversary month of the series finale .
Streams will contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 shows that will stream for free on IMDb TV , alongside Ugly Betty , Ally McBeal , My So-Called Life , Desperate Housewives , and Malcolm in the Middle .
The additions are part of a new deal with Disney ( which also owns 21st Century Fox and those entertainment subsidiaries ) and IMDb TV , Variety reports .
Shows available via IMDb TV that are also on Hulu will still be available on Hulu .
This isn ’ t the first time IMDb TV has picked up the rights to full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , the company worked out a deal for Friday Night Lights and Chicago Fire , both of which are currently on Hulu .
In fact , many of the shows listed in the new deal are already on Hulu .
Hulu is the key word here Hulu is the key word here .
The streaming service is now fully operated by Disney .
The House of Mouse has spoken about how important Hulu ’ s growth is to the company .
Hulu ’ s generated quite a bit of news in general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was stepping down .
Disney CEO Bob Iger later noted in an earnings call with investors that the company is planning to roll out Hulu internationally in 2021 .
Disney is also creating an “ FX on Hulu ” hub and moving some of FX ’ s new upcoming series to Hulu as streaming exclusives to try and secure additional subscribers .
Unlike IMDb TV , Hulu isn ’ t free .
There are two tiers — ad-supported and ad-free — that Hulu relies on .
To keep growing Hulu and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the limited time bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+ , Disney needs to invest heavily in programming .
Licensing seasons of its older shows to services like IMDb TV ( instead of subscriber-reliant services like Amazon Prime Video ) helps generate some additional revenue for Disney that can then go back into new exclusives on Hulu and other programs .
For general consumers who are looking for a place to watch the Lost finale again , having full seasons on IMDb TV for free is kind of nice .
But it does also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one more streaming service .
Let the streaming landscape exhaustion seep into your bones .
People can stream IMDb TV titles from the “ IMDb app via the IMDb TV page , from your laptop or personal computer ’ s web browser via the IMDb TV page , and from the Amazon Prime Video app and all Amazon Fire TV devices via the IMDb TV channel , ” according to the site ’ s FAQ .
The full list of shows streaming on IMDb TV as part of the new deal are @ @ @

Some good news for Lost fans: all 121 episodes of the series will soon be available to stream for free. The only downside is that it requires using yet another streaming service — and dealing with ads.
IMDb TV, a free streaming service owned by Amazon, will be the exclusive free streaming service for Lost, according to Variety. Fans of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s ABC drama will be available to stream the episodes beginning May 1st, marking the 10th anniversary month of the series finale. Streams will contain ads. Lost is just one of 21 shows that will stream for free on IMDb TV, alongside Ugly Betty, Ally McBeal, My So-Called Life, Desperate Housewives, and Malcolm in the Middle. The additions are part of a new deal with Disney (which also owns 21st Century Fox and those entertainment subsidiaries) and IMDb TV, Variety reports. Shows available via IMDb TV that are also on Hulu will still be available on Hulu.
This isn’t the first time IMDb TV has picked up the rights to full seasons of popular shows. Late last year, the company worked out a deal for Friday Night Lights and Chicago Fire, both of which are currently on Hulu. In fact, many of the shows listed in the new deal are already on Hulu.
Hulu is the key word here
Hulu is the key word here. The streaming service is now fully operated by Disney. The House of Mouse has spoken about how important Hulu’s growth is to the company. Hulu’s generated quite a bit of news in general, starting with CEO Randy Freer announcing he was stepping down. Disney CEO Bob Iger later noted in an earnings call with investors that the company is planning to roll out Hulu internationally in 2021. Disney is also creating an “FX on Hulu” hub and moving some of FX’s new upcoming series to Hulu as streaming exclusives to try and secure additional subscribers.
Unlike IMDb TV, Hulu isn’t free. There are two tiers — ad-supported and ad-free — that Hulu relies on. To keep growing Hulu and to ride a recent wave of momentum created by the limited time bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+, Disney needs to invest heavily in programming. Licensing seasons of its older shows to services like IMDb TV (instead of subscriber-reliant services like Amazon Prime Video) helps generate some additional revenue for Disney that can then go back into new exclusives on Hulu and other programs.
For general consumers who are looking for a place to watch the Lost finale again, having full seasons on IMDb TV for free is kind of nice. But it does also mean that we have to pay attention to one more streaming service. Let the streaming landscape exhaustion seep into your bones.
People can stream IMDb TV titles from the “IMDb app via the IMDb TV page, from your laptop or personal computer’s web browser via the IMDb TV page, and from the Amazon Prime Video app and all Amazon Fire TV devices via the IMDb TV channel,” according to the site’s FAQ.
The full list of shows streaming on IMDb TV as part of the new deal are listed below:
Ally McBeal
Army Wives
Boston Legal
Desperate Housewives
The Glades
Graceland
L.A. Law
Legends
Lie to Me
Lost
Malcolm in the Middle
My So-Called Life
Private Practice
Revenge
Roswell
St. Elsewhere
Terra Nova
Ugly Betty
The Unit
White Collar


theverge--2020-02-05--How to add Instagram close friends

How to add Instagram close friends

For the first few years of Instagram ’ s existence , it was a pain to hide stories from people .
You had to dig into an individual story ’ s settings and select followers to hide it from .
Then , if you wanted to let those followers see the next story , you had to go into that story ’ s settings and undo the block .
But in 2018 , Instagram launched the close friends feature , which makes it much easier to share content with a limited group .
Once you ’ ve created a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the option to share stories with just that list .
If you ’ re posting content that could be controversial , personal , or NSFW , the option can save you some stress .
Instagram ’ s new companion app , Threads , is specifically designed for messaging your close friends .
When someone on your close friends list messages you , you ’ ll get the message in Threads rather than Instagram ( if you have Threads downloaded , that is ) .
Threads has some neat features that you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately send photos to close friends with camera shortcuts , and can set emoji statuses to let everyone know what you ’ re up to .
( An Auto Status feature can also set your status for you based on your location and battery level . )
In case you don ’ t know how to add folks to your close friends list , we ’ ll show you how to get started .
You can do it through Instagram or through Threads .
How to add close friends in the Instagram app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or iOS .
• Tap your avatar in the bottom right corner .
• From here , you can either click on your username at the top of your profile and tap “ Close Friends ” ( for iOS ) or click the menu button on the top right and tap “ Close Friends ” ( for either iOS or Android ) .
• If you don ’ t yet have a close friends list , you ’ ll see a screen with a “ Get Started ” button .
Tap it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to start your list with , along with a link for information on how it works .
When you ’ ve chosen your initial list , tap on “ Create List.
” • Now , when you select “ Close Friends , ” you ’ ll see your current close friends list .
Tap Add on the top right .
Search for the friend you want to add , and press the Add button next to their name .
How to add Instagram close friends in the Threads app • If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends in Instagram ’ s Threads app .
To start , open Threads and make sure you ’ re logged into the correct account .
• Tap the Menu button in the top left corner of the home screen .
• Select “ Choose Close Friends ” at the top of the list .
• You ’ ll see your current close friends list .
( If you ’ re starting a new list , you must select three or more friends in Threads . )
Use the search bar at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add , and tap the empty circle next to their name .
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

For the first few years of Instagram’s existence, it was a pain to hide Stories from people. You had to dig into an individual Story’s settings and select followers to hide it from. Then, if you wanted to let those followers see the next Story, you had to go into that Story’s settings and undo the block.
But in 2018, Instagram launched the close friends feature, which makes it much easier to share content with a limited group. Once you’ve created a close friends list, you’ll have the option to share a Story with just that list. If you’re posting content that could be controversial, personal, or NSFW, the option can save you some stress.
In case you don’t know how to add folks to your close friends list, we’ll show you how to get started.
How to add close friends in the Instagram app
Open the Instagram app for Android or iOS.
Tap your avatar in the bottom right corner.
Tap the menu button on the top right and tap Close Friends .
. If you don’t yet have a close friends list, you may see a screen with a Get Started button. Tap it. That leads to a list of suggestions for people to start your list with, along with a link for information on how it works. When you’ve chosen your initial list, tap on Create List .
button. Tap it. That leads to a list of suggestions for people to start your list with, along with a link for information on how it works. When you’ve chosen your initial list, tap on . Now, when you select Close Friends , you’ll see your current close friends list. To add more friends, type their names (or Instagram usernames) into the Search field at the top of the page, and tap the check circle next to their name.
, you’ll see your current close friends list. To add more friends, type their names (or Instagram usernames) into the Search field at the top of the page, and tap the check circle next to their name. If you want to remove any names from the list, simply uncheck the circle to the right of the name.
Previous Next
1 / 4 Tap your personal icon in the lower right corner. Previous Next
1 / 4 Tap your personal icon in the lower right corner.


theverge--2020-02-05--Spotify needed a huge podcast, and it just bought one of the biggest

Spotify continued to prove it ’ s serious about dominating the podcast industry with an announcement today that it acquired The Ringer , a media company known both for its culture website and massive podcast operation headlined by The Bill Simmons Podcast .
Now , Simmons ’ show might instead anchor Spotify ’ s expanding podcast empire .
The acquisition rounds out a year in podcast-related purchases for Spotify .
Almost exactly a year ago , the company bought Gimlet Media , a podcast network with shows like Reply All and Startup , and Anchor , a podcast creation app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought Parcast , a network that specializes in true crime and horror .
Taken together , Spotify now owns programs related to sports , horror , and crime , as well as prestige series along with its celebrity-focused Spotify Originals , like comedian Amy Schumer ’ s show and Joe Budden ’ s .
The audio company ’ s well poised to offer something for every listener .
Still , Spotify hasn ’ t done the most obvious thing yet , despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these deals : move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least behind a Spotify username .
Instead , it ’ s mostly focused on growing its huge network both within and outside the app , possibly because there ’ s a lot of money to be made off of freely available shows .
In its earnings call today , Spotify said over 16 percent of its users now listen to podcasts , giving it plenty of room to grow .
Its Ringer acquisition isn ’ t only about building a well-rounded , exclusive content catalog , however .
The purchase hints at Spotify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ringer ’ s assets could ultimately generate lots of money for the company .
Looking at its prior acquisitions , Spotify didn ’ t immediately move Gimlet shows to an exclusive model .
Instead , it ’ s produced ancillary , exclusive content like Gimlet Academy and extra Reply All episodes while keeping the existing shows widely available .
As for Parcast , the network created a daily horoscope audio update and a true crime trivia podcast under Spotify ownership , although those shows appear to be available outside the platform , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suit with the big-name shows , like Simmons ’ podcast , remaining available on other apps and newer shows becoming exclusives .
The Bill Simmons Podcast could perform for Spotify much in the same way The Daily does for The New York Times .
The Times uses the show to highlight the paper ’ s reporting , elevate reporters ’ voices , and promote other New York Times programming .
It ’ s also a huge moneymaker .
New York Magazine reported this month that the industry ’ s average CPM ( cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 and $ 35 .
The Daily includes multiple ad spots , and more than 2 million people download each episode .
NYM reported that the show rakes in more than $ 1 million per month , making it a marketing engine , valued audience reacher , and lucrative asset .
Spotify could have reasons to keep Simmons ’ show open It ’ s unclear how many people listen to Simmons ’ show , although The Ringer says it receives more than 100 million podcast downloads per month , and in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to The Wall Street Journal .
It ’ s easy to see opportunity for Spotify .
A source close to the company says The Ringer will finish out its existing ad selling deals , but then shows will be given the Spotify treatment , meaning its internal sales team will sell their ads .
It ’ s worth noting that Spotify serves podcast ads within its own shows regardless of whether a listener pays or not , meaning the company gets to double-dip on revenue for premium users .
Spotify has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , it announced new ad technology that allows it to dynamically insert ads into podcast streams to target listeners based on their data in real time .
That means the ads people hear on Simmons ’ show could be targeted based on their demographic and geographic data , in addition to their music taste .
“ This is just the beginning , ” said Dawn Ostroff , Spotify chief content officer , at the time of the announcement .
Spotify ’ s ad business could involve it selling ads for any show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Spotify exclusive , similar to businesses like Midroll .
As for access to Spotify exclusives , ad buyers will have to work with Spotify to make deals happen and give their clients access to big names , like Simmons .
Spotify ’ s setting itself up to be a critical part of the podcasting ads ecosystem with user data and exclusive content as a reason to work with them .
Of course , this brings up another point about Spotify ’ s podcast vision : all this data targeting could make listeners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to the typically open podcast market .
Spotify ’ s snatching up shows , gathering information about listeners , and making a name for itself in the business .
There doesn ’ t seem to be much listeners can do about it , and with Simmons on board , the Spotify message can reach hundreds of thousands of people , making Spotify synonymous with podcasting .

Spotify continued to prove it’s serious about dominating the podcast industry with an announcement today that it acquired The Ringer, a media company known both for its culture website and massive podcast operation headlined by The Bill Simmons Podcast. Now, Simmons’ show might instead anchor Spotify’s expanding podcast empire.
The acquisition rounds out a year in podcast-related purchases for Spotify. Almost exactly a year ago, the company bought Gimlet Media, a podcast network with shows like Reply All and Startup, and Anchor, a podcast creation app. Later in the year, it bought Parcast, a network that specializes in true crime and horror. Taken together, Spotify now owns programs related to sports, horror, and crime, as well as prestige series along with its celebrity-focused Spotify Originals, like comedian Amy Schumer’s show and Joe Budden’s. The audio company’s well poised to offer something for every listener.
Spotify’s building a full show catalog
Still, Spotify hasn’t done the most obvious thing yet, despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these deals: move every show behind a paywall or at least behind a Spotify username. Instead, it’s mostly focused on growing its huge network both within and outside the app, possibly because there’s a lot of money to be made off of freely available shows.
In its earnings call today, Spotify said over 16 percent of its users now listen to podcasts, giving it plenty of room to grow. Its Ringer acquisition isn’t only about building a well-rounded, exclusive content catalog, however. The purchase hints at Spotify’s broader goals and how the Ringer’s assets could ultimately generate lots of money for the company.
Looking at its prior acquisitions, Spotify didn’t immediately move Gimlet shows to an exclusive model. Instead, it’s produced ancillary, exclusive content like Gimlet Academy and extra Reply All episodes while keeping the existing shows widely available. As for Parcast, the network created a daily horoscope audio update and a true crime trivia podcast under Spotify ownership, although those shows appear to be available outside the platform, too. The Ringer will likely follow similar suit with the big-name shows, like Simmons’ podcast, remaining available on other apps and newer shows becoming exclusives.
The Bill Simmons Podcast could perform for Spotify much in the same way The Daily does for The New York Times. The Times uses the show to highlight the paper’s reporting, elevate reporters’ voices, and promote other New York Times programming. It’s also a huge moneymaker. New York Magazine reported this month that the industry’s average CPM (cost per thousand listeners) is between $25 and $35. The Daily includes multiple ad spots, and more than 2 million people download each episode. NYM reported that the show rakes in more than $1 million per month, making it a marketing engine, valued audience reacher, and lucrative asset.
Spotify could have reasons to keep Simmons’ show open
It’s unclear how many people listen to Simmons’ show, although The Ringer says it receives more than 100 million podcast downloads per month, and in 2018, its podcast revenue exceeded $15 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It’s easy to see opportunity for Spotify. A source close to the company says The Ringer will finish out its existing ad selling deals, but then shows will be given the Spotify treatment, meaning its internal sales team will sell their ads. It’s worth noting that Spotify serves podcast ads within its own shows regardless of whether a listener pays or not, meaning the company gets to double-dip on revenue for premium users.
Spotify has made its ad ambitions clear. Last month, it announced new ad technology that allows it to dynamically insert ads into podcast streams to target listeners based on their data in real time. That means the ads people hear on Simmons’ show could be targeted based on their demographic and geographic data, in addition to their music taste. “This is just the beginning,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify chief content officer, at the time of the announcement.
Spotify’s ad business could involve it selling ads for any show, regardless of whether it’s a Spotify exclusive, similar to businesses like Midroll. As for access to Spotify exclusives, ad buyers will have to work with Spotify to make deals happen and give their clients access to big names, like Simmons. Spotify’s setting itself up to be a critical part of the podcasting ads ecosystem with user data and exclusive content as a reason to work with them.


theverge--2020-02-05--Google Chrome will crack down on crappy video ads this August, which isn’t as altruistic as it sound

Google Chrome will crack down on crappy video ads this August, which isn’t as altruistic as it sounds

The web may soon have fewer crappy , mandatory video ads for you to endure .
This August , Google ’ s Chrome web browser will start blocking long , “ non-skippable ” preroll ads , ads that block a big chunk of your video , and ads that interrupt your videos in the middle , if the video you ’ re watching is under eight minutes long .
That ’ s actually the official guidance from the Coalition for Better Ads , of which Google is a board member , and will probably impact other companies as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Better Ads board .
But as excellent as it might sound to have fewer spammy web ads , it sounds like it ’ s not entirely an altruistic move on Google ’ s part .
The move suggests a whole bunch of other companies will have to design ads the way YouTube already likes them .
“ There are three ad experiences that people find to be particularly disruptive on video content that is less than 8 minutes long , ” Google writes , offering up some handy GIFs for you to visualize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google ’ s blog post points out that YouTube will also need to comply with these standards , we ’ re thinking YouTube may already be fully compliant .
YouTube is the platform that popularized the idea of letting you skip ads after five seconds , keeps its banner ads somewhat in check ( see an example we just whipped up below ) , and currently only allows mid-roll ads on videos that are 10 minutes or longer .
Google tells The Verge it ’ s not sure if any changes will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be reviewed like any other site .
We ’ re waiting to hear back from Microsoft and Facebook as well .
Either way , it sounds like advertisers have until August 5th to figure it out — that ’ s when Google says Chrome will stop showing video ads on any sites “ that repeatedly show these disruptive ads .
”

The web may soon have fewer crappy, mandatory video ads for you to endure. This August, Google’s Chrome web browser will start blocking long, “non-skippable” preroll ads, ads that block a big chunk of your video, and ads that interrupt your videos in the middle, if the video you’re watching is under eight minutes long.
That’s actually the official guidance from the Coalition for Better Ads, of which Google is a board member, and will probably impact other companies as well. Microsoft and Facebook are also on the Better Ads board.
But as excellent as it might sound to have fewer spammy web ads, it sounds like it’s not entirely an altruistic move on Google’s part. The move suggests a whole bunch of other companies will have to design ads the way YouTube already likes them.
“There are three ad experiences that people find to be particularly disruptive on video content that is less than 8 minutes long,” Google writes, offering up some handy GIFs for you to visualize what’s being banned:
“Long, non-skippable pre-roll ads or groups of ads longer than 31 seconds that appear before a video and that cannot be skipped within the first 5 seconds.” Image: Coalition for Better Ads
“Mid-roll ads of any duration that appear in the middle of a video, interrupting the user’s experience.” Image: Coalition for Better Ads
“Image or text ads that appear on top of a playing video and are in the middle 1/3 of the video player window or cover more than 20 percent of the video content.” Image: Coalition for Better Ads
While Google’s blog post points out that YouTube will also need to comply with these standards, we’re thinking YouTube may already be fully compliant. YouTube is the platform that popularized the idea of letting you skip ads after five seconds, keeps its banner ads somewhat in check (see an example we just whipped up below), and currently only allows mid-roll ads on videos that are 10 minutes or longer.
Example of an existing YouTube banner ad. Screenshot by Nick Statt / The Verge
Google tells The Verge it’s not sure if any changes will be required yet, but emphasized that YouTube will be reviewed like any other site. We’re waiting to hear back from Microsoft and Facebook as well.


theverge--2020-02-05--You can now vote for your favorite pokémon with Google

Few things in the pokémon world are as hotly debated as which creature is , in fact , the best @ @ @ @ @ mascot , but Slowpoke has a real banger of a theme song .
Eevee got @ @ @ @ @ : Let ’ s Go .
Pokémon Sword exclusively introduced leek-wielding , sparkling-eyed Sirfetch ’ @ @ @ @ @ s world of monsters has ballooned to nearly 1,000 , it ’ s never been @ @ @ @ @ .
But right now , via Google , it ’ s at least easy to @ @ @ @ @ International partnered with Google to hold a Pokémon of the Year poll .
You can @ @ @ @ @ region , by searching for “ Pokemon vote ” on Google .
The poll runs @ @ @ @ @ 14th .
You only get one vote per category , but you can weigh in @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a tough call , but there ’ s an obvious choice @ @ @ @ @ region .
Listen to your heart .
You know what to do .

Few things in the pokémon world are as hotly debated as which creature is, in fact, the best. Pikachu is the series mascot, but Slowpoke has a real banger of a theme song. Eevee got a starring role in Pokémon: Let’s Go. Pokémon Sword exclusively introduced leek-wielding, sparkling-eyed Sirfetch’d. As Pokémon’s world of monsters has ballooned to nearly 1,000, it’s never been harder to pick your favorite. But right now, via Google, it’s at least easy to vote.
The Pokémon Company International partnered with Google to hold a Pokémon of the Year poll. You can pick your favorite, by region, by searching for “Pokemon vote” on Google. The poll runs until 8:59AM ET on February 14th. You only get one vote per category, but you can weigh in once a day.


theverge--2020-02-06--Twitter says AI tweet recommendations helped it add millions of users

Twitter had 152 million daily users during the final months of 2019 , and it says the latest spike was thanks in part to improved machine learning models that put “ more relevant ” tweets in people ’ s timelines and notifications .
The figure was released in Twitter ’ s Q4 2019 earnings report this morning .
Daily users grew from 145 million the prior quarter and 126 million during the same period a year earlier .
Twitter says this was “ primarily driven by product improvements , ” such as the “ increased relevance ” of what people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their notifications .
Twitter has a ton of room to grow compared to Snapchat and Facebook By default , Twitter shows users an algorithmic timeline that highlights what it thinks they ’ ll be most interested in ; for users following few accounts , it also surfaces likes and replies by the people they follow , giving them more to scroll through .
Twitter ’ s notifications will also highlight tweets that are being liked by people you follow , even if you missed that tweet on your timeline .
Twitter has continually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ user growth .
The service ’ s monthly user count shrank for a full year going into 2019 , leading it to stop reporting that figure altogether .
Instead , it now shares daily users , a metric that looks much rosier .
Compared to many of its peers , though , Twitter still has an enormous amount of room to grow .
Snapchat , for comparison , reported 218 million daily users during its final quarter of 2019 .
Facebook reported 1.66 billion daily users over the same time period .
Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : it brought in more than $ 1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time .
The total was just over the milestone — $ 1.01 billion during its final quarter , up from $ 909 million that quarter the prior year .
Last quarter , Twitter said that its ad revenue took a hit due to bugs that limited its ability to target ads and share advertising data with partners .
At the time , the company said it had taken “ steps to remediate ” the issue , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolved .
In this quarter ’ s update , Twitter says it has since “ shipped remediations ” to those issues .

Twitter had 152 million daily users during the final months of 2019, and it says the latest spike was thanks in part to improved machine learning models that put “more relevant” tweets in people’s timelines and notifications. The figure was released in Twitter’s Q4 2019 earnings report this morning.
Daily users grew from 145 million the prior quarter and 126 million during the same period a year earlier. Twitter says this was “primarily driven by product improvements,” such as the “increased relevance” of what people are seeing in their main timeline and their notifications.
Twitter has a ton of room to grow compared to Snapchat and Facebook
By default, Twitter shows users an algorithmic timeline that highlights what it thinks they’ll be most interested in; for users following few accounts, it also surfaces likes and replies by the people they follow, giving them more to scroll through. Twitter’s notifications will also highlight tweets that are being liked by people you follow, even if you missed that tweet on your timeline.
Twitter has continually been trying to reverse concerns about its user growth. The service’s monthly user count shrank for a full year going into 2019, leading it to stop reporting that figure altogether. Instead, it now shares daily users, a metric that looks much rosier.
Compared to many of its peers, though, Twitter still has an enormous amount of room to grow. Snapchat, for comparison, reported 218 million daily users during its final quarter of 2019. Facebook reported 1.66 billion daily users over the same time period.
Twitter also announced a revenue milestone this quarter: it brought in more than $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time. The total was just over the milestone — $1.01 billion during its final quarter, up from $909 million that quarter the prior year.


theverge--2020-02-06--Microsoft is looking past the Xbox before the internet is really ready for cloud gaming

Big news from Microsoft today , as it has put its most visionary product person , Panos Panay , in charge of Windows in addition to hardware .
Technically Panay isn ’ t in charge of all of Windows , but the client experience you see on your computers .
Very technically , understanding how the matrix of the various desktop and cloud pieces of Windows interact with Microsoft ’ s org chart is beyond the scope of this ( or maybe any ) newsletter .
There are going to be a lot of implications for Windows , so keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren today .
I ’ m leaving that to him so I can write a little more about Microsoft ’ s cloud efforts here — specifically Phil Spencer ’ s comments that as the head of Xbox , his main competition isn ’ t Sony but instead Google and Amazon .
It is part of a trend of Microsoft executives minimizing their consumer products in favor of talking up their cloud services .
Which is to say : I think some portion of Spencer ’ s comments are about hammering home Microsoft ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next generation of consoles .
Some , but not all .
Microsoft really is looking ahead to the next battle after ( or at minimum , alongside ) the Xbox vs Sony console war .
He ’ s looking at cloud gaming .
It ’ s been joined by Google and Nvidia already and Amazon has indeed been rumored to deliver something this year .
Sony ’ s in there too , but it ’ s a little hard for me to say if the company ’ s heart is really in it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s effort aside for now since it ’ s still deeply in rumor territory , but we can already see that Google , Microsoft , and Nvidia each have very different ideas of how cloud gaming should work .
Google is treating it essentially as a console in the sky , Nvidia is trying to get you access to your PC gaming library ( Steam in the sky ! )
, and Microsoft is hoping to leverage its Xbox and Windows ecosystems by bringing the games it ’ s already developed and licensed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All three have different challenges getting games publishers to put games on their platforms .
Google needs a big library fast since it can ’ t lean on an existing games ecosystem .
Nvidia has a little breathing room but perhaps not as strong a negotiating position for its deals .
Microsoft has struggled with getting Xbox exclusives in the recent past and it hasn ’ t convinced enough developers to adopt its ecosystem instead of ( or in addition to ) Steam .
Spencer is probably right to be more worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sony and Nintendo on console sales .
But it does make me wonder if the next generation of Xboxes is going to repeat the Xbox One ’ s rocky launch , where games played third fiddle to Microsoft ’ s doomed TV ambitions .
So these companies have different business models , challenges , and ecosystems to build on .
But they all share a common problem : cloud gaming just isn ’ t that good yet .
It is a little weird for Spencer to say his competition is Google and Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google ’ s Stadia launch has been so rough .
I use Stadia under very close to ideal internet conditions and it ’ s really rough .
Cloud gaming might be the future , but unless our internet infrastructure gets way better , it ’ s all a pipe dream .
Or maybe a “ series of tubes ” dream .
It ’ s also possible that the push for cloud gaming foretells yet another attempt for big tech to convince us to switch our computers to “ thin clients , ” super-light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power in the cloud .
Chromebooks are basically that already .
It seems like a good trade off until Windows search mysteriously goes down for hours because of a Microsoft services outage .
One last thought : go read Sean Hollister ’ s story about Nvidia ’ s GeForce Now launch , specifically on the section of what games are and are not available .
If Nvidia is promising to just put the games you ’ ve already bought into the cloud , why can ’ t it do that with every publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it needs to get a separate license .
Just this past week we watched Fox and Roku get into a fight that very nearly took Fox ’ s app away right before the Super Bowl .
We see channels and cable providers get into carriage battles all the time , taking channels offline .
It ’ s reasonable to expect the same thing could happen between , say , EA and Nvidia , or Google or Microsoft .
The cloud isn ’ t just made up of server racks and fiber connections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ byzantine series of deals and agreements .
As we rush to turn our consoles and laptops into thin clients beholden to more powerful computers in a data farm somewhere , we would do well to remember that access to our software is increasingly not a matter of ownership .
└ Waymo workers complain about cuts to benefits and needles in self-driving cars Sean O ’ Kane ’ s reporting here reveals a lot of very troubling financial issues , though perhaps a big infusion of venture capital could solve things , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a real problem .
└ Spotify needed a huge podcast , and it just bought one of the biggest Ashley Carman has some reporting on the deal and how Simmons ’ podcasts will transition to the Spotify model , then she ends it by describing what some might consider the nightmare scenario for podcasting : what was once open will become closed .
└ Your Philips Hue light bulbs can still be hacked — and until recently , your network There may be more disclosures to come , as Sean Hollister writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should be sowing fear and doubt , but the response Sam Byford is detailing here doesn ’ t seem like it ’ s enough .
└ Developer suing Apple for stealing idea calls on others to join the fight Sherlocking , if you ’ re not familiar , is the term for when Apple copies a third-party app and builds it in to its own operating system .
It ’ s named after a Mac app called Sherlock , which copied Watson .
Both were from an earlier age of the web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widget-like features in a single app .
In some ways we don ’ t have anything like it anymore , though widget centers have come close .
Back in the day it was a bummer when it happened , but now that there are questions about monopolistic practices for tech , Sherlocking feels different .
Jon Porter has much more : └ This guy now owns Murfie ’ s nearly 1 million abandoned CDs └ Teenage Engineering ’ s 3D printing files let you make your own Ikea speaker accessories What a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually do it .
Teenage Engineering is still having more fun than anybody else in consumer tech .

Big news from Microsoft today, as it has put its most visionary product person, Panos Panay, in charge of Windows in addition to hardware. Technically Panay isn’t in charge of all of Windows, but the client experience you see on your computers. Very technically, understanding how the matrix of the various desktop and cloud pieces of Windows interact with Microsoft’s org chart is beyond the scope of this (or maybe any) newsletter.
There are going to be a lot of implications for Windows, so keep an eye out for analysis from Tom Warren today.
I’m leaving that to him so I can write a little more about Microsoft’s cloud efforts here — specifically Phil Spencer’s comments that as the head of Xbox, his main competition isn’t Sony but instead Google and Amazon.
It is part of a trend of Microsoft executives minimizing their consumer products in favor of talking up their cloud services. Which is to say: I think some portion of Spencer’s comments are about hammering home Microsoft’s new marketing message than dismissing the next generation of consoles.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
By subscribing, you are agreeing to receive a daily newsletter from The Verge that highlights top stories of the day, as well as occasional messages from sponsors and / or partners of The Verge.
Some, but not all. Microsoft really is looking ahead to the next battle after (or at minimum, alongside) the Xbox vs Sony console war. He’s looking at cloud gaming. It’s been joined by Google and Nvidia already and Amazon has indeed been rumored to deliver something this year. Sony’s in there too, but it’s a little hard for me to say if the company’s heart is really in it.
We’ll leave Amazon’s effort aside for now since it’s still deeply in rumor territory, but we can already see that Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia each have very different ideas of how cloud gaming should work. Google is treating it essentially as a console in the sky, Nvidia is trying to get you access to your PC gaming library (Steam in the sky!), and Microsoft is hoping to leverage its Xbox and Windows ecosystems by bringing the games it’s already developed and licensed.
Each model comes with pitfalls. All three have different challenges getting games publishers to put games on their platforms. Google needs a big library fast since it can’t lean on an existing games ecosystem. Nvidia has a little breathing room but perhaps not as strong a negotiating position for its deals. Microsoft has struggled with getting Xbox exclusives in the recent past and it hasn’t convinced enough developers to adopt its ecosystem instead of (or in addition to) Steam.
Spencer is probably right to be more worried about competing in cloud gaming than competing with Sony and Nintendo on console sales. But it does make me wonder if the next generation of Xboxes is going to repeat the Xbox One’s rocky launch, where games played third fiddle to Microsoft’s doomed TV ambitions.
So these companies have different business models, challenges, and ecosystems to build on. But they all share a common problem: cloud gaming just isn’t that good yet. It is a little weird for Spencer to say his competition is Google and Amazon when Amazon hasn’t launched and Google’s Stadia launch has been so rough.
I use Stadia under very close to ideal internet conditions and it’s really rough. Cloud gaming might be the future, but unless our internet infrastructure gets way better, it’s all a pipe dream. Or maybe a “series of tubes” dream.
It’s also possible that the push for cloud gaming foretells yet another attempt for big tech to convince us to switch our computers to “thin clients,” super-light and not-very-powerful local computers with the real power in the cloud. Chromebooks are basically that already. It seems like a good trade off until Windows search mysteriously goes down for hours because of a Microsoft services outage.
One last thought: go read Sean Hollister’s story about Nvidia’s GeForce Now launch, specifically on the section of what games are and are not available. If Nvidia is promising to just put the games you’ve already bought into the cloud, why can’t it do that with every publisher’s game? It clearly feels it needs to get a separate license.
Just this past week we watched Fox and Roku get into a fight that very nearly took Fox’s app away right before the Super Bowl. We see channels and cable providers get into carriage battles all the time, taking channels offline. It’s reasonable to expect the same thing could happen between, say, EA and Nvidia, or Google or Microsoft.
The cloud isn’t just made up of server racks and fiber connections, it’s made up of a byzantine series of deals and agreements. As we rush to turn our consoles and laptops into thin clients beholden to more powerful computers in a data farm somewhere, we would do well to remember that access to our software is increasingly not a matter of ownership.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
Stories from The Verge
Sean O’Kane’s reporting here reveals a lot of very troubling financial issues, though perhaps a big infusion of venture capital could solve things, at least temporarily. Seems like the tariffs have been a real problem.
Ashley Carman has some reporting on the deal and how Simmons’ podcasts will transition to the Spotify model, then she ends it by describing what some might consider the nightmare scenario for podcasting: what was once open will become closed.
All this data targeting could make listeners uneasy, as can a walled garden approach to the typically open podcast market. Spotify’s snatching up shows, gathering information about listeners, and making a name for itself in the business. There doesn’t seem to be much listeners can do about it, and with Simmons on board, the Spotify message can reach hundreds of thousands of people, making Spotify synonymous with podcasting.
There may be more disclosures to come, as Sean Hollister writes:
And though Check Point hasn’t necessarily tested other brands yet, its researchers claim this vulnerability may not be limited to Philips Hue bulbs and hubs. It’s in the Zigbee communications protocol used by loads of smart home brands, including Amazon’s Ring, Samsung SmartThings, Ikea Tradfri, Belkin’s WeMo, as well as Yale locks, Honeywell thermostats, and Comcast’s Xfinity Home alarm system.
I certainly don’t think we should be sowing fear and doubt, but the response Sam Byford is detailing here doesn’t seem like it’s enough.
“There is minimal impact on the event thus far,” the association said in a statement yesterday. “MWC Barcelona 24-27 February 2020 will proceed as planned across all venues.” The GSMA says it will be increasing medical support and disinfection measures on site and communicating best practices to attendees. Speakers will be subject to a new microphone changing protocol. A “no-handshake policy” is also being advised for all at the show, though that sounds impractical to enforce.
Sherlocking, if you’re not familiar, is the term for when Apple copies a third-party app and builds it in to its own operating system. It’s named after a Mac app called Sherlock, which copied Watson. Both were from an earlier age of the web, integrating a bunch of services into widget-like features in a single app. In some ways we don’t have anything like it anymore, though widget centers have come close. Back in the day it was a bummer when it happened, but now that there are questions about monopolistic practices for tech, Sherlocking feels different. Jon Porter has much more:
Sherlocking isn’t a black-and-white issue since there are times when getting more functionality built into your operating system feels very convenient. After all, is there anyone out there who’d seriously argue we should return to the days of third-party flashlight apps? But it’s hard to not feel sympathy for the developers who are clearly producing something important enough to warrant being imitated in the first place.


theverge--2020-02-06--Facebook is latest to demand Clearview stop using its images for controversial facial recognition

Facebook has “ demanded ” that Clearview AI stop using data scraped from its social networks for its controversial facial recognition database , CBSNews reports .
“ Scraping people ’ s information violates our policies , ” a spokesperson for the company said , “ Which is why we ’ ve demanded that Clearview stop accessing or using information from Facebook or Instagram.
” Although it has asked Clearview AI to stop using its data , CBS says that Facebook has stopped short of sending a formal cease and desist letter .
However , the social media company has sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies , and to ask for more information about its practices .
Facebook is reportedly evaluating its options going forward .
Clearview says it has a right to publicly available data Clearview AI ’ s database first came to light in a New York Times expose published last month .
The system is based on a database of over three billion images scraped from the internet , and is designed to help law enforcement quickly identify persons of interest .
Clearview AI has claimed that in one case Indiana State Police were able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by using the app .
Facebook isn ’ t the only tech giant to have objected to Clearview AI ’ s practice of scraping billions of images from websites and social media to build its facial recognition database .
Twitter was first to send a cease-and-desist letter last month , while YouTube followed suit earlier this week .
Even police departments themselves have sought to distance themselves from the startup , with the NYPD confirming that it has no formal relationship with Clearview AI .
Clearview AI ’ s CEO Hoan Ton-That argues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the data , since it ’ s publicly available .
“ There is also a First Amendment right to public information , ” the CEO said in an interview with CBS News , citing Google ’ s practices of pulling in information for its search engine .
“ The way we have built our system is to only take publicly available information and index it that way.
” However , without explicit permission to use the photos it relies on , Clearview AI may be in a legally precarious position .

Facebook has “demanded” that Clearview AI stop using data scraped from its social networks for its controversial facial recognition database, CBSNews reports. “Scraping people’s information violates our policies,” a spokesperson for the company said, “Which is why we’ve demanded that Clearview stop accessing or using information from Facebook or Instagram.”
A day later, LinkedIn joined the growing group of companies demanding Clearview stop scraping its profiles for images to fill out its database. Unlike Facebook, however, LinkedIN went so far as to send a cease-and-desist letter similar to what Twitter and YouTube did last month. “We are sending a cease & desist letter to Clearview AI. The scraping of member information is not allowed under our terms of service and we take action to protect our members,” a LinkedIn spokesperson tells BuzzFeed News.
Although it has asked Clearview AI to stop using its data, CBS says Facebook has stopped short of sending a formal cease and desist letter. However, the social media company has sent multiple letters to Clearview to clarify its policies, and to ask for more information about its practices. Facebook is reportedly evaluating its options going forward, one of which likely involves sending a formal cease-and-desist like its fellow tech companies.
Clearview says it has a right to publicly available data
Clearview AI’s database first came to light in a New York Times expose published last month. The system is based on a database of over three billion images scraped from the internet, and is designed to help law enforcement quickly identify persons of interest. Clearview AI has claimed that in one case Indiana State Police were able to solve a case within 20 minutes by using the app.
Facebook and LinkedIn aren’t the only tech giants to have objected to Clearview AI’s practice of scraping billions of images from websites and social media to build its facial recognition database. Twitter was first to send a cease-and-desist letter last month, while YouTube followed suit earlier this week. Even police departments themselves have sought to distance themselves from the startup, with the NYPD confirming that it has no formal relationship with Clearview AI.
Clearview AI’s CEO Hoan Ton-That argues that his company has a right to use the data, since it’s publicly available. “There is also a First Amendment right to public information,” the CEO said in an interview with CBS News, citing Google’s practices of pulling in information for its search engine. “The way we have built our system is to only take publicly available information and index it that way.” However, without explicit permission to use the photos it relies on, Clearview AI may be in a legally precarious position.


theverge--2020-02-06--Hero 8 drives GoPro to second most profitable quarter ever

Sales of the GoPro Hero 8 series helped the company post Q4 revenue of $ 528 million , up 40 percent compared to the same holiday quarter last year .
It was the third best quarter in terms of revenue ever posted by the company , which founder and CEO Nick Woodman took public in 2014 .
Those numbers allowed the company to eke out a profit of $ 102 million for the October to December 2019 period , it ’ s second most profitable quarter ever , according to Woodman .
NPD research says GoPro captured 97 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( and 87 percent of units sold ) in the fourth quarter , showing just how dominant GoPro remains in its niche market segment .
Nevertheless , GoPro stock is getting hammered in after-hours trading ( down as much as 15 percent ) for revenue coming in below even the low-end of GoPro ’ s own projections , and well below the consensus of analysts .
Sales of the Hero 8 series started off strong , but softened in the month of December , according to GoPro .
Woodman is predicting a profitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the current GoPro lineup while attracting more subscribers to pay for GoPro services — subscribers were up 69 percent year-over-year and 10 percent since last quarter .
Woodman also teased a new “ GoPro app experience ” in 2020 “ that addresses widespread pain points that anyone with a smartphone or a GoPro faces , one that we believe GoPro is uniquely positioned to solve.
” ” Our roadmap is really exciting .
It ’ s the heartbeat of GoPro , and it ’ s something that we do really , really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Q4 investor call .
“ So I ’ m very confident that our multiyear roadmap in cameras and accessories will continue to excite .
So there ’ s no taking the foot off the gas there whatsoever .
”

Sales of the GoPro Hero 8 series helped the company post Q4 revenue of $528 million, up 40 percent compared to the same holiday quarter last year. It was the third best quarter in terms of revenue ever posted by the company, which founder and CEO Nick Woodman took public in 2014. Those numbers allowed the company to eke out a profit of $102 million for the October to December 2019 period, it’s second most profitable quarter ever, according to Woodman.
NPD research says GoPro captured 97 percent of every US dollar spent on action cameras (and 87 percent of units sold) in the fourth quarter, showing just how dominant GoPro remains in its niche market segment.
Nevertheless, GoPro stock is getting hammered in after-hours trading (down as much as 15 percent) for revenue coming in below even the low-end of GoPro’s own projections, and well below the consensus of analysts. Sales of the Hero 8 series started off strong, but softened in the month of December, according to GoPro.
Woodman is predicting a profitable year ahead
Woodman is predicting a profitable year ahead, driven predominantly by sales of the current GoPro lineup while attracting more subscribers to pay for GoPro services — subscribers were up 69 percent year-over-year and 10 percent since last quarter. Woodman also teased a new “GoPro app experience” in 2020 “that addresses widespread pain points that anyone with a smartphone or a GoPro faces, one that we believe GoPro is uniquely positioned to solve.”


theverge--2020-02-06--Google Maps gets a new icon and more tabs to celebrate 15th anniversary

Google Maps is turning 15 years old , and to celebrate , Google is rolling out a new icon for the service along with a slightly redesigned app and a couple of new features .
The biggest change here might be the icon itself — gone is the classic map intersection icon in favor of a new Google-hued pin on a white background , which more closely matches Google ’ s other application branding .
The Google Maps app itself is also getting a slight change , with two added tabs at the bottom : the update adds “ contribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and replaces the “ for you ” tab with a more focused “ saved ” tab .
The motivation behind the redesign is rooted in the more recent functionality that Google has added to Maps , like the increased focus on user-submitted content and the ability to follow other users .
With the new tabs , more of those features are put front and center for users instead of having them buried deep in a side menu .
Google is also announcing a couple new features to Maps , although they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first is increased crowdsourced information for public transit .
Before , Google Maps could only tell you whether a train or bus was expected to be crowded , but the new update allows users to submit other details like temperature , wheelchair accessibility , or whether there ’ s a women-only carriage or onboard security .
The other update is coming to Google ’ s augmented-reality Live View feature , which is getting a more lightweight mode that will simply show the location of your destination without launching into the full-fledged 3D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available .
The new icon and tab interface will roll out today on both iOS and Android devices ; the new transit information and Live View mode will arrive in a future update sometime next month .

Google Maps is turning 15 years old, and to celebrate, Google is rolling out a new icon for the service along with a slightly redesigned app and a couple of new features.
The biggest change here might be the icon itself — gone is the classic map intersection icon in favor of a new Google-hued pin on a white background, which more closely matches Google’s other application branding.
The Google Maps app itself is also getting a slight change, with two added tabs at the bottom: the update adds “contribute” and “updates” tabs, and replaces the “for you” tab with a more focused “saved” tab.
The motivation behind the redesign is rooted in the more recent functionality that Google has added to Maps, like the increased focus on user-submitted content and the ability to follow other users. With the new tabs, more of those features are put front and center for users instead of having them buried deep in a side menu.
The five main tabs on the new Google Maps
Google is also announcing a couple new features to Maps, although they won’t arrive until sometime in March. The first is increased crowdsourced information for public transit. Before, Google Maps could only tell you whether a train or bus was expected to be crowded, but the new update allows users to submit other details like temperature, wheelchair accessibility, or whether there’s a women-only carriage or onboard security.
The other update is coming to Google’s augmented-reality Live View feature, which is getting a more lightweight mode that will simply show the location of your destination without launching into the full-fledged 3D turn-by-turn navigation mode that’s currently available.
The new transit information (left) and the updated Live View (right)