theverge--2020-12-03--Your 7-year fear of Americans legally getting to make in-flight calls has come to an end

The next time you get on a plane , you ’ ll probably have plenty of new things to worry about , but having to listen to people talking on the phone won ’ t be one .
Way back in 2013 , the FCC announced that it would be considering removing a ban on passengers making phone calls once the plane was above 10,000 feet .
The proposal was unpopular even within the FCC , with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler saying he would prefer people not be allowed to make calls on a plane .
The FCC originally announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 12 ( of 2013 ) , but it took until today to reach a verdict ( via Boing Boing ) : no .
The decision cites “ strong opposition , ” especially among pilots and flight attendants , claiming that the proposal “ [ failed ] to address significant safety and national security concerns.
” There are also concerns that the proposal would make flights less pleasant to be on .
One of the letters referenced by the FCC was filed by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants ( APFA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ s ] safety and comfort on board our aircraft.
” This is also the sentiment I ’ ve gathered from the public comments I ’ ve read : who wants to add “ many people talking loudly on their phones ” to the list of terrible airplane noises ?
Even though it took seven years , I ’ m glad the FCC is taking what seems to be the obviously correct step here .
Like the AFPA says , “ just because something is technically feasible does not automatically mean it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other words : even if you can , it doesn ’ t mean you should .

The next time you get on a plane, you’ll probably have plenty of new things to worry about, but having to listen to people talking on the phone won’t be one. Way back in 2013, the FCC announced that it would be considering removing a ban on passengers making phone calls once the plane was above 10,000 feet. The proposal was unpopular even within the FCC, with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler saying he would prefer people not be allowed to make calls on a plane.
The FCC originally announced that it would be considering the proposal on December 12 (of 2013), but it took until today to reach a verdict (via Boing Boing): no. The decision cites “strong opposition,” especially among pilots and flight attendants, claiming that the proposal “[failed] to address significant safety and national security concerns.”
There are also concerns that the proposal would make flights less pleasant to be on. One of the letters referenced by the FCC was filed by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), and says that the proposal “jeopardize[s] safety and comfort on board our aircraft.” This is also the sentiment I’ve gathered from the public comments I’ve read: who wants to add “many people talking loudly on their phones” to the list of terrible airplane noises?
Over 1,300 people commented on the proposal, with many expressing that they weren’t interested in having to hear people talk on their phone.


theverge--2020-12-03--You can play Cyberpunk 2077 on December 9th instead of 10th, depending where you live

The highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 is just days away from its December 10th release .
But depending on where you live and what platform you ’ re playing on , you might get to play the game a bit earlier than you might have expected given the previous guidance .
Developer CD Projekt Red shared exactly when Cyberpunk 2077 will be available in a tweet posted Thursday .
If you ’ re playing on PC or Stadia , you ’ ll be able to start the game at 12AM GMT on December 10th no matter where you are in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if you live on the US East Coast , you can jump into the game at 7PM ET on December 9th .
If you want to know exactly when 12AM GMT is in your timezone , check the map below .
Console players will get access to the game at midnight local time , according to CD Projekt Red .
CD Projekt Red also detailed when you can start preloading Cyberpunk 2077 ahead of next week ’ s launch .
On PC , you can preload the game beginning Monday , December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on GOG and at 5PM CET on Steam and the Epic Games Store .
On Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles , you can already preload the game .
On PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 , preloads begin “ two days prior to the release date.
” It ’ s been a long wait for people anticipating Cyberpunk 2077 , as the game has been delayed multiple times .
The specifics about release timing seem to suggest that the full game will , at long last , finally be in players ’ hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discs went gold in October and a few of them are actually already in players ’ hands , but there ’ s apparently going to be a hefty day-one patch as well .

The highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 is just days away from its December 10th release. But depending on where you live and what platform you’re playing on, you might get to play the game a bit earlier than you might have expected given the previous guidance.
Developer CD Projekt Red shared exactly when Cyberpunk 2077 will be available in a tweet posted Thursday. If you’re playing on PC or Stadia, you’ll be able to start the game at 12AM GMT on December 10th no matter where you are in the world. That means, for example, that if you live on the US East Coast, you can jump into the game at 7PM ET on December 9th. If you want to know exactly when 12AM GMT is in your timezone, check the map below. Console players will get access to the game at midnight local time, according to CD Projekt Red.
CD Projekt Red also detailed when you can start preloading Cyberpunk 2077 ahead of next week’s launch. On PC, you can preload the game beginning Monday, December 7th. Preloads begin at 12PM CET on GOG and at 5PM CET on Steam and the Epic Games Store. On Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, you can already preload the game. On PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, preloads begin “two days prior to the release date.”


theverge--2020-12-03--God of War’s Kratos is now available in Fortnite

After a not-so-subtle tease from Sony on Wednesday , God of War protagonist Kratos is now available as a purchasable skin in Fortnite .
Although Kratos is a Sony character , he ’ s not exclusive to PS4 or PS5 platforms — you ’ ll be able to buy the Kratos skin on any platform where Fortnite can be played , and players on all platforms will be able to see Kratos in-game , Fortnite-maker Epic Games tells The Verge .
We should note that there is one PlayStation-exclusive thing about Kratos , though — if you play a match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll unlock the Armored Kratos Style : For 2,200 V-Bucks , Fortnite ’ s in-game currency , you get the Kratos skin , a glider , a Mimir back bling , and the Leviathan Axe pickaxe ( which comes with an emote ) .
You can also buy the skin and the back bling as a bundle for 1,500 V-Bucks .
Sony and Epic Games put together a short trailer to help hype up Kratos ’ debut : Fortnite ’ s newest season just launched on Wednesday , and it features hunters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can earn from the game ’ s seasonal battle pass ( including the Mandalorian and his constant companion Grogu , aka Baby Yoda ) .
Kratos is a fitting addition to the lineup , though he may not be the only video game crossover we see this season — rumors point to Microsoft icon Master Chief possibly joining the game as well .

After a not-so-subtle tease from Sony on Wednesday, God of War protagonist Kratos is now available as a purchasable skin in Fortnite. Although Kratos is a Sony character, he’s not exclusive to PS4 or PS5 platforms — you’ll be able to buy the Kratos skin on any platform where Fortnite can be played, and players on all platforms will be able to see Kratos in-game, Fortnite-maker Epic Games tells The Verge.
We should note that there is one PlayStation-exclusive thing about Kratos, though — if you play a match as Kratos on PlayStation 5, you’ll unlock the Armored Kratos Style:
Kratos in his Armored Kratos style. Image: Epic Games
For 2,200 V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency, you get the Kratos skin, a glider, a Mimir back bling, and the Leviathan Axe pickaxe (which comes with an emote). You can also buy the skin and the back bling as a bundle for 1,500 V-Bucks.
Sony and Epic Games put together a short trailer to help hype up Kratos’ debut:


theverge--2020-12-03--The Looking Glass Portrait is a cheaper holographic window to your smartphone photos and more

Looking Glass Factory , a company that designs personal holographic displays , just launched a Kickstarter for its new Looking Glass Portrait , a smaller , more affordable take on its previous light field display .
The new Looking Glass can operate as a standalone device , and in a clever move , supports portrait mode photos from smartphones like the iPhone for creating simple holograms .
The Looking Glass Portrait displays holographic photos , videos and 3D models in a 58 degree viewing cone , which basically amounts to the experience of a 3D video or hologram , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for special glasses .
Holographic light field tech isn ’ t new , particularly in smaller sizes like a cellphone screen .
Where Looking Glass Portrait differs from other displays , like Sony ’ s $ 3,000 Spatial Reality Display , is with a much lower price point of $ 349 ( without promotional Kickstarter pricing ) .
Looking Glass Factory says its specific display uses a proprietary combination of light field and volumetric display technologies , meaning the display is both refracting light through glass and projecting it to multiple parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into seeing a 3D image .
The Looking Glass Portrait projects 45 to 100 different “ views ” of 3D scenes to create its holograms , which is great for more detailed captures from light field photography , but for less detailed methods like an iPhone portrait , the results aren ’ t as impressive .
The Looking Glass Portrait has a 7.9 inch display at an undisclosed resolution , with HDMI , USB-C , and 3.5 stereo audio jack ports for getting media on and off the device .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous $ 600 and $ 3,000 Looking Glass displays we covered in 2018 , and notably vertically-oriented where the old model was horizontal .
The display needs to be plugged in to a power source , but has a built-in Raspberry Pi 4 for standalone use .
With the company ’ s Holographic Studio software you can also upload your own photos , videos and 3D models to the device .
Outside of just photos and videos , the Portrait can also be connected to Microsoft ’ s Azure Kinect , Intel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Controller for tinkering with slightly more interactive holograms .
Looking Glass Factory makes the Portrait seem like a device for anyone .
Depth mapped photos have only gotten easier to capture and the new lower price feels a lot more approachable for a non-enthusiast .
But I have to wonder what using the device is like long-term .
Much like trying to find 3D videos for a 3D TV , there ’ s no single source that ’ s consistently putting out holographic content .
Maybe tossing up holograms of your kids is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cooler integrations that the Portrait allows , I ’ d want reassurance there ’ d be new content for it over time .
Looking Glass Factory has cultivated a community on Discord and its forums , but how much content shared there will actually be of interest remains to be seen .
The Looking Glass Portrait is available to back on Kickstarter today , December 3rd , for an Early Bird price of $ 199 , with the display shifting to $ 249 for the remainder of the campaign tomorrow .
Early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March 2021 , with normal campaign orders following in April .
The final retail price will be $ 349 .

Looking Glass Factory, a company that designs personal holographic displays, just launched a Kickstarter for its new Looking Glass Portrait, a smaller, more affordable take on its previous light field display. The new Looking Glass can operate as a standalone device, and in a clever move, supports portrait mode photos from smartphones like the iPhone for creating simple holograms.
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 Looking Glass Portrait displays holographic photos, videos and 3D models in a 58 degree viewing cone, which basically amounts to the experience of a 3D video or hologram, but viewable by multiple people without the need for special glasses. Holographic light field tech isn’t new, particularly in smaller sizes like a cellphone screen. Where Looking Glass Portrait differs from other displays, like Sony’s $3,000 Spatial Reality Display, is with a much lower price point of $349 (without promotional Kickstarter pricing).
Looking Glass Factory says its specific display uses a proprietary combination of light field and volumetric display technologies, meaning the display is both refracting light through glass and projecting it to multiple parts of the screen simultaneously to trick your brain into seeing a 3D image. The Looking Glass Portrait projects 45 to 100 different “views” of 3D scenes to create its holograms, which is great for more detailed captures from light field photography, but for less detailed methods like an iPhone portrait, the results aren’t as impressive.
An example of a camera rail enabling holographic capture with a normal camera. Image: Looking Glass Factory
The Looking Glass Portrait has a 7.9 inch display at an undisclosed resolution, with HDMI, USB-C, and 3.5 stereo audio jack ports for getting media on and off the device. It’s a more compact and streamlined design than the previous $600 and $3,000 Looking Glass displays we covered in 2018, and notably vertically-oriented where the old model was horizontal. The display needs to be plugged in to a power source, but has a built-in Raspberry Pi 4 for standalone use. With the company’s HoloPlay Studio software you can also upload your own photos, videos and 3D models to the device. Outside of just photos and videos, the Portrait can also be connected to Microsoft’s Azure Kinect, Intel’s RealSense or a Leap Motion Controller for tinkering with slightly more interactive holograms.
An example of an interactive hologram using the Leap Motion Controller. Image: Looking Glass Factory
Looking Glass Factory makes the Portrait seem like a device for anyone. Depth mapped photos have only gotten easier to capture and the new lower price feels a lot more approachable for a non-enthusiast. But I have to wonder what using the device is like long-term. Much like trying to find 3D videos for a 3D TV, there’s no single source that’s consistently putting out holographic content. Maybe tossing up holograms of your kids is enough of a novelty, but with the cooler integrations that the Portrait allows, I’d want reassurance there’d be new content for it over time. Looking Glass Factory has cultivated a community on Discord and its forums, but how much content shared there will actually be of interest remains to be seen.
The Looking Glass Portrait is available to back on Kickstarter, for an Early Bird price of $199 through December 7th, with the display shifting to $249 for the remainder of the campaign after that. Early Bird orders are expected to be fulfilled in March 2021, with normal campaign orders following in April. The final retail price will be $349.
Update December 4th 1:29PM ET: Added new end date for Early Bird pricing.


theverge--2020-12-03--Hackers are targeting the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain, IBM finds

A global phishing campaign has been targeting organizations associated with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines since September 2020 , IBM security researchers say .
In a blog post , analysts Claire Zaboeva and Melissa Frydrych of IBM X-Force IRIS announced that the phishing campaign spans six regions : Germany , Italy , South Korea , Czech Republic , greater Europe , and Taiwan .
The campaign appears to be focused on the “ cold chain , ” the segment of the vaccine supply chain that keeps doses cold during their storage and transportation .
Some vaccines need to stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potent .
Pfizer , for example , recommends that their COVID-19 vaccine be stored at negative 70 degrees Celsius ( colder than winter in Antarctica ) .
That poses a logistical challenge for the pharmaceutical company , which will need to transport millions upon millions of doses around the world at that temperature .
The attacks focused on groups associated with Gavi , an international organization that promotes vaccine access and distribution .
Specifically , it targeted organizations related to their Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform ( CCEOP ) , which aims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines at very cold temperatures .
These included the European Commission ’ s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union , as well as “ organizations within the energy , manufacturing , website creation and software and internet security solutions sectors.
” Per the blog post , the people behind the phishing operation sent emails to the organizations ’ executives claiming to be an executive from CCEOP supplier Haier Biomedical .
The emails , which purported to request quotations related to CCEOP , contained HTML attachments which asked for the opener ’ s credentials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use to gain unauthorized access down the line .
“ We assess that the purpose of this COVID-19 phishing campaign may have been to harvest credentials , possibly to gain future unauthorized access to corporate networks and sensitive information relating to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution , ” reads the blog post .
It ’ s not yet clear who ’ s behind this campaign , but the researchers suspect a nation-state actor rather than a private individual or group .
“ Without a clear path to a cash-out , cyber criminals are unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to execute such a calculated operation with so many interlinked and globally distributed targets , ” the blog post reads .
“ Advanced insight into the purchase and movement of a vaccine that can impact life and the global economy is likely a high-value and high-priority nation-state target.
” IBM recommends that companies involved in COVID-19 vaccine storage and transport “ be vigilant and remain on high alert during this time.
” The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) has issued an alert encouraging the organizations to review IBM ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a target of multiple cyberattacks this year .
The US government accused China of funding and operating hacking cells to steal vaccine research from the US and its allies in May , and charged two Chinese hackers with stealing data from firms working on COVID-19 treatments and vaccines in July .
US , UK , and Canadian authorities denounced attacks from a group associated with Russian intelligence services on organizations involved in vaccine development this summer .
In November , Microsoft detected cyberattacks from nation-state actors in Russia and North Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stages of clinical trials .
Multiple companies have submitted COVID-19 vaccines for review to the Food and Drug Administration , including Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna .
The FDA ’ s vaccine advisory community will review the applications in mid-December ; if the vaccines are authorized , distribution will begin shortly after .
Moderna expects to have up to 20 million doses of its vaccine by the end of 2020 , while Pfizer could provide up to 25 million .

A global phishing campaign has been targeting organizations associated with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines since September 2020, IBM security researchers say.
In a blog post, analysts Claire Zaboeva and Melissa Frydrych of IBM X-Force IRIS announced that the phishing campaign spans six regions: Germany, Italy, South Korea, Czech Republic, greater Europe, and Taiwan.
The campaign appears to be focused on the “cold chain,” the segment of the vaccine supply chain that keeps doses cold during their storage and transportation. Some vaccines need to stay at extremely low temperatures in order to remain potent. Pfizer, for example, recommends that their COVID-19 vaccine be stored at negative 70 degrees Celsius (colder than winter in Antarctica). That poses a logistical challenge for the pharmaceutical company, which will need to transport millions upon millions of doses around the world at that temperature.
The attacks focused on groups associated with Gavi, an international organization that promotes vaccine access and distribution. Specifically, it targeted organizations related to their Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP), which aims to distribute and improve technology that can keep vaccines at very cold temperatures. These included the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, as well as “organizations within the energy, manufacturing, website creation and software and internet security solutions sectors.”
Per the blog post, the people behind the phishing operation sent emails to the organizations’ executives claiming to be an executive from CCEOP supplier Haier Biomedical. The emails, which purported to request quotations related to CCEOP, contained HTML attachments which asked for the opener’s credentials, which the actor could store and use to gain unauthorized access down the line.
“We assess that the purpose of this COVID-19 phishing campaign may have been to harvest credentials, possibly to gain future unauthorized access to corporate networks and sensitive information relating to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution,” reads the blog post.
It’s not yet clear who’s behind this campaign, but the researchers suspect a nation-state actor rather than a private individual or group. “Without a clear path to a cash-out, cyber criminals are unlikely to devote the time and resources required to execute such a calculated operation with so many interlinked and globally distributed targets,” the blog post reads. “Advanced insight into the purchase and movement of a vaccine that can impact life and the global economy is likely a high-value and high-priority nation-state target.”
IBM recommends that companies involved in COVID-19 vaccine storage and transport “be vigilant and remain on high alert during this time.” The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an alert encouraging the organizations to review IBM’s report.
COVID-19 vaccine research and development has been a target of multiple cyberattacks this year. The US government accused China of funding and operating hacking cells to steal vaccine research from the US and its allies in May, and charged two Chinese hackers with stealing data from firms working on COVID-19 treatments and vaccines in July. US, UK, and Canadian authorities denounced attacks from a group associated with Russian intelligence services on organizations involved in vaccine development this summer. In November, Microsoft detected cyberattacks from nation-state actors in Russia and North Korea on companies with COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials.


theverge--2020-12-03--The Wristcam is a camera for your Apple Watch

A strap for an Apple Watch equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras is finally launching after nearly four years in development .
The Wristcam has an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video and take stills in 4K resolution and a 2-megapixel camera for selfies .
The company says you ’ ll also be able to use it as a video walkie-talkie with real-time live-streaming .
Those might be serviceable cameras , but they ’ re not likely to replace your iPhone camera .
The company sent over a sample of images shot by the Wristcam , which are pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the details .
Wristcam , originally called CMRA , shows images on the Watch screen but has a separate battery , which the company says can last an entire day .
You can take images and video just by pressing a button on the band , and it will sync them to your iPhone automatically when you drop it on its magnetically attached charging cable at night .
The device has 8GB of memory for photo and video storage .
The camera connects with the Watch via Bluetooth Low Energy ( BLE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 5.0 , and Wi-Fi .
The Wristcam band weighs 23 grams , about half the weight of the lightest Apple Watch , and comes in interchangeable colors , including noir , blanc , gray , rose , and sage .
Both cameras have LEDs that light up when a photo or video is being shot , so it ’ s clear when the device is in photo-taking mode .
It ’ s controlled by one multifunctional button .
According to CEO Ari Roisman , the Wristcam can take up to 20 seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch over Bluetooth but will sync directly with a connected iPhone .
The ability to share photos directly from the Watch won ’ t be available at launch but in a future update , Roisman told The Verge .
Roisman told The Verge the company is focused on shipping units to customers who supported the original crowdfunding campaign , which pre-sold 10,000 units .
The lengthy delay stemmed from design challenges , Roisman said , but customers who have stuck with the company should receive their Wristcams by the holidays .
Since it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company said it offered refunds to any of the original crowdfunders who wanted their money back .
The Wristcam is taking direct reservations from customers on its website for $ 299 .
The first direct-to-customer units will ship in March 2021 , the company says .

A strap for an Apple Watch equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras is finally launching after nearly four years in development. The Wristcam has an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video and take stills in 4K resolution and a 2-megapixel camera for selfies. The company says you’ll also be able to use it as a video walkie-talkie with real-time live-streaming.
Those might be serviceable cameras, but they’re not likely to replace your iPhone camera. The company sent over a sample of images shot by the Wristcam, which are pretty decent, if a bit underwhelming in the details.
A photo taken with the new Wristcam. Image: Wristcam
Image: Wristcam
Image: Wristcam
Wristcam, originally called CMRA, shows images on the Watch screen but has a separate battery, which the company says can last an entire day. You can take images and video just by pressing a button on the band, and it will sync them to your iPhone automatically when you drop it on its magnetically attached charging cable at night.
The device has 8GB of memory for photo and video storage. The camera connects with the Watch via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and with the iPhone via Bluetooth 4.2, 5.0, and Wi-Fi.
The Wristcam comes with two cameras and works independently of the iPhone. Image: Glide / Wristcam
The Wristcam band weighs 23 grams, about half the weight of the lightest Apple Watch, and comes in interchangeable colors, including noir, blanc, gray, rose, and sage. Both cameras have LEDs that light up when a photo or video is being shot, so it’s clear when the device is in photo-taking mode. It’s controlled by one multifunctional button.
According to CEO Ari Roisman, the Wristcam can take up to 20 seconds to share a photo directly from the Watch over Bluetooth but will sync directly with a connected iPhone. The ability to share photos directly from the Watch won’t be available at launch but in a future update, Roisman told The Verge.
Image: Wristcam
Roisman told The Verge the company is focused on shipping units to customers who supported the original crowdfunding campaign, which pre-sold 10,000 units. The lengthy delay stemmed from design challenges, Roisman said, but customers who have stuck with the company should receive their Wristcams by the holidays. Since it’s been four years, the company said it offered refunds to any of the original crowdfunders who wanted their money back.


theverge--2020-12-03--Google Podcasts now supports private RSS feeds so you can listen to the shows you pay to access

Google Podcasts is finally getting a feature that ’ s already standard across most listening apps : private RSS feed support .
The head of product for Google Podcasts , Zack Reneau-Wedeen , made the announcement on Twitter today and shouted out some networks that are especially reliant on private feeds , including Patreon , Slate , Red Circle , and Supercast .
To access the feature , tap over to the activity tab in the bottom right-hand corner and slide over to the Subscriptions tab , then tap the plus symbol .
You ’ ll then be prompted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the entire process below .
This is a relatively standard feature that ’ s helped prop up the podcasting business for creators .
On Patreon , for example , members often pay for access to a subscribers-only feed .
To access that content , the creator sends them a private RSS feed they then can insert into their favorite listening app to retrieve the audio .
It ’ s a useful thing to support both for creators and listeners , so it ’ s not surprising Google would build this in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time coming .
Still , not every app supports the feature , including , most notably , Spotify .
But if Google Podcasts , and even Spotify , wants to become the places where people consume all of their audio , they have to support private RSS feeds , at least for the time being because it ’ s how creators get their shows out to fans while still getting paid .

Google Podcasts is finally getting a feature that’s already standard across most listening apps: private RSS feed support. The head of product for Google Podcasts, Zack Reneau-Wedeen, made the announcement on Twitter today and shouted out some networks that are especially reliant on private feeds, including Patreon, Slate, RedCircle, and Supercast.
To access the feature, tap over to the activity tab in the bottom right-hand corner and slide over to the Subscriptions tab, then tap the plus symbol. You’ll then be prompted to add by RSS feed. You can see the entire process below.
This is a relatively standard feature that’s helped prop up the podcasting business for creators. On Patreon, for example, members often pay for access to a subscribers-only feed. To access that content, the creator sends them a private RSS feed they then can insert into their favorite listening app to retrieve the audio. It’s a useful thing to support both for creators and listeners, so it’s not surprising Google would build this in. In fact, it’s been a long time coming.


theverge--2020-12-03--Leak left 243 million Brazilians’ medical records and personal info ripe for the picking

The personal information of more than 243 million Brazilians was potentially accessible for at least six months thanks to weakly encoded credentials kept in the source code of the Brazilian Ministry of Health ’ s website ( via ZDNet ) .
The security issue was first reported by Brazilian publication Estadão .
The personal data of anyone who had registered with Sistema Único de Saúde ( SUS ) , Brazil ’ s national health system , could be viewed .
That data included people ’ s full names , addresses , and telephone numbers , reported Estadão .
The database @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as the population of Brazil was more than 211 million in 2019 , according to The World Bank , which is about 32 million fewer people than the reported number of records that were potentially accessible .
The Ministry of Health ’ s website stored the encoded access credentials to the database of personal information in its source code , reports Estadão .
However , the login and password were encoded using Base64 , a method that can be easily decoded .
Given that you can look at any website ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by accessing it in a menu , potentially anyone could have found these encrypted credentials and , if they were savvy enough , decoded them to then access the personal records of Brazilians .
Health records can be quite valuable on the black market given the amount of personal information they often include .
If a bad actor knew of this vulnerability , it ’ s very possible they could have taken this data to use for their own nefarious purposes or to sell later .
The Ministry of Health has corrected the @ @ @ @ @ @

The personal information of more than 243 million Brazilians was potentially accessible for at least six months thanks to weakly encoded credentials kept in the source code of the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s website (via ZDNet). The security issue was first reported by Brazilian publication Estadão.
The personal data of anyone who had registered with Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), Brazil’s national health system, could be viewed. That data included people’s full names, addresses, and telephone numbers, reported Estadão. The database also includes records of living and dead people as the population of Brazil was more than 211 million in 2019, according to The World Bank, which is about 32 million fewer people than the reported number of records that were potentially accessible.
The Ministry of Health’s website stored the encoded access credentials to the database of personal information in its source code, reports Estadão. However, the login and password were encoded using Base64, a method that can be easily decoded. Given that you can look at any website’s source code with a keyboard shortcut or by accessing it in a menu, potentially anyone could have found these encrypted credentials and, if they were savvy enough, decoded them to then access the personal records of Brazilians.


theverge--2020-12-04--How Becca Farsace tests and reviews wireless earbuds

Wireless earbud reviews don ’ t just happen .
Three weeks ago , I got my hands on seven pairs of wireless earbuds to see which is the best option under $ 100 .
This might sound like Christmas Day for many , but the sight of such a pile on my desk for me spells ear pain and the inevitable feeling of needing to find new music to love or podcasts to be fascinated by .
Don ’ t get me wrong , I love my job but what no one told me about reviewing tech is it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earbuds I wanted to test , I started with reputable companies with established customer service operations .
I also sent many Slack messages to my co-worker Chris Welch who also reviews wireless headphones for The Verge .
Then , the earbuds started flowing in .
I always start my earbud testing the same : wear each model for at least one battery cycle to get a sense of pairing , controls , battery life , and comfort .
A good wireless earbud has to check four boxes for me : good sound quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without being too large , and enough battery life for at least four hours of continuous listening .
Oh !
And a good mic is a big plus , but I also realize that not everyone talks on the phone as much as I do .
For this video I tested Skullcandy ’ s $ 59.99 Sesh Evo , Skullcandy ’ s $ 79.99 Indy Evo , the $ 49.99 OnePlus Buds Z , the $ 49.99 1More PistonBuds , the $ 69.99 JBL Tune 215TWS , the $ 30 JLab Go Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air ANC earbuds .
Those are the regular retail prices for each model , but these frequently go on sale and it ’ s not hard to find any one of them for even less than their sticker price .
In the first round of testing , I made three eliminations .
First , Skullcandy ’ s Sesh Evos for their very large-sized buds that never stayed in my ears and their very plastic , cheap-feeling case .
Next , the 1More PistonBuds were eliminated for needing to pull the right bud out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would connect to the left bud , which would then connect to my phone — a tediously clumsy process .
If I didn ’ t pull the PistonBuds out in that order , the left bud would connect to my phone before connecting to the right bud and then only play media out of the left bud .
And lastly , the JLab Go Airs were cut because of their open case design which , although it has magnets to keep the earbuds seated , resulted in them coming out of their case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left , it was time for round two : natural selection .
At this price point , the difference in each model is fit , build quality , and connection .
I keep all of the headphones that are still in play in a pile on my desk and every morning I see what I naturally gravitate toward the most and when .
Very quickly , I was able to determine my favorite pair .
Although they lack a lot of the touch controls I like on other models , I kept going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Z .
The OnePlus Buds Z ’ s 10mm drivers deliver a full sound with decent separation of highs and lows , but above all else , they have a kicking bass .
There is IP55 water resistance and the silicone ear tips block out enough loud noise to be able to hear music clearly , even on the subway .
I take each of my top picks on a few subway rides to test how much sound is being blocked and how strong of a Bluetooth connection they have .
On my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a hassle to bring the Bud Z ’ s small , light case and I found I could comfortably wear the buds for long listening sessions .
Typically , at the point in my testing where I have chosen a winner , I would have my friends over for a cookout and spring earbud testing upon them .
Right after dinner , I would grab my top picks and a bottle of rubbing alcohol and we would go around testing each pair .
This time , I had to rely on more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusty friend .
But even with a smaller pool , the choice was clear .
From the balanced sound quality with decent bass , a mic I could use on Zoom calls , and a comfortable fit , the Buds Z feel more premium than the other earbuds in this price range .
They also have a case that doesn ’ t feel plasticky , although it lacks wireless charging , one of my favorite features .
At this price , though , there ’ s really little to complain about .
Check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the OnePlus Buds Z and to see what I choose as my second and third choices .

Wireless earbud reviews don’t just happen. Three weeks ago, I got my hands on seven pairs of wireless earbuds to see which is the best option under $100. This might sound like Christmas Day for many, but the sight of such a pile on my desk for me spells ear pain and the inevitable feeling of needing to find new music to love or podcasts to be fascinated by. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job but what no one told me about reviewing tech is it takes time and dedication.
When researching what earbuds I wanted to test, I started with reputable companies with established customer service operations. I also sent many Slack messages to my co-worker Chris Welch who also reviews wireless headphones for The Verge. Then, the earbuds started flowing in.
I always start my earbud testing the same: wear each model for at least one battery cycle to get a sense of pairing, controls, battery life, and comfort. A good wireless earbud has to check four boxes for me: good sound quality, solid Bluetooth connection, comfortable fit without being too large, and enough battery life for at least four hours of continuous listening. Oh! And a good mic is a big plus, but I also realize that not everyone talks on the phone as much as I do.
The OnePlus Buds Z are light and comfortable even during long listening sessions. Photo by Alix Diaconis / The Verge
Touch controls are important for folks who don’t want to take out their phones to control their experience. Photo by Alix Diaconis / The Verge Skullcandy Indy Evos have a really snug fit that will feel secure for first-time wireless earbud users. Photo by Alix Diaconis / The Verge
In the first round of testing, I made three eliminations. First, Skullcandy’s Sesh Evos for their very large-sized buds that never stayed in my ears and their very plastic, cheap-feeling case. Next, the 1More PistonBuds were eliminated for needing to pull the right bud out of the case first so that it would connect to the left bud, which would then connect to my phone — a tediously clumsy process. If I didn’t pull the PistonBuds out in that order, the left bud would connect to my phone before connecting to the right bud and then only play media out of the left bud. And lastly, the JLab Go Airs were cut because of their open case design which, although it has magnets to keep the earbuds seated, resulted in them coming out of their case in my backpack.
With four pairs left, it was time for round two: natural selection. At this price point, the difference in each model is fit, build quality, and connection. I keep all of the headphones that are still in play in a pile on my desk and every morning I see what I naturally gravitate toward the most and when. Very quickly, I was able to determine my favorite pair. Although they lack a lot of the touch controls I like on other models, I kept going back to the $49.99 OnePlus Buds Z.
The OnePlus Buds Z, pictured on a shelf, are great budget wireless earbuds that cost only $50. Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
The OnePlus Buds Z’s 10mm drivers deliver a full sound with decent separation of highs and lows, but above all else, they have a kicking bass. There is IP55 water resistance and the silicone ear tips block out enough loud noise to be able to hear music clearly, even on the subway. I take each of my top picks on a few subway rides to test how much sound is being blocked and how strong of a Bluetooth connection they have. On my nightly walk around Brooklyn it never felt like a hassle to bring the Bud Z’s small, light case and I found I could comfortably wear the buds for long listening sessions.
Typically, at the point in my testing where I have chosen a winner, I would have my friends over for a cookout and spring earbud testing upon them. Right after dinner, I would grab my top picks and a bottle of rubbing alcohol and we would go around testing each pair. This time, I had to rely on more Slacks to Chris Welch and just one trusty friend. But even with a smaller pool, the choice was clear.


theverge--2020-12-04--Meet the lieutenant governor pushing Democrats to get serious about weed

In the wake of the 2020 election , Democrats are looking for answers — and if you ask John Fetterman , the answer is marijuana .
Pennsylvania ’ s unorthodox Lieutenant Governor has established himself as a kind of unofficial spokesman for the state ’ s efforts to legalize the drug , both in his public statements and on his Twitter feed .
And while the issue makes many politicians nervous , Fetterman is insistent that it ’ s far more popular than they realize .
“ America wants this and is ready for this and has been ready for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with The Verge .
“ And no matter what it is that does it for you , whether it ’ s revenue , justice , jobs , freedom , farmers , veterans , there are so many reasons to support it .
The only reason against it is this vestigial reefer madness.
” Fetterman is exasperated that neither Democrats nor Republicans seem to have the political will to make it happen , despite a recent groundswell of voter support .
He and Governor Tom Wolf have repeatedly tried to push for state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became clear neighboring New Jersey would soon pass a decriminalization bill of its own .
“ We either do it now and take advantage of what we can do in Pennsylvania , or we ’ re going to lose a lot of revenue to our neighboring states , ” Wolf said during an October press conference .
Tax revenue from cannabis , Wolf argues , could prove invaluable for revitalizing Pennsylvania ’ s pandemic-ravaged economy .
Leaders of the Republican-controlled state legislature however , have called legalizing recreational pot “ reckless and irresponsible.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and opened its first dispensaries in 2018 , but the drug is still illegal without a doctor ’ s approval .
But as legalization gains ground across the country , there ’ s increasing pressure on states like Pennsylvania .
As of this writing , medical marijuana is legal in 35 states ; recreational weed is legal in 15 states and the District of Columbia , despite remaining illegal at the federal level .
“ the unambiguous winner in November of 2020 was weed.
” When he ran in the Senate primary in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only candidate nationally calling for legalization , a cause he has pushed in some form or other ever since .
“ I don ’ t shrink away or call it ‘ unfortunate ’ or something , ” he says of his party ’ s position on cannabis .
“ Thank goodness that Trump wasn ’ t savvy enough to say , ‘ you know , what ?
legal weed !
’ They can argue about what happened in the election in 2020 .
But the unambiguous winner in November of 2020 was weed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana legalization was on the ballot this year , people voted in favor .
Arizona , Montana , and New Jersey voted to approve recreational cannabis sales to people 21 and over , while Mississippi voted to approved medical marijuana use .
And perhaps even more significantly , the measures in Arizona and Montana both called for past marijuana-related crimes to be expunged from people ’ s records .
Had President Trump prioritized legalization , Fetterman adds , he thinks the 2020 election would have turned out much worse for Democrats .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weed and would have made a push for for pardons , and totally upended it and removed prohibition , I think he would have actually won quite handily.
” Legalizing marijuana is not a new subject for Fetterman , who says he uses over-the-counter , THC-free CBD gummies and ointments for aches and pains and general well-being but does not smoke marijuana himself .
“ I am honestly incensed that this was kept from me for my entire life because of reefer madness.
” “ I am honestly incensed that this was kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reefer madness , ” he says .
“ And I find my outrage directed at the medical community too , that had no qualms about unleashing the Kraken on the American people with Oxycontin and opioids.
” Before he was elected lieutenant governor , Fetterman , who holds a master ’ s in public policy from Harvard and is known for his trademark wardrobe of a gray work shirt and cargo shorts , spent 13 years as the mayor of Braddock , Pennsylvania .
The job paid $ 150 a year in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live below the poverty line .
He and his wife , Gisele , still live in Braddock with their three kids , and even though he holds statewide office now , Fetterman carries reminders of the borough on his skin .
He has Braddock ’ s zip code tattooed on his left arm , and his right arm has the dates of nine of the ten homicides that occurred in Braddock during his tenure .
In the summer of 2019 , Fetterman went on a listening tour across the commonwealth , visiting all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in fact widespread support for legalizing recreational weed .
“ It was an earnest , goodwill , full on conversation , and by far the most interactive discussion of a public policy topic in Pennsylvania ’ s history , without a doubt , ” he says .
“ And you know , I ’ m smart enough to know how to read an electoral map and I could have picked which counties I wanted .
But I wanted to hear from everybody.
” According to the report complied from Fetterman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Pennsylvanians said they approved of adult-use cannabis legalization .
“ And that ’ s what ’ s so crazy about it , is that there are so many what we call mainline Republicans in Pennsylvania that would love to just sit in their backyard by their fire pit after a long day and just take the edge off with a vape pen of weed , ” he said .
And , he notes , Pennsylvania already has a thriving weed market , albeit an illegal one .
“ It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of externalities that people , especially people of color , are ground up by .
And that needs to change , ” he says .
“ We need to figure out a mechanism that balances the freedom and the distribution of it with the acknowledgement that it needs to generate revenue that can be used for the greater good.
” The Biden administration would leave it up to states to decide on legalizing recreational weed Some of that enthusiasm has trickled up to the national level .
The official 2020 Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive action and supports legalizing marijuana for medical purposes , but it leaves it up to states to decide whether to legalize weed for recreational use .
During the campaign , President-elect Joe Biden called for decriminalizing cannabis use , expunging prior convictions , and taking cannabis off the schedule 1 drug list — which includes heroin and LSD — to allow research .
But Biden would leave decisions about whether to legalize recreational marijuana up to states .
Previous decriminalization bills have stalled out in Congress , with the Democratic-led House putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate .
The House tried again to include banking reform for marijuana companies in a second coronavirus relief package in August , but the Trump administration and Senate Republicans balked .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed that the bill “ mentions the word cannabis 68 times , more than the words jobs or hire are mentioned in the entire bill.
” The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that would remove marijuana from the controlled substances list .
The MORE Act , introduced by Rep. Jerry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminate marijuana prohibition and require that federal courts expunge prior marijuana arrests from people ’ s criminal records .
But getting the bill through Congress would require buy-in from Senate Republicans , who are unlikely to play ball .
“ weed helped a lot of people get through this pandemic.
” Given the gridlock at the federal level , Fetterman worries that national Democrats will leave drug policy on the back burner .
“ I think they ’ re going to say ‘ we have other priorities , ’ ” Fetterman says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ no , no you don ’ t , ’ because weed helped a lot of people get through this pandemic .
And it would help a lot of other people dial back their addictions to other things like opioids and alcohol and other things .
It ’ s really the perfect time for it .
And all it involves is saying ‘ yes.
’ ” Fetterman believes that Illinois — which opened its first dispensaries for recreational use in January — is a model for Pennsylvania to pursue full legalization .
Sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpass $ 1 billion in 2020 , state officials say .
Fetterman winces at what he sees as revenue left on the table in Pennsylvania ; according to the auditor general , legal weed could bring $ 581 million a year into Pennsylvania ’ s coffers .
“ I ’ m a realist , and it ’ s not like I can sit at a desk and craft [ legislation ] myself , this is going to have to involve by definition , the GOP , ” Fetterman says .
“ And right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head in the sand trying to deny this even though they know we ’ re right about it .
I don ’ t want the perfect to become the enemy of the good .
But we ’ re not going to be able to get to where Illinois is anytime soon unless there ’ s a sea change in the Pennsylvania GOP mindset.
” Republicans in Pennsylvania and elsewhere , however , are currently preoccupied with the state of the presidential election and Trump ’ s attempts to overturn his loss .
Fetterman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mocking the president and the GOP on his Twitter account and in interviews .
“ The echo chamber on the other side is so desperate to find something to excite and mollify the snake handlers in the party , ” he says .
“ And they know , there isn ’ t one person in leadership that honestly believes any of it .
It ’ s all just carnival barking.
” Still , Fetterman thinks both parties share some of the blame for failing to legalize cannabis , and he is particularly incensed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for putting Biden in the White House continue to bear the brunt of the effects of drug laws .
“ the Democratic Party is to the right of South Dakota on legal weed , and it ’ s like , ‘ what the hell is wrong with you ?
’ ” “ I find the Democrats ’ platform on it cowardly , and , on the wrong side of history , ” he said .
“ So the Democratic Party is to the right of South Dakota on legal weed , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell is wrong with you ?
’ ” Fetterman says .
“ The Democratic Party owes its electoral success in this election to Black and brown communities .
And they are disgustingly , disproportionately impacted by weed prohibition more than anybody.
” Although he hasn ’ t committed to any specific race , observers think Fetterman is likely to run for Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-PA ) ’ s Senate seat in 2022 .
( Toomey has said he won ’ t seek reelection . )
That would put him in a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to marijuana laws at the national level .
But for now , he sees the issue of legalizing weed as an urgent matter for the Keystone State .
“ Forty percent of our state is going to live a grocery store away from a Candyland of legal weed ” in New Jersey , Fetterman said .
“ It ’ s inevitable .
So you can either be rolled over by it or you can be a frontrunner .
”

In the wake of the 2020 election, Democrats are looking for answers — and if you ask John Fetterman, the answer is marijuana. Pennsylvania’s unorthodox Lieutenant Governor has established himself as a kind of unofficial spokesman for the state’s efforts to legalize the drug, both in his public statements and on his Twitter feed. And while the issue makes many politicians nervous, Fetterman is insistent that it’s far more popular than they realize.
“America wants this and is ready for this and has been ready for it,” Fetterman said in an interview with The Verge. “And no matter what it is that does it for you, whether it’s revenue, justice, jobs, freedom, farmers, veterans, there are so many reasons to support it. The only reason against it is this vestigial reefer madness.”
Fetterman is exasperated that neither Democrats nor Republicans seem to have the political will to make it happen, despite a recent groundswell of voter support. He and Governor Tom Wolf have repeatedly tried to push for state legislation in recent months, as it became clear neighboring New Jersey would soon pass a decriminalization bill of its own.
“We either do it now and take advantage of what we can do in Pennsylvania, or we’re going to lose a lot of revenue to our neighboring states,” Wolf said during an October press conference. Tax revenue from cannabis, Wolf argues, could prove invaluable for revitalizing Pennsylvania’s pandemic-ravaged economy. Leaders of the Republican-controlled state legislature however, have called legalizing recreational pot “reckless and irresponsible.”
Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016 and opened its first dispensaries in 2018, but the drug is still illegal without a doctor’s approval. But as legalization gains ground across the country, there’s increasing pressure on states like Pennsylvania. As of this writing, medical marijuana is legal in 35 states; recreational weed is legal in 15 states and the District of Columbia, despite remaining illegal at the federal level.
“the unambiguous winner in November of 2020 was weed.”
When he ran in the Senate primary in 2016, Fetterman says he was the only candidate nationally calling for legalization, a cause he has pushed in some form or other ever since.
“I don’t shrink away or call it ‘unfortunate’ or something,” he says of his party’s position on cannabis. “Thank goodness that Trump wasn’t savvy enough to say, ‘you know, what? legal weed!’ They can argue about what happened in the election in 2020. But the unambiguous winner in November of 2020 was weed.”
Indeed, in every state where marijuana legalization was on the ballot this year, people voted in favor. Arizona, Montana, and New Jersey voted to approve recreational cannabis sales to people 21 and over, while Mississippi voted to approved medical marijuana use. And perhaps even more significantly, the measures in Arizona and Montana both called for past marijuana-related crimes to be expunged from people’s records.
Had President Trump prioritized legalization, Fetterman adds, he thinks the 2020 election would have turned out much worse for Democrats. “I think if Trump would have legalized weed and would have made a push for for pardons, and totally upended it and removed prohibition, I think he would have actually won quite handily.”
Legalizing marijuana is not a new subject for Fetterman, who says he uses over-the-counter, THC-free CBD gummies and ointments for aches and pains and general well-being but does not smoke marijuana himself.
“I am honestly incensed that this was kept from me for my entire life because of reefer madness.”
“I am honestly incensed that this was kept from me for my entire life because of reefer madness,” he says. “And I find my outrage directed at the medical community too, that had no qualms about unleashing the Kraken on the American people with Oxycontin and opioids.”
Before he was elected lieutenant governor, Fetterman, who holds a master’s in public policy from Harvard and is known for his trademark wardrobe of a gray work shirt and cargo shorts, spent 13 years as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. The job paid $150 a year in a community where 35 percent of people live below the poverty line. He and his wife, Gisele, still live in Braddock with their three kids, and even though he holds statewide office now, Fetterman carries reminders of the borough on his skin. He has Braddock’s zip code tattooed on his left arm, and his right arm has the dates of nine of the ten homicides that occurred in Braddock during his tenure.
In the summer of 2019, Fetterman went on a listening tour across the commonwealth, visiting all 67 counties to find out whether there was in fact widespread support for legalizing recreational weed.
“It was an earnest, goodwill, full on conversation, and by far the most interactive discussion of a public policy topic in Pennsylvania’s history, without a doubt,” he says. “And you know, I’m smart enough to know how to read an electoral map and I could have picked which counties I wanted. But I wanted to hear from everybody.”
According to the report complied from Fetterman’s listening tour, 65 to 70 percent of Pennsylvanians said they approved of adult-use cannabis legalization. “And that’s what’s so crazy about it, is that there are so many what we call mainline Republicans in Pennsylvania that would love to just sit in their backyard by their fire pit after a long day and just take the edge off with a vape pen of weed,” he said.
And, he notes, Pennsylvania already has a thriving weed market, albeit an illegal one. “It’s a shit show, and it creates all kinds of externalities that people, especially people of color, are ground up by. And that needs to change,” he says. “We need to figure out a mechanism that balances the freedom and the distribution of it with the acknowledgement that it needs to generate revenue that can be used for the greater good.”
The Biden administration would leave it up to states to decide on legalizing recreational weed
Some of that enthusiasm has trickled up to the national level. The official 2020 Democratic Party platform calls for decriminalizing marijuana use via executive action and supports legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, but it leaves it up to states to decide whether to legalize weed for recreational use. During the campaign, President-elect Joe Biden called for decriminalizing cannabis use, expunging prior convictions, and taking cannabis off the schedule 1 drug list — which includes heroin and LSD — to allow research. But Biden would leave decisions about whether to legalize recreational marijuana up to states.
Previous decriminalization bills have stalled out in Congress, with the Democratic-led House putting forth legislation only to see it die in the Senate. The House tried again to include banking reform for marijuana companies in a second coronavirus relief package in August, but the Trump administration and Senate Republicans balked. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed that the bill “mentions the word cannabis 68 times, more than the words jobs or hire are mentioned in the entire bill.”
The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that would remove marijuana from the controlled substances list. The MORE Act, introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), would effectively eliminate marijuana prohibition and require that federal courts expunge prior marijuana arrests from people’s criminal records. But getting the bill through Congress would require buy-in from Senate Republicans, who are unlikely to play ball.
“weed helped a lot of people get through this pandemic.”
Given the gridlock at the federal level, Fetterman worries that national Democrats will leave drug policy on the back burner. “I think they’re going to say ‘we have other priorities,’” Fetterman says. “And I’m thinking, ‘no, no you don’t,’ because weed helped a lot of people get through this pandemic. And it would help a lot of other people dial back their addictions to other things like opioids and alcohol and other things. It’s really the perfect time for it. And all it involves is saying ‘yes.’”
Fetterman believes that Illinois — which opened its first dispensaries for recreational use in January — is a model for Pennsylvania to pursue full legalization. Sales of marijuana in Illinois are likely to surpass $1 billion in 2020, state officials say. Fetterman winces at what he sees as revenue left on the table in Pennsylvania; according to the auditor general, legal weed could bring $581 million a year into Pennsylvania’s coffers.
“I’m a realist, and it’s not like I can sit at a desk and craft [legislation] myself, this is going to have to involve by definition, the GOP,” Fetterman says. “And right now this is a party with its head in the sand trying to deny this even though they know we’re right about it. I don’t want the perfect to become the enemy of the good. But we’re not going to be able to get to where Illinois is anytime soon unless there’s a sea change in the Pennsylvania GOP mindset.”
Republicans in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, however, are currently preoccupied with the state of the presidential election and Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss. Fetterman has been a reliably vocal critic, mocking the president and the GOP on his Twitter account and in interviews. “The echo chamber on the other side is so desperate to find something to excite and mollify the snake handlers in the party,” he says. “And they know, there isn’t one person in leadership that honestly believes any of it. It’s all just carnival barking.”
Still, Fetterman thinks both parties share some of the blame for failing to legalize cannabis, and he is particularly incensed that the segments of the party responsible for putting Biden in the White House continue to bear the brunt of the effects of drug laws.
“the Democratic Party is to the right of South Dakota on legal weed, and it’s like, ‘what the hell is wrong with you?’”
“I find the Democrats’ platform on it cowardly, and, on the wrong side of history,” he said. “So the Democratic Party is to the right of South Dakota on legal weed, and it’s like, ‘what the hell is wrong with you?’” Fetterman says. “The Democratic Party owes its electoral success in this election to Black and brown communities. And they are disgustingly, disproportionately impacted by weed prohibition more than anybody.”
Although he hasn’t committed to any specific race, observers think Fetterman is likely to run for Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)’s Senate seat in 2022. (Toomey has said he won’t seek reelection.) That would put him in a much stronger position to advocate for permanent change to marijuana laws at the national level. But for now, he sees the issue of legalizing weed as an urgent matter for the Keystone State.


theverge--2020-12-04--Return to Bird World is the real soundtrack to a fake sequel to a video game that doesn’t exist

In Return to Bird World , players are brought back to the floating kingdom of Bird World thousands of years after the events of the original game to find the once-brilliant island has fallen into ruin .
While the darker setting is a departure from the original Bird World , the new game still has one key trait in common : it doesn ’ t actually exist .
But its soundtrack does .
Return to Bird World comes from musician and Twitter personality Leon Chang , who ’ s been releasing video game-inspired albums for the past few years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Bird World , was ostensibly the soundtrack to an SNES-era game about a tiny bird embarking on an adventure .
Even though you ’ ll never play it , the soundtrack offered an idea of what the nonexistent game might be about .
You ’ d journey across a playful island , help out residents of a small village , and ultimately face a world-changing battle before saying goodbye to all the quirky characters you met along the way .
Chang said the idea for making a fake soundtrack came out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing and listening .
“ I like to write music that sounds like it comes from a video game , so why not make an album that ’ s based around a fake video game ?
” he told The Verge .
For the sequel , Bird World has jumped to a new generation .
The album has PlayStation-esque artwork and a sprawling length — an hour and a half — to match the expansive soundtracks that ’ d score games like Final Fantasy and Chrono Cross .
It ’ s also more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original .
“ The Mushroom God ” seems to depict a melancholy deity whose land has fallen to ruin ; “ Sesame City ” is fit for a bustling town with a futuristic edge ; and “ A World Descends Into Chaos ” pretty much sounds like the name implies .
Chang said he started planning a Bird World sequel almost as soon as the original came out ( he teased a follow-up as far back as November 2017 ) .
Feedback on the original was good enough to warrant the sequel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty more he wanted to do .
While writing the first album , Chang found that he had ideas for more songs that , as an amateur musician , he was still figuring out how to actually create .
“ On Bird World , I wish I could have done more orchestral stuff and more soundtrack-y type of stuff , and now I have the ability to do that , ” Chang said .
“ This next album just feels like taking all of that into as big of a thing as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the help of a “ long-running Google Doc ” where Chang sketched out the plot , characters , and settings of Return to Bird World .
While you won ’ t get to read the whole thing , you can get some of the details from a 28-page game manual that accompanies the physical release of the album — a double CD package that ’ s likewise meant to emulate those classic PlayStation RPGs .
Listeners won ’ t know the whole story by the time they ’ re finished , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a narrative running from beginning to end .
“ I ’ m hoping people can get some of [ the plot ] out of the tracks , ” he said , “ but a lot is left to the imagination still.
” Some tracks were created specifically to score locations or events Chang had in mind , while others started as songs that he later worked into the plot .
Chang hired artists to create the album ’ s cover and the game manual illustrations ( Aliana Wong and Titas Antanas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copy himself .
“ I put all the copy and design together , and that took me forever to do , ” Chang said .
The result is another album that ought to leave you wishing you could play the game to which it belongs .
The album comes out today on Bandcamp and will be available on other streaming platforms starting Saturday .

In Return to Bird World, players are brought back to the floating kingdom of Bird World thousands of years after the events of the original game to find the once-brilliant island has fallen into ruin. While the darker setting is a departure from the original Bird World, the new game still has one key trait in common: it doesn’t actually exist. But its soundtrack does.
Return to Bird World comes from musician and Twitter personality Leon Chang, who’s been releasing video game-inspired albums for the past few years. His first big project, 2017’s Bird World, was ostensibly the soundtrack to an SNES-era game about a tiny bird embarking on an adventure. Even though you’ll never play it, the soundtrack offered an idea of what the nonexistent game might be about. You’d journey across a playful island, help out residents of a small village, and ultimately face a world-changing battle before saying goodbye to all the quirky characters you met along the way.
Chang said the idea for making a fake soundtrack came out of the music to which he was already writing and listening. “I like to write music that sounds like it comes from a video game, so why not make an album that’s based around a fake video game?” he told The Verge.
For the sequel, Bird World has jumped to a new generation. The album has PlayStation-esque artwork and a sprawling length — an hour and a half — to match the expansive soundtracks that’d score games like Final Fantasy and Chrono Cross. It’s also more varied and less relentlessly cheery than the original. “The Mushroom God” seems to depict a melancholy deity whose land has fallen to ruin; “Sesame City” is fit for a bustling town with a futuristic edge; and “A World Descends Into Chaos” pretty much sounds like the name implies.
Chang said he started planning a Bird World sequel almost as soon as the original came out (he teased a follow-up as far back as November 2017). Feedback on the original was good enough to warrant the sequel, he said, but there was also plenty more he wanted to do. While writing the first album, Chang found that he had ideas for more songs that, as an amateur musician, he was still figuring out how to actually create.
“On Bird World, I wish I could have done more orchestral stuff and more soundtrack-y type of stuff, and now I have the ability to do that,” Chang said. “This next album just feels like taking all of that into as big of a thing as I can do.”
The album came together with the help of a “long-running Google Doc” where Chang sketched out the plot, characters, and settings of Return to Bird World. While you won’t get to read the whole thing, you can get some of the details from a 28-page game manual that accompanies the physical release of the album — a double CD package that’s likewise meant to emulate those classic PlayStation RPGs.
Listeners won’t know the whole story by the time they’re finished, but Chang designed the album so that there’s a narrative running from beginning to end. “I’m hoping people can get some of [the plot] out of the tracks,” he said, “but a lot is left to the imagination still.”
Some tracks were created specifically to score locations or events Chang had in mind, while others started as songs that he later worked into the plot. Chang hired artists to create the album’s cover and the game manual illustrations (Aliana Wong and Titas Antanas Vilkaitis), and he wrote the copy himself. “I put all the copy and design together, and that took me forever to do,” Chang said.


theverge--2020-12-04--Fitbit is replacing some Sense smartwatches over ECG reading issue

Fitbit is contacting some owners of its Sense smartwatch to offer replacements after discovering a bug affecting its electrocardiogram ( ECG ) readings .
Users on the Fitbit forums have reported receiving emails from the company , warning that their devices are affected by an unspecified “ hardware issue.
” Fitbit has subsequently confirmed to The Verge that the issue specifically affects its ECG functionality .
The emails ask affected users to return the smartwatch to Fitbit , and says they will be given a replacement device free of charge .
Along with stress detection and temperature tracking , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of its major differentiating features compared to Fitbit ’ s other recent smartwatch ; the Versa 3 .
The ECG feature is meant to allow the watch to read the wearer ’ s heart rhythm for problems like atrial fibrillation .
Although it wasn ’ t available when we reviewed the smartwatch back in September , Fitbit rolled out its ECG app the following month .
A small number of devices are thought to be affected When contacted for comment , a Fitbit UK spokesperson confirmed the issue to The Verge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ECG app on a limited number of Sense devices .
The problem means the app can incorrectly display an “ inconclusive ” result during readings .
Fitbit has also confirmed that no other devices , or future Sense smartwatches shipments , are affected by the issue and said it is contacting affected users directly to issue replacements .
The $ 329.95 Fitbit Sense has had a bit of a rough launch .
Some of its most impressive features weren ’ t available in time for our review , and what was left could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far Fitbit has shown it ’ s willing to address these issues .
It ’ s released updates to add new features like the ECG app and support for Google Assistant , and now it ’ s proactively replacing devices with faulty hardware .
In our review we said Fitbit needed to take some time to work out the Sense ’ s kinks , and it appears to be doing just that .

Fitbit is contacting some owners of its Sense smartwatch to offer replacements after discovering a bug affecting its electrocardiogram (ECG) readings. Users on the Fitbit forums have reported receiving emails from the company, warning that their devices are affected by an unspecified “hardware issue.”
Fitbit has subsequently confirmed to The Verge that the issue specifically affects its ECG functionality, and that less than 900 devices globally are affected. The emails ask affected users to return the smartwatch to Fitbit and says they will be given a replacement device free of charge.
Along with stress detection and temperature tracking, the Fitbit Sense’s ECG app is one of its major differentiating features compared to Fitbit’s other recent smartwatch; the Versa 3. The ECG feature is meant to allow the watch to read the wearer’s heart rhythm for problems like atrial fibrillation. Although it wasn’t available when we reviewed the smartwatch back in September, Fitbit rolled out its ECG app the following month.
A small number of devices are thought to be affected
When contacted for comment, a Fitbit UK spokesperson confirmed the issue to The Verge, and said that the problem affects the ECG app on a limited number of Sense devices. The problem means the app can incorrectly display an “inconclusive” result during readings. Fitbit has also confirmed that no other devices, or future Sense smartwatches shipments, are affected by the issue and said it is contacting affected users directly to issue replacements.
The $329.95 Fitbit Sense has had a bit of a rough launch. Some of its most impressive features weren’t available in time for our review, and what was left could be buggy to use. But so far Fitbit has shown it’s willing to address these issues. It’s released updates to add new features like the ECG app and support for Google Assistant, and now it’s proactively replacing devices with faulty hardware. In our review we said Fitbit needed to take some time to work out the Sense’s kinks, and it appears to be doing just that.


theverge--2020-12-04--Razer’s Tomahawk modular gaming PC is finally a real product

Razer has been talking up modular gaming PCs with streamlined swappable parts for years .
Now , after various concepts , CES reveals , and standard PC cases with associated branding , the company is actually selling a pre-built desktop PC for the first time .
The Tomahawk is the final version of what we saw at CES 2020 back in January .
It ’ s a simple case design with two PCIe slots : one for a full-sized GPU , and one for an Intel NUC Element board that contains the CPU , the RAM , the storage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a functional PC .
The NUC module includes a 45W Core i9-9980HK Coffee Lake processor , 16GB of DDR4 RAM , a 512GB NVMe SSD , and a 2TB hard drive .
The memory and storage are upgradable , but the CPU is not — unless Intel releases another compatible NUC board that you can swap directly into the Tomahawk .
That Coffee Lake CPU is the kind of part you might find in a high-end gaming laptop , so while it ’ s fast today it may well be something you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Tomahawk does have space for a full-size GPU up to 320 x 140mm and there ’ s an option to order it with an Nvidia RTX 3080 Founders Edition pre-installed .
The 210mm x 365mm x 150mm metal chassis is 10L in capacity , comes with a 750W PSU , and uses active cooling .
There are 4 USB-A 3.2 ports and 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports , as well as onboard Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 Razer says the small size is designed for bringing to tournaments and LAN parties or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have to really value those attributes for the Tomahawk to be worth it , because unsurprisingly it does not come cheap .
Razer has priced it at $ 2,400 for the base model without a discrete GPU or $ 3,200 with a RTX 3080 ; preorders have opened in the US , but it ’ s currently listed as out of stock .

Razer has been talking up modular gaming PCs with streamlined swappable parts for years. Now, after various concepts, CES reveals, and standard PC cases with associated branding, the company is actually selling a pre-built desktop PC for the first time.
The Tomahawk is the final version of what we saw at CES 2020 back in January. It’s a simple case design with two PCIe slots: one for a full-sized GPU, and one for an Intel NUC Element board that contains the CPU, the RAM, the storage, and basically everything else you need for a functional PC.
The NUC module includes a 45W Core i9-9980HK Coffee Lake processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 2TB hard drive. The memory and storage are upgradable, but the CPU is not — unless Intel releases another compatible NUC board that you can swap directly into the Tomahawk. That Coffee Lake CPU is the kind of part you might find in a high-end gaming laptop, so while it’s fast today it may well be something you’d want to upgrade down the line.
The Tomahawk does have space for a full-size GPU up to 320 x 140mm and there’s an option to order it with an Nvidia RTX 3080 Founders Edition pre-installed. The 210mm x 365mm x 150mm metal chassis is 10L in capacity, comes with a 750W PSU, and uses active cooling. There are 4 USB-A 3.2 ports and 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, as well as onboard Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 Razer says the small size is designed for bringing to tournaments and LAN parties or just freeing up desk space.


theverge--2020-12-04--The US government will let TikTok run out the clock and ‘overlook’ its own deadline

The Trump administration won ’ t enforce its own deadline for ByteDance to sell or spin out video-sharing platform TikTok ’ s business in the US , according to Bloomberg .
The latest deadline for that move , given by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ( CFIUS ) on November 28th , was today , December 4th .
An extension isn ’ t expected , though the current deadline will “ be overlooked while the discussions continue ” between the Trump administration and TikTok , Bloomberg reports .
CNN tech reporter Brian Fung is corroborating that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own deadline , with his sources amusingly suggesting that the lack of a deadline is proof that the US is “ highly motivated ” to complete talks about the sale .
The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that TikTok and ByteDance are a national security risk , and the US Commerce Department issued an order to block downloads of TikTok in September .
But Trump then said that he approved of a bid by Oracle and Walmart “ in concept ” to create a new US-based entity called TikTok Global , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address concerns of security risks .
That deal also requires final approval from China , which hasn ’ t come yet , either .

The Trump administration won’t enforce its own deadline for ByteDance to sell or spin out video-sharing platform TikTok’s business in the US, according to Bloomberg.
The latest deadline for that move, given by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on November 28th, was today, December 4th. An extension isn’t expected, though the current deadline will “be overlooked while the discussions continue” between the Trump administration and TikTok, Bloomberg reports.
CNN tech reporter Brian Fung is corroborating that the US won’t enforce its own deadline, with his sources amusingly suggesting that the lack of a deadline is proof that the US is “highly motivated” to complete talks about the sale.


theverge--2020-12-04--Google Fi is offering $100 to upgrade your 3G phone before it stops working

Google Fi will stop activating non-VoLTE phones in January , and encourage customers with older phones to upgrade with a $ 100 credit provided they purchase a new phone from the Fi store and activate it before December 31st , 9to5Google reports .
Google ’ s hand is forced in the matter .
Customers subscribe to Fi , but as an MVNO , Fi actually piggybacks on T-Mobile and US Cellular ’ s networks to provide coverage .
Since T-Mobile has already announced its own plans to phase out support for non-VoLTE phones starting in January 2021 , Fi has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but assures 3G ’ s days are numbered VoLTE stands for “ Voice over LTE ” , which is the handling of phone calls over LTE data rather than older 3G tech .
VoLTE calls are typically clearer , with fewer drops in connection , though they ’ re completely unavailable to older phones that only use 3G radios and even some early LTE models as well .
Google stopped activating 2G and 3G phones August 4th of this year according to the Fi FAQs , but requiring VoLTE all but assures 3G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no hard date for the end of 3G service at Fi , but it is coming , and until Google makes an official announcement , your best bet is to look for when T-Mobile ends its coverage .
T-Mobile gained a lot of sway over what Fi can offer when it purchased Sprint , giving it control over both of the biggest networks Fi relied on .
There ’ s actually a couple cheap options on the Fi store that could serve as a quick fix .
We like Google ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for $ 349 , but there ’ s also options that you could get for less than $ 100 with Google ’ s current holiday promotion .
Upgrading to better cell service is a long term good for the usability of phones , but it is an inconvenience to customers .
Verizon already made its change a while back , phasing out elements of 3G services in favor of LTE and 5G over time .
AT & T and T-Mobile ’ s plans are a bit more abrupt .
There ’ s an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to be motivating all of this , which is especially inconvenient because around 30 million Americans still used 3G exclusively as of 2019 .
Unless customers are able to upgrade , they could be left behind .

Google Fi will stop activating non-VoLTE phones in January, and encourage customers with older phones to upgrade with a $100 credit provided they purchase a new phone from the Fi store and activate it before December 31st, 9to5Google reports.
Google’s hand is forced in the matter. Customers subscribe to Fi, but as an MVNO, Fi actually piggybacks on T-Mobile and US Cellular’s networks to provide coverage. Since T-Mobile has already announced its own plans to phase out support for non-VoLTE phones starting in January 2021, Fi has to as well.
Requiring VoLTE all but assures 3G’s days are numbered
VoLTE stands for “Voice over LTE”, which is the handling of phone calls over LTE data rather than older 3G tech. VoLTE calls are typically clearer, with fewer drops in connection, though they’re completely unavailable to older phones that only use 3G radios and even some early LTE models as well. Google stopped activating 2G and 3G phones August 4th of this year according to the Fi FAQs, but requiring VoLTE all but assures 3G’s days are numbered.
There’s no hard date for the end of 3G service at Fi, but it is coming, and until Google makes an official announcement, your best bet is to look for when T-Mobile ends its coverage. T-Mobile gained a lot of sway over what Fi can offer when it purchased Sprint, giving it control over both of the biggest networks Fi relied on.
There’s actually a couple cheap options on the Fi store that could serve as a quick fix. We like Google’s Pixel 4a, which normally sells for $349, but there’s also options that you could get for less than $100 with Google’s current holiday promotion.


theverge--2020-12-04--Hope you weren’t planning to watch Wonder Woman 1984 with an HBO Max free trial

It may be time to pour one out for the streaming service trial .
CNET reports that HBO Max is no longer offering users a free week of watching its content , following both Disney Plus and Netflix ’ s examples earlier in the year .
This change , probably not coincidentally , comes just weeks before December 25th , when Wonder Woman 1984 is set to launch on the service ( as well as in theaters , but you should probably stay home ) .
While it can ’ t compete with free , the $ 14.99 you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movie still compares favorably to the price of a theater ticket ( and it ’ s a month of entertainment as opposed to two-ish hours ) .
It ’ s not the first streaming service to nix a free trial before a big release : Disney Plus did it just a few weeks before it started streaming Hamilton .
The logic is sound , if annoying : people want to watch the Big New Thing , and if you offered a free trial , they might just watch it and bounce .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a month , a lot will , and they might get hooked on something else while they ’ re looking around for other content to justify their month-long subscription .
Or , if you ’ re HBO Max , they might see the absolute deluge of movies coming to the service next year and decide it ’ s worth keeping around .
So , if you were hoping to use the free trial to watch Wonder Woman 1984 , it ’ s not an option anymore .
Is it worth paying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have to decide , though whether or not you ’ re willing to pay will probably be determined by how many of the other streaming services you pay for , because there sure are a lot of them .
As for me , I ’ m just sad I have to cancel my plans of having an incredible week of free movie watching at the end of next year .

It may be time to pour one out for the streaming service trial. CNET reports that HBO Max is no longer offering users a free week of watching its content, following both Disney Plus and Netflix’s examples earlier in the year. This change, probably not coincidentally, comes just weeks before December 25th, when Wonder Woman 1984 is set to launch on the service (as well as in theaters, but you should probably stay home). While it can’t compete with free, the $14.99 you’ll now have to pay to see the movie still compares favorably to the price of a theater ticket (and it’s a month of entertainment as opposed to two-ish hours).
It’s not the first streaming service to nix a free trial before a big release: Disney Plus did it just a few weeks before it started streaming Hamilton. The logic is sound, if annoying: people want to watch the Big New Thing, and if you offered a free trial, they might just watch it and bounce. If they have to pay for it for a month, a lot will, and they might get hooked on something else while they’re looking around for other content to justify their month-long subscription. Or, if you’re HBO Max, they might see the absolute deluge of movies coming to the service next year and decide it’s worth keeping around.
Free trials don’t recoup a $200 million production budget.


theverge--2020-12-04--Apple will replace your iPhone 11’s display for free if it has the glitchy touchscreen

If your iPhone 11 isn ’ t responding to touches , it might be eligible for a free fix from Apple .
The company has launched a replacement program for iPhone 11 displays that stop responding to touches “ due to an issue with the display module.
” Apple says that “ a small percentage of iPhone 11 displays ” are affected .
Devices affected by the issue were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020 , Apple said , meaning not every phone is affected .
If you ’ re seeing the issue on your iPhone 11 , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is eligible for the program by plugging its serial number into a box on Apple ’ s website for the replacement program .
If your phone is eligible for replacement , you can find one of Apple ’ s authorized service providers to help , make an appointment at an Apple retail store , or contact Apple support to arrange for a mail in .
And Apple says that affected phones are covered for two years from the day you bought it , so if the issue comes up for you sometime in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still eligible for a free replacement .

If your iPhone 11 isn’t responding to touches, it might be eligible for a free fix from Apple. The company has launched a replacement program for iPhone 11 displays that stop responding to touches “due to an issue with the display module.” Apple says that “a small percentage of iPhone 11 displays” are affected.
Devices affected by the issue were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020, Apple said, meaning not every phone is affected. If you’re seeing the issue on your iPhone 11, you can check to see if your phone is eligible for the program by plugging its serial number into a box on Apple’s website for the replacement program.


theverge--2020-12-04--Apple developers can now let you share free copies of your in-app purchases with your family

If you ’ ve ever wished you could share an in-app purchase with your family , you may be in luck .
Today , Apple announced that subscriptions and one-time in-app purchases can now be shared among families .
If you buy a consumable item , like coins in a game , you ’ ll still be the only one who can use them , but if you unlock an ad-free or pro version of an app it could be eligible for the new Family Sharing program .
Apple announced this change back in June with Big Sur , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the switch to allow subscriptions and purchases to be shared .
Developers will need to flip that switch , though , as allowing Family Sharing of a subscription or purchase is a manual opt-in .
At the moment , only one of my subscriptions , the calorie-tracking app FoodNoms , allows sharing its subscription , but other big names such as writing app Ulysses have also announced support for the feature .
However , it does seem like the functionality is rolling out slowly .
I asked my sister if she could access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she couldn ’ t .
If you ’ re the person who buys the subscriptions in the family , It ’ s easy to check which of them have the option to share by going to Settings , then clicking on your name .
From there , tap Subscriptions .
At the top of the screen , you ’ ll see a switch labeled Share New Subscriptions .
Setting it to on will automatically give your family members access to any eligible in-app subscriptions that you sign up for .
If you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embarrassing subscriptions that you think might get shared with mom and dad , you may want to turn this off for the time being .
Beneath that , you ’ ll see the list of your current subscriptions .
Tapping on one will bring you to the Edit Subscription screen , where you ’ ll see a Share with Family switch if the developer has decided to allow it .
Turning it on will give your family access to the subscription just as if they had bought it themselves !
MacRumors has reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-time in-app purchases .
For example , Working Copy ’ s Pro version unlock is done through an in-app payment .
For a family member to be able to access it , they ’ ll have to go to the App Store , click on their account button in the upper right corner , go to Purchased , and then select the family member that purchased the unlock .
They ’ ll then have to download the app from that screen .
Depending on how the app is set up , they may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ button .
This process is way more involved , so I ’ d love to see some tweaks to it down the road .
If your favorite app doesn ’ t support subscription sharing yet , it may be worth checking back in on the Subscription screen from time to time .
There are reports of users getting notifications when one of their subscriptions becomes eligible for Family Sharing , but I haven ’ t gotten any yet .
Given that I ’ m currently not able to share my budgeting app subscription @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly be checking the Subscription screen every once in a while to see if my favorite apps are adopting the model .

If you’ve ever wished you could share an in-app purchase with your family, you may be in luck. Today, Apple announced that subscriptions and one-time in-app purchases can now be shared among families. If you buy a consumable item, like coins in a game, you’ll still be the only one who can use them, but if you unlock an ad-free or pro version of an app it could be eligible for the new Family Sharing program.
Apple announced this change back in June with Big Sur, but it’s finally letting developers flip the switch to allow subscriptions and purchases to be shared.
Developers will need to flip that switch, though, as allowing Family Sharing of a subscription or purchase is a manual opt-in. At the moment, only one of my subscriptions, the calorie-tracking app FoodNoms, allows sharing its subscription, but other big names such as writing app Ulysses have also announced support for the feature. However, it does seem like the functionality is rolling out slowly. I asked my sister if she could access a subscription I had shared, and she couldn’t.
If you’re the person who buys the subscriptions in the family, It’s easy to check which of them have the option to share by going to Settings, then clicking on your name. From there, tap Subscriptions.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see a switch labeled Share New Subscriptions. Setting it to on will automatically give your family members access to any eligible in-app subscriptions that you sign up for. If you’re planning on signing up for any embarrassing subscriptions that you think might get shared with mom and dad, you may want to turn this off for the time being.
Beneath that, you’ll see the list of your current subscriptions. Tapping on one will bring you to the Edit Subscription screen, where you’ll see a Share with Family switch if the developer has decided to allow it. Turning it on will give your family access to the subscription just as if they had bought it themselves!
The Share with Family toggle will show up on apps that support sharing. For me, it was off by default.
MacRumors has reported that the process is different for sharing one-time in-app purchases. For example, Working Copy’s Pro version unlock is done through an in-app payment. For a family member to be able to access it, they’ll have to go to the App Store, click on their account button in the upper right corner, go to Purchased, and then select the family member that purchased the unlock. They’ll then have to download the app from that screen. Depending on how the app is set up, they may then need to click the Restore Purchases button. This process is way more involved, so I’d love to see some tweaks to it down the road.


theverge--2020-12-04--YouTube and Peacock are now streaming 22 James Bond films for free

Maybe you ’ re feeling nostalgic for a classic James Bond film following Sean Connery ’ s death in late October .
Or perhaps you ’ re simply feeling a gap given that the next film , No Time to Die , got pushed back to April 2021 or beyond .
Either way , you can now binge a sizable selection of the James Bond collection completely for free ( with ads ) from YouTube , Peacock ( with a free account ) , and PlutoTV .
Not every provider has every film , and a few aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll need to rent Skyfall and Spectre if you care to watch those again .
It ’ s also not clear how long these films will be free to stream .
But every Sean Connery , Roger Moore , Timothy Dalton , Pierce Brosnan , and George Lazenby Bond film is represented here for now , and the first couple of Daniel Craig flicks as well .
I ’ ve bolded the ones you can find on YouTube that you can ’ t find on Peacock and vice versa .
PlutoTV has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Solace .
You can also find most of the films on Hulu and Amazon Prime this month , though you ’ d have to pay for those subscriptions , and Netflix has Casino Royale , Quantum of Solace , and three Pierce Brosnan flicks including GoldenEye — newly relevant now that the famed Arecibo Observatory , which gets destroyed in the film , has also collapsed in real life .
• You Only Live Twice • Never Say Never Again • The Man with the Golden Gun • The Spy who Loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The World is Not Enough • You Only Live Twice • The Man with the Golden Gun • The World is Not Enough I highly recommend The Living Daylights with Timothy Dalton .
It ’ s underrated , and its car chase scene has yet to be beat .
Did I mention I got to see a lot of the real Bond cars and took photos of them back in 2015 ?

(Disclosure: Comcast, which owns Peacock parent NBCUniversal, is also an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.)
Not every provider has every film, and a few aren’t on streaming services at all: you’ll need to rent Skyfall and Spectre if you care to watch those again. It’s also not clear how long these films will be free to stream.
But every Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and George Lazenby Bond film is represented here for now, and the first couple of Daniel Craig flicks as well. I’ve bolded the ones you can find on YouTube that you can’t find on Peacock and vice versa. PlutoTV has all of the below, save Quantum of Solace.
You can also find most of the films on Hulu and Amazon Prime this month, though you’d have to pay for those subscriptions, and Netflix has Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and three Pierce Brosnan flicks including GoldenEye — newly relevant now that the famed Arecibo Observatory, which gets destroyed in the film, has also collapsed in real life.
YouTube, 20 films
Dr. No
From Russia with Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Never Say Never Again
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View to a Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Peacock: 12 films
From Russia with Love
Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are Forever
The Man with the Golden Gun
Octopussy
Licence to Kill
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace