theverge--2020-06-16--Tesla’s Model S is the first electric car with 400-mile range EPA rating

The Tesla Model S Long Range Plus now has an EPA-rated range of 402 miles , making it the first electric vehicle to receive a rating of over 400 miles from the agency .
The new rating applies to all North American Model S vehicles with the “ Long Range Plus ” name , which Tesla introduced back in February to replace the “ Long Range ” version of the car .
“ All Model S cars made since late Jan have 402 mile range , ” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet .
“ This is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long Range Plus has a starting price of $ 74,990 following a price reduction last month .
Until recently , the EPA-rated range of the Model S Long Range Plus was 391 miles , but this had been a source of contention between Tesla and the EPA .
Last month , Tesla ’ s CEO claimed that the rating was a result of a mistake made by the EPA , which caused the car to lose 2 percent of its range when tested .
However , the government agency disputed this , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly .
At the time , Musk said the car would be re-tested when the EPA reopened .
The Verge understands that the new 402-mile rating is the result of the re-test .
In a blog post accompanying the announcement , Tesla has detailed the improvements that have allowed the car to break the 400-mile barrier .
These include weight reductions in components like the car ’ s battery pack , more aerodynamic wheels , and using more efficient drive units .
Regenerative braking improvements also mean more energy gets sent back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving .
The improvements result in “ a nearly 20 % increase in range when compared to a 2019 Model S 100D with the same battery pack design , ” Tesla says .

The Tesla Model S Long Range Plus now has an EPA-rated range of 402 miles, making it the first electric vehicle to receive a rating of over 400 miles from the agency. The new rating applies to all North American Model S vehicles with the “Long Range Plus” name, which Tesla introduced back in February to replace the “Long Range” version of the car.
“All Model S cars made since late Jan have 402 mile range,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet. “This is just making it official.” The Model S Long Range Plus has a starting price of $74,990 following a price reduction last month.
Until recently, the EPA-rated range of the Model S Long Range Plus was 391 miles, but this had been a source of contention between Tesla and the EPA. Last month, Tesla’s CEO claimed that the rating was a result of a mistake made by the EPA, which caused the car to lose 2 percent of its range when tested. However, the government agency disputed this, and said that the car had been tested properly. At the time, Musk said the car would be re-tested when the EPA reopened.
On Tuesday, the EPA told CNBC that it approved the new range estimate after receiving data from Tesla gathered during an in-house test. “Tesla has updated the 2020 Model S Long Range Plus vehicle making several changes to the vehicle from the one EPA previously tested. EPA approved the new label value based on a review of the testing protocols and data submitted by Tesla and found it was complete and accurate,” the agency said.
In a blog post accompanying the announcement, Tesla has detailed the improvements that have allowed the car to break the 400-mile barrier. These include weight reductions in components like the car’s battery pack, more aerodynamic wheels, and using more efficient drive units. Regenerative braking improvements also mean more energy gets sent back to the car’s battery pack while driving.
The improvements result in “a nearly 20% increase in range when compared to a 2019 Model S 100D with the same battery pack design,” Tesla says.


theverge--2020-06-16--Apple faces another EU antitrust complaint as App Store pressure grows

Apple is facing yet another European antitrust complaint , after Rakuten ’ s Kobo subsidiary complained to the European Commission about Apple ’ s 30 percent cut on ebooks in the App Store .
The Financial Times reports that Rakuten filed the complaint in March , alleging that it ’ s anti-competitive for Apple to take a 30 percent commission on ebooks sold through the App Store while promoting its own Apple Books service .
Rakuten ’ s complaint is very similar to the complaint that Spotify filed last year in Europe .
Spotify has claimed Apple uses its App @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice in favor of its own Apple Music service .
The music streaming service is also concerned over the “ Apple tax ” imposed on developers , a 30 percent cut that ’ s taken on every Spotify subscription signed up via the App Store during the first year , and then 15 percent each year thereafter .
Spotify ’ s antitrust complaint is still under investigation .
Netflix and Spotify have long fought against this 30 percent cut , and Apple has argued that the revenue it earns contributes toward the costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its content , privacy , and security guidelines .
Apple has made exemptions , though .
The iPhone maker confirmed the existence of a special program for streaming video providers back in April .
It allows platforms like Amazon Prime Video to bypass Apple ’ s standard 30 percent App Store fee when selling individual movies and TV show rentals .
Apple has also been facing claims that the App Store is a monopoly and increased scrutiny from US regulators after the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission began examining Big Tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fined $ 1.2 billion by French antitrust authorities in March over illegally restricting how wholesalers sell Apple products .
Rakuten is at least the third company to file an antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe .
Tile , known for its Bluetooth tracking devices , sent a letter to European competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager last month , accusing Apple of anti-competitive behavior .
Tile argues that Apple ’ s iOS 13.5 update to Bluetooth settings has disadvantaged third-party tracking products in favor of Apple ’ s own FindMy app that doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple has long been rumored to be working on a Tile-like tracking tag for months , but the company has not yet officially announced it despite inadvertently leaking its AirTag branding earlier this year .
The revelation of a third antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe comes just a day after Apple touted the findings of a new study that says the App Store was responsible for $ 519 billion in estimated total billings and sales of both physical products and services and digital goods in 2019 .
The study doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through its 30 percent “ Apple tax , ” but it does highlight the $ 61 billion in sales and billings from digital goods and services alone .

Apple is facing yet another European antitrust complaint, after Rakuten’s Kobo subsidiary complained to the European Commission about Apple’s 30 percent cut on ebooks in the App Store. The Financial Times reports that Rakuten filed the complaint in March, alleging that it’s anti-competitive for Apple to take a 30 percent commission on ebooks sold through the App Store while promoting its own Apple Books service.
Rakuten’s complaint is very similar to the complaint that Spotify filed last year in Europe. Spotify has claimed Apple uses its App Store to stifle innovation and limit consumer choice in favor of its own Apple Music service. The music streaming service is also concerned over the “Apple tax” imposed on developers, a 30 percent cut that’s taken on every Spotify subscription signed up via the App Store during the first year, and then 15 percent each year thereafter. Spotify’s antitrust complaint is still under investigation.
Netflix and Spotify have long fought against this 30 percent cut, and Apple has argued that the revenue it earns contributes toward the costs of maintaining the App Store and enforcing its content, privacy, and security guidelines. Apple has made exemptions, though. The iPhone maker confirmed the existence of a special program for streaming video providers back in April. It allows platforms like Amazon Prime Video to bypass Apple’s standard 30 percent App Store fee when selling individual movies and TV show rentals.
Rakuten is at least the third company to file an antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe. Tile, known for its Bluetooth tracking devices, sent a letter to European competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager last month, accusing Apple of anti-competitive behavior. Tile argues that Apple’s iOS 13.5 update to Bluetooth settings has disadvantaged third-party tracking products in favor of Apple’s own FindMy app that doesn’t include the same restrictions by default. Apple has long been rumored to be working on a Tile-like tracking tag for months, but the company has not yet officially announced it despite inadvertently leaking its AirTag branding earlier this year.


theverge--2020-06-16--How Lego’s Mario sets bring the magic of Nintendo to life

Mario is making the jump from the digital worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom to a new — but fitting — collaboration with Lego that lets players build their own IRL Super Mario levels .
I ’ ve had the chance to try out the first sets , which are a fun spin on both the classic Mario and Lego formulas , that play out almost like a Super Mario Maker level come to life .
The finished product is a collaboration between teams of Lego employees ( lead by design head Jonathan Bennink ) and Nintendo staff ( under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced numerous Mario titles for Nintendo , including the Super Mario Maker series ) .
The Super Mario Lego sets are a very different kind of app-integrated toy : unlike other smartphone or video game console-enabled products ( like the Skylander games or Lego Dimensions ) , the focus here is on enhancing the toys , rather than building out a video game world .
“ We think that the joy of Lego is , of course , building and spending your time touching bricks , ” explains Bennink .
“ So with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided that the focus of the play — or the core play loop as we call it — should be by touching bricks.
” Despite that emphasis on physical play , the first thing that struck me when setting things up is how digitally focused everything is , at least at the start .
Everything is app based , right down to the ubiquitous Lego instructions for guiding you through building the different components of the set .
Each separate piece of each kit has its own miniature instruction set , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interactive pieces work .
Buy a new set , and your first time scanning it adds it to your digital collection within the app .
The heart of the experience is the Lego Mario figure with a built-in display that shows the character ’ s eyes , mouth , and chest , and serves as the main point of interaction .
There ’ s also a sensor on the bottom that can scan barcodes and differentiate between colors .
Bop Lego Mario on top of a Goomba , and the game will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over red bricks , and Mario will read it as lava and react accordingly .
( Green bricks are grass , blue is water , and yellow is sand . )
And of course , there are the more interactive elements : moving platforms , villain-based set pieces , and collectable items , all of which add to the experience .
The starter kit — which costs $ 60 — starts players off with a few elements , like a Goomba , a question mark block , a rotating platform , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Lego Mario and the crucial start pipe and goal flag , which are used to start and end each 60-second run-through .
There are also non-interactive elements , like platforms players can jump Mario over and lava and water tiles to build out their course .
The idea is that players will take those base elements and use them to create their own courses and narratives to play through .
The various expansion packs — of which there are many planned — only expand those possibilities .
One set adds a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interaction to avoid sending Mario plummeting into the waves below .
Another adds Toad , Toadette , and collectible treasure chests hidden around the level .
A third features a Piranha Plant “ Power Slide ” that lets players rack up huge amounts of coins ( if they can carefully dodge the hungry plants ) .
All these elements can be combined together into a single giant course .
One level I built , for example , saw Mario brave a rotating platform , gave players the chance to fight a Koopa Troopa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and slide along a second platform to a junction where they could either battle some Cheep Cheeps to reach a power mushroom or take a different route and visit Toad .
A final part of the course added an optional mini-boss , where players could fight through a Shy Guy , a Bullet Bill , and then face off against Bowser Jr. ( granting a reward of a time bonus for extra time to complete the course ) .
And , as one would expect for a Nintendo / Lego collaboration , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lego-ized Mario characters and elements are frankly adorable , and it ’ s easy to imagine that some fans will just collect the sets for the aesthetics alone .
The interactive elements are also top notch — jump on a Goomba or collect a mushroom , and the iconic sound effects are just as they are in the video games .
Jump on a spinning platform , and more dramatic Mario music plays .
Even the simple act of walking along with the Mario figure has sound effects ( and will reward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” walking motions ) .
The Lego-ized ‘ Mario ’ characters and elements are frankly adorable One thing that the app doesn ’ t do , though , is provide detailed instructions for building specific courses .
According to Bennink , the team had originally tried an earlier version of the companion app that did just that , “ but this totally overtook the joy of just building from your imagination , because you ’ re basically just completing a task that we gave you.
” So they went back and restarted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspiration and share courses and ideas , rather than the more rigid demands it had started with .
Of course , the Mario sets are only meant to be a starting point .
While the interactive elements are exclusive to the sets , Lego Mario will react to normally colored bricks , so players will be able to build out and modify the sets with their own brick collections , too .
Gameplay isn ’ t exactly deep — while a few of the elements , like the rotating platforms or the sliding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand / eye coordination to maximize the amount of coins you ’ ll get , it ’ s not technically difficult in the way that a video game might be .
“ We want Mario to be happy , because if Mario is happy , kids are happy.
” “ We simply couldn ’ t translate all of the main mechanics straight to Lego play — Mario games are often about skill and making it to the finish , ” says Bennink , something that players can simply cheat around if they choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more akin to Super Mario Maker , where you are intrinsically motivated to get to build levels.
” In a similar vein , there are no real punishments for failure , unlike the traditional game .
“ One of the decisions that we also made is that Mario doesn ’ t die or get hurt a lot , ” Bennink explains .
“ And this is mainly because of Tezuka-san saying ‘ We want Mario to be happy , because if Mario is happy , kids are happy , ’ which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the goal was to create a system of “ right and more right.
” More skillful play is rewarded with more coins , but you don ’ t lose out if you knock Mario off a platform or into a waiting Koopa .
The challenge is more what players make out of it , although Lego will be featuring creative challenges in the app as inspiration when it launches later this summer .
And while the app isn ’ t necessarily to play with the sets once they ’ re built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their creations and share them with friends .
If that sounds a lot like Super Mario Maker , it ’ s because that game was an influence on the Lego sets , says Bennink .
“ The main thing that we took from Super Mario Maker is the intrinsic motivation — what level do I want to build , what do I think is fun and then how can I share that then with my friends ?
” “ Why don ’ t we just make walking really fun ?
” Bennink also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the gameplay experience streamlined .
“ They have this amazing ability to keep things simple and to focus on the core experience .
Rather than putting on all these layers of in-game upgrades and meta games around it , just make the core feel really good .
For instance , we spent some time brainstorming at Lego of ‘ What gestures can we do ?
’ And we came up with a list of 25 gestures and then Nintendo said ‘ Why don ’ t we just make walking really fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we spent six weeks just making the walking , and then they said ‘ Why don ’ t we just make the jumping really fun ?
’ So we spend another couple of weeks on just jumping and nailing that.
” Ultimately , the best judge of the new Lego Mario sets will be the kids that they ’ re intended for , but the mix of Lego creativity with Nintendo ’ s simplicity and gameplay seems to be a winning combination .
The first Lego Super Mario sets will be available on @ @ @

Mario is making the jump from the digital worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom to a new — but fitting — collaboration with Lego that lets players build their own IRL Super Mario levels. I’ve had the chance to try out the first sets, which are a fun spin on both the classic Mario and Lego formulas, that play out almost like a Super Mario Maker level come to life.
The finished product is a collaboration between teams of Lego employees (lead by design head Jonathan Bennink) and Nintendo staff (under the direction of Takashi Tezuka, who has produced numerous Mario titles for Nintendo, including the Super Mario Maker series).
The Lego Super Mario starter course set Photo: Lego
The Super Mario Lego sets are a very different kind of app-integrated toy: unlike other smartphone or video game console-enabled products (like the Skylander games or Lego Dimensions), the focus here is on enhancing the toys, rather than building out a video game world. “We think that the joy of Lego is, of course, building and spending your time touching bricks,” explains Bennink. “So with Lego Mario, pretty early on we decided that the focus of the play — or the core play loop as we call it — should be by touching bricks.”
Read next: Takashi Tezuka on the journey to producing Super Mario Maker
Despite that emphasis on physical play, the first thing that struck me when setting things up is how digitally focused everything is, at least at the start. Everything is app based, right down to the ubiquitous Lego instructions for guiding you through building the different components of the set. Each separate piece of each kit has its own miniature instruction set, along with videos that show exactly how each of the interactive pieces work. Buy a new set, and your first time scanning it adds it to your digital collection within the app.
The heart of the experience is the Lego Mario figure with a built-in display that shows the character’s eyes, mouth, and chest, and serves as the main point of interaction. There’s also a sensor on the bottom that can scan barcodes and differentiate between colors.
The Lego Super Mario app Photo: Lego
Bop Lego Mario on top of a Goomba, and the game will reward you with a coin. Walk over red bricks, and Mario will read it as lava and react accordingly. (Green bricks are grass, blue is water, and yellow is sand.) And of course, there are the more interactive elements: moving platforms, villain-based set pieces, and collectable items, all of which add to the experience.
The starter kit — which costs $60 — starts players off with a few elements, like a Goomba, a question mark block, a rotating platform, and a Bowser Jr. mini-boss to fight, along with the Lego Mario and the crucial start pipe and goal flag, which are used to start and end each 60-second run-through. There are also non-interactive elements, like platforms players can jump Mario over and lava and water tiles to build out their course.
Photo: Lego
The idea is that players will take those base elements and use them to create their own courses and narratives to play through. The various expansion packs — of which there are many planned — only expand those possibilities. One set adds a spinning Bullet Bill platform that required careful interaction to avoid sending Mario plummeting into the waves below. Another adds Toad, Toadette, and collectible treasure chests hidden around the level. A third features a Piranha Plant “Power Slide” that lets players rack up huge amounts of coins (if they can carefully dodge the hungry plants).
All these elements can be combined together into a single giant course. One level I built, for example, saw Mario brave a rotating platform, gave players the chance to fight a Koopa Troopa to reach a question mark block, and slide along a second platform to a junction where they could either battle some Cheep Cheeps to reach a power mushroom or take a different route and visit Toad. A final part of the course added an optional mini-boss, where players could fight through a Shy Guy, a Bullet Bill, and then face off against Bowser Jr. (granting a reward of a time bonus for extra time to complete the course).
My personal Lego Mario masterpiece. Photo: Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
And, as one would expect for a Nintendo / Lego collaboration, the attention to detail is excellent. All the Lego-ized Mario characters and elements are frankly adorable, and it’s easy to imagine that some fans will just collect the sets for the aesthetics alone. The interactive elements are also top notch — jump on a Goomba or collect a mushroom, and the iconic sound effects are just as they are in the video games. Jump on a spinning platform, and more dramatic Mario music plays. Even the simple act of walking along with the Mario figure has sound effects (and will reward players with coins for more “accurate” walking motions).
The Lego-ized ‘Mario’ characters and elements are frankly adorable
One thing that the app doesn’t do, though, is provide detailed instructions for building specific courses. According to Bennink, the team had originally tried an earlier version of the companion app that did just that, “but this totally overtook the joy of just building from your imagination, because you’re basically just completing a task that we gave you.” So they went back and restarted the app from scratch to give more general inspiration and share courses and ideas, rather than the more rigid demands it had started with.
Photo: Lego
Of course, the Mario sets are only meant to be a starting point. While the interactive elements are exclusive to the sets, Lego Mario will react to normally colored bricks, so players will be able to build out and modify the sets with their own brick collections, too. Gameplay isn’t exactly deep — while a few of the elements, like the rotating platforms or the sliding Piranha Plant challenge require careful balance or hand / eye coordination to maximize the amount of coins you’ll get, it’s not technically difficult in the way that a video game might be.
“We want Mario to be happy, because if Mario is happy, kids are happy.”
“We simply couldn’t translate all of the main mechanics straight to Lego play — Mario games are often about skill and making it to the finish,” says Bennink, something that players can simply cheat around if they choose. “So in that sense it’s more akin to Super Mario Maker, where you are intrinsically motivated to get to build levels.”
In a similar vein, there are no real punishments for failure, unlike the traditional game. “One of the decisions that we also made is that Mario doesn’t die or get hurt a lot,” Bennink explains. “And this is mainly because of Tezuka-san saying ‘We want Mario to be happy, because if Mario is happy, kids are happy,’ which turned out to be very true.”
Photo: Lego
Instead, the goal was to create a system of “right and more right.” More skillful play is rewarded with more coins, but you don’t lose out if you knock Mario off a platform or into a waiting Koopa. The challenge is more what players make out of it, although Lego will be featuring creative challenges in the app as inspiration when it launches later this summer. And while the app isn’t necessarily to play with the sets once they’re built, players will be able to save their creations and share them with friends.
If that sounds a lot like Super Mario Maker, it’s because that game was an influence on the Lego sets, says Bennink. “The main thing that we took from Super Mario Maker is the intrinsic motivation — what level do I want to build, what do I think is fun and then how can I share that then with my friends?”
“Why don’t we just make walking really fun?”
Bennink also credits Nintendo’s influence in helping to keep the gameplay experience streamlined. “They have this amazing ability to keep things simple and to focus on the core experience. Rather than putting on all these layers of in-game upgrades and meta games around it, just make the core feel really good. For instance, we spent some time brainstorming at Lego of ‘What gestures can we do?’ And we came up with a list of 25 gestures and then Nintendo said ‘Why don’t we just make walking really fun?... So, you know, we spent six weeks just making the walking, and then they said ‘Why don’t we just make the jumping really fun?’ So we spend another couple of weeks on just jumping and nailing that.”
Ultimately, the best judge of the new Lego Mario sets will be the kids that they’re intended for, but the mix of Lego creativity with Nintendo’s simplicity and gameplay seems to be a winning combination.


theverge--2020-06-16--The Witcher 3 is giving PS4 and Xbox owners a free PC copy to experience in all its glory

PS4 and Xbox One owners now have the chance to play the PC version of The Witcher 3 at no extra cost .
The Witcher 3 originally released in 2015 on all three of those platforms , but the PC version is arguably the best way to experience the game : console versions were limited to an average framerate around 30 FPS and screen resolutions as low as 720p on the original Xbox One and 900p on PS4 .
Though the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X versions would receive 4K resolution and HDR support a few years later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it ’ s still worth checking out on PC for better graphics alone .
Have you upgraded a gaming PC in the past five years ?
Better performance is not the only reason console owners should snag it on PC : downloadable fan-made mods can add numerous things not previously found in the game , such as more loot from defeated creatures or obscure add-ons like chicken helmets for your NPCs .
Even owners of the PC version can snag the extra copy , which you can gift to a friend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself , GOG provides a DRM-free copy , unlike Steam or the Epic Games Store .
Additionally , GOG will also throw in a few extra digital goodies , like the game ’ s soundtrack , too .
Though the giveaway might seem a little weird , it ’ s not necessarily charity .
It could be a way to get more people to try out the GOG distribution platform , which is owned by CD Projekt , the publisher of The Witcher games , ahead of the upcoming September release of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyberpunk 2077 .
Now until June 23rd at 7AM ET , you can claim a copy through the company ’ s GOG Galaxy desktop game library app .
Sadly , Switch owners got snubbed for this promotion .
GOG claims it ’ s because there is “ no Nintendo Switch integration.
” That ’ s a shame , considering The Witcher 3 ’ s cross-save system that lets you take your PC progress on the go .

PS4 and Xbox One owners now have the chance to play the PC version of The Witcher 3 at no extra cost.
The Witcher 3 originally released in 2015 on all three of those platforms, but the PC version is arguably the best way to experience the game: console versions were limited to an average framerate around 30 FPS and screen resolutions as low as 720p on the original Xbox One and 900p on PS4. Though the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X versions would receive 4K resolution and HDR support a few years later, some visual details took a hit, so it’s still worth checking out on PC for better graphics alone.
Have you upgraded a gaming PC in the past five years?
Better performance is not the only reason console owners should snag it on PC: downloadable fan-made mods can add numerous things not previously found in the game, such as more loot from defeated creatures or obscure add-ons like chicken helmets for your NPCs.
Even owners of the PC version can snag the extra copy, which you can gift to a friend. If you want to keep it for yourself, GOG provides a DRM-free copy, unlike Steam or the Epic Games Store. Additionally, GOG will also throw in a few extra digital goodies, like the game’s soundtrack, too.
Though the giveaway might seem a little weird, it’s not necessarily charity. It could be a way to get more people to try out the GOG distribution platform, which is owned by CD Projekt, the publisher of The Witcher games, ahead of the upcoming September release of the company’s next big game, Cyberpunk 2077.


theverge--2020-06-16--Hey.com exec says Apple is acting like ‘gangsters,’ rejecting App Store updates and demanding cut of

Hey.com exec says Apple is acting like ‘gangsters,’ rejecting App Store updates and demanding cut of sales

Apple is threatening to remove Hey.com from the App Store if the ambitious new email service doesn ’ t begin offering an in-app subscription and sharing a cut of its revenue , according to an executive at Basecamp , which makes Hey .
David Heinemeier Hansson , the CTO of Basecamp , said that Apple is acting like “ gangsters , ” rejecting a bug fix update and asking the company in a phone call to commit to adding an in-app subscription to prevent it from being removed .
“ I was taken aback by how brazen that threat was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I thought you were supposed to wrap the threats in euphemisms or something .
But it was pretty clear.
” In an email to The Verge , Apple said that it requires all developers to follow strict guidelines around business models .
The company declined to comment specifically on Hey , but said that App Store review guidelines require an in-app purchase option if an app wants to offer access to content purchased on another platform .
Apple suggested the call to Hey ’ s team was not out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developers to bring them into compliance .
Apple also told Protocol that the app shouldn ’ t have been approved in the first place .
The rejection comes the same day that the European Union opened an investigation into Apple ’ s App Store and Apple Pay practices .
Apple has “ obtained a ‘ gatekeeper ’ role , ” EU antitrust head Margrethe Vestager said , “ We need to ensure that Apple ’ s rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched yesterday .
The new email service offers an alternative to Gmail for $ 99 per year .
To continue using the app on iOS , you have to sign up through the company ’ s website .
Apple initially approved the app on Friday , according to Heinemeier Hansson , but upon review of a bug fix update on Monday , Hey was rejected for not including an option to sign up within the app itself .
A second version was rejected on Tuesday .
Apple takes up to a 30-percent cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so developers try to avoid signing up users within their app whenever possible to avoid the steep tax .
Netflix stopped offering in-app subscriptions on iOS in 2018 , and Spotify charges extra to make up for the lost revenue .
It ’ s a scheme that developers have complained about for years , but Apple has made few concessions .
Only recently have select companies gotten a special deal letting them bypass the cut in some cases .
Spotify complained to the EU about Apple ’ s practices last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier today .
Apple defended itself on Monday with a press release claiming the App Store facilitated $ 519 billion in purchases in 2019 .
While Apple told The Verge that apps must offer an in-app subscription option , the company does make exceptions for a variety of apps .
Those exceptions include music , video , and magazine apps , among a few others , but email apps are not one of the approved exceptions .
Despite this , some subscription email apps , such as Newton , are available in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their service via in-app purchase .
“ Apple has been capriciously , inconsistently , and in a few cases , cruelly , enforcing their App Store policies for YEARS , ” Heinemeier Hansson wrote on Twitter .

Apple is threatening to remove Hey.com from the App Store if the ambitious new email service doesn’t begin offering an in-app subscription and sharing a cut of its revenue, according to an executive at Basecamp, which makes Hey.
David Heinemeier Hansson, the CTO of Basecamp, said that Apple is acting like “gangsters,” rejecting a bug fix update and asking the company in a phone call to commit to adding an in-app subscription to prevent it from being removed. “I was taken aback by how brazen that threat was,” Heinemeier Hansson told The Verge. “I thought you were supposed to wrap the threats in euphemisms or something. But it was pretty clear.”
In an email to The Verge, Apple said that it requires all developers to follow strict guidelines around business models. The company declined to comment specifically on Hey, but said that App Store review guidelines require an in-app purchase option if an app wants to offer access to content purchased on another platform. Apple suggested the call to Hey’s team was not out of the ordinary, saying it always works with developers to bring them into compliance. Apple also told Protocol that the app shouldn’t have been approved in the first place.
The rejection comes the same day that the European Union opened an investigation into Apple’s App Store and Apple Pay practices. Apple has “obtained a ‘gatekeeper’ role,” EU antitrust head Margrethe Vestager said, “We need to ensure that Apple’s rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers,” such as with subscription music.
Hey.com launched yesterday. The new email service offers an alternative to Gmail for $99 per year. To continue using the app on iOS, you have to sign up through the company’s website. Apple initially approved the app on Friday, according to Heinemeier Hansson, but upon review of a bug fix update on Monday, Hey was rejected for not including an option to sign up within the app itself. A second version was rejected on Tuesday.
Apple takes up to a 30-percent cut of revenue on in-app purchases and subscriptions, so developers try to avoid signing up users within their app whenever possible to avoid the steep tax. Netflix stopped offering in-app subscriptions on iOS in 2018, and Spotify charges extra to make up for the lost revenue. It’s a scheme that developers have complained about for years, but Apple has made few concessions. Only recently have select companies gotten a special deal letting them bypass the cut in some cases.
Spotify complained to the EU about Apple’s practices last year, leading to the investigation that was announced earlier today. Apple defended itself on Monday with a press release claiming the App Store facilitated $519 billion in purchases in 2019.
While Apple told The Verge that apps must offer an in-app subscription option, the company does make exceptions for a variety of apps. Those exceptions include music, video, and magazine apps, among a few others, but email apps are not one of the approved exceptions. Despite this, some subscription email apps, such as Newton, are available in the App Store and don’t offer their service via in-app purchase.


theverge--2020-06-16--US airlines may ban passengers if they don’t wear face masks

United and American Airlines said Monday that they will temporarily ban passengers who don ’ t comply with a new industry-wide mandatory mask policy that goes into effect this week .
The new policy announced this week by industry trade organization Airlines for America covers United , American , Delta , Hawaiian , Southwest , and JetBlue .
Face coverings will now be required on all these companies ’ domestic flights , though the trade group left room for exceptions like young children , people with disabilities , or people with a medical reason for why they can not wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire flight , except for when drinking or eating .
While some major airlines already required masks , there were reports that the companies weren ’ t actually enforcing those policies mid-flight .
The trade group ’ s new policy is more far-reaching than the individual company efforts , though it still leaves it up to the airlines to decide the consequences for passengers who don ’ t comply .
Many airlines were mandating masks already , but enforcement was spotty United and American have so far announced the strictest measures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to wear a mask on an “ internal travel restriction list.
” Those customers may “ lose their travel privileges on United for a duration of time to be determined pending a comprehensive incident review , ” according to the company .
American , meanwhile , says it won ’ t let customers board without a mask and “ may also deny future travel for customers who refuse to wear a face covering.
” United says it won ’ t immediately ban noncompliant passengers .
Instead , the company says it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proactively inform the customer ” that face coverings are mandatory “ for the health and safety of everyone , ” and then offer the passenger a mask “ if needed.
” If the passenger refuses , United says flight attendants will “ do their best to de-escalate the situation , again inform the customer of United ’ s policy , and provide the passenger with an In-Flight Mask policy reminder card.
” If the passenger still refuses , the flight attendant will then file an incident report , which the company says will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company won ’ t make a decision about banning the customer until after the flight is over .
US airlines have taken many different measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 over the last three months , like implementing intense cleaning procedures or blocking off middle seats .
They ’ ve also had to dramatically scale back operations as demand for air travel collapsed because of the pandemic .
But despite thousands of new cases every day and more than 100,000 deaths across the nation , many states have been relaxing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people traveling is going back up — meaning it ’ s up to these transportation companies and trade groups to find ways to keep those people from further spreading the virus .

United and American Airlines said Monday that they will temporarily ban passengers who don’t comply with a new industry-wide mandatory mask policy that goes into effect this week.
The new policy announced this week by industry trade organization Airlines for America covers United, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, and JetBlue. Face coverings will now be required on all these companies’ domestic flights, though the trade group left room for exceptions like young children, people with disabilities, or people with a medical reason for why they cannot wear a mask. Masks must be worn the entire flight, except for when drinking or eating.
While some major airlines already required masks, there were reports that the companies weren’t actually enforcing those policies mid-flight. The trade group’s new policy is more far-reaching than the individual company efforts, though it still leaves it up to the airlines to decide the consequences for passengers who don’t comply.
Many airlines were mandating masks already, but enforcement was spotty
United and American have so far announced the strictest measures. United says it will place passengers who refuse to wear a mask on an “internal travel restriction list.” Those customers may “lose their travel privileges on United for a duration of time to be determined pending a comprehensive incident review,” according to the company. American, meanwhile, says it won’t let customers board without a mask and “may also deny future travel for customers who refuse to wear a face covering.”
United says it won’t immediately ban noncompliant passengers. Instead, the company says it is instructing its flight attendants to first “proactively inform the customer” that face coverings are mandatory “for the health and safety of everyone,” and then offer the passenger a mask “if needed.” If the passenger refuses, United says flight attendants will “do their best to de-escalate the situation, again inform the customer of United’s policy, and provide the passenger with an In-Flight Mask policy reminder card.”
If the passenger still refuses, the flight attendant will then file an incident report, which the company says will “initiate a formal review process.” The company won’t make a decision about banning the customer until after the flight is over.


theverge--2020-06-16--San Francisco’s district attorney sues DoorDash for alleged unfair business practices

DoorDash , the high-flying food delivery startup , was sued by San Francisco ’ s district attorney Tuesday for alleged unfair business practices and worker misclassification .
It was the latest legal challenge targeting a gig economy company in California since the passage of the state ’ s first-in-the-nation worker misclassification law .
In a statement , San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin accused DoorDash of “ illegally ” classifying its delivery workers as independent contractors when they are , in fact , employees .
Boudin argues that misclassification hurts workers by contributing to rising income inequality and the shrinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurts the public by forcing other companies that classify workers as employees to compete with DoorDash on an unfair playing field .
“ Misclassifying workers deprives them of the labor law safeguards to which they are entitled ” “ Misclassifying workers deprives them of the labor law safeguards to which they are entitled , denying workers minimum wage and overtime pay , unemployment insurance and protection from discrimination , among other things , ” Boudin said in a statement .
In the lawsuit , the district attorney alleges that DoorDash has run afoul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that enshrines the so-called “ ABC test ” for determining whether someone is a contractor or employee .
The law officially went into effect on January 1st , but gig economy companies like Uber and Lyft have continued to lobby against it .
DoorDash is helping fund Uber and Lyft ’ s effort to carve out gig economy businesses from AB5 .
California ’ s attorney general recently filed a lawsuit against Uber and Lyft on similar grounds as Boudin ’ s suit against DoorDash .
California Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of Boudin ’ s lawsuit .
As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants to pause their sit-down service , many have become increasingly reliant on delivery platforms like DoorDash , as well as competitors Grubhub , Postmates , and Uber Eats .
Uber Eats ’ recently failed effort to acquire Grubhub only seems to have solidified DoorDash ’ s status as market leader .
DoorDash , the largest meal-delivery company in the US , has seen its sales increase as a result of the lockdown .
The company is reportedly close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at more than $ 15 billion before the infusion , according to MarketWatch .
DoorDash filed to go public in February , shortly before the novel coronavirus upended the economy and financial markets , and it ’ s still aiming for a listing this year .
Much like other gig economy companies , DoorDash argues that many of its couriers ( which it calls “ Dashers ” ) aren ’ t delivering food full time , but are actually doing it in their spare time as a way to earn extra money .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ability to hold multiple jobs , as well as harm restaurants ’ ability to stay in business during the pandemic , the company argues .
“ Today ’ s action seeks to disrupt the essential services Dashers provide , ” Max Rettig , DoorDash ’ s global head of public policy , said in a statement , “ stripping hundreds of thousands of students , teachers , parents , retirees and other Californians of valuable work opportunities , depriving local restaurants of desperately needed revenue , and making it more difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other essentials safely and reliably.
” DoorDash is no stranger to controversy .
The company got in trouble last year when it was revealed that it was pocketing some customer tips to cover base pay for deliveries .
After an uproar , DoorDash said it would change the policy so that couriers would receive 100 percent of tips .
More recently , a viral story about a pizzeria owner buying his own inventory from DoorDash at a profit cast a negative light on the company ’ s business model of subsidizing @ @ @ @

DoorDash, the high-flying food delivery startup, was sued by San Francisco’s district attorney Tuesday for alleged unfair business practices and worker misclassification. It was the latest legal challenge targeting a gig economy company in California since the passage of the state’s first-in-the-nation worker misclassification law.
In a statement, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin accused DoorDash of “illegally” classifying its delivery workers as independent contractors when they are, in fact, employees. Boudin argues that misclassification hurts workers by contributing to rising income inequality and the shrinking of the middle class, and it hurts the public by forcing other companies that classify workers as employees to compete with DoorDash on an unfair playing field.
“Misclassifying workers deprives them of the labor law safeguards to which they are entitled”
“Misclassifying workers deprives them of the labor law safeguards to which they are entitled, denying workers minimum wage and overtime pay, unemployment insurance and protection from discrimination, among other things,” Boudin said in a statement.
In the lawsuit, the district attorney alleges that DoorDash has run afoul of Assembly Bill 5, a law that enshrines the so-called “ABC test” for determining whether someone is a contractor or employee. The law officially went into effect on January 1st, but gig economy companies like Uber and Lyft have continued to lobby against it. DoorDash is helping fund Uber and Lyft’s effort to carve out gig economy businesses from AB5.
California’s attorney general recently filed a lawsuit against Uber and Lyft on similar grounds as Boudin’s suit against DoorDash. California Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, the main sponsor of AB5, tweeted in support of Boudin’s lawsuit.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants to pause their sit-down service, many have become increasingly reliant on delivery platforms like DoorDash, as well as competitors Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats. Uber Eats’ recently failed effort to acquire Grubhub only seems to have solidified DoorDash’s status as market leader.
DoorDash, the largest meal-delivery company in the US, has seen its sales increase as a result of the lockdown. The company is reportedly close to securing new funding that would value it at more than $15 billion before the infusion, according to MarketWatch. DoorDash filed to go public in February, shortly before the novel coronavirus upended the economy and financial markets, and it’s still aiming for a listing this year.
Much like other gig economy companies, DoorDash argues that many of its couriers (which it calls “Dashers”) aren’t delivering food full time, but are actually doing it in their spare time as a way to earn extra money. Classifying them as employees would negatively affect their ability to hold multiple jobs, as well as harm restaurants’ ability to stay in business during the pandemic, the company argues.
“Today’s action seeks to disrupt the essential services Dashers provide,” Max Rettig, DoorDash’s global head of public policy, said in a statement, “stripping hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, parents, retirees and other Californians of valuable work opportunities, depriving local restaurants of desperately needed revenue, and making it more difficult for consumers to receive prepared food, groceries, and other essentials safely and reliably.”
DoorDash is no stranger to controversy. The company got in trouble last year when it was revealed that it was pocketing some customer tips to cover base pay for deliveries. After an uproar, DoorDash said it would change the policy so that couriers would receive 100 percent of tips.


theverge--2020-06-16--Galaxy Tab S7 Plus renders show off a big 12.4-inch display

Renders for an unannounced Samsung tablet , the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus , show that the device could have a big 12.4-inch screen ( via 9to5Google ) .
That screen size would make the Tab S7 Plus quite large compared to most Android tablets , though it would be a bit smaller than Apple ’ s 12.9-inch iPad Pro .
The renders come from leaker OnLeaks and case maker Pigtou and were apparently based on leaked CAD drawings .
That means you should take anything about the renders with a grain of salt — but what the renders show seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are , if you want to see them for yourself : Pigtou ’ s article also has some rumored specs and information about the Tab S7 Plus .
It apparently will be approximately 285mm long , 185mm wide , and 5.7mm thick , and it could come with a dual-camera setup on the back .
It may have a single camera on the front , though in a change from the Galaxy Tab S6 , that camera looks to be on the right side of the tablet instead of on top ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a portrait orientation ) .
The Tab S7 Plus is also rumored to have a 9,800mAh battery , a 120Hz display , and work with Samsung ’ s S Pen .
Here ’ s a video showing the design of the Tab S7 Plus , from Pigtou ’ s YouTube channel : OnLeaks and Pigtou also teamed up on renders of the rumored Galaxy Tab S7 .
That tablet will apparently have an 11-inch screen and could be 253.7mm long , 165.3mm wide , and 6.3mm thick , making it slightly larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tab S7 Plus , the Tab S7 may also have two rear cameras and a front camera on the right bezel of the tablet .
It could also come with a 7,760mAh battery .
And here ’ s a video of the Tab S7 , from Pigtou ’ s YouTube channel : It ’ s unclear when these tablets will come out or how much they will cost .
The Galaxy Tab S6 was released in September , so perhaps the Tab S7 and S7 Plus will release in a similar time frame @

Renders for an unannounced Samsung tablet, the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, show that the device could have a big 12.4-inch screen (via 9to5Google). That screen size would make the Tab S7 Plus quite large compared to most Android tablets, though it would be a bit smaller than Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The renders come from leaker OnLeaks and case maker Pigtou and were apparently based on leaked CAD drawings. That means you should take anything about the renders with a grain of salt — but what the renders show seems within the realm of possibility.
Here they are, if you want to see them for yourself:
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Pigtou’s article also has some rumored specs and information about the Tab S7 Plus. It apparently will be approximately 285mm long, 185mm wide, and 5.7mm thick, and it could come with a dual-camera setup on the back. It may have a single camera on the front, though in a change from the Galaxy Tab S6, that camera looks to be on the right side of the tablet instead of on top (if you’re holding the tablet in a portrait orientation). The Tab S7 Plus is also rumored to have a 9,800mAh battery, a 120Hz display, and work with Samsung’s S Pen.
Here’s a video showing the design of the Tab S7 Plus, from Pigtou’s YouTube channel:
OnLeaks and Pigtou also teamed up on renders of the rumored Galaxy Tab S7. That tablet will apparently have an 11-inch screen and could be 253.7mm long, 165.3mm wide, and 6.3mm thick, making it slightly larger than the Tab S6. Like the Tab S7 Plus, the Tab S7 may also have two rear cameras and a front camera on the right bezel of the tablet. It could also come with a 7,760mAh battery.
Here’s a gallery of the Tab S7 renders:
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And here’s a video of the Tab S7, from Pigtou’s YouTube channel:


theverge--2020-06-16--Gulf states using COVID-19 contact tracing apps as mass surveillance tools, report says

A new study analyzing COVID-19 contact tracing apps conducted by Amnesty International has found that Bahrain and Kuwait are using their public health apps as mass surveillance tools .
The study analyzed a collection of contact tracing apps , which are designed to inform and monitor physical contact between people in the event someone contracts COVID-19 , from 11 countries : Algeria , Bahrain , France , Iceland , Israel , Kuwait , Lebanon , Norway , Qatar , Tunisia , and United Arab Emirates .
It found three particularly egregious apps that collected satellite location data from users , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and matched accounts with real identities .
In one extreme case , some citizens who downloaded the BeAware Bahrain contact tracing app became contestants on a televised game show called Are You At Home ?
The show involved a host randomly video calling phone numbers of Bahraini individuals using government-collected data to check if they were adhering to social distancing guidelines and offering monetary rewards to those that were .
By signing up for BeAware Bahrain , users were automatically enrolled into Are You At Home ?
, which is produced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC now reports you can opt out of the show if you don ’ t want to run the risk of being called . )
“ Bahrain , Kuwait and Norway have run roughshod over people ’ s privacy.
” Amnesty International found that the Gulf states ’ apps it analyzed were among the most invasive , collecting and storing GPS data and making it easy for the government to identify someone based on their account ID .
Norway ’ s app was also flagged for putting its citizens ’ privacy at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a central server .
But the country on Monday said it would pause the rollout of its the app , called Smittestopp , after Amnesty International shared its findings with the Norwegian government .
Mobile contact tracing is already in place in dozens of countries around the globe , although it ’ s been slow to get off the ground in the US .
But the approaches have differed — most prominently , around issues of user privacy and whether the data should be anonymized and stored locally or linked to real identities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple and Google are still in the process of developing a more privacy-focused system for the US and other countries that would work across both Android and iOS , while some governments have simply made their own apps along separate lines .
The scattershot approach has raised concerns about the long-term effects this kind of software could have for human rights and privacy protections .
It ’ s still not clear how long the apps will remain in active use , which government bodies might regulate them , and whether states will keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
“ Bahrain , Kuwait and Norway have run roughshod over people ’ s privacy , with highly invasive surveillance tools which go far beyond what is justified in efforts to tackle COVID-19 , ” said Claudio Guarnieri , the head of Amnesty International ’ s Security Lab , which conducted the analysis .
“ The Norwegian app was highly invasive and the decision to go back to the drawing board is the right one .
We urge the Bahraini and Kuwaiti governments to also immediately halt the use of such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are essentially broadcasting the locations of users to a government database in real time – this is unlikely to be necessary and proportionate in the context of a public health response.
” In a statement given to the BBC , the Bahraini government touted its app ’ s effectiveness in tracking the spread of COVID-19 and says it is opt in .
“ The ‘ BeAware ’ app was designed for the sole purpose of advancing contact-tracing efforts and saving lives .
It is an entirely voluntary opt-in app ... and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GPS software before downloading , ” the spokesperson said .
“ The app plays a vital role in supporting Bahrain ’ s ‘ Trace , Test , Treat ’ strategy and has helped to keep Bahrain ’ s Covid-19 death rate at 0.24 % .
11,000 individuals have been alerted through the app and prioritized for testing , of which more than 1,500 have tested positive.
” Bahrain has a population of just under 1.6 million and has had more than 19,000 confirmed cases and 46 recorded deaths caused by the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 4.1 million , has had nearly 36,000 confirmed cases and just over 300 deaths .

A new study analyzing COVID-19 contact tracing apps conducted by Amnesty International has found that Bahrain and Kuwait are using their public health apps as mass surveillance tools.
The study analyzed a collection of contact tracing apps, which are designed to inform and monitor physical contact between people in the event someone contracts COVID-19, from 11 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, France, Iceland, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Norway, Qatar, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates. It found three particularly egregious apps that collected satellite location data from users, instead of relying simply on Bluetooth signals, and matched accounts with real identities.
In one extreme case, some citizens who downloaded the BeAware Bahrain contact tracing app became contestants on a televised game show called Are You At Home? The show involved a host randomly video calling phone numbers of Bahraini individuals using government-collected data to check if they were adhering to social distancing guidelines and offering monetary rewards to those that were. By signing up for BeAware Bahrain, users were automatically enrolled into Are You At Home?, which is produced by state-controlled television channel Bahrain TV. (BBC now reports you can opt out of the show if you don’t want to run the risk of being called.)
“Bahrain, Kuwait and Norway have run roughshod over people’s privacy.”
Amnesty International found that the Gulf states’ apps it analyzed were among the most invasive, collecting and storing GPS data and making it easy for the government to identify someone based on their account ID. Norway’s app was also flagged for putting its citizens’ privacy at risk for collecting and storing location data on a central server. But the country on Monday said it would pause the rollout of its the app, called Smittestopp, after Amnesty International shared its findings with the Norwegian government.
Mobile contact tracing is already in place in dozens of countries around the globe, although it’s been slow to get off the ground in the US. But the approaches have differed — most prominently, around issues of user privacy and whether the data should be anonymized and stored locally or linked to real identities and sent to a central server.
Apple and Google are still in the process of developing a more privacy-focused system for the US and other countries that would work across both Android and iOS, while some governments have simply made their own apps along separate lines. The scattershot approach has raised concerns about the long-term effects this kind of software could have for human rights and privacy protections. It’s still not clear how long the apps will remain in active use, which government bodies might regulate them, and whether states will keep them around as surveillance tools well into the future.
“Bahrain, Kuwait and Norway have run roughshod over people’s privacy, with highly invasive surveillance tools which go far beyond what is justified in efforts to tackle COVID-19,” said Claudio Guarnieri, the head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab, which conducted the analysis. “The Norwegian app was highly invasive and the decision to go back to the drawing board is the right one. We urge the Bahraini and Kuwaiti governments to also immediately halt the use of such intrusive apps in their current form. They are essentially broadcasting the locations of users to a government database in real time – this is unlikely to be necessary and proportionate in the context of a public health response.”
In a statement given to the BBC, the Bahraini government touted its app’s effectiveness in tracking the spread of COVID-19 and says it is opt in. “The ‘BeAware’ app was designed for the sole purpose of advancing contact-tracing efforts and saving lives. It is an entirely voluntary opt-in app... and all users are informed of its use of GPS software before downloading,” the spokesperson said. “The app plays a vital role in supporting Bahrain’s ‘Trace, Test, Treat’ strategy and has helped to keep Bahrain’s Covid-19 death rate at 0.24%. 11,000 individuals have been alerted through the app and prioritized for testing, of which more than 1,500 have tested positive.”


theverge--2020-06-16--Bose gives up on its augmented reality sound project

Bose is giving up on its augmented reality project , two years after debuting the idea at SXSW .
As first reported by Protocol , employees working on AR at the company have left or were laid off ; Bose ’ s partners were told their apps would stop working in the coming weeks ; and the company scrubbed mentions of AR from its website in addition to closing its public AR SDK in April .
The main proponent of AR at the company , SVP John Gordon , also left last summer .
“ Bose AR didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bose spokesperson told Protocol .
“ It ’ s not the first time our technology couldn ’ t be commercialized the way we planned , but components of it will be used to help Bose owners in a different way .
We ’ re good with that .
Because our research is for them , not us.
” Bose ’ s AR focused on sound rather than visuals .
It established a $ 50 million fund for Bose AR developers , and initially worked with 11 software partners including Yelp and TripAdvisor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2019 for $ 199 , which played audio from the arms .
It also featured a microphone and embedded button , as well as app functionality .
The AR feature relied on a smartphone ’ s GPS and a motion sensor to determine where a person was looking and standing .
The idea was that the glasses could provide information on whatever someone was seeing .
It ’ s unclear how the company ’ s AR work might be used in future products or how the Frames will hold up , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This news comes after a tough year for Bose : it announced that it ’ d close all its 119 physical retail stores in North America , Europe , Australia , and Japan , which led to hundreds of people being laid off .
At the same time , the broader AR industry has failed recently , too .
Magic Leap , a hyped startup , laid off around 1,000 employees ; its CEO stepped down ; and the company left the consumer hardware space earlier this year .
Two other companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down over the past year and a half .
Bose clearly couldn ’ t make AR work for its products , either , which doesn ’ t bode well for the broader AR industry .

Bose is giving up on its augmented reality project, two years after debuting the idea at SXSW. As first reported by Protocol, employees working on AR at the company have left or were laid off; Bose’s partners were told their apps would stop working in the coming weeks; and the company scrubbed mentions of AR from its website in addition to closing its public AR SDK in April. The main proponent of AR at the company, SVP John Gordon, also left last summer.
“Bose AR didn’t become what we envisioned,” a Bose spokesperson told Protocol. “It’s not the first time our technology couldn’t be commercialized the way we planned, but components of it will be used to help Bose owners in a different way. We’re good with that. Because our research is for them, not us.”
Bose’s AR focused on sound rather than visuals. It established a $50 million fund for Bose AR developers, and initially worked with 11 software partners including Yelp and TripAdvisor. The company launched its Frames sunglasses in January 2019 for $199, which played audio from the arms. It also featured a microphone and embedded button, as well as app functionality. The AR feature relied on a smartphone’s GPS and a motion sensor to determine where a person was looking and standing. The idea was that the glasses could provide information on whatever someone was seeing. It’s unclear how the company’s AR work might be used in future products or how the Frames will hold up, but The Verge has reached out for clarification.


theverge--2020-06-16--Microsoft Stores remain closed as Apple and Best Buy continue reopening

Microsoft is being a little warier than other companies when it comes to welcoming consumers back to its retail stores .
Just today , Apple announced it will offer curbside pickup or appointment-based service at over 70 more stores in the United States this week , including the Fifth Ave “ cube ” and other New York City locations .
9to5Mac has the full list .
Best Buy has also continued bringing more stores back online as cities relax the guidelines put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
But Microsoft is still taking a wait-and-see approach , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge by email .
Its stores remain closed until further notice .
“ Our approach for re-opening Microsoft Store locations is measured and cautious , guided by monitoring global data , listening to public health and safety experts , and tracking local government restrictions , ” a spokesperson said .
“ We are prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and customers and have no new updates on store re-openings to share at this time.
” After closing the doors at its physical locations , Microsoft continued selling devices online and shifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance for enterprise , small business , and education customers .
And it has continued to offer virtual workshops for customers .
Some of the company ’ s latest products , like the Surface Headphones 2 , Surface Go 2 , and Surface Book 3 , have been in high demand at authorized resellers .
Microsoft Store locations have been closed since before the launch of this batch of products in May .
Microsoft operates over 100 retail stores ; the vast majority are in the United States , with a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Puerto Rico , and the UK .
The company ’ s retail chain isn ’ t quite as vital to its business as Apple ’ s , but Microsoft Store locations still serve as an important showcase for all things Surface , Xbox , and Windows .
With COVID-19 still a very real threat to public health , retailers have implemented various safety measures as they reopen to help protect customers .
These include social distancing , shortened operating hours , and requiring the use of face coverings for anyone who visits @ @ @

Microsoft is being a little warier than other companies when it comes to welcoming consumers back to its retail stores. Just today, Apple announced it will offer curbside pickup or appointment-based service at over 70 more stores in the United States this week, including the Fifth Ave “cube” and other New York City locations. 9to5Mac has the full list. Best Buy has also continued bringing more stores back online as cities relax the guidelines put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But Microsoft is still taking a wait-and-see approach, according to a statement provided to The Verge by email. Its stores remain closed until further notice. “Our approach for re-opening Microsoft Store locations is measured and cautious, guided by monitoring global data, listening to public health and safety experts, and tracking local government restrictions,” a spokesperson said. “We are prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and customers and have no new updates on store re-openings to share at this time.”
After closing the doors at its physical locations, Microsoft continued selling devices online and shifted the focus of retail employees to remote assistance for enterprise, small business, and education customers. And it has continued to offer virtual workshops for customers.
Some of the company’s latest products, like the Surface Headphones 2, Surface Go 2, and Surface Book 3, have been in high demand at authorized resellers. Microsoft Store locations have been closed since before the launch of this batch of products in May.
Microsoft operates over 100 retail stores; the vast majority are in the United States, with a handful of stores in Canada and others in Australia, Puerto Rico, and the UK. The company’s retail chain isn’t quite as vital to its business as Apple’s, but Microsoft Store locations still serve as an important showcase for all things Surface, Xbox, and Windows.


theverge--2020-06-16--Google Ads bans Zero Hedge for racist content, but reverses decision on The Federalist

Google says it ’ s banning the site Zero Hedge from its Google Ads program for racist content — but it reversed plans to ban a second site , The Federalist , after the site removed comments from its articles .
“ We have strict publisher policies that govern the content ads can run on and explicitly prohibit derogatory content that promotes hatred , intolerance , violence or discrimination based on race from monetizing , ” the company said in a statement to NBC News before the reversal .
“ When a page or site violates our policies , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve removed both sites ’ ability to monetize with Google.
” NBC News reported the change earlier today , and it followed a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate , which called out a number of companies for hosting ads on sites promoting unsubstantiated or false claims about recent Black Lives Matter protests .
It cited a Zero Hedge article calling Black Lives Matter “ practically a revolutionary operative of the CIA via [ George ] Soros , ” as well as a Federalist story blaming violence and looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antifa groups.
” The Federalist has previously been criticized after organizing posts with the tag “ black crime ” and promoting “ chickenpox parties ” for catching the novel coronavirus .
But a Google spokesperson told The Verge that the outlets weren ’ t being demonetized because of these articles , and The Federalist wasn ’ t formally banned yet .
Instead , they sites were supposedly being blocked because of endemic racist commenters across their articles .
Google says Zero Hedge was warned last week and failed to address the problem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be demonetized within a few days , but Google ’ s communications team issued a followup tweet saying that “ The Federalist was never demonetized , ” and “ we worked with them to address issues on their site related to the comments section.
” Google ’ s spokesperson tells The Verge that The Federalist removed racist comments after the NBC article ’ s publication ; as of this writing , they ’ re simply turned off altogether .
Google — like other large tech companies — has publicly committed to funding racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s killing in Minneapolis .
It ’ s also launched an initiative to “ amplify ” the voices of black creators on YouTube .
Zero Hedge was recently unbanned by Twitter after being suspended in January for promoting a conspiracy theory about a Chinese scientist ; Twitter concluded the decision was “ an error.
” Update 5:15PM ET : Added Google ’ s new statements about The Federalist and its change in policy .

Google says it’s banning the site Zero Hedge from its Google Ads program for racist content — but it reversed plans to ban a second site, The Federalist, after the site removed comments from its articles. “We have strict publisher policies that govern the content ads can run on and explicitly prohibit derogatory content that promotes hatred, intolerance, violence or discrimination based on race from monetizing,” the company said in a statement to NBC News before the reversal. “When a page or site violates our policies, we take action. In this case, we’ve removed both sites’ ability to monetize with Google.”
NBC News reported the change earlier today, and it followed a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which called out a number of companies for hosting ads on sites promoting unsubstantiated or false claims about recent Black Lives Matter protests. It cited a Zero Hedge article calling Black Lives Matter “practically a revolutionary operative of the CIA via [George] Soros,” as well as a Federalist story blaming violence and looting at protests on “left-wing anarchists and antifa groups.” The Federalist has previously been criticized after organizing posts with the tag “black crime” and promoting “chickenpox parties” for catching the novel coronavirus.
But a Google spokesperson told The Verge that the outlets weren’t being demonetized because of these articles, and The Federalist wasn’t formally banned yet. Instead, they sites were supposedly being blocked because of endemic racist commenters across their articles. Google says Zero Hedge was warned last week and failed to address the problem.
The Federalist was warned and set to be demonetized within a few days, but Google’s communications team issued a followup tweet saying that “The Federalist was never demonetized,” and “we worked with them to address issues on their site related to the comments section.” Google’s spokesperson tells The Verge that The Federalist removed racist comments after the NBC article’s publication; as of this writing, they’re simply turned off altogether.
Google — like other large tech companies — has publicly committed to funding racial justice programs in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis. It’s also launched an initiative to “amplify” the voices of black creators on YouTube.
Zero Hedge was recently unbanned by Twitter after being suspended in January for promoting a conspiracy theory about a Chinese scientist; Twitter concluded the decision was “an error.”


theverge--2020-06-16--The T-Mobile and Sprint merger is already resulting in hundreds of layoffs

Only a couple months after the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint was completed , the enormous combined telecom company has now announced layoffs affecting hundreds of Sprint employees .
TechCrunch obtained audio of a conference call that took place yesterday between T-Mobile VP James Kirby and the people who are losing their jobs .
It was just one of “ several calls held by T-Mobile leadership throughout the day to lay off staff across the organization.
” The layoffs are said to have largely impacted Sprint workers rather than those on the T-Mobile side .
Kirby relayed the news that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside sales unit ( BISO ) , a sales division that focuses on small businesses across the United States , ” according to TechCrunch .
Laid-off employees will keep working until August 13th , after which they ’ ll receive severance .
On the call , Kirby claimed that 200 new positions will be created after these layoffs and encouraged the laid-off workers to apply for those open spots .
Here ’ s how T-Mobile spins the layoffs in an official blog post : we are looking at our entire merged organization to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the places where our customers need us the most .
This will result in additional career opportunities for many , as the company positions itself for long-term healthy growth .
As part of this process , some employees who hold similar positions are being asked to consider a career change inside the company , and others will be supported in their efforts to find a new position outside the company .
We will work with all employees and support them .
Back when both companies were fighting to get their colossal merger approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion deal would ultimately create more new jobs than those it would eliminate , which rarely proves to be the case .
The job cuts announced Monday come as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on and continues to batter the US economy .
Monday wasn ’ t a good day at T-Mobile .
In addition to the layoffs , T-Mobile suffered the worst carrier outage in recent memory , with voice , text , and data services all rendered unavailable nationwide over a period of several hours .
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T-Mobile has since restored service , the company has yet to offer a detailed explanation as to what went so wrong .
CEO Mike Sievert and network boss Neville Ray were both relatively quiet Tuesday on Twitter after the network was back up and running .

Only a couple months after the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint was completed, the enormous combined telecom company has now announced layoffs affecting hundreds of Sprint employees. TechCrunch obtained audio of a conference call that took place yesterday between T-Mobile VP James Kirby and the people who are losing their jobs. It was just one of “several calls held by T-Mobile leadership throughout the day to lay off staff across the organization.” The layoffs are said to have largely impacted Sprint workers rather than those on the T-Mobile side.
Kirby relayed the news that T-Mobile is “eliminating Sprint’s inside sales unit (BISO), a sales division that focuses on small businesses across the United States,” according to TechCrunch. Laid-off employees will keep working until August 13th, after which they’ll receive severance. On the call, Kirby claimed that 200 new positions will be created after these layoffs and encouraged the laid-off workers to apply for those open spots.
Here’s how T-Mobile spins the layoffs in an official blog post:
we are looking at our entire merged organization to ensure that we focus our resources in the places where our customers need us the most. This will result in additional career opportunities for many, as the company positions itself for long-term healthy growth. As part of this process, some employees who hold similar positions are being asked to consider a career change inside the company, and others will be supported in their efforts to find a new position outside the company. We will work with all employees and support them.
Back when both companies were fighting to get their colossal merger approved, they insisted that the $26 billion deal would ultimately create more new jobs than those it would eliminate, which rarely proves to be the case. The job cuts announced Monday come as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on and continues to batter the US economy.
Monday wasn’t a good day at T-Mobile. In addition to the layoffs, T-Mobile suffered the worst carrier outage in recent memory, with voice, text, and data services all rendered unavailable nationwide over a period of several hours. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called the downtime “unacceptable,” and while T-Mobile has since restored service, the company has yet to offer a detailed explanation as to what went so wrong. CEO Mike Sievert and network boss Neville Ray were both relatively quiet Tuesday on Twitter after the network was back up and running.


theverge--2020-06-17--How small launcher Rocket Lab plans to pull off its first mission to the Moon next year

Rocket Lab is known for launching tiny satellites into Earth , but the company has big plans to venture deeper into space , with its first mission to the Moon set for next year .
Thanks to a contract with NASA , Rocket Lab will send a small spacecraft called CAPSTONE into orbit around the Moon to test out how to navigate in lunar orbit and help human missions to the Moon in the future .
It ’ ll be the most ambitious mission yet for Rocket Lab , which just launched its workhorse Electron rocket on its 12th flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company has put up to 53 spacecraft into space , and so far , all of the those launches have sent satellites into low Earth orbit .
But the company has been eyeing ways to push the envelope .
“ From day one that I came to Rocket Lab , it ’ s been an interest to stretch the legs of Electron and keep pushing to see what we can do , ” Amanda Stiles , the Moon program manager for Rocket Lab who used to be the director for Google Lunar X @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I know from the very highest levels of the company , there ’ s always been a big interest in going to the Moon.
” This mission will rely on a key piece of hardware that Rocket Lab has been using for the last few years : its Photon spacecraft .
The cylindrical vehicle sits on the top of Rocket Lab ’ s Electron rocket , propelling customers ’ hardware into low Earth orbit .
It can also serve as a customizable satellite that can carry various payloads and instruments into space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes , they ’ re looking at low Earth orbit , but it ’ s also flexible where we can upgrade it and use it as a platform for these more advanced missions , ” says Stiles .
“ So , this is the first advanced version of a Photon for that purpose.
” “ it ’ s been an interest to stretch the legs of Electron and keep pushing to see what we can do.
” For the CAPSTONE mission , Rocket Lab has added some upgrades to Photon , most notably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the company is developing called the HyperCurie .
It ’ s a version of the 3D-printed Curie engine that Rocket Lab already uses , but it ’ s being slightly altered to get some more thrust .
Rocket Lab also plans to upgrade some of the systems on Photon , as well as add solar panels , so that the vehicle can last a bit longer in space .
Photon is going to need it all in order to get NASA ’ s CAPSTONE into the Moon ’ s orbit .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch site in Virginia , Electron will first deploy the Photon spacecraft — with the CAPSTONE satellite mounted on top — into a low circular orbit around Earth .
From there , Photon will slowly stretch its orbit , taking the vehicle farther away from the planet .
Eventually , Photon will burn its HyperCurie engine and set it on a course toward the Moon .
All in all , it ’ ll take about eight to nine days to reach the right spot where Photon will deploy the CAPSTONE spacecraft , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking will save Rocket Lab some energy along the way .
“ That ’ s a pretty key enabler for the mission , ” says Stiles .
Once at the Moon , CAPSTONE will attempt to insert itself into lunar orbit , testing out navigation and control technologies that may be critical for the future .
CAPSTONE is targeting a particular type of orbit around the Moon , known as near rectilinear halo orbit .
This orbit will take CAPSTONE within 1,000 miles of the lunar surface and out as far as 43,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same orbit where NASA plans to build a new lunar outpost called the Gateway .
This distant space station will eventually serve as a waypoint for astronauts , where they can live and train for brief periods before descending to the surface of the Moon .
The data CAPSTONE collects will hopefully help NASA gain a better understanding of how to navigate in this orbit in the future .
As for the Photon spacecraft , it may have more to do once the CAPSTONE satellite detaches from the vehicle .
Stiles says Rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle , potentially sending it out into interplanetary space to demonstrate Photon ’ s capabilities for future missions .
“ We haven ’ t settled on a final decision on that yet , but it ’ s something we ’ re definitely looking into , ” Stiles says .
“ But the primary mission is really the focus.
” The CAPSTONE mission could help pave the way for Rocket Lab missions that go into deeper space .
“ We ’ re looking at not just the Moon but Venus and Mars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out the platform to get ourselves to the Moon , then that really opens up the possibilities of going to a whole bunch of places.
” It ’ s not just Rocket Lab that ’ s interested in sending small probes into deep space .
Satellite launcher Virgin Orbit has also announced plans to send tiny spacecraft to Mars , once its LauncherOne rocket is up and running .
“ We ’ re looking at not just the Moon but Venus and Mars.
” There ’ s some precedent for sending tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent two small standardized satellites — known as CubeSats — out to Mars along with the agency ’ s InSight lander in 2018 .
The tiny tagalong vehicles served as relays , helping NASA get updates on InSight ’ s landing sequence in real time .
The pioneering space probes proved that small satellites could be useful on these larger interplanetary missions as helpers , observers , or communicators .
Or they could be used as pathfinders , like CAPSTONE , testing out technologies that future , much larger spacecraft will need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stiles says there are a ton of opportunities for sending small spacecraft into deep space , and people are just starting to fully understand what these tiny vehicles , launched on small rockets , can do .
“ I think maybe it didn ’ t even occur to a lot of folks , ” Stiles says .
“ Whenever that happens , you start getting all kinds of new ideas and new missions that five years ago nobody even thought about .
”

Rocket Lab is known for launching tiny satellites into Earth orbit, but the company has big plans to venture deeper into space, with its first mission to the Moon set for next year. Thanks to a contract with NASA, Rocket Lab will send a small spacecraft called CAPSTONE into orbit around the Moon to test out how to navigate in lunar orbit and help human missions to the Moon in the future.
It’ll be the most ambitious mission yet for Rocket Lab, which just launched its workhorse Electron rocket on its 12th flight this weekend. In total, the company has put up to 53 spacecraft into space, and so far, all of the those launches have sent satellites into low Earth orbit. But the company has been eyeing ways to push the envelope. “From day one that I came to Rocket Lab, it’s been an interest to stretch the legs of Electron and keep pushing to see what we can do,” Amanda Stiles, the Moon program manager for Rocket Lab who used to be the director for Google Lunar X Prize, tells The Verge. “And I know from the very highest levels of the company, there’s always been a big interest in going to the Moon.”
This mission will rely on a key piece of hardware that Rocket Lab has been using for the last few years: its Photon spacecraft. The cylindrical vehicle sits on the top of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, propelling customers’ hardware into low Earth orbit. It can also serve as a customizable satellite that can carry various payloads and instruments into space. “For most people’s purposes, they’re looking at low Earth orbit, but it’s also flexible where we can upgrade it and use it as a platform for these more advanced missions,” says Stiles. “So, this is the first advanced version of a Photon for that purpose.”
“it’s been an interest to stretch the legs of Electron and keep pushing to see what we can do.”
For the CAPSTONE mission, Rocket Lab has added some upgrades to Photon, most notably bigger propellant tanks and a new engine that the company is developing called the HyperCurie. It’s a version of the 3D-printed Curie engine that Rocket Lab already uses, but it’s being slightly altered to get some more thrust. Rocket Lab also plans to upgrade some of the systems on Photon, as well as add solar panels, so that the vehicle can last a bit longer in space.
Photon is going to need it all in order to get NASA’s CAPSTONE into the Moon’s orbit. After launching from Rocket Lab’s new launch site in Virginia, Electron will first deploy the Photon spacecraft — with the CAPSTONE satellite mounted on top — into a low circular orbit around Earth. From there, Photon will slowly stretch its orbit, taking the vehicle farther away from the planet. Eventually, Photon will burn its HyperCurie engine and set it on a course toward the Moon. All in all, it’ll take about eight to nine days to reach the right spot where Photon will deploy the CAPSTONE spacecraft, and Stiles says the route they’re taking will save Rocket Lab some energy along the way. “That’s a pretty key enabler for the mission,” says Stiles.
The plan for Rocket Lab’s CAPSTONE mission. Image: Rocket Lab
Once at the Moon, CAPSTONE will attempt to insert itself into lunar orbit, testing out navigation and control technologies that may be critical for the future. CAPSTONE is targeting a particular type of orbit around the Moon, known as near rectilinear halo orbit. This orbit will take CAPSTONE within 1,000 miles of the lunar surface and out as far as 43,500 miles. It’s also the same orbit where NASA plans to build a new lunar outpost called the Gateway. This distant space station will eventually serve as a waypoint for astronauts, where they can live and train for brief periods before descending to the surface of the Moon. The data CAPSTONE collects will hopefully help NASA gain a better understanding of how to navigate in this orbit in the future.
As for the Photon spacecraft, it may have more to do once the CAPSTONE satellite detaches from the vehicle. Stiles says Rocket Lab is considering an extended mission with the vehicle, potentially sending it out into interplanetary space to demonstrate Photon’s capabilities for future missions. “We haven’t settled on a final decision on that yet, but it’s something we’re definitely looking into,” Stiles says. “But the primary mission is really the focus.”
The CAPSTONE mission could help pave the way for Rocket Lab missions that go into deeper space. “We’re looking at not just the Moon but Venus and Mars,” Stiles says. “Once we figure out the platform to get ourselves to the Moon, then that really opens up the possibilities of going to a whole bunch of places.” It’s not just Rocket Lab that’s interested in sending small probes into deep space. Satellite launcher Virgin Orbit has also announced plans to send tiny spacecraft to Mars, once its LauncherOne rocket is up and running.
“We’re looking at not just the Moon but Venus and Mars.”
There’s some precedent for sending tiny spacecraft out to distant worlds. NASA sent two small standardized satellites — known as CubeSats — out to Mars along with the agency’s InSight lander in 2018. The tiny tagalong vehicles served as relays, helping NASA get updates on InSight’s landing sequence in real time. The pioneering space probes proved that small satellites could be useful on these larger interplanetary missions as helpers, observers, or communicators. Or they could be used as pathfinders, like CAPSTONE, testing out technologies that future, much larger spacecraft will need to master when exploring other worlds.


theverge--2020-06-17--‘Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over’ shortcut makes it easy to record police

As protests against racial police violence have spread across the US , we ’ ve seen how video captured on mobile devices can help identify misconduct by law enforcement .
But such evidence isn ’ t just useful at a protest , but during all sorts of routine interactions with the police , including traffic stops .
That ’ s why the Siri shortcut “ I ’ m getting pulled over ” exists .
The program dims your phone , pauses your music , and starts recording Once you load this ( free ) shortcut onto your iPhone , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hey Siri , I ’ m getting pulled over ” and it will kickstart a chain of events .
It will dim your phone , pause any music being played , and start recording video from your front-facing camera .
It can also send your current location and a copy of that video to an emergency contact , though you ’ ll need to confirm a few pop-up messages to complete these steps .
The shortcut itself is the work of Robert Petersen , who first published it in 2018 .
Petersen has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , and the shortcut has gained new attention following protests after the police killing of George Floyd .
Obviously , recording police interactions does not , by itself , stop misconduct and racial discrimination .
But it can help name and shame individuals involved .
It ’ s true that not every police interaction needs recording , but that ’ s no reason not to hit record all the same .
If you ’ re keen to use the program yourself , there are a few things you ’ ll have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t an app you can download from the App Store , but an iOS shortcut that relies on functionality Apple introduced in iOS 12 .
You need to download the Shortcuts app to get the program working So , to get things up and working , you ’ ll have to first make sure iOS is updated to at least iOS 12 .
Then , download the Shortcuts app which you can find here on the App store .
After that ’ s done , visit this link on your mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set-up the shortcut .
( Be careful : other browsers won ’ t work ! )
You ’ ll also need to make sure your phone can load unverified shortcuts ( go to Settings > Shortcuts and toggle Allow Untrusted Shortcuts to allow this ) and give the program access to your location , which you can see how to do here .
Once that ’ s done you should be good to go , though we recommend giving the shortcut a dry run first as you ’ ll need to okay certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When using it , you ’ ll also need to manually approve certain steps ( like sending your video ) .
There ’ s also no direct Android equivalent of the program right now , but there are similar apps on the Play Store meant to help discreetly record video footage of law enforcement .
As Petersen told Business Insider in 2018 , the app is essentially the same as the body cameras worn by many police officers .
“ It seemed to me that if you ’ re getting pulled over it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recording of the incident , ” said Petersen .
“ The police these days in many places have body cams , so this could be the civilian equivalent .
”

As protests against racial police violence have spread across the US, we’ve seen how video captured on mobile devices can help identify misconduct by law enforcement. But such evidence isn’t just useful at a protest, but during all sorts of routine interactions with the police, including traffic stops. That’s why the Siri shortcut “I’m getting pulled over” exists.
The program dims your phone, pauses your music, and starts recording
Once you load this (free) shortcut onto your iPhone, all you need to do is say “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” and it will kickstart a chain of events. It will dim your phone, pause any music being played, and start recording video from your front-facing camera. It can also send your current location and a copy of that video to an emergency contact, though you’ll need to confirm a few pop-up messages to complete these steps.
The shortcut itself is the work of Robert Petersen, who first published it in 2018. Petersen has been updating the program since then, though, and the shortcut has gained new attention following protests after the police killing of George Floyd.
Obviously, recording police interactions does not, by itself, stop misconduct and racial discrimination. But it can help name and shame individuals involved. It’s true that not every police interaction needs recording, but that’s no reason not to hit record all the same.
If you’re keen to use the program yourself, there are a few things you’ll have to do first. Importantly, the program isn’t an app you can download from the App Store, but an iOS shortcut that relies on functionality Apple introduced in iOS 12.
You need to download the Shortcuts app to get the program working
So, to get things up and working, you’ll have to first make sure iOS is updated to at least iOS 12. Then, download the Shortcuts app which you can find here on the App store. After that’s done, visit this link on your mobile device from the built-in Safari browser to set-up the shortcut. (Be careful: other browsers won’t work!) You’ll also need to make sure your phone can load unverified shortcuts (go to Settings > Shortcuts and toggle Allow Untrusted Shortcuts to allow this) and give the program access to your location, which you can see how to do here.
Once that’s done you should be good to go, though we recommend giving the shortcut a dry run first as you’ll need to okay certain permissions for it to work properly. When using it, you’ll also need to manually approve certain steps (like sending your video).
There’s also no direct Android equivalent of the program right now, but there are similar apps on the Play Store meant to help discreetly record video footage of law enforcement.