theverge--2020-10-26--Here are the best AirPods deals you can get right now

Apple AirPods are among the most popular headphones on the market .
They ’ re compact , easy to pair with your devices , and they offer reliable connectivity , which can sometimes be a problem with truly wireless earphones .
So there ’ s a chance that you might be looking for a deal on them .
Surprisingly , they ’ re no stranger to the occasional price cut .
There are commonly discounts on even the more expensive AirPods Pro , which offer noise cancellation and better sound than the standard second-generation model .
We ’ ll run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below , including the second-generation AirPods , the more expensive second-generation AirPods that include a wireless charging case , and finally , the AirPods Pro .
You can currently find the best price on Apple ’ s most affordable AirPods at Amazon , Best Buy and Target .
Normally $ 159 , but you can get them for $ 130 right now at both retailers .
This is nearly the lowest price we ’ ve seen yet , though they may get cheaper as we approach the holidays .
You ’ ll need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take advantage of this model ’ s key feature ( if you have no use for it , just get the more affordable option above ) , but even the best ones are fairly inexpensive .
Most retailers commonly offer a $ 30 discount on Apple ’ s AirPods that include a Qi-ready wireless charging case , and that ’ s currently the sale price .
But keep a lookout for deals that double this price cut down to $ 140 , which is the lowest price that we ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wireless earbuds , the AirPods Pro , are frequently available for less than their $ 249 retail price .
At most retailers , that price drop is only $ 15 .
Though , if you aren ’ t getting at least $ 30 off the regular price , I ’ d personally hold off on buying them .
The lowest we ’ ve seen the AirPods Pro sell for is $ 190 , but that ’ s not common .
Currently , you can get them as low as $ 200 at B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely sell out .
If it does , Amazon and Walmart have the AirPods Pro for $ 219 .
Compared to the options above , the AirPods Pro have better sound quality , noise cancellation , and now support Apple ’ s new spatial audio feature .
We think they ’ re the best wireless earbuds that iPhone owners should buy .

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods toward the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model slowly dip to around $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly a year, we’re seeing their price fall more often, too.
Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.
The best AirPods (second-gen) deals
In 2021, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.
Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds have dropped to as low as $79.99 before, but right now they’re only on sale for around $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Alternatively, if you prefer the model with the wireless charging case, it’s available at Adorama for $129.99 ($20 off).
The best AirPods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life render them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.
In September, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. They are currently on sale at Amazon and Target for $149.99 ($20 off). You can also buy the option with a MagSafe charging case at B&H Photo and Costco (members only) for around $169.95 ($9 off).
The best AirPods Pro deals
In case you missed it, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event in September, a pair of earbuds that feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation. They also sport swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears.
They typically retail for $249, but right now they’re on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $199 ($50 off), which nearly matches their all-time low. If you live close to a Micro Center, you can also pick them up in-store for $194.99 ($5 off).
The first-gen AirPods Pro are also still available for purchase, and sometimes much cheaper than the second-gen model. They have better sound quality than the non-premium models listed above, as well as active noise cancellation. They also come with swappable silicone tips — albeit three, not four — and support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which adds an immersive surround sound effect to select content.
At the end of 2021, Apple launched a new configuration of the first-gen AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case that supports Apple’s MagSafe technology, just like the third-gen AirPods. While they used to retail for $249, we’ve seen them drop to around $159, and sometimes they even sell for as low as $129. Right now, however, they’re not on sale, which is why we suggest buying the second-gen AirPods Pro while they’re still discounted.
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The best AirPods Max deals
The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.
Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. That said, the Max are receiving a sizable discount at Amazon, Walmart, and B&H Photo, where you can pick them up in select colors for around $477 ($72 off) at checkout. If you live near a Micro Center, you can also buy them for $469.99 ($80 off).


theverge--2020-10-26--Surveillance company harassed female employees using its own facial recognition technology

A surveillance startup in Silicon Valley is being accused of sexism and discrimination after a sales director used the company ’ s facial recognition system to harass female workers .
Verkada , which was valued in January at $ 1.6 billion , equips its office with its own security cameras .
Last year , the sales director accessed these cameras to take photos of female workers , then posted them in a Slack channel called # RawVerkadawgz alongside sexually explicit jokes .
The incident was first reported by IPVM and independently verified by Vice .
Employees told IPVM that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sales team , many of whom grew up in Danville and played football together in high school , contributed to a culture of sexism .
“ Face match… find me a squirt , ” the sales director wrote in Slack , according to the Vice report .
The post was shared alongside images of employees taken from Verkada security cameras .
“ ‘ Face search , ’ as it ’ s called , can pinpoint an individual in a sea of faces , ” reported Vice .
“ The pinpointed face , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verkada employee , her mouth wide open.
” After the Slack incident was reported to HR , Verkada CEO Filip Kaliszan gave employees in the Slack channel a choice : leave the company or have their stock options reduced .
All of them chose to stay and take the stock option cut , according to Vice .
“ I was shocked .
To me that ’ s not just a fireable offense , that ’ s a career-ending offense , ” one employee told IPVM .
On October 23rd , Kaliszan sent an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As soon as leadership became aware of the incident , we launched a comprehensive investigation to understand what happened and who was responsible , ” he wrote .
“ This investigation found that one person was responsible for instigating the incident and nine other members of the team were part of the Slack channel .
By the time we became aware of it , the Slack channel had been deleted ; we attempted to recover it but were unable to .
That said , all of the participants were promptly disciplined with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident .
I imposed the largest financial penalty in our company ’ s history on the instigator and had individual disciplinary discussions with each of the other participants.
” Verkada board chairman Hans Robertson has said publicly that he intentionally hired a team of “ sales athletes , ” and Verkada ’ s strategy is to “ make the culture really fun.
” Verkada has tried to differentiate itself from Amazon ’ s surveillance system Ring by saying that its clients , which include Juul Labs , Equinox , and Red Lobster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in a YouTube video called “ Verkada for law enforcement , ” the company says it works with the police department of Parkersburg , West Virginia .
In a statement emailed to The Verge , a Verkada spokesperson said : “ Verkada does not tolerate sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior .
This isolated incident was investigated and all individuals involved were disciplined accordingly .
This process included our HR department working with the women impacted by this incident–offering professional and personal resources to ensure they supported our course of action and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

A surveillance startup in Silicon Valley is being accused of sexism and discrimination after a sales director used the company’s facial recognition system to harass female workers. Verkada, which was valued in January at $1.6 billion, equips its office with its own security cameras.
Last year, the sales director accessed these cameras to take photos of female workers, then posted them in a Slack channel called #RawVerkadawgz alongside sexually explicit jokes. The incident was first reported by IPVM and independently verified by Vice.
“Face match… find me a squirt”
Employees told IPVM that a group of men in leadership positions on the sales team, many of whom grew up in Danville and played football together in high school, contributed to a culture of sexism.
“Face match… find me a squirt,” the sales director wrote in Slack, according to the Vice report. The post was shared alongside images of employees taken from Verkada security cameras. “‘Face search,’ as it’s called, can pinpoint an individual in a sea of faces,” reported Vice. “The pinpointed face, in this instance, belonged to a Verkada employee, her mouth wide open.”
After the Slack incident was reported to HR, Verkada CEO Filip Kaliszan gave employees in the Slack channel a choice: leave the company or have their stock options reduced. All of them chose to stay and take the stock option cut, according to Vice. “I was shocked. To me that’s not just a fireable offense, that’s a career-ending offense,” one employee told IPVM.
On October 23rd, Kaliszan sent an email to employees addressing the incident. “As soon as leadership became aware of the incident, we launched a comprehensive investigation to understand what happened and who was responsible,” he wrote. “This investigation found that one person was responsible for instigating the incident and nine other members of the team were part of the Slack channel. By the time we became aware of it, the Slack channel had been deleted; we attempted to recover it but were unable to. That said, all of the participants were promptly disciplined with penalties proportional to their role in the incident. I imposed the largest financial penalty in our company’s history on the instigator and had individual disciplinary discussions with each of the other participants.”
Verkada board chairman Hans Robertson has said publicly that he intentionally hired a team of “sales athletes,” and Verkada’s strategy is to “make the culture really fun.”
Verkada has tried to differentiate itself from Amazon’s surveillance system Ring by saying that its clients, which include Juul Labs, Equinox, and Red Lobster, do not work with law enforcement agencies. But in a YouTube video called “Verkada for law enforcement,” the company says it works with the police department of Parkersburg, West Virginia.


theverge--2020-10-26--Build a video game like a Lego set with this new Unity tool

Lego has paired with game engine maker Unity for a Lego Microgame , where you can snap together virtual bricks to build the environment of your own custom game world .
The Microgame is free and requires no prior knowledge of video game programming .
All you have to do to get started is follow a Unity tutorial .
Once you ’ ve designed your game to your liking , you can unleash a Lego minifigure to run , jump around , and maybe even perish to an obstacle in your new virtual world .
Creative Mods in Unity will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy , customize menus , and change the minifig to an adventurer , pirate , or pizza boy .
They ’ ve worked with BrickLink , so you can further customize by importing sets that have already been built in Studio .
There are also asset add-ons like Space Cadet and Danger Zone , which you can unlock by doing things like sharing your game , updating your game , or attending a game jam .
The Microgame is simple enough that Unity says you can build and customize a 3D game in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it easy to navigate for complete beginners , saying part of their mission involves “ making game development more accessible and lowering obstacles for new users.
” This looks like a fun way for people who enjoy Lego to try out game making or for people already interested in programming to take a spin with the Unity game engine .

Lego has paired with game engine maker Unity for a Lego Microgame, where you can snap together virtual bricks to build the environment of your own custom game world. The Microgame is free and requires no prior knowledge of video game programming. All you have to do to get started is follow a Unity tutorial. Once you’ve designed your game to your liking, you can unleash a Lego minifigure to run, jump around, and maybe even perish to an obstacle in your new virtual world.
Creative Mods in Unity will help you do things like build an enemy, customize menus, and change the minifig to an adventurer, pirate, or pizza boy. They’ve worked with BrickLink, so you can further customize by importing sets that have already been built in Studio. There are also asset add-ons like Space Cadet and Danger Zone, which you can unlock by doing things like sharing your game, updating your game, or attending a game jam.


theverge--2020-10-26--Apple’s AirPods Pro are back down to $200 at B&H Photo

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
If you ’ re looking for a pair of AirPods Pro but do not want to pay the full $ 249 price , you can buy them right now for $ 200 at B & H Photo .
This is not the lowest price we have seen them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they went down to $ 190 , but aside from that , $ 200 for Apple ’ s flagship true wireless earbuds is still a good deal if you missed out during Prime Day .
Unlike the standard AirPods , which have a “ one size fits most ” design , the AirPods Pro include a customizable fit that includes three different silicone tip sizes , making it easier for the earbuds to fit in your ears .
The AirPods Pro also include more premium features not found on the AirPods , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality , plus a wireless charging case .
My colleague , Chris Welch , thinks the AirPods Pro are the earbuds people should buy if they own any Apple products .
The deal is valid until B & H Photo runs out of stock , so if you want to buy these earbuds , do not hold off on making the purchase .

If you’re looking for a pair of AirPods Pro but do not want to pay the full $249 price, you can buy them right now for $200 at B&H Photo.
This is not the lowest price we have seen them, though. Earlier this month, they went down to $190, but aside from that, $200 for Apple’s flagship true wireless earbuds is still a good deal if you missed out during Prime Day.
Unlike the standard AirPods, which have a “one size fits most” design, the AirPods Pro include a customizable fit that includes three different silicone tip sizes, making it easier for the earbuds to fit in your ears. The AirPods Pro also include more premium features not found on the AirPods, such as active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, plus a wireless charging case. My colleague, Chris Welch, thinks the AirPods Pro are the earbuds people should buy if they own any Apple products.
The deal is valid until B&H Photo runs out of stock, so if you want to buy these earbuds, do not hold off on making the purchase.


theverge--2020-10-26--Here are the best iPad deals right now

Here are the best iPad deals right now

Deals on Apple ’ s iPad are more common than you might think .
Whether you ’ re after the most affordable iPad , the high-end iPad Pro , or something in between like the iPad Air or iPad Mini , there ’ s usually some sort of price cut happening somewhere .
Of course , it ’ s difficult to know exactly where you can find those deals unless you ’ re looking around at all of the major retailers .
But that ’ s what we ’ re doing each day when we hunt for deals , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve listed each of the current iPads available for purchase .
Sometimes , there just isn ’ t a deal happening .
In that case , we ’ ve mentioned how much the most recent sale price was for , so you know when to take the plunge .
But most of the time , there ’ s some sort of deal going on , be it on a new or refurbished model .
When there is a deal we think is worth telling you about , you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context you need to hear .
If you need a little help figuring out exactly which iPad is best for you , we ’ ve got you covered with a comparison post featuring all of the latest models here .
This is Apple ’ s most affordable iPad , usually costing $ 329 for the tablet with 32GB of storage or $ 429 for the 128GB model .
Each has a 10.2-inch display and features the A12 Bionic processor , a Touch ID fingerprint sensor , and a Smart Connector for connecting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revision was just released , it hasn ’ t many price drops .
It ’ s possible that someday we ’ ll see it selling for up to $ 80 or $ 100 off its usual price , like the previous generation .
Right now , you can get a 32GB model for $ 299 at Walmart or $ 300 at Best Buy .
Usually , this storage configuration costs $ 330 .
If you want more storage , the 128GB model is also on sale at Walmart for $ 395 or $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Best Buy .
Apple released a new iPad mini in early 2019 , carrying forth the same 7.9-inch display and design from previous iterations with refreshed internal specs within .
It has the A12 Bionic processor found in the iPhone XS .
Apple makes a 64GB and 256GB model of the iPad mini with Wi-Fi support , set at $ 400 and $ 500 , respectively .
If you want LTE connectivity , the starting price is $ 530 .
Sales on this model are a little rarer , but we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now that knocks about $ 30 off the final cost of the cellular 64GB version .
In September , Apple announced a new iPad Air that deviates greatly from its predecessors in terms of design , looking very similar to the iPad Pro .
The latest model has a slightly larger 10.9-inch display than the 10.5-inch screen found on last year ’ s model .
The 2020 iPad Air features thinner bezels around the display and has relocated the Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the power button , which is located on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predecessor , this year ’ s iPad Air model comes in 64GB or 256GB storage configurations .
The Wi-Fi models start at $ 600 and $ 750 , making the starting price slightly more than last year ’ s models .
However , the model that also supports LTE starts at $ 730 .
The 2020 iPad Air recently launched and ahead of release , with the retail price knocking off seven percent off the model .
But right now , no iPad Air models are currently discounted at any retailers .
Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pro looks a lot like the one that came in 2018 , aside from its dual-lens rear camera array .
Unlike the less-expensive models , this one ditches the headphone jack and uses a USB-C port instead of Lightning .
It also has Face ID to unlock instead of relying on the Touch ID fingerprint sensor .
The iPad Pro has the most powerful internals of Apple ’ s entire iPad lineup , and that comes through in the price .
The 11-inch model with 128GB of storage starts at $ 800 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12.9 inches raises the price to $ 1,000 .
Each size supports up to 1TB of storage , and going up that high costs $ 1,299 for the 11-inch model and $ 1,499 for the 12.9-inch model .
If you are looking to pickup the 11-inch model at a discounted price , the 128GB model with Wi-Fi is on sale at Walmart for $ 749 .
Or , you can buy it at Best Buy for $ 750 .
Currently , the 12.9-inch model with 128GB of storage , is $ 50 off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ok with spending over $ 1,000 , the 12.9-inch Wi-Fi 256GB in silver is $ 1,040 , about $ 50 off its current retail price at Amazon .
But , if 256GB is still not enough for you , the 512GB model is also on sale for $ 1,229 at Amazon and Walmart , normally this configuration will set you back $ 1,299 .

While the best iPad deals usually come around during major sale events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and even last month’s Amazon Prime Day, you can still find plenty of great discounts at all times of the year if you know where to look. Whether you’re after the high-end iPad Pro or the most affordable entry-level iPad, there’s likely a sale going on somewhere that you may be interested in.
Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly where you can find the most notable deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, including the latest ones equipped with Apple’s powerful M1 and M2 chips.
Announced alongside the iPhone 13, the 2021 iPad is Apple’s aging entry-level tablet that still makes a fine device for doing the basics today. The ninth-gen model starts at $329 with 64GB of storage. The base configuration with Wi-Fi is available at Amazon and Best Buy for $269.99 ($60 off) at checkout, its second-best price.
As for the 256GB model that normally costs $479, Walmart and Amazon are both selling it for $389.99 ($89 off). This is an especially good deal, as it’s a new low on a tablet that would only drop to $429 not too long ago. If you prefer your iPad to include cellular connectivity, the 64GB model is currently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $399.99 ($60 off) instead of $459. Lastly, the 256GB variant is also available at Amazon and Walmart for $519.99 ($89 off). It’s pretty much all-time lows across the board here in ninth-gen iPad land.
A last-gen model is still worth considering
The last-gen iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed to keep you framed up and centered while on video calls. The tablet also carries over a number of features from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a Smart Connector for connecting a Smart Keyboard.
Although the newer 10th-gen iPad came out in October, the last-gen model is still an excellent tablet with a better value. The latest iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it excises the headphone jack and costs a much steeper $449. That’s not much of an entry-level price, so hopefully the ninth-gen model sticks around and continues to see moderate discounts.
The base configuration of the 10th-gen iPad is on sale right now for $399.99 ($50 off) in various colors at Amazon and Target. As for the 256GB version that normally costs $599, Amazon and B&H Photo are currently offering it for $549 ($50 off) at checkout. These are decent deals for the 10th-gen model, but they’re not quite the value offered by previously steeper discounts, the heavily discounted ninth-gen model, or the better features you get by stepping up to the iPad Air.
The best iPad Mini (2021) deals
The sixth-generation iPad Mini has a larger screen than its predecessor, along with a top-of-the-line processor, support for USB-C, and options for 5G. It has forfeited its 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated home button in the process, but overall, it’s a solid device that brings a fully refreshed design to Apple’s small tablet form factor.
The changes and refinements to the new iPad Mini come at a heftier price, however, and the new 64GB Wi-Fi model now starts at $499. Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $649, while the 5G cellular models are $649 for 64GB and $799 for 256GB. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want the latest and greatest from Apple in a smaller format, this is where the action is.
Amazon is selling the 64GB base model of the iPad Mini for just $399.99 ($100 off), which is around $20 off the mark from the lowest price on Apple’s smaller iPad. If you’re in need of additional storage, Amazon also has the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $539.99 (about $110 off) after an additional discount at checkout, which is as good as you’re going to find. As for the cellular model, the 64GB model with 5G in its starlight and pink colors is on sale for $549.99 ($100 off) at Amazon when you check out.
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The best iPad Air (2022) deals
The 2022 iteration of Apple’s lightweight tablet is similar in terms of its capabilities when measured against the previous-gen model but still offers a handful of iterative upgrades. The most pronounced improvement is the M1 processor, which offers better performance, and the front-facing 12MP camera comes equipped with Apple’s Center Stage feature that helps to keep a moving subject centered when recording video or during video calls.
The best iPad Pro (2022) deals
The latest generation of iPad Pros looks a whole lot like the prior model from 2021, as the changes are primarily on the inside. The new Pros still come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, with the better-looking Mini LED panel once again reserved for the larger model, though both now pack Apple’s newer M2 CPU for even better processing power.
The striking resemblance to the prior generation aside, there are a few reasons to opt for a Pro over something like an Air, such as Face ID unlocking and additional base storage. If display quality is the most important factor in your purchasing decision, the 12.9-inch version is the way to go, as its Mini LED display achieves deeper blacks and better contrast, much like an OLED panel.
Aside from that, as well as a nifty new hover feature that shows where your second-gen Apple Pencil’s tip will land before you touch the screen, they’re very similar to the older models from 2021. The 128GB base models even start at the same price — the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models retail for $799 and $1,099, respectively, and go up from there. As for 5G cellular versions, the 11-inch model starts at $999, and the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,299.
Sadly, the current deals on iPad Pros are pretty paltry. The 11-inch M2 iPad Pro with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage is only $40 off at Best Buy and B&H Photo. Stepping up to the 256GB model — which, if you’re getting a Pro, you may want to do anyway — nets you the same $40 discount at Best Buy, dropping the price to $869. It’s not until you step up to the 512GB configuration that you start seeing a nicer discount of $100 off at Amazon, which makes it $999.99 at checkout instead of $1,099. If you are opting for a cellular 5G model, the best deal is $70 off a 128GB model at B&H Photo, dropping its price to $929.
If you prefer the larger 12.9-inch model with its lovely Mini LED display, Amazon is selling the M2 tablet for $1,049 ($50 off), while the 256GB model is $1,149 (also $50 off) at Amazon. Stepping up to the 512GB model still only nets you a $50 discount at Amazon and Best Buy — making the fairly beefy iPad $1,349 instead of $1,399. It’s just not a great time to buy an M2 iPad Pro right now, unless you really need one right away and can’t go for a secondhand last-gen or refurbished model.


theverge--2020-10-26--Former Facebook moderators worried for the upcoming US election

When Viana Ferguson was a content moderator for Facebook , she came across a post that she immediately recognized as racist : a photo of a white family with a Black child that had a caption reading “ a house is not a home without a pet.
” But she had a hard time convincing her manager that the picture was not just an innocent photo of a family .
“ She didn ’ t seem to have the same perspective , there was no reference I could use , ” Ferguson said .
She pointed out that there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the manager also told her , “ Well , there ’ s also no home in the picture.
” Ferguson said it was one of several examples of the lack of structure and support Facebook moderators face in their day-to-day jobs , a vast majority of which are performed for third-party consultancies .
Ferguson spoke on a call organized by a group that calls themselves the Real Facebook Oversight Board , along with Color of Change , a progressive nonprofit that led the call for a Facebook advertiser boycott over the summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Clickbait still rules lies and hate still travels on Facebook like a California wildfire.
” “ In 2020 on the world ’ s largest social network , clickbait still rules lies and hate still travels on Facebook like a California wildfire , ” said Cori Crider , co-founder of Foxglove .
“ Things are still so bad that in two days , Mark Zuckerberg will testify once again to the Senate about what Facebook is doing to address this problem , and protect American democracy.
” Crider said Facebook points to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence it takes the issues seriously .
“ Content moderators are the firefighters on the front lines guarding our elections , ” she said .
“ They ’ re so critical to Facebook ’ s work that Facebook has hauled them back into their offices during the pandemic and kept them in the offices.
” The challenges of working as a Facebook moderator both in the US and overseas have been well-documented , and consistent complaints over the course of many years about how viewing traumatic content for hours on end led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million to current and former US-based moderators to compensate them for mental health issues developed on the job .
Former moderator Alison Trebacz said on the call she remembered the day after the 2017 mass shooting at Las Vegas ’ Mandalay Bay casino , her work queue was full of videos of injured and dying shooting victims .
But to mark a video as “ disturbing , ” moderators had to verify that a person was completely incapacitated , something that was nearly impossible to do in a timely way .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make these big decisions on popular content without having full direction and guidance within five minutes of the event happening , ” she said .
As part of her job , Trebacz said she and other moderators regularly had to view graphic content , and she felt mentally drained by the nature of the work .
She was paid $ 15 an hour and said while she was there , from 2017 to 2018 , there was little mental health support .
The company used nondisclosure agreements , which limited moderators from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people outside the company , adding to the overall stress of the job .
The moderators are independent contractors , and most don ’ t receive benefits or sick leave , noted Jade Ogunnaike of Color of Change .
“ When companies like Facebook make these grand statements about Black Lives Matter , and that they care about equity and justice , it is in direct contrast to the way that these content moderators and contractors are treated , ” Ogunnaike said .
The group wants to see Facebook make moderators full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as other Facebook staff and provide adequate training and support .
While the company relies on artificial intelligence to help root out violent and problematic content , that ’ s not sufficient to address more nuanced instances of racism like the one Ferguson mentioned .
“ If Facebook wants valuable feedback from the people doing the bulk of the work , they would benefit by bringing them in house.
” But Trebacz pointed out that human moderators aren ’ t going away ; rather , they ’ re becoming even more important .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people doing the bulk of the work , they would benefit by bringing them in house.
” Ferguson said she saw a sharp uptick in hate speech on Facebook following the 2016 US presidential election .
She said the platform was ill-equipped to handle newly emboldened people posting more and more hateful content .
If a moderator removed a piece of content later found not to be against Facebook rules , they could be disciplined or even fired , she added .
Trebacz said she hoped Facebook would provide more real-time communication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more decisions will be made preemptively instead of reacting all the time .
But she said she expects the next few weeks will be “ outrageously difficult ” for current content moderators .
“ I think it ’ s going to be chaos , ” she said .
“ Truly.
” Facebook did not immediately reply to a request for comment Monday .
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the company is bracing for possible chaos around next week ’ s election with plans to implement internal tools it ’ s used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include slowing the spread of posts as they begin to go viral , altering the News Feed algorithm to change what content users see , and changing the rules for what kind of content should be removed .

When Viana Ferguson was a content moderator for Facebook, she came across a post that she immediately recognized as racist: a photo of a white family with a Black child that had a caption reading “a house is not a home without a pet.” But she had a hard time convincing her manager that the picture was not just an innocent photo of a family.
“She didn’t seem to have the same perspective, there was no reference I could use,” Ferguson said. She pointed out that there was no pet in the photo, but the manager also told her, “Well, there’s also no home in the picture.”
Ferguson said it was one of several examples of the lack of structure and support Facebook moderators face in their day-to-day jobs, a vast majority of which are performed for third-party consultancies. Ferguson spoke on a call organized by a group that calls themselves the Real Facebook Oversight Board, along with Color of Change, a progressive nonprofit that led the call for a Facebook advertiser boycott over the summer, and UK-based nonprofit technology justice organization Foxglove.
“Clickbait still rules lies and hate still travels on Facebook like a California wildfire.”
“In 2020 on the world’s largest social network, clickbait still rules lies and hate still travels on Facebook like a California wildfire,” said Cori Crider, co-founder of Foxglove. “Things are still so bad that in two days, Mark Zuckerberg will testify once again to the Senate about what Facebook is doing to address this problem, and protect American democracy.”
Crider said Facebook points to its massive workforce of content moderators as evidence it takes the issues seriously. “Content moderators are the firefighters on the front lines guarding our elections,” she said. “They’re so critical to Facebook’s work that Facebook has hauled them back into their offices during the pandemic and kept them in the offices.”
The challenges of working as a Facebook moderator both in the US and overseas have been well-documented, and consistent complaints over the course of many years about how viewing traumatic content for hours on end led to the company agreeing to pay $52 million to current and former US-based moderators to compensate them for mental health issues developed on the job.
Related The secret lives of Facebook moderators in America
Former moderator Alison Trebacz said on the call she remembered the day after the 2017 mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay casino, her work queue was full of videos of injured and dying shooting victims. But to mark a video as “disturbing,” moderators had to verify that a person was completely incapacitated, something that was nearly impossible to do in a timely way. “We end up as moderators and agents trying to make these big decisions on popular content without having full direction and guidance within five minutes of the event happening,” she said.
As part of her job, Trebacz said she and other moderators regularly had to view graphic content, and she felt mentally drained by the nature of the work. She was paid $15 an hour and said while she was there, from 2017 to 2018, there was little mental health support. The company used nondisclosure agreements, which limited moderators from being able to talk about their jobs with people outside the company, adding to the overall stress of the job. The moderators are independent contractors, and most don’t receive benefits or sick leave, noted Jade Ogunnaike of Color of Change.
“When companies like Facebook make these grand statements about Black Lives Matter, and that they care about equity and justice, it is in direct contrast to the way that these content moderators and contractors are treated,” Ogunnaike said.
The group wants to see Facebook make moderators full-time employees who would receive the same rights as other Facebook staff and provide adequate training and support. While the company relies on artificial intelligence to help root out violent and problematic content, that’s not sufficient to address more nuanced instances of racism like the one Ferguson mentioned.
“If Facebook wants valuable feedback from the people doing the bulk of the work, they would benefit by bringing them in house.”
But Trebacz pointed out that human moderators aren’t going away; rather, they’re becoming even more important. “If Facebook wants valuable feedback from the people doing the bulk of the work, they would benefit by bringing them in house.”
Ferguson said she saw a sharp uptick in hate speech on Facebook following the 2016 US presidential election. She said the platform was ill-equipped to handle newly emboldened people posting more and more hateful content. If a moderator removed a piece of content later found not to be against Facebook rules, they could be disciplined or even fired, she added.
Trebacz said she hoped Facebook would provide more real-time communication with moderators about content decisions and that more decisions will be made preemptively instead of reacting all the time. But she said she expects the next few weeks will be “outrageously difficult” for current content moderators.
“I think it’s going to be chaos,” she said. “Truly.”


theverge--2020-10-26--The music industry has taken another step toward a legal fight with Twitch

Amazon received a “ blistering ” letter last Thursday about copyright infringement and Twitch ’ s nonexistent licensing deals with major music rights holders , Variety reports .
The letter was signed by organizations including the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , the Recording Academy , the National Music Publishers Association , the American Association of Independent Music , SAG-AFTRA , and more .
The document accuses Twitch of allowing streamers to play copyrighted music without getting the proper licensing to do so .
( Music copyright is a thorny , complicated subject ; if you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need at least two different licenses to do it legally : a synchronization license and a mechanical license . )
“ Twitch appears to do nothing in response to the thousands of notices of music infringement that it has received nor does it currently even acknowledge that it received them , as it has done in the past , ” the letter reads in part , according to Variety .
About a week ago , Twitch sent out a notice informing thousands of streamers that they had infringed copyright and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The letter to Amazon appears to be the next step by the RIAA in a campaign to make a case that Twitch isn ’ t abiding by the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act , which governs copyright online .
That could open it up to be sued for copyright claims .
There is a precedent for this : media companies sued YouTube between 2007 and 2009 on the same grounds , which led to the creation of a content fingerprinting system the company still uses to root out copyright infringement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect the ad revenue on a copyrighted video , if they so choose , and can take infringing channels down .
The legal wrangling over licenses suggests the RIAA is angling for something similar with Twitch .
The letter also blasted Twitch ’ s new Soundtrack tool , which separates music from the audiovisual stream and strips it out of archived broadcasts .
The groups that sent the letter say they ’ re “ confounded by Twitch ’ s apparent stance that neither synch nor mechanical licenses are necessary for its Soundtrack tool.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a statement that contends that the company is supporting the music economy by paying royalties to performing rights organizations — the publishing side of the music business .
That means Twitch is paying for licenses , just not the ones the RIAA wants .
Public performance licenses , which is what Twitch is paying for , allow places like restaurants to play music in public .
Twitch also said that its Soundtrack feature is fully licensed and that it had agreements in place with rights holders for the music featured in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re concerned that unlicensed music is still widely available on Twitch , despite its claims that the company would remove it : “ Twitch appears to do nothing in response to the thousands of notices of music infringement that it has received nor does it currently even acknowledge that it received them .
”

Amazon received a “blistering” letter last Thursday about copyright infringement and Twitch’s nonexistent licensing deals with major music rights holders, Variety reports. The letter was signed by organizations including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Recording Academy, the National Music Publishers Association, the American Association of Independent Music, SAG-AFTRA, and more.
The document accuses Twitch of allowing streamers to play copyrighted music without getting the proper licensing to do so. (Music copyright is a thorny, complicated subject; if you want to play music to audiovisual content, you need at least two different licenses to do it legally: a synchronization license and a mechanical license.) “Twitch appears to do nothing in response to the thousands of notices of music infringement that it has received nor does it currently even acknowledge that it received them, as it has done in the past,” the letter reads in part, according to Variety.
About a week ago, Twitch sent out a notice informing thousands of streamers that they had infringed copyright and that the platform was deleting the offending videos. The letter to Amazon appears to be the next step by the RIAA in a campaign to make a case that Twitch isn’t abiding by the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which governs copyright online. That could open it up to be sued for copyright claims. There is a precedent for this: media companies sued YouTube between 2007 and 2009 on the same grounds, which led to the creation of a content fingerprinting system the company still uses to root out copyright infringement.
Music copyright is a thorny, complicated subject
On YouTube, rights holders can now collect the ad revenue on a copyrighted video, if they so choose, and can take infringing channels down. The legal wrangling over licenses suggests the RIAA is angling for something similar with Twitch.
The letter also blasted Twitch’s new Soundtrack tool, which separates music from the audiovisual stream and strips it out of archived broadcasts. The groups that sent the letter say they’re “confounded by Twitch’s apparent stance that neither synch nor mechanical licenses are necessary for its Soundtrack tool.”
In response, Twitch provided Variety with a statement that contends that the company is supporting the music economy by paying royalties to performing rights organizations — the publishing side of the music business. That means Twitch is paying for licenses, just not the ones the RIAA wants. Public performance licenses, which is what Twitch is paying for, allow places like restaurants to play music in public. Twitch also said that its Soundtrack feature is fully licensed and that it had agreements in place with rights holders for the music featured in the product.


theverge--2020-10-26--Banned conspiracy channels are suing YouTube over its anti-QAnon moderation push

YouTube is facing a lawsuit from a group of channel owners who say their rights were violated by the platform ’ s recent moderation actions against QAnon accounts .
The users , many of whom boasted hundreds of thousands of followers on the platform , are seeking a temporary restraining order to restore their accounts .
“ YouTube ’ s massive de-platforming , which occurred just three weeks before the 2020 Presidential election , worked to the severe detriment of both conservative content creators and American voters who seek out their content , ” the complaint alleges .
“ YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Plaintiffs ... received no advance notice and were not able to download their own content.
” Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act typically protects platforms from lawsuits over moderation actions , and the law is likely to be a pillar of YouTube ’ s legal defense .
Republicans have proposed adding a “ duty of faith ” clause to Section 230 , which would make it easier for lawsuits of this nature to succeed .
But none of those efforts have made it into law .
As a result , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least one of the channels ran into trouble for conspiracy content before the October 15th policy shift .
The SGT Report channel , run by the lead plaintiff in the case , was suspended in 2018 after promoting unfounded allegations about Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin terrorizing a small child — although the channel was reinstated after subscribers complained .
Another of the accounts , TRU Reporting , has promoted a number of Pizzagate-adjacent conspiracy theories on Twitter , including allegations that children in the Biden family are victims of sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy content , but it has only recently taken concrete steps to reduce its spread .
In 2018 , the platform began adding “ authoritative ” links to videos about conspiracy-adjacent topics like the Moon landing or the Oklahoma City bombing , in the hopes that factual information would steer users away from wilder theories .
The following year , YouTube changed its algorithm to downrank conspiracy content , and platform moderators took a harder line against conspiracy videos , even banning a Shane Dawson video that explored popular conspiracies .
On October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign a step further , expanding its hate and harassment policies “ to prohibit content that targets an individual or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence.
” The policies were particularly focused on the QAnon conspiracy theory , resulting in the immediate removal of tens of thousands of QAnon videos and hundreds of channels .
In the lawsuit , however , plaintiffs frame the moderation move as targeting conservative YouTube channels more generally , playing into long-standing Republican concerns about anti-conservative bias on platforms .
The complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the First Amendment , arguing that the removal of the channels in the weeks running up to the election will trigger irreparable harm to the public .
“ Because Plaintiffs ’ channels address issues of public concern that are highly relevant to the November 3 election and its anticipated aftermath , ” the complaint reads , “ both Plaintiffs and the public will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an immediate and affirmative injunction.
” Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

YouTube is facing a lawsuit from a group of channel owners who say their rights were violated by the platform’s recent moderation actions against QAnon accounts. The users, many of whom boasted hundreds of thousands of followers on the platform, are seeking a temporary restraining order to restore their accounts.
“YouTube’s massive de-platforming, which occurred just three weeks before the 2020 Presidential election, worked to the severe detriment of both conservative content creators and American voters who seek out their content,” the complaint alleges. “YouTube took this draconian action so swiftly that the Plaintiffs... received no advance notice and were not able to download their own content.”
What is Section 230? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which was passed in 1996, says an “interactive computer service” can’t be treated as the publisher or speaker of third-party content. This protects websites from lawsuits if a user posts something illegal, although there are exceptions for pirated and prostitution-related material. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) crafted Section 230 so website owners could moderate sites without worrying about legal liability. The law is particularly vital for social media networks, but it covers many sites and services, including news outlets with comment sections — like The Verge. The Electronic Frontier Foundation calls it “the most important law protecting internet speech.” It’s increasingly controversial and frequently misinterpreted, however. Critics argue that its broad protections let powerful companies ignore real harm to users. On the other hand, some lawmakers incorrectly claim that it only protects “neutral platforms” — a term that’s irrelevant to the law.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act typically protects platforms from lawsuits over moderation actions, and the law is likely to be a pillar of YouTube’s legal defense. Republicans have proposed adding a “duty of faith” clause to Section 230, which would make it easier for lawsuits of this nature to succeed. But none of those efforts have made it into law. As a result, the lawsuit’s legal merit remains uncertain.
Reached for comment, Google emphasized its commitment to even-handed moderation. “We cannot comment on pending litigation, but our policies are updated regularly to meet new challenges, like harmful conspiracies that have been used to justify real-world violence,” a company representative said. “We have a dedicated policy team that works to review our policies and adjust them as needed. We apply our policies consistently regardless of who owns the channel.”
At least one of the channels involved in the lawsuit had run into trouble with moderators before the October 15th policy shift. The SGT Report channel, run by the lead plaintiff in the case, was suspended in 2018 after promoting unfounded allegations about Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin terrorizing a small child — although the channel was reinstated after subscribers complained. Another of the accounts, TRU Reporting, has promoted a number of Pizzagate-adjacent conspiracy theories on Twitter, including allegations that children in the Biden family are victims of sex trafficking.
YouTube has long struggled with conspiracy content, but it has only recently taken concrete steps to reduce its spread. In 2018, the platform began adding “authoritative” links to videos about conspiracy-adjacent topics like the Moon landing or the Oklahoma City bombing, in the hopes that factual information would steer users away from wilder theories. The following year, YouTube changed its algorithm to downrank conspiracy content, and platform moderators took a harder line against conspiracy videos, even banning a Shane Dawson video that explored popular conspiracies.
On October 15th, 2020, YouTube took that campaign a step further, expanding its hate and harassment policies “to prohibit content that targets an individual or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence.” The policies were particularly focused on the QAnon conspiracy theory, resulting in the immediate removal of tens of thousands of QAnon videos and hundreds of channels.
In the lawsuit, however, plaintiffs frame the moderation move as targeting conservative YouTube channels more generally, playing into long-standing Republican concerns about anti-conservative bias on platforms. The complaint cites the plaintiffs’ free speech rights under the First Amendment, arguing that the removal of the channels in the weeks running up to the election will trigger irreparable harm to the public.
“Because Plaintiffs’ channels address issues of public concern that are highly relevant to the November 3 election and its anticipated aftermath,” the complaint reads, “both Plaintiffs and the public will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an immediate and affirmative injunction.”


theverge--2020-10-27--Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 review: the 1440p sweet spot

Last month , Nvidia ’ s RTX 3080 ushered in the next generation of 4K gaming with an impressive leap in performance over the 2080 model it replaced .
While Nvidia ’ s flagship card was designed to push 4K , the $ 499 RTX 3070 is $ 200 less expensive and still promises big performance gains over the previous-generation RTX 2080 and even the RTX 2080 Ti .
Like all of Nvidia ’ s RTX cards before it , the RTX 3070 can also take advantage of ray tracing and Nvidia ’ s AI-powered DLSS technology to boost frame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This combination of performance and price puts the RTX 3070 in the ideal sweet spot for 1440p gaming .
The vast majority of PC gamers are still using 1080p displays , and the RTX 3070 offers up an upgrade path to 1440p without the steep cost of an RTX 3080 and the extra power draw .
I ’ ve spent the past week testing out the RTX 3070 at both 1440p and 4K ahead of its October 29th debut , and it ’ s fair to say this card will give you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 and beyond so long as you ’ re playing at 1440p or below .
If you ’ re considering the move to 1440p , the RTX 3070 is the more budget-friendly option if you want to futureproof along the way .
Nvidia made some big changes to the cooling on the Founder ’ s Edition RTX 3080 , but it ’ s maintained a traditional dual-fan setup with the RTX 3070 .
The dual-axial fans work in tandem to keep the card cool , with the right fan pushing air all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shroud to the opposite side , while the left directly cools the GPU cores with air that can exhaust out the rear of your chassis .
During my testing , I rarely heard the fans spin up , even with the card hitting temperatures of 75 degrees Celsius .
While the RTX 3070 doesn ’ t benefit from the same push-pull system found on the RTX 3080 , it does pick up some of the other hardware improvements found on the flagship .
The hardware design on the RTX 3070 is very similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PCB that ’ s a lot smaller to improve airflow throughout the card .
And just like the RTX 3080 , Nvidia is using its new 12-pin single power connector , as opposed to the separate 6- and 8-pin or twin 8-pin connectors on prior cards .
Nvidia has included its own adapter inside the box .
Since the RTX 3070 only needs a single 8-pin power connector , it makes the adapter a little less wieldy than the one found on the RTX 3080 .
Still , I would highly recommend picking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PSU manufacturer instead of using the ugly adapter .
The RTX 3070 also includes a single HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports .
Much like the RTX 3080 , Nvidia has dropped the USB-C VirtualLink port found on the RTX 2080 , which never saw any real adoption for VR .
While the RTX 3080 has pure white LEDs around the fan and to light up the GeForce RTX branding , the RTX 3070 ditches this for a simple look without any lighting .
Nvidia ’ s RTX 3000 series cards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the RTX 3070 pulls up to 220 watts by itself .
That ’ s a 19 percent jump from the previous RTX 2070 but still slightly less than the RTX 2080 .
Nvidia is recommending a 750W power supply for the RTX 3070 — the same that ’ s needed for an RTX 3080 — compared to the 550W recommendation for the RTX 2070 .
I ’ ve been testing the RTX 3070 on a newly built machine using Intel ’ s latest Core i9-10900K inside .
I previously tested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so I ’ ve gone back and tested Nvidia ’ s flagship on this new system to provide a comparison between the RTX 2080 , RTX 3070 , and RTX 3080 .
For 1440p tests , I hooked up the RTX 3070 to a 27-inch Asus ROG Swift PG279Q monitor .
This monitor supports refresh rates up to 165Hz plus G-Sync , so it ’ s a great match for the RTX 3070 ’ s power .
I ’ ve also been testing 4K performance , which you can find below .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been playing a variety of AAA games to understand what the RTX 3070 is capable of .
I ’ ve also performed average frame rate testing and used built-in benchmarks across a variety of games , including Fortnite , Control , Death Stranding , Metro Exodus , Call of Duty : Warzone , and Microsoft Flight Simulator .
All games were tested at max or ultra settings , and nearly every title exceeded the 100fps average mark at 1440p .
Fortnite came close to hitting my monitor ’ s max refresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Call of Duty : Warzone also came close , averaging 130fps .
Normally , I ’ d adjust graphical settings way down to hit these types of frame rates , but the RTX 3070 was able to handle both games with ease .
As you can see in the benchmark chart below , you won ’ t often need an RTX 3080 to max out today ’ s games with a 1440p monitor .
For high refresh rate monitors , in particular , Nvidia ’ s DLSS technology really feels like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far you can push this card .
Nvidia ’ s DLSS technology uses neural networks and AI supercomputers to analyze games and sharpen or clean up images at lower resolutions .
DLSS allows a game to render at a lower resolution and use Nvidia ’ s image reconstruction technique to upscale the image and make it look as good as native 4K or better .
Most games that implement DLSS allow you to pick between performance or quality modes , and in Fortnite , I tested both .
I was able to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mode enabled , and a 172fps average when I favored quality .
It ’ s difficult to notice the impact on image quality in the performance mode , and the quality mode looks the same if not better .
I ’ m still surprised at how well DLSS works .
Even without DLSS , demanding titles like Control still hit 95fps with maxed-out settings , and Metro Exodus managed to hit 30fps with the highest-level settings enabled .
The RTX 3080 felt like a very comfortable option for 1440p and may have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so close behind that you could skip it and save $ 200 at this resolution .
While I ’ m happy with the 1440p performance of the RTX 3070 , its 4K performance isn ’ t nearly as impressive .
I ’ ve been testing the RTX 3070 with Acer ’ s 27-inch Nitro XV273K , a 4K monitor that offers up to 144Hz refresh rates , G-Sync , and even HDR support .
It ’ s more of a 50 / 50 split on how many games hit 60fps or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 4K .
Shadow of the Tomb Raider didn ’ t quite make it , nor does Control , which regularly drops below 30fps during gameplay even without ray tracing .
Fortnite and Call of Duty : Warzone do well to maintain above a 60fps average , but there ’ s not enough headroom in most modern games to make this a capable 4K card without compromise .
You ’ ll need to drop visual quality to maintain higher frame rates at 4K , which was the story of the RTX 2080 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll pay $ 200 less to get better performance .
DLSS certainly helps here , though .
While Control is unplayable at 12fps with ray tracing enabled at 4K , if you use the DLSS quality mode alone the frame rate jumps to a reasonable 83fps .
Likewise , I managed to get a 139fps average in Fortnite with the DLSS performance mode enabled .
DLSS alone means the RTX 3070 can stretch to be a 4K , 60fps card in most of today ’ s games , even if it might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exodus and Microsoft Flight Simulator show , there are already games where this brand-new card can ’ t hit 30fps without lowering graphical fidelity .
Speaking of futureproofing , the RTX 3070 only has 8GB of video memory , lower than the 10GB of memory that was already slightly worrisome on the RTX 3080 .
4K games currently average between 4GB and 6GB , and some titles are already demanding that much at 1440p .
While 8GB should be enough for 1440p , I would still have liked to have seen at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the RTX 3080 .
There ’ s room for Nvidia to launch additional 3080 and 3070 cards with more memory on board , probably in a future Super branded edition .
I should also note here that I had two back-to-back driver crashes while using the RTX 3070 in Call of Duty : Warzone .
The RTX 3080 had some early driver issues with certain games that were later fixed , so this could have simply been some quirks in the review drivers .
I haven ’ t been able to replicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s big performance promises for the RTX 3000 Series of cards are holding up .
I ’ m surprised at how small , powerful , and quiet the RTX 3070 is .
While the RTX 3080 ushers in a 4K gaming era for those with the budget to really go all out , the RTX 3070 offers a slightly more affordable option for moving from 1080p to 1440p .
The RTX 3070 is the 1440p sweet spot right now .
With more games supporting DLSS , and even ray tracing , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card that will be great at 1440p for years to come .
I wouldn ’ t recommend an RTX 3070 for 4K gaming , though .
If you ’ re willing to spend extra for 4K , then the RTX 3080 is a far more capable option .
The biggest problem with the RTX 3070 will be similar to the RTX 3080 : availability .
Nvidia promised that it had “ great yields ” for the 3080 , and it was “ making them as fast as we can.
” Unfortunately , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstripping supply .
I expect the same will happen with the RTX 3070 , even with the delay to its launch to build up stocks .
If you ’ re upgrading from a GTX 1070 or even a GTX 1080 , particularly if you ’ re moving from 1080p to 1440p , the RTX 3070 feels ideal to me .
I think this card , and whatever other lower-priced GPUs Nvidia has planned , will help usher in a move toward 1440p for a lot of people wanting to upgrade their PCs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , the RTX 3070 will make the leap to 1440p just that little bit more affordable .

Last month, Nvidia’s RTX 3080 ushered in the next generation of 4K gaming with an impressive leap in performance over the 2080 model it replaced. While Nvidia’s flagship card was designed to push 4K, the $499 RTX 3070 is $200 less expensive and still promises big performance gains over the previous-generation RTX 2080 and even the RTX 2080 Ti. Like all of Nvidia’s RTX cards before it, the RTX 3070 can also take advantage of ray tracing and Nvidia’s AI-powered DLSS technology to boost frame rates and still maintain great image quality.
This combination of performance and price puts the RTX 3070 in the ideal sweet spot for 1440p gaming. The vast majority of PC gamers are still using 1080p displays, and the RTX 3070 offers up an upgrade path to 1440p without the steep cost of an RTX 3080 and the extra power draw.
I’ve spent the past week testing out the RTX 3070 at both 1440p and 4K ahead of its October 29th debut, and it’s fair to say this card will give you a lot of headroom for games coming in 2021 and beyond so long as you’re playing at 1440p or below. If you’re considering the move to 1440p, the RTX 3070 is the more budget-friendly option if you want to futureproof along the way.
8 Verge Score Nvidia RTX 3070 The Good Very quiet and cool
Great for 1440p gaming
DLSS boosts framerates The Bad 650W power supply requirement and extra power draw
Not enough headroom for 4K
8GB of memory How we rate and review products
Hardware
Nvidia made some big changes to the cooling on the Founder’s Edition RTX 3080, but it’s maintained a traditional dual-fan setup with the RTX 3070. The dual-axial fans work in tandem to keep the card cool, with the right fan pushing air all the way through the card’s shroud to the opposite side, while the left directly cools the GPU cores with air that can exhaust out the rear of your chassis.
During my testing, I rarely heard the fans spin up, even with the card hitting temperatures of 75 degrees Celsius. While the RTX 3070 doesn’t benefit from the same push-pull system found on the RTX 3080, it does pick up some of the other hardware improvements found on the flagship.
The hardware design on the RTX 3070 is very similar, allowing Nvidia to use a dense PCB that’s a lot smaller to improve airflow throughout the card. And just like the RTX 3080, Nvidia is using its new 12-pin single power connector, as opposed to the separate 6- and 8-pin or twin 8-pin connectors on prior cards.
Nvidia’s new RTX 3070 graphics card. The rear ports of the RTX 3070.
Nvidia has included its own adapter inside the box. Since the RTX 3070 only needs a single 8-pin power connector, it makes the adapter a little less wieldy than the one found on the RTX 3080. Still, I would highly recommend picking up a direct 12-pin connector from your PSU manufacturer instead of using the ugly adapter.
The RTX 3070 also includes a single HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. Much like the RTX 3080, Nvidia has dropped the USB-C VirtualLink port found on the RTX 2080, which never saw any real adoption for VR. While the RTX 3080 has pure white LEDs around the fan and to light up the GeForce RTX branding, the RTX 3070 ditches this for a simple look without any lighting.
Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series cards have introduced a bump in power requirements, and the RTX 3070 pulls up to 220 watts by itself. That’s a 19 percent jump from the previous RTX 2070 but still slightly less than the RTX 2080. Nvidia is recommending a 650W power supply for the RTX 3070, compared to the 550W recommendation for the RTX 2070.
1440p testing
I’ve been testing the RTX 3070 on a newly built machine using Intel’s latest Core i9-10900K inside. I previously tested the RTX 3080 on an older Core i7-7700K, so I’ve gone back and tested Nvidia’s flagship on this new system to provide a comparison between the RTX 2080, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080. For 1440p tests, I hooked up the RTX 3070 to a 27-inch Asus ROG Swift PG279Q monitor. This monitor supports refresh rates up to 165Hz plus G-Sync, so it’s a great match for the RTX 3070’s power. I’ve also been testing 4K performance, which you can find below.
Test machine for 1440p and 4K: Processor: Intel Core i9-10900K 3.7GHz 10-Core
CPU Cooler: Corsair H150i PRO RGB
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z490-E GAMING
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB M.2 SSD
Case: Corsair Crystal 570X
PSU: Corsair 850W RMx Series RM850x
Like my RTX 3080 testing, I’ve been playing a variety of AAA games to understand what the RTX 3070 is capable of. I’ve also performed average frame rate testing and used built-in benchmarks across a variety of games, including Fortnite, Control, Death Stranding, Metro Exodus, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. All games were tested at max or ultra settings, and nearly every title exceeded the 100fps average mark at 1440p.
Fortnite came close to hitting my monitor’s max refresh rate with maxed-out settings, averaging 138fps. Call of Duty: Warzone also came close, averaging 130fps. Normally, I’d adjust graphical settings way down to hit these types of frame rates, but the RTX 3070 was able to handle both games with ease. As you can see in the benchmark chart below, you won’t often need an RTX 3080 to max out today’s games with a 1440p monitor.
RTX 3070 review (1440p) Benchmark RTX 2080 Founders Edition RTX 3070 Founders Edition RTX 3080 Founders Edition Microsoft Flight Simulator 35fps 40fps 40fps Shadow of the Tomb Raider 87fps 111fps 132fps Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DLSS) 97fps 118fps 144fps CoD: Warzone 97fps 130fps 133fps CoD: Warzone (RT) 92fps 126fps 132fps Fortnite 102fps 138fps 160fps Fortnite (DLSS quality) 138fps 172fps 212fps Fortnite (DLSS perf) 153fps 215fps 225fps Gears 5 85fps 108fps 120fps CS:GO 212fps 275fps 325fps Death Stranding 114fps 133fps 170fps Death Stranding (DLSS quality) 141fps 166fps 188fps Death Stranding (DLSS perf) 184fps 172fps 193fps Control 78fps 95fps 126fps Control (DLSS quality + RT) 76fps 94fps 125fps Control (RT) 46fps 57fps 78fps Control (DLSS quality) 114fps 140fps 174fps Metro Exodus 35fps 30fps 56fps Metro Exodus (RT) 21fps 19fps 37fps Metro Exodus (DLSS+RT) 42fps 27fps 65fps
For high refresh rate monitors, in particular, Nvidia’s DLSS technology really feels like a magic switch to show off just how far you can push this card. Nvidia’s DLSS technology uses neural networks and AI supercomputers to analyze games and sharpen or clean up images at lower resolutions. DLSS allows a game to render at a lower resolution and use Nvidia’s image reconstruction technique to upscale the image and make it look as good as native 4K or better.
Most games that implement DLSS allow you to pick between performance or quality modes, and in Fortnite, I tested both. I was able to get a 215fps average with the performance DLSS mode enabled, and a 172fps average when I favored quality. It’s difficult to notice the impact on image quality in the performance mode, and the quality mode looks the same if not better. I’m still surprised at how well DLSS works.
Even without DLSS, demanding titles like Control still hit 95fps with maxed-out settings, and Metro Exodus managed to hit 30fps with the highest-level settings enabled. The RTX 3080 felt like a very comfortable option for 1440p and may have more staying power, but the RTX 3070 is so close behind that you could skip it and save $200 at this resolution.
RTX 3070 vs. RTX 3080 vs. RTX 3090.
4K testing
While I’m happy with the 1440p performance of the RTX 3070, its 4K performance isn’t nearly as impressive. I’ve been testing the RTX 3070 with Acer’s 27-inch Nitro XV273K, a 4K monitor that offers up to 144Hz refresh rates, G-Sync, and even HDR support.
It’s more of a 50 / 50 split on how many games hit 60fps or more on the RTX 3070 with maxed-out settings at 4K. Shadow of the Tomb Raider didn’t quite make it, nor does Control, which regularly drops below 30fps during gameplay even without ray tracing.
Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone do well to maintain above a 60fps average, but there’s not enough headroom in most modern games to make this a capable 4K card without compromise. You’ll need to drop visual quality to maintain higher frame rates at 4K, which was the story of the RTX 2080 as well. Only this time, you’ll pay $200 less to get better performance.
DLSS certainly helps here, though. While Control is unplayable at 12fps with ray tracing enabled at 4K, if you use the DLSS quality mode alone the frame rate jumps to a reasonable 83fps. Likewise, I managed to get a 139fps average in Fortnite with the DLSS performance mode enabled.
RTX 3070 review (4K) Benchmark RTX 2080 Founders Edition RTX 3070 Founders Edition RTX 3080 Founders Edition Microsoft Flight Simulator 19fps 23fps 36fps Shadow of the Tomb Raider 45fps 54fps 76fps Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DLSS) 61fps 69fps 93fps CoD: Warzone 62fps 74fps 93fps CoD: Warzone (RT) 58fps 70fps 84fps Fortnite 52fps 73fps 93fps Fortnite (DLSS quality) 79fps 105fps 133fps Fortnite (DLSS perf) 107fps 139fps 162fps Gears 5 46fps 57fps 76fps CS:GO 203fps 210fps 267fps Death Stranding 64fps 72fps 101fps Death Stranding (DLSS quality) 89fps 104fps 135fps Death Stranding (DLSS perf) 120fps 158fps 164fps Control 41fps 48fps 68fps Control (DLSS quality + RT) 49fps 57fps 78fps Control (RT) 13fps 12fps 49fps Control (DLSS quality) 60fps 83fps 112fps Metro Exodus 15fps 16fps 34fps Metro Exodus (RT) 10fps 9fps 19fps Metro Exodus (DLSS+RT) 29fps 37fps 48fps
DLSS alone means the RTX 3070 can stretch to be a 4K, 60fps card in most of today’s games, even if it might not be enough tomorrow. As Metro Exodus and Microsoft Flight Simulator show, there are already games where this brand-new card can’t hit 30fps without lowering graphical fidelity.
Speaking of futureproofing, the RTX 3070 only has 8GB of video memory, lower than the 10GB of memory that was already slightly worrisome on the RTX 3080. 4K games currently average between 4GB and 6GB, and some titles are already demanding that much at 1440p. While 8GB should be enough for 1440p, I would still have liked to have seen at least 10GB on the RTX 3070 and 12GB on the RTX 3080. There’s room for Nvidia to launch additional 3080 and 3070 cards with more memory on board, probably in a future Super branded edition.
I should also note here that I had two back-to-back driver crashes while using the RTX 3070 in Call of Duty: Warzone. The RTX 3080 had some early driver issues with certain games that were later fixed, so this could have simply been some quirks in the review drivers. I haven’t been able to replicate the issues, though.
The RTX 3070 design includes a 12-pin connector. The RTX 3070 measures up against Nvidia’s other GPUs.
Nvidia’s big performance promises for the RTX 3000 Series of cards are holding up. I’m surprised at how small, powerful, and quiet the RTX 3070 is. While the RTX 3080 ushers in a 4K gaming era for those with the budget to really go all out, the RTX 3070 offers a slightly more affordable option for moving from 1080p to 1440p.
The RTX 3070 is the 1440p sweet spot right now. With more games supporting DLSS, and even ray tracing, I think it’s going to be a card that will be great at 1440p for years to come. I wouldn’t recommend an RTX 3070 for 4K gaming, though. If you’re willing to spend extra for 4K, then the RTX 3080 is a far more capable option.
The biggest problem with the RTX 3070 will be similar to the RTX 3080: availability. Nvidia promised that it had “great yields” for the 3080, and it was “making them as fast as we can.” Unfortunately, the launch was messy, with demand massively outstripping supply. I expect the same will happen with the RTX 3070, even with the delay to its launch to build up stocks.
If you’re upgrading from a GTX 1070 or even a GTX 1080, particularly if you’re moving from 1080p to 1440p, the RTX 3070 feels ideal to me. I think this card, and whatever other lower-priced GPUs Nvidia has planned, will help usher in a move toward 1440p for a lot of people wanting to upgrade their PCs.
If you can get your hands on one, the RTX 3070 will make the leap to 1440p just that little bit more affordable.
Photography by Tom Warren / The Verge


theverge--2020-10-27--Introducing Decoder, a new podcast about big ideas and other problems

It ’ s a strange time to launch a new podcast about the future of business and tech in America .
The pandemic has frozen so many things in place but also accelerated so many things about the future .
And politics in the US — where the biggest tech companies are facing renewed antitrust scrutiny — have gone completely haywire ahead of the most consequential election in a generation .
The future is coming , but it seems more uncertain than ever .
So we ’ re launching Decoder with Nilay Patel , a new podcast where I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worlds of tech and business , policymakers from across government , and a few other assorted troublemakers about the problems they ’ re solving , the trade-offs they have to make , and the opportunities they see in the future .
We ’ ll be building on the history Kara Swisher left with Recode Decode and the interviews I ’ ve been doing on The Vergecast .
Decoder is launching on the Recode Decode feed , and the first official episode is scheduled to launch on November 10th .
Decoder is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Verge — a little more expansive in scope and a little more focused on the businesses of the future and how we build them .
Too often , our conversations skip over the essential fact that nothing about tech or business or policy is inevitable .
Every app you use , every button you push , every website you click on and the laws that govern them all — people built them .
People made choices about them .
And every one of those choices could have gone another way .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations about building things in an economy where every company is effectively a tech company and dependent on other big tech companies .
It doesn ’ t matter if you ’ re selling toothbrushes or sports cars or funny videos on YouTube — every modern business is going to run into challenges that we used to think of as tech challenges .
But now , they ’ re just business challenges .
My goal with Decoder is to take those things out of the realm of being nerdy or technical or complicated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are : choices to be made and problems to be solved .
If we can get some of that right , I think there ’ s a whole new generation of entrepreneurs , innovators , and creators out there waiting to build the next great companies .
I ’ m pretty excited to talk to them .
It ’ s happening here — episode 1 of Decoder — on November 10th .

It’s a strange time to launch a new podcast about the future of business and tech in America. The pandemic has frozen so many things in place but also accelerated so many things about the future. And politics in the US — where the biggest tech companies are facing renewed antitrust scrutiny — have gone completely haywire ahead of the most consequential election in a generation. The future is coming, but it seems more uncertain than ever.
So we’re launching Decoder with Nilay Patel, a new podcast where I’m going to interview executives from the worlds of tech and business, policymakers from across government, and a few other assorted troublemakers about the problems they’re solving, the trade-offs they have to make, and the opportunities they see in the future. We’ll be building on the history Kara Swisher left with Recode Decode and the interviews I’ve been doing on The Vergecast. Decoder is launching on the Recode Decode feed, and the first official episode is scheduled to launch on November 10th.
Decoder is going to be a new kind of show from The Verge — a little more expansive in scope and a little more focused on the businesses of the future and how we build them. Too often, our conversations skip over the essential fact that nothing about tech or business or policy is inevitable. Every app you use, every button you push, every website you click on and the laws that govern them all — people built them. People made choices about them. And every one of those choices could have gone another way.
My hope with Decoder is to have serious conversations about building things in an economy where every company is effectively a tech company and dependent on other big tech companies. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling toothbrushes or sports cars or funny videos on YouTube — every modern business is going to run into challenges that we used to think of as tech challenges. But now, they’re just business challenges. My goal with Decoder is to take those things out of the realm of being nerdy or technical or complicated, and talk about them like what they are: choices to be made and problems to be solved.
If we can get some of that right, I think there’s a whole new generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators out there waiting to build the next great companies. I’m pretty excited to talk to them.
It’s happening here — episode 1 of Decoder — on November 10th.


theverge--2020-10-27--The Freewrite Traveler is a retro word processor that’s fatally ahead of its time

Gadget crowdfunding is great for fulfilling niche demands .
Most people , for instance , would never buy a $ 599 Wi-Fi-enabled typewriter .
But in 2016 , a Detroit-based startup called Astrohaus proved that not only could such a thing exist , but it could be a delightful and strangely satisfying device .
Now , Astrohaus is trying to capture the same experience in a smaller and more convenient package — but unfortunately , its hardware can ’ t back that promise up .
Astrohaus is the creator of the Freewrite , a chunky word processor with a modern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an E Ink screen .
Today , the company starts shipping the Freewrite Traveler , a lighter laptop-like alternative .
The Traveler is temporarily discounted to $ 429 , but it will ultimately retail for $ 599 , the same price as the Freewrite .
For that price , you get a 1.6-pound notebook with a single purpose : letting you type words and send them to a Dropbox , Google Drive , Evernote , or dedicated Freewrite cloud storage account .
It ’ s less fun than the Freewrite but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freewrite is a high-tech typewriter , the Traveler is an updated AlphaSmart or Psion Series 5 .
It ’ s just big enough to accommodate its full-sized scissor-switch keyboard and low-power screen , about half the width and weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro — small enough to fit in a moderately sized purse .
The hardware feels light but not fragile , with a black plastic top that ’ s a magnet for fingerprints but closes firmly over the bright white interior .
Its unobtrusive design feels more like a late- ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s actually a welcome change from the delicate glass and metal slabs I ’ m used to carrying .
I got an original Freewrite for Christmas a few years ago .
While it ’ s billed as a distraction-free experience for all kinds of writing , I mostly enjoy using it to write fiction without the temptation of self-editing .
( Full disclosure : I didn ’ t write this review on a Freewrite or a Traveler . )
Most of all , I keep coming back to Astrohaus ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s far from necessary , but it ’ s a clever and well-made splurge for people who are just really , really into words .
The Traveler has two key advantages over the Freewrite : it ’ s easier to carry , and you can use it in public without feeling criminally pretentious .
Otherwise , its writing workflow is pretty similar .
Documents are organized into three folders , so you can swap between three drafts at a time .
If you ’ ve turned on the device ’ s Wi-Fi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloud storage inbox that you can access from an ordinary computer .
You can also hit a “ Send ” key to email your currently active draft to yourself as a rich text file .
It ’ s nearly seamless and infinitely easier than transferring an actual vintage word processor file to a modern computer .
The Traveler adds a couple of new software features — primarily the option to move your cursor around a document , rather than forcing users to either erase mistakes with the backspace key or forge straight ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional typewriter .
It ’ s still inconvenient enough to discourage heavy editing , and you can ’ t copy and paste text , only insert or delete words .
But it ’ s helpful for going back to fix typos or add a thought to an earlier paragraph .
The interface doesn ’ t feel quite as elegantly simple as before .
The cursor is controlled by hitting W , A , S , or D in conjunction with one of the “ New ” keys , which is a slightly strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labeled “ special ” and “ alt ” keys .
( I read the correct combination in the manual and it still feels wrong . )
The original Freewrite used a satisfying physical toggle to swap between folders , but the Traveler uses three tiny buttons that don ’ t indicate which draft is currently active .
The Traveler doesn ’ t have the luxurious heft of the original Freewrite , either .
Its scissor-switch keys feel perfectly fine for a laptop — especially if you ’ re used to Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not as much fun to hit as the Freewrite ’ s Cherry mechanical switches .
Meanwhile , its lightweight design is great for carrying , but it doesn ’ t sit as firmly in your lap .
The overall Traveler experience feels , well , like a ‘ 90s word processor instead of a typewriter .
It ’ s a little more complicated and a little less charming .
But its appeal would still be clear , if not for one thing : the screen .
The Freewrite ’ s E Ink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s lower contrast and has a much slower refresh rate than an LCD panel .
( To get a sense of the delay , imagine typing on a desktop computer with its memory overloaded . )
But it lets the device last for weeks on a single charge , and if you ’ re a proficient touch-typist — basically Astrohaus ’ precise target demographic — you may not need to watch the screen while you ’ re typing anyway .
Even by that standard , though , the Traveler feels especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was built into the original Freewrite screen , and in low light , you ’ re stuck peering at a dim gray-on-gray window .
Meanwhile , the original matte finish has been replaced with a pane of highly reflective plastic , so using it in bright directional light is almost as bad .
Astrohaus says it cut the backlight to keep the screen thin and the price down , which makes sense , since $ 599 is already pushing the upper limits of reasonability .
But the limited screen undercuts the take-anywhere promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets its particular job done , but it often doesn ’ t feel good — and for such an expensive , specialized device , that removes a major part of its appeal .
With a better screen and a permanently lower price , the Freewrite Traveler would be a great little experiment in single-purpose electronics .
As it stands , it ’ s an interesting experiment , but one that Astrohaus just can ’ t pull off with its current technical limitations .
The Freewrite Traveler may have retro appeal , but paradoxically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .

Gadget crowdfunding is great for fulfilling niche demands. Most people, for instance, would never buy a $599 Wi-Fi-enabled typewriter. But in 2016, a Detroit-based startup called Astrohaus proved that not only could such a thing exist, but it could be a delightful and strangely satisfying device. Now, Astrohaus is trying to capture the same experience in a smaller and more convenient package — but unfortunately, its hardware can’t back that promise up.
Astrohaus is the creator of the Freewrite, a chunky word processor with a modern mechanical keyboard, wireless syncing options, and an E Ink screen. Today, the company starts shipping the Freewrite Traveler, a lighter laptop-like alternative. The Traveler is temporarily discounted to $429, but it will ultimately retail for $599, the same price as the Freewrite. For that price, you get a 1.6-pound notebook with a single purpose: letting you type words and send them to a Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, or dedicated Freewrite cloud storage account.
It’s less fun than the Freewrite but a lot easier to carry
If the original Freewrite is a high-tech typewriter, the Traveler is an updated AlphaSmart or Psion Series 5. It’s just big enough to accommodate its full-sized scissor-switch keyboard and low-power screen, about half the width and weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro — small enough to fit in a moderately sized purse.
The hardware feels light but not fragile, with a black plastic top that’s a magnet for fingerprints but closes firmly over the bright white interior. Its unobtrusive design feels more like a late-’00s netbook than a modern laptop, and that’s actually a welcome change from the delicate glass and metal slabs I’m used to carrying.
I got an original Freewrite for Christmas a few years ago. While it’s billed as a distraction-free experience for all kinds of writing, I mostly enjoy using it to write fiction without the temptation of self-editing. (Full disclosure: I didn’t write this review on a Freewrite or a Traveler.) Most of all, I keep coming back to Astrohaus’ solid and unique design. It’s far from necessary, but it’s a clever and well-made splurge for people who are just really, really into words.
The Traveler has two key advantages over the Freewrite: it’s easier to carry, and you can use it in public without feeling criminally pretentious. Otherwise, its writing workflow is pretty similar. Documents are organized into three folders, so you can swap between three drafts at a time. If you’ve turned on the device’s Wi-Fi, it will periodically sync these to a cloud storage inbox that you can access from an ordinary computer. You can also hit a “Send” key to email your currently active draft to yourself as a rich text file. It’s nearly seamless and infinitely easier than transferring an actual vintage word processor file to a modern computer.
Get 2020’s hottest software update: a cursor
The Traveler adds a couple of new software features — primarily the option to move your cursor around a document, rather than forcing users to either erase mistakes with the backspace key or forge straight ahead like they’d do on a traditional typewriter. It’s still inconvenient enough to discourage heavy editing, and you can’t copy and paste text, only insert or delete words. But it’s helpful for going back to fix typos or add a thought to an earlier paragraph.
The interface doesn’t feel quite as elegantly simple as before. The cursor is controlled by hitting W, A, S, or D in conjunction with one of the “New” keys, which is a slightly strange combination when the keyboard includes more intuitively labeled “special” and “alt” keys. (I read the correct combination in the manual and it still feels wrong.) The original Freewrite used a satisfying physical toggle to swap between folders, but the Traveler uses three tiny buttons that don’t indicate which draft is currently active.
The Traveler doesn’t have the luxurious heft of the original Freewrite, either. Its scissor-switch keys feel perfectly fine for a laptop — especially if you’re used to Apple’s shallow butterfly keyboard. But they’re not as much fun to hit as the Freewrite’s Cherry mechanical switches. Meanwhile, its lightweight design is great for carrying, but it doesn’t sit as firmly in your lap.
The overall Traveler experience feels, well, like a ‘90s word processor instead of a typewriter. It’s a little more complicated and a little less charming. But its appeal would still be clear, if not for one thing: the screen.
The Freewrite’s E Ink display has always been a trade-off. It’s lower contrast and has a much slower refresh rate than an LCD panel. (To get a sense of the delay, imagine typing on a desktop computer with its memory overloaded.) But it lets the device last for weeks on a single charge, and if you’re a proficient touch-typist — basically Astrohaus’ precise target demographic — you may not need to watch the screen while you’re typing anyway.
Even by that standard, though, the Traveler feels especially compromised. Astrohaus removed a backlight that was built into the original Freewrite screen, and in low light, you’re stuck peering at a dim gray-on-gray window. Meanwhile, the original matte finish has been replaced with a pane of highly reflective plastic, so using it in bright directional light is almost as bad.
Astrohaus says it cut the backlight to keep the screen thin and the price down, which makes sense, since $599 is already pushing the upper limits of reasonability. But the limited screen undercuts the take-anywhere promise of its new design. The Traveler gets its particular job done, but it often doesn’t feel good — and for such an expensive, specialized device, that removes a major part of its appeal.
With a better screen and a permanently lower price, the Freewrite Traveler would be a great little experiment in single-purpose electronics. As it stands, it’s an interesting experiment, but one that Astrohaus just can’t pull off with its current technical limitations. The Freewrite Traveler may have retro appeal, but paradoxically, it feels fatally ahead of its time.