theverge--2020-08-31--Surviving a police shooting turned a teenager into an activist

On the night of November 11th , 2012 , Leon Ford was pulled over by Pittsburgh police officers in a traffic stop that would forever alter the course of his life .
He was 19 at the time , and the officers had misidentified Ford as a suspect who had a similar name .
Officer David Derbish jumped into the car while the engine was running , and after a struggle that sent Ford ’ s vehicle crashing into a nearby porch , Derbish shot Ford five times .
One of the bullets struck Ford ’ s spine , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captured by one of the police cars ’ dashcams .
Ford was eventually acquitted of aggravated assault charges .
Derbish , now a detective , remains on the police force .
The city of Pittsburgh settled with Ford for $ 5.5 million , six years after he was shot .
Since then , Ford has become an author and a public speaker .
He framed the hoodie he was wearing that night , complete with bullet holes and bloodstains , and took the photos for the cover of his 2017 autobiography Untold at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I survived , ” he tells me , “ and I think it was so I could inspire and educate people.
” Ford says he ’ s seen a shift in the public ’ s attitude toward police shootings and police violence since he was shot .
The pandemic , he says , helped push many long-simmering issues to the boiling point .
“ People are frustrated , they ’ re losing jobs , they ’ re home , on social media all day , watching TV , and they can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Ford ’ s views have changed as well , and he says he ’ s happy to see younger people more politically aware than he used to be .
“ When Jordan Miles got beat up by the police , I didn ’ t get involved , ” he said , referring to a 2010 police brutality incident where three Pittsburgh police officers arrested and beat a Black high school student because they ( incorrectly ) claimed he had a gun .
“ I just wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who the mayor was , who my state rep was.
” These days , Ford says the shift in perspective is easiest to see when he ’ s speaking to teenagers .
Students are asking questions about politics and how they can mobilize .
“ I just tell them the truth as I see it .
These are eighth graders with a strong understanding of political structures , ” he says .
“ And this is a generation that knows they ’ ve been lied to , and they ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not waiting to be appointed leaders , he tells me .
They ’ re already connecting with each other .
Ford says he can ’ t watch smartphone videos of police violence and has mixed feelings about how widely such videos — including one that shows the death of George Floyd — are shared .
“ They are triggers for me , ” he says .
“ I think about how traumatic it is , how his family feels seeing people share it over and over .
But then there are people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , they wouldn ’ t have been outraged.
” These videos have made it a lot harder to turn a blind eye to police brutality , which he thinks is a good thing .
But he wishes that the videos weren ’ t necessary to convince people how serious the problem is .
“ We ’ re seeing dozens of these videos go viral every single year and anybody who thinks logically has to be wondering what is really going on , ” Ford says .
Police departments are militarized in communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They don ’ t make people feel safe — I ’ ve never felt safe , my entire life , not just when I was shot , ” he continues .
“ You ’ ve got to meet people where they are , but so many leaders in so many cities across America are so disconnected from what ’ s going on in their communities.
” That is why Ford says the conversations around defunding police deserve serious consideration .
The city of Pittsburgh ’ s 2020 operating budget was $ 608 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 percent — was devoted to the police department .
In his view , that ’ s not what reduces crime .
He pointed to the use of ShotSpotter technology , which detects the sounds of gunshots .
It ’ s reactive rather than proactive , and it ’ s expensive : in 2018 , Pittsburgh city council signed a three-year contract with ShotSpotter for $ 3.4 million .
Ford doesn ’ t think it ’ s worth it .
“ If you invest that ShotSpotter money into sending young men and women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what will reduce crime , ” he says .
“ People are out there just trying to make it the best they can.
” Last year , Ford decided to run for a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council .
His platform was about seeking bold change in Pittsburgh ’ s political structures , which he said often left many people not feeling like their voices were heard .
“ I decided to run after Antwon Rose was murdered , ” he said , “ and I gave a speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oh Leon Ford for mayor !
’ ” He says he learned a lot very quickly about how politics and political alliances work in Pittsburgh .
“ It ’ s like , I ’ m going to go change all this but I have to go into a system that can swallow you whole .
Some people are built for that , they can navigate that space , but it ’ s something I wasn ’ t willing to do , and it wasn ’ t going to be good for me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the race .
And anyway , the platform he has is already large enough to have an impact on politics without him having to make political sacrifices .
These days , Ford is in therapy for the PTSD he got from his shooting .
He hadn ’ t sought treatment before , partly because of a perceived stigma around mental health issues and partly because it wasn ’ t really presented to him as an option .
He ’ s also now on a “ Heal America ” tour , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examine inequality in America ; he visited George Floyd ’ s memorial in Minneapolis last month .
“ It made me realize : there ’ s so much more I can do , ” he said , adding that he hopes to continue discussions about mental health care and police violence .
“ I ’ ve talked about healing for a long time ; it ’ s one thing to talk about it and another thing to be about it .
”

On the night of November 11th, 2012, Leon Ford was pulled over by Pittsburgh police officers in a traffic stop that would forever alter the course of his life. He was 19 at the time, and the officers had misidentified Ford as a suspect who had a similar name. Officer David Derbish jumped into the car while the engine was running, and after a struggle that sent Ford’s vehicle crashing into a nearby porch, Derbish shot Ford five times. One of the bullets struck Ford’s spine, leaving him paralyzed, and the incident was captured by one of the police cars’ dashcams.
Ford was eventually acquitted of aggravated assault charges. Derbish, now a detective, remains on the police force. The city of Pittsburgh settled with Ford for $5.5 million, six years after he was shot.
Capturing The Police is a Verge -wide editorial project that’s meant to both examine the experience of civilians who document and share police violence and to record the larger political moment we find ourselves in. Read and watch more here .
Since then, Ford has become an author and a public speaker. He framed the hoodie he was wearing that night, complete with bullet holes and bloodstains, and took the photos for the cover of his 2017 autobiography Untold at the site of his shooting. “I survived,” he tells me, “and I think it was so I could inspire and educate people.”
Ford says he’s seen a shift in the public’s attitude toward police shootings and police violence since he was shot. The pandemic, he says, helped push many long-simmering issues to the boiling point. “People are frustrated, they’re losing jobs, they’re home, on social media all day, watching TV, and they can’t ignore what’s been going on,” he said.
Ford’s views have changed as well, and he says he’s happy to see younger people more politically aware than he used to be. “When Jordan Miles got beat up by the police, I didn’t get involved,” he said, referring to a 2010 police brutality incident where three Pittsburgh police officers arrested and beat a Black high school student because they (incorrectly) claimed he had a gun. “I just wasn’t politically engaged, I didn’t know who the mayor was, who my state rep was.”
These days, Ford says the shift in perspective is easiest to see when he’s speaking to teenagers. Students are asking questions about politics and how they can mobilize. “I just tell them the truth as I see it. These are eighth graders with a strong understanding of political structures,” he says. “And this is a generation that knows they’ve been lied to, and they’re not taking it anymore.” They’re not waiting to be appointed leaders, he tells me. They’re already connecting with each other.
Ford says he can’t watch smartphone videos of police violence and has mixed feelings about how widely such videos — including one that shows the death of George Floyd — are shared. “They are triggers for me,” he says. “I think about how traumatic it is, how his family feels seeing people share it over and over. But then there are people who if they didn’t see the video, they wouldn’t have been outraged.”
These videos have made it a lot harder to turn a blind eye to police brutality, which he thinks is a good thing. But he wishes that the videos weren’t necessary to convince people how serious the problem is. “We’re seeing dozens of these videos go viral every single year and anybody who thinks logically has to be wondering what is really going on,” Ford says. Police departments are militarized in communities of color, he continues. “They don’t make people feel safe — I’ve never felt safe, my entire life, not just when I was shot,” he continues. “You’ve got to meet people where they are, but so many leaders in so many cities across America are so disconnected from what’s going on in their communities.”
That is why Ford says the conversations around defunding police deserve serious consideration. The city of Pittsburgh’s 2020 operating budget was $608 million, and $115 million — about 19 percent — was devoted to the police department. In his view, that’s not what reduces crime. He pointed to the use of ShotSpotter technology, which detects the sounds of gunshots. It’s reactive rather than proactive, and it’s expensive: in 2018, Pittsburgh city council signed a three-year contract with ShotSpotter for $3.4 million. Ford doesn’t think it’s worth it.
“If you invest that ShotSpotter money into sending young men and women to trade school, for instance, that’s what will reduce crime,” he says. “People are out there just trying to make it the best they can.”
Last year, Ford decided to run for a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council. His platform was about seeking bold change in Pittsburgh’s political structures, which he said often left many people not feeling like their voices were heard. “I decided to run after Antwon Rose was murdered,” he said, “and I gave a speech and everyone was saying to me ‘oh Leon Ford for mayor!’”
He says he learned a lot very quickly about how politics and political alliances work in Pittsburgh. “It’s like, I’m going to go change all this but I have to go into a system that can swallow you whole. Some people are built for that, they can navigate that space, but it’s something I wasn’t willing to do, and it wasn’t going to be good for me,” he says. He eventually dropped out of the race. And anyway, the platform he has is already large enough to have an impact on politics without him having to make political sacrifices.
These days, Ford is in therapy for the PTSD he got from his shooting. He hadn’t sought treatment before, partly because of a perceived stigma around mental health issues and partly because it wasn’t really presented to him as an option. He’s also now on a “Heal America” tour, which is a series of public events that examine inequality in America; he visited George Floyd’s memorial in Minneapolis last month. “It made me realize: there’s so much more I can do,” he said, adding that he hopes to continue discussions about mental health care and police violence. “I’ve talked about healing for a long time; it’s one thing to talk about it and another thing to be about it.”


theverge--2020-08-31--How videos of police brutality can traumatize kids and teenagers

The volume of video footage taken at protests against police brutality over the past few months means images of cops attacking civilians are never far away .
While the videos offer consistent , overwhelming evidence of the brutality the protestors are fighting against , they ’ re also extremely difficult to watch .
As it happens , they can cause real damage to the mental health of viewers : repeatedly seeing images of violence can cause trauma , research shows , and that hurt can linger .
For Black and Latinx adolescents , for example , exposure to videos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression and post-traumatic stress disorder , a study found .
“ We need these videos .
These videos are going to change the world , ” says Brendesha Tynes , who ’ s the director of the Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and the lead researcher on the study .
But they hurt .
“ It ’ s this difficult balance of needing the videos , but also protecting your own mental health.
” Tynes talked to The Verge about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause kids and teenagers , and her search for ways to protect them .
This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
Why did you decide to pursue this research ?
At the center I direct , the mission is to center the lives of people of color — their history , their culture , their development .
We decided to do this study because , anecdotally , I ’ d talk with my friends about how hard it is to see these videos .
And if I , the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was having trouble coping , then of course kids were having these challenges .
What did you find , and were you surprised by the results ?
We were able to use a nationally representative sample of 11 to 19 year old Black and Latinx participants .
We were able to show that viewing viral videos of police killings , beatings , and arrests — and seeing images of immigrants in cages — was associated with symptoms of depression and PTSD .
We kept seeing the same things , even with older groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old .
I sort of expected to see the associations , just because I talked to people and consistently heard that people were having trouble processing these videos .
It wasn ’ t surprising to see that , but it was heartbreaking to know for sure that what we suspected to be true was actually happening .
Why is it important to understand how these videos impact kids and teenagers , specifically ?
Understanding how these videos affect adolescents and teenagers is really important .
That second decade of life is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are , on a number of different dimensions , in terms of their occupation , their religious identity , and who they want to become .
They ’ re asking those questions , and they have more of an ability to think more abstractly and in more complex ways about their identity .
The material that they ’ re exposed to , the people , the teachers , their peers — all of that is significant as they start to try and answer that question .
These sorts of videos , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these kids feel worse about their racial identity , and make them internalize some of that dehumanization .
Are there ways to limit the harm these videos can do to kids in this age group ?
Having a positive racial identity can be a buffer against the harmful effects of these videos .
We want kids to have a full and complete understanding of the contribution that Black people made to this country , and to know that the myths that question Black people ’ s intelligence are wrong , and so on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist messages .
And when people have that information , and feel like they have a sense of control over what ’ s happening — even if it ’ s just by educating their friends on Instagram — they can fight back .
I ’ m working on research about that now .
For about a year , I ’ ve been working on an app that will help kids build that kind of toolkit .
We ’ re hoping to show that being armed with this toolkit will protect them from some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These videos are always hard to watch .
What are the signs that something more serious could be going on , emotionally , while you ’ re watching them , and what can people do about it ?
If you or your children have feel constantly reminded of the videos , even when you ’ re not watching them , or a hyper-arousal , where you feel like you have to be on guard , that ’ s a concern .
Or if you ’ re feeling nervousness , anxiousness , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having these feelings consistently , for longer than a month .
Watch your feelings .
Notice if you have crying spells , or if you ’ re feeling lonely , or hopeless about the future .
Watch how you feel over time .
If you feel overwhelmed , be sure to talk to your parents , or talk with people in your community , and share your feelings .
There ’ s a stigma for some communities around seeking mental health services , but we ’ re at a point where we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The volume of video footage taken at protests against police brutality over the past few months means images of cops attacking civilians are never far away. While the videos offer consistent, overwhelming evidence of the brutality the protestors are fighting against, they’re also extremely difficult to watch. As it happens, they can cause real damage to the mental health of viewers: repeatedly seeing images of violence can cause trauma, research shows, and that hurt can linger.
For Black and Latinx adolescents, for example, exposure to videos of police killings is linked with symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, a study found.
Capturing The Police is a Verge -wide editorial project that’s meant to both examine the experience of civilians who document and share police violence and to record the larger political moment we find ourselves in. Read and watch more here .
“We need these videos. These videos are going to change the world,” says Brendesha Tynes, who’s the director of the Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and the lead researcher on the study. But they hurt. “It’s this difficult balance of needing the videos, but also protecting your own mental health.”
Tynes talked to The Verge about her research on the trauma these videos cause kids and teenagers, and her search for ways to protect them. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you decide to pursue this research?
At the center I direct, the mission is to center the lives of people of color — their history, their culture, their development. We decided to do this study because, anecdotally, I’d talk with my friends about how hard it is to see these videos. And if I, the director of a whole center on this, was having trouble coping, then of course kids were having these challenges.
What did you find, and were you surprised by the results?
We were able to use a nationally representative sample of 11 to 19 year old Black and Latinx participants. We were able to show that viewing viral videos of police killings, beatings, and arrests — and seeing images of immigrants in cages — was associated with symptoms of depression and PTSD. We kept seeing the same things, even with older groups, up through people who were 24 years old.
I sort of expected to see the associations, just because I talked to people and consistently heard that people were having trouble processing these videos. It wasn’t surprising to see that, but it was heartbreaking to know for sure that what we suspected to be true was actually happening.
Why is it important to understand how these videos impact kids and teenagers, specifically?
Understanding how these videos affect adolescents and teenagers is really important. That second decade of life is really when people start to question who they are, on a number of different dimensions, in terms of their occupation, their religious identity, and who they want to become. They’re asking those questions, and they have more of an ability to think more abstractly and in more complex ways about their identity. The material that they’re exposed to, the people, the teachers, their peers — all of that is significant as they start to try and answer that question.
These sorts of videos, and the trauma they can cause, can make these kids feel worse about their racial identity, and make them internalize some of that dehumanization.
Are there ways to limit the harm these videos can do to kids in this age group?
Having a positive racial identity can be a buffer against the harmful effects of these videos. We want kids to have a full and complete understanding of the contribution that Black people made to this country, and to know that the myths that question Black people’s intelligence are wrong, and so on. That can counter some of these racist messages. And when people have that information, and feel like they have a sense of control over what’s happening — even if it’s just by educating their friends on Instagram — they can fight back.
I’m working on research about that now. For about a year, I’ve been working on an app that will help kids build that kind of toolkit. We’re hoping to show that being armed with this toolkit will protect them from some of the harm these videos can do.
These videos are always hard to watch. What are the signs that something more serious could be going on, emotionally, while you’re watching them, and what can people do about it?
If you or your children have feel constantly reminded of the videos, even when you’re not watching them, or a hyper-arousal, where you feel like you have to be on guard, that’s a concern. Or if you’re feeling nervousness, anxiousness, or emotional numbness, and you’re having these feelings consistently, for longer than a month.
Watch your feelings. Notice if you have crying spells, or if you’re feeling lonely, or hopeless about the future. Watch how you feel over time. If you feel overwhelmed, be sure to talk to your parents, or talk with people in your community, and share your feelings. There’s a stigma for some communities around seeking mental health services, but we’re at a point where we can’t afford to have the stigma.


theverge--2020-08-31--Police body cameras don’t tell the whole story. This experiment shows it.

When police become involved in violence or brutality , they ’ re watched and recorded more than ever before .
Dashboard footage , body-worn cameras , and bystander-filmed cellphone clips can all offer glimpses into what happens when police get violent .
But according to some recent research , each video ’ s perspective can influence our understanding of these encounters in subtle but important ways .
Different angles can tweak the narrative we as viewers build in our heads , not just about who ’ s doing what , but why they ’ re doing it .
Watching a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versus , say , a news camera clip can lead viewers to very different conclusions about whether the police meant to cause harm .
In some cases , research shows that just seeing an officer ’ s arm or a hand appear in a body camera clip is enough to change viewers ’ conclusions about that officer ’ s intent .
To explore these effects , The Verge provided clips from a recent incident of police violence to Broderick Turner , a researcher at Virginia Tech who authored a study on body cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the study using the clips , and we mapped out the results in the video above .
Check it out to see the full story .
And for a broader look at the ways video footage can manipulate our assessment of police violence , read this piece by our colleague Nicole Wetsman .

When police become involved in violence or brutality, they’re watched and recorded more than ever before. Dashboard footage, body-worn cameras, and bystander-filmed cellphone clips can all offer glimpses into what happens when police get violent. But according to some recent research, each video’s perspective can influence our understanding of these encounters in subtle but important ways.
Capturing The Police is a Verge-wide editorial project that’s meant to both examine the experience of civilians who document and share police violence and to record the larger political moment we find ourselves in. Read and watch more here .
Different angles can tweak the narrative we as viewers build in our heads, not just about who’s doing what, but why they’re doing it. Watching a police body cam clip of an incident versus, say, a news camera clip can lead viewers to very different conclusions about whether the police meant to cause harm. In some cases, research shows that just seeing an officer’s arm or a hand appear in a body camera clip is enough to change viewers’ conclusions about that officer’s intent.
To explore these effects, The Verge provided clips from a recent incident of police violence to Broderick Turner, a researcher at Virginia Tech who authored a study on body cameras and intent. He ran a version of the study using the clips, and we mapped out the results in the video above. Check it out to see the full story. And for a broader look at the ways video footage can manipulate our assessment of police violence, read this piece by our colleague Nicole Wetsman.


theverge--2020-08-31--How the police’s grasp on bureaucracy makes their budget so hard to cut

Like many in Minneapolis , City Council member Steve Fletcher watched the video of George Floyd ’ s death with a feeling of imminent dread .
Floyd ’ s death in late May was “ shocking and indefensible , ” says Fletcher , who represents areas of downtown , the North Loop , and Northeast Minneapolis , and the video “ shook a lot of people out of some complacency.
” In the week that followed , Fletcher says his television and social feeds were bombarded with images of pain , anger , destruction , and violence .
One day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death , he watched as a fuel truck sped dangerously through a crowd of protesters who were marching on a freeway and then realized in horror that what he was seeing on TV was actually happening right outside his apartment .
“ When you ’ re watching it on TV , it almost looks surreal , ” Fletcher says .
“ You know it might as well be in another city or something , but it ’ s right outside your door.
” This is how public policy is made in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crowd of protesters , and the resulting video spreads like wildfire through a variety of social feeds and platforms before it hits the mainstream — which is generally where elected officials see it .
Ideas like defunding or abolishing the police have spread similarly : when the public outcry grew loud enough , the concepts eventually made their way into the ears of local politicians .
Since late May , tens of millions of people have poured onto the streets in cities across the country to demonstrate against systemic racism , white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve been met with the very kind of violence they ’ re protesting .
The vast majority of demonstrators are ordinary citizens , people who are tired of standing idly by while police officers injure or kill unarmed Black people .
But some , like Fletcher , are local elected officials who have the power to respond with policy solutions to the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement .
They ’ d watched the footage of a white police officer squeezing the life out of Floyd and subsequent videos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , or running them over with their cars .
And seeing that has made them want to do something about it .
Some voted to defund or overhaul their police departments , while others repealed laws that shielded police from public scrutiny .
But most of their efforts fell short of the protesters ’ demands , who are still marching in support of big , structural changes to policing itself .
In a country like this , structural change tends to take time — along with local willpower and national persistence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had an insider ’ s view of the Minneapolis Police Department and the equipment that it regularly uses , which includes body armor , riot gear , tear gas , and pepper spray .
He ’ s been on ride-alongs with police officers and sat in on training sessions when officers learn how to use tear gas against mass demonstrations .
But seeing those weapons used against his own constituents helped convince him that the Minneapolis Police Department was beyond reforming .
“ There was a lot of evidence that many of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle between the police and the people of our city , ” Fletcher says .
“ And that footage was a gut punch to anybody who would imagine that we could reform the department.
” “ that footage was a gut punch to anybody who would imagine that we could reform the department ” Fletcher and his fellow council members set the tone for the rest of the summer when they voted in June to disband the city ’ s police department and replace it with a department of community safety and violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for public safety through a public health approach .
The vote won national attention and served as a marker for other cities of what might be possible .
“ What would it look like to really rise to the occasion and do something really transformative , ” Fletcher says of the vote .
“ But at the same time , that work is so hard.
” They found just how hard in August when the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted against the council ’ s plan to put the question of disbanding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s unclear if the plan would have passed anyway : a recent poll of 800 city residents found that a plurality — 44 percent — say they don ’ t want the department cut or defunded .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey , who ’ s up for reelection next year , hasn ’ t warmed to the idea .
( Through a spokesperson , Frey declined to be interviewed . )
Fletcher says he understands more work will be needed to follow through on the initiative to overhaul Minneapolis ’ police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heartened that other cities , like Austin , Texas , have gone even further than Minneapolis has by slashing their departments ’ budgets .
This month , Austin ’ s City Council voted unanimously to cut its police department budget by $ 150 million , a full third , which The Texas Tribune described as one of the largest percentage decreases in the nation .
“ It has been almost considered like politically touching the third rail to reduce the police budget by one dollar in the past , ” Fletcher says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table in budget negotiations everywhere in the country is evidence of a real transformation.
” Other electeds took their experiences with police brutality during the protests into their respective chambers and used them to make an argument for systemic change .
New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie , a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn , was marching with demonstrators in his home borough in June when he was pepper-sprayed by police .
Myrie says the experience helped reinforce the notion that “ qualifications ” and “ accomplishments ” as a Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter in the face of police discrimination and brutality .
“ In that moment , I was just another peaceful protester who was met , like so many others , with out-of-control force , ” Myrie says .
And it goes beyond his elected office , too , which is clear when he tells me his perspective on policing has been “ shaped by a lifetime living as a Black man in New York City.
” He attended elementary school in Crown Heights during the riots of 1991 and saw how a heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Black people .
The killing of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Ahmaud Arbery , and others are just the latest in a brutal , unending cycle .
It ’ s left a mark .
“ The images and videos that go viral after an incident are upsetting and triggering for me , and so many others , ” Myrie says .
“ But they serve a purpose — they shock the conscience and hopefully inspire others to action.
” In the state legislature , Myrie helped pass the repeal of 50a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s civil rights code that prohibits access to a police officer ’ s misconduct and disciplinary records .
On June 12th , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the repeal into law .
New York City Council member Brad Lander , who represents Park Slope in Brooklyn , witnessed police beating and arresting protesters marching through the city in early June .
Along with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams , Lander was filmed pleading with police to let protesters continue marching despite a citywide curfew .
“ It was clear something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ and it really felt important to show up.
” “ I feel like the reforms that we have won have not made meaningful progress ” Lander says he has been working on “ incremental police reform ” in the council for over a decade .
But the protests and the violent police reaction have convinced him that a more radical approach is necessary .
“ This period of time has shined a spotlight on the fact that our incremental reforms have not been meaningful , ” Lander says .
“ Sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress — let ’ s keep going !
And I don ’ t feel like that here .
I feel like the reforms that we have won have not made meaningful progress , especially on the central issues of accountability.
” In July , the New York City Council voted on a budget that claimed to “ cut ” $ 1 billion from the police department .
The vote was hailed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as “ real reform , ” but Lander says it really only eliminated around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s $ 6 billion total operating budget .
He voted against it .
“ Not only did we not meaningfully cut the NYPD , we protected the NYPD , ” Lander says .
“ We had to cut other things more than 7 percent… so that we could hold the NYPD harmless and only cut it about 1 percent .
So that ’ s the opposite of a reckoning.
” Lander says he ’ s optimistic that next year ’ s mayoral election will help kick off more meaningful change : New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term-limited , is not the person who will oversee a fundamental overhaul of policing in New York City , he says .
( A spokesperson for de Blasio did not respond to repeated requests for comment . )
The protests against policing have slowed down in recent weeks , though a recent uptick of federal officers in cities like Portland and Chicago has shifted the focus from police reform to authoritarianism and abuse by President Trump .
But the debate over police funding is still raging in cities across the country as elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve in communities and how governments should allocate funds for police services — especially those tasks that are not directly related to law enforcement , like helping people who are homeless or mentally ill .
It will be a steep and treacherous climb for those elected officials intent on taking money and power away from police departments .
A national poll on the Black Lives Matter movement found there was more opposition than support for efforts to “ defund the police.
” Jonathan Williams , an applied data scientist lead for Civis Analytics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposals “ may be due to the relative newness of these ideas to many Americans — just as how body cameras were more controversial ten years ago but have been rapidly adopted by police forces since then.
” Local officials are not in this fight alone .
There has also been some movement on the national stage to reform police departments .
In June , House Democrats introduced a bill to overhaul policing in the country by doing away with “ qualified immunity ” for officers , making them personally responsible for constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also ban no-knock warrants and alter the federal standards for prosecuting criminal police behavior , among other measures .
The bill passed the House later that month , but so far , Republicans in the Senate have refused to take it up for political reasons .
Rep. Karen Bass , a Democrat from California and lead sponsor on the bill , has vowed to keep fighting for its passage .
“ This is something I ’ ve worked on for over four decades .
I ’ m not hardly going to stop now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Especially when we have this moment where transformative change is possible .
But we have to push , we have to keep pushing , and I ’ m ready to do that.
” It ’ s far more likely , however , that this will be a fight waged at the local level — a war fought in city council chambers , budget offices , and other modest rooms , led by city officials who feel emboldened by the emergence of the largest protest movement in American history .
Those fights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects can be more important than the bigger ones .
In June , Prince George ’ s County in Maryland redirected $ 20 million from a police training center to a mental health center ; Baltimore ’ s city council approved a $ 22 million cut to its police department .
“ Discriminatory policing is part of a 400-year-long tradition of systemic racism in this country ” Lander , the New York City council member , says he hopes the debate can eventually shift from budget negotiations to elections , where voters can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other officials who can continue to carry the torch for police reform .
“ Discriminatory policing is part of a 400-year-long tradition of systemic racism in this country , ” says Lander .
“ Making progress to change it is not going to happen in one budget cycle.
” Even if some wish it could .

Like many in Minneapolis, City Council member Steve Fletcher watched the video of George Floyd’s death with a feeling of imminent dread. Floyd’s death in late May was “shocking and indefensible,” says Fletcher, who represents areas of downtown, the North Loop, and Northeast Minneapolis, and the video “shook a lot of people out of some complacency.”
In the week that followed, Fletcher says his television and social feeds were bombarded with images of pain, anger, destruction, and violence. One day, just six days after Floyd’s death, he watched as a fuel truck sped dangerously through a crowd of protesters who were marching on a freeway and then realized in horror that what he was seeing on TV was actually happening right outside his apartment. “When you’re watching it on TV, it almost looks surreal,” Fletcher says. “You know it might as well be in another city or something, but it’s right outside your door.”
Capturing The Police is a Verge -wide editorial project that’s meant to both examine the experience of civilians who document and share police violence and to record the larger political moment we find ourselves in. Read and watch more here .
This is how public policy is made in the year 2020. A truck careens through a crowd of protesters, and the resulting video spreads like wildfire through a variety of social feeds and platforms before it hits the mainstream — which is generally where elected officials see it. Ideas like defunding or abolishing the police have spread similarly: when the public outcry grew loud enough, the concepts eventually made their way into the ears of local politicians.
Since late May, tens of millions of people have poured onto the streets in cities across the country to demonstrate against systemic racism, white supremacy, and police brutality. Often they’ve been met with the very kind of violence they’re protesting.
The vast majority of demonstrators are ordinary citizens, people who are tired of standing idly by while police officers injure or kill unarmed Black people. But some, like Fletcher, are local elected officials who have the power to respond with policy solutions to the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement. They’d watched the footage of a white police officer squeezing the life out of Floyd and subsequent videos of police beating protesters with nightsticks, tear-gassing them, or running them over with their cars. And seeing that has made them want to do something about it.
Some voted to defund or overhaul their police departments, while others repealed laws that shielded police from public scrutiny. But most of their efforts fell short of the protesters’ demands, who are still marching in support of big, structural changes to policing itself. In a country like this, structural change tends to take time — along with local willpower and national persistence.
As an elected official, Fletcher has had an insider’s view of the Minneapolis Police Department and the equipment that it regularly uses, which includes body armor, riot gear, tear gas, and pepper spray. He’s been on ride-alongs with police officers and sat in on training sessions when officers learn how to use tear gas against mass demonstrations. But seeing those weapons used against his own constituents helped convince him that the Minneapolis Police Department was beyond reforming. “There was a lot of evidence that many of our officers viewed themselves as being in a battle between the police and the people of our city,” Fletcher says. “And that footage was a gut punch to anybody who would imagine that we could reform the department.”
“that footage was a gut punch to anybody who would imagine that we could reform the department”
Fletcher and his fellow council members set the tone for the rest of the summer when they voted in June to disband the city’s police department and replace it with a department of community safety and violence prevention, an organization that would be responsible for public safety through a public health approach. The vote won national attention and served as a marker for other cities of what might be possible. “What would it look like to really rise to the occasion and do something really transformative,” Fletcher says of the vote. “But at the same time, that work is so hard.”
They found just how hard in August when the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted against the council’s plan to put the question of disbanding the police department on the November ballot. It’s unclear if the plan would have passed anyway: a recent poll of 800 city residents found that a plurality — 44 percent — say they don’t want the department cut or defunded. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who’s up for reelection next year, hasn’t warmed to the idea. (Through a spokesperson, Frey declined to be interviewed.)
Fletcher says he understands more work will be needed to follow through on the initiative to overhaul Minneapolis’ police department, and he says he feels heartened that other cities, like Austin, Texas, have gone even further than Minneapolis has by slashing their departments’ budgets. This month, Austin’s City Council voted unanimously to cut its police department budget by $150 million, a full third, which The Texas Tribune described as one of the largest percentage decreases in the nation.
“It has been almost considered like politically touching the third rail to reduce the police budget by one dollar in the past,” Fletcher says. “Seeing the police line items on the table in budget negotiations everywhere in the country is evidence of a real transformation.”
Other electeds took their experiences with police brutality during the protests into their respective chambers and used them to make an argument for systemic change. New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn, was marching with demonstrators in his home borough in June when he was pepper-sprayed by police.
Myrie says the experience helped reinforce the notion that “qualifications” and “accomplishments” as a Black person in America don’t really matter in the face of police discrimination and brutality. “In that moment, I was just another peaceful protester who was met, like so many others, with out-of-control force,” Myrie says. And it goes beyond his elected office, too, which is clear when he tells me his perspective on policing has been “shaped by a lifetime living as a Black man in New York City.” He attended elementary school in Crown Heights during the riots of 1991 and saw how a heavy police presence often translated into fatal encounters with Black people. The killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others are just the latest in a brutal, unending cycle.
It’s left a mark. “The images and videos that go viral after an incident are upsetting and triggering for me, and so many others,” Myrie says. “But they serve a purpose — they shock the conscience and hopefully inspire others to action.”
In the state legislature, Myrie helped pass the repeal of 50a, a section of New York’s civil rights code that prohibits access to a police officer’s misconduct and disciplinary records. On June 12th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the repeal into law.
New York City Council member Brad Lander, who represents Park Slope in Brooklyn, witnessed police beating and arresting protesters marching through the city in early June. Along with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Lander was filmed pleading with police to let protesters continue marching despite a citywide curfew.
“It was clear something powerful was brewing,” he says, “and it really felt important to show up.”
“I feel like the reforms that we have won have not made meaningful progress”
Lander says he has been working on “incremental police reform” in the council for over a decade. But the protests and the violent police reaction have convinced him that a more radical approach is necessary. “This period of time has shined a spotlight on the fact that our incremental reforms have not been meaningful,” Lander says. “Sometimes you feel like we made 25 percent progress — let’s keep going! And I don’t feel like that here. I feel like the reforms that we have won have not made meaningful progress, especially on the central issues of accountability.”
In July, the New York City Council voted on a budget that claimed to “cut” $1 billion from the police department. The vote was hailed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as “real reform,” but Lander says it really only eliminated around $81 million from the NYPD’s $6 billion total operating budget. He voted against it.
“Not only did we not meaningfully cut the NYPD, we protected the NYPD,” Lander says. “We had to cut other things more than 7 percent… so that we could hold the NYPD harmless and only cut it about 1 percent. So that’s the opposite of a reckoning.”
Lander says he’s optimistic that next year’s mayoral election will help kick off more meaningful change: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is term-limited, is not the person who will oversee a fundamental overhaul of policing in New York City, he says. (A spokesperson for de Blasio did not respond to repeated requests for comment.)
The protests against policing have slowed down in recent weeks, though a recent uptick of federal officers in cities like Portland and Chicago has shifted the focus from police reform to authoritarianism and abuse by President Trump. But the debate over police funding is still raging in cities across the country as elected officials rethink the role that police departments serve in communities and how governments should allocate funds for police services — especially those tasks that are not directly related to law enforcement, like helping people who are homeless or mentally ill.
It will be a steep and treacherous climb for those elected officials intent on taking money and power away from police departments. A national poll on the Black Lives Matter movement found there was more opposition than support for efforts to “defund the police.” Jonathan Williams, an applied data scientist lead for Civis Analytics, says the lower popularity of these proposals “may be due to the relative newness of these ideas to many Americans — just as how body cameras were more controversial ten years ago but have been rapidly adopted by police forces since then.”
Local officials are not in this fight alone. There has also been some movement on the national stage to reform police departments. In June, House Democrats introduced a bill to overhaul policing in the country by doing away with “qualified immunity” for officers, making them personally responsible for constitutional violations like excessive force. It would also ban no-knock warrants and alter the federal standards for prosecuting criminal police behavior, among other measures.
The bill passed the House later that month, but so far, Republicans in the Senate have refused to take it up for political reasons. Rep. Karen Bass, a Democrat from California and lead sponsor on the bill, has vowed to keep fighting for its passage. “This is something I’ve worked on for over four decades. I’m not hardly going to stop now,” Bass told Politico in June. “Especially when we have this moment where transformative change is possible. But we have to push, we have to keep pushing, and I’m ready to do that.”
It’s far more likely, however, that this will be a fight waged at the local level — a war fought in city council chambers, budget offices, and other modest rooms, led by city officials who feel emboldened by the emergence of the largest protest movement in American history.
Those fights rarely make national headlines, but their effects can be more important than the bigger ones. In June, Prince George’s County in Maryland redirected $20 million from a police training center to a mental health center; Baltimore’s city council approved a $22 million cut to its police department.
“Discriminatory policing is part of a 400-year-long tradition of systemic racism in this country”
Lander, the New York City council member, says he hopes the debate can eventually shift from budget negotiations to elections, where voters can decide whether they want to elect mayors and other officials who can continue to carry the torch for police reform.
“Discriminatory policing is part of a 400-year-long tradition of systemic racism in this country,” says Lander. “Making progress to change it is not going to happen in one budget cycle.” Even if some wish it could.


theverge--2020-08-31--Facebook may block news from being shared on its platforms in Australia

Facebook plans to block the sharing of local and international news stories on its platforms if legislation requiring tech platforms to pay publishers for content becomes law , the company said in a blog post Monday .
“ Australia is drafting a new regulation that misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect , ” Will Easton , managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand wrote in the blog post , arguing that the commission overseeing the process “ ignored important facts , ” including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Assuming this draft code becomes law , we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram.
” Easton continued .
“ This is not our first choice — it is our last .
But it is the only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic and will hurt , not help , the long-term vibrancy of Australia ’ s news and media sector.
” The country ’ s proposed News Media Bargaining Code law , which is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2019 inquiry that found tech giants like Facebook and Google take too large a share of online advertising revenue from media organizations in Australia .
The Treasurer of Australia ordered the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to develop a voluntary code of conduct which would force the platforms to pay media companies .
The ACCC told the government it seemed “ unlikely ” that a voluntary agreement could be reached , however .
News is “ not a significant source of revenue ” for Facebook , the company says Under the proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide publishers with advance notice of changes to their algorithms , with penalties for failing to comply .
Both companies have pushed back strongly against this provision .
with Facebook saying it would give news organizations in Australia an unfair competitive advantage .
Easton wrote in his post that news represents a fraction of what Facebook users see in their news feeds , and is “ not a significant source of revenue ” for the company .
In addition to investing “ millions of dollars ” in Australian news businesses , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of 2020 we sent 2.3 billion clicks from Facebook ’ s News Feed back to Australian news websites at no charge — additional traffic worth an estimated $ 200 million AUD to Australian publishers.
” Earlier this month , Google published an open letter about the proposed law , and added a pop-up to its homepage in Australia warning “ the way Aussies use Google is at risk ” and that the regulation could hurt their search experience .
The law , Google argued , “ is set up to give big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to make enormous and unreasonable demands that would put our free services at risk.
” The ACCC pushed back , saying Google ’ s letter contains “ misinformation , ” and added that “ a healthy news media sector is essential to a well-functioning democracy.
” Media companies in Australia have largely supported the proposed changes .
Australia ’ s newspapers and media outlets , like their counterparts in other countries , have been hard-hit by the economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic , The Guardian has reported .
Large Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay cuts in recent months , and several newspapers were forced to halt production because of a sharp decline in advertising revenue .

Facebook plans to block the sharing of local and international news stories on its platforms if legislation requiring tech platforms to pay publishers for content becomes law, the company said in a blog post Monday.
“Australia is drafting a new regulation that misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect,” Will Easton, managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand wrote in the blog post, arguing that the commission overseeing the process “ignored important facts,” including the relationship between social media and news media.
“Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram.” Easton continued. “This is not our first choice — it is our last. But it is the only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic and will hurt, not help, the long-term vibrancy of Australia’s news and media sector.”
The country’s proposed News Media Bargaining Code law, which is in draft form at present, stemmed from a 2019 inquiry that found tech giants like Facebook and Google take too large a share of online advertising revenue from media organizations in Australia. The Treasurer of Australia ordered the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to develop a voluntary code of conduct which would force the platforms to pay media companies. The ACCC told the government it seemed “unlikely” that a voluntary agreement could be reached, however.
News is “not a significant source of revenue” for Facebook, the company says
Under the proposed legislation, Google and Facebook would have to provide publishers with advance notice of changes to their algorithms, with penalties for failing to comply. Both companies have pushed back strongly against this provision. with Facebook saying it would give news organizations in Australia an unfair competitive advantage.
Easton wrote in his post that news represents a fraction of what Facebook users see in their news feeds, and is “not a significant source of revenue” for the company. In addition to investing “millions of dollars” in Australian news businesses, he added, “over the first five months of 2020 we sent 2.3 billion clicks from Facebook’s News Feed back to Australian news websites at no charge — additional traffic worth an estimated $200 million AUD to Australian publishers.”
Earlier this month, Google published an open letter about the proposed law, and added a pop-up to its homepage in Australia warning “the way Aussies use Google is at risk” and that the regulation could hurt their search experience. The law, Google argued, “is set up to give big media companies special treatment and to encourage them to make enormous and unreasonable demands that would put our free services at risk.”
The ACCC pushed back, saying Google’s letter contains “misinformation,” and added that “a healthy news media sector is essential to a well-functioning democracy.”


theverge--2020-08-31--Google’s Android TV dongle could cost just $50, according to this leak

Google ’ s Chromecast is a fantastic way to fling streaming video from phone to TV — but these days , you can often get a Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire Stick with a dedicated remote control for the same money .
But what if Google launched an Android TV dongle with its own remote control for the same $ 50 you ’ d pay for a high-end Roku or Fire stick ?
That ’ s exactly what 9to5Google seems to have discovered , thanks to a new Home Depot leak .
The home improvement story briefly listed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 9to5Google ’ s sources were able to provide pictures of that price tag in the Home Depot ’ s internal systems as well .
Sabrina , of course , would be that Android TV dongle that leaked in June , only to seemingly appear again at the FCC just last week , ahead of a rumored “ summer ” launch alongside the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G .
Mind you , summer is now “ fall ” since Google already said that ’ s when the phones will actually come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 percent sure that Sabrina will ever truly arrive , of course , and this price could be a placeholder , but personally I ’ d be surprised if we go another month without the formal announcement .

Google’s Chromecast is a fantastic way to fling streaming video from phone to TV — but these days, you can often get a Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire Stick with a dedicated remote control for the same money. But what if Google launched an Android TV dongle with its own remote control for the same $50 you’d pay for a high-end Roku or Fire stick?


theverge--2020-08-31--Apple accidentally approved malware disguised as Flash, new report finds

Apple accidentally approved common malware disguised as an update for Adobe Flash Player to run on macOS , according to a new report .
According to security researcher Patrick Wardle , Apple approved an app that contained code used by a well-known malware called Shlayer .
Shlayer is a trojan downloader that spreads through fake applications , bombarding users with an influx of adware .
Shlayer is the “ most common threat ” to Macs , cybersecurity and anti-virus firm Kaspersky said in 2019 .
Wardle says this is the first time he knows of that Apple mistakenly notarized malware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
Apple announced the macOS notarizing process in 2019 , requiring every app to be reviewed by Apple and signed by a developer before it can run on macOS , even if they ’ re being distributed outside the Mac App Store .
After discovering the malware , Wardle contacted Apple and the company disabled the developer account associated with the app and revoked its certification .
The attackers reportedly managed to notarize the malware again , but Apple told TechCrunch that both the old and new malware had their notarization revoked @

Apple accidentally approved common malware disguised as an update for Adobe Flash Player to run on macOS, according to a new report.
According to security researcher Patrick Wardle, Apple approved an app that contained code used by a well-known malware called Shlayer. Shlayer is a trojan downloader that spreads through fake applications, bombarding users with an influx of adware. Shlayer is the “most common threat” to Macs, cybersecurity and anti-virus firm Kaspersky said in 2019.
Apple announced the macOS notarizing process in 2019
Wardle says this is the first time he knows of that Apple mistakenly notarized malware following the debut of its new notarization process. Apple announced the macOS notarizing process in 2019, requiring every app to be reviewed by Apple and signed by a developer before it can run on macOS, even if they’re being distributed outside the Mac App Store.


theverge--2020-08-31--Pokémon Go will end support for older iOS and Android phones in October

If you still play Pokémon Go on a smartphone or tablet running Android 5.0 “ Lollipop ” or iOS 10 or 11 , you ’ ll no longer be able to access the game when Niantic pushes an update in mid-October .
The Pokémon Go Twitter account confirmed that two popular older phones also won ’ t make the cut : the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 are being left behind , despite the fact both phones can be upgraded to run iOS 12 .
“ iPhone 5S and 6 have just 1 GB of RAM , and we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and implementation of features for the vast majority of players who have more robust phones , ” Niantic tells The Verge .
All things considered , the performance on those devices probably wasn ’ t great .
Pokémon Go might not be as demanding as some other titles , but it relies heavily on your phone ’ s cameras , GPS tracking , and general chops to keep up with its 3D visuals , and can be quite a drain on an aging phone battery .
But while Niantic tells The Verge that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very small percentage of daily active players , ” it ’ s still going to be a loss for those around the globe who don ’ t want to — or can ’ t — upgrade their phones .
If you have a flagship or midrange iPhone or Android handset from the past few years , you don ’ t need to worry .
It ’ s those with much older or more affordable devices who might have to .
Pokémon Go is still incredibly popular : Last we heard from Niantic Labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lucrative year since the augmented reality game launched .
And according to data from Sensor Tower , a mobile game and app analytics firm , the game ’ s popularity didn ’ t see a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In fact , it grew , seeing more than $ 254 million in revenue in Q2 2020 — nearly a 38-percent revenue boost compared to the previous quarter .
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the many stay-at-home orders it spurred , people couldn ’ t stop catching Pokémon .
This year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet , with players catching nearly a billion of the digital creatures .
Niantic also smartly made the game easier to play indoors .
Losing these devices probably won ’ t make a huge impact on Niantic ’ s user base .
But if you ’ re an avid Pokémon Go player with an outdated phone , you might be affected , so it ’ s good to have a little lead time before October .
Update , 8:00 PM ET : Added Niantic comment , and that the update will come in @ @ @ @

If you still play Pokémon Go on a smartphone or tablet running Android 5.0 “Lollipop” or iOS 10 or 11, you’ll no longer be able to access the game when Niantic pushes an update in mid-October. The Pokémon Go Twitter account confirmed that two popular older phones also won’t make the cut: the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 are being left behind, despite the fact both phones can be upgraded to run iOS 12.
“iPhone 5S and 6 have just 1 GB of RAM, and we don’t want to hold back development and implementation of features for the vast majority of players who have more robust phones,” Niantic tells The Verge.
All things considered, the performance on those devices probably wasn’t great. Pokémon Go might not be as demanding as some other titles, but it relies heavily on your phone’s cameras, GPS tracking, and general chops to keep up with its 3D visuals, and can be quite a drain on an aging phone battery. But while Niantic tells The Verge that this change will only impact “a very small percentage of daily active players,” it’s still going to be a loss for those around the globe who don’t want to — or can’t — upgrade their phones.
If you have a flagship or midrange iPhone or Android handset from the past few years, you don’t need to worry. It’s those with much older or more affordable devices who might have to.
Losing these devices probably won’t make a huge impact on Niantic’s user base. But if you’re an avid Pokémon Go player with an outdated phone, you might be affected, so it’s good to have a little lead time before October.


theverge--2020-08-31--Google Photos on iOS can now crop, trim, and add filters to your videos

The Google Photos app for iOS is getting an updated video editor that adds several useful new features , including the ability to trim video clips , add filters , crop , and make adjustments like exposure , contrast , and saturation .
The new video editor options work similarly to the existing image editing tools .
Simply tap the “ edit ” button when previewing a video , and you ’ ll be taken to the new editor , which adds several new tabs , in addition to the existing “ export frame ” option .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Auto ” filter that intelligently adjusts your video .
There are manual adjustment controls , divided into a Light menu ( for exposure , contrast , whites , highlights , shadows , blacks , and vignette sliders ) and Color ( to adjust saturation , warmth , tint , skin tone , and deep blue ) .
Better video editing options for Google Photos have arrived The crop menu also adds a variety of options , which should help when converting video to share on social media platforms like Instagram .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like 16:9 , 4:3 , 3:2 , and square , along with the option to manually adjust your frame to whatever you ’ d like .
The new additions greatly expand the level of control users had over videos within the Google Photos app .
Previously , users were limited to basic stabilization , rotation , and adjustments to start and stop time — something that ’ s still the case on Android .
The new iOS features are similar to the ones that have previously been seen in a redesigned editor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per 9to5Google , although it ’ s not clear when Google will be releasing that update .
With the iOS editing tools already available , though , it ’ s likely that the Android version isn ’ t too far behind .

The Google Photos app for iOS is getting an updated video editor that adds several useful new features, including the ability to trim video clips, add filters, crop, and make adjustments like exposure, contrast, and saturation.
The new video editor options work similarly to the existing image editing tools. Simply tap the “edit” button when previewing a video, and you’ll be taken to the new editor, which adds several new tabs, in addition to the existing “export frame” option.
There’s a variety of filters, including an “Auto” filter that intelligently adjusts your video. There are manual adjustment controls, divided into a Light menu (for exposure, contrast, whites, highlights, shadows, blacks, and vignette sliders) and Color (to adjust saturation, warmth, tint, skin tone, and deep blue).
Better video editing options for Google Photos have arrived
The crop menu also adds a variety of options, which should help when converting video to share on social media platforms like Instagram. The new editor provides both preset crops, like 16:9, 4:3, 3:2, and square, along with the option to manually adjust your frame to whatever you’d like.
The new additions greatly expand the level of control users had over videos within the Google Photos app. Previously, users were limited to basic stabilization, rotation, and adjustments to start and stop time — something that’s still the case on Android.


theverge--2020-08-31--OnePlus may have accidentally revealed the upcoming OnePlus 8T

OnePlus may have accidentally revealed a first look at the OnePlus 8T , thanks to an image found in the latest Android 11 developer preview for OnePlus 8-series devices by OxygenUpdater .
The leaked image doesn ’ t offer much to go on , just a front-facing view of the device , which appears to be pretty similar to the existing OnePlus 8 .
It ’ s possible that this image — which is labeled OnePlus_8T.webp and is a distinct file from the images for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro — is simply a placeholder for a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But given the timing of the leak ( OnePlus usually releases its fall T-series refreshes in the October to November range ) and the fact that it was found in OnePlus ’ own firmware update , it seems likely that this will be what the OnePlus 8T will look like — or at least what the front of it will look like .
Presumably , OnePlus will have more details to announce on the OnePlus 8T in the coming weeks — likely in a more official manner than an accidental firmware file @

OnePlus may have accidentally revealed a first look at the OnePlus 8T, thanks to an image found in the latest Android 11 developer preview for OnePlus 8-series devices by OxygenUpdater.
The leaked image doesn’t offer much to go on, just a front-facing view of the device, which appears to be pretty similar to the existing OnePlus 8. It’s possible that this image — which is labeled OnePlus_8T.webp and is a distinct file from the images for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro — is simply a placeholder for a different, final design for the OnePlus 8T.
But given the timing of the leak (OnePlus usually releases its fall T-series refreshes in the October to November range) and the fact that it was found in OnePlus’ own firmware update, it seems likely that this will be what the OnePlus 8T will look like — or at least what the front of it will look like.


theverge--2020-08-31--Zoom saw revenue quadruple in monster second quarter

Videoconferencing platform Zoom had a huge second quarter , with $ 663.5 million in revenue compared to $ 145.8 million a year ago , the company announced on Monday .
It now has around 370,000 customers with more than 10 employees , an increase of 458 percent year over year .
“ Our ability to keep people around the world connected , coupled with our strong execution , led to revenue growth of 355 % year-over-year in Q2 , ” Zoom founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan said in a statement announcing the earnings .
On a call with analysts— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Steckelberg said subscriptions from new customers accounted for 81 percent of the second quarter revenue growth .
The company did not see the customer churn it had expected , she added .
Yuan noted that those new customers included ExxonMobil and Activision Blizzard .
The company ’ s revenue outlook for fiscal 2021 is now $ 2.39 billion , Yuan said .
Zoom has become ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic , reflected in its blockbuster first quarter when it grew revenue almost 170 percent year over year to $ 328 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ security issues in recent months , and the company had been criticized for implying its video chats were fully encrypted when they were not .
It said in June it would allow users to enable end-to-end encryption in a beta version of both its free and paid tiers .
Last week , the company suffered a widespread outage for several hours that affected all of its meeting and webinar services .

Videoconferencing platform Zoom had a huge second quarter, with $663.5 million in revenue compared to $145.8 million a year ago, the company announced on Monday. It now has around 370,000 customers with more than 10 employees, an increase of 458 percent year over year.
“Our ability to keep people around the world connected, coupled with our strong execution, led to revenue growth of 355% year-over-year in Q2,” Zoom founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan said in a statement announcing the earnings.
On a call with analysts— over Zoom, of course— Zoom CFO Kelly Steckelberg said subscriptions from new customers accounted for 81 percent of the second quarter revenue growth. The company did not see the customer churn it had expected, she added. Yuan noted that those new customers included ExxonMobil and Activision Blizzard.
The company’s revenue outlook for fiscal 2021 is now $2.39 billion, Yuan said. Zoom has become ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic, reflected in its blockbuster first quarter when it grew revenue almost 170 percent year over year to $328 million.


theverge--2020-08-31--The airline industry is ditching change fees because it’s desperate for people to fly

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they would permanently eliminate fees associated with changing or canceling a flight .
The news comes less than a day after United Airlines first announced a permanent end to its change fee policy .
All three carriers have been waiving change fees since March 2020 , when the novel coronavirus pandemic first disrupted global air travel .
With demand dried up , the airlines are seeking to make flying look safe , stress-free , and , most of all , cheap .
And that means eliminating many of the fees and surcharges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past , and today ’ s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we ’ re offering industry-leading flexibility , space and care to our customers , ” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a statement .
“ When we hear from customers about where we can improve , getting rid of this fee is often the top request , ” said United CEO Scott Kirby .
“ By eliminating change fees , giving customers an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go faster with free same-day standby on earlier flights and providing access to upgrades and seats for all fare types , ” American Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said , “ we ’ re giving customers the freedom to make their own choices when traveling with American.
” The new policy only applies to travel within the US .
Airlines have traditionally relied on change fees , which can be as high as $ 200 a person , to rake in billions of dollars every year .
United took in $ 625 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Delta earned $ 615 million .
Industrywide , change fees brought in $ 2.8 billion in 2019 .
But the COVID-19 crisis has brought the industry to the edge of financial ruin .
The major airlines were hit with historic losses this past quarter .
Collectively , the Big Three — United , Delta , and American — lost a staggering $ 10 billion during the second quarter of 2020 .
JetBlue lost $ 320 million , Southwest $ 915 million , and budget carriers Spirit and Alaska lost $ 144 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pressure is now on the smaller and midtier carriers to make a similar move .
Those airlines aren ’ t hoarding as much cash and most likely can ’ t afford to give up revenue as the major carriers .
A spokesperson for Southwest noted that the airline has never charged an extra fee for travel changes , while spokespersons for Spirit , JetBlue , and Alaska airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they would permanently eliminate fees associated with changing or canceling a flight. The news comes less than a day after United Airlines first announced a permanent end to its change fee policy.
All three carriers have been waiving change fees since March 2020, when the novel coronavirus pandemic first disrupted global air travel. With demand dried up, the airlines are seeking to make flying look safe, stress-free, and, most of all, cheap. And that means eliminating many of the fees and surcharges associated with air travel.
“We’ve said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past, and today’s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we’re offering industry-leading flexibility, space and care to our customers,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a statement.
Industrywide, change fees brought in $2.8 billion in 2019
“When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of this fee is often the top request,” said United CEO Scott Kirby.
“By eliminating change fees, giving customers an opportunity to get where they want to go faster with free same-day standby on earlier flights and providing access to upgrades and seats for all fare types,” American Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said, “we’re giving customers the freedom to make their own choices when traveling with American.”
The new policy only applies to travel within the US. Airlines have traditionally relied on change fees, which can be as high as $200 a person, to rake in billions of dollars every year. United took in $625 million in change fees in 2019, while Delta earned $615 million. Industrywide, change fees brought in $2.8 billion in 2019.
But the COVID-19 crisis has brought the industry to the edge of financial ruin. The major airlines were hit with historic losses this past quarter. Collectively, the Big Three — United, Delta, and American — lost a staggering $10 billion during the second quarter of 2020. JetBlue lost $320 million, Southwest $915 million, and budget carriers Spirit and Alaska lost $144 million and $214 million, respectively.


theverge--2020-08-31--Microsoft Flight Simulator’s re-creations of macOS wallpapers look just as good

Many of us are finding cool things to work on while stuck at home , and I think Matt Birchler takes the cake this week .
He , like much of the internet , has been taking off in Microsoft Flight Simulator , and he used the absolutely unreal detail in the game to re-create some of the more iconic wallpapers from recent releases of macOS .
To re-create these images , Matt flew to each location , then used Flight Simulator to position the camera , set the focal length , and adjust the time of day with in-game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-processing magic in Adobe Lightroom , he created the images below .
“ Flight Simulator is a ‘ make your own fun ’ game and I was looking for interesting things to do while flying around , ” Birchler told The Verge .
He pointed to this video as inspiration , where a group of photographers scouted and re-created the photos themselves in person .
“ They basically did the same thing , but in real life.
” In lieu of a multiday hiking trip , I think this is a pretty great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminder that we can all take the tools available to us and use them in unexpected , creative ways .
Check out the side-by-side re-creations below or see them all directly on Birchler ’ s blog .

Many of us are finding cool things to work on while stuck at home, and I think Matt Birchler takes the cake this week. He, like much of the internet, has been taking off in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and he used the absolutely unreal detail in the game to re-create some of the more iconic wallpapers from recent releases of macOS.
To re-create these images, Matt flew to each location, then used Flight Simulator to position the camera, set the focal length, and adjust the time of day with in-game controls. Then, with a little post-processing magic in Adobe Lightroom, he created the images below.
“Flight Simulator is a ‘make your own fun’ game and I was looking for interesting things to do while flying around,” Birchler told The Verge. He pointed to this video as inspiration, where a group of photographers scouted and re-created the photos themselves in person. “They basically did the same thing, but in real life.”
In lieu of a multiday hiking trip, I think this is a pretty great substitute. It’s a good reminder that we can all take the tools available to us and use them in unexpected, creative ways.
Check out the side-by-side re-creations below or see them all directly on Birchler’s blog.
Big Sur
Left: Matt Birchler. Right: Apple Image by Matt Birchler
Catalina
Left: Matt Birchler. Right: Apple Image by Matt Birchler
Yosemite


theverge--2020-08-31--Bang & Olufsen’s $800 noise-canceling headphones copy the best part of Microsoft’s Surface Headphone

Bang & Olufsen’s $800 noise-canceling headphones copy the best part of Microsoft’s Surface Headphones

Bang & Olufsen has announced its new Beoplay H95 noise-canceling headphones for the steep price of $ 800 .
You can get a stellar pair of headphones for much , much less than that , but the audio specialist is hoping to leapfrog Sony , Bose , and other headphone makers in craftsmanship and sound quality .
With their lambskin ear pads ( with memory foam inside ) , aluminum frame , and leather headband , these certainly look the part of top-end , premium headphones .
With the H95 headphones , Bang & Olufsen also copied one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Headphones : the dial controls .
You can twist the dial on the right ear cup to adjust volume and the one on the left to control the adaptive noise cancellation .
That ’ s exactly how the Surface Headphones work , but Bang & Olufsen claims this idea is “ inspired by the focus rings on the lenses of high-end cameras.
” Okay .
If you say so .
It ’ d be refreshing to see one tech company credit another for an inventive approach , but oh well .
Either way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dials “ move with precision and just the right amount of smooth resistance.
” And they ’ re textured , so they ’ re easy to feel out when you ’ re wearing the headphones .
It sounds like the H95 headphones are battery champs , with a continuous runtime of up to 38 hours with ANC enabled .
That handily beats the lower-priced , mainstream competition .
There are four built-in mics for voice calls , and Bang & Olufsen also includes a sidetone feature ( which lets you hear yourself more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be shouting on your Zoom calls .
Bang & Olufsen says its noise cancellation is both adaptive — so it ’ ll react to your surroundings — and adjustable if you prefer to keep it dialed in to whatever level you want .
For codecs , the H95s support SBC , AAC , and aptX Adaptive for low latency and improved audio fidelity .
Bang & Olufsen says they feature “ carefully selected ” 40mm titanium drivers for an “ unparalleled listening experience.
” For $ 800 , the things had better sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in use , the H95s can fold down for storage in their hardshell case .
The Beoplay H95 headphones will go on sale September 10th in black and gray ; the company already sold through a limited edition numbered run of 95 units to celebrate its 95-year heritage .
I ’ m looking forward to reviewing them and getting a sense for what that price point gets you over Sony ’ s superb 1000XM4 headphones .
Stay tuned .

Bang & Olufsen has announced its new Beoplay H95 noise-canceling headphones for the steep price of $800. You can get a stellar pair of headphones for much, much less than that, but the audio specialist is hoping to leapfrog Sony, Bose, and other headphone makers in craftsmanship and sound quality. With their lambskin ear pads (with memory foam inside), aluminum frame, and leather headband, these certainly look the part of top-end, premium headphones.
With the H95 headphones, Bang & Olufsen also copied one of the best things about Microsoft’s Surface Headphones: the dial controls. You can twist the dial on the right ear cup to adjust volume and the one on the left to control the adaptive noise cancellation. That’s exactly how the Surface Headphones work, but Bang & Olufsen claims this idea is “inspired by the focus rings on the lenses of high-end cameras.” Okay. If you say so. It’d be refreshing to see one tech company credit another for an inventive approach, but oh well. Either way, Bang & Olufsen says that these dials “move with precision and just the right amount of smooth resistance.” And they’re textured, so they’re easy to feel out when you’re wearing the headphones.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
It sounds like the H95 headphones are battery champs, with a continuous runtime of up to 38 hours with ANC enabled. That handily beats the lower-priced, mainstream competition. There are four built-in mics for voice calls, and Bang & Olufsen also includes a sidetone feature (which lets you hear yourself more naturally) so you won’t be shouting on your Zoom calls. Bang & Olufsen says its noise cancellation is both adaptive — so it’ll react to your surroundings — and adjustable if you prefer to keep it dialed in to whatever level you want.
For codecs, the H95s support SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive for low latency and improved audio fidelity. Bang & Olufsen says they feature “carefully selected” 40mm titanium drivers for an “unparalleled listening experience.” For $800, the things had better sound nothing short of stellar. When not in use, the H95s can fold down for storage in their hardshell case.


theverge--2020-09-01--Ten years ago, Epic helped to legitimize iOS as a gaming platform with a small demo

On September 1st , 2010 , Epic Games released its Citadel tech demo in the Apple App Store .
It was a boring thing to actually play — you simply walked around a medieval town in first-person perspective , taking in the sights with no objectives — but this calm debut marked a big moment for iOS , the App Store , and Epic Games .
It proved that developers could fit gigantic , richly detailed set pieces running on a smartphone and do it while utilizing Unreal Engine 3 , the same engine that powered some of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PS3 era of consoles .
The devices of choice , if you wanted to get access to mobile games with impressive graphics , were suddenly just the iPhone , iPad , and iPod touch .
The Citadel demo didn ’ t come to Android until almost two and a half years later in 2013 .
The Citadel demo was groundbreaking at the time , and it possibly helped to kickstart the trend of bringing console-like experiences to the nascent mobile gaming platform .
When I first saw it , I remember feeling like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Droid Eris out the window and buy an iPhone instead .
I eventually got to try it out on an iPad at the gadget store where I was employed at the time , and it was stunning to see high-fidelity textures that had dimension and lighting that dynamically shifted when you walked into a building .
There were even reflections at a certain point .
I had played better-looking games on PC at that point , but something about the experience of being packed into a tiny device made for a magical proof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , even as the fun of walking around Citadel lost its appeal .
Ten years later , things are very different .
Right now , Epic Games and Apple are in the midst of a high-profile legal battle that will likely have a serious impact on their relationship moving forward .
Actually , it already has : Apple removed Epic Games ’ developer account last week , disabling any and all iOS and iPad users from redownloading Epic ’ s titles moving forward .
We ’ ve covered this case extensively so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline is that Epic wanted to side-step Apple ’ s in-app purchase rule that takes 30 percent of each purchase .
Apple has controversially whitelisted only a few apps from having to pay this tax , one being Amazon .
Epic isn ’ t one of them , so it tried to whitelist itself from the tax by directly selling V-Bucks , Fortnite ’ s in-game currency , through the game on the iPhone without Apple ’ s permission — and for a discount , no less .
This violation of Apple ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove Fortnite from the App Store .
Epic followed by suing Apple , and the case is currently in court and likely will be for some time .
The latest news is that Fortnite ’ s highly anticipated new season , which incorporates Marvel ’ s universe of characters into the game , isn ’ t available to iOS or macOS users .
Players on Android can still sideload the game onto their devices by downloading files directly from Epic , but even those who had the game installed on their iOS devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , here we are , 10 years later .
It ’ s a strange birthday for Epic Citadel , a demo that directly paved the way for the iOS-exclusive Infinity Blade series ( though the game was originally conceived as an Xbox Kinect game ) .
More indirectly , it opened the door for a vast amount of games running Unreal Engine , including plenty of ports from console and PC games , like BioShock and PUBG , to come to iOS that otherwise might never have .
Citadel marked a turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gaming platform .
If you didn ’ t download Citadel or any of the Infinity Blade games , you can no longer get them on the App Store .
They ’ re lost to time , unfortunately — at least , through official means .
Oddly enough , Epic Citadel is still available on the Amazon App Store for Fire tablets .
If you don ’ t have one of those , bask in the demo ’ s 2010 glory in the video above .

On September 1st, 2010, Epic Games released its Citadel tech demo in the Apple App Store. It was a boring thing to actually play — you simply walked around a medieval town in first-person perspective, taking in the sights with no objectives — but this calm debut marked a big moment for iOS, the App Store, and Epic Games. It proved that developers could fit gigantic, richly detailed set pieces running on a smartphone and do it while utilizing Unreal Engine 3, the same engine that powered some of the most popular games in the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of consoles.
The devices of choice, if you wanted to get access to mobile games with impressive graphics, were suddenly just the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The Citadel demo didn’t come to Android until almost two and a half years later in 2013.
The Citadel demo was groundbreaking at the time, and it possibly helped to kickstart the trend of bringing console-like experiences to the nascent mobile gaming platform. When I first saw it, I remember feeling like I immediately needed to throw my HTC Droid Eris out the window and buy an iPhone instead.
These graphics looked just as sharp, if not more, than what the PS3 and Xbox 360 were capable of at the time. Image: Epic
I eventually got to try it out on an iPad at the gadget store where I was employed at the time, and it was stunning to see high-fidelity textures that had dimension and lighting that dynamically shifted when you walked into a building. There were even reflections at a certain point. I had played better-looking games on PC at that point, but something about the experience of being packed into a tiny device made for a magical proof of concept that left an impact on me, even as the fun of walking around Citadel lost its appeal.
Ten years later, things are very different. Right now, Epic Games and Apple are in the midst of a high-profile legal battle that will likely have a serious impact on their relationship moving forward. Actually, it already has: Apple removed Epic Games’ developer account last week, disabling any and all iOS and iPad users from redownloading Epic’s titles moving forward.
It’s a... strange birthday
We’ve covered this case extensively so far, but the quick and dirty timeline is that Epic wanted to side-step Apple’s in-app purchase rule that takes 30 percent of each purchase. Apple has controversially whitelisted only a few apps from having to pay this tax, one being Amazon. Epic isn’t one of them, so it tried to whitelist itself from the tax by directly selling V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency, through the game on the iPhone without Apple’s permission — and for a discount, no less.
Fortnite running on an iPhone, which is something you currently can’t do. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales
This violation of Apple’s App Store guidelines spurred Apple to remove Fortnite from the App Store. Epic followed by suing Apple, and the case is currently in court and likely will be for some time. The latest news is that Fortnite’s highly anticipated new season, which incorporates Marvel’s universe of characters into the game, isn’t available to iOS or macOS users. Players on Android can still sideload the game onto their devices by downloading files directly from Epic, but even those who had the game installed on their iOS devices can’t install the update.
So, here we are, 10 years later. It’s a strange birthday for Epic Citadel, a demo that directly paved the way for the iOS-exclusive Infinity Blade series (though the game was originally conceived as an Xbox Kinect game). More indirectly, it opened the door for a vast amount of games running Unreal Engine, including plenty of ports from console and PC games, like BioShock and PUBG, to come to iOS that otherwise might never have. Citadel marked a turning point in the perception of phones as a gaming platform.


theverge--2020-09-01--Trump’s ban on Chinese drones is making fighting wildfires harder, says leaked memo

Last year , the US Interior Department , which is responsible for maintaining federal land , grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones over fears they could be compromised by Chinese spies .
Now , an internal memo from the department leaked to The Financial Times says the decision is hampering the federal government ’ s ability to fight wildfires .
The grounding of the fleet led to a de facto ban on the purchase of Chinese drones and drones containing Chinese parts .
This caused the Interior Department to cancel plans to buy 17 Ignis drones , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to start managed burns , a key tool in controlling wildfires .
28 percent fewer controlled burns by the end of the year Without the drones , says the leaked memo , the department has been forced to use crewed aircraft to start fires or not carry out burns at all .
An internal analysis from the department found that by the end of the year it will only have carried out 28 percent of the controlled burns it had planned to do with its fleet of new drones .
“ [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must expand to meet the demand of preventative measures mandated for the reduction of wildfire via vegetation reduction , ” says the memo , reports the FT. “ Denying the acquisition of UAS [ drone ] aerial ignition devices directly transfers risk to firefighters who must use manned aircraft to complete these missions rather than a safer option utilising UAS.
” The FT says the internal memo was authored earlier this year by the department ’ s Office of Aviation Services .
The publication also notes that although the US is facing one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no outbreaks have yet taken place on federal land .
The original decision to ground the Interior Department ’ s fleet is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to restrict Chinese technology .
The drone market in particular is dominated by Chinese manufacturer DJI , and when news of the grounding broke last year , the department said none of its drones used only American parts .
The agency uses drones not only to control wildfires , but to survey land and dams and monitor endangered wildlife .
Interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department ’ s fleet would be grounded until a complete security review could be carried out .
Bernhardt noted that drones could still be dispatched in emergency situations , including fighting natural disasters , but this provision does not seem to have extended to the purchasing of new hardware .
The temporary grounding was reaffirmed in January this year , but it ’ s not clear what progress has been made on a security review .

Last year, the US Interior Department, which is responsible for maintaining federal land, grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones over fears they could be compromised by Chinese spies. Now, an internal memo from the department leaked to The Financial Times says the decision is hampering the federal government’s ability to fight wildfires.
The grounding of the fleet led to a de facto ban on the purchase of Chinese drones and drones containing Chinese parts. This caused the Interior Department to cancel plans to buy 17 Ignis drones, says the FT. These are specialist UAVs used to start managed burns, a key tool in controlling wildfires.
28 percent fewer controlled burns by the end of the year
Without the drones, says the leaked memo, the department has been forced to use crewed aircraft to start fires or not carry out burns at all. An internal analysis from the department found that by the end of the year it will only have carried out 28 percent of the controlled burns it had planned to do with its fleet of new drones.
“[The department’s current fleet] must expand to meet the demand of preventative measures mandated for the reduction of wildfire via vegetation reduction,” says the memo, reports the FT. “Denying the acquisition of UAS [drone] aerial ignition devices directly transfers risk to firefighters who must use manned aircraft to complete these missions rather than a safer option utilising UAS.”
Ignis drones like the one pictured use infrared cameras and incendiary balls to carry out controlled burns. Image: Drone Amplified
The FT says the internal memo was authored earlier this year by the department’s Office of Aviation Services. The publication also notes that although the US is facing one of its worst wildfire seasons to date, no outbreaks have yet taken place on federal land.
The original decision to ground the Interior Department’s fleet is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to restrict Chinese technology. The drone market in particular is dominated by Chinese manufacturer DJI, and when news of the grounding broke last year, the department said none of its drones used only American parts. The agency uses drones not only to control wildfires, but to survey land and dams and monitor endangered wildlife.


theverge--2020-09-01--How to watch Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 event at 12PM ET / 9AM PT

Nvidia is promising “ the biggest breakthough in PC gaming since 1999 ” today with its GeForce event .
The graphics card maker looks set to launch a new range of GPUs for PC gaming , based on the company ’ s new Ampere architecture .
Rumors suggest we ’ ll see the RTX 3000 Series , with an RTX 3080 card and possibly even a Titan-style RTX 3090 flagship GPU .
Nvidia focused heavily on raytracing with its previous RTX 2000 Series cards , so it ’ s likely we ’ ll hear more about the advancements today especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X will support raytracing .
Where can I see the event ?
Nvidia will be live streaming its event over on Twitch , and the company is already streaming a countdown to what it describes as “ the biggest breakthrough in PC gaming since 1999.
” What am I going to see ?
Nvidia will be launching new graphics cards for PC gaming .
These cards will be based on the company ’ s Ampere architecture , and rumors suggest they ’ ll be a big improvement over the existing RTX 2080 and @ @ @ @ @

Nvidia is promising “the biggest breakthough in PC gaming since 1999” today with its GeForce event. The graphics card maker looks set to launch a new range of GPUs for PC gaming, based on the company’s new Ampere architecture. Rumors suggest we’ll see the RTX 3000 Series, with an RTX 3080 card and possibly even a Titan-style RTX 3090 flagship GPU.
Nvidia focused heavily on raytracing with its previous RTX 2000 Series cards, so it’s likely we’ll hear more about the advancements today especially as both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will support raytracing.
When is Nvidia’s GeForce event?
Today, Tuesday, September 1st, 2020, at 12PM ET (9AM PT).
Where can I see the event?
Nvidia will be live streaming its event over on Twitch, and the company is already streaming a countdown to what it describes as “the biggest breakthrough in PC gaming since 1999.”
What am I going to see?