theverge--2020-05-09--Razer’s excellent Viper gaming mouse is free when you buy the Huntsman TE keyboard

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
Razer is hosting a promotion at Best Buy that bundles its Huntsman Tournament Edition wired gaming keyboard with the Razer Viper mouse .
The keyboard alone costs $ 130 , and now that price will include the Viper ( usually $ 80 by itself ) for free with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your cart and the mouse will be added automatically .
The Huntsman TE is an 80 percent form factor keyboard ( it lacks a number pad , but has directional keys along with the ever-useful Print Screen and other functions ) , so it shouldn ’ t take up much room on your desk .
It has linear optical switches , which Razer claims can last longer than standard switches , and they ’ re faster to register a button press , too .
As is usually the case with Razer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the colors and effects are fully customizable within the Synapse 3 software .
The keyboard plugs in with a detachable USB-C cable and it ’ s compatible with both PC and macOS .
Getting the Viper included for free with this keyboard is a sweet deal , especially if you were in the market for new gaming accessories .
Compared to some of Razer ’ s other mice , this one is a true ambidextrous model , meaning it ’ s symmetrically designed , and it has side buttons that are accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s incredibly lightweight at just 69 grams .
It ’ s one of the best ambidextrous mice you can buy at its regular price , and free is a very good price .

Starting Sunday May 10th, Razer will host a promotion at Best Buy that bundles its Huntsman Tournament Edition wired gaming keyboard with the Razer Viper mouse. The keyboard alone costs $130, and that price will include the Viper (usually $80 by itself) for free with purchase. Just add the keyboard to your cart and the mouse will be added automatically.
The Huntsman TE is an 80 percent form factor keyboard (it lacks a number pad, but has directional keys along with the ever-useful Print Screen and other functions), so it shouldn’t take up much room on your desk. It has linear optical switches, which Razer claims can last longer than standard switches, and they’re faster to register a button press, too. As is usually the case with Razer’s tech, each key here is backlit and the colors and effects are fully customizable within the Synapse 3 software. The keyboard plugs in with a detachable USB-C cable and it’s compatible with both PC and macOS.
Razer Huntsman TE keyboard / Includes the $80 Razer Viper mouse for free $130 at Best Buy
Getting the Viper included for free with this keyboard is a sweet deal, especially if you were in the market for new gaming accessories. Compared to some of Razer’s other mice, this one is a true ambidextrous model, meaning it’s symmetrically designed, and it has side buttons that are accessible for right- and left-handed gamers. Additionally, it’s incredibly lightweight at just 69 grams. It’s one of the best ambidextrous mice you can buy at its regular price, and free is a very good price.


theverge--2020-05-09--HP Elite Dragonfly (2020) review: recycled in the right ways

Last year ’ s HP Elite Dragonfly was perhaps the nicest business laptop we ’ ve ever tested .
This year ’ s Elite Dragonfly is almost identical to that machine , which is fine because , again , the HP Elite Dragonfly was exceptional in just about every way .
This new configuration largely feels and looks the same as last year ’ s model ; it ’ s still one of the sleekest , chicest business laptops on the market , and it has the most eye-catching design of any convertible that HP currently sells .
HP has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dragonfly is now 5G-enabled , though that feature isn ’ t coming until mid-2020 .
Second , it has an integrated Tile tracker , which is coming to models in mid-May .
Third , it has a new privacy-oriented screen that includes HP ’ s latest Sure View Reflect technology .
Fourth , its mechanical parts are now mostly built from recycled materials .
The new Dragonfly is thin , light , beautiful , and just about flawless .
You can get the base configuration for around $ 1,500 , but the model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,179 , which is quite a price tag .
( This specific model doesn ’ t seem to be available on HP ’ s website yet , but configurations with similar specs , including Tile , an i7 , vPro , and the Sure View Reflect screen are in the $ 2,100 to $ 2,700 range , depending on RAM , storage , and other features . )
The new features work , but they ’ re luxuries , not necessities , for the vast majority of people .
If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always on the go , they might be a worthy budget expense for you .
But you ’ ll probably be just fine with a cheaper EliteBook unless money is really no object for you or your company .
HP has been phasing in recycled materials into the Elite Dragonfly over the past year .
It ’ s the first ultrabook to incorporate ocean-bound plastics ( that is , plastic litter collected in maritime areas , which would otherwise have ended up in the ocean ) .
The company said last year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plastics ( and 5 percent ocean-bound plastics ) in its speaker box and 35 percent PCR plastics in its bezels .
The company ’ s goals , since then , have become more ambitious .
It announced at CES 2020 that over 80 percent of the Dragonfly ’ s mechanical parts and 90 percent of the magnesium chassis are now made of recycled materials .
This initiative isn ’ t specific to Dragonfly ; HP says that other new HP Elite and HP Pro computers will incorporate the new composite components .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chassis in any way .
I can ’ t remember the last time I held a laptop this light that felt this sturdy .
( HP did not respond to multiple inquiries about the exact weight and dimensions of this unit , but it ’ s around 2.5 pounds . )
There ’ s no flex in the keyboard and almost none in the display .
The chassis also feels very nice to the touch ; the magnesium is smooth , and the rounded edges and corners mean you never get poked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ products , but the wrist rests and keyboard remained print-free after several days of use .
The touchpad and lid accumulated some , but I could only see them under bright light .
The keycaps are a bit plasticy but still feel great HP has also swapped out the plastic coverings on the keyboard ( the material is now 50 percent sourced from recycled DVDs ) and the screen ’ s bezels ( now 35 percent recycled plastic ) .
The keycaps are a bit plasticy but still feel great , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from those on the old model .
The new Dragonfly looks and feels like a very nice computer .
And hey , now it ’ s more sustainable .
The second big change is the new screen , which uses HP ’ s Sure View Reflect to maximize user privacy .
Reflect is the fourth generation of SureView , which the company launched with its EliteBook 1050 G3 in 2016 .
You can still get the Dragonfly configured with older panels , including the low-power 1W display we tested last year , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HDR 400 display with 3840 x 2160 resolution .
This is just an additional option .
The Dragonfly has two screen modes , which you can handily toggle between by pressing F2 .
There ’ s Sharing Mode , which delivers up to 773 nits of brightness and wide viewing angles , and Privacy Mode , which tints the screen such that people passing by can ’ t snoop .
With Privacy Mode on at 50 percent brightness , I couldn ’ t see a thing on the screen while sitting perpendicular to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some contents at the edge of the display at a 45-degree angle , but I didn ’ t get a good look until I was almost facing it head-on .
If you ’ re using Privacy Mode in public , suspicious figures will have trouble spying unless they ’ re noticeably peering around .
Someone sitting next to you on a bus or train might make out bits , but they won ’ t get close to the full picture .
Note , though , that the screen does get dimmer in Privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot more glare , especially below maximum brightness .
Even with the screen at max , the glare was substantial enough that the device wasn ’ t usable outdoors — and even indoors , I wouldn ’ t have wanted to use it below 50 percent brightness .
It ’ s so easy to toggle back to Sharing Mode , though , that I ’ m not too worked up about that trade-off .
Fingerprints do stick around on this panel ( it ’ s a touchscreen ) and were stubborn when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a bit annoying , but the sorts of power users considering this configuration may prefer to use HP ’ s Active Pen , which ships with this unit .
When it comes to fancy screen features , the question is always whether they ’ ll impact battery life .
To my relief , not only is the new Dragonfly ’ s battery life superb , but it ’ s actually significantly better than that of the late-2019 model .
I took the ultrabook ( on the default Better Battery power profile and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workday of juggling eight to 12 Chrome tabs , running Slack , streaming Spotify and YouTube , and the occasional Zoom call , splitting time about equally between Sharing Mode and Privacy mode .
I got 11 hours and 38 minutes , which is the best battery life result I ’ ve ever gotten from a laptop .
If you want a product that can reliably work on the go , you ’ ll have trouble finding better than the Dragonfly .
( I only got around seven hours on the Better Performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t notice significant slowdown with the lower-power settings . )
The Dragonfly ’ s more groundbreaking ( but less business-oriented ) new feature is the Tile integration .
Tile , for those unfamiliar , makes small Bluetooth-enabled devices that you can attach to your keys , purse , wallet , or other valuables .
If you lose the Tile-connected object , you can locate it using the Tile app on your phone .
This is the first laptop with a Tile tracker built in , which can help you find the Dragonfly if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ’ s clever about the Tile is that it ’ s powered by its own hardware separate from that of the Dragonfly .
That means it can sound an alarm through its own integrated speaker even when the computer is off .
The tracker does draw a small amount of power from the computer , though HP didn ’ t respond to our inquiries about the specifics of the relationship .
If the Dragonfly is off when you lose it , HP says the Tile will keep functioning for 20 days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you still have 2.5 days .
Setting up the Tile is a very simple process .
I had to activate the device through the Tile Microsoft app ( it comes preloaded onto the Dragonfly ) and create an account with the service .
( The Tile plays a fun jingle while you ’ re setting it up . )
Once I downloaded the Tile app on my phone and logged in , I was set .
When you open the Tile mobile app , you ’ ll see a list of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the Dragonfly .
If you select the laptop and press “ Find , ” its tracker will sound a loud alarm .
( iPhone users can also do this with a Siri shortcut . )
You can also see its last-known location on a map .
If you lose the notebook outside of Bluetooth range , you can designate it as “ lost ” and activate Tile ’ s Community Find feature , which will send you an alert with its location whenever another Tile passes within its Bluetooth range .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get more features , including a longer 30-day location history , and Smart Alerts which notifies you if you ’ ve left the house without your laptop ( or another device attached to a Tile ) .
When I hid the Dragonfly in a pile of laundry in a closet , I could hear the tracker ’ s alarm pretty well when I was in the same room , and it was audible ( though I had to listen hard ) from the next room over .
Outdoors , it was audible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tile tended to stay connected to my phone until I was about 140 feet away .
Those are comparable results to those you can expect from the standalone Tile Pro tracker .
An integrated Tile tracker is hardly an essential feature for the average business user .
But if you travel a lot and you want the technology , it works .
We can speedrun through the rest of the usual laptop stuff because it ’ s the same as the Dragonfly Elite that we reviewed in late 2019 .
The keyboard is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel and very little noise .
The glass trackpad is similarly excellent , with a smooth surface and a quiet click .
The port selection is impressive for such a lightweight 2-in-1 , including two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports , an HDMI port , and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right , as well as a USB-A port , a Kensington lock port , and slot for a SIM card on the left .
Windows Hello works as it should , and the webcam has a convenient privacy shutter .
The four-speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sound I ’ ve ever heard from a Windows laptop .
The laptop stays cool even under heavy loads , and the fans aren ’ t loud at all .
The new Dragonfly also has the same 8th Gen vPro-enabled Core i7-8665U processor as last year ’ s model .
( 10th Gen Comet Lake vPro isn ’ t out yet ; we should see that later this year . )
It ’ s a bit of a letdown not to see 10th Gen chips in such a pricey machine — the comparable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cores , so you ’ re losing out on multithreaded performance capability , which is useful for tasks like compiling code and doing elaborate things with Excel .
8th Gen chips are also at a disadvantage compared to Ice Lake chips , which will do better with creative work , thanks to Intel ’ s new Iris Plus Graphics .
The 8665U still handled my everyday load ( which mostly includes Chrome tabs and Slack ) just fine , but if your workday includes more demanding tasks , you may be better off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gen CPUs .
Other drawbacks of the previous model persist .
The power button retains its unwieldy position on the left side ; I accidentally pressed it a couple of times when I was carrying the laptop around .
The screen still has the 16:9 aspect ratio , which is cramped for productivity use ; I often had to zoom out to 80 or 70 percent to comfortably use tabs side by side .
A laptop targeting business power users really should be 16:10 or , even better , 3:2 .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dragonfly does exceptionally well , which is basically everything else .
If you ’ re in the market for a vPro-enabled system with both a built-in Tile tracking device and an integrated privacy screen , this is the only laptop on the market with that combination of features .
If you and your company are made of money , then sure , splurge away .
But this Dragonfly is a luxury product .
It ’ s the Galaxy S20 Ultra or the iPhone 11 Pro Max of business laptops ; it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t need it .
If you can go without the fancy features , a cheaper configuration will work just fine .
And if you don ’ t need vPro and are willing to go for a ThinkPad instead , you can get a modern processor .
But once I send this review unit back to HP , am I going to miss using it .

Last year’s HP Elite Dragonfly was perhaps the nicest business laptop we’ve ever tested. This year’s Elite Dragonfly is almost identical to that machine, which is fine because, again, the HP Elite Dragonfly was exceptional in just about every way.
This new configuration largely feels and looks the same as last year’s model; it’s still one of the sleekest, chicest business laptops on the market, and it has the most eye-catching design of any convertible that HP currently sells.
HP has changed four things. First, the Dragonfly is now 5G-enabled, though that feature isn’t coming until mid-2020. Second, it has an integrated Tile tracker, which is coming to models in mid-May. Third, it has a new privacy-oriented screen that includes HP’s latest Sure View Reflect technology. Fourth, its mechanical parts are now mostly built from recycled materials.
The new Dragonfly is thin, light, beautiful, and just about flawless. You can get the base configuration for around $1,500, but the model we’re looking at costs $2,179, which is quite a price tag. (This specific model doesn’t seem to be available on HP’s website yet, but configurations with similar specs, including Tile, an i7, vPro, and the Sure View Reflect screen are in the $2,100 to $2,700 range, depending on RAM, storage, and other features.) The new features work, but they’re luxuries, not necessities, for the vast majority of people. If you’re a C-Suite power user who’s always on the go, they might be a worthy budget expense for you. But you’ll probably be just fine with a cheaper EliteBook unless money is really no object for you or your company.
8.5 Verge Score HP Elite Dragonfly (2020) $ 2885 The Good Sure View Reflect screen
Tile tracker works
Exceptional keyboard
11-hour battery life The Bad Expensive
Screen is quite glossy in privacy mode
Last-generation processors $2885 at HP How we rate and review products
HP has been phasing in recycled materials into the Elite Dragonfly over the past year. It’s the first ultrabook to incorporate ocean-bound plastics (that is, plastic litter collected in maritime areas, which would otherwise have ended up in the ocean). The company said last year’s model would incorporate 50 percent PCR plastics (and 5 percent ocean-bound plastics) in its speaker box and 35 percent PCR plastics in its bezels.
The company’s goals, since then, have become more ambitious. It announced at CES 2020 that over 80 percent of the Dragonfly’s mechanical parts and 90 percent of the magnesium chassis are now made of recycled materials. This initiative isn’t specific to Dragonfly; HP says that other new HP Elite and HP Pro computers will incorporate the new composite components.
The Dragonfly’s keyboard includes recycled plastic. The speakers deliver excellent audio. The F2 key toggles between privacy mode and sharing mode.
The new material hasn’t cheapened the chassis in any way. I can’t remember the last time I held a laptop this light that felt this sturdy. (HP did not respond to multiple inquiries about the exact weight and dimensions of this unit, but it’s around 2.5 pounds.)
There’s no flex in the keyboard and almost none in the display. The chassis also feels very nice to the touch; the magnesium is smooth, and the rounded edges and corners mean you never get poked. Fingerprints are often a worry on dark products, but the wrist rests and keyboard remained print-free after several days of use. The touchpad and lid accumulated some, but I could only see them under bright light.
The keycaps are a bit plasticy but still feel great
HP has also swapped out the plastic coverings on the keyboard (the material is now 50 percent sourced from recycled DVDs) and the screen’s bezels (now 35 percent recycled plastic). The keycaps are a bit plasticy but still feel great, and the bezels don’t look any different from those on the old model.
The new Dragonfly looks and feels like a very nice computer. And hey, now it’s more sustainable.
The second big change is the new screen, which uses HP’s Sure View Reflect to maximize user privacy. Reflect is the fourth generation of SureView, which the company launched with its EliteBook 1050 G3 in 2016. You can still get the Dragonfly configured with older panels, including the low-power 1W display we tested last year, a display with SureView Gen3, and an HDR 400 display with 3840 x 2160 resolution. This is just an additional option.
The Dragonfly’s lid.
The Dragonfly has two screen modes, which you can handily toggle between by pressing F2. There’s Sharing Mode, which delivers up to 773 nits of brightness and wide viewing angles, and Privacy Mode, which tints the screen such that people passing by can’t snoop.
The webcam has a built-in privacy shutter.
The HP Elite Dragonfly in standard laptop mode.
With Privacy Mode on at 50 percent brightness, I couldn’t see a thing on the screen while sitting perpendicular to it. I began to make out some contents at the edge of the display at a 45-degree angle, but I didn’t get a good look until I was almost facing it head-on. If you’re using Privacy Mode in public, suspicious figures will have trouble spying unless they’re noticeably peering around. Someone sitting next to you on a bus or train might make out bits, but they won’t get close to the full picture.
Note, though, that the screen does get dimmer in Privacy Mode. It also kicks back a lot more glare, especially below maximum brightness. Even with the screen at max, the glare was substantial enough that the device wasn’t usable outdoors — and even indoors, I wouldn’t have wanted to use it below 50 percent brightness. It’s so easy to toggle back to Sharing Mode, though, that I’m not too worked up about that trade-off.
Fingerprints do stick around on this panel (it’s a touchscreen) and were stubborn when I tried to wipe them off. It was a bit annoying, but the sorts of power users considering this configuration may prefer to use HP’s Active Pen, which ships with this unit.
When it comes to fancy screen features, the question is always whether they’ll impact battery life. To my relief, not only is the new Dragonfly’s battery life superb, but it’s actually significantly better than that of the late-2019 model. I took the ultrabook (on the default Better Battery power profile and 50 percent brightness) through my normal workday of juggling eight to 12 Chrome tabs, running Slack, streaming Spotify and YouTube, and the occasional Zoom call, splitting time about equally between Sharing Mode and Privacy mode. I got 11 hours and 38 minutes, which is the best battery life result I’ve ever gotten from a laptop. If you want a product that can reliably work on the go, you’ll have trouble finding better than the Dragonfly. (I only got around seven hours on the Better Performance power profile, but I didn’t notice significant slowdown with the lower-power settings.)
The screen is visible at various angles.
AGREE TO CONTINUE: HP Elite Dragonfly (2020) Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To use the HP Elite Dragonfly (2020), you have to agree to: A request for your region and keyboard layout
Windows 10 license agreement
Windows Hello PIN The following agreements are optional: Wi-Fi
A Microsoft account
Windows Hello Face and Windows Hello Fingerprint
Activity History
Sync an Android phone
Microsoft 365
Cortana
Privacy settings, including: online speech recognition, location, find my device, diagnostic data, inking and typing, tailored experiences, advertising ID
An HP account
HP Register and Protect services, including: allowing HP to use system information to provide customer support, allowing HP to use system information to improve its products and services, allowing HP to use your contact details and system information to send personalized offers and news Final tally: four mandatory agreements and 19 optional ones
The Dragonfly’s more groundbreaking (but less business-oriented) new feature is the Tile integration. Tile, for those unfamiliar, makes small Bluetooth-enabled devices that you can attach to your keys, purse, wallet, or other valuables. If you lose the Tile-connected object, you can locate it using the Tile app on your phone. This is the first laptop with a Tile tracker built in, which can help you find the Dragonfly if it’s misplaced or stolen.
What’s clever about the Tile is that it’s powered by its own hardware separate from that of the Dragonfly. That means it can sound an alarm through its own integrated speaker even when the computer is off. The tracker does draw a small amount of power from the computer, though HP didn’t respond to our inquiries about the specifics of the relationship. If the Dragonfly is off when you lose it, HP says the Tile will keep functioning for 20 days. If the computer’s in hibernation, you still have 2.5 days.
Setting up the Tile is a very simple process. I had to activate the device through the Tile Microsoft app (it comes preloaded onto the Dragonfly) and create an account with the service. (The Tile plays a fun jingle while you’re setting it up.) Once I downloaded the Tile app on my phone and logged in, I was set.
When you open the Tile mobile app, you’ll see a list of any Tile products you’ve connected, including the Dragonfly. If you select the laptop and press “Find,” its tracker will sound a loud alarm. (iPhone users can also do this with a Siri shortcut.) You can also see its last-known location on a map. If you lose the notebook outside of Bluetooth range, you can designate it as “lost” and activate Tile’s Community Find feature, which will send you an alert with its location whenever another Tile passes within its Bluetooth range. If you register for Tile Premium, you can get more features, including a longer 30-day location history, and Smart Alerts which notifies you if you’ve left the house without your laptop (or another device attached to a Tile).
When I hid the Dragonfly in a pile of laundry in a closet, I could hear the tracker’s alarm pretty well when I was in the same room, and it was audible (though I had to listen hard) from the next room over. Outdoors, it was audible until about 60 feet away. The Tile tended to stay connected to my phone until I was about 140 feet away. Those are comparable results to those you can expect from the standalone Tile Pro tracker.
Tablet mode.
HP ELITE DRAGONFLY (2020) SPECS (AS REVIEWED) Intel Core i7-8665U
16GB RAM
512GB SSD
13.3-inch touchscreen display, 1920 x 1080, 1000 nits (spec), 773 nits (tested), Sure View Reflect
56.2 watt-hour battery
65W USB-C charger
Four-speaker system
Three-microphone array (two front-facing, one back-facing)
Ports: Two Thunderbolt 3, one headphone, one HDMI 1.4, one USB 3.1, one lock, one SIM
Wi-Fi 6, LTE option
An integrated Tile tracker is hardly an essential feature for the average business user. But if you travel a lot and you want the technology, it works.
We can speedrun through the rest of the usual laptop stuff because it’s the same as the Dragonfly Elite that we reviewed in late 2019. The keyboard is an absolute home run, with excellent travel and very little noise. The glass trackpad is similarly excellent, with a smooth surface and a quiet click. The port selection is impressive for such a lightweight 2-in-1, including two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right, as well as a USB-A port, a Kensington lock port, and slot for a SIM card on the left. Windows Hello works as it should, and the webcam has a convenient privacy shutter. The four-speaker array delivers some of the best surround sound I’ve ever heard from a Windows laptop. The laptop stays cool even under heavy loads, and the fans aren’t loud at all.
The new Dragonfly also has the same 8th Gen vPro-enabled Core i7-8665U processor as last year’s model. (10th Gen Comet Lake vPro isn’t out yet; we should see that later this year.) It’s a bit of a letdown not to see 10th Gen chips in such a pricey machine — the comparable Comet Lake 10th Gen i7 has six cores, so you’re losing out on multithreaded performance capability, which is useful for tasks like compiling code and doing elaborate things with Excel. 8th Gen chips are also at a disadvantage compared to Ice Lake chips, which will do better with creative work, thanks to Intel’s new Iris Plus Graphics. The 8665U still handled my everyday load (which mostly includes Chrome tabs and Slack) just fine, but if your workday includes more demanding tasks, you may be better off waiting for a Dragonfly model with 10th Gen CPUs.
Tent mode.
Other drawbacks of the previous model persist. The power button retains its unwieldy position on the left side; I accidentally pressed it a couple of times when I was carrying the laptop around. The screen still has the 16:9 aspect ratio, which is cramped for productivity use; I often had to zoom out to 80 or 70 percent to comfortably use tabs side by side. A laptop targeting business power users really should be 16:10 or, even better, 3:2.
These are small flaws compared to the things the Dragonfly does exceptionally well, which is basically everything else. If you’re in the market for a vPro-enabled system with both a built-in Tile tracking device and an integrated privacy screen, this is the only laptop on the market with that combination of features. If you and your company are made of money, then sure, splurge away.
But this Dragonfly is a luxury product. It’s the Galaxy S20 Ultra or the iPhone 11 Pro Max of business laptops; it’s awesome, but most people don’t need it. If you can go without the fancy features, a cheaper configuration will work just fine. And if you don’t need vPro and are willing to go for a ThinkPad instead, you can get a modern processor.


theverge--2020-05-09--Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla from California, files suit against Alameda County

After Alameda County health officials cautioned Tesla against reopening its California car factory yesterday , CEO Elon Musk tweeted today that the company would sue the county and move its headquarters out of state .
Hours later , Tesla ’ s attorneys filed suit in US District Court in the Northern District of California seeking an injunction against the county ’ s shelter-in-place order , because it “ contradicts the Governor ’ s Order to the extent it restricts the operation of business operating in the federal critical infrastructure sectors.
” “ Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The unelected & ignorant ‘ interim Health Officer ’ of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor , the President , our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense !
” Musk has been a vocal critic of coronavirus shelter-in-place orders , saying at the company ’ s April 29th earnings call that such restrictions were “ fascist ” and not democratic .
“ We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area , and that should be identified as a serious risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters on Twitter to “ please voice your disagreement as strongly as possible with Alameda County.
” An Alameda County spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge on Saturday that the county Health Care Services Agency and Public Health Department have been “ communicating directly and working closely with the Tesla team on the ground in Fremont .
This has been a collaborative , good faith effort to develop and implement a safety plan that allows for reopening while protecting the health and well-being of the thousands of employees who travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory.
” The spokesperson added that the team at Tesla had been responsive to guidance and recommendations “ and we look forward to coming to an agreement on an appropriate safety plan very soon.
” The statement , issued several hours after Musk ’ s tweets , did not reference the Tesla CEO ’ s comments or mention him by name .
“ We appreciate that our residents and businesses have made tremendous sacrifices and that together we have been able to save lives and protect community health in our region , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our collective responsibility to move through the phases of reopening and loosening the restrictions of the Shelter-in-Place Order in the safest way possible , guided by data and science.
” Tesla announced plans to resume “ limited operations ” at its Fremont facility yesterday , which would bring back about 30 percent of its workforce .
But officials in Alameda County , where Fremont is located , said yesterday that it was still under a shelter-in-place order and that Tesla it didn ’ t meet its criteria to reopen .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move forward , ” said Erica Pan , Alameda County ’ s health officer , according to Bloomberg .
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that state-level guidance allowing manufacturing to resume some production didn ’ t supersede county-level restrictions .
The company had unsucessfully tried to argue that Tesla ’ s production should be considered critical infrastructure .
The Fremont plant , where Tesla assembles its Model 3 , Model S , Model X , and Model Y vehicles , was temporarily closed March 23rd to comply with the shelter-in-place order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US salaried employees as of April 13th and put most hourly workers who can ’ t work remotely on unpaid furlough .
What would happen to the roughly 10,000 workers at the Fremont plant if Tesla were to move operations out of state as Musk tweeted , was unclear .
Both Tesla and Musk settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2018 over Musk ’ s tweets about taking Tesla private .
Then , in 2019 , the terms of the settlement were renegotiated .
Under the new terms , a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about certain parts of Tesla ’ s business before Musk sends them .
That includes any announcement that would trigger a filing of the form 8-K , which is used for announcing unscheduled material events , to the SEC .
As of this writing , Tesla has not filed an 8-K about Musk ’ s proposed factory move .
Tesla did not reply to a request for comment .
UPDATE May 9th , 5:16PM ET : Adds statement from Alameda County spokesperson and includes additional tweet from Musk .
UPDATE May 9th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit filed against Alameda County

After Alameda County health officials cautioned Tesla against reopening its California car factory yesterday, CEO Elon Musk tweeted today that the company would sue the county and move its headquarters out of state. Hours later, Tesla’s attorneys filed suit in US District Court in the Northern District of California seeking an injunction against the county’s shelter-in-place order, because it “contradicts the Governor’s Order to the extent it restricts the operation of business operating in the federal critical infrastructure sectors.”
“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately,” Musk said on Twitter. “The unelected & ignorant ‘interim Health Officer’ of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”
Musk has been a vocal critic of coronavirus shelter-in-place orders, saying at the company’s April 29th earnings call that such restrictions were “fascist” and not democratic. “We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area, and that should be identified as a serious risk,” Musk said. He also urged supporters on Twitter to “please voice your disagreement as strongly as possible with Alameda County.”
An Alameda County spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge on Saturday that the county Health Care Services Agency and Public Health Department have been “communicating directly and working closely with the Tesla team on the ground in Fremont. This has been a collaborative, good faith effort to develop and implement a safety plan that allows for reopening while protecting the health and well-being of the thousands of employees who travel to and from work at Tesla’s factory.”
The spokesperson added that the team at Tesla had been responsive to guidance and recommendations “and we look forward to coming to an agreement on an appropriate safety plan very soon.” The statement, issued several hours after Musk’s tweets, did not reference the Tesla CEO’s comments or mention him by name.
“We appreciate that our residents and businesses have made tremendous sacrifices and that together we have been able to save lives and protect community health in our region,“ the statement continues. “It is our collective responsibility to move through the phases of reopening and loosening the restrictions of the Shelter-in-Place Order in the safest way possible, guided by data and science.”
Tesla announced plans to resume “limited operations” at its Fremont facility yesterday, which would bring back about 30 percent of its workforce. But officials in Alameda County, where Fremont is located, said yesterday that it was still under a shelter-in-place order and that Tesla it didn’t meet its criteria to reopen. “We have not said that it’s appropriate to move forward,” said Erica Pan, Alameda County’s health officer, according to Bloomberg.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that state-level guidance allowing manufacturing to resume some production didn’t supersede county-level restrictions. The company had unsucessfully tried to argue that Tesla’s production should be considered critical infrastructure.
The Fremont plant, where Tesla assembles its Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles, was temporarily closed March 23rd to comply with the shelter-in-place order. Tesla reduced pay for all its US salaried employees as of April 13th and put most hourly workers who can’t work remotely on unpaid furlough. What would happen to the roughly 10,000 workers at the Fremont plant if Tesla were to move operations out of state as Musk tweeted, was unclear.
Both Tesla and Musk settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2018 over Musk’s tweets about taking Tesla private. Then, in 2019, the terms of the settlement were renegotiated. Under the new terms, a company lawyer must approve Musk’s tweets about certain parts of Tesla’s business before Musk sends them. That includes any announcement that would trigger a filing of the form 8-K, which is used for announcing unscheduled material events, to the SEC. As of this writing, Tesla has not filed an 8-K about Musk’s proposed factory move.
Tesla did not reply to a request for comment.
UPDATE May 9th, 5:16PM ET: Adds statement from Alameda County spokesperson and includes additional tweet from Musk.


theverge--2020-05-09--FDA authorizes rapid COVID 19 antigen test

The Food and Drug Administration has granted the first emergency use authorization to diagnostic healthcare company Quidel Corp. for the first COVID-19 antigen test , the agency announced .
Antigen tests can quickly detect the coronavirus , but are generally considered less accurate than other types of tests that search out the virus .
Antigen tests for COVID-19 are akin to rapid flu or strep tests .
This test can be run in a lab or in a doctor ’ s office , and only takes about 15 minutes .
The tests typically used to diagnose COVID-19 , called PCR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus in a swab collected from a patient ’ s nose or throat .
Antigen tests , on the other hand , look for molecules on the surface of the virus .
They return results much more quickly , but are less accurate .
If the test says a patient sample is positive , it ’ s likely to be correct .
But Quidel ’ s test has a high rate of false negatives : it only correctly identifies patient samples that contains the coronavirus 85 percent of the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wall Street Journal .
The FDA says negative results from an antigen test should be confirmed with a PCR test .
Quidel ’ s CEO told the WSJ the company is ramping up manufacturing to increase production of the test , officially called the Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA , with a goal of producing 1 million per week .

The Food and Drug Administration has granted the first emergency use authorization to diagnostic healthcare company Quidel Corp. for the first COVID-19 antigen test, the agency announced. Antigen tests can quickly detect the coronavirus, but are generally considered less accurate than other types of tests that search out the virus.
Antigen tests for COVID-19 are akin to rapid flu or strep tests. This test can be run in a lab or in a doctor’s office, and only takes about 15 minutes.
The tests typically used to diagnose COVID-19, called PCR tests, search out the genetic sequence of the coronavirus in a swab collected from a patient’s nose or throat. Antigen tests, on the other hand, look for molecules on the surface of the virus. They return results much more quickly, but are less accurate. If the test says a patient sample is positive, it’s likely to be correct. But Quidel’s test has a high rate of false negatives: it only correctly identifies patient samples that contains the coronavirus 85 percent of the time, the company’s chief executive told the Wall Street Journal.
The FDA says negative results from an antigen test should be confirmed with a PCR test.


theverge--2020-05-09--How one professional soccer player is adapting to life as a FIFA pro

Los Angeles FC forward Adama Diomande is bored .
With professional sports on indefinite hiatus throughout most of the world , he misses being on the field with teammates and competing in front of thousands of fans every week .
Like the rest of us , he ’ s been stuck at home ; that means trying his best to stay in shape , including jogging around the city at night , and keeping up with friends and family through video chats .
But he ’ s managed to satiate his desire for competition by taking part in eMLS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players and FIFA pros .
“ I love competing , ” Diomande says .
“ I just love to win.
” Like most professional sports leagues , MLS has been slowly taking steps into the video game space , but that process has accelerated in recent weeks .
In our current climate , the line between real and virtual competition has become hazier than ever .
Premier League players are competing in FIFA , the NBA 2K League is airing on ESPN , Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are playing Mario Tennis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewership .
MLS ’ s original plans for eMLS changed as it adapted to our current socially distanced reality .
Instead of a virtual league where FIFA players , each representing a specific team , compete against each other , MLS got some of its players involved as well .
The eMLS Tournament Special pairs one IRL pro with a virtual counterpart , and it ’ s divided into four small tournaments .
The winner of each moves on to a knockout tournament later this month .
Diomande and his FIFA partner Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an upcoming semifinal appearance by winning the first tournament in April .
According to Diomande , he didn ’ t spend much time preparing for the competition because he already plays FIFA — as well as games like Call of Duty and NBA 2K — regularly .
It ’ s something that ’ s been a part of his life from a young age .
“ It kept me out of trouble , ” he says .
For Diomande , video games are just another outlet for his competitive drive , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in particular — it ’ s been helpful for how he performs on the field .
“ It helps a lot with reactions and reflexes and how you see things , ” he explains .
“ That ’ s why when I play FIFA , I play at a fast tempo so I ’ m a step ahead of my opponents , always .
I know where to make the next pass when I get the ball because I see the whole pitch .
They ’ re small details , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , competing in a tournament like eMLS is a bit different than playing with friends .
Diomande notes that there ’ s a different vibe between the MLS players and their FIFA counterparts .
“ The gamers are more quiet , ” he says .
That ’ s particularly true when it comes to trash talk , which he believes is an important part of his game .
“ I ’ m in their head and they don ’ t even know what to do anymore , ” Diomande jokes .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” His first match was arguably the biggest , as he went up against Javier “ Chicharito ” Hernández from cross-town rivals LA Galaxy .
“ I wasn ’ t so nervous , but when the game started , I got some sweaty hands automatically because I just wanted to win , ” Diomande says .
And the trash talk definitely came into play .
“ When the game started , I got some sweaty hands automatically.
” “ I beat Chicharito the first game .
I told him he didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just complaining that his overall rating was bad .
I was just laughing and focusing on my game .
When he started to talk a lot , I chipped it to Carlos Vela , and I scored with myself .
He didn ’ t notice because he was complaining.
” He went on to win the next game against the Chicago Fire with a convincing 4-0 scoreline .
For now , Diomande and his partner are left to sit and wait .
MLS teams have just started slowly getting back to individual training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ match on the virtual pitch isn ’ t until May 17th against Kansas City , with a spot in the finals up for grabs .
He says he ’ ll watch some of the upcoming games and take notes , but he likes his chance no matter who he comes up against .
“ My chances are always good , ” he says .
“ I ’ m always winning , no matter what .
That ’ s me .
”

Los Angeles FC forward Adama Diomande is bored. With professional sports on indefinite hiatus throughout most of the world, he misses being on the field with teammates and competing in front of thousands of fans every week. Like the rest of us, he’s been stuck at home; that means trying his best to stay in shape, including jogging around the city at night, and keeping up with friends and family through video chats. But he’s managed to satiate his desire for competition by taking part in eMLS, an esports tournament that pairs professional soccer players and FIFA pros. “I love competing,” Diomande says. “I just love to win.”
MLS’s original plans for eMLS changed as it adapted to our current socially distanced reality. Instead of a virtual league where FIFA players, each representing a specific team, compete against each other, MLS got some of its players involved as well. The eMLS Tournament Special pairs one IRL pro with a virtual counterpart, and it’s divided into four small tournaments. The winner of each moves on to a knockout tournament later this month. Diomande and his FIFA partner Martin “RemiMartinn” Oregel led LAFC to an upcoming semifinal appearance by winning the first tournament in April.
“I just love to win.”
According to Diomande, he didn’t spend much time preparing for the competition because he already plays FIFA — as well as games like Call of Duty and NBA 2K — regularly. It’s something that’s been a part of his life from a young age. “It kept me out of trouble,” he says. For Diomande, video games are just another outlet for his competitive drive, but he’s also found — with FIFA, in particular — it’s been helpful for how he performs on the field.
Photo: LAFC
“It helps a lot with reactions and reflexes and how you see things,” he explains. “That’s why when I play FIFA, I play at a fast tempo so I’m a step ahead of my opponents, always. I know where to make the next pass when I get the ball because I see the whole pitch. They’re small details, but they help me a lot.”
That said, competing in a tournament like eMLS is a bit different than playing with friends. Diomande notes that there’s a different vibe between the MLS players and their FIFA counterparts. “The gamers are more quiet,” he says. That’s particularly true when it comes to trash talk, which he believes is an important part of his game. “I’m in their head and they don’t even know what to do anymore,” Diomande jokes. “That’s how I’m winning.”
His first match was arguably the biggest, as he went up against Javier “Chicharito” Hernández from cross-town rivals LA Galaxy. “I wasn’t so nervous, but when the game started, I got some sweaty hands automatically because I just wanted to win,” Diomande says. And the trash talk definitely came into play.
“When the game started, I got some sweaty hands automatically.”
“I beat Chicharito the first game. I told him he didn’t have a chance, and he was just complaining that his overall rating was bad. I was just laughing and focusing on my game. When he started to talk a lot, I chipped it to Carlos Vela, and I scored with myself. He didn’t notice because he was complaining.” He went on to win the next game against the Chicago Fire with a convincing 4-0 scoreline.
For now, Diomande and his partner are left to sit and wait. MLS teams have just started slowly getting back to individual training sessions, but Diomande’s next match on the virtual pitch isn’t until May 17th against Kansas City, with a spot in the finals up for grabs. He says he’ll watch some of the upcoming games and take notes, but he likes his chance no matter who he comes up against.


theverge--2020-05-09--Former Google engineer asks court to dismiss lawsuit

Former Google engineer James Damore , who sued Google in 2018 for allegedly discriminating against conservative white men , has @ @ @ @ @ the suit , Bloomberg reported .
The written request by Damore and three other men @ @ @ @ @ was joined by Google .
Damore ’ s attorney said as part of an agreement @ @ @ @ @ barred from speaking about the case beyond the Thursday filing in Santa Clara Superior Court @ @ @ @ @ Neither Damore ’ s attorney nor Google responded to requests for comment from The Verge @ @ @ @ @ fired Damore in 2017 after he wrote a controversial internal memo suggesting women were biologically @ @ @ @ @ .
The memo later became public , and Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent an internal @ @ @ @ @ time saying Damore had violated the company code of conduct for “ advancing harmful gender @ @ @ @ @ In a separate complaint , the US National Labor Relations Board found in 2018 that @ @ @ @ @ reason for firing Damore .

Former Google engineer James Damore, who sued Google in 2018 for allegedly discriminating against conservative white men, has asked a court to dismiss the suit, Bloomberg reported. The written request by Damore and three other men who joined his suit also was joined by Google. Damore’s attorney said as part of an agreement with Google the men are barred from speaking about the case beyond the Thursday filing in Santa Clara Superior Court, according to Bloomberg.


theverge--2020-05-09--Save on DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3, the latest iPad, and more for Mother’s Day

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
Tomorrow is Mother ’ s Day , and while the ongoing pandemic continues to be a nuisance that is probably preventing you from making special plans this year , you can still pick up a nice gift for a mom in your life .
One of those gifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gimbal to stabilize footage recorded on a phone , whether mom likes to shoot in vertical or horizontal mode .
These come in a special pre-wrapped Mother ’ s Day bundle right now directly from DJI for $ 139 .
In addition to the gimbal ( which usually costs around $ 120 by itself ) , you ’ ll get a bunch of goodies tossed in for a little extra , including a wrist strap , storage pouch , anti-slip pads , the Osmo Grip Tripod and an Osmo Carrying Case , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SD card .
If your family owns a Roku TV ( from TCL , Sharp , Insignia , or any other brand ) , a set of Roku Wireless Speakers can really elevate the sound performance .
Normally $ 200 , a two-pack is $ 150 for a limited time from Home Depot or directly through Roku .
Keep in mind that each speaker needs to be plugged into a power outlet , but so long as they ’ re within close range of your TV , you can place or mount them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , they can serve as Bluetooth speakers .
An iPad is always a good gift , especially if you ’ re getting it for someone who wants to stay connected with social media and entertained with all of the popular streaming services .
Apple ’ s latest version of the tablet has a Smart Connector port that lets you hook up a Smart Keyboard to get some typing done , too .
If you ’ re interested , it has been $ 80 off for over a week , and $ 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
Best Buy and Amazon have gone in and out of stock all week , so keep an eye out at both retailers to see who has the color you want .
In the case of Best Buy , if online orders are backed up , the option to pick up your order curbside is there .

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and while the ongoing pandemic continues to be a nuisance that is probably preventing you from making special plans this year, you can still pick up a nice gift for a mom in your life. One of those gifts ideas is a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 gimbal to stabilize footage recorded on a phone, whether mom likes to shoot in vertical or horizontal mode. These come in a special pre-wrapped Mother’s Day bundle right now directly from DJI for $139.
In addition to the gimbal (which usually costs around $120 by itself), you’ll get a bunch of goodies tossed in for a little extra, including a wrist strap, storage pouch, anti-slip pads, the Osmo Grip Tripod and an Osmo Carrying Case, a digital photo frame, and an 8GB SD card.
DJI Osmo Mobile 3 gift box / Includes a wrist strap, storage pouch, anti-slip pads, the Osmo Grip Tripod and an Osmo Carrying Case, a digital photo frame, and an 8GB SD card $139 at DJI
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
If your family owns a Roku TV (from TCL, Sharp, Insignia, or any other brand), a set of Roku Wireless Speakers can really elevate the sound performance. Normally $200, a two-pack is $150 for a limited time from Home Depot or directly through Roku. Keep in mind that each speaker needs to be plugged into a power outlet, but so long as they’re within close range of your TV, you can place or mount them wherever you please in the room. Additionally, they can serve as Bluetooth speakers.
Roku Wireless Speakers (two-pack) / Was $200, now 25% off $150 at Home Depot
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
An iPad is always a good gift, especially if you’re getting it for someone who wants to stay connected with social media and entertained with all of the popular streaming services. Apple’s latest version of the tablet has a Smart Connector port that lets you hook up a Smart Keyboard to get some typing done, too.
If you’re interested, it has been $80 off for over a week, and $250 for the 32GB model is a solid deal. Best Buy and Amazon have gone in and out of stock all week, so keep an eye out at both retailers to see who has the color you want. In the case of Best Buy, if online orders are backed up, the option to pick up your order curbside is there.
Apple iPad (seventh-generation, 32GB, Wi-Fi) / Was $330, now 24% off $250 at Best Buy
Apple iPad (seventh-generation, 32GB, Wi-Fi) / Was $330, now 24% off $250 at Amazon


theverge--2020-05-09--9 new trailers you should watch this week

I watched HBO ’ s new film Bad Education last week .
The whole thing felt a bit like a heist movie in reverse — it ’ s about a superintendent who ’ s stealing money from his school district , only you ’ re watching as the crime unravels , rather than as it plays out .
It ’ s a fun film , in large part thanks to Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney taking on some big characters .
But the movie also takes the course a lot of true-story movies do , where they worry more about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about building characters .
I think this works to a point .
It ’ s a wild story , and they do an entertaining job telling it .
But I wish the film pushed a little further into who these people are .
Showing the crime only as it ’ s unraveled is a cool way to tell the story , but it also means we don ’ t get to learn much about what anyone is doing until it ’ s a bit too late .
Check out nine trailers from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving The Office , Steve Carell has a new sitcom .
While Space Force is a workplace comedy , and Carell is once again playing a boss , he ’ s taking on a very different role than Michael Scott .
In Space Force , he seems to be the one everyone else is playing off , and there ’ s a great cast around him .
It looks like it ’ s off to a funny start .
The show debuts May 29th .
It ’ s been a while since we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His first feature since Trainwreck five years ago stars Pete Davidson as a slacker still living at home , who suddenly has to start being responsible for some young kids .
Universal ’ s trailer for the film paints it as weirdly uplifting ... which I have to imagine is not the primary tone of the movie ?
It heads on demand on June 12th .
Becoming is being pitched as the documentary counterpart to Michelle Obama ’ s blockbuster memoir .
It ’ s hard to imagine fans won ’ t find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times said the documentary is less revealing than the book .
The film hit Netflix earlier this week .
I ’ ll Be Gone In the Dark HBO has a documentary adaptation of Michelle McNamara ’ s investigation into the Golden State Killer , and like the book , it seems to pull in McNamara ’ s obsession around finding the culprit in a big way .
The documentary comes to HBO on June 28th .
Hearing your friends ’ stories about being high and laughing at dumb stuff is never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be .
But ... it might be a little different when it ’ s famous people telling you stories about being high , and that seems to be what Have A Good Trip is all about .
The film comes to Netflix on May 11th .
It ’ s The Great British Bake Off , but with flowers — and that seems like a pretty good recipe .
The show debuts May 18th .
Elisabeth Moss plays a take on the horror writer Shirley Jackson , author of “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , in Shirley .
The film comes from Josephine Decker , the director behind Madeline ’ s Madeline , and it looks similarly dreamy to her previous work .
The film comes out June 5th .
I try not to post too many weird trailers each week , but I had to make extra room for this one , which seems to be a neo-noir gangster vampire movie about a hitman hunting down a jazz musician , if I ’ m understanding all of this correctly ?
It comes out June 5th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alone ... except the bad guy is a neo-Nazi played by Kevin James .

I watched HBO’s new film Bad Education last week. The whole thing felt a bit like a heist movie in reverse — it’s about a superintendent who’s stealing money from his school district, only you’re watching as the crime unravels, rather than as it plays out.
It’s a fun film, in large part thanks to Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney taking on some big characters. But the movie also takes the course a lot of true-story movies do, where they worry more about telling you what happened than they do about building characters.
I think this works to a point. It’s a wild story, and they do an entertaining job telling it. But I wish the film pushed a little further into who these people are. Showing the crime only as it’s unraveled is a cool way to tell the story, but it also means we don’t get to learn much about what anyone is doing until it’s a bit too late.
Check out nine trailers from this week below.
Space Force
Almost a decade after leaving The Office, Steve Carell has a new sitcom. While Space Force is a workplace comedy, and Carell is once again playing a boss, he’s taking on a very different role than Michael Scott. In Space Force, he seems to be the one everyone else is playing off, and there’s a great cast around him. It looks like it’s off to a funny start. The show debuts May 29th.
The King of Staten Island
It’s been a while since we got a new Judd Apatow comedy. His first feature since Trainwreck five years ago stars Pete Davidson as a slacker still living at home, who suddenly has to start being responsible for some young kids. Universal’s trailer for the film paints it as weirdly uplifting... which I have to imagine is not the primary tone of the movie? It heads on demand on June 12th.
Becoming
Becoming is being pitched as the documentary counterpart to Michelle Obama’s blockbuster memoir. It’s hard to imagine fans won’t find something to enjoy here, though The New York Times said the documentary is less revealing than the book. The film hit Netflix earlier this week.
I’ll Be Gone In the Dark
HBO has a documentary adaptation of Michelle McNamara’s investigation into the Golden State Killer, and like the book, it seems to pull in McNamara’s obsession around finding the culprit in a big way. The documentary comes to HBO on June 28th.
Have A Good Trip
Hearing your friends’ stories about being high and laughing at dumb stuff is never as funny as they imagine it’s going to be. But... it might be a little different when it’s famous people telling you stories about being high, and that seems to be what Have A Good Trip is all about. The film comes to Netflix on May 11th.
The Big Flower Fight
It’s The Great British Bake Off, but with flowers — and that seems like a pretty good recipe. The show debuts May 18th.
Shirley
Elisabeth Moss plays a take on the horror writer Shirley Jackson, author of “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House, in Shirley. The film comes from Josephine Decker, the director behind Madeline’s Madeline, and it looks similarly dreamy to her previous work. The film comes out June 5th.
Dreamland
I try not to post too many weird trailers each week, but I had to make extra room for this one, which seems to be a neo-noir gangster vampire movie about a hitman hunting down a jazz musician, if I’m understanding all of this correctly? It comes out June 5th.
Becky


theverge--2020-05-10--Our 16 favorite gadgets to help care for and entertain kids

School ’ s out for the foreseeable future , nannies are isolating at home , daycare centers have shut down , and play dates have been canceled .
Your children now depend on you for 24-hour care , education , and amusement .
So what can you do to make your days — and theirs — better ?
We asked the parents of Vox Media what they ’ ve been using to help them care for , teach , and entertain their kids at home .
Here are some of the answers we got .
Caring for little ones I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track of baby schedules and health things .
It supports multiple kids ( perfect for those with twins / multiples ) and allows multiple users / parents / nannies / sitters / doctors to be added as users to add logs .
[ I agree ] on the Baby Connect app .
It has many features we don ’ t use , but we have always used it for tracking height / weight / head size , and it immediately shows percentile and growth charts .
Sprout lets you track feedings , medications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially helpful in that newborn period where you lose all short-term memory and concept of time .
With Sprout , I could mark down when I fed the baby , and I didn ’ t have to rely on my foggy brain to remember .
My husband and I still sometimes use it to remember when we gave our son , now almost two , Tylenol or other medicine .
You can share it with multiple family members so everyone has the info .
I loved using our Dropcam as a baby monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children ) .
It ’ s easy to use , and multiple people can simultaneously view , play back , and video capture .
There were several organic moments I was able to save to video that are priceless ( like my son first saying , “ Mama ” and my daughter comforting and singing to my son at night ) .
The Cloud Baby Monitor app has saved us a few times when our regular camera / monitor setup did not have the range we needed .
It can send push notifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is very useful .
I have the Infant Optics DXR-8 in both of my kids ’ rooms and one at my in-laws ’ place .
It ’ s an awesome video monitor and you can also talk through it , so if I ’ m two floors away and my son is up and fussing , I can tell him I ’ m coming and he calms down .
Our favorite tech for babies is Alexa — we used this nonstop !
With my first baby , I was terrible at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So with this baby , I used Alexa .
As in : “ Alexa , log that I am feeding the baby 6 ozs.
” “ Alexa , log that the baby pooped.
” “ Alexa , set an alarm for three hours for bottle one ” ( since after three hours , the bottle is bad ) .
I didn ’ t have to write anything down — it was so easy !
Then we ’ d use Alexa ’ s “ sounds of the ocean ” for when she slept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Echo .
We use it as a timeout timer .
Taught our kids to say “ Alexa STOP ” really fast .
Also , you can use the Echo as a monitor if you want .
You can use your phone to tap into it as a listening device .
Years from now , I may regret letting my kids grow up with Alexa in their lives .
But as long as I ’ m still putting babes to bed , I ’ m grateful for hands-free , voice-dimmable lights .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters upstairs and change diapers in the middle of the night , without tripping over toys or the fear of waking them up with a sudden burst of light to the face .
“ Alexa , set the lights to 1 percent ” might be the most uttered phrase in our house these days .
I love my VTech non-video baby monitor .
It ’ s about $ 30 and works amazingly well without any of the static that many monitors have — and it ’ s nice to have something that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nest Cam functioning as a video monitor when we want to see what is happening , but we have found that the audio serves our notification purposes and keeps a check on that new parent panic that you might develop from being able to watch your baby / kid sleep all the time .
[ I can vouch ] for the VTech monitor !
For video , we use the Lollipop baby monitor , which is totally fine but dependent on Wi-Fi , so we figured it ’ d be good to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ages five to 12 We ’ re a big fan of Osmo games for preschool-plus .
Playing Osmo is a much-loved activity for my three kids , aged three , five , and seven .
The physical pieces allow for a much more interactive and tactile experience .
The games are entertaining and educational .
From exploring physics , making pizzas and calculating change , and coding , the kids are occupied for hours .
For ages seven and up My son has had a lot of fun with this set .
Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids are already familiar ( Lego ) and introducing them to programming and robots .
I love how my son will follow the step-by-step instructions to the end , and then modify the suggested programming to do something different .
It ’ s both directed and open-ended .
For ages two to eight We recently got on board the ABCmouse train for our five-year-old and it ’ s surprisingly great !
The graphics are very 2002 , but it is keeping her entertained for about an hour a day .
I love the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handheld screentime in our home , and that basically lets me cast whatever they want to watch or do on my phone onto the TV screen .
On paper , there are a lot of things that make the Kids Edition Fire tablets attractive to parents .
They all come with a bulky rubber case that makes it easy to hold and hard to break .
Should your kid break it , Amazon provides two years of worry-free protection .
And each Kids Edition tablet comes with a subscription to Amazon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what content is available on it and set time limits for how long kids can use the tablet each day .
In practice , the tablets are objectively terrible .
The interface is confusing , the performance is slow and laggy , and the battery life leaves a lot to be desired .
Those things all matter to me , a professional product reviewer , but for my five-year-old and eight-year-old , the Fire Tablets we got them a couple holidays back are their favorite toys .
They use them to play games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasionally read a book .
On road trips , back when we used to take those , they were indispensable to keep them happy and occupied and let me worry about merging onto the interstate .
While we ’ re stuck at home for the foreseeable future , we have to aggressively dole out access to the tablets , lest the kids spend all of their waking moments staring at them .
I do wish they were more useful for helping with schoolwork — these are still primarily playtime and entertainment machines — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mind that they aren ’ t .
The Hatch Rest+ is basically the world ’ s fanciest white noise machine .
I love it because you can control it through your phone ; it can be a monitor , it has programmable settings so it comes on automatically for bedtime and nap times , and you can create a wake-up setting with different noises or lights .
It has a chargeable battery so you can unplug it and move it around the house if you need to .
I have one in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When my son is being loud while the baby is taking a nap , we ’ ll turn up her white noise in the app .
It ’ s really convenient !
Oh , and the speaker is two-way so you can talk through it from your phone .
I also used the Hatch Rest .
It ’ s programmable from your phone with schedules , and can be used as a nursery night light , an okay to wake light , a sound machine , etc .
Dohm is great because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it today .
White noise is a must when you ’ re living in a city , have a creaky house , or have siblings sharing a room .
Huckleberry was really helpful in getting our kids sleep trained .
It has a simple user interface that lets you log bedtimes , naps , and feedings .
It then calculates their “ SweetSpot ” for when their next nap will be or when their bedtime should be .
It ’ s usually spot on and has made putting the kids down a breeze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it shows a visual history of their sleep patterns so you can see when and how much sleep your kids are getting over time .

Many schools are teaching remotely, nannies are isolating at home, daycare centers have shut down, and playdates have been canceled. Your children now depend on you for 24-hour care, education, and amusement. So what can you do to make your days — and theirs — better?
We asked the parents of Vox Media what they’ve been using to help them care for, teach, and entertain their kids at home. Here are some of the answers we got.
(Note: if you plan to use a Nest Cam or other internet-connected camera as a child monitor, you may want to check out this article on how to secure Nest and other devices.)
Caring for little ones
Baby Connect Screenshots: Seacloud Software Baby Connect
I love the Baby Connect app for keeping track of baby schedules and health things. It supports multiple kids (perfect for those with twins / multiples) and allows multiple users / parents / nannies / sitters / doctors to be added as users to add logs.
Melissa Young
Engineering manager, revenue experience
[I agree] on the Baby Connect app. It has many features we don’t use, but we have always used it for tracking height / weight / head size, and it immediately shows percentile and growth charts.
Ed Clinton
Senior product manager, Chorus
Baby Connect / Baby tracker for iPhone $5 on App Store
Baby Connect / Baby tracker for Android devices $5 on Google Play
Sprout Baby Screenshot: Med Art Studios
Sprout lets you track feedings, medications, and more. It’s especially helpful in that newborn period where you lose all short-term memory and concept of time. With Sprout, I could mark down when I fed the baby, and I didn’t have to rely on my foggy brain to remember. My husband and I still sometimes use it to remember when we gave our son, now almost two, Tylenol or other medicine. You can share it with multiple family members so everyone has the info.
Anna North
Senior reporter, Vox.com
Sprout Baby / Baby tracker for iPhone, iPad Free on App Store
Monitor the kids
Nest Cam Indoor Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
I loved using our Dropcam as a baby monitor (eventually having two for both our children). It’s easy to use, and multiple people can simultaneously view, play back, and video capture. There were several organic moments I was able to save to video that are priceless (like my son first saying, “Mama” and my daughter comforting and singing to my son at night).
Jory Ruscio
Senior full-stack engineer, data
(Note: The Dropcam cameras have been replaced by Nest Cams.)
Nest Cam Indoor / Monitoring camera $129 on Amazon
Cloud Baby Monitor Photo: VIGI Limited
The Cloud Baby Monitor app has saved us a few times when our regular camera / monitor setup did not have the range we needed. It can send push notifications when it detects sound in the room, which is very useful.
Ed Clinton
Cloud Baby Monitor / Infant monitoring app $5 on App Store
Cloud Baby Monitor / Infant monitoring app $5 on Google Play
Infant Optics DXR-8 Photo: Infant Optics
I have the Infant Optics DXR-8 in both of my kids’ rooms and one at my in-laws’ place. It’s an awesome video monitor and you can also talk through it, so if I’m two floors away and my son is up and fussing, I can tell him I’m coming and he calms down.
Erin Bakst
SVP, people & culture
Infant Optics DXR-8 / Baby monitor $166 on Amazon
Alexa / Echo
Amazon Echo Dot Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Our favorite tech for babies is Alexa — we used this nonstop! With my first baby, I was terrible at logging all the things I needed to. So with this baby, I used Alexa. As in: “Alexa, log that I am feeding the baby 6 ozs.” “Alexa, log that the baby pooped.” “Alexa, set an alarm for three hours for bottle one” (since after three hours, the bottle is bad). I didn’t have to write anything down — it was so easy! Then we’d use Alexa’s “sounds of the ocean” for when she slept.
Heather Savatta
Concert solutions
[I agree] on Alexa / Echo. We use it as a timeout timer. Taught our kids to say “Alexa STOP” really fast. Also, you can use the Echo as a monitor if you want. You can use your phone to tap into it as a listening device.
Melissa Young
(Note: the Echo Dot that is listed below is a later version than the one discussed and pictured here, since the older version is no longer available.)
Echo Dot (4th gen) with clock / Smart speaker $60 on Amazon
Philips Hue smart bulbs
Years from now, I may regret letting my kids grow up with Alexa in their lives. But as long as I’m still putting babes to bed, I’m grateful for hands-free, voice-dimmable lights. They’ve allowed us to carry our daughters upstairs and change diapers in the middle of the night, without tripping over toys or the fear of waking them up with a sudden burst of light to the face. “Alexa, set the lights to 1 percent” might be the most uttered phrase in our house these days.
Sean Hollister
Senior news editor, The Verge
Philips Hue Starter Kit / Smart lightbulbs $199 on Amazon
VTech Audio Baby Monitor Photo: VTech
I love my VTech non-video baby monitor. It’s about $30 and works amazingly well without any of the static that many monitors have — and it’s nice to have something that is just audio. We also have a Nest Cam functioning as a video monitor when we want to see what is happening, but we have found that the audio serves our notification purposes and keeps a check on that new parent panic that you might develop from being able to watch your baby / kid sleep all the time.
Miriam Nissly
Assistant general counsel
[I can vouch] for the VTech monitor! For video, we use the Lollipop baby monitor, which is totally fine but dependent on Wi-Fi, so we figured it’d be good to have a backup just in case.
Tara Long
Executive producer, Polygon
VTech Audio Baby Monitor / Audio-only infant monitor $34 on Amazon
Activities for kids
For ages five to 12
Osmo Genius Starter Kit Photo: Tangible Play
We’re a big fan of Osmo games for preschool-plus. Playing Osmo is a much-loved activity for my three kids, aged three, five, and seven. The physical pieces allow for a much more interactive and tactile experience. The games are entertaining and educational. From exploring physics, making pizzas and calculating change, and coding, the kids are occupied for hours.
Jory Ruscio
Osmo Genius Starter Kit / Hands-on creative tools for kids $100 from Amazon
For ages seven and up
Lego Education WeDo 2.0 Core Set Photo: Lego
My son has had a lot of fun with this set. Great concept in using a toy with which kids are already familiar (Lego) and introducing them to programming and robots. I love how my son will follow the step-by-step instructions to the end, and then modify the suggested programming to do something different. It’s both directed and open-ended.
Jory Ruscio
Lego Education WeDo 2.0 Core Set / Educational toy $223 on Amazon
ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy
For ages two to eight
ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy Screenshot: Age of Learning
We recently got on board the ABCmouse train for our five-year-old and it’s surprisingly great! The graphics are very 2002, but it is keeping her entertained for about an hour a day.
Abigail Aronofsky
Director, brand strategy
ABCmouse.com / Educational software From $10 on Age of Learning
Google Chromecast Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
I love the Google Chromecast because we try to minimize handheld screentime in our home, and that basically lets me cast whatever they want to watch or do on my phone onto the TV screen.
Esther Cohen
Social media manager, The Verge
Google Chromecast / Streaming video $30 on Amazon
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Photo: Amazon
On paper, there are a lot of things that make the Kids Edition Fire tablets attractive to parents. They all come with a bulky rubber case that makes it easy to hold and hard to break. Should your kid break it, Amazon provides two years of worry-free protection. And each Kids Edition tablet comes with a subscription to Amazon’s FreeTime service, which lets parents control what content is available on it and set time limits for how long kids can use the tablet each day.
In practice, the tablets are objectively terrible. The interface is confusing, the performance is slow and laggy, and the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. Those things all matter to me, a professional product reviewer, but for my five-year-old and eight-year-old, the Fire Tablets we got them a couple of holidays back are their favorite toys. They use them to play games, watch Spongebob Squarepants, and maybe occasionally read a book. On road trips, back when we used to take those, they were indispensable to keep them happy and occupied and let me worry about merging onto the interstate.
While we’re stuck at home for the foreseeable future, we have to aggressively dole out access to the tablets, lest the kids spend all of their waking moments staring at them. I do wish they were more useful for helping with schoolwork — these are still primarily playtime and entertainment machines — but my kids don’t seem to mind that they aren’t.
Dan Seifert
Deputy editor, The Verge
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet / Android tablet $140 on Amazon
Getting to sleep
Hatch Rest+ Photo: Hatch
The Hatch Rest+ is basically the world’s fanciest white noise machine. I love it because you can control it through your phone; it can be a monitor, it has programmable settings so it comes on automatically for bedtime and nap times, and you can create a wake-up setting with different noises or lights. It has a chargeable battery so you can unplug it and move it around the house if you need to.
I have one in both of my kids’ rooms. When my son is being loud while the baby is taking a nap, we’ll turn up her white noise in the app. It’s really convenient! Oh, and the speaker is two-way so you can talk through it from your phone.
Lauren Williams
SVP & editor-in-chief, Vox & Recode
I also used the Hatch Rest. It’s programmable from your phone with schedules and can be used as a nursery night light, an okay to wake light, a sound machine, etc.
Melissa Young
Hatch Rest+ / Sound machine $90 on Amazon
Dohm Classic Photo: Yogasleep
Dohm is great because it is natural noise. We still use it today. White noise is a must when you’re living in a city, have a creaky house, or have siblings sharing a room.
Jory Ruscio
Dohm Classic / White noise machine $45 on Amazon
Huckleberry Huckleberry
Huckleberry was really helpful in getting our kids sleep trained. It has a simple user interface that lets you log bedtimes, naps, and feedings. It then calculates their “SweetSpot” for when their next nap will be or when their bedtime should be. It’s usually spot on and has made putting the kids down a breeze. If you like charts and graphs, it shows a visual history of their sleep patterns so you can see when and how much sleep your kids are getting over time.
Ateeb Ahmad
Director, IT infrastructure
Huckleberry (for iPhone) / Sleep tracking app Free on App Store
Huckleberry (for Android) / Sleep tracking app Free on Google Play
Update August 5th, 12:37PM ET: The prices in this article have been updated.


theverge--2020-05-10--Trump and Intel are reportedly pushing for new processor factories in the US

The Trump administration is reportedly in talks with major processor manufacturers to build factories in the US , according to a report from The Wall Street Journal .
While the Journal ’ s sources reference various “ talks ” between the administration and manufacturers , Intel reportedly has a more specific plan to run a plant that manufactures chips “ securely ” — playing on US fears of reliance on processor plants based overseas .
Trump ’ s record on US manufacturing is abysmal , so expecting a crop of new US processor foundries to pop up is a risky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievements in the tech sector , many of these have been total whoppers , including a repeated lie about a “ new ” Apple factory in Texas .
But the Journal ’ s report suggests things might be more serious than a photo-op with the president .
TSMC , which makes Apple ’ s A-series chips , has reportedly been talking to Apple and critical government agencies about building a factory in the US .
And , according to the Journal , Intel is eager to participate .
“ We ’ re very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greg Slater told WSJ .
Without more detail about these talks and plans , it ’ s reasonable to assume chipmakers are simply responding to the potentially-lucrative business of defense contracts .
As the Journal points out , Intel CEO Bob Swan sent a letter to the Department of Defense on April 28th saying that “ it is in the best interest of the United States and of Intel ” to explore operating a commercial chip foundry in the US .
US skepticism about the benefits of globalization may be riding high thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech manufacturing to the US isn ’ t as simple as having a change of heart ; existing supply chain efficiencies from more than a decade of investment in overseas manufacturing can ’ t be easily reversed .
Even if these talks turn into something real , don ’ t expect Apple ’ s chips to be made in the US any time soon .

The Trump administration is reportedly in talks with major processor manufacturers to build factories in the US, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. While the Journal’s sources reference various “talks” between the administration and manufacturers, Intel reportedly has a more specific plan to run a plant that manufactures chips “securely” — playing on US fears of reliance on processor plants based overseas.
Trump’s record on US manufacturing is abysmal, so expecting a crop of new US processor foundries to pop up is a risky bet. Though he has boasted of achievements in the tech sector, many of these have been total whoppers, including a repeated lie about a “new” Apple factory in Texas. But the Journal’s report suggests things might be more serious than a photo-op with the president. TSMC, which makes Apple’s A-series chips, has reportedly been talking to Apple and critical government agencies about building a factory in the US. And, according to the Journal, Intel is eager to participate. “We’re very serious about this,” Intel VP Greg Slater told WSJ.
Without more detail about these talks and plans, it’s reasonable to assume chipmakers are simply responding to the potentially-lucrative business of defense contracts. As the Journal points out, Intel CEO Bob Swan sent a letter to the Department of Defense on April 28th saying that “it is in the best interest of the United States and of Intel” to explore operating a commercial chip foundry in the US.


theverge--2020-05-10--Twitch roulette helps you find the loneliest streamers

A relatively small group of superstars dominate attention and money on Twitch , but it ’ s still a place overwhelmingly populated by an underclass of lonely hearts looking for viewers .
Twitch Roulette , first spotted by The Next Web , is my new favorite way to watch people on Twitch .
It makes it easy to find the streamers out there searching for the 50 followers it takes to become a Twitch affiliate .
After flipping through a couple of offline channels and garden-variety Fortnite streams , I found “ Big Lee : ” a new streamer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the past few days .
When I joined the stream , Lee was playing American Truck Simulator with no audience .
( As my colleague Patricia Hernandez reported , some Twitch streamers spend years broadcasting to no one . )
“ I wan na hit 10 followers , then 50 , and then keep going , ” Lee told me in his chat room .
Though the most popular streamers may put on the most polished shows , Twitch has always been a great place to watch people who are just starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay more attention to visitors and engage with their audience more deeply .
One of the reasons I watch Twitch so often is that it just feels like hanging out with a friend you ’ ve never met .
Check out Twitch Roulette on the web to find those Ninjas-in-waiting , and lend a follow to a lonely streamer if you ’ re feeling generous .
I ’ m done spinning the wheel for today , and I ’ ll be spending the rest of my afternoon watching Big Lee drive virtual @ @ @ @ @ @

A relatively small group of superstars dominate attention and money on Twitch, but it’s still a place overwhelmingly populated by an underclass of lonely hearts looking for viewers. Twitch Roulette, first spotted by The Next Web, is my new favorite way to watch people on Twitch. It makes it easy to find the streamers out there searching for the 50 followers it takes to become a Twitch affiliate.
After flipping through a couple of offline channels and garden-variety Fortnite streams, I found “Big Lee:” a new streamer who says he has been going hard non-stop for the past few days. When I joined the stream, Lee was playing American Truck Simulator with no audience. (As my colleague Patricia Hernandez reported, some Twitch streamers spend years broadcasting to no one.) “I wanna hit 10 followers, then 50, and then keep going,” Lee told me in his chat room.
Though the most popular streamers may put on the most polished shows, Twitch has always been a great place to watch people who are just starting out, because they’re able to pay more attention to visitors and engage with their audience more deeply. One of the reasons I watch Twitch so often is that it just feels like hanging out with a friend you’ve never met.


theverge--2020-05-10--Microsoft now blocks reply-all email storms to end our inbox nightmares

Microsoft is rolling out a new reply-all protection feature for Office 365 and Exchange Online .
It ’ s designed to prevent email storms ( reply allpocalypse ) , when hundreds or thousands of people start replying to an email thread after someone forgot to BCC everyone or a distribution list was misconfigured .
The new block feature will mostly benefit large organizations , and is initially being rolled out to detect 10 reply-all emails to over 5,000 recipients within 60 minutes .
“ Over time , as we gather usage telemetry and customer feedback , we expect to tweak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All Storm Protection feature to make it even more valuable to a broader range of Office 365 customers , ” explains Microsoft ’ s Exchange transport team .
Reply-all email storms are a problem that affect businesses large and small , and have been occurring for decades .
Microsoft had its own infamous incident back in 1997 , which employees fondly refer to as Bedlam DL3 .
Around 25,000 people were on a distribution list and kept replying to the thread , generating 15,000,000 email messages and 195 gigabytes of data .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail servers , and the company rolled out a message recipient limit in Exchange to try and tackle future problems .
Microsoft still suffers from reply-all email storms , though .
Last year a GitHub notification triggered an email storm for thousands of Microsoft employees .
Back in March , thousands of Microsoft employees were also caught in a reply-all email thread that was quickly shut down within 30 minutes .
Microsoft ’ s new reply-all email block feature will stay in place for four hours after it ’ s automatically triggered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ why am I on this email thread ?
” hundreds of times .
The new feature appears to be working for Microsoft ’ s own employees .
“ Humans still behave like humans no matter which company they work for , ” says the Exchange team .
“ We ’ re already seeing the first version of the feature successfully reduce the impact of reply-all storms within Microsoft .
”

Microsoft is rolling out a new reply-all protection feature for Office 365 and Exchange Online. It’s designed to prevent email storms (reply allpocalypse), when hundreds or thousands of people start replying to an email thread after someone forgot to BCC everyone or a distribution list was misconfigured.
The new block feature will mostly benefit large organizations, and is initially being rolled out to detect 10 reply-all emails to over 5,000 recipients within 60 minutes. “Over time, as we gather usage telemetry and customer feedback, we expect to tweak, fine-tune, and enhance the Reply All Storm Protection feature to make it even more valuable to a broader range of Office 365 customers,” explains Microsoft’s Exchange transport team.
Reply-all email storms are a problem that affect businesses large and small, and have been occurring for decades. Microsoft had its own infamous incident back in 1997, which employees fondly refer to as Bedlam DL3. Around 25,000 people were on a distribution list and kept replying to the thread, generating 15,000,000 email messages and 195 gigabytes of data. The incident overwhelmed Microsoft’s own Exchange mail servers, and the company rolled out a message recipient limit in Exchange to try and tackle future problems.
Microsoft still suffers from reply-all email storms, though. Last year a GitHub notification triggered an email storm for thousands of Microsoft employees. Back in March, thousands of Microsoft employees were also caught in a reply-all email thread that was quickly shut down within 30 minutes.


theverge--2020-05-11--Microsoft’s Outlook on the web is getting a Gmail-like text prediction feature

Microsoft is working on a new text prediction feature for Outlook that ’ s similar to Gmail ’ s Smart Compose .
The text predictions will allow Outlook.com and Outlook on the web to write emails for people using predictive tech that offers up suggestions while you type .
A support document reveals that Outlook users will be able to accept suggestions with tab or right arrow on a keyboard , or just keep typing to ignore them .
Microsoft is currently planning to roll this out later this month , and it ’ s marked as “ in development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 365 feature roadmap .
Microsoft is also working on a “ send later ” feature for Outlook on the web that will allow users to schedule when to send an email message .
That ’ s particularly useful if you wake up from a deep sleep at 5AM and remember you need to email your boss , but don ’ t want it to look like you ’ re eagerly sending emails at early hours of the morning .
Microsoft says the send later feature should arrive before the end of June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Microsoft is working on a new text prediction feature for Outlook that’s similar to Gmail’s Smart Compose. The text predictions will allow Outlook.com and Outlook on the web to write emails for people using predictive tech that offers up suggestions while you type. A support document reveals that Outlook users will be able to accept suggestions with tab or right arrow on a keyboard, or just keep typing to ignore them.
Microsoft is currently planning to roll this out later this month, and it’s marked as “in development” on the company’s Microsoft 365 feature roadmap. Microsoft is also working on a “send later” feature for Outlook on the web that will allow users to schedule when to send an email message.


theverge--2020-05-11--Thunderbolt flaw allows access to a PC’s data in minutes

Vulnerabilities discovered in the Thunderbolt connection standard could allow hackers to access the contents of a locked laptop ’ s hard drive within minutes , a security researcher from the Eindhoven University of Technology has announced .
Wired reports that the vulnerabilities affect all Thunderbolt-enabled PCs manufactured before 2019 .
Although hackers need physical access to a Windows or Linux computer to exploit the flaws , they could theoretically gain access to all data in about five minutes even if the laptop is locked , password protected , and has an encrypted hard drive .
The entire process can reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ components costing just a few hundred dollars .
Perhaps most worryingly , the researcher says the flaws can not be patched in software , and that a hardware redesign will be needed to completely fix the issues .
Apple ’ s Macs have offered Thunderbolt connectivity since 2011 , but researchers say that they ’ re only “ partially affected ” by Thunderspy if they ’ re running macOS .
The result , the report claims , is that macOS systems are vulnerable to attacks similar to BadUSB .
This is a security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can allow an infected USB device to take control of a computer , steal data , or spy on a user .
Björn Ruytenberg , the researcher who discovered the vulnerabilities , has posted a video showing how an attack is performed .
In the video , he removes the backplate and attaches a device to the inside of a password-protected Lenovo ThinkPad laptop , disables its security , and logs in as though he had its password .
The whole process takes about five minutes .
This is not the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Thunderbolt technology , which relies on direct access to a computer ’ s memory to offer faster data transfer speeds .
In 2019 , security researchers revealed a Thunderbolt vulnerability they called “ Thunderclap ” which allowed seemingly innocuous USB-C or DisplayPort hardware to compromise a device .
Security issues like these are reportedly the reason Microsoft hasn ’ t added Thunderbolt connectors to its Surface devices .
In a blog post responding to the report , Intel claims that the underlying vulnerability is not new , and that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Wired reports that this Kernel Direct Memory Access Protection has not been universally implemented .
The security researchers say they couldn ’ t find any Dell machines with the protection applied , and that they could only verify that some HP and Lenovo laptops used it .
Ultimately , Ruytenberg says that the only way for users to fully prevent against such an attack is for them to disable their computer ’ s Thunderbolt ports in their machine ’ s BIOS , enable hard drive encryption , and turn off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The researcher has developed a piece of software called Spycheck ( available via the Thunderspy site ) that they say should tell you whether your machine is vulnerable to the attack .
Thunderbolt 3 is due to be integrated into the USB 4 specification .
Researchers say that USB 4 controllers and peripherals could also be vulnerable and will need to be tested once available .
Update May 5th , 8:07AM ET : Updated with more details about the vulnerabilities in macOS .

Vulnerabilities discovered in the Thunderbolt connection standard could allow hackers to access the contents of a locked laptop’s hard drive within minutes, a security researcher from the Eindhoven University of Technology has announced. Wired reports that the vulnerabilities affect all Thunderbolt-enabled PCs manufactured before 2019.
Although hackers need physical access to a Windows or Linux computer to exploit the flaws, they could theoretically gain access to all data in about five minutes even if the laptop is locked, password protected, and has an encrypted hard drive. The entire process can reportedly be completed with a series of off-the-shelf components costing just a few hundred dollars. Perhaps most worryingly, the researcher says the flaws cannot be patched in software, and that a hardware redesign will be needed to completely fix the issues.
Apple’s Macs have offered Thunderbolt connectivity since 2011, but researchers say that they’re only “partially affected” by Thunderspy if they’re running macOS. The result, the report claims, is that macOS systems are vulnerable to attacks similar to BadUSB. This is a security flaw that emerged back in 2014 which can allow an infected USB device to take control of a computer, steal data, or spy on a user.
Björn Ruytenberg, the researcher who discovered the vulnerabilities, has posted a video showing how an attack is performed. In the video, he removes the backplate and attaches a device to the inside of a password-protected Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, disables its security, and logs in as though he had its password. The whole process takes about five minutes.
This is not the first time security concerns have been raised about Intel’s Thunderbolt technology, which relies on direct access to a computer’s memory to offer faster data transfer speeds. In 2019, security researchers revealed a Thunderbolt vulnerability they called “Thunderclap” which allowed seemingly innocuous USB-C or DisplayPort hardware to compromise a device. Security issues like these are reportedly the reason Microsoft hasn’t added Thunderbolt connectors to its Surface devices.
In a blog post responding to the report, Intel claims that the underlying vulnerability is not new, and that it was addressed in operating system releases last year. However, Wired reports that this Kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) Protection has not been universally implemented. The security researchers say they could only verify that some HP and Lenovo laptops used it, and that they couldn’t find any Dell machines with the protection applied. In comments emailed to The Verge, a spokesperson for Dell disputed this finding, and said that in 2019 it started shipping laptops which have Kernel DMA protection when SecureBoot is enabled.
Ultimately, Ruytenberg says that the only way for users to fully prevent against such an attack is for them to disable their computer’s Thunderbolt ports in their machine’s BIOS, enable hard drive encryption, and turn off their computer when leaving it unattended. The researcher has developed a piece of software called Spycheck (available via the Thunderspy site) that they say should tell you whether your machine is vulnerable to the attack.
Thunderbolt 3 is due to be integrated into the USB 4 specification. Researchers say that USB 4 controllers and peripherals could also be vulnerable and will need to be tested once available.
Update May 11th, 8:07AM ET: Updated with more details about the vulnerabilities in macOS.