theverge--2020-07-12--Watch Dogs: Legion has millions of playable characters, but most feel the same

NPCs were a big part of the first two Watch Dogs games ; their colorful histories and biographical snippets would pop up when you scanned anyone in the game world , mostly for comedic effect .
But in Watch Dogs Legion , Ubisoft is taking that potential and expanding it into a core part of the game — or at least , it ’ s trying to .
The idea is simple : all those NPCs , with all their strengths and weaknesses , are now actual playable characters that can be recruited as part of your hacktivist army .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Recruit a construction worker who can sneak in undetected .
And with procedurally generated characters , Ubisoft says that the number of potential recruits ranges in the millions .
Unfortunately , for all the hype , after playing three hours of Legion , it doesn ’ t do enough to differentiate its myriad characters from each other .
One of my recruits , an elderly spy , handles exactly the same as a spry young hitman for hire or a football hooligan .
The main differences are the two or three perks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ default gadget .
‘ Legion ’ doesn ’ t do enough to differentiate its myriad characters There are clear archetypes : construction workers all feature a nail gun , a wrench , and a cargo drone , while spies come with a silenced pistol and a James Bond-style car , which can be summoned to their location and has missiles and an invisibility function .
Ubisoft also definitely pushes players toward recruiting particular NPCs .
Most of the random characters walking around feature minor perks ( shopping discount loyalty cards were particularly common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even purely detrimental characteristics ( like being out of shape or a heavy drinker , which offer tangible in-game downsides ) .
Other characters — which Legion will outright point players toward by occasionally highlighting them in the game world — are clearly “ main ” characters with distinct perks and useful abilities like unique weaponry , improved hacking skills , or advantages in combat and stealth .
With the limited demo time I had , I couldn ’ t see how far Ubisoft goes in making characters distinct — particularly when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given that whichever recruit you ’ re playing as will also appear in fully voiced cutscenes .
However , even in my relatively short time with the game , I had already started to see elements repeat .
Multiple potential recruits had palette swapped missions to get them to join my team , and even the limits of Ubisoft ’ s character generator were apparent , with several of my potential characters looking oddly similar to each other .
Even with those differences , the character system is pretty restricted in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t swap between your recruits on the fly .
While Watch Dogs : Legion ’ s pitch brings to mind the ability to switch freely between a sneakier hacker to get into a building before calling in your combat specialist to fight off your enemies and then swap over to your getaway driver with perks for dodging traffic , the reality is much more tame .
You can select and switch between characters whenever you ’ d like , but doing so reloads the game ( and resets your mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Die ” in a mission , and your character will either be detained or hospitalized , switching you to another character and setting a real-world timer of about 20 to 30 minutes before you can use them again .
( Legion does offer an optional permadeath mode that in theory ups the stakes , but I didn ’ t get a chance to try it out . )
The whole thing feels far less ambitious and fleshed out compared to the original vision of the game Ubisoft showed off at E3 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( enforcers , hackers , and infiltrators ) who excelled at different tasks and a progression system with character levels that would unlock new abilities over time — deeper elements that have since been cut from the final version .
That false distinction bleeds over into other aspects of gameplay , too .
The game makes a point of giving players access to a wide range of lethal and non-lethal weaponry , but in actual combat , the game neither penalized nor even had enemies strongly react to whether I chose to mow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a taser .
Which weapons a character has is a key distinguishing feature , but they all feel pretty similar to use in practice .
Putting aside the unique character system , the rest of the gameplay continues to build on the Grand Theft Auto-style foundation of the series .
Much of your time in Legion is spent driving around London , hijacking cars as you see fit , and trying to avoid too much police attention .
( As in previous games in the genre , there ’ s an escalating police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law . )
Given that Legion is a new Watch Dogs game , there ’ s of course the extra hacking layer on top , which works similarly to the systems in the first two titles , allowing you to remotely move cars out of your way , trigger traffic barriers , and crash drones .
‘ Watch Dogs : Legion ’ is packed with tools and toys to play around with Like any good sandbox game , Watch Dogs : Legion is packed with tools and toys to play around with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be had in just driving around London , scanning NPCs to find interesting recruits or fun bits of information , and hacking everything in sight .
It also means that the game tends to encourage players to use those tools in more measured , stealthy approaches during missions .
Running in guns blazing will likely get you killed , in addition to just being far less fun .
On the story side of things , Legion also continues the lighter tone of the previous game — players work with hacker collective DedSec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive bombing of London that was actually perpetrated by a different underground hacking group , called Zero Day .
In the aftermath , London is taken over by a privatized military police group called Albion , against which players will battle to retake control of the city for the people .
( Albion very unsubtly has its logo plastered all over the city , including landmarks like Tower Bridge .
It also has a main base at the Tower of London itself , because it ’ s that kind of game . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is meant to be political , of course .
Again , there ’ s a lot more of Watch Dogs : Legion than my initial demo got to explore .
But based on what I ’ ve seen so far , the innovative NPC system is more flash than substance on top of what otherwise feels like a pretty standard sequel for the open-world franchise .
Watch Dogs : Legion will be out later this year for PC , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , and Google Stadia .
PlayStation 5 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also expected to be released this holiday season .

NPCs were a big part of the first two Watch Dogs games; their colorful histories and biographical snippets would pop up when you scanned anyone in the game world, mostly for comedic effect. But in Watch Dogs Legion, Ubisoft is taking that potential and expanding it into a core part of the game — or at least, it’s trying to.
The idea is simple: all those NPCs, with all their strengths and weaknesses, are now actual playable characters that can be recruited as part of your hacktivist army. Need to sneak into a building site? Recruit a construction worker who can sneak in undetected. And with procedurally generated characters, Ubisoft says that the number of potential recruits ranges in the millions.
Unfortunately, for all the hype, after playing three hours of Legion, it doesn’t do enough to differentiate its myriad characters from each other. One of my recruits, an elderly spy, handles exactly the same as a spry young hitman for hire or a football hooligan. The main differences are the two or three perks that each character comes with and their default gadget.
‘Legion’ doesn’t do enough to differentiate its myriad characters
There are clear archetypes: construction workers all feature a nail gun, a wrench, and a cargo drone, while spies come with a silenced pistol and a James Bond-style car, which can be summoned to their location and has missiles and an invisibility function.
Ubisoft also definitely pushes players toward recruiting particular NPCs. Most of the random characters walking around feature minor perks (shopping discount loyalty cards were particularly common), no benefits at all, or even purely detrimental characteristics (like being out of shape or a heavy drinker, which offer tangible in-game downsides). Other characters — which Legion will outright point players toward by occasionally highlighting them in the game world — are clearly “main” characters with distinct perks and useful abilities like unique weaponry, improved hacking skills, or advantages in combat and stealth.
With the limited demo time I had, I couldn’t see how far Ubisoft goes in making characters distinct — particularly when it comes to things like voice actors, given that whichever recruit you’re playing as will also appear in fully voiced cutscenes. However, even in my relatively short time with the game, I had already started to see elements repeat. Multiple potential recruits had palette swapped missions to get them to join my team, and even the limits of Ubisoft’s character generator were apparent, with several of my potential characters looking oddly similar to each other.
Even with those differences, the character system is pretty restricted in what you can actually do with it. You can’t swap between your recruits on the fly. While Watch Dogs: Legion’s pitch brings to mind the ability to switch freely between a sneakier hacker to get into a building before calling in your combat specialist to fight off your enemies and then swap over to your getaway driver with perks for dodging traffic, the reality is much more tame. You can select and switch between characters whenever you’d like, but doing so reloads the game and respawns the player outside the enemy base or location (although any progress within the mission, like armed traps, eliminated guards, or unlocked doors remains intact for the new character.). “Die” in a mission, and your character will either be detained or hospitalized, switching you to another character and setting a real-world timer of about 20 to 30 minutes before you can use them again. (Legion does offer an optional permadeath mode that in theory ups the stakes, but I didn’t get a chance to try it out.)
The whole thing feels far less ambitious and fleshed out compared to the original vision of the game Ubisoft showed off at E3 2019. The initial rendition had different character classes (enforcers, hackers, and infiltrators) who excelled at different tasks and a progression system with character levels that would unlock new abilities over time — deeper elements that have since been cut from the final version.
Watch Dogs Legion character select screen from the E3 2019 demo (left) and the 2020 version of the game (right)
That false distinction bleeds over into other aspects of gameplay, too. The game makes a point of giving players access to a wide range of lethal and non-lethal weaponry, but in actual combat, the game neither penalized nor even had enemies strongly react to whether I chose to mow down their comrades or stun them with a taser. Which weapons a character has is a key distinguishing feature, but they all feel pretty similar to use in practice.
Putting aside the unique character system, the rest of the gameplay continues to build on the Grand Theft Auto-style foundation of the series. Much of your time in Legion is spent driving around London, hijacking cars as you see fit, and trying to avoid too much police attention. (As in previous games in the genre, there’s an escalating police meter for when you’re violating the law.) Given that Legion is a new Watch Dogs game, there’s of course the extra hacking layer on top, which works similarly to the systems in the first two titles, allowing you to remotely move cars out of your way, trigger traffic barriers, and crash drones.
‘Watch Dogs: Legion’ is packed with tools and toys to play around with
Like any good sandbox game, Watch Dogs: Legion is packed with tools and toys to play around with — there’s plenty of fun to be had in just driving around London, scanning NPCs to find interesting recruits or fun bits of information, and hacking everything in sight. It also means that the game tends to encourage players to use those tools in more measured, stealthy approaches during missions. Running in guns blazing will likely get you killed, in addition to just being far less fun.
On the story side of things, Legion also continues the lighter tone of the previous game — players work with hacker collective DedSec, which has been blamed for a massive bombing of London that was actually perpetrated by a different underground hacking group, called Zero Day. In the aftermath, London is taken over by a privatized military police group called Albion, against which players will battle to retake control of the city for the people. (Albion very unsubtly has its logo plastered all over the city, including landmarks like Tower Bridge. It also has a main base at the Tower of London itself, because it’s that kind of game.) In typical Ubisoft fashion, none of this is meant to be political, of course.
Again, there’s a lot more of Watch Dogs: Legion than my initial demo got to explore. But based on what I’ve seen so far, the innovative NPC system is more flash than substance on top of what otherwise feels like a pretty standard sequel for the open-world franchise.
Watch Dogs: Legion will be out later this year for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game are also expected to be released this holiday season.


theverge--2020-07-12--Ubisoft’s Hyper Scape is now in open beta

Ubisoft has announced that the open beta for its upcoming battle royale shooter Hyper Scape kicks off on PC today @ @ @ @ @ shared a trailer for the beta and a new cinematic trailer detailing some of the @ @ @ @ @ The news came as part of the Ubisoft Forward presentation that aired on Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ a technical test on July 2nd , with Ubisoft giving access to some Twitch and @ @ @ @ @ stream the game .
The launch was a huge success , with Hyper Scape rising @ @ @ @ @ Twitch charts that day .
In his experience with the technical test , my colleague @ @ @ @ @ to be a fun and polished take on the battle royale formula .
Update July @ @ @ @ @ Updated headline to reflect that the beta is now available .

Ubisoft has announced that the open beta for its upcoming battle royale shooter Hyper Scape kicks off on PC today, and the company also shared a trailer for the beta and a new cinematic trailer detailing some of the game’s story. The news came as part of the Ubisoft Forward presentation that aired on Sunday.
Hyper Scape launched first as a technical test on July 2nd, with Ubisoft giving access to some Twitch and YouTube creators so they could stream the game. The launch was a huge success, with Hyper Scape rising to the top of the Twitch charts that day. In his experience with the technical test, my colleague Nick Statt found the game to be a fun and polished take on the battle royale formula.


theverge--2020-07-12--Streaming this week: Greyhound on Apple TV Plus, Cursed on Netflix, Close Enough on HBO Max

This week ’ s list of original streaming shows has a little something for everyone , I think : Tom Hanks as a heroic Navy captain fleeing Nazis , a new series from the creator of Regular Show , a twist on the King Arthur legend that focuses on the Lady of the Lake , and Zac Efron who is traveling the world for some reason .
Greyhound is a Navy action movie set in World War II with Tom Hanks playing a captain whose ship is one of a convoy of Allied ships being chased by Nazis in submarines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it was announced that Greyhound would land on Apple TV Plus instead of in theaters , and Polygon says the movie ’ s spectacle is somewhat diminished since it ’ s not on the big screen .
But reviewer Karen Han says “ [ director Aaron ] Schneider and Hanks ’ devotion to portraying marine warfare as faithfully as possible brings a streak of originality to a genre that ’ s more often characterized by explosions and action , ” with a nod to “ the sheer power of Hanks ’ furrowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , creator of the late , great cartoon Regular Show , has a new series on HBO Max that The Los Angeles Times says is sort of a cartoon version of Black Mirror .
And note well : it ’ s not for kids .
AV Club says even though it has some flaws , Close Enough ’ s take on how adulting is hard gives it “ the potential to be a defining show of the 2020s.
” Cursed is not quite The Witcher and not quite Game of Thrones but probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler , Cursed stars Katherine Langford as Nimue , the Lady of the Lake from the Arthur legend .
She has to get the sword Excalibur to Merlin ( so future King Arthur can yank it out of the stone ) .
Vulture says like other medieval TV shows , Cursed has “ a good amount of horseback combat , forbidden romance , and eldritch evil.
” Not to mention apparently constant chit-chat about swords .
Down to Earth with Zac Efron ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in trying to figure out what this show is about I have learned : 1 ) it stars High School Musical star Zac Efron , as its title suggests 2 ) it ’ s a travel show , sort of 3 ) he apparently is shirtless a good amount of the time and 4 ) he eats a lot of vegan food and talks about sustainable practices .
Mashable says Down to Earth is “ a fun enough , silly enough , educational enough trip worth taking if you love Zac or believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But you must love Zac to love Down to Earth .
”

This week’s list of original streaming shows has a little something for everyone, I think: Tom Hanks as a heroic Navy captain fleeing Nazis, a new series from the creator of Regular Show, a twist on the King Arthur legend that focuses on the Lady of the Lake, and Zac Efron who is traveling the world for some reason.
Greyhound (Apple TV Plus, now playing)
Greyhound is a Navy action movie set in World War II with Tom Hanks playing a captain whose ship is one of a convoy of Allied ships being chased by Nazis in submarines. Hanks wasn’t too thrilled when it was announced that Greyhound would land on Apple TV Plus instead of in theaters, and Polygon says the movie’s spectacle is somewhat diminished since it’s not on the big screen. But reviewer Karen Han says “[director Aaron] Schneider and Hanks’ devotion to portraying marine warfare as faithfully as possible brings a streak of originality to a genre that’s more often characterized by explosions and action,” with a nod to “the sheer power of Hanks’ furrowed, determined brow.”
Close Enough (HBO Max, now playing)
J.G. Quintel, creator of the late, great cartoon Regular Show, has a new series on HBO Max that The Los Angeles Times says is sort of a cartoon version of Black Mirror. And note well: it’s not for kids. AV Club says even though it has some flaws, Close Enough’s take on how adulting is hard gives it “the potential to be a defining show of the 2020s.”
Cursed (Netflix, July 17th)
Cursed is not quite The Witcher and not quite Game of Thrones but probably will appeal to fans of both. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, Cursed stars Katherine Langford as Nimue, the Lady of the Lake from the Arthur legend. She has to get the sword Excalibur to Merlin (so future King Arthur can yank it out of the stone). Vulture says like other medieval TV shows, Cursed has “a good amount of horseback combat, forbidden romance, and eldritch evil.” Not to mention apparently constant chit-chat about swords.
Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Netflix, now playing)


theverge--2020-07-12--Tesla’s Model Y gets a $3,000 price cut

Tesla’s Model Y gets a $3,000 price cut

Tesla has lowered the purchase price of its Model Y by $ 3,000 , so its Long Range AWD will now cost $ 49,990 , Electrek reported .
The Model Y just began shipping in March , and earlier this month Tesla reported better-than-expected delivery numbers for all its vehicles in the second quarter , so the reason for the price cut isn ’ t totally clear .
But it ’ s likely to help boost sales at a time when all carmakers are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn .
Tesla cut prices on several vehicles in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in those reductions .
It lowered the prices on the base models and Performance versions of the Model S and Model X by $ 5,000 , and cut the prices on all versions of its Model 3 by $ 2,000 ( with prices slightly different for Model 3s sold in China ) .
Tesla said July 2nd that despite the temporary shutdown of its Fremont , California factory due to the coronavirus pandemic , it delivered 80,050 of its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles and 10,600 of its Model S and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total for the second quarter to 90,650 vehicles delivered , better than the 72,000 expected by Wall Street analysts .
Sales of all autos have taken a hit in the past several months , with trend forecaster IHS Markit projecting a 22 percent drop in the global auto market this year .
Electric vehicle sales are expected to drop by 18 percent , according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance .
According to Edmunds.com , auto sales rose slightly— about 3.3 percent — from May to June , but were down 30 percent from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday .

Tesla has lowered the purchase price of its Model Y by $3,000, so its Long Range AWD will now cost $49,990, Electrek reported. The Model Y just began shipping in March, and earlier this month Tesla reported better-than-expected delivery numbers for all its vehicles in the second quarter, so the reason for the price cut isn’t totally clear. But it’s likely to help boost sales at a time when all carmakers are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn.
Tesla cut prices on several vehicles in May, but the Model Y was not included in those reductions. It lowered the prices on the base models and Performance versions of the Model S and Model X by $5,000, and cut the prices on all versions of its Model 3 by $2,000 (with prices slightly different for Model 3s sold in China).
Tesla said July 2nd that despite the temporary shutdown of its Fremont, California factory due to the coronavirus pandemic, it delivered 80,050 of its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles and 10,600 of its Model S and Model X vehicles. That brought the total for the second quarter to 90,650 vehicles delivered, better than the 72,000 expected by Wall Street analysts.
Sales of all autos have taken a hit in the past several months, with trend forecaster IHS Markit projecting a 22 percent drop in the global auto market this year. Electric vehicle sales are expected to drop by 18 percent, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. According to Edmunds.com, auto sales rose slightly— about 3.3 percent — from May to June, but were down 30 percent from a year ago, CNBC reported.


theverge--2020-07-12--President Trump says the US conducted a 2018 cyberattack on Russian trolls

President Trump told The Washington Post that he authorized a 2018 cyberattack on the Russian Internet Research Agency ( IRA ) , the first time he ’ s acknowledged doing so .
In an interview with Post columnist Marc Thiessen , Trump confirmed that the attack— which the Post reported on last year— started on the day of the 2018 midterm and was successful in disrupting a disinformation campaign by Russia that was meant to raise doubt about the midterm results .
In 2016 , the IRA operated a troll factory as part of Russia ’ s overall election meddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic National Committee .
In the past , President Trump had questioned whether Russia was involved in the DNC hack , despite the evidence from American intelligence services that Russia was responsible .
During the Post interview Trump suggested that former President Barack Obama was aware of and did little to prevent Russia ’ s hacking attempts .
But as the Post points out , President Obama not only called out Russia for the DNC hack but suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved in the efforts .
In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the election hacking .

President Trump told The Washington Post that he authorized a 2018 cyberattack on the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA), the first time he’s acknowledged doing so. In an interview with Post columnist Marc Thiessen, Trump confirmed that the attack— which the Post reported on last year— started on the day of the 2018 midterm and was successful in disrupting a disinformation campaign by Russia that was meant to raise doubt about the midterm results.


theverge--2020-07-13--The UAE’s first interplanetary mission to Mars set for launch

This summer , the United Arab Emirates aims to join the ranks of just a handful of elite space-faring countries around the world by launching its first interplanetary mission to Mars .
For the last six years , the small Middle Eastern country has worked tirelessly to build a spacecraft that can orbit the Red Planet to study its atmosphere and weather .
Now , the mission is set to launch on top of a Japanese rocket .
Know as the Emirates Mars Mission , the project will kickstart a busy summer of missions to Mars .
Following this launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orbiter , rover , and lander to the Red Planet on July 23rd .
Shortly after that , on July 30th , NASA is set to launch its next rover to Mars , called Perseverance .
All of these missions are trying to get off the ground during a very small window this summer when Earth and Mars come closest to one another on their orbits around the Sun .
This planetary alignment only happens once every two years , so if any of these missions can ’ t launch this summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2022 to try again .
The project will kickstart a busy summer of missions to Mars For the UAE , launching during this window is extra important , as the country is laser-focused on getting to Mars by next year .
The 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE is coming up in December 2021 , and the UAE wants to celebrate with something big .
Back in late 2013 , UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum asked the nation ’ s top space engineers to pull off the ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasion .
“ The timeframe that we had was very , very strict , ” Omran Sharaf , the project manager for the Emirates Mars Mission , tells The Verge .
Getting to this point has certainly not been easy .
The UAE ’ s space program has only been in operation for the last 14 years , and the program ’ s main focus has been building and launching satellites to observe Earth .
For this mission , UAE ’ s space engineers had to design , for the first time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journey through interplanetary space .
And that meant partnering with various academic institutions in the US to help get the job done .
“ There was a lot to learn , ” Sharaf says .
“ And the thing is ... we didn ’ t want to start from scratch ; we had to learn from others.
” Now , the UAE ’ s spacecraft — called Hope — is complete and ready for takeoff .
If all goes well with its launch , it will travel through space for the next seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After it arrives , it will attempt to insert itself into orbit around Mars , something only a handful of spacecraft from four international space organizations have been able to achieve .
Before work could begin in earnest on the mission , the UAE had to decide what its spacecraft was going to do at Mars .
When issuing the challenge , the UAE government specified that the scientific mission should be unique .
“ One of the objectives that we had ... was ensuring that the science of this mission was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bint Yousif Al Amiri , minister of State for Advanced Sciences in the UAE , tells The Verge , adding that they wanted to gather data that could help answer scientific questions about Mars that have been left unanswered by previous missions .
Most of the spacecraft that have been sent to study Mars are tasked with analyzing the planet ’ s geology by taking high-resolution images of the Martian surface .
Only a few Mars satellites are equipped with tools to study the planet ’ s atmosphere — including NASA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Trace Gas Orbiter — but no mission has been able to get a global view of the Martian atmosphere closer to the surface .
The Hope spacecraft will give scientists a better understanding of what ’ s happening in Mars ’ lower atmosphere all over the planet and help people learn how the weather evolves throughout the year .
The UAE is hailing Hope as “ Mars ’ first weather satellite ” since it will monitor the weather throughout the day in as many locations as possible on Mars .
Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about the extreme events on Mars , such as the global dust storms that sometimes engulf the planet .
In 2018 , a massive storm took over much of Mars , cutting off communication permanently with NASA ’ s Opportunity rover .
“ Why does this planet have global dust storms ?
And why does it go on for such a long period of time ?
” says Al Amiri .
“ That ’ s among the other scientific questions that can be addressed now by this mission.
” “ Why does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hope is designed with three instruments to study the Martian atmosphere in detail : two will analyze the planet in infrared and ultraviolet light , while an imager will take visible color pictures of the planet .
Hope plans to take a highly elliptical path around the Red Planet .
The orbit will bring the spacecraft in close to the surface ever 55 hours , allowing the vehicle to observe roughly the same parts of the planet at different times of the Martian day .
“ You ’ re able to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mars , and that gives us the consistency that we require to be able to come and say that we do cover the day-to-night cycle for Mars , ” Al Amiri says .
Not only did the UAE team face a hard deadline , but they also had to adhere to other tough restrictions in order to build Hope .
The UAE government gave them a set budget for the project of just $ 200 million , and the prime minister wanted the engineers to build the spacecraft themselves — not buy it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these stipulations , the UAE team knew they couldn ’ t do it all on their own .
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre , which built the Hope spacecraft , teamed up with the University of Colorado at Boulder — a college that ’ s been designing Martian instruments since the 1960s .
Engineers in the UAE worked closely with researchers at UC Boulder every day as if they were all on the same team to design and test the Hope spacecraft .
“ That ’ s what ’ s unique about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ At the end of the day , you had US team members reporting to Emirati and you had Emirati reporting to US team members.
” “ You had US team members reporting to Emirati and you had Emirati reporting to US team members.
” The Emiratis also received guidance from researchers at Arizona State University and the University of California , Berkeley throughout the course of the spacecraft ’ s development .
Thanks to these more experienced partnerships , the UAE team was able to build a unique and robust spacecraft without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hope , the Emiratis will also rely on NASA ’ s Deep Space Network , an existing array of antennas throughout the world designed to connect with interplanetary spacecraft .
Since Hope is headed so far away , it has to be much more reliable and autonomous than any spacecraft the country has built before .
A one-way radio signal can take up to 15 or 20 minutes to reach Mars , depending on where the planet is on its orbit .
That means Hope must perform most of its functions on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orbit .
When the vehicle reaches Mars , it will have to fire its onboard engines for 30 minutes , slowing itself down from 121,000 kilometers and hour to about 18,000 miles an hour .
“ You go too fast , you crash on Mars , ” Sharaf says .
“ You go too slow , it skips [ on the atmosphere ] ; it ’ s a critical phase in the mission.
” And if the technical challenges weren ’ t hard enough , the UAE team had to deal with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The engineers had to get the spacecraft to Japan three weeks earlier than planned to adhere to Japan ’ s quarantine rules .
Engineering crews arrived early to go through two-week quarantines before they could receive the spacecraft and eventually help mount the spacecraft to the rocket .
“ There was a real risk that , after six years of work , we could end up missing our launch window , ” Sharaf says .
“ It was the last thing we had expected to encounter .
The transfer was supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical.
” The UAE team is optimistic that the Hope spacecraft will be able to make some significant new discoveries while at Mars .
They hope they ’ ll be able to announce scientific results in time for the country ’ s 50th anniversary in December .
But even before that happens , the Emirates Mars Mission has already had a significant impact on students in the UAE .
One of the biggest motivations for the Hope mission was to inspire Emirati teens to go into STEM fields and to make UAE space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , that mission has been a success , and Sharaf says that more students have been going into STEM fields than ever before .
“ We saw students switching from international relations and finance , going into sciences ; we saw universities that didn ’ t have any science programs , starting science programs , because of the mission , ” Sharaf says .
“ So that ripple effect of the mission and the impact of the mission actually was quite something that we can see and it ’ s tangible.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was quite something that we can see.
” The UAE team hopes to keep that momentum going — but first , Hope has to launch successfully .
The spacecraft is slated to take off in the early morning hours on top of a Japanese H-IIA rocket out of the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan on Wednesday , July 15th , in the country .
On the East Coast of the United States , liftoff is scheduled for 4:51PM ET on July 14th .
With the launch so close , the team is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so hard on this project after the last six years .
“ I personally can ’ t describe them at the moment , ” Al Amiri says .
“ Perhaps ask us after we launch .
”

This summer, the United Arab Emirates aims to join the ranks of just a handful of elite space-faring countries around the world by launching its first interplanetary mission to Mars. For the last six years, the small Middle Eastern country has worked tirelessly to build a spacecraft that can orbit the Red Planet to study its atmosphere and weather. Now, the mission is set to launch on top of a Japanese rocket.
Know as the Emirates Mars Mission, the project will kickstart a busy summer of missions to Mars. Following this launch, China also plans to launch an orbiter, rover, and lander to the Red Planet on July 23rd. Shortly after that, on July 30th, NASA is set to launch its next rover to Mars, called Perseverance. All of these missions are trying to get off the ground during a very small window this summer when Earth and Mars come closest to one another on their orbits around the Sun. This planetary alignment only happens once every two years, so if any of these missions can’t launch this summer, they’ll have to wait until 2022 to try again.
The project will kickstart a busy summer of missions to Mars
For the UAE, launching during this window is extra important, as the country is laser-focused on getting to Mars by next year. The 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE is coming up in December 2021, and the UAE wants to celebrate with something big. Back in late 2013, UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum asked the nation’s top space engineers to pull off the ambitious space mission by 2021 to commemorate the occasion. “The timeframe that we had was very, very strict,” Omran Sharaf, the project manager for the Emirates Mars Mission, tells The Verge.
Getting to this point has certainly not been easy. The UAE’s space program has only been in operation for the last 14 years, and the program’s main focus has been building and launching satellites to observe Earth. For this mission, UAE’s space engineers had to design, for the first time, a spacecraft that could handle the harsh journey through interplanetary space. And that meant partnering with various academic institutions in the US to help get the job done. “There was a lot to learn,” Sharaf says. “And the thing is... we didn’t want to start from scratch; we had to learn from others.”
Now, the UAE’s spacecraft — called Hope — is complete and ready for takeoff. If all goes well with its launch, it will travel through space for the next seven months and reach Mars in February 2021. After it arrives, it will attempt to insert itself into orbit around Mars, something only a handful of spacecraft from four international space organizations have been able to achieve.
A Unique Mission
Before work could begin in earnest on the mission, the UAE had to decide what its spacecraft was going to do at Mars. When issuing the challenge, the UAE government specified that the scientific mission should be unique. “One of the objectives that we had... was ensuring that the science of this mission was complementary to other missions,” Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, minister of State for Advanced Sciences in the UAE, tells The Verge, adding that they wanted to gather data that could help answer scientific questions about Mars that have been left unanswered by previous missions.
Most of the spacecraft that have been sent to study Mars are tasked with analyzing the planet’s geology by taking high-resolution images of the Martian surface. Only a few Mars satellites are equipped with tools to study the planet’s atmosphere — including NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft and the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter — but no mission has been able to get a global view of the Martian atmosphere closer to the surface.
A rendering of the Hope spacecraft at Mars. Image: Emirates Mars Mission
The Hope spacecraft will give scientists a better understanding of what’s happening in Mars’ lower atmosphere all over the planet and help people learn how the weather evolves throughout the year. The UAE is hailing Hope as “Mars’ first weather satellite” since it will monitor the weather throughout the day in as many locations as possible on Mars.
Such a tool could help planetary scientists learn more about the extreme events on Mars, such as the global dust storms that sometimes engulf the planet. In 2018, a massive storm took over much of Mars, cutting off communication permanently with NASA’s Opportunity rover. “Why does this planet have global dust storms? And why does it go on for such a long period of time?” says Al Amiri. “That’s among the other scientific questions that can be addressed now by this mission.”
“Why does this planet have global dust storms?”
Hope is designed with three instruments to study the Martian atmosphere in detail: two will analyze the planet in infrared and ultraviolet light, while an imager will take visible color pictures of the planet.
Hope plans to take a highly elliptical path around the Red Planet. The orbit will bring the spacecraft in close to the surface ever 55 hours, allowing the vehicle to observe roughly the same parts of the planet at different times of the Martian day. “You’re able to cover all local times, all areas of Mars, and that gives us the consistency that we require to be able to come and say that we do cover the day-to-night cycle for Mars,” Al Amiri says.
Partnering Up
Not only did the UAE team face a hard deadline, but they also had to adhere to other tough restrictions in order to build Hope. The UAE government gave them a set budget for the project of just $200 million, and the prime minister wanted the engineers to build the spacecraft themselves — not buy it from someone else. Given all of these stipulations, the UAE team knew they couldn’t do it all on their own.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, which built the Hope spacecraft, teamed up with the University of Colorado at Boulder — a college that’s been designing Martian instruments since the 1960s. Engineers in the UAE worked closely with researchers at UC Boulder every day as if they were all on the same team to design and test the Hope spacecraft. “That’s what’s unique about this project,” Sharaf says. “At the end of the day, you had US team members reporting to Emirati and you had Emirati reporting to US team members.”
“You had US team members reporting to Emirati and you had Emirati reporting to US team members.”
The Emiratis also received guidance from researchers at Arizona State University and the University of California, Berkeley throughout the course of the spacecraft’s development. Thanks to these more experienced partnerships, the UAE team was able to build a unique and robust spacecraft without building brand-new infrastructure. To communicate with Hope, the Emiratis will also rely on NASA’s Deep Space Network, an existing array of antennas throughout the world designed to connect with interplanetary spacecraft.
The Hope spacecraft undergoing checkouts and processing. Image: Emirates Mars Mission
Since Hope is headed so far away, it has to be much more reliable and autonomous than any spacecraft the country has built before. A one-way radio signal can take up to 15 or 20 minutes to reach Mars, depending on where the planet is on its orbit. That means Hope must perform most of its functions on its own, including inserting itself into Mars orbit. When the vehicle reaches Mars, it will have to fire its onboard engines for 30 minutes, slowing itself down from 121,000 kilometers and hour to about 18,000 miles an hour. “You go too fast, you crash on Mars,” Sharaf says. “You go too slow, it skips [on the atmosphere]; it’s a critical phase in the mission.”
And if the technical challenges weren’t hard enough, the UAE team had to deal with a pandemic during the final stretch to launch. The engineers had to get the spacecraft to Japan three weeks earlier than planned to adhere to Japan’s quarantine rules. Engineering crews arrived early to go through two-week quarantines before they could receive the spacecraft and eventually help mount the spacecraft to the rocket. “There was a real risk that, after six years of work, we could end up missing our launch window,” Sharaf says. “It was the last thing we had expected to encounter. The transfer was supposed to be routine and now it was mission critical.”
Providing Hope
The UAE team is optimistic that the Hope spacecraft will be able to make some significant new discoveries while at Mars. They hope they’ll be able to announce scientific results in time for the country’s 50th anniversary in December.
A Japanese H-IIA rocket, which will launch the Hope spacecraft to Mars. Image: Emirates Mars Mission
But even before that happens, the Emirates Mars Mission has already had a significant impact on students in the UAE. One of the biggest motivations for the Hope mission was to inspire Emirati teens to go into STEM fields and to make UAE space scientists role models for children. So far, that mission has been a success, and Sharaf says that more students have been going into STEM fields than ever before. “We saw students switching from international relations and finance, going into sciences; we saw universities that didn’t have any science programs, starting science programs, because of the mission,” Sharaf says. “So that ripple effect of the mission and the impact of the mission actually was quite something that we can see and it’s tangible.”
“The impact of the mission actually was quite something that we can see.”
The UAE team hopes to keep that momentum going — but first, Hope has to launch successfully. The spacecraft is slated to take off on top of a Japanese H-IIA rocket out of the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan sometime in the coming days. The UAE had hoped to launch on July 14th and then July 16th, but they were forced to postpone due to bad weather at the launch site. The team plans to announce a new launch date soon; they have until August 12th to get this spacecraft off the ground during this summer’s launch window.
With the launch so close, the team is feeling a mixture of emotions after working so hard on this project after the last six years. “I personally can’t describe them at the moment,” Al Amiri says. “Perhaps ask us after we launch.”
Update July 15th, 7:15AM ET: This post was updated again to include a new delay for the launch.


theverge--2020-07-13--SiriusXM is buying Stitcher for $325 million

SiriusXM , a company most well-known for its satellite radio channels , is buying the podcasting company Stitcher from E.W .
Scripps in a deal worth $ 325 million .
The company confirmed the deal today after The Wall Street Journal first reported it last week .
The move sets Sirius to compete even more seriously against Spotify , iHeartMedia , and Apple for dominance of the podcasting space .
Stitcher is not only a popular podcasting app with a premium , ad-free subscription service , but it ’ s also a network that , combined with its other entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Brien Needs a Friend .
Scripps also combined Stitcher with Midroll Media , a podcast ad company that sells ads for other shows like The Dream and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness that it acquired in 2015 for $ 50 million .
The Sirius deal will give it ownership of all these companies , which , in some cases , could be redundant with what it already owns and operates .
For one , Sirius owns Pandora , which it acquired in 2018 for $ 3 billion .
Pandora , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to music and podcasts and also has its own exclusive content deals , like one with Marvel that was signed last year .
It also owns AdsWizz , a podcast ad technology company that places ads in shows .
It ’ s unclear how AdsWizz and Midroll might work together or if the companies will merge and share talent and clients .
Earlier this year , Sirius also acquired Simplecast , a podcast hosting platform where podcasters can manage their show distribution and content .
The strategy behind that purchase was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including ads , distribution , and podcast hosting .
With Stitcher , Sirius is bringing another popular podcast player and venerable network into its fold .
Still , Sirius ’ strategy is somewhat unclear .
It hasn ’ t clarified how all the pieces of its company will now fit together and what kind of deals it thinks will push it to succeed .
Spotify , for example , has gone all in on exclusive deals with big names , like Joe Rogan , the Obama family , and Kim Kardashian West .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its lead in the area by being the first to podcasting , but even it ’ s rumored to be looking to create its own shows .
iHeart has continued to keep its programming on all platforms , rather than looking for exclusives , but it leverages its radio stations to further promote the shows it produces and distributes .
Sirius has its own podcast channel , but will likely need to do more in the space to stake its claim and make a name for itself .

SiriusXM, a company most well-known for its satellite radio channels, is buying the podcasting company Stitcher from E.W. Scripps in a deal worth $325 million. The company confirmed the deal today after The Wall Street Journal first reported it last week. The move sets Sirius to compete even more seriously against Spotify, iHeartMedia, and Apple for dominance of the podcasting space.
Stitcher is not only a popular podcasting app with a premium, ad-free subscription service, but it’s also a network that, combined with its other entity Earwolf, produces shows like Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Scripps also combined Stitcher with Midroll Media, a podcast ad company that sells ads for other shows like The Dream and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness that it acquired in 2015 for $50 million. The Sirius deal will give it ownership of all these companies, which, in some cases, could be redundant with what it already owns and operates.
For one, Sirius owns Pandora, which it acquired in 2018 for $3 billion. Pandora, of course, is a popular place to listen to music and podcasts and also has its own exclusive content deals, like one with Marvel that was signed last year. It also owns AdsWizz, a podcast ad technology company that places ads in shows. It’s unclear how AdsWizz and Midroll might work together or if the companies will merge and share talent and clients. Earlier this year, Sirius also acquired Simplecast, a podcast hosting platform where podcasters can manage their show distribution and content. The strategy behind that purchase was to bring all aspects of podcasting in-house, including ads, distribution, and podcast hosting.


theverge--2020-07-13--OnePlus confirms Nord will have an ultra-wide selfie camera

The upcoming OnePlus Nord will have a selfie camera with an ultra-wide 105-degree field of view .
OnePlus confirmed the news in a video posted to the Nord ’ s Instagram page .
Although it didn ’ t confirm the resolution of the camera , a previous report from Android Central said that the phone will have two selfie cameras : one 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a main 32-megapixel selfie camera .
OnePlus has previously shown a prototype device with dual selfie cameras during a documentary about the Nord .
In the feature ’ s announcement video , OnePlus positioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to using a selfie stick , meaning it should be helpful for taking selfies of groups , or just of yourself alongside more of your environment .
Ultra-wide selfie cameras aren ’ t an entirely new feature on phones .
2018 ’ s Pixel 3 , for example , included a second 8-megapixel camera with a 97 degree field of view .
Today ’ s feature joins an increasingly exhaustive list of announcements OnePlus has made about its upcoming smartphone .
The phone is due to release first in India and Europe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snapdragon 765G processor , and will cost less than the equivalent of $ 500 .
Unofficially , it ’ s rumored to have a 6.55-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate .
All is due to be revealed next week on July 21st , when OnePlus will host an augmented reality launch event for the Nord .

The upcoming OnePlus Nord will have a selfie camera with an ultra-wide 105-degree field of view. OnePlus confirmed the news in a video posted to the Nord’s Instagram page. Although it didn’t confirm the resolution of the camera, a previous report from Android Central said that the phone will have two selfie cameras: one 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a main 32-megapixel selfie camera. OnePlus has previously shown a prototype device with dual selfie cameras during a documentary about the Nord.


theverge--2020-07-13--Google is reportedly facing a new antitrust probe from California

California has reportedly opened its own antitrust investigation into Google , Politico reports , which would mean the search giant is now facing antitrust probes from every state in the US bar one .
It is not known which aspect of the company California ’ s attorney general is investigating , but recent scrutiny has focused on its acquisitions , and its dominance and conduct in the ad tech market and search markets .
The probe would be just the latest antitrust investigation faced by Google .
Last September , attorneys general from 50 states and territories announced an antitrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search businesses .
At the time , California and Alabama were the only two states to not participate in the probe .
California ’ s non-participation was particularly notable , since the state houses Google ’ s Mountain View headquarters .
This latest news could leave Alabama as the only state that ’ s not investigating the company .
California ’ s probe will reportedly be separate from the investigation announced last year .
All but one state could now be investigating Google Simultaneously , the Justice Department ’ s broad antitrust review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reportedly focused in on Google , and the department is thought to be working closely with the state-level investigation .
Google confirmed its involvement in the Justice Department investigation last September , when it said it had been asked to provide information to the federal agency .
A suit from the Justice Department could arrive as soon as next month , according to Politico , but it ’ s not known whether the multi-state investigation will continue separately after that point .
Scrutiny has also come from congress , where Google CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month as part of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee ’ s inquiry .
CEOs from Amazon , Apple , and Facebook have also agreed to testify as part of the investigation .
The FTC has also asked Amazon , Google , and Facebook to turn over evidence into their acquisitions and mergers .
Both Google and a spokesperson for the California Attorney General declined to comment to Politico on its report .
“ To protect the integrity of our work , it ’ s our practice not to comment on any pending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or deny their existence , ” a spokesperson for the attorney general told Gizmodo .
As well as hosting Google ’ s headquarters , an antitrust investigation by California is significant because the state has a large staff dedicated to antitrust and competition investigations , Politico notes , and its Cartwright Act and Unfair Competition Act antitrust laws have been more broadly interpreted than federal antitrust law in the past .

California has reportedly opened its own antitrust investigation into Google, Politico reports, which would mean the search giant is now facing antitrust probes from every state in the US bar one. It is not known which aspect of the company California’s attorney general is investigating, but recent scrutiny has focused on its acquisitions, and its dominance and conduct in the ad tech market and search markets.
The probe would be just the latest antitrust investigation faced by Google. Last September, attorneys general from 50 states and territories announced an antitrust investigation into Google’s advertising and search businesses. At the time, California and Alabama were the only two states to not participate in the probe. California’s non-participation was particularly notable, since the state houses Google’s Mountain View headquarters. This latest news could leave Alabama as the only state that’s not investigating the company. California’s probe will reportedly be separate from the investigation announced last year.
All but one state could now be investigating Google
Simultaneously, the Justice Department’s broad antitrust review it announced last summer into Big Tech has reportedly focused in on Google, and the department is thought to be working closely with the state-level investigation. Google confirmed its involvement in the Justice Department investigation last September, when it said it had been asked to provide information to the federal agency. A suit from the Justice Department could arrive as soon as next month, according to Politico, but it’s not known whether the multi-state investigation will continue separately after that point.
Scrutiny has also come from congress, where Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to testify later this month as part of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee’s inquiry. CEOs from Amazon, Apple, and Facebook have also agreed to testify as part of the investigation.
The FTC has also asked Amazon, Google, and Facebook to turn over evidence into their acquisitions and mergers.
Both Google and a spokesperson for the California Attorney General declined to comment to Politico on its report. “To protect the integrity of our work, it’s our practice not to comment on any pending or potential investigation, even to confirm or deny their existence,” a spokesperson for the attorney general told Gizmodo.
As well as hosting Google’s headquarters, an antitrust investigation by California is significant because the state has a large staff dedicated to antitrust and competition investigations, Politico notes, and its Cartwright Act and Unfair Competition Act antitrust laws have been more broadly interpreted than federal antitrust law in the past.


theverge--2020-07-13--Skydio says it’s not pivoting away from consumer drones, won’t weaponize its self-flying tech

If you ’ ve been eagerly awaiting the day when self-flying drone startup Skydio becomes a true competitor to DJI , you might taken today ’ s announcement poorly .
You might have assumed that after two impressive drones that didn ’ t quite fulfill their full potential , Skydio ’ s decision to build its next flying flagship camera exclusively for the enterprise and military markets meant it was done with consumers entirely .
But Skydio CEO Adam Bry tells The Verge he ’ s just getting started — there are more consumer drones on the way .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market that we ’ re excited about , ” reveals Bry , saying the timing was simply right to expand into the enterprise market , too .
In both markets , he says , the goal isn ’ t to try to beat DJI by copying DJI , but rather to build drones that can automatically do things which currently require an expert pilot to pull off .
“ Being able to follow you is something an expert pilot could do ; being able to inspect a house is something an an expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspect a bridge is something an expert pilot can do .
How do we put that in software so anyone can benefit from it ?
” Bry asks , rhetorically .
Skydio sees itself building specific “ AI skills ” to do each of those things , starting with a few specific examples that use the drone ’ s cameras to first map out the area around itself , then automatically take a series of high-resolution images that can be stitched together to create a scan of a house , bridge , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees opportunities for “ skills ” outside of enterprise , too — particularly in the cinematography world , where operating a camera also requires expert skills , and where flying cameras could theoretically make camera moves that are all but impossible for cinematographers on the ground .
But he also thinks a different business model may be the way forward — whether they pick the new folding Skydio X2 or the consumer-grade Skydio 2 , enterprise customers will be paying for a subscription service to these new skills rather than simply buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the USA ” If this idea of skill-driven-drone-upgrades sounds familiar , you might be thinking of promising drone startup 3D Robotics pitch from several years ago , before it got edged out by DJI ’ s then-quickly-advancing , reliable , and relatively affordable line of drones .
But history might not repeat itself .
Now , governments and industries have become more wary of China-made products — to the point the US Department of the Interior grounded its DJI-made fleet .
Skydio is betting its made-in-the-USA pedigree will help it get contracts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t touch right now .
In fact , the company already has contracts with the US Air Force , Army , and DEA , reports Wired .
That doesn ’ t mean Skydio is ready to become a weapon system provider , though , or necessarily help police surveil citizens .
The company ’ s new “ Engagement and Responsible Use Principles ” explicitly state that Skydio won ’ t put weapons on its drones and is opposed to fully automated weapons in general — and Bry tells me Skydio would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put weapons on its drones , either .
“ We believe drones should be involved in emergency response situations , not active surveillance , and I think that ’ s a pretty clear line , ” he says , adding that Skydio plans to be involved as it can in policymaking around autonomous drones , too .
“ You ship a product out there , you wash your hands of it ... that ’ s not our approach , ” says Bry .
That said , the company is already working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vista , California , and it ’ s not clear how it would know if its drones were being abused to surveil protesters or other citizens .
For now , Bry is focused on positive use cases , like how drones could theoretically serve as a sort of flying body camera , and perhaps how they could let more objective observers ( like , say , a police captain ) do a better job of assessing a situation at a distance .
Bry isn ’ t saying how much the Skydio X2 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect from future consumer drones .
( Does the X2 ’ s newfound folding ability mean we can finally get a pocket , purse or messenger-friendly folding follow-me drone ?
No comment . )
He also won ’ t say whether there ’ ll be a way to use the Skydio ’ s new 360-degree situational view with a VR or AR headset — only that I ’ m on the right track .
For now , that feature ’ s limited to an equirectangular projection ( see below for an example ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s built-in screen or HDMI out .
And no , there ’ ll be no way to pair the upcoming Skydio Enterprise Controller , even if you could afford it , with today ’ s consumer-grade Skydio 2 .
If you want a better consumer-grade self-flying drone than the Skydio 2 and the tradeoffs that come with its three different control schemes , you ’ ll just have to wait .

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when self-flying drone startup Skydio becomes a true competitor to DJI, you might taken today’s announcement poorly. You might have assumed that after two impressive drones that didn’t quite fulfill their full potential, Skydio’s decision to build its next flying flagship camera exclusively for the enterprise and military markets meant it was done with consumers entirely.
But Skydio CEO Adam Bry tells The Verge he’s just getting started — there are more consumer drones on the way.
“We have more products coming in that market that we’re excited about,” reveals Bry, saying the timing was simply right to expand into the enterprise market, too. In both markets, he says, the goal isn’t to try to beat DJI by copying DJI, but rather to build drones that can automatically do things which currently require an expert pilot to pull off.
An expert co-pilot
“Being able to follow you is something an expert pilot could do; being able to inspect a house is something an an expert pilot can do; being able to inspect a bridge is something an expert pilot can do. How do we put that in software so anyone can benefit from it?” Bry asks, rhetorically.
Skydio sees itself building specific “AI skills” to do each of those things, starting with a few specific examples that use the drone’s cameras to first map out the area around itself, then automatically take a series of high-resolution images that can be stitched together to create a scan of a house, bridge, or other facilities for inspection:
Bry says he sees opportunities for “skills” outside of enterprise, too — particularly in the cinematography world, where operating a camera also requires expert skills, and where flying cameras could theoretically make camera moves that are all but impossible for cinematographers on the ground.
But he also thinks a different business model may be the way forward — whether they pick the new folding Skydio X2 or the consumer-grade Skydio 2, enterprise customers will be paying for a subscription service to these new skills rather than simply buying off-the-shelf drones.
Banking on “Made in the USA”
If this idea of skill-driven-drone-upgrades sounds familiar, you might be thinking of promising drone startup 3D Robotics pitch from several years ago, before it got edged out by DJI’s then-quickly-advancing, reliable, and relatively affordable line of drones.
But history might not repeat itself. Now, governments and industries have become more wary of China-made products — to the point the US Department of the Interior grounded its DJI-made fleet. Skydio is betting its made-in-the-USA pedigree will help it get contracts with enterprise and military customers that DJI can’t touch right now. In fact, the company already has contracts with the US Air Force, Army, and DEA, reports Wired.
That doesn’t mean Skydio is ready to become a weapon system provider, though, or necessarily help police surveil citizens. The company’s new “Engagement and Responsible Use Principles” explicitly state that Skydio won’t put weapons on its drones and is opposed to fully automated weapons in general — and Bry tells me Skydio would not work with a company that plans to put weapons on its drones, either.
Photo: Skydio
“We believe drones should be involved in emergency response situations, not active surveillance, and I think that’s a pretty clear line,” he says, adding that Skydio plans to be involved as it can in policymaking around autonomous drones, too. “You ship a product out there, you wash your hands of it... that’s not our approach,” says Bry.
That said, the company is already working with at least one police department in Chula Vista, California, and it’s not clear how it would know if its drones were being abused to surveil protesters or other citizens. For now, Bry is focused on positive use cases, like how drones could theoretically serve as a sort of flying body camera, and perhaps how they could let more objective observers (like, say, a police captain) do a better job of assessing a situation at a distance.
Bry isn’t saying how much the Skydio X2 will cost yet, or what we can expect from future consumer drones. (Does the X2’s newfound folding ability mean we can finally get a pocket, purse or messenger-friendly folding follow-me drone? No comment.) He also won’t say whether there’ll be a way to use the Skydio’s new 360-degree situational view with a VR or AR headset — only that I’m on the right track. For now, that feature’s limited to an equirectangular projection (see below for an example) on the new Skydio Enterprise Controller’s built-in screen or HDMI out.


theverge--2020-07-13--CDC employees say the agency has a culture of ‘racial aggression’

Employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are calling for the federal agency to address what they say are “ ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination ” against its Black employees , NPR reported .
More than 1,000 CDC employees signed a letter to director Robert Redfield describing a “ pervasive and toxic culture of racial aggressions.
” “ In light of the recent calls for justice across this country and around the world , we , as dedicated public health professionals , can no longer stay silent to the widespread acts of racism and discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undermining the agency ’ s core mission , ” the letter reads , according to NPR , which obtained a copy .
The letter notes that Black employees are only 10 percent of CDC ’ s leadership .
In addition to diversifying the agency ’ s leadership , the employees want the CDC to declare racism a public health crisis in the US .
The letter opens by invoking the devastating and disproportionate toll the pandemic has taken on Black and brown communities in the US , along with the recent killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Breonna Taylor .
The letter notes that : “ These are just the most recent and tragic of the long-festering disease of racial discrimination and oppression in the United States.
” The letter is the latest in a long string of protests and calls for the US to reckon with its legacy of racial injustice .
Last month , Black scientists and students shared experiences of discrimination in academia by using the Twitter hashtag # BlackintheIvory .
They detailed stories of being harassed and marginalized in the ivory towers of research institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had similar experiences according to the letter obtained by NPR .
The letter says that Black CDC employees “ routinely experience bullying , excessive criticism , hostility , implicit bias and overt racism from white colleagues with little recourse.
” The CDC has also been criticized for its public shortcomings in dealing with racial disparities .
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic , the CDC was widely criticized for its failure to break out COVID-19 data by racial groups .
More recent data has shown Black Americans have been infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly higher rates than white Americans .
Health experts say this points to underlying socioeconomic failures that lead to poor health outcomes for Black Americans .
The CDC said in a statement emailed to The Verge that Redfield had received and replied to the employees ’ letter .
“ CDC is committed to fostering a fair , equitable , and inclusive environment in which staff can openly share their concerns with agency leadership.
” Update July 13th , 5:19PM ET : Added statement from the CDC .

Employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are calling for the federal agency to address what they say are “ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination” against its Black employees, NPR reported. More than 1,000 CDC employees signed a letter to director Robert Redfield describing a “pervasive and toxic culture of racial aggressions.”
“In light of the recent calls for justice across this country and around the world, we, as dedicated public health professionals, can no longer stay silent to the widespread acts of racism and discrimination within CDC that are, in fact, undermining the agency’s core mission,” the letter reads, according to NPR, which obtained a copy. The letter notes that Black employees are only 10 percent of CDC’s leadership.
In addition to diversifying the agency’s leadership, the employees want the CDC to declare racism a public health crisis in the US. The letter opens by invoking the devastating and disproportionate toll the pandemic has taken on Black and brown communities in the US, along with the recent killings of Black people, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The letter notes that: “These are just the most recent and tragic of the long-festering disease of racial discrimination and oppression in the United States.”
The letter is the latest in a long string of protests and calls for the US to reckon with its legacy of racial injustice. Last month, Black scientists and students shared experiences of discrimination in academia by using the Twitter hashtag #BlackintheIvory. They detailed stories of being harassed and marginalized in the ivory towers of research institutions and universities.
Researchers at the CDC have had similar experiences according to the letter obtained by NPR. The letter says that Black CDC employees “routinely experience bullying, excessive criticism, hostility, implicit bias and overt racism from white colleagues with little recourse.”
The CDC has also been criticized for its public shortcomings in dealing with racial disparities. In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC was widely criticized for its failure to break out COVID-19 data by racial groups. More recent data has shown Black Americans have been infected with and died from the virus at significantly higher rates than white Americans. Health experts say this points to underlying socioeconomic failures that lead to poor health outcomes for Black Americans.
The CDC said in a statement emailed to The Verge that Redfield had received and replied to the employees’ letter. “CDC is committed to fostering a fair, equitable, and inclusive environment in which staff can openly share their concerns with agency leadership.”


theverge--2020-07-13--Warren Ellis abused star power in fan relationships, say dozens of women

Over 60 women and nonbinary people have accused influential comics author Warren Ellis of manipulative and predatory behavior toward female fans and creatives .
An open letter and dozens of statements were collected on a site created by some of his alleged targets , and have also been shared with The Guardian , which published a story on the allegations today .
The site was launched after several weeks of less specific allegations , including some posted on Twitter .
The testimonials describe a long pattern of drawing young female fans into online or offline sexual encounters , which often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to The Guardian , Ellis secretly maintained up to 19 relationships at a time , while running online forums where many women believed their participation was dependent on looks and availability .
One contributor writes about an “ unspoken requirement for continued membership : be sexually desirable ( if not outright available to be seen as such ) or be ridiculed .
Or worst of all , ignored.
” Sexual desirability was an “ unspoken requirement ” for participation While there are no allegations of assault or other criminal acts , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationships that some entries describe as “ grooming.
” Several accounts describe relationships that seemed to begin as genuine mentorship during a period of vulnerability but were quickly steered toward sex and became something more calculating and transactional .
They often ended with Ellis abruptly cutting off contact .
“ I am not sure some men fully understand the way that women are subject to a raw deal : participation in society , being treated like a real person , is so often contingent on performative sexuality , ” says a participant who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women trying to break into a creative industry , that created a hostile environment that undercut their work and confidence , even as Ellis publicly boosted women ’ s profiles .
Ellis ’ forums were a key place for breaking into comics The alleged problem isn ’ t simply one bad relationship , but a long pattern of treating vulnerable women badly , amplified by Ellis ’ power within his industry .
In addition to working on landmark comics like Transmetropolitan and other creative projects ( most recently the popular Netflix series Castlevania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became online salons for talented artists and writers in the 2000s .
Harris O ’ Malley , better known as the blogger and relationship coach Dr. Nerdlove , called the eponymous Warren Ellis Forum a “ talent incubator , churning out creators who would go on to transform not just comics but television , film and more.
” Ms. Marvel writer G. Willow Wilson , another forum member , described it as one of the key avenues for breaking into comics — but for women , a place with a “ casting couch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , Ellis offered a broadly apologetic but nonspecific response to the allegations .
“ I have never considered myself famous or powerful , ” he wrote , and “ it had never really occurred to me that other people didn ’ t see it the same way — that I was not engaging as an equal when gifted with attention , but acting from a position of power and privilege .
I did not take that into account in a number of my personal interactions and this was a mistake.
” Writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the first complaints against Ellis in a now-deleted tweet thread , wrote on Twitter that he was just part of a larger cultural problem .
Her tweets came alongside allegations that former Batgirl co-writer Cameron Stewart had pursued teenage fans while in his 30s .
“ Our aim is not to see Warren Ellis punished.
” Since the original allegations in June , Ellis has had a story removed from the upcoming Batman comic Dark Nights : Death Metal : Legends of the Dark Knights , apparently at his own request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the series The Batman ’ s Grave , and Netflix ordered a fourth season of Castlevania earlier this year .
The testimonials against Ellis highlight the complexity of sexual misconduct allegations — a blanket term that can describe anything from criminal actions to legal but exploitative behavior .
The site ’ s contributors aren ’ t asking for Ellis to be permanently ostracized , nor for his work to be forgotten .
( They also note that many other people helped create the comics for which he ’ s known . )
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of personality built around a famous man and prevent more women from entering a manipulative relationship .
“ To be clear , our aim is not to see Warren Ellis punished , we are here to look forward .
We believe it is important to amplify awareness of a pattern to change the culture of complicity , ” reads the letter .
“ We tell these stories so that anyone can recognize the dangerous nature of this type of behavior and protect themselves and others .
”

Over 60 women and nonbinary people have accused influential comics author Warren Ellis of manipulative and predatory behavior toward female fans and creatives. An open letter and dozens of statements were collected on a site created by some of his alleged targets, and have also been shared with The Guardian, which published a story on the allegations today.
The site was launched after several weeks of less specific allegations, including some posted on Twitter. The testimonials describe a long pattern of drawing young female fans into online or offline sexual encounters, which often devolved into controlling behavior or insults. According to The Guardian, Ellis secretly maintained up to 19 relationships at a time, while running online forums where many women believed their participation was dependent on looks and availability. One contributor writes about an “unspoken requirement for continued membership: be sexually desirable (if not outright available to be seen as such) or be ridiculed. Or worst of all, ignored.”
Sexual desirability was an “unspoken requirement” for participation
While there are no allegations of assault or other criminal acts, the testimonials describe a clear pattern of troubling relationships that some entries describe as “grooming.” Several accounts describe relationships that seemed to begin as genuine mentorship during a period of vulnerability but were quickly steered toward sex and became something more calculating and transactional. They often ended with Ellis abruptly cutting off contact.
“I am not sure some men fully understand the way that women are subject to a raw deal: participation in society, being treated like a real person, is so often contingent on performative sexuality,” says a participant who uses the pseudonym Madolan Greene. For women trying to break into a creative industry, that created a hostile environment that undercut their work and confidence, even as Ellis publicly boosted women’s profiles.
Ellis’ forums were a key place for breaking into comics
The alleged problem isn’t simply one bad relationship, but a long pattern of treating vulnerable women badly, amplified by Ellis’ power within his industry. In addition to working on landmark comics like Transmetropolitan and other creative projects (most recently the popular Netflix series Castlevania), he ran several forums that became online salons for talented artists and writers in the 2000s. Harris O’Malley, better known as the blogger and relationship coach Dr. Nerdlove, called the eponymous Warren Ellis Forum a “talent incubator, churning out creators who would go on to transform not just comics but television, film and more.” Ms. Marvel writer G. Willow Wilson, another forum member, described it as one of the key avenues for breaking into comics — but for women, a place with a “casting couch atmosphere.”
In a statement posted in June, Ellis offered a broadly apologetic but nonspecific response to the allegations. “I have never considered myself famous or powerful,” he wrote, and “it had never really occurred to me that other people didn’t see it the same way — that I was not engaging as an equal when gifted with attention, but acting from a position of power and privilege. I did not take that into account in a number of my personal interactions and this was a mistake.”
Writer and photographer Katie West, who posted some of the first complaints against Ellis in a now-deleted tweet thread, wrote on Twitter that he was just part of a larger cultural problem. Her tweets came alongside allegations that former Batgirl co-writer Cameron Stewart had pursued teenage fans while in his 30s.
“Our aim is not to see Warren Ellis punished.”
Since the original allegations in June, Ellis has had a story removed from the upcoming Batman comic Dark Nights: Death Metal: Legends of the Dark Knights, apparently at his own request. He is currently a writer for the series The Batman’s Grave, and Netflix ordered a fourth season of Castlevania earlier this year.
The testimonials against Ellis highlight the complexity of sexual misconduct allegations — a blanket term that can describe anything from criminal actions to legal but exploitative behavior. The site’s contributors aren’t asking for Ellis to be permanently ostracized, nor for his work to be forgotten. (They also note that many other people helped create the comics for which he’s known.)


theverge--2020-07-13--Autonomous drone maker Skydio shifts to military and enterprise with its first folding drone

Skydio , a startup that makes autonomous drones that fly themselves with little human intervention , is entering the commercial drone market with its new X2 model .
The X2 is Skydio ’ s first non-consumer device and it ’ s marketed toward government agencies , the military , and other organizations that require aerial surveillance or surveying , with its own built-in infrared thermal camera .
The X2 announcement coincides with Skydio ’ s new round of $ 100 million in funding , led by German multinational company Siemens ’ Next47 firm .
Skydio first entered the market a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Skydio R1 .
The R1 was an autonomous drone that sported impressive artificial intelligence-powered obstacle avoidance and other sensors and software features that let it seamlessly fly itself through complex outdoor environments like wooded trails while following subjects .
Skydio is moving into the military and enterprise market after two consumer drones The R1 , however , was quite expensive at $ 2,500 , and applications for Skydio ’ s first drone remained limited to recording extreme sports like mountain biking and other more casual activities .
The idea was that inexperienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy a flying camera that could follow you around and automatically film your activities without crashing into trees .
The company , made of up of MIT drone experts and alumni of Google ’ s Wing drone delivery unit , kept improving the software and adding new features until it released its Skydio 2 follow-up last year .
The second iteration was much cheaper at $ 999 and improved the design of the drone and its capabilities considerably .
But it still suffered from lackluster manual controls courtesy of a rebranded Parrot Anafi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the smartphone app used by the R1 , was sometimes buggy and unreliable .
That meant the Skydio 2 couldn ’ t match the precision and control of flying and recording of a DJI drone .
The X2 is supposed to change all that , with the unfortunate downside for consumers being that it ’ s not really for them .
The X2 has folding arms , a first for Skydio after the company said it struggled in the past to make its AI-powered autonomous flight capabilities work with drones that can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ la DJI ’ s Mavic Pro .
This X2 also has GPS-powered night flight , visible light and IR illuminators for flying in the dark , and a full-fledged enterprise-grade controller with a built-in touchscreen .
Battery life is longer at 35 minutes of flight time versus 23 minutes for the Skydio 2 , and it features the previously mentioned 320 x 256-resolution thermal camera in addition to its 12MP main camera .
There are also some new software features coming with the X2 : a 360-degree “ superzoom ” for up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new precision mode that lets pilots fly the X2 in tighter environments without fear that the autonomous features , like obstacle avoidance , might interfere with the manual controls .
Skydio is bringing a 3D Scan feature to both the Skydio 2 and X2 later this year designed for “ inspections of complex industrial structures and locations , such as bridges , building facades , energy infrastructure , accident and crime scenes.
” There will also be a House Scan feature for insurance agents to automatically inspect homes : Skydio is launching two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One is called the X2D and is designed explicitly for the US Army .
Skydio refers to it as “ the ultimate solution for military and defense to perform reconnaissance , search and rescue , and security patrol missions.
” The other is the X2E , which Skydio says is “ optimized for enterprises , first responders , and civilian agencies.
” No pricing is announced for either , as it seems likely these devices will be sold as part of larger contracts or under the terms of specific deals unique to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An American company can not only compete , but can lead the way in AI-powered drone technology.
” The company ’ s transition from “ selfie drone ” maker to a potential contractor for the American military is somewhat understandable given the lack of everyday consumer interest in cutting-edge drone tech .
But Skydio is positioning this move as a way to cement a US drone maker as a leading government supplier and a competitor to China-based DJI , which has supplied drones for the US government in the past before concerns of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ground their UAV fleets .
Skydio CEO Adam Bry told us last month that he ’ s opening an additional manufacturing facility in the US this summer to help address demand , after previously relying entirely on a tiny assembly line near its offices in Mountain View , CA .
“ Manual drones lack the software intelligence that enterprises need to scale their programs , ” Bry said in a statement today .
“ Skydio ’ s goal is to unlock the value of drones by creating a radically simple user experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Skydio 2 ( S2 ) we ’ ve proven that our autonomy software can fundamentally change the way people use drones , and that an American company can not only compete , but can lead the way in AI-powered drone technology .
We are now bringing the power of autonomy to enterprises , government agencies , first responders , and defense customers.
” Update , 8:23PM ET : We spoke to Skydio CEO Adam Bry a bit more about the announcements .
You can read his answers at the link below .

Skydio, a startup that makes autonomous drones that fly themselves with little human intervention, is entering the commercial drone market with its new X2 model. The X2 is Skydio’s first non-consumer device and it’s marketed toward government agencies, the military, and other organizations that require aerial surveillance or surveying, with its own built-in infrared thermal camera. The X2 announcement coincides with Skydio’s new round of $100 million in funding, led by German multinational company Siemens’ Next47 firm.
Skydio first entered the market a little more than two years ago with the Skydio R1. The R1 was an autonomous drone that sported impressive artificial intelligence-powered obstacle avoidance and other sensors and software features that let it seamlessly fly itself through complex outdoor environments like wooded trails while following subjects.
Skydio is moving into the military and enterprise market after two consumer drones
The R1, however, was quite expensive at $2,500, and applications for Skydio’s first drone remained limited to recording extreme sports like mountain biking and other more casual activities. The idea was that inexperienced drone pilots or even total amateurs might buy a flying camera that could follow you around and automatically film your activities without crashing into trees.
The company, made of up of MIT drone experts and alumni of Google’s Wing drone delivery unit, kept improving the software and adding new features until it released its Skydio 2 follow-up last year. The second iteration was much cheaper at $999 and improved the design of the drone and its capabilities considerably. But it still suffered from lackluster manual controls courtesy of a rebranded Parrot Anafi controller that, while an improvement over the smartphone app used by the R1, was sometimes buggy and unreliable. That meant the Skydio 2 couldn’t match the precision and control of flying and recording of a DJI drone.
The X2 is supposed to change all that, with the unfortunate downside for consumers being that it’s not really for them. The X2 has folding arms, a first for Skydio after the company said it struggled in the past to make its AI-powered autonomous flight capabilities work with drones that can be folded down into a smaller package a la DJI’s Mavic Pro.
(Skydio previously said the limitation was because its software needed to have its navigation cameras precisely positioned in relation to one another and to the rest of the drone, but has both designed these arms to be “pretty rigid” when unfolded, and revamped its software to adapt for slight changes in flight.)
This X2 also has GPS-powered night flight, visible light and IR illuminators for flying in the dark, and a full-fledged enterprise-grade controller with a built-in touchscreen. Battery life is longer at 35 minutes of flight time versus 23 minutes for the Skydio 2, and it features the previously mentioned 320 x 256-resolution thermal camera in addition to its 12MP main camera.
Photo: Skydio
There are also some new software features coming with the X2: a 360-degree “superzoom” for up to 100x zoom in all directions and a new precision mode that lets pilots fly the X2 in tighter environments without fear that the autonomous features, like obstacle avoidance, might interfere with the manual controls.
Skydio is bringing a 3D Scan feature to both the Skydio 2 and X2 later this year designed for “inspections of complex industrial structures and locations, such as bridges, building facades, energy infrastructure, accident and crime scenes.” There will also be a House Scan feature for insurance agents to automatically inspect homes:
Skydio is launching two versions of the X2 later this year. One is called the X2D and is designed explicitly for the US Army. Skydio refers to it as “the ultimate solution for military and defense to perform reconnaissance, search and rescue, and security patrol missions.” The other is the X2E, which Skydio says is “optimized for enterprises, first responders, and civilian agencies.” No pricing is announced for either, as it seems likely these devices will be sold as part of larger contracts or under the terms of specific deals unique to the companies or agencies involved.
“An American company can not only compete, but can lead the way in AI-powered drone technology.”
The company’s transition from “selfie drone” maker to a potential contractor for the American military is somewhat understandable given the lack of everyday consumer interest in cutting-edge drone tech. But Skydio is positioning this move as a way to cement a US drone maker as a leading government supplier and a competitor to China-based DJI, which has supplied drones for the US government in the past before concerns of Chinese espionage and cyberattacks led some agencies to ground their UAV fleets.
Skydio CEO Adam Bry told us last month that he’s opening an additional manufacturing facility in the US this summer to help address demand, after previously relying entirely on a tiny assembly line near its offices in Mountain View, CA.
“Manual drones lack the software intelligence that enterprises need to scale their programs,” Bry said in a statement today. “Skydio’s goal is to unlock the value of drones by creating a radically simple user experience through the power of true autonomy. With Skydio 2 (S2) we’ve proven that our autonomy software can fundamentally change the way people use drones, and that an American company can not only compete, but can lead the way in AI-powered drone technology. We are now bringing the power of autonomy to enterprises, government agencies, first responders, and defense customers.”


theverge--2020-07-13--You can get Watch Dogs 2 for free on PC right now

Ubisoft will let you redeem a free copy of open-world hacking simulator Watch Dogs 2 for PC right now just @ @ @ @ @ Uplay account .
To snag your copy of the 2016 game , head to this @ @ @ @ @ website where you ’ ll be asked to log in .
When you do , @ @ @ @ @ message that you ’ ve successfully claimed the game and that it will soon show @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s unclear how long the giveaway will be going on , though @ @ @ @ @ to jump on the deal sooner rather than later .
Ubisoft had previously said the @ @ @ @ @ free if you watched its Ubisoft Forward digital press conference on Sunday and were logged @ @ @ @ @ technical problems prevented some people from claiming the giveaway .
Ubisoft isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ experience technical issues with giveaways ; the Epic Games Store went down for more than @ @ @ @ @ Rockstar ’ s Grand Theft Auto V for free in May .

Ubisoft will let you redeem a free copy of open-world hacking simulator Watch Dogs 2 for PC right now just by logging in to your Uplay account. To snag your copy of the 2016 game, head to this page on Ubisoft’s website where you’ll be asked to log in. When you do, you’ll see a message that you’ve successfully claimed the game and that it will soon show up in your Uplay library. It’s unclear how long the giveaway will be going on, though, so you might want to jump on the deal sooner rather than later.