theverge--2020-02-11--Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip phone needs to do way better than past foldables

Later today , Samsung will officially announce a new folding phone , the Galaxy Z Flip .
We know this because many , many details have leaked about it .
Also because Samsung itself decided to just show off the whole damn phone and several details about its workings during the Academy Awards .
It just up and aired a Galaxy Z Flip commercial before it even announced the phone Samsung always goes hard at the Oscars , so it ’ s no surprise that it aired an ad this year .
I was not expecting such a full reveal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Expecting anyone to be surprised at a phone event is no longer a viable strategy , given how everything leaks .
So Samsung just took a page out of Google ’ s 2019 playbook and started revealing details itself .
But , as with Google ’ s coy photos leading up to the Pixel 4 unveil , Samsung ’ s decision to air an ad showing ( though not naming ) the Z Flip raises the stakes on a situation where the stakes were already pretty high .
This isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folding phone , you know ?
I mean I know , because I reviewed the Galaxy Fold not once , but twice .
That ’ s because the first phone broke within a day of unboxing it — and not because I did anything wrong to it .
Samsung cancelled the original launch , reworked the device , and released it later .
That sort of thing can ’ t happen again to Samsung — or rather , it had better be damn sure it won ’ t .
The stakes for Samsung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lay them out .
It survived the reputational hit from the exploding Note 7 in 2016 .
It survived the less-dramatic but nevertheless very embarrassing Fold debacle .
If it has a third high profile phone fiasco in five years , people might start noticing .
The Z Flip also might be one of the last chances folding phones are going to have to really prove they could be a mainstream product sometime soon and not just weird curios for the rich and tech-obsessed .
That ’ s what the Galaxy Fold is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what the Motorola Razr will be too .
Spoiler alert : I ’ m using a Razr and I can tell you that the state of folding phones right now is bumpy — literally , the screen is bumpy and Motorola says that this is normal .
It also says the creaking noise the hinge makes is also normal .
Here ’ s a statement on that from a Motorola spokesperson : For the record , I think Motorola and I have different views on what should be included when considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , every folding phone I ’ ve used to date has shared the following qualities : • Hinge design that could be problematic if you ever get any dirt in it , or grit , or whatever .
• Software that doesn ’ t quite work as well as it ought .
• Intriguing design that suggests you could have a different , healthier relationship with your phone To be fair , there ’ s really only two in the US to even serve as examples of the above .
The Z Flip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the charm or else consumers will rightfully write off the whole category for awhile .
I don ’ t think that the Z Flip is going to have an answer for every single one of those bullet points .
In fact I know it won ’ t .
The price is rumored to be around $ 1400 .
The tease that Samsung dropped at the oscars showed a hinge design that looks similar to the Galaxy Fold ’ s hinge — including a gap when it ’ s closed .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Samsung has finally figured out a way to use glass instead of plastic .
Likely it will need to be so thin and flexible that it won ’ t solve the durability problem in one fell swoop , but it should help some .
I ’ m also optimistic for the software on the Z Flip , if only because there ’ s less for Samsung to do .
When it ’ s open , it ’ s just going to be an Android phone running Samsung ’ s very nice One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s closed , there will just be a tiny little screen — literally not enough space to make major mistakes ( I hope ) .
It is the last bullet that has me paying attention despite my deep skepticism of the price , value , and durability of foldables right now .
The best part of using the Galaxy Fold was that it forced me to be more intentional with my phone usage .
When it was folded out as a tablet , I used it like a tablet .
When it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used it as little as possible ( because it was bad in that shape ) .
Can the flip phone form factor do something similar ?
Will slapping the thing closed mean I ’ m less likely to check Instagram and Twitter so often ?
Will it stop feeling like an inviting , time-sucking television screen in my pocket and more like ... a phone ?
I have no idea , but that ’ s why I ’ m looking forward to the launch .
Samsung just needs to fix — or at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have plagued previous foldables .
Only then will we be able to find out if this flip phone thing actually is something we want .
Until then , there ’ s one thing I do think the form factor is good for : fitting in smaller pockets .
A programming note : I have referred to this newsletter as “ mostly daily ” from time to time and I apologize for unexpectedly making good on that joke last Friday .
Going forward I ’ ll endeavor to at least send out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next month or two we ’ ll bring on some guests to write from time to time .
More to expect at Samsung Unpacked ┏ Samsung Galaxy S20 event : what to expect from the February 11th event .
Here ’ s a roundup of everything we think we ’ ll see today .
┏ Samsung Unpacked 2020 event : all of the latest rumors , news , and more .
This is our Storystream for the whole event , and it will emphasize the big stories .
If you only click @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , make it this one .
┏ Galaxy Buds Plus detailed in new hands-on video ┏ Galaxy Home Mini caught on video ahead of rumored Wednesday release .
Why isn ’ t Samsung just briefly mentioning this with a press release on the launch day of its phones ?
If it ’ s trying to bury the speaker without actually killing it entirely , that ’ s how I ’ d do it .
Releasing it a day after the Unpacked event is just weird .
Then again , weird is how Samsung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flip leaks in weirdo promo .
I am not going to lie the first minute and 20 seconds of this video is extremely my shit , but then I go hard for brutalism , symmetry , and slightly off-putting depictions of the Kafkaesque nightmare that is modern life .
Samsung and Thom Browne would like us all to think that a folding phone will get us out of all of that , but I doubt it .
┏ Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 is a make-or-break moment for 5G .
Chaim Gartenberg on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be successful .
These are going to be the first widely-released , mainstream 5G phones .
Samsung ( and the carriers ) best not screw it up or it will mark consumer ’ s attitude toward 5G for years to come .
Things have not been going well for the Motorola Razr .
I have been using a Razr since Thursday — review coming this week .
All I ’ ll say here is that if you have anything in particular you ’ d like to know , email me .
┏ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail in less than 12 months of regular use , but Motorola stands by it and created what it calls the ‘ real ’ flip test .
┏ Trying to buy the new Motorola Razr on its ‘ release date ’ was a frustrating failure .
Both myself and Chris Welch spent much of the launch day trying to track one down ( without preorders , which first shipped early then shipped delayed ) .
We were unsuccessful .
It is enough to make me wonder how real the Feb 6th launch date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock is no big deal for a big launch , but Verizon employees at multiple stores clearly had not been giving any meaningful information about the phone .
┏ Motorola confirms a gold-colored Razr is coming this spring .
They should have gone with pink !
┏ The Moto G Stylus and G Power make Motorola ’ s best budget phones even better .
This isn ’ t a razr story , but instead a story of two other phones Motorola launched last week .
Chaim Gartenberg and Becca Farsace trekked to Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a day ’ s worth of knowledge , they both look good .
Motorola has been almost exclusively making lower-end phones for awhile now and has gotten really skilled at it .
It ’ s kind of a bummer that these two were overshadowed by the razr ridicule .
┏ iPhone maker Foxconn tells Shenzhen staff not to return to work ┏ Handshake bans to stop the coronavirus might be overkill in most places ┏ Ericsson pulls out of Mobile World Congress over coronavirus concerns ┏ Sony and Amazon pull out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ┏ ZTE beats Samsung to announcing the first Snapdragon 865 phone .
Looks pretty good , but call me when it ships .
┏ Microsoft ’ s Surface Duo appears in the wild in new video .
I have to say , my main takeaway from this is that the design of it is going to feel less impressive in late 2020 than other phones .
Sure , it will be elegant in some ways , but the bezels on it seem out of touch with what has been happening on mobile for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to show the LG V60 ThinQ ’ s four cameras and a big battery .
LG apparently Last Guys to make a flagship phone with a headphone jack .
LG has decided not to go to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month , which is probably going to hurt this phone ’ s chances — and given the way LG ’ s mobile division has been performing lately , it can ’ t really afford that .
More from The Verge ┏ Quibi continues attempt to explain what it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexander pointed this out to me and now I can ’ t stop thinking about it : all these ads are actually about impending doom .
The pitch , so far as I can tell , is that the cold embrace of death is coming for us all and quite soon , but you can pass the time with some short videos before oblivion envelops you - subscribe to Quibi .
┏ Taika Waititi slams Apple ’ s MacBook keyboards after winning first Oscar .
I don ’ t know how many years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recover its reputation for making quality laptops , but it ’ s going to take awhile .
( Also , we must protect Waititi at all costs . )
┏ Microsoft ’ s new Edge browser is now available for the Surface Pro X .
Disclosure : after telling everybody it ’ s not a great idea to spend a lot of money on a Surface Pro X just to use it as a Chromebook I have purchased a Surface Pro X and am just using it as a Chromebook .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letting you know .
┏ Equifax was hacked by Chinese military officers , federal prosecutors say ┏ Designing a more friendly Fortnite with food , puns , and no in-app purchases .
My goal in life is now to make a “ pun so powerful it derailed everything .
”

Later today, Samsung will officially announce a new folding phone, the Galaxy Z Flip. We know this because many, many details have leaked about it. Also because Samsung itself decided to just show off the whole damn phone and several details about its workings during the Academy Awards. It just up and aired a Galaxy Z Flip commercial before it even announced the phone
Samsung always goes hard at the Oscars, so it’s no surprise that it aired an ad this year. I was not expecting such a full reveal of its folding flip phone, though!
Expecting anyone to be surprised at a phone event is no longer a viable strategy, given how everything leaks. So Samsung just took a page out of Google’s 2019 playbook and started revealing details itself. But, as with Google’s coy photos leading up to the Pixel 4 unveil, Samsung’s decision to air an ad showing (though not naming) the Z Flip raises the stakes on a situation where the stakes were already pretty high.
This isn’t the first time Samsung has released a folding phone, you know? I mean I know, because I reviewed the Galaxy Fold not once, but twice. That’s because the first phone broke within a day of unboxing it — and not because I did anything wrong to it. Samsung cancelled the original launch, reworked the device, and released it later.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
By subscribing, you are agreeing to receive a daily newsletter from The Verge that highlights top stories of the day, as well as occasional messages from sponsors and / or partners of The Verge.
That sort of thing can’t happen again to Samsung — or rather, it had better be damn sure it won’t. The stakes for Samsung are so obvious I hardly need to lay them out. It survived the reputational hit from the exploding Note 7 in 2016. It survived the less-dramatic but nevertheless very embarrassing Fold debacle. If it has a third high profile phone fiasco in five years, people might start noticing.
The Z Flip also might be one of the last chances folding phones are going to have to really prove they could be a mainstream product sometime soon and not just weird curios for the rich and tech-obsessed. That’s what the Galaxy Fold is and it’s increasingly obvious that’s what the Motorola Razr will be too.
Spoiler alert: I’m using a Razr and I can tell you that the state of folding phones right now is bumpy — literally, the screen is bumpy and Motorola says that this is normal. It also says the creaking noise the hinge makes is also normal. Here’s a statement on that from a Motorola spokesperson:
When folding and unfolding razr, you may hear a sound, which is intrinsic to the mechanical movement of the phone. razr has undergone rigorous durability testing, and the reported sounds in no way affect the quality of the product.
For the record, I think Motorola and I have different views on what should be included when considering the quality of the product.
Anyway, every folding phone I’ve used to date has shared the following qualities:
A sky high price.
Hinge design that could be problematic if you ever get any dirt in it, or grit, or whatever.
A very fragile screen.
Software that doesn’t quite work as well as it ought.
Intriguing design that suggests you could have a different, healthier relationship with your phone
To be fair, there’s really only two in the US to even serve as examples of the above. The Z Flip is the third, and it needs to be the charm or else consumers will rightfully write off the whole category for awhile.
I don’t think that the Z Flip is going to have an answer for every single one of those bullet points. In fact I know it won’t. The price is rumored to be around $1400. The tease that Samsung dropped at the oscars showed a hinge design that looks similar to the Galaxy Fold’s hinge — including a gap when it’s closed.
A very, very brief moment in Samsung’s Academy Awards teaser ad for the Z Flip shows the gap when closed.
But with the fragile screen, the rumor is Samsung has finally figured out a way to use glass instead of plastic. Likely it will need to be so thin and flexible that it won’t solve the durability problem in one fell swoop, but it should help some.
I’m also optimistic for the software on the Z Flip, if only because there’s less for Samsung to do. When it’s open, it’s just going to be an Android phone running Samsung’s very nice One UI 2 software. When it’s closed, there will just be a tiny little screen — literally not enough space to make major mistakes (I hope).
The Flip can’t flop
It is the last bullet that has me paying attention despite my deep skepticism of the price, value, and durability of foldables right now. The best part of using the Galaxy Fold was that it forced me to be more intentional with my phone usage. When it was folded out as a tablet, I used it like a tablet. When it was folded down into a phone, I used it as little as possible (because it was bad in that shape).
Can the flip phone form factor do something similar? Will slapping the thing closed mean I’m less likely to check Instagram and Twitter so often? Will it stop feeling like an inviting, time-sucking television screen in my pocket and more like ...a phone?
I have no idea, but that’s why I’m looking forward to the launch. Samsung just needs to fix — or at minimum mitigate — some of the problems that have plagued previous foldables. Only then will we be able to find out if this flip phone thing actually is something we want.
Until then, there’s one thing I do think the form factor is good for: fitting in smaller pockets.
A programming note: I have referred to this newsletter as “mostly daily” from time to time and I apologize for unexpectedly making good on that joke last Friday. Going forward I’ll endeavor to at least send out the linklist after busy days — and over the next month or two we’ll bring on some guests to write from time to time.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
More to expect at Samsung Unpacked
┏ Samsung Galaxy S20 event: what to expect from the February 11th event. Here’s a roundup of everything we think we’ll see today.
┏ Samsung Unpacked 2020 event: all of the latest rumors, news, and more. This is our Storystream for the whole event, and it will emphasize the big stories. If you only click one link after Samsung’s event, make it this one.
┏ Galaxy Home Mini caught on video ahead of rumored Wednesday release. Why isn’t Samsung just briefly mentioning this with a press release on the launch day of its phones? If it’s trying to bury the speaker without actually killing it entirely, that’s how I’d do it. Releasing it a day after the Unpacked event is just weird. Then again, weird is how Samsung do.
┏ Fashion edition Galaxy Z Flip leaks in weirdo promo. I am not going to lie the first minute and 20 seconds of this video is extremely my shit, but then I go hard for brutalism, symmetry, and slightly off-putting depictions of the Kafkaesque nightmare that is modern life. Samsung and Thom Browne would like us all to think that a folding phone will get us out of all of that, but I doubt it.
┏ Samsung’s Galaxy S20 is a make-or-break moment for 5G. Chaim Gartenberg on what the Galaxy S20 needs to do to be successful. These are going to be the first widely-released, mainstream 5G phones. Samsung (and the carriers) best not screw it up or it will mark consumer’s attitude toward 5G for years to come.
The Motorola razr’s rough launch
Things have not been going well for the Motorola Razr. I have been using a Razr since Thursday — review coming this week. All I’ll say here is that if you have anything in particular you’d like to know, email me.
┏ Trying to buy the new Motorola Razr on its ‘release date’ was a frustrating failure. Both myself and Chris Welch spent much of the launch day trying to track one down (without preorders, which first shipped early then shipped delayed). We were unsuccessful. It is enough to make me wonder how real the Feb 6th launch date really was. Stores being out of stock is no big deal for a big launch, but Verizon employees at multiple stores clearly had not been giving any meaningful information about the phone.
┏ Motorola confirms a gold-colored Razr is coming this spring. They should have gone with pink!
┏ The Moto G Stylus and G Power make Motorola’s best budget phones even better. This isn’t a razr story, but instead a story of two other phones Motorola launched last week. Chaim Gartenberg and Becca Farsace trekked to Chicago for the launch and though we only have a day’s worth of knowledge, they both look good. Motorola has been almost exclusively making lower-end phones for awhile now and has gotten really skilled at it. It’s kind of a bummer that these two were overshadowed by the razr ridicule.
Coronavirus
Phone news
┏ ZTE beats Samsung to announcing the first Snapdragon 865 phone. Looks pretty good, but call me when it ships.
┏ Microsoft’s Surface Duo appears in the wild in new video. I have to say, my main takeaway from this is that the design of it is going to feel less impressive in late 2020 than other phones. Sure, it will be elegant in some ways, but the bezels on it seem out of touch with what has been happening on mobile for some time now.
┏ Leaked images appear to show the LG V60 ThinQ’s four cameras and a big battery. LG apparently Last Guys to make a flagship phone with a headphone jack. LG has decided not to go to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, which is probably going to hurt this phone’s chances — and given the way LG’s mobile division has been performing lately, it can’t really afford that.
More from The Verge
┏ Quibi continues attempt to explain what it does with series of Oscars ads. Julia Alexander pointed this out to me and now I can’t stop thinking about it: all these ads are actually about impending doom. The pitch, so far as I can tell, is that the cold embrace of death is coming for us all and quite soon, but you can pass the time with some short videos before oblivion envelops you - subscribe to Quibi.
┏ Taika Waititi slams Apple’s MacBook keyboards after winning first Oscar. I don’t know how many years it’s going to take Apple to recover its reputation for making quality laptops, but it’s going to take awhile. (Also, we must protect Waititi at all costs.)
┏ Microsoft’s new Edge browser is now available for the Surface Pro X. Disclosure: after telling everybody it’s not a great idea to spend a lot of money on a Surface Pro X just to use it as a Chromebook I have purchased a Surface Pro X and am just using it as a Chromebook. I stand by my advice but still just letting you know.
It’s the second time the DOJ has indicted members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in an economic espionage case. In 2014, the Obama administration announced 31 charges of economic espionage, trade secret theft, identity theft, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and other related crimes against five PLA officers. (China denied involvement.)
┏ Designing a more friendly Fortnite with food, puns, and no in-app purchases. My goal in life is now to make a “pun so powerful it derailed everything.”


theverge--2020-02-11--Why platforms aren’t taking down deceptive political videos

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
Say you run a large social network in which your most zealous users frequently discuss their politics .
In 2020 , one way they are going to do this is through the sharing of memes — pithy , punchy photos and videos designed for maximum partisan impact .
Some of these memes will draw on actual facts ; others will simply be insults .
The most troublesome memes to deal with will be the ones that draw on real life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These manipulations can be an essential part of satire , parody , and criticism .
They can also trick people into believing a hoax .
It ’ s up to you to draw a bright line .
Where do you draw it ?
The question of manipulated media has come up in a big way twice in the past week .
The first came when Twitter said it would label some manipulated and synthetic images starting next month .
Here ’ s Adi Robertson in The Verge : The second appearance of manipulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union address , when President Trump shared on his Twitter account a video that purported to show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tearing up his speech during a series of feel-good moments during the speech .
Here ’ s Drew Harwell and Tony Romm in the Washington Post : This was , of course , the second time that a doctored video of Pelosi made national headlines , following the incident last May in which a video of her appearing drunk went viral .
( In reality , the video ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 75 percent of its original speed . )
Lying has a long tradition in American politics .
So why have the Pelosi videos created a panic ?
One , they erode our shared sense of reality by throwing into question the legitimacy of video evidence , a technology that before now we have generally regarded as trustworthy .
And two , they suggest that in the future we will be unable to reliably tell fact from fiction , particularly on matters of intense public debate .
( I think there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that huge numbers of people will be misled into voting for the “ wrong ” candidate because they fell for one or more hoaxes . )
Hence Pelosi ’ s spokesman calling for the doctored State of the Union video to be removed from Facebook .
Here ’ s Jeff Horwitz and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal : This is a perfect American debate over platforms in 2020 , because it involves two people talking past one another without acknowledging any of the relevant tradeoffs , on a platform that rewards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , in this case , I ’ m with Facebook and Twitter — this video should not be removed from the internet .
As Stone notes , Pelosi did rip up Trump ’ s speech on camera — and she did not appear to avoid tearing up the nice bits where Trump praised a soldier or handed out a scholarship .
In fact , the whole point of tearing up the speech on camera was for the act to be widely viewed and discussed .
It ’ s odd to engineer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for social media , and then try to get a meme of it taken down .
Pelosi ’ s people argue that showing the clips out of order represents an unacceptable distortion .
But the video clearly re-uses the clip of Pelosi tearing the speech multiple times , making the fact that it ’ s a chop job self-evident .
Viewed in that light , Hammill ’ s complaint reads more like film criticism than a call for platform policy reform .
The truth is that there ’ s likely no way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taken down that would also permit the kind of political speech we see every day on television .
Any criticism that doesn ’ t reckon with that fact strikes me as fundamentally glib .
Of course , it ’ s also the case that political discourse on television — particularly cable television — is often terrible .
A platform can embody high ideals of free speech and still be a pretty terrible place to become informed .
It would be good for the country if , on that metric at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Amazon is banning books by white supremacists and Nazis .
The move has prompted some booksellers to complain about the company ’ s vague or nonexistent rules regarding what they can sell , though few people are mourning these titles .
Trending down : Legal documents show Facebook knew about a huge security flaw that let hackers to steal personal data from millions of its users almost one year before the crime .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ⭐ Senator Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) proposed a new plan to overhaul the Federal Trade Commission in order to rein in big tech companies .
“ The FTC has stood by as major corporations have consolidated their power and stifled competition , ” he wrote .
Russell Brandom at The Verge reports : Amazon is trying to depose President Trump and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper in a high-stakes protest over the Pentagon ’ s handling of a $ 10 billion cloud computing contract .
They ’ re looking to question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had with Microsoft , the company that eventually won the contract .
( Aaron Gregg and Jay Greene / The Washington Post ) Law enforcement agencies are using Clearview AI to identify children who are victims of child abuse .
The use case raises new questions about the tool ’ s accuracy and how the company handles data .
( Kashmir Hill and Gabriel J.X .
Dance / The New York Times ) Elsewhere , Clearview AI founder Hoan Ton-That told CNN that he is “ honored ” to kick off a broader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is not an honor !
No one is honoring you here , Hoan .
( Donie O ’ Sullivan / CNN ) Facebook and the Internal Revenue Service are squaring off in a court case that could cost the company more than $ 9 billion .
The IRS has argued that more of Facebook ’ s profits should have been taxed at higher rates in the United States , rather than in the company ’ s Irish subsidiary .
( Richard Rubin / The Wall Street Journal ) Facebook , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform , almost inadvertently published incorrect information about a voter registration deadline in Oklahoma this year .
State officials said they had to fight with the company in order to get the language corrected .
( Dustin Volz and Alexa Corse / The Wall Street Journal ) QAnon , the lunatic pro-Trump conspiracy theory about “ deep state ” traitors plotting against the president , has migrated off the internet .
It ’ s showing up in political campaigns , criminal cases and a college classroom .
( Mike McIntire and Kevin Roose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Nevada State Democratic Party encountered errors while testing their version of the app that ruined the Iowa caucuses .
The party has since decided not to use the app .
( Joseph Cox / Vice ) Bernie Sanders is raising more money from Big Tech employees than any other 2020 presidential candidate .
Employees from Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , and Twitter funneled almost $ 270,000 into the Sanders campaign during the last three months of 2019 .
( Theodore Schleifer / Recode ) Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool on social media .
His campaign is asking people with 1,000 to 100,000 followers to create original content “ that tells us why Mike Bloomberg is the electable candidate who can rise above the fray , work across the aisle so ALL Americans feel heard & respected.
” Feels natural !
( Scott Bixby / Daily Beast ) A small community of online sleuths is trying to combat misinformation by spotting it before it can spread .
Ben Nimmo , who helped create the Atlantic Council ’ s Digital Forensic Research Lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s profiled here .
( Adam Satariano / The New York Times ) The coronavirus has brought China ’ s surveillance technology out of the shadows , providing the authorities with a justification for sweeping methods of high tech control .
AI companies say their systems can scan the streets for people with even low-grade fevers and recognize their faces even if they are wearing masks .
( Yingzhi Yang and Julie Zhu / Reuters ) ⭐ Clearview AI , the facial recognition company that claims to have a database of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to expand to 22 countries around the world .
Its list of target markets includes multiple authoritarian regimes .
BuzzFeed ’ s Caroline Haskins , Ryan Mac and Logan McDonald have the story : In December , Facebook quietly acquired the company behind “ Papers With Code , ” a free resource that helps people track newly published machine learning papers with source code .
The deal was estimated to have been around $ 40 million .
( Steve O ’ Hear / TechCrunch ) Facebook is expanding its bug bounty program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the platform .
A few months ago , a bug bounty submission alerted the company that apps were siphoning data from up to 9.5 million of its users .
( Lily Hay Newman / Wired ) Facebook ’ s comments plugin , which was built to let users leave comments on websites with their Facebook accounts , promises to help deliver “ higher quality conversations ” across the internet .
Instead , it has prompted a wave of spam across popular websites .
( Rob Price / Business Insider ) Instagram added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the accounts that you ’ re following by “ Most shown in feed ” and “ Least interacted with.
” From there , you can manage your follow status and notifications , or mute an account .
( Dami Lee / The Verge ) YouTube ’ s top kids channel , Cocomelon , gets 2.5 billion views a month — and now it ’ s expanding into merchandise .
It ’ ll soon begin offering albums and toys to its toddler superfans .
( Mark Bergen and Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up as a gateway to acquire teenage users for other apps .
Hoop , the latest Snap Kit success story , is the second most downloaded app on the App Store , thanks to its Tinder-esque swiping interface for finding new friends .
( Josh Constine / TechCrunch ) Amazon has considered selling Twitch ’ s live-streaming technology as a service through Amazon Web Services .
If it moves ahead with the offering , it would be the latest example of the company selling technology it uses internally to customers .
( Priya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Jeff Bezos is reportedly scouting for homes in the Los Angeles area that cost as much as $ 100 million .
This would rank among the largest purchases of residential real estate in California history .
( Theodore Schleifer / Recode ) The German Teens Who Made That Iconic TikTok Video Think It Might Be Nice For You To Learn Their Language People are losing it over these German teens ’ TikTok , in which a flamboyant young man asks his friends how many boyfriends they have had , even though they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German .
Here are Olivia Niland and Lam Thuy Vo in BuzzFeed : Send us tips , comments , questions , and memes of you dramatically tearing up the State of the Union address : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

Say you run a large social network in which your most zealous users frequently discuss their politics. In 2020, one way they are going to do this is through the sharing of memes — pithy, punchy photos and videos designed for maximum partisan impact. Some of these memes will draw on actual facts; others will simply be insults. The most troublesome memes to deal with will be the ones that draw on real life but manipulate it in some way. These manipulations can be an essential part of satire, parody, and criticism. They can also trick people into believing a hoax. It’s up to you to draw a bright line. Where do you draw it?
The question of manipulated media has come up in a big way twice in the past week. The first came when Twitter said it would label some manipulated and synthetic images starting next month. Here’s Adi Robertson in The Verge:
Twitter will ban faked pictures, video, and other media that are “deceptively shared” and pose a serious safety risk. The company just announced a new policy on synthetic and manipulated media — a category that encompasses sophisticated deepfake videos, but also low-tech deceptively edited content. In addition to banning egregious offenders, Twitter will label some tweets as “manipulated media” and link to a Twitter Moment that provides more context.
The second appearance of manipulated media in the headlines came after the State of the Union address, when President Trump shared on his Twitter account a video that purported to show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tearing up his speech during a series of feel-good moments during the speech. Here’s Drew Harwell and Tony Romm in the Washington Post:
The viral video shows President Trump delivering his State of the Union address, with a very notable alteration. As he commemorates “Young Women Receiving Scholarships” and “Child Healthcare Successes,” the video repeatedly cuts away to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripping up her copy of the speech. It didn’t actually happen that way: Pelosi (D-Calif.) tore the pages only after Trump finished what she later called his “manifesto of mistruths.” But Trump on Thursday shared it anyway, sending it to millions of users on Facebook and Twitter — and sparking sharp criticism from Pelosi and her fellow Democrats, who labeled the video “doctored” and “fake,” and demanded that the sites remove it. The companies refused.
This was, of course, the second time that a doctored video of Pelosi made national headlines, following the incident last May in which a video of her appearing drunk went viral. (In reality, the video’s creator had simply slowed her speech to 75 percent of its original speed.)
Lying has a long tradition in American politics. So why have the Pelosi videos created a panic? One, they erode our shared sense of reality by throwing into question the legitimacy of video evidence, a technology that before now we have generally regarded as trustworthy. And two, they suggest that in the future we will be unable to reliably tell fact from fiction, particularly on matters of intense public debate. (I think there’s also probably a third fear here: that huge numbers of people will be misled into voting for the “wrong” candidate because they fell for one or more hoaxes.)
Hence Pelosi’s spokesman calling for the doctored State of the Union video to be removed from Facebook. Here’s Jeff Horwitz and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal:
Disagreements over the video triggered a spat on Twitter on Friday between Drew Hammill, Mrs. Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, and Andy Stone, a longtime Facebook spokesman. Mr. Hammill urged Facebook and Twitter to take down the video because it was “deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people.” To that, Mr. Stone responded, “Sorry, are you suggesting the President didn’t make those remarks and the Speaker didn’t rip the speech?” Eight minutes later, Mr. Hammill shot back: “what planet are you living on? this is deceptively altered. take it down.”
This is a perfect American debate over platforms in 2020, because it involves two people talking past one another without acknowledging any of the relevant tradeoffs, on a platform that rewards them for it with digital hearts.
Still, in this case, I’m with Facebook and Twitter — this video should not be removed from the internet. As Stone notes, Pelosi did rip up Trump’s speech on camera — and she did not appear to avoid tearing up the nice bits where Trump praised a soldier or handed out a scholarship. In fact, the whole point of tearing up the speech on camera was for the act to be widely viewed and discussed. It’s odd to engineer a moment like this one, purpose built for social media, and then try to get a meme of it taken down.
Pelosi’s people argue that showing the clips out of order represents an unacceptable distortion. But the video clearly re-uses the clip of Pelosi tearing the speech multiple times, making the fact that it’s a chop job self-evident. Viewed in that light, Hammill’s complaint reads more like film criticism than a call for platform policy reform.
The truth is that there’s likely no way to draw a line requiring the Pelosi video to be taken down that would also permit the kind of political speech we see every day on television. Any criticism that doesn’t reckon with that fact strikes me as fundamentally glib.
Of course, it’s also the case that political discourse on television — particularly cable television — is often terrible. A platform can embody high ideals of free speech and still be a pretty terrible place to become informed. It would be good for the country if, on that metric at least, Facebook and Twitter aimed much higher.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Amazon is banning books by white supremacists and Nazis. The move has prompted some booksellers to complain about the company’s vague or nonexistent rules regarding what they can sell, though few people are mourning these titles.
🔽 Trending down: Legal documents show Facebook knew about a huge security flaw that let hackers to steal personal data from millions of its users almost one year before the crime. The company failed to fix it in time.
Governing
⭐ Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) proposed a new plan to overhaul the Federal Trade Commission in order to rein in big tech companies. “The FTC has stood by as major corporations have consolidated their power and stifled competition,” he wrote. Russell Brandom at The Verge reports:
Tasked with protecting consumers, the FTC has been the source of significant frustration for antitrust advocates in recent years. Existing law prevents the commission from levying fines for initial violations, as in the Cambridge Analytica case. When fines are enacted, as in Facebook’s recent $5 billion fine, they’re often seen as insufficient. As a result, a number of recent privacy bills have included measures to strengthen the FTC’s powers. Hawley’s proposal goes beyond previous efforts, essentially remaking the agency from the ground up. The proposal calls for the FTC to operate within the Department of Justice, run by a single Senate-confirmed director, rather than its current panel of five commissioners, as a way to render it more immediately responsive to congressional oversight. Hawley would also establish a “digital market research section” specifically to scrutinize tech platforms.
Amazon is trying to depose President Trump and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper in a high-stakes protest over the Pentagon’s handling of a $10 billion cloud computing contract. They’re looking to question Trump over any communications he’s had with Microsoft, the company that eventually won the contract. (Aaron Gregg and Jay Greene / The Washington Post)
Law enforcement agencies are using Clearview AI to identify children who are victims of child abuse. The use case raises new questions about the tool’s accuracy and how the company handles data. (Kashmir Hill and Gabriel J.X. Dance / The New York Times)
Elsewhere, Clearview AI founder Hoan Ton-That told CNN that he is “honored” to kick off a broader conversation about facial recognition and privacy. It is not an honor! No one is honoring you here, Hoan. (Donie O’Sullivan / CNN)
Facebook and the Internal Revenue Service are squaring off in a court case that could cost the company more than $9 billion. The IRS has argued that more of Facebook’s profits should have been taxed at higher rates in the United States, rather than in the company’s Irish subsidiary. (Richard Rubin / The Wall Street Journal)
Facebook, in an attempt to root out misinformation on its platform, almost inadvertently published incorrect information about a voter registration deadline in Oklahoma this year. State officials said they had to fight with the company in order to get the language corrected. (Dustin Volz and Alexa Corse / The Wall Street Journal)
QAnon, the lunatic pro-Trump conspiracy theory about “deep state” traitors plotting against the president, has migrated off the internet. It’s showing up in political campaigns, criminal cases and a college classroom. (Mike McIntire and Kevin Roose / The New York Times)
Volunteers for the Nevada State Democratic Party encountered errors while testing their version of the app that ruined the Iowa caucuses. The party has since decided not to use the app. (Joseph Cox / Vice)
Bernie Sanders is raising more money from Big Tech employees than any other 2020 presidential candidate. Employees from Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter funneled almost $270,000 into the Sanders campaign during the last three months of 2019. (Theodore Schleifer / Recode)
Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is paying influencers to make him look cool on social media. His campaign is asking people with 1,000 to 100,000 followers to create original content “that tells us why Mike Bloomberg is the electable candidate who can rise above the fray, work across the aisle so ALL Americans feel heard & respected.” Feels natural! (Scott Bixby / Daily Beast)
A small community of online sleuths is trying to combat misinformation by spotting it before it can spread. Ben Nimmo, who helped create the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, is pioneering the disinformation investigations. He’s profiled here. (Adam Satariano / The New York Times)
The coronavirus has brought China’s surveillance technology out of the shadows, providing the authorities with a justification for sweeping methods of high tech control. AI companies say their systems can scan the streets for people with even low-grade fevers and recognize their faces even if they are wearing masks. (Yingzhi Yang and Julie Zhu / Reuters)
Industry
⭐ Clearview AI, the facial recognition company that claims to have a database of more than 3 billion photos, is trying to expand to 22 countries around the world. Its list of target markets includes multiple authoritarian regimes. BuzzFeed’s Caroline Haskins, Ryan Mac and Logan McDonald have the story:
A document obtained via a public records request reveals that Clearview has been touting a “rapid international expansion” to prospective clients using a map that highlights how it either has expanded, or plans to expand, to at least 22 more countries, some of which have committed human rights abuses. The document, part of a presentation given to the North Miami Police Department in November 2019, includes the United Arab Emirates, a country historically hostile to political dissidents, and Qatar and Singapore, the penal codes of which criminalize homosexuality.
In December, Facebook quietly acquired the company behind “Papers With Code,” a free resource that helps people track newly published machine learning papers with source code. The deal was estimated to have been around $40 million. (Steve O’Hear / TechCrunch)
Facebook is expanding its bug bounty program in an effort to correct security flaws on the platform. A few months ago, a bug bounty submission alerted the company that apps were siphoning data from up to 9.5 million of its users. (Lily Hay Newman / Wired)
Facebook’s comments plugin, which was built to let users leave comments on websites with their Facebook accounts, promises to help deliver “higher quality conversations” across the internet. Instead, it has prompted a wave of spam across popular websites. (Rob Price / Business Insider)
Instagram added a new feature to let you sort through the accounts that you’re following by “Most shown in feed” and “Least interacted with.” From there, you can manage your follow status and notifications, or mute an account. (Dami Lee / The Verge)
YouTube’s top kids channel, Cocomelon, gets 2.5 billion views a month — and now it’s expanding into merchandise. It’ll soon begin offering albums and toys to its toddler superfans. (Mark Bergen and Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg)
Snapchat’s developer platform is blowing up as a gateway to acquire teenage users for other apps. Hoop, the latest Snap Kit success story, is the second most downloaded app on the App Store, thanks to its Tinder-esque swiping interface for finding new friends. (Josh Constine / TechCrunch)
Amazon has considered selling Twitch’s live-streaming technology as a service through Amazon Web Services. If it moves ahead with the offering, it would be the latest example of the company selling technology it uses internally to customers. (Priya Anand and Jessica Toonkel / The Information)
Jeff Bezos is reportedly scouting for homes in the Los Angeles area that cost as much as $100 million. This would rank among the largest purchases of residential real estate in California history. (Theodore Schleifer / Recode)
And finally...
People are losing it over these German teens’ TikTok, in which a flamboyant young man asks his friends how many boyfriends they have had, even though they likely didn’t understand it in German. Here are Olivia Niland and Lam Thuy Vo in BuzzFeed:
The teens, who live in Cologne, Germany, and wanted to be identified by their TikTok handles, told BuzzFeed News they’ve been making videos for about six months. They said they believe they’ve amassed millions of followers on the app because they are “different from other people in Germany.” ”In Germany, people are sometimes afraid to fully be themselves,” @hussainchillt said. “I am who I am. We are who we are and maybe that gives people permission to be themselves, too.”
Oh mein Gotttttttt.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-02-11--Intel and Vivo join Sony and Amazon withdrawals from Mobile World Congress due to coronavirus risk

Intel , Vivo , and NTT Docomo are joining Sony , Amazon , and others who have cancelled their presence at Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak .
LG , ZTE , Nvidia , and Ericsson have already cancelled various events that were set to take place at MWC in Barcelona , which is the biggest mobile technology trade show on the annual calendar .
TCL also announced it would not be holding a press conference at the show , but the company still plans to attend .
“ The safety and wellbeing of all our employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we have withdrawn from this year ’ s Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution , ” said an Intel spokesperson in a statement published by Venturebeat .
NTT similarly stressed the need to protect customers , partners , and staff , according to Reuters .
Vivo , citing concerns with the health and safety of its employees and the public , is withdrawing the debut of its new Apex 2020 concept phone from MWC .
Revised plans will be issued soon , according to the company .
“ Sony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the novel coronavirus outbreak , which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th , 2020 , ” Sony says in a statement posted to its website Monday .
“ As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers , partners , media and employees , we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona , Spain.
” “ We have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus , Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020 , scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona , Spain.
” Amazon has not historically had a major consumer-focusing presence at MWC .
Sony , on the other hand , often uses the show to reveal its most important mobile devices .
Last year , for example , the company announced its Xperia 1 flagship phone at the show .
Sony says it will instead make its announcements online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a statement , TCL said it had taken the decision to cancel its press event for MWC .
However , it stressed that “ this decision does not impact any other MWC 2020 activities planned by the company and TCL will still announce its latest mobile devices and showcase them at its booth.
” Yesterday the GSM Association , which organizes MWC , put out an updated statement detailing further countermeasures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus .
No travelers from China ’ s Hubei province , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the event , while anyone who ’ s visited other regions of China will need to prove that they have been out of the country for 14 days beforehand .
With MWC set to start in two weeks today , that is likely to complicate the plans of several Chinese companies that were planning to attend .
Update February 10th , 9:40AM ET : Updated with information on TCL ’ s cancellation .
Update February 11th , 1:28AM ET : Updated with information from Intel and NTT Docomo .

Intel, Vivo, and NTT Docomo are joining Sony, Amazon, and others who have cancelled their presence at Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. LG, ZTE, Nvidia, and Ericsson have already cancelled various events that were set to take place at MWC in Barcelona, which is the biggest mobile technology trade show on the annual calendar. TCL also announced it would not be holding a press conference at the show, but the company still plans to attend.
“The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this year’s Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution,” said an Intel spokesperson in a statement published by Venturebeat. NTT similarly stressed the need to protect customers, partners, and staff, according to Reuters.
Vivo, citing concerns with the health and safety of its employees and the public, is withdrawing the debut of its new Apex 2020 concept phone from MWC. Revised plans will be issued soon, according to the company.
“Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th, 2020,” Sony says in a statement posted to its website Monday. “As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.”
“We have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020”
Amazon, meanwhile, tells TechCrunch that “due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020, scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain.”
Amazon has not historically had a major consumer-focusing presence at MWC. Sony, on the other hand, often uses the show to reveal its most important mobile devices. Last year, for example, the company announced its Xperia 1 flagship phone at the show. Sony says it will instead make its announcements online through its Xperia YouTube channel this year.
In a statement, TCL said it had taken the decision to cancel its press event for MWC. However, it stressed that “this decision does not impact any other MWC 2020 activities planned by the company and TCL will still announce its latest mobile devices and showcase them at its booth.”
Yesterday the GSM Association, which organizes MWC, put out an updated statement detailing further countermeasures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus. No travelers from China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak began, will be permitted access to the event, while anyone who’s visited other regions of China will need to prove that they have been out of the country for 14 days beforehand. With MWC set to start in two weeks today, that is likely to complicate the plans of several Chinese companies that were planning to attend.
Update February 10th, 9:40AM ET: Updated with information on TCL’s cancellation.


theverge--2020-02-10--Amazon’s PR chief gets combative on Twitter over media criticism

Amazon PR chief Jay Carney spent his Monday evening engaging in series of escalating and increasingly combative arguments with members of the news media on Twitter .
It marks a rare case of one of the e-commerce giant ’ s more notable representatives taking a less measured approach to public relations .
As of this article ’ s publication , Carney ’ s tweets are still live .
Carney , a former White House press secretary under President Barack Obama , specifically took issue with framings of his op-ed in The New York Times this morning , titled “ Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most prominently members of BuzzFeed News , found the op-ed opportunistic and too conveniently timed to a recent letter from the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate that condemned Amazon for its abysmal worker safety record .
Carney ’ s op-ed for the NYT framed a 2018 phone call from Sanders as a voice of support from the senator for Amazon raising its minimum wage to $ 15 an hour .
It did , however , leave out that Amazon did so after pressure from Sanders himself , among other vocal critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully agree that a company of Amazon ’ s size should be scrutinized , we also believe people should know that Amazon is doing exactly what many lawmakers and critics insist the private sector should do , ” Carney wrote , noting that Amazon raised its minimum wage without being directed to do so by the federal government .
Reporters soon began pointing out how convenient it was that Carney was touting a personal thank you from Sanders delivered to his boss , Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , while leaving out details about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters also pointed out that the op-ed also seemed designed to counter a letter sent by Sanders and 14 other Senators sent last week , but made widely public earlier today , that condemned the company ’ s higher-than-average injury rate for private sector employers .
Carney began attacking reporters over the course of multiple hours on Monday Another thread of criticism directed toward Carney has been a broader call , one often repeated by Sanders and numerous other Amazon critics , that the company does not pay its fair share of taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the back for raising its minimum wage .
Under normal circumstances , this would be an anticipated response , especially considering Carney ’ s boss is the owner of The Washington Post , which routinely publishes opinion pieces that criticize Amazon and reports and investigations that cast the company in an egative light .
But Carney instead began sniping at individual reporters with a series of attacks ranging from the evoking of Watergate journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward to calling a reporter an “ adolescent ” for using the phrase “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalism career , which spanned more than two decades across outlets like The Miami Herald and Time Magazine , as a reason why he can speak with authority on media criticism .
Here ’ s a selection of Carney ’ s tweets , captured for posterity by BuzzFeed ’ s Ryan Mac , who was the among the many Carney took aim at : Carney also claimed in follow-up tweets that Sanders ’ criticism of Amazon regarding its minimum wage had nothing to do with the company ’ s decision .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders ] at the time but acted because because it was the right thing to do for our employees , not because he called for it .
People call for a lot of things , ” Carney tweeted .
Carney also did acknowledge in his op-ed that Sanders ’ support “ didn ’ t last long.
” But the Sanders anecdote , as well as the op-ed headline , provided Carney a springboard to promote what he sees as Amazon ’ s altruism .
“ Still , [ Sanders ’ ] call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ignored in debates about the role a company like ours can and should play in the economy , ” Carney writes of the positive effect Amazon ’ s wage hike has had .
Later in the op-ed , he concludes that Amazon ’ s critics “ will at times have good ideas about how we , and other major companies , can do both more and better .
”

Amazon PR chief Jay Carney spent his Monday evening engaging in series of escalating and increasingly combative arguments with members of the news media on Twitter. It marks a rare case of one of the e-commerce giant’s more notable representatives taking a less measured approach to public relations. As of this article’s publication, Carney’s tweets are still live.
Carney, a former White House press secretary under President Barack Obama, specifically took issue with framings of his op-ed in The New York Times this morning, titled “Why Bernie Sanders Praised Amazon.” Some reporters, most prominently members of BuzzFeed News, found the op-ed opportunistic and too conveniently timed to a recent letter from the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate that condemned Amazon for its abysmal worker safety record.
Carney’s op-ed for the NYT framed a 2018 phone call from Sanders as a voice of support from the senator for Amazon raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. It did, however, leave out that Amazon did so after pressure from Sanders himself, among other vocal critics and labor activists.
“While we fully agree that a company of Amazon’s size should be scrutinized, we also believe people should know that Amazon is doing exactly what many lawmakers and critics insist the private sector should do,” Carney wrote, noting that Amazon raised its minimum wage without being directed to do so by the federal government.
Reporters soon began pointing out how convenient it was that Carney was touting a personal thank you from Sanders delivered to his boss, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, while leaving out details about the pressure campaign Sanders waged. Some reporters also pointed out that the op-ed also seemed designed to counter a letter sent by Sanders and 14 other Senators sent last week, but made widely public earlier today, that condemned the company’s higher-than-average injury rate for private sector employers.
Carney began attacking reporters over the course of multiple hours on Monday
Another thread of criticism directed toward Carney has been a broader call, one often repeated by Sanders and numerous other Amazon critics, that the company does not pay its fair share of taxes and so should not be patting itself on the back for raising its minimum wage.
Under normal circumstances, this would be an anticipated response, especially considering Carney’s boss is the owner of The Washington Post, which routinely publishes opinion pieces that criticize Amazon and reports and investigations that cast the company in a negative light.
But Carney instead began sniping at individual reporters with a series of attacks ranging from the evoking of Watergate journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward to calling a reporter an “adolescent” for using the phrase “no offense.” Carney also touted his journalism career, which spanned more than two decades across outlets like The Miami Herald and Time Magazine, as a reason why he can speak with authority on media criticism.
Here’s a selection of Carney’s tweets, captured for posterity by BuzzFeed’s Ryan Mac, who was the among the many Carney took aim at:
Carney also claimed in follow-up tweets that Sanders’ criticism of Amazon regarding its minimum wage had nothing to do with the company’s decision. “I’m saying we agreed with [Bernie Sanders] at the time but acted because because it was the right thing to do for our employees, not because he called for it. People call for a lot of things,” Carney tweeted. Carney also did acknowledge in his op-ed that Sanders’ support “didn’t last long.”


theverge--2020-02-10--Google’s head of HR is leaving while worker unrest continues

Google human resources chief Eileen Naughton is stepping down later this year , the company confirms to The Verge ( via Fortune ) .
Her title was VP of People Operations ; according to Google , the team ’ s goal is to be “ the champions of Google ’ s culture.
” Perhaps needless to say , Google ’ s culture hasn ’ t been in the best shape for a while .
The company is still reeling from the revelations that multiple high-level Google and Alphabet executives were reportedly involved in sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual relationships , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the fact , which angered Google employees to the point 20,000 of them staged a walkout .
It ’ s not a great time to be head of culture Since the walkout , dozens of Google employees have said the company has retaliated against them for reporting workplace issues including sexual harassment , claiming that Google opted to protect itself rather than employees .
Two of the walkout organizers also quit Google after the company allegedly retaliated against them , and Google controversially fired five more employees who were involved in internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the National Labor Relations Board , which is now conducting an investigation .
Google also allegedly pushed out its own human rights chief after he raised concerns about the company ’ s plans to build a censored Chinese search engine , codename Project Dragonfly , and scaled back its weekly “ TGIF ” town hall meetings to once a month , focused only “ on product and business strategy , ” after disgruntled employees repeatedly leaked info to the media .
Workers also fought with the company to end forced arbitration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s AI ethics board , which later got dissolved .
It ’ s not clear if Naughton herself was personally responsible for any of these decisions , and some of the uglier allegations happened before her four years leading Google ’ s People Operations team — for instance , the allegation that Google ’ s HR department punished former Google lawyer Jennifer Blakeley , but not Google ’ s chief legal officer David Drummond , when the two had an affair .
Google ’ s HR department also wasn ’ t necessarily behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual misconduct — those were approved by Google ’ s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee , a committee run by the company ’ s management , according to a lawsuit .
( Drummond left the company last month with no exit package . )
Naughton also pointed out in 2018 that 48 employees had been fired for sexual harassment , with no exit packages , since 2016 .
She ’ s moving her family to New York for a different job with Google Today , Google says Naughton is planning to stick with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t yet been decided , and Naughton says she ’ s simply giving up the HR chief role to be closer to her family in New York City .
That makes some sense — Google ’ s main offices are in Mountain View , California , and it ’ s possible that People Operations wouldn ’ t be as effective run remotely .
But regardless of the reason , it ’ s not terribly surprising that the person in charge of Google ’ s culture for the past four years might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After all , even company co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recently stepped down , leaving Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in charge of the companies they built .
“ We ’ re grateful to Eileen for all she ’ s done and look forward to her next chapter at Google , ” reads part of a statement from Pichai .
Google says Naughton is leading the recruitment process for her successor , and credits her with improvements to Google ’ s misconduct reporting processes , as well as a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parental leave for Google ’ s temp and outsourced workers .
In December , we wrote about outsourced Google moderators who make $ 18.50 an hour for the unenviable , potentially PTSD-inducing job of moderating disturbing content on YouTube , with almost no paid medical leave .
In response , it appears that Google contractor Accenture began forcing its moderators to sign a document acknowledging the risk to their mental health .

Google human resources chief Eileen Naughton is stepping down later this year, the company confirms to The Verge (via Fortune). Her title was VP of People Operations; according to Google, the team’s goal is to be “the champions of Google’s culture.”
Perhaps needless to say, Google’s culture hasn’t been in the best shape for a while. The company is still reeling from the revelations that multiple high-level Google and Alphabet executives were reportedly involved in sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual relationships, some of whom received multimillion-dollar severance packages after the fact, which angered Google employees to the point 20,000 of them staged a walkout.
It’s not a great time to be head of culture
It’s not clear if Naughton herself was personally responsible for any of these decisions, and some of the uglier allegations happened before her four years leading Google’s People Operations team — for instance, the allegation that Google’s HR department punished former Google lawyer Jennifer Blakeley, but not Google’s chief legal officer David Drummond, when the two had an affair.
Google’s HR department also wasn’t necessarily behind the big payouts to execs accused of sexual misconduct — those were approved by Google’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee, a committee run by the company’s management, according to a lawsuit. (Drummond left the company last month with no exit package.) Naughton also pointed out in 2018 that 48 employees had been fired for sexual harassment, with no exit packages, since 2016.
She’s moving her family to New York for a different job with Google
Today, Google says Naughton is planning to stick with the company in a new role that hasn’t yet been decided, and Naughton says she’s simply giving up the HR chief role to be closer to her family in New York City. That makes some sense — Google’s main offices are in Mountain View, California, and it’s possible that People Operations wouldn’t be as effective run remotely.
But regardless of the reason, it’s not terribly surprising that the person in charge of Google’s culture for the past four years might not be sticking around to fix it. After all, even company co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recently stepped down, leaving Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in charge of the companies they built.
“We’re grateful to Eileen for all she’s done and look forward to her next chapter at Google,” reads part of a statement from Pichai. Google says Naughton is leading the recruitment process for her successor, and credits her with improvements to Google’s misconduct reporting processes, as well as a $15 minimum wage, comprehensive healthcare and parental leave for Google’s temp and outsourced workers.


theverge--2020-02-10--T-Mobile and Sprint’s industry-changing merger will reportedly clear its final hurdle tomorrow

Tomorrow is a day the wireless industry has long been waiting for , according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal ’ s well-guarded sources — a judge is expected to rule in favor of T-Mobile and Sprint in the lawsuit that attempted to stop their industry-changing merger .
That should finally allow T-Mobile and Sprint to combine to take on AT & T and Verizon , as the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice have already approved the $ 26.5 billion deal .
That means we may finally see if the combined company will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have promised — or if there ’ ll be less competition than ever .
T-Mobile and Sprint have maintained since the merger was announced that the deal would create competition , lower prices , create American jobs , and let the combined company create a strong 5G network .
The lawsuit , filed last June by ten state attorneys general , essentially argued the exact opposite , saying that the merger would be anti-competitive and would result in higher prices and worse service .
T-Mobile and Sprint did agree to create more competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be run by Dish .
Dish ’ s plan is to take Boost Mobile , currently owned by Sprint , and combine it with spectrum it already owns to make a 5G network .
T-Mobile will also let Dish use its network for the next seven years as Dish builds up its network .
But antitrust experts say that it ’ s unlikely that Dish will actually be a viable competitor , and historically , similar types of commitments from other huge telecom mergers haven ’ t exactly panned out .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual ruling yet , according to The New York Times , so there ’ s a chance there are conditions that could affect the deal in some way .
Check back for the verdict tomorrow morning ; assuming the reports are accurate , The Verge will be covering it as it happens .

Tomorrow is a day the wireless industry has long been waiting for, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal’s well-guarded sources — a judge is expected to rule in favor of T-Mobile and Sprint in the lawsuit that attempted to stop their industry-changing merger. That should finally allow T-Mobile and Sprint to combine to take on AT&T and Verizon, as the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice have already approved the $26.5 billion deal.
That means we may finally see if the combined company will be as good as T-Mobile and Sprint have promised — or if there’ll be less competition than ever.
T-Mobile and Sprint have maintained since the merger was announced that the deal would create competition, lower prices, create American jobs, and let the combined company create a strong 5G network. The lawsuit, filed last June by ten state attorneys general, essentially argued the exact opposite, saying that the merger would be anti-competitive and would result in higher prices and worse service.
T-Mobile and Sprint did agree to create more competition by creating a fourth wireless carrier that will be run by Dish. Dish’s plan is to take Boost Mobile, currently owned by Sprint, and combine it with spectrum it already owns to make a 5G network. T-Mobile will also let Dish use its network for the next seven years as Dish builds up its network. But antitrust experts say that it’s unlikely that Dish will actually be a viable competitor, and historically, similar types of commitments from other huge telecom mergers haven’t exactly panned out.


theverge--2020-02-11--Flipboard will soon share short videos alongside the news for $3 a month

News aggregator app Flipboard is launching a new ad-free curated video service called Flipboard TV that will come preinstalled on Samsung ’ s new Galaxy S20 phones and cost $ 3 a month .
The service will be exclusive to the S20 for three months , and then roll out to all the other places Flipboard is available .
Flipboard TV focuses on short-form videos delivered in a customized news feed , which you ’ ll find under a new dedicated tab in the Flipboard app .
The feed will algorithmically suggest videos based on your interests , and users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topic or publication to populate their feed .
Some of the outlets already on board for Flipboard TV include The Wall Street Journal , Bloomberg , Rolling Stone , Variety , and more along with local news outlets in cities like Des Moines , Orlando , and Sacramento .
Wired says its publisher Conde Nast is also in talks .
Flipboard says there will be over 100 sources at launch , and the service will focus on professionally-produced videos in a premium , ad-free setting .
Flipboard ’ s CEO tells Wired that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own original video content .
Again , that premium doesn ’ t come for free .
Flipboard TV will cost $ 2.99 a month , though Samsung Galaxy S20 owners will get a three-month free trial .
Although Flipboard has historically been a gratis app , the company is betting on concentrating high quality , short-form videos in one place , as opposed to platforms like YouTube which can be a grab bag .
Of course , there are plenty of places that offer ad-free video experiences , like Amazon , Hulu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launches , Quibi .
But Flipboard CEO Mike McCue doesn ’ t seem to be worried about subscription fatigue , telling Wired that “ It ’ s a kind of renaissance era right now with premium quality content .
”

News aggregator app Flipboard is launching a new ad-free curated video service called Flipboard TV that will come preinstalled on Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 phones and cost $3 a month. The service will be exclusive to the S20 for three months, and then roll out to all the other places Flipboard is available.
Flipboard TV focuses on short-form videos delivered in a customized news feed, which you’ll find under a new dedicated tab in the Flipboard app. The feed will algorithmically suggest videos based on your interests, and users can follow videos based on things like topic or publication to populate their feed.
Some of the outlets already on board for Flipboard TV include The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, Variety, and more along with local news outlets in cities like Des Moines, Orlando, and Sacramento. Wired says its publisher Conde Nast is also in talks. Flipboard says there will be over 100 sources at launch, and the service will focus on professionally-produced videos in a premium, ad-free setting. Flipboard’s CEO tells Wired that the company has no plans to produce its own original video content.
Again, that premium doesn’t come for free. Flipboard TV will cost $2.99 a month, though Samsung Galaxy S20 owners will get a three-month free trial. Although Flipboard has historically been a gratis app, the company is betting on concentrating high quality, short-form videos in one place, as opposed to platforms like YouTube which can be a grab bag.


theverge--2020-02-11--Nvidia’s GeForce Now is losing all Activision Blizzard games, a bad sign for cloud gaming

Nvidia ’ s GeForce Now feels like one of the very best ways to get a free taste of cloud gaming , but it ’ s got a gigantic catch — it lets you play PC games you already own only if the game publisher allows it .
Today , Nvidia is revealing that Activision Blizzard is no longer playing ball , pulling down its catalog of games including Overwatch , WoW , and the Call of Duty series .
That means one of the service ’ s biggest publishers , as well as its Battle.net catalog of games , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week after the service ’ s formal launch — a launch that was already missing many games from Capcom , EA , Konami , Remedy , Rockstar and Square Enix , all of which seemed to have pulled out after Nvidia ’ s beta period ended .
Nvidia wouldn ’ t tell us why this is happening now , but it ’ s strange , because Nvidia previously told us it was contacting every publisher ahead of launch to make sure they were OK staying on .
Did Activision Blizzard reneg on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get permission ?
We ’ re waiting to hear back on that from Nvidia ; Activision Blizzard didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .
GeForce Now was supposed to be win-win-win And it ’ s frustrating , because the whole premise of Nvidia ’ s GeForce Now service is theoretically win-win-win : you get to take your existing game library anywhere , game publishers get the same money and much the same relationship with the customer ( who ’ s buying those games from the same Steam , Epic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nvidia gets to rent out access to a computer that simply lives in the cloud instead of on your desk at home .
In a statement , Nvidia says it hopes to work with Activision Blizzard to bring the games back , but the company confirmed to us that things are pretty cut-and-dried for now — you shouldn ’ t expect them to magically reappear after a few days ( or even a few weeks ) .
Nvidia also declined to tell us whether it ’ d be open to sharing a slice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing the quiet period before its earnings .
It ’ s true that Blizzard , at least , has an EULA that specifically prevents users from playing a game on cloud gaming services , but that doesn ’ t seem to explain this move .
Activision ’ s EULA doesn ’ t contain anything of the sort , and again , Activision Blizzard didn ’ t seem to have any problem with it during the GeForce Now beta .
Regardless of the reasons , it ’ s worrying for those of us who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential to see a service like this hobbled because one party , or the other , didn ’ t want to work out a deal .
It makes me wonder if we should expect nasty carriage negotiations to play out regularly in gaming like they already do in the pay TV world , holding our favorite programs hostage until one party or the other provides a slightly bigger piece of the action .
We recently saw that streaming set-top-boxes like the Roku aren ’ t immune to those annoyances — now that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games be any different ?

Nvidia’s GeForce Now feels like one of the very best ways to get a free taste of cloud gaming, but it’s got a gigantic catch — it lets you play PC games you already own only if the game publisher allows it. Today, Nvidia is revealing that Activision Blizzard is no longer playing ball, pulling down its catalog of games including Overwatch, WoW, and the Call of Duty series.
That means one of the service’s biggest publishers, as well as its Battle.net catalog of games, will no longer be available just a week after the service’s formal launch — a launch that was already missing many games from Capcom, EA, Konami, Remedy, Rockstar and Square Enix, all of which seemed to have pulled out after Nvidia’s beta period ended.
Nvidia wouldn’t tell us why this is happening now, but it’s strange, because Nvidia previously told us it was contacting every publisher ahead of launch to make sure they were OK staying on. Did Activision Blizzard reneg on a deal, or did Nvidia fail to get permission? We’re waiting to hear back on that from Nvidia; Activision Blizzard didn’t respond to a request for comment.
GeForce Now was supposed to be win-win-win
And it’s frustrating, because the whole premise of Nvidia’s GeForce Now service is theoretically win-win-win: you get to take your existing game library anywhere, game publishers get the same money and much the same relationship with the customer (who’s buying those games from the same Steam, Epic, UPlay and Battle.net stores), and Nvidia gets to rent out access to a computer that simply lives in the cloud instead of on your desk at home.
In a statement, Nvidia says it hopes to work with Activision Blizzard to bring the games back, but the company confirmed to us that things are pretty cut-and-dried for now — you shouldn’t expect them to magically reappear after a few days (or even a few weeks). Nvidia also declined to tell us whether it’d be open to sharing a slice of its subscription fees with publishers, citing the quiet period before its earnings.
It’s true that Blizzard, at least, has an EULA that specifically prevents users from playing a game on cloud gaming services, but that doesn’t seem to explain this move. Activision’s EULA doesn’t contain anything of the sort, and again, Activision Blizzard didn’t seem to have any problem with it during the GeForce Now beta.


theverge--2020-02-11--Samsung confirms its AirDrop-like ‘Quick Share’ is launching on the Galaxy S20

AirDrop has long been a handy convenience that comes with using Apple gadgets , but Samsung has finally come up with its own version .
And it ’ s debuting on the Galaxy S20 , S20 Plus , and S20 Ultra .
It ’ s called Quick Share , and Samsung says it lets you “ share everything with your friends instantly.
” Quick Share is detailed toward the bottom of this page that ’ s about the S20 ’ s camera .
Similar to AirDrop , Quick Share can show “ which of your contacts is nearby ” so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But an interesting advantage over AirDrop is that Quick Share allows you to share with “ up to 5 friends ” simultaneously .
AirDrop limits you to one recipient at a time .
Screenshots of the Quick Share interface were published by XDA Developers last month , revealing that it has similar options to AirDrop : you can choose to let anyone with a compatible Samsung phone or tablet send you content , or just your contacts .
The only compatible devices , however , are the Galaxy S20 phones — at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Share will make its way to the company ’ s other devices “ soon.
” Samsung has offered device-to-device sharing before for certain scenarios like beaming content onto your Samsung TV .
That version is called Direct Share , but Quick Share is a bit more seamless .
Google is also working on its own AirDrop-like software feature called Nearby Sharing that should eventually arrive on Pixel phones .
I think we can all agree that AirDrop is an excellent idea , and after some false starts that focused too heavily on NFC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Android catching up in the year 2020 .

AirDrop has long been a handy convenience that comes with using Apple gadgets, but Samsung has finally come up with its own version. And it’s debuting on the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra. It’s called Quick Share, and Samsung says it lets you “share everything with your friends instantly.” Quick Share is detailed toward the bottom of this page that’s about the S20’s camera.
Similar to AirDrop, Quick Share can show “which of your contacts is nearby” so you can easily send files to them. But an interesting advantage over AirDrop is that Quick Share allows you to share with “up to 5 friends” simultaneously. AirDrop limits you to one recipient at a time.
Screenshots of the Quick Share interface were published by XDA Developers last month, revealing that it has similar options to AirDrop: you can choose to let anyone with a compatible Samsung phone or tablet send you content, or just your contacts.
The only compatible devices, however, are the Galaxy S20 phones — at least at launch. Samsung says Quick Share will make its way to the company’s other devices “soon.”
Samsung has offered device-to-device sharing before for certain scenarios like beaming content onto your Samsung TV. That version is called Direct Share, but Quick Share is a bit more seamless.


theverge--2020-02-11--Snapchat’s new mental health tool will offer helpful intervention

Snapchat is launching a search tool called Here For You that will surface “ safety resources ” from mental health experts when users search for sensitive topics like anxiety , depression , suicide , and bullying , the company announced Tuesday .
For instance , if a user searched for “ thinspo ” ( content that may skew to be pro-anorexia ) , the search results would “ intervene ” with content by experts , Fast Company reports .
While parent company Snap did not elaborate on how often these kinds of searches occur on Snapchat , the platform has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media platform .
It reaches 90 percent of 13- to 24-year-olds , a group who may be most vulnerable to bullying or suggestive content .
“ Snapchat was built with privacy at its core — starting with ephemerality — and designed to let people be themselves , without the pressure of being judged by others , ” according to the company ’ s blog post .
As Axios points out , Snap is not the first social media platform to put resources into mental health and anti-bullying initiatives .
Instagram rolled out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year that allows users to block abusive or harassing comments so nobody else can see them .
And Pinterest provides “ emotional wellness activities ” when its users search the platform for topics like “ stress ” or “ anxiety.
” Snap says it plans to roll out the Here For You tool in the coming weeks .

Snapchat is launching a search tool called Here For You that will surface “safety resources” from mental health experts when users search for sensitive topics like anxiety, depression, suicide, and bullying, the company announced Tuesday.
For instance, if a user searched for “thinspo” (content that may skew to be pro-anorexia), the search results would “intervene” with content by experts, Fast Company reports. While parent company Snap did not elaborate on how often these kinds of searches occur on Snapchat, the platform has one of the youngest audiences of any social media platform. It reaches 90 percent of 13- to 24-year-olds, a group who may be most vulnerable to bullying or suggestive content.
“Snapchat was built with privacy at its core — starting with ephemerality — and designed to let people be themselves, without the pressure of being judged by others,” according to the company’s blog post.
As Axios points out, Snap is not the first social media platform to put resources into mental health and anti-bullying initiatives. Instagram rolled out a new “Restrict” mode last year that allows users to block abusive or harassing comments so nobody else can see them. And Pinterest provides “emotional wellness activities” when its users search the platform for topics like “stress” or “anxiety.”


theverge--2020-02-11--Samsung’s Galaxy S20 phones are getting Google’s helpful Live Caption feature

Samsung ’ s Galaxy S20 lineup will be the first non-Pixel phones to gain Google ’ s Live Caption feature , which transcribes and captions videos in real time with excellent accuracy — even when the volume is turned down .
Live Caption debuted on Android 10 with the Pixel 4 , and Google positions it as a helpful tool among Android ’ s accessibility features .
It has since come to older Pixel devices , but Samsung is the first outside of Google to offer it .
Live Caption works completely on device , meaning your captions are never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared with the company .
It can ’ t be used for music , phone calls , or voice-over IP calls , however .
And app developers have the option of opting out of sharing their software ’ s audio with the system ; in cases where they do , though , Live Caption won ’ t work right .
Live Caption isn ’ t the only way Samsung and Google have deepened their partnership with the Galaxy S20 .
Google Duo , the video chat app , also gets prominent placement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the dialer .
Duo ’ s video quality maxes out at 720p , but Google says the S20 is the first phone that will do 1080p video calls .
Samsung says this is made possible by 5G , as is the ability to upload 8K videos from your Galaxy S20 directly to YouTube over a 5G cellular network connection .
Sadly , there was no mention of the Pixel ’ s Recorder app coming to Samsung ’ s latest phones .
Since it uses the same on-device transcription engine as Live Caption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see .
But Recorder remains a Pixel exclusive for now .

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup will be the first non-Pixel phones to gain Google’s Live Caption feature, which transcribes and captions videos in real time with excellent accuracy — even when the volume is turned down. Live Caption debuted on Android 10 with the Pixel 4, and Google positions it as a helpful tool among Android’s accessibility features. It has since come to older Pixel devices, but Samsung is the first outside of Google to offer it.
Live Caption works completely on device, meaning your captions are never sent to Google’s servers or shared with the company. It can’t be used for music, phone calls, or voice-over IP calls, however. And app developers have the option of opting out of sharing their software’s audio with the system; in cases where they do, though, Live Caption won’t work right.
Live Caption isn’t the only way Samsung and Google have deepened their partnership with the Galaxy S20. Google Duo, the video chat app, also gets prominent placement on the new phones and is integrated right into the dialer. Duo’s video quality maxes out at 720p, but Google says the S20 is the first phone that will do 1080p video calls. Samsung says this is made possible by 5G, as is the ability to upload 8K videos from your Galaxy S20 directly to YouTube over a 5G cellular network connection.